I finally made it to the last Olympic venue that I wanted to see. Darryl and I went out on Friday to see a show at the Water Cube; this is the swimming venue with the translucent bubble shaped walls. Darryl wasn't sure what the presentation was, but I was happy just to see the inside of the cube. It turned out to be a fountain and music show with a symphony orchestra playing old favorites while a network of fountains and lights played in the water. It sounds weird, but it was really quite beautiful. They also projected clips from popular movies on a sheet of water - something I had never seen before or even thought possible.

The venue itself was quite impressive; we had VIP seats and they would have been wonderful for watching the swimming events and even the diving at the other end of the pool. There was probably seating for about 10,000 - so not your average pool. The entry hall and associated areas were also quite spacious by any standards. One can't imagine many times when it could be filled. In fact, Darryl, who is just back from competing in the Greek marathon, had recently visited the Greek Olympic facilities from the 2004 games. He said the venues were deserted with weeds growing up between the cracks in the pavement. I hope that doesn't happen to the Beijing facilities. They are certainly built on a grand scale with huge open plazas surrounding them. In fact, although it is quite easy to get to the Olympic park on the subway. It doesn't seem to matter where you are going it is always a 10-15 minute walk to get to the actual venue. Friday night the wind was blowing; it was cold and the plaza was only sparsely populated - perhaps more kite vendors than actual patrons.

Darryl and I arrived without tickets and were pleased to pick up the 400 RMB VIP tickets for only 50 each. What we didn't realize was that the show had started about 45 minutes before we arrived. So we only got to see the last half, but I was still happy with our bargain evening!

How the Other Half Lives

The Hong Kong skyline from Victoria Peak. Notice the inevitable smog and the two towers which will anchor the view from both sides of the harbour when the Kowloon tower is finished.

The escalators - officially called Peoplators - which move commuters up and down the side of the mountain.

Darryl and I visited Hong Kong and Mission Hills in Shenzhen on the Fall Festival break. It was a whirl of trip. We flew into Shenzhen on Tuesday and took a shuttle into Hong Kong arriving about 9 PM. We had to cross the Chinese and Hong Kong borders while dragging our bags and golf clubs. But we found out why people pay more to fly direct to Hong Kong. We stayed with a young couple, Jocelyn and Kylie Barnstable, who are friends of Darryl's. They made it a mission to show us the city in the day and a half that we had. After dinner that evening, we toured the Night Market in Mong Kok and Lan Kwai Fong bar street in Hong Kong.

Our Hong Kong hosts, the Barnstables - Jocelyn and Kylie.

Lunch at a Middle Eastern restaurant in the Soho area.

The next day we were up early and at it again. We took the ferry to Hong Kong and took the double deck bus to the other side of the island - Repulse Bay and Stanley Market. Later we toured the escalators and had lunch in Soho. After lunch we took a cab to Victoria Peak and enjoyed the view before taking the funicular tram back down. Then we toured the waterfront in Kowloon and some malls. We were pretty played out by this time and ordered a takeout dinner. We watched the holiday fireworks from the 36th floor balcony of the Barnstable's apartment. Darryl and I recovered enough to go out for a massage. I had a foot massage which I slept through but Darryl selected the body massage and was pummeled as a reward!

On the Stanley waterfront.

Waiting for the tram.

On the Peak.

Hong Kong is a very wealthy city. Kylie told us there are 77,000 millionaires living on the main island. Needless to say you can get all kinds of luxury goods and high end brands. On the other hand, the Barnstables pointed out several groups of Fillipino live-in domestic workers enjoying the national holiday. Basically they crowd into a mall, a park, under an underpass or any public space they can occupy for free and play cards or eat food. They were all over the place; I am sure we saw tens of thousands.

Fillipino block party.

The next morning we enjoyed breakfast with Kylie's brother, Ryan, and his son Hunter. Jocelyn, Kylie and Ryan all work at a school in Hong Kong. The Barnstables were excellent hosts and we got to see a lot of Hong Kong in a very short time. After breakfast, Ryan drove us to the train back to Shenzhen. We crossed the border again at Lok Ma Chau and expected to find a shuttle to Mission Hills. No such luck - no one there knew anything and none of the Mission Hill numbers I had worked - not a good sign. So grabbed a cab and luckily I had the name of the resort on a letterhead which the cabbie recognized.

Our welcome committee at Mission Hills.

