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marion24

Listed below are comments made by marion24 between Friday, 15th August 2008 and Monday, 25th August 2008.

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Beijing, over and out - follow that, London! 02:16am on 25 Aug 2008 Congrats for the successful Olympics to Beijing, and can't wait to see the 2012 one in London. I thought the use of a double-decker bus was pretty nifty, and was amused to see it become a green-and-fuzzy-transformer.

The dancing caught the youthful energy well (though to be fair the performance as a whole was disadvantaged when placed next to the scale of the Beijing acts). I'm sure London will succeed the Olympics well, in a different style centred around a different theme, to create a different vibe.

But please, please fix the Heathrow airport terminals before then. And make sure more affordable accommodation is available for the younger people (especially students!) who wish to view the games....

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To comment #24 who thinks the closing ceremony was choreographed by the Chinese state and filled with propaganda songs; well, it's not. Most of the songs used last night were updated version of old folksongs. The more modern "Beijing, Beijing, I love Beijing" song, whilst cheesy, hardly does qualify as propaganda.

And #120's comment is self-contradicting....saying that the Beijing Olympics felt sterile and bland, yet also saying how different host countries create different atmospheres based on their cultures....so maybe the commenter is just not understanding Beijing culture? It's true the games convey part of the culture to the world, but it is equally important for the foreign visitors to reach out and seek knowledge about the culture themselves...
China delivers an Olympics like no other 10:12am on 24 Aug 2008 Don't think that the Olympics have only been a learning experience for the West; China has learnt much about how it wants to the perceived by the rest of the world!

People might say that the IOC made a poor decision giving the Olympics to China; but the IOC isn't a political institution. That is the factor that ultimately counts for anything.

China has hosted these Olympics well, demonstrating some seriously efficient organization and providing some top-notch facilities. Who knew they could easily mobilize thousands of volunteers and construct an entirely new section of the metro within four years? The IOC has given China the games, and China has used the event as an opportunity to show the world who they are as a nation.

Much of the human-rights issues in China needs to be improved upon, but it shouldn't be allowed to overshadow the games itself. Afterall, China didn't use the games to advocate their government system and impose their beliefs on the global community. The important thing to know is that change is happening in China, albeit at a slow pace and on their own terms.

I wish the 2012 London Olympics the best of luck, and I look forward to see what the city has to offer!
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PS: Being ethnically Chinese but raised in 'the West' makes it very painful for me to read comments that lean towards either extreme (anti-China or pro-China)....because it's evident that both sides are right and wrong at the same time.
What have been your Beijing highlights? 09:30am on 24 Aug 2008 Alas, too many wonderful and memorable moments in these Olympics! I especially loved the Opening Ceremony, but in regards to the games themselves the best moments must have been:

-When Bolt won his 200m sprint, set a new record and the entire Bird's Nest sang 'Happy Birthday' to him

-Lin Dan tossing his shoes and racket into the crowd after his badminton victory

-The Australian crowds cheering Mitcham on during his 10m diving final! I don't think I've seen such creative cheering displays and decorations, and the level of enthusiasm was great

-The general atmosphere of the Beach Volleyball events; music and sun!

-And of course, the best part is seeing spectators and volunteers from all around the globe sit down together and just enjoy the games, not divided by politics and personal beliefs during those brief moments...
China 'moves on' from Liu Xiang 08:11am on 20 Aug 2008 To be honest, I think your three categories of victorious behaviour could be applied any anyone who wins (regardless of country.) But when it comes to the Chinese athletes, they act in a manner they deem suitable for their own personalities and status (e.g. Guo acts in such a stern manner because she is the 'older sister' figure who younger divers look up to). Plus, being humble is a fundamental part of Chinese cultural teachings! No the bowing and thanking comes as no surprise.

Hahaha here in Hong Kong, Lin Dan is also nicknamed 'Show-Dan' because of his unique [and emotionally charged] way of celebrating victories! It's really quite amusing to see a athlete from any country start a mini-party once they know they've won...
Telling stories in Beijing 02:01am on 20 Aug 2008 Being able to film in front of Tienanmen Square for five minutes is a pretty drastic improvement than the situation a couple of years back. But amongst the local authorities, there is still a general suspicion of foreign reporters; there has been a lot of unfair media hype negatively portraying China in the past several months (and arguably also for the past several years....three of my U.S. friends can only associate phrases/words like 'one-child policy', 'communist regime', 'human rights violation', 'pollution', 'Tibet oppression' when China is mentioned....all which are happening in the country, but it still is an unbalanced view.)

China and media-rights still have a long way to go before it bears any semblance to how the media operates in the west (which also isn't without its flaws, but deals better with free speech.)
Tweddle's Olympic dream ended by 0.025 06:45am on 19 Aug 2008 Even though Tweddle might not show up as a competitor in the 2012 Olympics, I hope she will continue exerting her positive influence in the sport even then. She took a great risk with her routine, and it was a great. Never mind what several numbers say in the end.

Along the lines of what derekjoe said; I also get carded before buying alcohol and I'm way past the minimum age (my entire family is ethnically Chinese and looks young for their age....even my mum got carded...awkward.) Not proof that Yang might be 16, but the possibility is there....
The moment Liu Xiang broke Chinese hearts 2:15pm on 18 Aug 2008 It's always sad to watch an athlete walk off the field without participating in the games; but an injury is an injury, and I'm sure no one would want him to over-strain his leg. Health and well-being should be the priority!

It's a shame, but there's always next time for him. He still deserves all the respect and admiration amongst his people (and also from people in other countries like myself!)
It's the winning, not the taking part that counts 06:28am on 18 Aug 2008 Interesting blog post; but surely all athletes aspire to wear a medal around their neck? Pressure exists for all the athletes in the Olympics, not just for those on the Chinese team.

And as you mentioned the Indian sporting mentality, the Chinese athlete also has a different sort of gaming perspective. Winning a gold medal isn't for the self, it is for the entire population. The 'me' only factors in a small part of the win....so when is comes to losing, it's as though the group has lost.

Along the lines of what swswfel said, the Chinese mentality with games has changed over the past few decades. They understand that making it into the Olympics is a great feat in itself, and from what had been aired on television the crowd has never 'booed' or jeered at any athlete that didn't make it onto the top three places. There's more respect and compassion around for athletes.
Final humiliation in the park 04:59am on 16 Aug 2008 Taking a stab at answering smellslikesalmon's question regarding separate teams for Hong Kong and China: Hong Kong has had its own official Olympic team long before 1997 (handover); the product of the strange history that characterizes the city.

There probably isn't a merging between the two teams because of political reasons between the city and the nation; HK is considered a Special Autonomous Region with its own form of government, and residents of HK even have separate passports than the people in the mainland...some HK people I know consider themselves having a different identity than their northern neighbours. It's all very complicated...
Final humiliation in the park 1:34pm on 15 Aug 2008 Lovely little piece regarding the history of ping-pong in China! And kudos to you for playing against Mr. Ma (I suppose you don't have to feel as though you've lost to a man five decades older....rather, it might be better to say you played against a man with five decades more experience than you)

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