Olympics opening ceremony

Yeah I know this post is a bit late but how AMAZING was the Opening Ceremony?! I was totally blown away. It seems that with each games the bar is raised higher and the quality just gets better and better. I can't wait to see what London has in store for us, they will have a hard task to beat this one.

6 days until the Olympics!!

OMG... where did the time go?!!! I can't believe it. It's gonna be here so soon.

IOC's internet censorship deal with China

The international Olympic committee (IOC)'s not-so-secret deal with China about internet censorship. Read all about it here.

Beijing Olympic Mascots parody

This is one of the funniest things I've seen in ages where people give their own interpretations and designs of the Olympic Mascots.

Some examples:

Beijing Olympics silly comic

Breadtalk's Peace Panda to raise money for Sichuan / Random news

* Three day nationwide mourning period starting from yesterday at 2:28pm, exactly a week after the earthquake hit

* 61-year-old woman found after a week of being trapped, alive but had to have both legs amputated, seriously injured and delirious

* Olympic torch relay through Shanghai (originally 20-21 May) to be delayed

* Death toll nearing 50,000

* From beggars to billionaires, all donate money to support the earthquake victims

* We must not forget our poor friends in Burma, who've also suffered a great loss due to the cyclone there, and they have an even higher death toll :(

* I have to admit that since the September 11 attacks nothing has moved me as much as the Sichuan earthquake. Obviously living in China I'm being bombarded with the news and images whereas if I was in Australia I'd barely hear anything about it. I can't watch the news on tv, even a few seconds brings me to tears.

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The other day I found these at Breadtalk. They are adorable! Sure they cost a bit more than the other buns (10 RMB) but half or all (can't remember and couldn't be bothered to try to read the poster, click on image to enlarge) of the proceeds go towards the Red Cross to help the earthquake victims.

They are like the anpanman (red bean inside) but with chocolate on top. I also love how all the faces are totally different. Really cute and tasty! :)

Olympic torch in Shanghai

In less than 2 weeks the Olympic torch will make its way into Shanghai, and I'm excited! (and all the China haters can go and get stuffed =D When I go home I'll try to find and scan and upload my torch relay pic from the 2000 Sydney Olympics when they passed through my suburb and I got up at some ungodly hour to wait for them to come through).

Link

You can track the torch's journey here

Shanghai will hold a torch-lighting ceremony on Donghai Bridge in Nanhui District on May 20 when the torch arrives from Zhejiang Province, Eastday.com said.

Torch bearers will relay the torch across Fengxian, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Minhang and Changning and Xuhui districts. They will then take it to Century Avenue and Bingjiang Boulevard in Pudong New Area via the Nanpu Bridge in Xuhui District.

After that, the torch will be taken to the former Shiliupu pier in Huangpu District by ferry. It will then pass Zhongshan No.1 Road E. of Huangpu District.

Another ceremony will be held in Century Square on Nanjing Road E. at the end of the first day, the report added.

On May 21, the torch will be lit near the Memorial Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Luwan District, and then relayed to Jing'an, Putuo, Zhabei, Hongkou and Yangpu districts. It will be ferried to Chongming Island from Baoyang Road pier and then ferried to Baoshan District from Shidongkou pier.

The torch will then move into Jiangsu Province after a ceremony in Anting Motor City in Jiading District.

The journey, which begun on March 24, will cover 137,000 kilometers, the longest in history, and last 130 days and involve 22,000 torch bearers worldwide.

Unfortunately I can't find a close-up actual map of its path in Shanghai. If anyone has seen one I'd love to know, thanks!

China.. Tibet.. Boycotting the Olympic Games in Beijing

It seems like every man and his dog has an opinion on this big news event, as so I may as well add my 2 cents.

First of all I'll start by saying that I agree that what China did to Ti-bet is absolutely appalling, as well as their hideous track record/history of issues relating to hum-an rights. For me, a few years ago, I saw some posters in Hong Kong (Tsim Tsa Tsui) of what the Chinese government did to people who were found to be practising F-a-lun-G-o-ng (writing it like that in case my blog gets blocked). Those images will stay with me for life. I actually started crying (in public, at the ferry terminal!) because I was so shocked, saddened and disgusted at their treatment of fellow human beings. Every time I think about it I feel really really SICK.

Anyway, back to the topic.. how will boycotting the Olympics achieve anything? I'm more than certain the games will go ahead no matter what, and if it didn't all it would achieve is to disappoint the athletes who spend their whole lives training for this big event.

Oh, and I love how all these high and mighty people from Western countries think that THEIR country is so great and perfect, and don't have a shoddy history as well. And if you're going to boycott anything Chinese - hey, you may as well walk around naked because I'm sure as anything the clothes you are wearing are made in China, and stop eating Chinese food and going to Chinese restaurants, and associating with Chinese people (rolleyes).. OMG.. when will this lunacy end?

I'm sorry to say I think it's just pathetic and childish.

Olympics tickets

I totally forgot to mention that last week my husband got us tickets to the Olympic Games. No, not the $2000 Opening ceremony ones.. but the $22 regular event ones.

Also, my mother is coming to visit me soon.

1 year till the Olympics!

Today is 08.08.07 and on 08.08.08 the Olympics in Beijing will start. I can't believe it's been almost 7 years since my beloved Sydney Olympics (which I went to and absolutely adored) and in one year's time I will be tagging along with hubby and getting free accommodation and tickets to watch the games - yippee! :D

While I'm in the mood for talking about big events in China, in 2010 the World Expo will be held in Shanghai. And as a local resident - don't we know it! There is chaos on several main roads with construction fast tracked for the expansion and building of more subway lines. The end result will be fantastic though, I'm sure. In 3 years time there will be 3 new lines. In comparison, it takes Sydney about 10 years just to build 1 new rail line, sorry half a rail line (I'm talking about Chatswood to Parramata which they are only building up to Epping at this point).

The Expo's logo looks a little freaky though, don't you think?