Blysse and Ellie play in front of the smog covered Bird's Nest
Blysse and Ellie play in front of the smog shrouded Bird’s Nest

Things are finally back to “normal” in the Chinese capital, including the return of some things that are not particularly welcomed.  Here are the top 10 signs that the Olympics and Paralympics are truly over:

1. Security checks have stopped.  I was very pleasantly surprised when I went into Terminal 3 the other day and did not have to submit to a security check simply to enter the terminal.  Likewise, security check points throughout the city have been abandoned, and the black-clad Olympic SWAT force has vanished.  Yeah!

2. Road closures have re-opened.  Many sections of the city which were cordoned off have now re-opened, making it much easier to get around in some cases.

3. Restaurants and clubs are back open. Nearly all of the venues that were closed before the Olympics are open again, except those unfortunate enough not to have survived the forced closure.

4. Al Fresco dining on streets has resumed.   I didn’t really understand why they had to suspend outdoor dining on the streets throughout the games, but they did.  Well, now you can enjoy again, except that the weather has just taken a turn and you will likely be enjoying your latte in the cold rain.

5. Street vendors are back! Just in time for sweet hot yams and tasty lamb skewers!  Yummm.

6. The traffic ban has been lifted.  The streets are back to their pre-Olympic congestion levels after the even/odd liscense plate ban has been lifted.  A lot of people are unhappy about this, and apparently the government is looking at re-instating a similar rule, though not likely as strict.

7. Smog is back with a vengeance!  As a result of the the lift in all of the pollution cutting measures leading up to the Olympics, we are all reminded of just how noxious the air in Beijing really is.

8. DVDs are on sale again! DVD stores are all gradually opening, though their inventory of illegal DVDs certainly leaves a lot to be desired.  No doubt the selection will improve in short order.

9.  Lady Bars are back!  Just when I thought I would never have to be annoyed by another Lady Bar purveyor, they are back in force, and if you are a single man walking anywhere near Sanlitun after 5pm you are likely to accosted every ten steps by someone hoping you are stupid or naive enough to fall into their trap, willfully oblivious to the fact that if you just gave a disgusted look at the last invitation, they are likely to receive a similar reaction.

10. Pushers are back! Perhaps most telling of a relaxation in the city are the purveyors of all things  illicit that roam the streets from Gongti to Sanlitun, nearly as numerous as the Lady Bar pushers, though somehow less annoying as they feel the need to be at least somewhat discreet.

del.icio.us Reddit Slashdot Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Ask Mister Wong China Newsvine Simpy Spurl Wink Rawsugar Squidoo Fark

The Story of Stuff

My friend percussionist Larry Mahlis sent me a link to a wonderful site that I think has the potential to change lives, and, perhaps, even the world. The Story of Stuff is the brainchild of Annie Leonard, and I must say, I like her brain.

Here’s a description from the site:

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the presentation is the way it call attention to the fact that even if we decide to move our dirty, stinking, toxic polluting factories overseas, it does not make us any less culpable for the damage thus caused. It’s all too easy for the media to get up in arms about lead paint in toys from China, yet neglect to comment at all about the toxic damage done to the workers and the environment in “the factory of the world.” Christine Lu has some good comments on the subject.

Please stop what you are doing and watch this video, and then tell all of your family and friends about it!

del.icio.us Reddit Slashdot Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Ask Mister Wong China Newsvine Simpy Spurl Wink Rawsugar Squidoo Fark

Beijing city traffic

The Beijing Municipal government is conducting a city limits, limiting cars that can drive within the city according to whether drivers have an even or odd number on their license plate. The results are not in yet, but I can say that since August 8th, one year out from the Olympics, the weather has been excellent and visibility better than ever, with only one really smoggy day. If this can be repeated next year, we should be in good shape.

Of course, with an estimated 1,000 cars added to the city streets each day in the capital city, other measures are also likely to be needed. However, preliminary results of the experiment seem to be very positive. Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau, said his team of experts is keeping close watch on the data collected by its 32 monitoring stations and that the impact was “obvious”, citing the achievement of a Grade II record on the first day of the test, Grade I and II being deemed suitable for the hosting of international events.

I’m all for this and even tougher restrictions, but, then again, I don’t drive a car in Beijing.

del.icio.us Reddit Slashdot Digg Facebook Technorati Google StumbleUpon Furl Yahoo Ask Mister Wong China Newsvine Simpy Spurl Wink Rawsugar Squidoo Fark


Next Page »