‘Nuff said.
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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures
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Olympics
Friday, May 2, 2008
Hong Kong
While strolling along the shoreline in front of the Museum of Modern Art, I had a chance meeting with the five Olympic mascots. What’s particularly interesting about these little creatures is that each is named after the traditional five elements: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. On their own, the names appeal to children, in a happy-go-lucky way. When you put the first syllable of each name together, however (Běijīng huānyíng nǐ), it sounds nearly identical to “北京欢迎你,“ which translates to “Beijing welcomes you.”
How cool is that?For those of you preparing to impress your friends before the Games begin:
Beibei = water
Jingjing = wood
Huanhuan = fire
Yingying = earth
Nini = sky
Lit from within, they looked truly magical and childlike. Just as they should.
Last stop before the hotel: One more ride on the Star Ferry.
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Friday, May 2, 2008
Hong Kong
If there’s one thing you can’t miss in Hong Kong right now, it’s the arrival of the Olympic torch. Today, it runs through the streets with much pomp and circumstance. We were all invited to join in the festivities, but the combination of a State Department warning to U.S. citizens and my determination to see Victoria’s Peak and Kowloon today trumped the option. The closest I came was this cheering section along the torch route at the Central MTR station.
Still, the locals are pretty excited about their day in the sun, as well as China’s role as host of the games (remember, technically, HK returned to China with the British handoff in ‘97). Tibet might as well be on Jupiter, as far as folks here are concerned; the city is fueled on 100% joy right now.
A major part of that joy stems from the fact Hong Kong still considers itself “Not Chinese” by most (read: all) standards…and the locals make sure you know it. There’s a lot of national pride here, but it definitely doesn’t come from the mother country.
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