Most Impressive
I personally think one of the most important legacies to come out of the Beijing games will be the amazing buildings - just as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris or the Chrysler Building is to NY - they will most certainly become icons of the city. Anyone can spend a great deal of money on construction, but it's another thing to build something truly great. One only has to look at the Birds Nest, Water Cube and the CCTV building to see a whole new era of architecture.
Scariest Moment (kind of)
Tom and I had the good fortune of seeing several of the Olympic events, including weight lifting. As we were watching the big dudes with uni-brows, who believe it or not are able to lift over 500lbs, a beautiful Chinese teenager came and sat in the empty seat next to mine. She was only there for 5 or 10 minutes before leaving, and in the process left her purse behind. Tom, immediately went into conspiracy mode and decided that she had to be a terrorist, loudly speculating that at any moment her purse was going to blow. To make matters worse, we just happened to be in the midst of a large group of Iranians, who noticed Tom's demeanour and started freaking out. I tried to be the voice of reason, pointing out that anyone in a Hello Kitty t-shirt was an unlikely threat, and also sharing my observations of how trusting the locals seemed to be. Before I could calm everyone down, Tom grabs the purse, leaves the stands, positioning himself by a concrete wall (apparently to absorb the shock of the explosion). The young girl returned from the concession stand, perplexed as to why the strange Canadian dude was holding up her purse and giving her a lecture. I'm not sure she ever really understood what Tom was trying to tell her - you'd be surprised at how difficult it is to act out "please do not leave your purse unattended".
Strangest Moment
After taking this shot, Tom sat down at the local sidewalk bar to grab a quick beer. It was then a serious young Chinese man approached him, and voiced his concern about Tom taking this photo, pointing out that it might give the world the wrong impression of Beijing. Tom was never really able to figure out if he was an official Party member, but he did manage to convince him to stay and join him for a cold one. They parted the best of friends.
Pet Peeve
People who came to Beijing from North America, and whined incessantly about the locals inability to speak English and how tired they were of eating Chinese food. Towards the end of our stay in Beijing I had lost my patience with this attitude, explaining that we were in China, not Kansas. Is it just me, but shouldn't travel be a privilege?
Most Embarrassing
Okay, I'll be the first to admit that when we travel, we always come home with amazing photo's, Tom is a very talented photographer - which is great, unless you're stuck being his official model / camera assistant. You don't believe me? - ask Tex, Maggie and Tyler what it's like. The pugs take one look at the camera and hide under the bed. Usually in North America when I find myself doing something ridiculous for the sake of Tom's art, people just give me the 'look', the one that says "poor schmuck, better you than me". The problem is, in China, this kind of behavior attracts large crowds, who all laugh and also take photo's. Case in point, there are about 200 people standing behind Tom as he takes this photo. The things we do for love.
Best Idea
During the course of my work - I couldn't help but notice that one of the journalists I was talking to, had a very interesting photo on her identification badge - interesting as in 20 years younger and a hundred pounds lighter. I personally think it was a brilliant idea, and I am kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. After all, most of the people I know think of themselves as they were in their heyday, not as they appear in the mirror.
Best Line
Tom was so into the Spirit of the Games, that he fully embraced every experience to the fullest. Which resulted in him saying "It's a signature event you know" for everything, i.e. soccer, watching the 100 and 200 sprints, weight lifting, synchronized swimming, etc.
My Personal Hero
My colleague Josie, who decided to take Chinese lessons a few months before we left. I admit, while I was trying to be supportive, I had my doubts. I mean how much can one possibly learn in such a short amount of time? Not only was she able to converse with the locals, but they went above and beyond for her, as they really appreciated the effort.
Most Motivated
Tom, who really did squeal with joy as he watched Usain Bolt run. In fact, Tom has now decided to start training for the World Masters, taking place in Sydney / 2009. Anyone care to join us?
Personal Highlight
The people. All of the wonderful, sweet locals - all of the people who came from around the world and set aside their differences in the spirit of the games, and the talented team that I am privileged to work with.
