Goodbye, the great Olympic Games! Learning Chinese continues…

Posted on August 25, 2008 by Celia

A big farewell party was hold at the Bird’s Nest last Sunday evening. The beautiful fireworks not only lightened the sky of Beijing, but also the heart of everyone who cared about the Games. At the end of the closing ceremony, the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge praised the Games as “truly exceptional”. Through this Olympic Games, people around the world knew more about China, and more people became interested in Chinese.

There is no doubt the opening ceremony dazzled the world by blending the Chinese unique elements with the modern high-tech performing patterns, including expressing one of the Games’ themes “harmony” by using the Chinese character “和”.

Visitors were keen on Chinese, according to the Beijing Evening News, just in the first week of the Games, over 500 foreign athletes and coaches have come to the popular Chinese Learning Center in the Olympic Athletes’ Village to learn Chinese and get their Chinese names. The most frequently used words were: 谢谢(thanks), 你好(hello), 再见(goodbye).

Teachers also assisted with Olympic-related vocabulary and conversation, like “祝贺你获得金牌(congratulations on your gold medal)”.

Hope more people will like Chinese and learn it!

LiuXiang Quit 110M Hurdles Men

Posted on August 17, 2008 by Yuanxi Chen

Chinese Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang quit the game at 12:00 this morning.
I am sorry that he has lost the chance to win a 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal.
Liuxiang Quit 刘翔退赛
(This image is from Xinhua.net)
Liu was injured in U.S May 2008. According to the news conference today, his coach Sun Haiping, said that Liu Xiang also has suffered from his bone disease for 6-7 years and he mentioned Liu Xiang may possibly come back in 2010 season but not the next.

Liuxiang 2004

His 2004 Olympic gold medal was China's first in a men's track and field event. Furthermore he is the first Chinese athlete to achieve the "triple crown" of athletics (World Record Holder, World Champion and Olympic Champion).

Matthew Emmons: The Best Is Yet To Come

Posted on August 17, 2008 by Gijo

US shooter Matthew Emmons may be the unluckiest one at the Beijing Olympic Games. Emmons lost Gold in today’s 50m Rifle Three Positions Men Final by scoring a last shot of 4.4 points, mirroring what had happened four years ago at the Games of Athens, where he had fired his last shot on the wrong target.

The gold was won by Chinese athlete Qiu Jian and Emmons finished fourth. Four years ago in Athens, China's Jia Zhanbo was lifted from second to win gold when Emmons hit his neighboring target and earned zero on his last shot.

I remembered Emmons from in Athens, and I really wanted him to win this time, because I think he deserves the gold. Emmons is one of the best rifle shooter in the worid, he won two world championship in 2002 and 2004, and took a gold in Athens. He got the first place in almost every contest he attended from 2006 to 2008, including world cup and world championships. Emmons was ready to embrace the gold medal, however, the ghosts hauled him again. His wife Katerina, who won the most eye-catching first gold of the Beijing Olympics for the Czech Republic, opened her mouth in astonishiment.

He must be very upset, but still, he walked up to the gold medalist and congratulated him. Then he walked towards the courtside, where his wife Katerina kissed him and hugged him by the head, trying to comfort him by her affectionate eyes and whisper. They held each other tightly. Tears ran off Matt's face and Katerina wiped them away gently. Her smile was his biggest comfort. I am so touched by the love she has for him, more than the fact that Chinese had won the game. At this moment, love is more treasured than the medal. Just like Emmons said after the game, "With her by my side that's the most important thing, whether I win or lose, she will always be there and my family will always be there supporting me."

They met each other in 2004, in an Athens beer garden just the night he lost the gold in Athens. She tapped him on the shoulder, and told him she thought he was the best shooter in the world. He lost his gold medal, but in the end, he met the love of his life. They tied the knot in 2007.

"Things happen for a reason," Emmons said after the game. "I said that the last time this happened. The last time the reason was Katie. This time, I don't know what the reason is yet. But I'm sure something good's gonna come from it."

"If he can get a 4.4 and still place fourth, he's great!" she said firmly, "It (the gold medal) was waiting for him. I'm sure it was waiting for him.""What happened today I think will keep him going, keep him determined, and he will be more experienced, this will keep him pointed in the right direction."