We arrived around 12:30 and had a round scheduled for 2:00. We checked in at the golf desk and were also able to check in early at the hotel. We wanted to have lunch, but were hurried off to the practice range - it was hot but we each hit a small bucket and bought some expensive water. We got back to the course with about 20 minutes to go and waited around until 2 but no one called us to the tee. I went to check and it turned out that you have to check in with the caddie master. Not surprising considering they are starting players on 5 or 6 courses from the same place, but we didn't know. So we started late and kind of rushed. However, when we got to the first tee, Darryl hit it off well with the caddies - his was very cute and soon they were fooling around, exchanging hats (the caddies wear a hard hat with a bill on it) and taking pictures.

Darryl clowning with his caddie - the women can't resist him!

Ron posing with caddies. Yes that is right - a cart and a caddie. The caddies ride on the back.

The round was quite eventful we played the first 9 with two ladies from Hong Kong - one was a very good player. I scored an eagle on the 7th and finished the front with 40. Darryl was seeing all the sights with some wayward tee shots but chipped and putted like a fiend. We finished just at dark but well under 4 hours. I had an 80 and Darryl shot about 105. The Vijay course had a lot of water and was well laid out, but did not have much elevation. I was a bit disappointed as I felt it didn't hold up in a comparison with Spring City in Kunming which was in superb shape.

Ron and Darryl with Tiger - he was made out of fiberglass!

We went to our room which was excellent and cleaned up, had dinner in one of the cafes and later checked out a lounge with the inevitable Fillipino jazz singer. I also took some absurd photos of Darryl in a black silk robe he had bought in Hong Kong. I turned in about 11 and slept like a log. Darryl was up at 5:30 to run - he is training for the Marathon in Greece.

Darryl and the robe. Yes I had to share a room with this chick magnet!

This time we were scheduled to play the Ells course at 7:38 and got there in good time to 'check in' with the caddie master. I was sure I knew what I was doing, but no - they sent us to 'register' with the golf desk and consequently we were late again. This time we played as a twosome but we had arranged for the same caddies as the previous day and had a pleasant round with lots of clowning around. One of the caddies had brought her own camera and so there were lots of stops for pictures. The Ells course was better, lots of elevation changes and doglegs to keep things interesting. It was not as long as the Vijay course and didn't have as much water but I thought it was harder. I managed an 89 but could have done much better with more course knowledge. Darryl was hitting the ball but his putting deserted him and the result was about the same. Overall for the two days, I drove very well and did better than I had any right to expect.

Darryl and caddie - Day 2. He found out she was from Hubei and used to work in the Silk Market.

What was my take on Mission Hills? First it is huge; the biggest in the world with 216 holes - 12 full courses! The clubhouse/resort complex we stayed at was so big it was confusing; we got lost several times. It was close to 10 minutes walk through the building from our room to the course. On Friday afternoon we were chatted up by a young saleswoman who was trying to sell memberships and she toured us around some of the facility - we saw the tennis centre, the Leadbetter Golf Academy, the home sites and this was only a small part of the whole complex. BTW the memberships ranged from 1 million+ RMB to 450,000+ RMB (about $160,000 to $75000). I didn't pay too much attention to the price! Nevertheless, the service and facilities were excellent and I think you'd get very comfortable if you stayed there for several days. We met a German who was going to stay for 10 days and play all 10 of the public courses. You need a membership to play the other two, the Pete Dye and the World Cup courses. It was also very expensive; the only way I'd come back is if I could get a package deal. At over $276 a round with green fees and caddie fees, this is the most expensive golf I have ever played and it is more on the weekends! Obviously we couldn't afford to stay too long! I have already had one call from the enterprising saleswoman; maybe I should tell her I am a member at Hampton GC and then tell her how much I pay there!?

The classic swing. I really pounded one off this elevated tee on the Ells course. That lovely electric green shirt is my Beijing Golfer's Club shirt. I wanted to show the BGC colours.

So this is how the other half lives. Our saleslady told us most members were from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea with China and the rest of the world thrown in. Twice on the Vijay course I caught fleeting glimpses of the world outside the course. They were both tiny farm fields with shacks made out of scraps of wood and tarpaulin. And that is how the first and bigger half lives in Asia.

"I Am Sailing!"

This weekend we decided to go sailing at the Beijing Sailing Centre in Qinhuangdao, a small city (of 3 million!) near Beijing, which you have probably never heard of. It is the port city for Beijing and thus one of the busiest ports in the world. It is also home to Beidahe, Beijing's favourite ocean beach. This area is the place where Beijingers come to beat the summer heat of the Beijing plain. In fact Qinhuangdao is named after Emperor Qin. The name of the city means Emperor Qin's Island and Emperor Qin apparently came here looking for the secret to immortality which was supposed to be found here.


