YOGAYUGA

I really enjoy watching Olympic, and gymnastic is my favourite. China won the gold medal in group men’s gymnastics, Japan won the silver, and the U.S. won the bronze. China lost the gold four years ago, so they really well prepared for the Olympic this time. Some of the retired Olympians also re-joined the games in order to enhance the overall performance of the national teams.

The judo gold medal winner of Womens’ Half Lightweight, Dongmei Xian retired two years ago, and decided to have a baby. However, she re-joined the national team, and committed not to see her new born baby girl for 14 months during the intensive training. It’s really a high level of commitment that all the Olympians need to achieve. Chinese Olympians are well known to be trained under tough and harsh time. Visiting of families and friends, personal outing are all limited during the intensive training. They cannot see friends and families for more than one year. Many rules are set up in the national training schools. It sounds like being in a jail in my eyes with no freedom. It’s the fact that Chinese government does train their people with structure of communist attitude. This is not easy to be changed. Russia is still doing the same for their training though they are no longer the same as former U.S.S.R. However, this fact did bring the success of China towards many gold medals in the history.

Li Ning was secretly practicing Olympic flame light up performance (the last part of the ceremony) for 30 days without telling his wife. He practiced it during mid nights. He said it’s indeed an order of his country though he is very happy about it.

Both Diving gold medal winners of men and women also belong to China. Guo Jingjing did the great job. She carried the expectation of everyone. In fact, all the Chinese Olympians carry the hopes of 13 billions people. I feel sorry for how much pressure they all have. The gold medal winner of men Weightlifting, Qingquan Long is only 17 years old. I bet he probably can attend two more Olympics in the near future. The gold medal winner of women Weightlifting, Xiexia Chen was found by her father she was amazingly strong when she was 9. Her father sent her for weightlifting training since then, because her father said she was able to push a trolley with almost 100kgs of bamboo shoots when she was only 9. lol

Chinese national diving team decided to find twins in the country, who can join the team, and become Olympic divers. Twins have the similar body weights, similar heights, and similar shape of body figures, therefore these factors help up the performance of Diving - Synchromnized Platform and Springboard. What an ideology of winning proposal!

The U.S. swimming team is so great. I enjoy watching swimming and diving. Michael Phelps set the new world record. The U.S. swimming team is not really a team that China can beat. Diving coaches of national teams of Canada and Australia are actually from China. They were coaches of Chinese national teams, but seems not necessary the learners did really pick up the skills and techniques of Chinese.

The hotels of Beijing are so expensive during the Olympic period. Those Xiehuyuen (traditional Chinese houses in Beijing with four sections) are unbelievable expensive. It costs USD400.00 per night. It’s not really up to 5 or 6 stars standard though. They are just traditional Chinese houses, which attract foreign tourists to stay. Many are still not full this week because many foreign visitors who booked them, turned out not appear at all. I am not surprise. First of all, Chinese government has straight visa policy to limit the issuance of visa before Olympic started. Secondly, cost of air tickets increased significantly at the beginning of August due to petrol cost issues. Thirdly, the cost of hotels is so expensive. The main concern of the whole trip is about to attend the games of Olympic, not to enjoy the classy hotel stay. A ticket of entering Diving competition only costs USD6.00, but the hotel stay each night is up to USD400.00. It doesn’t make much sense. Maybe, I am looking too much into the economic way, so I prefer to watch TV at home. lol

Some Chinese bloggers did critise the opening ceremony on internet by giving very harsh judgment. Some said it’s a total of typical Zhang Yimou’s piece of works having many people, brightness Chinese ornaments and royal costumes, etc, ; similar to those scenes in his movie, Curse of Golden Flower. It’s boring they said. Well, what can I say? He is the appointed director of the whole ceremony by the government. He is a film director himself. So what can you expect? His idea of style must be more or less very much of his own image. This is the fact that the government did choose him, not someone else. This is what they want, and expect. He has big name internationally. Westerners know him well, and love his works. Nothing is perfect. I think China did the great job, and expressed their best to the whole world.

Some critised that the expense of China spent on Olympic (the most expensive Olympic ceremony on the record), which is only the totalitarian country can pay. I totally agreed with such judgment. Be honest, let’s say such money to be spent on Olympic in a western country, what the tax payers are going to say?? China doesn’t have such problem because what they said is an order for everyone. They paid for people, who are in Beijing to learn English. They forced the store owners to close their stores during the Olympic period, who have stores around this area. This is a national order. No one would say NO in Mainland. Yes, it’s no human right. This is what the west always complains about. This is why I mentioned in here. I am just telling the truth. On one hand, I am happy with the economic growth of our motherland, economic grooming, etc. It’s great to all of us. On the other hand, I also voice the truth of lacking of human right in China. This requires a long period of time for improvement under international pressure. It will move slowly in Chinese way of CORRECTION. Yes, I mean correction. lol

At last, has anyone noticed that a little girl who sang at the beginning of the ceremony in a lovely voice? Guess what? It wasn’t her voice. The radio channel of H.K. told the public today that somebody was singing behind her. It was a 7 years old girl. The one on the stage who is 9 years old, but cannot sing well. It was said by Zhang Yimou. The interviewer asked him why he didn’t let the girl to go up on stage who has a lovely voice. His answer is “She doesn’t look that pretty as the one on the stage. She is also on her teeth changing period, so she doesn’t look good to sing in front of public with her imperfect teeth.” My goodness! How could he say that!!?? It is not something to tell the public in such manner, especially for such event. Dearr…..Mr Zhang! I indeed feel sorry for that little girl who sang behind the scene. They are actually hurting feeling of a child. It sounds like “you can’t go on the stage if you don’t look pretty even though you got talents.” So fake!