2008 Olympics Mascots--The Friendlies

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame.

Each of the Friendlies has a rhyming two-syllable name--a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life. The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among the Five Friendlies, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

When you put their names together--Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni--they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of the Five Friendlies as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

The Five Friendlies also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature--the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky--all stylistic rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

China Letter #4

Letter #4 reprinted from Fall 2006

-----Original Message-----
From: kjscott@bellsouth.net [mailto:kjscott@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:00 AM
To: kjscott@bellsouth.net
Subject: China Xian Letter #4

Hello Friends Letter # 4

We saw an extraordinarily exquisite performance yesterday evening. It is called The Legend of Kung Fu-a tale of a young boy initiated into the Buddhist monastery for training to become a king fu warrior. It was ballet, kung fu, drama, and “cirque du soleil”-all rolled into one stunning spectacle! It was spellbinding!

We departed this morning for out flight to Xian, the first capital of China. We toured the famous Terra Cotta Warriors, the 7000 life-sized warriors protecting the emperor’s tomb. It was discovered in 1974 and opened to the public 5 years later. Many of the statues were crumbled and anthropologists have painstakingly pieced together 1500 warriors and horses. It was quite impressive to see how the Chinese, like other rulers, prepared their tomb for an abundant and happy afterlife. All the emperors were incredible ego maniacs—I suppose that is part of the job description.

We had a dumpling dinner with more than 30 kinds of dumplings in all different animal and vegetable shapes. All our meals are family style. We will tour the City Wall and new China museum tomorrow.

Tomorrow, we will fly to Chengdu where we will tour the Giant Panda research center, the next day.

We walk LOTS here. Everyone says they are losing weight because of the healthy diet and extensive walking.

10 others will join us in Chengdu for the rest of the tour. Our little honey moon couple (Xavier and Kristina) will leave us after Chengdu. We all get along very well, laughing all the time.

I will get a nice message tonight.

Have a good day.

Karla
Thursday
Day #4
Xian, China

Spanish Team Boldly Offends China

Spanish basketball team poses for offensive picture

By Chris Chase

Spain's Olympic basketball team posed for an advertisement prior to the Games which appears to show all its players slanting their eyes, a move that could offend its Olympic hosts in Beijing. The ads, for a Spanish courier company, appeared in the Spanish-language newspaper La Marca.

As the uproar over the picture has grown today, more information about the advertising shot has come to light. The ad was sponsored by a Spanish courier company, Seur. Spain's team, ironically, also is sponsored by Li-Ning Footwear, a Chinese company founded by Li Ning, the final torchbearer who was hoisted along the top of Beijing National Stadium during the Olympic Opening Ceremony finale.
The Spanish-language paper El Mundo has a piece debating whether the ad was racist that basically calls out the British press for trying to smear Spain's good name. But they miss the point. Whether the picture was made in good fun is irrelevant. It was a ridiculous idea that was bound to upset a lot of people.
It's baffling that nobody involved in the picture -- from the photographers to the players -- even seemed to consider that this ad would be looked at negatively. Did it not occur to somebody that it might not be a good idea to mock a large portion of the continent before the world's largest athletic competition that, by the way, happens to take place on that continent. Were they not aware of an invention called "the Internet" that allows pictures taken in Spain to be transmitted all over the world for the eyes of everyone?
And now that the inevitable controversy has hit, they're still defending themselves when a simple, "the ad was in poor taste, we apologize" would have sufficed. This story would be slowing down if the Spanish Basketball team had apologized immediately. Now it's just picking up steam.
The Organization of Chinese-Americans has released multiple statements condemning the picture. George Wu, deputy director of the group, said, "it is unfortunate that this type of imagery would rear its head during something that is supposed to be a time of world unity." Response in Beijing has been muted so far.
Madrid is thought to be one of the frontrunners to land the 2016 Summer Games (the site will be announced next year). Could this controversy hurt Spain's chances of landing another Olympics?
Interestingly, the Spanish basketball team took on China tonight, winning 85-75 in overtime. No word on whether Pau Gasol was on the receiving end of any elbows from Yao Ming. The Chinese crowd did have a message for the Spaniards though, booing vigorously during the game.

China Letter #3

E-mail Letter #3 (from Fall 2006 trip)


-----Original Message-----
From: kjscott@bellsouth.net [mailto:kjscott@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 3:56 AM
To: kjscott@bellsouth.net
Subject: China letter #3

Hello Friends Day #3

Yesterday, we had the privilege of climbing the only man-made structure visible from space and China’s greatest symbol of pride “the great wall”. Construction began 2000 years ago and millions of Chinese built, maintained and guarded it over the centuries. It was built to protect Chinese from tall invaders from the north.