View Larger Map

Given the age of our crew - Darryl, Reg, Dave and Ron - immortality would be a useful find for us too. Nevertheless, we arrived Friday night to meet our instructors and prepare for the weekend. Oddly, someone forgot the key for the gate of the club and we had to climb the gate to get in! The club is located in the yachting venue built for the 1990 Asian Games, so it was a good facility.

We prepared ourselves for a day of racing by staying out far too late and drinking far too much - this is the way veterans prepare! Still Captain Darryl had a plan! We were going to win the best dressed crew and also the most spectacular capsize. So we dragged ourselves out of bed Saturday morning and put on ridiculous flowered shirts and outlandish hats - mine was a big foam Toronto Blue Jays hat. We immediately gathered many fans and wannabes among our competitors and were soon convinced we had a lock on best dressed.

Here's how we won best dressed crew. The guy with the blowup football helmet was our instructor, Adam, a newly minted university grad from Belfast. The two Chinese ladies were fans and competitors.

Now for the second part of our plan - most spectacular capsize! We launched up our boat with instructor Adam, also outfitted with crazy hat, and went off to practice. The morning wind was light and we did quite well in our practice session. We were convinced we would also win the afternoon races. After some onshore instruction and a big lunch, we bravely set out to race. During the morning, the wind had picked up ominously and when we started to race we quickly discovered we might have been a bit overconfident! We didn't finish a race and certainly didn't win any. We capsized a total of 9 times that afternoon and I think we set some kind of club record. Later that night we were awarded two prizes - best dressed and most spectacular capsize! We spent the rest of the weekend being the recipients of jokes about being submariners, swimmers etc. There was a lot of laughs.

The instructors were great - we should have listened harder! Our boat was a Topaz Omega - basically a four man boat but with our instructor we squeezed in five.

Sunday we were back at it and sailed for about 4 hours. We decided we would be better with a smaller crew - four big guys plus an instructor made things a bit crowded on board - not that we spent much time actually in the boat! So we excused our instructor, Adam, and since Reg decided to take a smaller boat out, we were a crew of three. I think Adam was happy to be released from the burden of righting the boat. Unbelievably, the three of use sailed all morning without a single capsize! We even got it out of the yacht basin several times and onto the high seas. It was wonderful! We really felt like we were sailing. Later we each took out a smaller one man boat. I can't say that I mastered the small boat and took a vicious wack on the head from the boom. But I didn't capsize and managed to get back to shore. All in all a really great weekend!

An action sequence with Reg trying the one man boat - a capsize in the first 30 seconds! That is Adam in the foreground watching like a nervous parent as his student goes down.

The beach at dusk - the tall building with the slanted roof by the setting sun was our hotel.

A Boy and his Bike!

Boy and Bike

The last time I had a new bike was for my 13th birthday. It was a red Raleigh 3 speed with hand brakes. It was the cat's meow and I was very proud of it and rode it until I went off to university. After that I was home sporadically and so I didn't ride it much. I suspect I felt too old to bike and was more interested in driving cars. I know my Dad used to ride it after that and I suppose it was sold or given away about the time my Mom left Otterburn.

Forty years later and I still feel too old to bike but for different reasons. Nevertheless, I have been talking about getting a bike since I have been in Beijing. The city is very flat and a bicycle is a good way to get around. This is especially true of my current location which is not in easy walking distance of anything. However, I easily can bike to school and to get groceries and other supplies. So I decided to take the plunge with the idea that I might ship it home at the end of my stay.

My friends Darryl and Reg both have bikes and I have frequently borrowed a bike to accompany them on various excursions. Saturday was to be the day of the purchase and they accompanied me to a store where they had purchased their bikes. That store was out of stock, so we went to a nearby one and I bought there. It turned out to be a gov't owned bike shop.

Reg, Chinese lady and her son and me.

At the shop, I met a very nice lady and her son and husband who spoke English and offered to translate for me. She was an English teacher so wanted the practice for herself. Her son was 12 and also spoke very good English; he understood almost everything I said - quite impressive as he was being taught at a local school. He told me he had a cousin going to U of T and his mother hoped he could go to university in Canada as well. They were very charming and it was quite jolly. They asked me all kinds of questions about my family and my home in Canada.

I also bought a rack and a lock for the bike and had them installed. Sorry Brenda - no helmets at this shop. I'll have to look around. The whole process took close to an hour and the lady stayed close the whole time, helped me to bargain etc. I offered to buy the family a cold drink or an ice cream but they wouldn't hear of it. So Darryl took our picture and I thanked them profusely and then the boy picked up his bike which was being repaired and off we all went. Just another of those memorable encounters that are so common in China. And I am now zipping my neighbourhood on a 21 speed mountain bike. There are no mountains anywhere close but at least I'll look good jumping curbs.

