I haven't commented on one of the incidents in China for a couple of days because I wasn't really sure how I should approach it. I feel that I do have to speak on it though, as it may still have an affect on our stay here, and it definitely has an effect on us as Americans.
If you haven't heard, relatives of the U.S. men's volleyball head coach were attacked by a knife wielding Chinese man, killing the coach's father-in-law and severely injuring his wife and their Chinese tour guide. The man then leapt off of the balcony at the Drum Tower, a popular tourist attraction in Beijing that our group has not visited. The attack took place on the first day of Olympic competition and immediately sent a pall over our group.
To this point, we've felt safe wherever we've gone in Beijing, much more so than Chicago for an example. Sure, there's always the thought of a pickpocket going for your wallet, but I've never felt that I was in an unsafe situation, and we've been in some bad parts of Beijing. After the attack, I learned that China's laws actually punish an attack on a foreigner more harshly than an attack on a Chinese national, so I guess that offers us some protection. But more importantly, non of our group have ever felt that anyone around us meant us bodily harm. It was a sad experience for all of us, and even more so when you think that these Games are supposed to be the greatest moments in these athlete's lives, and now tragedy strikes in a way that even the most protective of travelers could not have foreseen. We have no plans on changing our own behavior when we are out in the city, but this attack has made us all aware that we do stand out in this city and we can't assume everyone around us has the best intentions.
To more recent events, several of us went to Tim's Texas BBQ Sunday night for the U.S. vs China basketball game. Reports have this placed as the most watched game in the history of basketball with a predicted 1 billion people watching worldwide. I could believe it, because even though we got to Tim's several hours early to get a good seat, we still had to deal with people standing in between us and the TV as it became standing room only in the place.
The game lived up to any hype that was put on it back home, which I haven't been able to see due to Sportscenter deprivation. The Chinese were really excited for the game, and the ones we talked to definitely thought they had a chance against the U.S. squad. Yao Ming was a little more realistic, acknowledging how good the American squad is, but in reality the crowd for the game cheered for both teams through the night. The U.S. dominant crowd at Tim's wasn't very happy with the score in the early going, as China nailed several treys in a row to keep themselves in the game, but the U.S.'s speed proved to be the deciding factor. Once Kobe, Dwyane and LeBron started pushing the ball and using the fastbreak, it led to easy dunks and a large lead to coast through to the end.
The night was one that I was looking forward to for a while. We don't get the same sporting environment here that many of us are used to back home. By that I mean watching a game with your friends, sometimes in a crowded bar and getting to scream at a TV believing the players can actually hear you. I don't really miss the commentary, as everything is understandably in Mandarin here, but the other aspects of watching a big game aren't common, and the chance to go to Tim's and hang out with like-minded individuals was one I wanted to take.
No comments:
Post a Comment