OPINION> Commentary
A bird's eye view from top of the Nest
By Todd Subritsky (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-05 07:35

For a significant portion of humanity, the Olympic Games in Beijing loomed long on the horizon. It was set aside as a glorious celebration of civilization, a union of nations delivered on a platform of peace through world class sporting events. It is a dominion where only the brave triumph.

The Olympics represent not only the pinnacle of achievement on the sporting stage, with athletes often devoting the better part of their lives to participate, but also the inherent nature of people to compete and test themselves against the very best in their field - with luck winning glory for self and country.

Transcending the competition is the spirit of harmonious cooperation and mutual respect, Olympic ideals that stand at the very heart of Chinese tradition.

Years ago Beijing was announced as the host of the 29th Olympiad and euphoria erupted across the country. The initial excitement was soon replaced with a realization that much was to be done; seven years could easily be frittered away.

In addition to the many stadiums, core infrastructure required placement including hundreds of kilometers of new subway lines, overland rail, and airport expansion, which resulted in T3, the largest terminal in the world. Furthermore, tourist hotspots such as the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven all needed sprucing up.

In the lead-up to the Games I moved to Xi'an, shifting focus from the process of preparation to the result of obtaining tickets in order that I might experience the spectacle first hand.

My first vision of the completed national stadium came on that wonderful night, beamed to a local pub at which I had assembled with friends to watch, captivated, on a huge screen. Cold beer and hot yangrou chuan (roast mutton stick) accompanied a clear and blue sky after a brief thunderstorm had threatened to rain on our parade.

Our backdrop was Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an and the night air was sticky hot with palpable expectancy. Globules of sweat glistened our brows. Pleasant and jovial as our garden bar surrounding was, it shrunk before the eye candy which presented itself on the monitor before us.

Finally it was time for the actual sport to begin. The world's finest were limbered up and ready to set forth upon Beijing with the intention of combining extreme skill and utmost determination.

Dominant as China was, opportunities remained for other nations to impose themselves on the competition and lounge around in ubiquitous glory. As many participants recognized, the superb organization of the hosts allowed the athletes to concentrate on what they do best, which together with quality facilities, contrived to encourage world-class performances.

It was hoped by all Chinese that the Olympic Games would provide a unique window of opportunity for foreigners to come to China and learn more about this complex country.

We all dreamed that by seeing for themselves, Westerners would come to appreciate the history and pride of a nation determined to build a better future for its citizens. From a personal point of view I believe that has been accomplished.

I have lost track of the number of people I have spoken to who said things like "China is amazing. It is so different than what I expected the people are so kind and happy". The Games have been absolutely wonderful to be a part of, but more importantly they have helped to create understanding in a world where confusion and insecurity often reign.

In regard to the media, progress has been marked. We all know that China has suffered through being negatively portrayed by the Western press. I for one have been encouraged as the tone of articles written by international journalists shifted toward the positive. It seemed in the beginning that their sole objective for arriving in Beijing was to find fault with the system.

After two weeks of an incredible journey, however, I find that despite themselves those same writers are now penning articles which are effusive in their praise for the breathtaking spectacle our hosts have bestowed on us.

If these Games have shown anything, it is that through hard work, China can achieve anything in this world if it so desires. Furthermore, as we continue to mourn the disaster in Sichuan, we can begin to look at the future challenges with hope that the world really can share and enjoy the same dream of prosperity and peace.

The author is managing director of Hq Guesthouse in Xi'an, a Sino- New Zealand Tourism Group Ltd Company

(China Daily 09/05/2008 page9)