August 08, 2008

First thing I did in the morning when I got up is to see the sky outside the window. No bright sunshine, no blue sky, it is grey and hazy as yesterday and the day before yesterday.

Today is a big day for China as the opening ceremony of the Games will be staged tonight at 8:00 pm. The so-called greatest event that China would host in the last one hundred years would be unveiled to the rest of the world. I can foresee the grandeur of the ceremony which is supposed to inspire, to awe, or even to shock spectators from all over the world. Anyway, which country has ever worked out such a big scale fireworks show as Beijing would do by using the whole stretch of the north-south axis of the city, to symbolize China’s returning to the world as a power?

Of course, no comments on the air pollution by such a great work, as we are supposed to lose ourselves in such a beautiful and fantastic illusion. And the mandate - enjoy! Because you must – is permeating everywhere in the public sphere, from banners saying ‘one world, one dream’ in streets to national flags in local residential areas, not to mention the hyper-joyful mood saturated in the media world.

Welcome to the grandest party that Chinese have ever had in its history. Excessiveness is everywhere, and pleasure abundant, no matter how superficial it is. We are in the era of overindulgence in the image projection and flexing muscles with national pride.

Will this unprecedented show eliminate the skeptics about the prospect of China? Certainly not. Amid this hypnotic man-made frenzy, today’s gloomy weather is the most powerful counter argument against the claim that the environment has been largely improved. The last straw to restrict the number of cars in streets didn’t deliver the miracle that most people have been hoped for.

If there is anything peculiar today, it must be weather. Disenchanting and sober, it is such a good reminder for the GREEN Olympic Games!