Birds Eye View- Olympics 08-08

China Travels / 2008 Olympics

Seven years in the making for China. Two years in the planning for our family. We are celebrating and experiencing the coming-out of China at the Olympics 2008 at our own "world-event" vacation. And what an event, it is. We are on our way across the vast countryside, witnessing the former imperial dynasties from Qin Dynasty of 221 BC to Tangs to Chairman Mao of the Industrial Age in the 1950’s and the Cultural Revolution to President Hu today and only our imaginations for the future.

Our "Birthdays in Beijing" a spirited party of 10 with Chinese and American friends/family from 17 to 77 years.... began on 08-04-08 with 3 birthdays in Shanghai; then 3 more birthdays in Beijing, including husband Pete’s 08-08-08 at the Opening Ceremonies; indescribable fireworks and spectacle nestled in the Bird’s Nest....section 229 and quite fitting for my Prince Pete. Yet our real mission was an opportunity to experience, together as a family, one of the most historical, unprecedented transformations in the world – that of "China" – China for the first-timer, China yesterday, China- so proud today, and images of the China of the future.... It is such a remarkable time.

Having been prepped by the US Media and refusing their face mask scare tactics, we send this update to friends and business associates, who ask "What is it like?" Here we go....

The 3-generation Tauck Family Party: Our China adventurers are Lee Tauck, Chuck Tauck, Robin Tauck and Pete Romano, our eldest kids and boyfriend: Christen and Jordan, Colleen, Mary Kate; and our hosts from Hong Kong: Ivy Sung and Jacques Arnaux of Pacific World, our local hosts David Cheng of Shanghai and Tiger (Woods) of Xian. And, we meet business associates including Trish Aleck, Matt and Serbina at Coca Cola...and our 40-year partner, President Chris Cahill of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (seated near us at the Bird’s Nest Stadium!) Out of millions of people, we do find friends – remarkable!

Colleen met her Rowing coach, Chuck met a friend from Geneva, NY ....And, our business friends at the Peninsula, Four Seasons and Asia’s Shangri-La Hotels are just fantastic also – spoiling us with grand accommodations and services. Our little USA party is amidst large sponsor groups from Omega, Lenovo, Coca Cola, GE, Bank of China and more.

Some here for the first time, and for the four 20-somethings, it will be particularly educational; some share stories of classmates relocated to Shanghai, Hong Kong or Beijing. Robin and Lee have been to China more than a few times, yet grandmother Lee had the experience after the Cultural Revolution, in the early 1980’s – a time that even the majority of Chinese today cannot recall; yet just a moment ago in history and monumental in its impact to ordinary citizens.

It is awesome, awesome, awesome ... and tires us out from dawn to midnight, taking it all in. Aside from the scenery and spectacle, which requires us to look "up" more than "out," are the stories we hear from the locals; the pride and excitement of the Chinese people; among the most welcoming of some 80 countries we have collectively been to; warm-hearted and enthusiastic to greet each foreign visitor. There is particular fascination with the USA, they yearn to learn with insatiable interest. We may travel to their country . . . following the new ADA, they are just now (in February 2008) permitted to travel to ours.

There is quite a mix of foreigners as we meander alongside visitors from Russia, Netherlands, Brazil, Turkistan, Uzbekistan, Comora, Burundi, Benin, Azerbaidjan – 204 Countries are represented at Olympics 08! We have traveled on foot, in rickshaw, in packed city busses lost in the outskirts, in the futuristic subways just opened in Beijing ...and in our own "magic bus" a mini-bus adorned with American flags that meanders us through all parts of the cities. Americans are not easy to find in the crowds; a welcome change.

Spectacular Shanghai
We began and adjusted to a 12-hour time change in Spectacular Shanghai – the financial and trading center, a true "wake up call" and fitting welcome to China. Skyscrapers touching the sky literally surround us. Lee gasps over and again," This was acres of farmlands when I was last here". We soared to the tops of some of the most famous landmarks – some still under construction such as the 101-story World Financial Center; and see miles of glittering glass towers. We visit several of many new luxury hotels. We’ve seen the new PuDong area -- vast open lands near downtown -- ready for the next spectacle – the World Expo of 2010, anticipating another 5 million visitors and another "largest ever" event. Just Imagine. Raw tracts of land today, and 50 world pavilions in just 18 months! It is blue skies and warm in Shanghai, and we use the time to adjust, awake from 2am onward and asleep in our noodles by 9pm.