I guess luck was definitely not on his side this time, but love is. I really hope that something good will happen after this, just like four years ago. Hope to see him in London, the next Olympic games. I'm sure he longs for this gold medal and I give him all my best wishes, he really deserves it. May the luck be with you, Matthew.

At last, I'd like to use the words I saw from a sports review today to finish this article：

Shoulder by shoulder, they walked away.

During the four years since Matthew's Athens nightmare, he harvested love.

Who knows in the next four years, what will be waiting for the young couple?

Matthew Emmons of the United States competes during the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Shooting event in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Matthew Emmons won the 4th with a total of 1270.3. (Xinhua/Bao Feifei)

Matthew Emmons (L) of the United States competes during the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Shooting event in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Matthew Emmons won the 4th with a total of 1270.3. (Chinanews.com)

Matthew Emmons (L) of the United States and his wife Katerina Emmons.

U.S. is a "small" country

Posted on August 14, 2008 by Jichuan

U.S. do be a "small" country, at least for its media.

After China won the women's gymnastics, especially beat the American team, almost all the media in States focus on the "underage problem" of Chinese women team. They try to figure out any possible "evidence" to prove that those girls who attended this competition do not fit the age limitation decided by IFG (International Federation of Gymnastics). To achieve this goal, some journalists even try to "trap" Chinese gymnastics athelets by their questions. Questions such as "Where did your 15th birthday party hold on?" were asked, which were laughed at by journalists in other countries.

It looks that Americans are really jealous of China's success -- the only thing I can infer from tons of "news", or actually I should say "stories", blaming Chinese athelets are too young to attend Olympic Games. It might be acceptable if it is a chick talk just between some American women athelets, but when it appears on so many headlines of American newspapers, I do think it shows some negtive attitude of Americans.

Like a former French forgein minister said, a country can be named as a "great country" only when its value are accepted by the world. At this point, I do consider this jealousness of U.S. makes it look so small. By the way, if there were two kids competing with each other and the youngger one won. How would you feel about when the elder one were crying and weeping "Mummy mummy, I cannot win this because he/she is so young~"?

Hypocrisy culture around us

Posted on August 12, 2008 by Aw Guo

Update: The news on Peiyi Yang and Miaoke Lin are all removed. I just hope they are really protecting the children, not themselves. Though 80% I may be wrong.

(Picture via Baidu.com, Miaoke Lin and Peiyi Yang)

It's the best time, it's the worst time. When I was told that Miaoke Lin(aka 林妙可) did NOT really sing the song in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, I was shocked. I was strongly shocked. It was sang by another 7 year old girl, Peiyi Yang(aka 杨沛宜) I want to say something. Though I really love Olympic Games and I am watching almost every match of China, I have to write this post.

The first time I heard about "hypocrisy" was in 2000, when I was a high school student. In that year, Lun came back to China and stayed in my place in Wuhan.

One day, we were talking in my room. He told me that many westerners thought quite a few Chinese are hypocrisy. Though growing up in Austraila, Lun really speaks good Mandarin and knows many Chinese phrases. However, that day he's just wondering what was "hypocrisy" in Chinese (language). So I looked it in my dictionary and found it. There is, of course, a word(伪善,Wei Shan) in Chinese for "hypocrisy".

I was not so sure about that, but as soon as I started my college life, I'm afraid "hypocrisy" could possibly be around me.

The situation in a university is totally different from that in high school. The people and relationships are like wheels within wheels. Some people don't like to tell the truth, especially about themselves.

Almost everyone was saying, he's poor, he's just earning his living. Or someone would tell you that it's too difficult for him to learn Calculus. Or even lots of people would pretend to be paying a lot of attention to someone needing help. But on the contrary, The guy who said he's poor was driving a car to the dorm. The guy who said he's doing bad in Calculus got great score in the final exams. Those who "paid" a lot of attention to someone just forgot what they were talking about in the next day.

I was really confused that why everyone's pretending to be so weak, so poor. Though I was not a rich guy, I never said I was poor. Though I just did normally in the exams, I never said it's that hard to learn something.

As for those talking in that way, I didn't think that's a lack of confidence.

