Olympic Fever!

This week Beijing announced the official start of ticket sales for the 2008 Olympics! Since I’m here in Beijing studying Chinese, I figure I can’t afford to miss the chance to see some of the historic moments that will be happening here in China, so I’ve already applied for tickets to either the opening or closing ceremonies. However, since they are using a lottery system for determining final ticket sales, I have no idea which event I will eventually end up attending. In any case, it will be fabulous, as the Chinese people are putting forth every imaginable effort in welcoming the world to their ancient capitol city, which is rapidly transitioning into a first class international city.
As you can see from the picture of the National Stadium, otherwise known as the “Bird’s Nest,” and the bubble-like aquatic arena, the construction of the Olympic park complex is progressing quite nicely. Besides athletic areas, the city is also in the process of building new subway lines and making sure the city public services and areas are in tip-top shape for the masses of foreign guests that are scheduled to arrive next summer. I’m excited about the Olympics, and I can’t wait until I find out what kind of tickets I get for the historic occasion!