Raining Olympic Champions

Me in the Bird's Nest

Trust me it rained hard!

I completed my Olympic Games experience with two more visits - Wednesday was Men's Wrestling and today (Thursday) was Athletics at the Bird's Nest. The wrestling was special because it was a relatively small venue and I was quite close to the action. I saw the men's 66 and 74 kg finals and the winners were really quite awesome - fast and strong.

The Wrestlers

The wrestling venue

Somehow not the same as Beach Volleyball!

Turkish Gold in 66 kg.

However, I really wanted to see the Olympic Stadium and went out in search of a ticket at Beitucheng subway station which turned out to be a super market of ticket scalping. There must have been over a hundred people selling tickets with many more buyers milling around. Some of the prices being asked were quite scary! Anyway I found a ticket for about $100 Can. and counted myself fortunate. When I agreed to buy the ticket the scalper motioned me to come away from the crowds to pay. We literally went behind a sign warning that scalping tickets was illegal! It was in English so I guess the seller couldn't read it.

The Olympic Stadium is everything you have heard and more - except it doesn't have a roof! Well there is a roof for the crowd, but the athletes are under the open sky. I guess because it 'never rains in Beijing'. Well this morning it rained! Despite my umbrella, I was thoroughly wet by the time I got to the stadium. But it was worse for the athletes, especially the javelin throwers, several of whom I saw fall. Canadian Scott Russell had the best qualifying throw in his group in the pouring rain. At least the ladies 20k walk didn't seem to mind the rain. I also saw the decathlon 100 m, shot put and long jump. Canadian Nicole Forrester failed to qualify in the high jump - she couldn't make 1.93 m.

The Torch

Some of the little things I noticed - you can't bring food in so I went to the concession to get a snack. I waited in line patiently for about 10 minutes only to see that they weren't taking money, only bits of paper. I looked over to see a girl taking money and ripping bits off a paper bag and writing the amount she had taken. This script was then taken to the other line to exchange for food. I complained and was served right away. Seemed like they hadn't thought that one through! Also signage was bad all over. Not just in English; it seemed to be confusing to the Chinese too. When I came out of the subway, there were two volunteers holding up hand-made signs saying in English and Chinese, "Bird's Nest" and "Water Cube". The Olympic area is actually huge; it was about a 15 minute walk from the entrance from the subway to the stadium and of course it was raining.

So I am glad I went, but you know I think you see more on TV for the most part and it is drier!

The TV tower

Walkin' in the Rain - this is the Russian winner of the 20 K

Forrester clearing 1.89

Bertucci, Canada's decathlete

The Water Cube

A Sport Played in Bikinis!

A German serve - are pink official German colours?

I was only back in town for a day and I caught Olympic fever. I was talking to Darryl Friday morning and he told me that he and his daughter had got into the Beach Volleyball competition by buying tickets from a scalper at the gate. So I headed off for Friday night's matches to try my luck at cadging a ticket. Little did I know a Chinese team was playing. But after standing around for 40 or 50 minutes a Brazil guy offered me a ticket at a reasonable price and I was in. 400 RMB for a 100 RMB seat.

Beach volleyball is a good sport to watch even if you are not a student of the game. Four tall, fit girls running around in bikinis in the sand batting a ball back and forth. When I was growing up, the only place that kind of action happened was at the Playboy mansion! Who knew? And the matches were quite good too. I saw Germany vs Austria, Cuba vs China, Brazil vs Norway and Germany vs Brazil.

The Chinese team setting up a spike.

The hapless Cubans against the Chinese.

Germany vs. Austria

The venue was close to my apartment in Chaoyang Park, just behind the Canadian School. The stadium itself is a temporary venue put up just for the games, but quite comfortable and seating around 5000. The event itself was full of excitement - blaring rock, gyrating cheerleaders, the Mascots cavorting and beer fueled fans running up and down the aisles with flags streaming behind them. I felt sorry for the Cuban girls; the crowd was definitely pro China and the Cubans went down in 2 straight matches.

A Gogo on the beach - Annette Funicello eat your heart out!

As the sun sets over Beijing...

The crowd and the stadium

Busy volunteers.

Those lovable Mascots - Nini and Jingjing

I will be going to wrestling with Darryl on the 20th and I am going to try to get into the Bird's Nest on the 17th. One World! One Dream! - the Olympic motto for Beijing. Am I the only one that finds that a bit ominous??