This trip is neither for the faint of heart— nor for those with a fear of heights. Nothing could have prepared us for the steep inclines and the rugged terrain. We toured a less commercial, less populated entrance: Mutianyu. It offered unspoiled views of the majestic mountainside peppered with fall hues. It took our breath away!

On the way down, we were bombarded with some of the most aggressive souvenir vendors ever—(more than Greece, Guatemala, and Nassau’s straw market combined).

The finale of our day consisting of seeing Peking Opera and feasting on Peking Duck, the traditional way. Amanda, our lovely tour guide, a trained opera singer, taught us some tunes on the way back to our hotel. We cheerily agreed that none of us should quit our day jobs.

Our day lasted from 7AM till 10PM.

Today will be our last day in Beijing and our day will include a visit to a children’s classroom and the home of a Chinese family, among other activities. Tomorrow, we will fly to Xian early in the morning.

Please forgive typos---the keyboard menu is all in Chinese characters!

Have a good day!

Karla in China.

China Letter #2

E-mail Letter #2 from Fall 2006


-----Original Message-----
From: kjscott@bellsouth.net [mailto:kjscott@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 8:09 PM
To: kjscott@bellsouth.net
Subject: China-Beijing Letter #2

Hello Friends

My first day in China exceeded my expectations!

My flight to Beijing was smooth and I was seated next to a young Chinese man who works for the UN in NYC. We discussed life in China and the US. Upon arrival, I joined the rest of the group from Let’s Travel China (the tour company). Ethel, 75 year old great grandmother from Maine, a young Orlando couple on their honeymoon, Steve from Washington, and Marshall and Nancy with their ten year old grandson, Steele.

We will meet two others today.

Yesterday, we began our exploration of Beijing: toured Tiananmen square, the world largest public square where on Oct 1 1949, one million Chinese gathered holding their red books praising Mao Tse-dung; the massive Forbidden City, home to emperors from 1451-1926, that was closed to the public for 500 years. It is an impressive structure boasting 9999 rooms. Nine is the imperial number that means everlasting. Everything is yellow and red there. The royal colors. After lunch, we visited the majestic Temple of Heaven complex. There we visited temples and observed Chinese dancing, singing, playing games, and practicing Tai Chi. In all, we walked 5-6 hours yesterday.

Our brand new, modern five-star hotel is a great comfort at the end of a long day of active learning.

Today, we will visit the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, and see a performance of the Peking Opera and feast on Peking Duck.

There are 12 million on bicycles, 80% of the men smoke, and they don’t bow or remove shoes here.

Thanks for letting me share!

Love,

Karla

PS please forgive the typos.

Diplomacy During the 2008 Olympics

Despite the deep-seated historical tension between China and Japan, reporters remark often about how gracious and hospitable the Chinese are toward a nation that brutalized them during WWII. A Japanese man just won the gold in a swimming competition and received the honor and deference he earned as an athlete. It is beautiful thing to watch.

China Letter #1

E-mail Letter #1 from Fall 2006

-----Original Message-----From: Karla [mailto:kjscott@bellsouth.net] Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2006 6:30 AMTo: KJScott@BellSouth.netSubject: China Letter #1-en route to JFK

Hello Friends Saturday, October 21, 2006

This is my first in a series of e-mails I will be sending from China. I will take you with me on my journey.

I will go to China for two weeks, beginning with a direct flight from JFK to Beijing on Saturday, October 21(I am now en route to JFK). I will visit Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Suzhou, Shanghai, and take a Yangtze River Cruise. Some trip highlights are a visit to the Great Wall, a Beijing (Peking) duck feast, and a visit with the giant pandas at the Panda Research Center. I will stay in four-star and five-star hotels, so I will likely have Internet access in the hotels’ business centers-- just as I did in Vietnam and Thailand last fall.

I am so looking forward to visiting this fascinating culture, where 1/5 of the world lives; were the highest level of foreign investment is made; where manufacturing of everything from clothing, to consumer electronics, to pharmaceuticals, to furniture, to cars, to factory machinery, to jumbo jets, to designer knockoffs, dominates; and were the first Beijing Olympics will be hosted in 2008.

My greatest challenge has been to pack one piece of luggage. I succeeded! I also have one wheeled carry-on bag, with toiletries neatly packed in a quart-sized Ziploc bag. I traveled to Charlotte for work early this week and found they are serious about the one quart Ziploc bag.

If ever I need anything while there, I know I can find it, because practically everything is made in China, n’est-ce pas!

You'll hear from me next from The Middle Kingdom. We will be 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. When I arrive in Beijing at 6:00 p.m., it will be 5:00 a.m. East Coast time. The weather forecasts 60’s and sunny.

