2008 Beijing Olympics–my short-lived amazement, my disappointments and all!
Posted on August 14, 2008
Filed Under 2008 Beijing Olympics, Thoughts | Viewed 487 times
I was so impressed with the Lighting of the Olympic Flame and the subsequent spectacular display of fireworks that I almost cried. The world was impressed! I was so impressed that I even wrote about it—omg! the lighting of the Olympic torch is so amazing! and was talking about it with some of my kids until early morning. But this was short-lived when I found out from internet releases and talks that some of the fireworks sequences, the footprints in particular (and maybe some others) were fakes—computer generated, and inserted into the coverage to look as though they were real.
And what else is new? After the world was enamored, and the Chinese superpowers beamed with pride of Lin Miaoke, the little cute girl in a red dress and pigtails who warmed the hearts of billions of people the world over, as she sang with a voice so sweet, so pure, the Ode to the Motherland in the Bird’s Nest stadium last Friday night, it was found out soon, and them organizers admitted that the voice did not belong to her. She was made to lip-synch over the voice of 7-year old Yang Peiyi—all for the sake of national interest, or so they say. She was then exposed as a fake, how sad.
The real owner of the voice they said was not pretty enough—she had crooked teeth. Oh geez! I was so disappointed. Imagine the stigma the whole of Lin Miaoke’s life and her parents. As to Yang Peiyi, she now gets what is due to her.
And yet another one—the organizers have drafted in specially trained “spectators” to inject some atmosphere into the half-empty stadiums and echoing plazas of the Beijing Olympics. It was announced earlier that the 6.8 million tickets have been sold, but it seemed not to show in the turn out of spectators. Huge numbers of yellow-shirted ‘fans’ are arranged to come to the different venues where low turn out is expected. They would occupy blocks of empty seats, clapping and cheering equally for opposing teams.
I would not like to say I was fooled, but for a while, I was! I thought they were all real! I didn’t realize that part of these show of grandeur, purity in voice, and Olympic spirit, were as real as the fakes (designer bags, shoes, clothes, DVDs, etc) that were abundantly sold, and which the locals and tourists bought, in the SIlk Market, streets and the shopping havens in Beijing and the other cities and towns. At first glance, they would really pass for real!
I should not be really be surprised and disappointed. I recall, and I wrote about this in a February 2008 article what I observed in Beijing in 2000, from July to December—that was the time when Beijing was planning its bid for the 2008 Olympics. Imagine! THE DRIED GRASS WAS PAINTED GREEN, large pots of flowers, fresh and natural were placed in strategic places all over the parks and streets, and the city was decorated (the likes of Bay Walk) as if it were Christmas.
Oh well, let me not sulk, and watch the games instead on TV. Yes, they are fun, amazing with records broken one after another. How nice it is to see young men and women excel in their various sports. Let the Olympic spirit burn in the hearts of the athletes and spectators the world over. Let the young ones be inspired and try their best in what they do.
Related topic: BA’s take on this, here.
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Dine Racoma is Sexy Mom, a Filipina doing what she likes best—writing, her passion. She writes freelance, does research, advises on new media, and manages a virtual assistance office for home-based jobs. A mother of 7 (what joy!) foremost, a wife, MIL, grandma to 2 pretty girls and an angel in heaven, sister, daughter, friend. Was in the corporate world for 27 years, the first 5 as Executive Secretary to an affiliate of the country’s biggest drug chain, and the last 22 as an international civil servant in an international development bank with HQ in Manila. Traveled extensively to many countries bringing about rich experiences and lessons learned to share with dear Readers. All these—in The D Spot
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i feel sad for both girls. i hope the two will not carry this into adulthood.
“all for the sake of national interest” – this justification or reason always worked everywhere.
How many governments in the world invoke this line?
Sounds familiar ha? Sa pinas, abused line na ito to justify unjustifiable actions.
what? the fireworks were fake?
I haven’t watched the Olympics coverage at all but heard about the SPECTACULAR fireworks and the opening ceremonies last Aug. 8.
What a sad sorry ‘mess’ about those 2 innocent little girls.
But yes, let’s look at the positives and see what the Olympics embodies- friendship and brotherhood.
I was shocked too when I read the news. I guess people tend to judge when it comes to physical appearances, noh?
Hay, didn’t I write a post about it? The water being pumped to Beijing from the provinces which would result to severe drought in the future, that in itself is a cause for worry.
Hay, no wonder re the fake, pati bata hindi pinalampas.
Its a good thing the games are doing well
Wow, that is so not impressive. The “real” girl is cute naman ha.
What’s new? China is the biggest source of pirated DVDs, right?
Sad.
With that incidents, I will no longer watch the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony just to be fooled again.
With that incident, I will no longer watch the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony just to be fooled again.
The worst is that the organizers even take that they did it because the true girl behind the voice is “ugly”... I think they exactly said that…
totoo ba ito?
really….......my….late talaga ako sa news.
oh yeahhhhhhh
the germans people or everybody who has seen the olympic game grand openings….sabi nila, wow and wow….china is improving and fantastic idea, knowledge and etc.
lahat dito nagsabi na mga matalino, have a fantastic ideas n etc….100% daw
sabi pa sa isang moderator-tv na yon mga presentation nila are all TOTOO…hindi daw computerized…........totoo daw, at yon mga tao-participants are all real person.
at yon bata daw na kumanta, what a nice voice she has…........ay hindi pala siya ang kumanta.
because, yon ngipin nya or hindi enough maganda or ….
sayang, alles FAKE…...but, Achievement na hindi totoo…..will not have a good fruits…...
it is so much bitter….....
thanks for sharing this.
akala sa lahat….....totoo yon….FAKE pa rin, like what they produced….........