Beijing

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing have been a sight to behold. Whether you are a sports fan or not seems immaterial. The Olympics have a draw in and of themselves different than any other sport or any other stage. It's culture, nationalism, sports, and personalities. We watch and take them in as they shine for us, like the stars we always wanted and the heroes we never knew were next door.

These games have another element however.
Something we all knew was there but couldn't quite understand, or grasp the depth of.

China.

The sites are breathtaking. The venues remarkable. And the culture unearthed from its hidden stage. The Water Cube is a wonder. The National Indoor Stadium, a state of the art coliseum. These games have allowed the world to not just stare through the wooden fence into the neighbors yard. They have invited us into a culture we can't quite put our finger on, and a people we hope to learn to understand.

Two years ago I read a USA Today piece about the Beijing games and posted in response to it on this blog. I was mesmerized by the grandeur and anticipation. As we watch it now unfold before us, looking back... it's happening.

Here's the post from a few years back...
Flying Daggers and the Olympics

Zai jian.