Warmly,

Karla Scott
SpeakerTrainerConsultant
globalwaysUSA.com

Lessons From the Olympics Opening Ceremony

Lessons from 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony

When I traveled to China two years ago, I got a glimpse of the unique new national stadium, which was already known as the “birds nest”. I had no idea that just months later, one of the most fantastic spectacles in the history of the world would take place there. During the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics, China shouted to the world that it is a formidable world power boldly to be reckoned with.

The ceremony began at 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008 - auspicious in a country where eight is the luckiest number.

China

Inside the arena, housing an audience of 91,000 attendees, 11,000 athletes, and heads of state from 204 nations, China took center stage on the world stage displaying its artistic, architectural, engineering, and human capital prowess. Before our very eyes, we watched 2,008 (yes 2008 was woven throughout) drummers beat out a pulsating rhythm with their hands and thousands of thai chi masters moving intricately as one. Later, a huge, translucent globe emerged from the stadium floor, and acrobats floated magically around it to the accompaniment of the games' theme song, "One World, One Dream." A tribute to China's invention of movable type morphed into a vast sea of undulating cubic shapes, simulating a giant computer keyboard—and had me spellbound!

It ended sensationally, when China's first Olympic superstar, former triple gymnastics gold medalist Li Ning, was hoisted by wires to the top of the stadium, circled the circumference as though he were spacewalking and then touched the torch to a thin pipe, setting off a spiral of flame to ignite the mammoth, scroll-shaped cauldron overlooking Beijing. What was most impressive was the precision with which thousands of performers perfectly delivered synchronized movements without missing a beat to the live audience and more than 4 billion TV viewers worldwide.

This year, the traditional parade of nations had a twist. The nations marched not in the traditional alphabetical order but in a sequence based on the number of strokes it takes to write their names in Chinese. The exceptions were Greece, birthplace of the Olympics, which was given its traditional place at the start, and the Chinese team, which lined up last. The climax of the parade was the entry of the 639-strong Chinese team. Its flag-bearer was basketball idol Yao Ming, accompanied by 9-year-old schoolboy Lin Hao, a survivor of May's devastating earthquake in Sichuan province. A chanting, flag-waving crowd gave a thunderous welcome, and erupted again a few moments later when President Hu Jintao declared the games open.

The World

The headlines of many articles about the Olympics claim the Olympics is always about politics. I say the Olympics tell the story about the state of the world. As the Olympic parade unfolded, I was transfixed as I watched the procession of athletes from 204 countries. All here for this event that represents the pinnacle of their career.

Some of my observations follow:

--Although North Korea and South Korea marched as a united front during the last two Olympics Parades, this year they did not march together; they were separated by several countries Although the two countries held meetings to discuss the possibility of sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics, the proposal failed, due to disagreements between the two NOCs on the proportion of athletes from the two countries within the team.

--Taiwan marched as China Taipei. They marched right behind China.

--Israel received lots of cheers. Palestine received lots of cheers.

--The group from Afghanistan was all male. There are reports that the only female athlete on their team is missing in action. She disappeared while the athletes were training in Scandinavia. She received numerous death threats for having the audacity to compete. It is believed that she defected.

--More (and some new) countries marched for the first time: Serbia, Montenegro, Tuvalu (a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia), Kosovo, and The Marshall Islands.

--On July 24, 2008, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Iraq from competing in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games due to "political interference by the government in sports." On July 29, the IOC reversed its decision and decided to allow the nation to compete after a pledge by Iraq to ensure "the independence of its national Olympics panel" by instituting fair elections before the end of November. Until then, Iraq's Olympic Organisation will be run by "an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC."

--Brunei was disqualified because they failed to register either of their athletes

--Paraguay is the only country that has two different sides to its national flag

--Racial inequality against people of color is alive and well. Although more than half of Brazil is Black (half the slave trade went to Brazil) and it has world's second-largest Black population, behind Nigeria's, the large Brazilian contingency looked White. It always amazes me that often when Brazil showcases their people in the media, it is usually the White citizens that are featured. Brazil’s initiatives to make progress in realizing racial equality is slow and anemic. I also noticed there was a large block of Cubans. The entire front line, forming a semi-circle around the athletes, were older (50s and 60s), white males. They seemed to be hiding the fact that most of their Olympic athletes are Black while (scholars report that) 60-70% of Cubans are Black or mixed with Black (1/2 Black).

--Some nations actively recruit professional athletes to become citizens in their countries so they can win medals. For them. Bahrain, for example, pays athletes handsomely to move there and represent them.

Despite the fact that it was extremely hot and humid inside the stadium, the athletes and hosts kept moving, and they sported heavy, multi-layered traditional attire/costumes.

As I watched the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony, I was proud of China and proud to be a citizen of the world. I kept thinking of the event slogan: One world, one dream,

I realize I don't think I will make a good sports fan, because I will be rooting for everyone!