读万卷书 行万里路

21st Aug

 

David Davies won silve medal at 10km silver. He was exhausted rigt after the game and received treat from game officials. After he recovered, he is so excited to interview with BBC to show off his win and doused water bottle to a Chinese official who tried to steer him to the medal ceremony.

 

And take a look at what british media says:

在获得马拉松游泳银牌后，兴奋的庆祝，并开始对媒体讲述自己的游泳成功经验，这时数名赛会官员过来告诉他，“该去领奖台颁奖了。”结果戴维斯无礼的说道，“你们能不能闭嘴？”一名女官员继续劝说戴维斯，“颁奖仪式马上就要开始了，赶紧过去吧”，孰料戴维斯居然直接将手中的矿泉水泼向了她。

I wonder why the Olympic Organizing committee is slient to such an offence.

It is a shame on China, who used all of its resources, tried to please foreigners. Look at what has been received!

Absolutely beautiful place!

 

See selected photo uploaded here at photo section

 

or for better quality photo, visit google

 

I suppose that I am not really much interested in the political stuff, however, given seeing what happened today at Olympic Torch Relay at London, I feel the need to write down this.

 

Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay – London

 

Today is 6^th April, 2008, a day when the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch relay was held in London, the 2012 Olympic site. I did not plan to go out today as my wife is not keen to go out on a snowy day and we also have safety concern given the recent pro-Tibet violence.

 

Protester trying to extinguish the Olympic Torch

 

Nevertheless, it is one of the historical moments of Beijing 2008 Olympic game, which is regarded as one of the most important events in Chinese history by most Chinese. Therefore, after the late breakfast, we watched the Sky News, which has live coverage of the relay. Then I saw the screen showing one protester trying to snatch the torch and another trying to extinguish it.

 

He claimed that:

I tried to put down the flame because Chinese has no right to do what they are doing in Tibet.

I was shocked and can’t help asking the same question:

Do you have any right to do what you are doing today, by trying to put down the Olympic Torch?

 

We then decided to go to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where the governor of City of London is hosting a ceremony for the Olympic Torch, to see exactly what is happening out there at street.

 

Conversation with a western protester at St. Paul’s Cathedral

Shortly after we arrived, the governor has addressed a welcome speech. He started with the followings: I sincerely wish Beijing 2008 a successful game. He was then interrupted by the protesters shouting: Free Tibet.

 

 

There was a man right behind us shouting aloud. He is so loud that it is really annoying as I can hardly hear the governor.  I turned around and saw a middle aged man in leather jacket, with a piece of food on his mouth. And we started a conversation:

 

Me: do you mind if you quiet down?

Him: it is my freedom. Not like in your country.

Me: clearly I have my freedom in my country and here as well. So please shut up. You are ruining everyone else here enjoy this event.

He remained silent.

Me: have you ever been to China

Him: No.

My wife: please could you go there and join other protesters? We just wanted to enjoy this event.

Him: you could join the other Chinese over there.

My wife: But I am not Chinese (she is Japanese)

Him: I do not care. I am enjoying myself.

Me: oh. I see. So you enjoy yourself but you do not care others. You are just selfish, aren’t you?

 

Culture of ‘I do not care’ and ‘I enjoy myself’

Our conversation ended here as the Olympic torch was approaching. However, this has brought me the thought that how differently the east and the west thinks. The man behind us has made two points very clear:

 

1) I do not care

2) I enjoy myself

 

Consistent with the book that I am reading these days: the Geography of thought, this man has proved how the western from the eastern distinguish where the western consider individual freedom more than anything else, therefore ignoring other people in the society.

 

It is ironic though as the whole point of his protest is to show his care to Tibetan, but he failed to care the people around him today.

 

We and many other spectators today at St. Paul’s were disappointed that the pro-Tibetan protest has damaged the Olympic Torch Relay – the Torch did not turn up there as expected. We missed probably once-in-lifetime opportunity to meet the Olympic Torch, and this all down to the ‘selfishness’ of ‘I do not care’ and ‘I enjoy myself’!

 

The whole point of protest today is to use Olympic Torch relay as an opportunity to send a message to China government. Choosing today not only delivered the message to China government but delivered a wrong message to the 13 billion Chinese people around the world – this campaign is looking to nothing but stop celebrating sports excellence, and this will almost certain make most Chinese people against it and support the government a much stronger policy against Tibet.

 

The common reaction in Chinese media these days is that UK and US have no rights to talk about Tibet and China. UK has invaded half the world including Tibet in the past and most recently, it invaded Iraq together with the US. If things continue in current trend – the support of free Tibet and link this to Olympic game – a China country wide anti-west demonstration is around the corner. Thanks to media control in China that not everyone in China can see the protest at London today or at Athens a few days earlier, otherwise, the demonstration would be already there.

 
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各位兄弟姐妹，

 

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