photo from New York Times
Okay. I have just finished watching the Olympic Opening. It is indeed a mix bag of feelings.
It is absolutely a spectacle. Being a Chinese myself, though not born in China, I am proud and amazed to see such dazzling opening ceremony China has put up. However, while I was watching, back in my mind, I inevitably think of the issues of pollution, human rights, and all things between that I read and hear day in and day out here.
Curious of what other people think, I went online. And I am shocked by the amount of negativity out there (mainly from the western world) for China.
Thanks to the ‘full’ coverage of media and how we are influenced by it if we don’t think more rationally but rely solely on some biased media coverage.
I am sure the coverage in China or other parts of Asia would probably be quite different.
So, I read and read and read, from many different sources.
‘There is this theory of western world fearful of China, this upcoming superpower, hence the bombardment of criticism….There are too many issues China has to work on….Oh ! China has done such a fantastic job for the opening ceremony….. Free Tibet !……They spent too much money just to show off…..It is China’s pride and dream comes true….Smog ! Smog !…………China Olympic will turn out to be the most successful game in the history….’
It is fascinating to see such different opinions.
Yet, we know, no one is absolutely right or absolutely wrong.
So, Beijing Olympic (Opening) , good or bad? Depending where you get your news from.
How about be our own judge, not biased, not influenced by media, read more and think rationally.
Beijing Olympic : good or bad?
PS; by the way, amongst all the newspapers from around the world I read today, New York Times has the best photos 
see the videos of the opening ceremony Beijing 2008
http://lugardoconhecimento.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/video-da-cerimonia-de-abertura-dos-jogos-olimpicos-de-pequim/
what i think??
http://sk0617.blogspot.com/2008/08/08082008.html
I am not sure if I right it seem like everyone had the strong intention to watch the opening ceremony compared to last few opening.
I was bit lost that I missed the 1st programe -24 Season Drum (how to name this in English ?)
after rushing all the way home amid the traffic.
When I was stucked in the trafffic jam, had an impluse want to call a friend near my office to borrow a seat for the opening ceremony.
Before 8th Aug, the press had claimed that the Beijing Ceremony would be the showpiece opening Olympic ceremony when the murky haze and smog were indicated
我很高兴有这样的开幕典礼。虽然还有很多社会问题要改善，但我相信这只是时间上的问题。毕竟地大人广，加上他们改革开放的日子还短。在中国念书的4年，让我相信只要中央政府要改，问题很快可以解决。
Hi RM,
Your video has been removed by Youtube. Thanks for sharing anyway.
SK,
看了你的blog 啦！不过，你那么多comments, 我就懒得写了
Jasin,
Me too. Excerpt the Sydney Olympic Opening, I never wanted to watch an opening this desperately. Well, I guess like everyone said, just want to see how China show the world ‘they can do it ! ‘
Well, I guess in a way, they have proved the world they can. And I was excited and proud. Unfortunately, yup, I could see the haze…
慧沁，
Yup, 我也很赞成你说的。中国的发展就好像是将五十年的东西在十年内完成。我相信，其他的问题也可以在短时间内解决。就如，我很高兴中国那么快就禁朔胶袋。我只是很惊讶，那么多西方人那么不喜欢中国。可是，在那么多online comments中，也有很多西方人叫西方人别自己在呱呱叫。再这样下去，他们只会被远抛在后。
Shirls:
Yes, you are right. There isn’t any right or wrong in any issue, is all depends on how you view it. If you view it from negative way, it will never turn to become positive/good. Beijing Olympic grand opening ceremony make every single one of us (Chinese) feel proud, and it might be the most creative one from previous till now, but maybe future will have better one.
There are so many negative comments about this Olympic, but for me, I really don’t know why people wish to make damage when China work hard to success this memorable event.
对，我赞同你的说法。世上没有绝对的错与对，只是看你如何看待整件事而已。如果你硬硬要从坏的方面着想的话，事情永远不可能会有好的一面。北京奥运开幕让每个华人都觉得骄傲，它可能是当今最有创意的一个。
现时真的有很多负面的新闻，对我而言我真的不明白为什么在中国北京这么努力的搞奥运的时候有人却在搞破坏呢？
Umm…there are many different opinions out there for China.
There people are quite afraid of the upsurge of China which will threaten the their livelihood. At the same time, there are some issues they have their valid points too.
For example, there are many blockade of information within China which most Chinese can’t get accessed too, or for quite lots of people, no matter how great the ceremony looked like, it was ‘artificial’ or ‘covered-up’.
From my own experiences living in western countries, I understand where they coming from. For westerners, frankly, they don’t quite as perfectionist as Chinese, but they want to know the ‘truth’. They don’t mind if you are not perfect, as long as you are frank, which I appreciate as a very good quality.
Being a Chinese myself, before I went overseas, I was probably like that. Tried so hard to be ‘perfect’ in front of other people, I might try hard to hide my own weaknesses, which I learned I don’t have to in overseas, which was a relief. I could be who I am, and do my best, don’t have to be perfect. So, for westerners, they don’t understand why China tried so hard to hide the flaws, for them, China is not an honest friend. Umm….this is just what my opinions are.
中国和西方, 有着很多的利益冲突. 就如同两个在同一个领域的不同的公司, 多数的时候是竞争的关系. 少数的时候是合作的关系.
不论是在中国还是在西方. 媒体总是被操纵的. 媒体最终要为当时当地的国家利益服务的. 不太可能有真正公正的媒体. 西方对中国的负面报道, 是有利于西方的国家利益的. 这没有什么可惊讶的.
中国是一个很大很复杂的国家, 有很多面. 有好的一面, 也有坏的一面. 只看好的或者只看坏的, 都是不全面的.
由于历史的关系, 中国总有一种受害者身份情结. 希望在奥运会之后, 可以放下这种受害者心态, 以一种更健康的心态去面对全世界.
Helen,
我对西方媒体对中国的负面报道，一点都没惊讶。在西方国住得久了，也见怪不怪。我惊讶的是，我看了某加国大报网上读者的留言，有些竟这么‘毒辣’ 。我知道是被媒体‘洗脑’后的结果。只可惜，读者们阅读时，只是全盘吸收，没好好思考。
同样的，当我阅读中国网上新闻时，有些却有点太过‘过火爱国’。
这些东西，没对错，纯个人看法。
对媒体被政治和经济操纵，是人所皆知的事。在此，我也不想多讨论。只是，我想，现在网上资讯发达开放，希望读者们利用高科技来充实自己，多阅读之余，也多思考。不要只依赖一方面的看法。还有，正因人人有权发言，也不用发表伤人抬举自己的看法。
我赞成你说的，‘只看好的或者只看坏的, 都是不全面的’， 对中国也好，对其他事也好，要看全面。
历史上来说，中国曾是受害者，美国或其他大国曾是‘强者’。风水轮流转，国和人一样有起有落。中国也好，美国等国也好，都应该以更健康的心态去面对全世界。