Volunteers with the best linguistic skills appear to have been assigned the best jobs — the indoor ones, interacting with the news media. Those less fluent were put on traffic or security detail and stand out in the smog all day.

But almost Eeveryone knows at least “Hello,” “O.K.” and “Have a good day,” so it’s possible for English-speaking visitors to have friendly conversations not much different from the ones they have in the elevator every morning back home making English speaking visitors all feel at ease.

Indeed, this is an excellent guide for demonstrating how to properly translate intrinsically biased stories, as Anglo-European languages have all sorts of ugly words (like freedom, l|berty, several pr0perty)…

To be fair: we hear all the time about state-media bias in China. When the topic comes up, I try to couch any criticisms with “well, in the U.S., some people say our media is driven by self-serving plutocrats.” For the most part, people here know that what they are reading / hearing is to some extent censored.

The extent to which differences of opinion are either: culturally dependent (ie: ’so what if the gymnasts were 14? They won’) or actually based on false beliefs is a fascinating tension I fully intend to continue exploring.

After visiting much of this country, I still maintain that ancient China had only one architect. Whoever he was, he found what worked and stuck with it:

Wallpaper version [ 1440 x 900 ]

And the subway reminds me oddly of Portal.

Wallpaper [ 1440 x 900 ]

And here are wallpaper versions of earlier pics:

Bird’s Nest [ 1440 x 900 ]

Bubble Cube [ 1440 x 900 ]

Adorable boy: Hello! (in English)

Me: Hello (Chinese)

Adorable boy: (switches over to Chinese) What are your feelings about China having won the most gold medals at the Olympics?

Me: Oh. I think it’s great. China has amazing athletes in a lot of events, and they prepared very well.

Adorable boy: What’s your favorite sport?

Me: Beach volleyball.

Adorable boy: Thank you! (back to English again)

He runs off. I feel sort of warm and fuzzy. But why did he care what I thought?

The cost of the Olympics (~$40 billion plus, not accounting for any of the commerce stoppage to greenify greater Beijing) can’t be justified in any direct economic / development sense – there’s a pervasive commentary here that ‘a successful Olympics will increase global recognition of China.’ Yes it may convince some investors to build a few more factories, but that wasn’t exactly the point. Such opinions are necessarily filtered through eyes like mine that barely understand Chinese culture.

So why does everyone everywhere else think that Beijing 08 was a theatrical performance; a glorified dinner invitation to a world many here still feel shamed by? The glam and show was never directly about the world’s perception – only its tacit approval that ‘yes, you did it right.’ This wasn’t because ‘China’ needed affirmation or recognition, but because it would indicate that they were capable:

… Chinese culture has always been inherently exhibitionist. When guests come over, put the best out on the table (even if that means starving) – not only for them, but for yourself, your own honor. And while I always grew up thinking the idea of “mianzi” – best translated as “regard in the eyes of others” – to be both impractical and insecure, I’m slowly beginning to value the idea of it more and more, understanding the somewhat crude logic of it all: you illustrate a showy ideal, not to be deceptive or even superficial, but in hopes that in the process of it all, the outward display will develop into an inward reality. Perhaps the more literal interpretation of jingshen is appropriate here as jing refers to the physical and structural and shen the spirit.

Indeed. That comes from fellow Fulbrighter Ray Deng. The rest of the piece of equally brilliant and accessible.

Viewed through such a lens, it might be more clear why there was an extremely negative (and genuinely hurt) reaction against the torch protests earlier this year; or why it was so critically important to many here that the Olympics went smoothly. The ‘China coming out party’ narrative that has dominated Western media is only partially correct – the approval sought is not one of permission, but rather a search for signals that they are on the right path, to modernization at least. It remains to be seen exactly what vision will dominate longer-term efforts.

And then some of the stadium ceiling. It’s amazing how quickly things seem to get dirty in China.

Not that I’d put a conspiracy beyond the reach of the central government (some people here are saying that the entire Chinese olympic team is doping). That seems a bit far fetched.

Also, am back from Beijing. Had a chance to see Men’s Beach Volleyball, and the fateful Track and Field event on Monday.

Official promotionfanatacism is matched only by extent of lethargy towards the event among Zhou-everyman – ‘Beijing08′ seems to have become a permanent fixture of life, no more interesting or unusual than one of the several state sponsored holidays. Come Friday, of course, I imagine there will be a lot more interest – but even then it seems unlikely that support will match the promotional infrastructure ($14 million was spent on a project to teach everyone the official Chinese chant, “奥运加油，中国加油” – “Go China,” basically). At present, it’s impossible to walk more than two blocks, or watch more than 10 minutes of television without being inundated by Beijing08 kitsch or sponsorships, or the omnipresent “One World, One Dream” (同一世界,同一梦想) slogan. So what’s going to happen after dismantling the politico-commercial-promotional megaplex? (Seems as though a lot of people will have to find new jobs, for starters).

The answer likely depends on how things proceed throughout August. Should China take first place with total golds, I could see that number being incorporated as some pseudo-sacred symbol (“Beijing 08 / China 35″). I’ve opined before that the Olympics are not an appropriate forum for political statements – though Beijing did itself no favors by choosing the capital city as the host site, and then turning it into an idyllic-yet-farcical fortress parody of itself functional modern city. Pragmatism, however, suggests browbeating the self-styled monolith that is China’s central government will only lead to more inane justifications for absolutism.

So there’s a couple of possibilities, but for whatever reason I’m stuck with the prospect that world reaction fails to live up to domestic (in China) hype, barring even some minor snafu on the part of an insensitive tourist. Unfortunately, apathy and shallow acceptance may be more damaging in the long run. At least alienation can lead to engagement. Better that such engagement, uncomfortable as it may be, come sooner rather than later.

… Scientists and engineers are prepared to chase rainy clouds, if any, away from the Bird’s Nest, the iconic national stadium, so that billions of TV watchers worldwide can see a storm-free opening ceremony on August 8.

Amazingly, the old local habits of spitting, littering and shouting-out, actions which our foreign friends used to frown upon, have died fast in the strong headwind of the Olympics. Grandpas and grandmas now use tissues when coughing and sneezing, … commuters seldom jump queues at bus and mass transit stations and the annoying pickpocket nuisances have gone home — or been sent away by police…

… The freedom to protest will also be a part of the Games. The city recently announced three parks, one in the vicinity of Beijing’s diplomatic compounds, will be legitimate places for airing different opinions. A wise move on the part of Beijing, for being ideologically tolerant isn’t bad at all. A versatile and open city will be more advantageous.