http://www.athens2004.com/

Now I am here in waiting for the opening of the Olympic game. China is 5 hours earlier than Athens. When the Opening Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games starts at 20:30 on August 13, 2004, it is already 1:30 AM in the morning of August 14. I just called Wendy. Wendy will not watch it since she will continue to learn to drive tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.

Image in courtesy of Google.com

It is exactly 4 years before the Olympic comes to Beijing in 2008. The city is preparing itself for the coming game. I am now on the 8th floor of Shangri-La Beijing. Beside this newly decorated old building (from 1980s) is a planned second tower – which is higher and bigger than the current one. It will be completed by 2006. It is obviously Shangri-La is betting a good revenue stream during the Olympic Games (and after it).

As what Shangri-La does, other hotels are moving to Beijing. Ritz Carlton will open at Financial Street in 2006. JW Marriott will open a new hotel in Beijing at 2007. The hotels are helping build Beijing as a better place.

But at the same time, the full pause of all major Olympic stadium hits the headlines of major media today. People in this city or in this country started to calm down from the cult for Olympic and recalculated the cost and decide to change designers of the stadiums. The Beijing Olympic Committee also delayed the construction to 2007 from previously planned 2006. This is nice move, isn’t it?

http://en.beijing-2008.org/

Athans 2008 Olympic Game in Greek