Maybe the word "hypocrisy" can somehow explain it. Maybe that's just a formed culture around us, which makes everyone think it is not so hypocrisy. That's a little weird, but that's really the truth.

I hope we can be actually better inside, not just as being looked outside.

Remember That great Moment

Posted on August 12, 2008 by Lisa

After the great Opening of the 29th Olympic Games, I had some correspondence with my younger sister in Britain. I'd like to share some pieces as follows:

I wrote to her at that Saturday morning just after I heard some comments by the news: "We have had a very good time last night. The opening was great and wonderful! All comments came from in and out of China are "Amazing", "Unbelievable", "Very smart director", etc... I also heard that even British people started to worry about how it would be in London in 2012... haha.. We are all very proud of being a Chinese!

Have you had any chance to watch it? "

My sister wrote: "Everything here has been overshadowed by the fantastic Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Who will disagree with you? The whole show was unbelievable. The design and the imagination; the size and the light; the discipline and the dedication of all involved, are just beyond the comprehension. David and I were even moved to tears. I only watched from 12:50 to 14:00 UK time (the first 1.5 hours) at work and I was hard to find any word to express my excitement.

When I went home about 5pm, David was still watching (starting from 12:30) TV with tears in his eyes. You know what he said to me, "I was so deeply moved that I stood up for the Chinese Anthem." I said to him "You are not Chinese and you don't have to stand up." "I couldn't help it." was his answer."

I present the above to share it with you all. I can never forget that great moment!

Kobe Bryant joins Italy if the U.S miss the gold medal?

Posted on August 10, 2008 by Aw Guo

I've been a basketball fan since 1999. I was watching NBA and loving Indiana Pacers crazily in 1999 ~ 2002. I also regard basketball as my favorite sport game.

I'm really looking forward to enjoying the American Olympic team compete, particularly with our Chinese team. Tonight, China men's national Basketball team is going to confront with the "8th Dream Team" at 22:15. That would be very interesting and exciting! Many NBA stars as well as Chinese super star Ming Yao will present us an amazing game!

There are also a funny tip just now, from the basketball star Kobe Bryant. Kobe said, if the U.S could not get the gold medal, he will give up the U.S citizenship and join Italy with a new name "Kobe Giova(not sure)"

Anyway, let's enjoy this wounderful game!

This is a picture of Kobe in China found in Baidu.com (Aug, 10)

A sleepless night- Beijing Olympic Game

Posted on August 9, 2008 by eva

On Friday night, the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony's curtain was pulled off. I don't have the tickets, so I sat in the sofa and wait in front of the TV to watch this sparkling sports event. This Olympic game is spectacular, not only large on the stadium's size, but also on the size of people accomodated in the stadium. Last night, almost every single Chinese' eyes are on the Olympic game.

olympic bird nest

I assume the host city- Beijing has had a sleepless night. All the Chinese people were cheering and clapping inside and outside of the National Stadium-bird's nest, expressing their excitement and expectation about the Beijing Olympic game. The fireworks light up the Beijing sky and the impressive sky is full of colorful lights, which symbolizes China is hoping to show to others that Beijing is embracing all the people around the globe and China has become a global community. Beijing Olympic committee has accomplished its promise and presented us-a green Olympic, Hi-tech Olympic, People's Olympic. I know it's hard to put China's 5000 years' culture in a stage opera. I think Zhang Yimou has done a good job. I hate the most is CCAV's lines, full of empty talks, which made me have goose bumps all the time. Here are some of my comments about this festival:

At the beginning of the opening ceremony, I was so confused about the old musical instrument-fou. What the hell is this? I know Zhang Yimou wants to promote traditional Chinese culture. But how do you expect a foreigner to understand this while a Chinese local is confused about this musical instrument.
I was worried about those girls on white A-line skirt standing there and cheering for the athletes' parade for almost two hours. What if they got heat stroke and fainted on the spot? Can Chinese people get more human rights? They are not props, but young girls.
The oil painting scroll was a spotlight last night. However, it reminds me of Stephen Chow's classic film, the beginning scene of "Tong Bohu dian Qiuxiang".
The subtitles on TV screen were so tinyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. They were like white dots far away which can not be seen. My grandma failed to read.