http://olympics.tyglobalist.org Paull Randt blogs from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:19:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en  This will be my final post as I will be returning to Yale later today. I would like to acknowledge and to thank my editors Catherine Cheney and Katharine Kendrick of The Yale Globalist for giving me this opportunity and for helping me get through it. They did a great ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/27/121/ The Chinese team did it—they won the gold medal count. The final count has China with 51 golds out of a possible 302, USA 36, Russia 23, Great Britain 19 and Germany 16 (click here for a table of the medal results). Not only did China win the most gold medals ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/25/going-for-gold/ Although the Olympic Games officially ended today, there is more to say. I have a couple more posts in me, especially one addressing the possibility, in my opinion, of systemic or long-term changes in China brought about by the Games. Just because the Games are over does not mean their impact ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/24/quick-note/ A specter is haunting Beijing—air pollution. Beijing’s air pollution, some of the worst in the world, was a concern from the beginning for Olympic organizers. The Chinese government enacted initiatives in preparation for the Games, but skeptical media outlets were quick to disparage China’s efforts. In the days on either ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/23/a-specter-is-haunting-beijing/ The Australian basketball team is beating Russia by 20 points at the start of the 4th quarter. In the upper reaches of the stands, the crowd is unified in the Chinese chant: “Eluosi, jiayou!” (Literally, “Russia, add gas!”) The call to “add gas” is the most standard of cheers here. ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/21/adding-gas/ The International Olympic Committee awarded the Summer Games to Beijing in 2001 under the conditions that the government reduce pollution and increase protections of human rights. Beijing “promised” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) blue skies and press freedom. Many critics accuse Beijing of breaking their Olympic promises. But as the ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/18/promise-rings/ August 8, 2008 has finally come. This auspicious date (eight is a lucky number in China) was chosen seven years ago to be the official opening day for the Beijing Olympic Games. In fact, to maximize the good fortune, the opening ceremony began at 8:00pm.   [caption id="attachment_53" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Interior of ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/08/8-8-08-or-fathers-and-sons/   [caption id="attachment_40" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A group of "community volunteers""][/caption] Beijing has unleashed her volunteers. At every street corner, pairs of old men and women wearing red-and-white collared shirts fan themselves to pass the time, dying for a stranger to approach them with a question. Also lining the streets are blue-and-white kiosks ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/07/be-our-guest-be-our-guest/ The expatriate community in Beijing thrives on gossip. Even at a local level, China’s decision-making processes remain closed to the public, and especially to foreigners, or laowai (“old outsiders”). As a result, the rumor mill is often the best source of information about things both extraordinary and mundane. In preparation ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/08/03/heard-it-on-the-grapevine/ A lot of fuss has been made over which heads-of-state are attending the Beijing Olympic Games and which are not. Many people are equating their attendance with an endorsement of the Chinese government. In light of the March conflict in Tibet and reports of activists being jailed in the run-up ... http://olympics.tyglobalist.org/2008/07/31/red-rover-red-rover-send-sarkozy-right-over/