Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Olympics loom....

While the city empties out its regular inhabitants - both Chinese and foreign - it is starting to fill (well, no, not 'fill' - the numbers are probably only significant, only visible because the streets are otherwise so relatively deserted) with Olympic visitors.

Two new regulars in my favourite bar this week are a pair of engineers who install and maintain some of the high-tech equipment used in the dope-testing.

Now and then you see people walking around the city with their Olympic Village passes still hung ostentatiously around their necks (is it mere inadvertence, or conscious showing off, I wonder). This is something that should be discouraged or prohibited by the security regime (if there were any security!), since they are a mighty tempting target for theft - for souvenir hunters and would-be event-crashers as much as for terrorists.

And last night I briefly got tempted to tag along with a bloke I met over dinner who had scored an invitation to an Opening Ceremony rehearsal.

Oh, yes, barely a week to go now. We're definitely gearing up......

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