I am not sure watching the Games here is going to be fun.
Fortunately we have our friend Greg Irwin, a nice guy I met during one of my sauna outings in Beijing. He has done some real exceptional gymnastics with his fingers. Now he has gone into the “Olympics” and also in celebrating the 888 luck (not so sure about that lucky 8 stuff though)
See here the master on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5APWtK0njc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb9yl5basmk
He is showing you the finger. In a good way that is!

Many are upset by the recent restrictions on visas, particularly for F visas, but also tourist visas. Many people who wanted to visit Beijing to watch the Games, to give support to athletes or simply explore the city during the mega event are denied a visa. New stringent rules make it as good as impossible to stay with friends, to use private apartments or to simply be “here”.
Genuine business visas for genuine urgent trips are denied.
All that is of course wrong. It hurts tourism and business, and Beijing shoots itself in the foot (they are good at that).
Many who have worked and lived for years in a row on F visas suddenly are shown the door. No more quick trips to Hong Kong to get a six months multiple visa. One needs to return to his country of residence, submit newly requested documents to get a maximum one month visa. If they are lucky, they get it but many are refused visas. One needs to be legally married too, “legal partners” are not granted “spouse visas” anymore
The Chinese authorities are not completely to blame. Many of those business people have used F visas to avoid registration and taxes. They should have applied for work permits and Z visas. Until now China has been very lenient and welcoming and many have tried their luck here seeking jobs and opportunities without following the rules. Just try this in Europe or the USA, you would be expelled or worse. China is just enforcing the law as other countries do.
Only timing is poorly chosen but many Chinese defend this clampdown, as the “Olympics are a great opportunity to clean up”. Not a good PR in my opinion as many of those F people are good friends of China – now they are becoming bitter. The clampdown should have been done long time ago. Now many are scrambling to get their situation regularized but are forced to leave and return later.
Many feel those “new” rules will not fade away after September but will continue to be enforced for those who want actually work and live here.
Other victims will be expats well over 60: no more work permits and visas. Now here I think this is a stupid law (not a new one by the way!), those people often greatly contribute through their expertise. Pure age discrimination, maybe the French are to blame here with their many silly restrictions in the job market.

Being as paranoid as the government here, I can only guess the slowdown in Internet speed over the past 3 days is due to “revamping” the network to filter out polluting thoughts. In this technically advanced country, having such a dramatic breakdown in Internet access is no coincidence. As a result, work in the office takes lots of patience.
GSM coverage in Gongti area has become erratic since months and I urge callers to dial the fixed line as the signal vanishes regularly. Some say, all because of the Olympics (SMS is now also being filtered…).
Of course, without GSM and Internet one more reason to give it up, close down business and go to a Thai beach.
The latest about Beijing shutting down everything: supermarkets (Bonjour and alike) not too far from the Olympic Green will have to close down. So, athletes and visitors will have to figure out where to shop. Of course, all IF we have that many visitors as people are being discouraged to visit Beijing. No more visas. Stay home (but NOT in Beijing) and watch TV. As for family members of athletes: you can watch in the comfort of your home. You are not welcome either, you might actually disturb your stars. No visas, no tickets.
I am seriously thinking of shopping in advance and stocking up on beer, water, canned food and other goodies before the city becomes a barren land.
The new slogan for the Olympics:
“Olympics are great without (real) people”
No people, no traffic, no pollution and reduced security risks. With hundreds of thousands of police, army, “city volunteers” and alike, enough of a crowd.
I am becoming one of the growing group counting the days for the Olympics.
When they will be over.

Beijing is cleaning up its spiritual deviations and air pollution. Kind of.
Measurement of the API (Air Pollution Index) has suffered a technical breakdown. Whatever the visibility, API meters get stuck at below 100. Not 101 coz that is no more “blue sky day”. Soon Beijing will reach a record of blue sky days so the city can triumph and give the IOC a nice report.
So, all what you read about Beijing like the following chart from a study made by KU Leuven, all distorted news from the foreigners.

Foreigners are leaving the city in droves, running out of visas. Networking events become very “Chinese” with so many regulars sitting in the USA, Australia or Belgium trying to figure out when they can return to the sin city. Business for apartment rental is at record lows, so is hotel occupancy for some; foreign restaurants also suffer.
No more sinning. Bad for the image. Nightlife is slowly becoming sanitized (not because of Dettol). CCTV is everywhere, so better behave – patrons of “Pavillion” (Gongti Xi Lu) are warned at the door. Now hurry coz they are closing at the end of June till 1 November. Maggies and all remain closed. “Special barber treatment” is also disappearing.
Luckily we still have China Daily, progressive as ever.

China Daily: lingerie – China Daily: Carla and no lingerie

Its website keeps me informed about lingerie or the anatomy of Carla, the first lady in France (she needs lingerie?).
Now, if anybody gets too excited, there is always a way to alleviate certain physiological pressures, just look up the ads on China Daily website to get your playboy massage (I chose no. 5). I am not sure looking at the ad if we can give no. 5 a massage or it is the other way round. Invoices no problem, you can have a girl as a meal.


In the meantime our Chinese friends are busy rehearsing how to applaud, how to smile, how to drink, how to dress and I guess also how to breathe. We want a disciplined and well informed public. The city might request TV experts to control the audience. The U.S. are good at that, the American public being unable to feel nor think, they are instructed at laughing, clapping, weeping, etc. Just watch the sitcoms and stuff like that (made for clueless audiences).
Not sure the American cheerleaders are welcome, nor Carla promoting her new album. China Daily informs:
First lady confesses to drug habit on album
France’s First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy sings of 30 lovers and hard drugs on a new album that she insists was not inspired by her whirlwind romance and marriage to President Nicolas Sarkozy.

See here two pics taken by Peter Danford on 29 May with night view of the Watercube (the swimming center) and the Bird’s Nest (the National Stadium) in the Olympic Green.

More pics of Beijing can be found on his site: www.thechinaguide.com
Have fun having a virtual tour of Beijing!