Tomorrow, the Olympic Games will open in Beijing. It is such a big event that people start to count down from 1000 days ago. When it comes, I just have many ideas in my minds. Just list some of them.

Impact of the Games

One reporter from Newsweek asked me can we call these 5 years as the “Olympic Age” in China. I said no.

The impact of the Games has not show up too much yet. I would assume the 5 to 10 years after Olympic Games will reveal some of the impact (hopefully), and it is not too late to summarize the 10 years as “Olympic Age” after 10 years. Now? I didn’t feel too much change yet.

My Connection with Olympic Games

I am lucky to still remember the opening ceremony of the 1984 LA Olympic Games. At that time, I was just 7 years old. I remember my father and I and many other people were watching it in the only TV in the area at a fire station. Children are just children. My attention was not long enough for the whole ceremony. I was dragged back to the TV when the Chinese team appeared.

Yifan is only 14 months old, and he is too little to have any memory of the event. But I still insist that we need to watch the game together. Just as the LA game 24 years ago, he may hear about it again and again in the future.

Worries

It is just like any big event, I start to worry a lot these days. With the uncomfortably increasing of security measure everywhere, I am worrying about something bad may happen to the opening ceremony. Terrorist did reached one of their goals – people really worry about it.

The other thing is the weather. I believe many people are worrying the same thing. There are no blue sky in Beijing from the pictures, and there are may be rains. Beijing is not very lucky this time.

I told Wendy: “I really feel worried. I am afraid something goes wrong, although I know it is not my fault.”.. Wendy laughed at me.

Impact to this Country

Complains about the Games can be seen on many places. I just feel it does not like a party that people celebrate, it is just like the exam a student needs to “unwillingly” attend.

When I had my meal, I heard a short conversation like this on the table beside me:

A: “Why just an Olympic has completely put my life upside down?”

B: “Yes! It does”

A: “Even all the shops in all the metro stations were closed.”

B: “My friends just had its last working day today, and will be on vacation until Sept 19, because their factory is near the Shanghai Stadium”.

A: “It is still better than Beijing!”

Impact to the life of people in Beijing is tremendous. Normal life were put on a pause, and it is very hard for people in China to enter Beijing, so do those business people to the city. No wonder the price of hotels dropped dramatically one month before the Games. The Game did expose some of the weakest point of the current system to many people. I don’t think the change many happen, but awareness may push for some change.

Traffic Police Everywhere

The Shanghai Soccer Game venue – Shanghai Stadium – is just within walking distance away from our office. Last night, when I drive back home, I saw policeman along the roads. I drove onto the Tianyaoqiao Road, pickup Wendy and drove out – just to realize the road was blocked one minute ago. This is the major change I observed in Shanghai.

What I will Do Tomorrow

I will stay at home, watching TV with my family.

I will also open my laptop and write random thoughts about what I feel about opening ceremony.

I will consistently upload my thoughts on to this blog in real time.