The Beijing Olympics 08-08 – Here we Come!
Bravo to the Chinese! Now leading in Gold Awards, we give the Chinese a big Gold Award, for a stellar performance in hosting these Olympics. Billions of dollars invested and Central Government mandates of all kinds, prepared and "transformed" Beijing for the XXIX Olympiad. Our first impressions – Wow!
• The cities and all citizens are in the spirit! Buildings adorned – flags galore, from the red and gold, to every nations’ flags.
• Weather quite hazy; some rain – no face masks or talk of pollution.
• Smooth, fast traffic.....
• Security is evident, but easy. Many (friendly) guards, no arms.
• 08-08-08 now a national Holiday!
• Subway Line #10, #5 and Olympic Subway #8 are futuristic, fast, clean with plasma TV screens in the car, to enjoy Olympic Highlights as you speed away to the venues... great and fun for all.
• 100,000 Volunteers in blue and gold...smiling friends, practice English.
• Venues are Awesome: Water Cube, Birds Nest, National Stadium, Olympic Tower & the Flame – a kaleidoscope of color, day and night.
• Feng Shui "detail" shows they honor cultural tradition.
• No merchandising – little food: not like USA! Focus is on the Games.
• No scalping of tickets. Difficult to get tickets but a breeze to get to events
• Athletes, Athletes and Athletes – we try to find the American events – delighted to see Phelps accept his first Gold Award – our party had the largest flag in the stadium – admired by President and Laura Bush!
• Local meals are....interesting and very unusual. We try it all...
• Media Interviews – Pete, Robin, Chuck and Colleen are interviewed
• Millions of people. Millions more.
• New airports reputed to handle 80 million arrivals, annually.

As Confucius said, "It is a joy to have friends from afar." The force of people in China, in a way that goes along with their brilliant civilization, hold out their hands to welcome friends from all over the World... to sing and dance to celebrate peace and prosperity. So it is....

We are aware of the "slant" of the U.S. Media and question articles on the exclusivity of the Olympics. We have met, learned and heard much about the BOCOC, IOC, USOC and tycoons that have emerged to control the tickets and packages, with some company revenues reported of $200 million on packages. Skeptical of price-controls, we realize economic realities, such as 100% markups on Luxury hotels/ packages mostly for Opening and Closing Ceremony week. Our tickets, courtesy of friends, are reasonable for 40 tickets allowing us 2 or 3 events per day in good seats! We swap, trade and use the buddy system. Our treasured ($488 USD) Opening Ceremony tickets are held like gold. Aside from local country and sponsors, only 15% of tickets are available to the public.

Extra Lagniappes: At our Olympics, aside from "wow" Beach Volleyball (USA vs. Venezuela), Badminton (China vs. Japan) & Fencing (Italy vs. France)...was Lee Tauck’s first trip to the National Indoor Stadium, when a 10-foot sign flew in the wind and whacked her mid-calf with a large gash. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital for stitches; we observed China’s reaction to small-scale crisis, and next saw Chinese paddywagons circling the stadiums to remove signs. The Director of Opening Ceremonies accompanied her. Nice touch. Sadly, our matriarch missed Day1, hobbled over the next days, but didn’t miss a thing. She made it to Gymnastics and Volleyball and she decided to keep going, and to "rest when I get home" which turned out to be a 3 month leg re-stitch and recovery.

Lee found the trip to be the "best family vacation we had ever taken," and at 77, she is quite a world traveler. Multi-generation trips can be so meaningful, especially those that are educational and fun in spirit, and keep the youth with parents and grandparents in having new "experiences" together.

Moving On ... to Great Wall, Tang Dynasty vaults, Xian and more.
It was sad to say goodbye and for some, to fly back to work ... a 30-hour trip, door-to-door, but 16 hour flights in business class helps. Many of the Tauck party moved on from Beijing, to see as much of China as we can. We have hiked the Great Wall, walked the Forbidden City, Tianenman Square, back alleys, met locals in hutongs, walled cities & gardens. We were permitted (6 persons only) into the dank vaults of Xian to see the rare tomb frescoes of the Tang Dynasty (wow); and permission to visit private pits and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Terracotta Warriors.

We are blessed along with thousands of our guests, to have such a meaningful China experience and to be hosted by those in the travel industry as well as everyday people on the street.

Giving Back and helping their people...
We took time, as a family, to give a significant donation to help the elderly people of Beijing: as their hutong courtyard homes and lifestyle are disappearing. Sitting in these open-air homes with the grandmothers and children, and learning about their concern for their neighborhoods, we felt only as Friends can feel. Warm embraces followed our neighborhood –hutong donation. Where there were once over 7,000 hutongs, today only 1000 remain and are in immediate jeopardy of completely being razed, and with it, centuries of local tradition and culture. We must preserve what is left; and felt it important to help while here.

A whirlwind of images and experiences.... Living the past and the future.
And, it is especially wonderful to be with such a merry band of friends and family.

GO USA - GO PHELPS – And, Congratulations to all the Athletes!