Is the Olympic torch relay still going on? It is, but most people stopped paying attention to it following the devastating earthquake in Sichuan in May. However, a handful of China's top sports reporters have been following it faithfully.
One of those is Sports Illustrated China writer Guan Jun, who wrote on his Beijing Olympics blog on the Southern Weekly BSP of Benxi, one small obscure city in Northern China's Liaoning province, and how being chosen as a torch relay city shook it all up (also note the joke that's been going around lately that with all the whining people have been doing about the preparations for the Olympics, it's probably the police of China who will be far happier than anyone once everything goes back to normal):
巨大的兴奋之后，艰苦的准备工作开始了，对于这座人力、财力有限的城市而言，“举全市之力迎接火炬”的说法，并不夸张。尤其是随着火炬传递的安保压力越来越大，本溪市的安保之弦也越拉越紧，仿佛要经过这座城市的不是祥云火炬，而是敌对国的装甲车。
火炬传递线路几经斟酌，最终决定绕开所有繁华地带，安排在滨河路从体育馆到殡仪馆一段，这里不仅人少，路边的建筑都少，容易控制。
全市所有的网吧、按摩、洗浴、娱乐场所都接到通知，只能经营到晚上11点半之前。这些基本靠夜晚做生意的店家门前，很快出现了大量的变卖、转让的广告。
Several routes for the torch relay were considered, then finally it was decided that it should avoid all busy areas, and so it was arranged to go along Binhe Rd. from the sports stadium to the funeral parlour, where not only would there be few people, but few buildings alongside the road as well, making it easy to control.
All the internet bars, massage parlours, bath houses and entertainment venues in the city received a notice that they could now only operate until 11:30 at night. Very quickly, in front of these shops which for the most part do their business in the evenings, there appeared large numbers of clearance sale and ‘buyer wanted' advertisements.
火炬传递起点旁的鹏程园社区，有近百住户临街，他们的门最初被敲响，是因为政府要借用他们的阳台，贴上中国国旗与奥运五环并列的招贴画。几十幅整齐排列的图案，为的是展示本溪人“对奥运圣火的热情”。
敲门声不是只响这一次，而是时常响起。警察、街道干部经常要来做工作，确定房间的固定住户，登记备案，而且被告知火炬传递时的既不许家中无人，又不许开窗，不许在窗前观望、走动。作为某种精神补偿，每户会收到一个西瓜。
不仅如此，在6月下旬、7月初的两次演习和正式传递的时候，每个沿线住户家都会安排一名警察或政府工作人员入户值守，以防意外事件。
The sound of doors knocking didn't only come once, but from then quite often. Police and neighborhood cadres came frequently to carry out their work, confirming the number of inhabitants, having them register, and notifying them to make sure the apartment will not be left empty during the torch relay, that they will not be permitted to open the windows then, stand at them and look out, or move past them. As emotional compensation, every home received one watermelon.
And that's not all. At the end of June/early July when two rehearsal and two practice relays were held, one police officer or government employee was arranged to stand guard in every home along the route, to prevent any accidents from occurring.
入户是一个让人为难的任务。值守人员敲一家沿线住户的房门，敲了几次都没人答应，最终他们动用某种技术手段开了门，见到的竟是屋内一双愤怒的眼睛：“你们凭什么闯进我家？”值守人员也很生气：你凭什么不配合政府的工作，难道心里有鬼？把他带走，接受审查。结果，那位拒绝合作的住户被关了几天。
另一强硬的住户运气好一些，他们大声斥责擅入民宅于法无据，值守人员自觉理亏，无奈地离开了。
一位女警察早晨4点就到了——实在是太早了。她负责“照看”的老夫妻有抵触情绪，拒绝开门。女警察就在门口站着，看外面天光渐亮。后来，老夫妻竟有些过意不去，给她拿出一只小板凳。
火炬手张学锋熟识的一位警察，任务是值守路边建筑物的屋顶。“他在上面站了一晚上，真不容易。”
这座城市的神经好像从未紧张到如此程度，一位姓王的警察告诉我：“我们都快被逼疯了。”
Another stubborn resident had slightly better luck, cursing them out loudly for having no legal basis to enter a residence; the would-be guard saw that they were in the wrong and had no choice but to leave.
One female police officer arrived at 4am—too early, actually. The people she was in charge of “seeing to” were an old couple who had been putting up resistance, and refusing to open the door. So the female cop just stood in the doorway, watching the sun slowly rise outside. Later, the old couple began to feel sorry for her and brought her out a small stool.
One officer that torchbearer Zhang Xuefeng is quite familiar with had the task of standing watch over the roofs of the buildings along the street. “He stood up there for an entire night, that's not an easy thing to do.”
I think this city had never been this strung out before. One police officer named Wang told me, “we're liable to crazy any minute now.”
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The reason those Pengcheng Estate apartment tenants were not permitted to open their windows is because the Benxi government was afraid the Olympic torch relay on the street below would be bombarded by emotional watermelons.
sad, sad people. fear leads to the dark side.
Is it really necessary for the Chinese government to be so insecure that they need to do this to their own people?
. Ever since the 28-July Wen An student’s riot,I started to pay regular visit to Strong Nation forum at http://www.people.com.cn,the official People’s Daily web site.Some of the posts there are very interesting,to say the least.
Following are a fews of them.
奥运其实和我国古代的斗鸡斗狗斗蟋蟀没什么本质的区别，都属比赛娱乐活动. ( 云间1003 08-07-29 21:12:17 ) 0字 ( 0/13/2 )
In fact,China’s ancient fun games such as cocks fighting,dogs fighting,or crickets fighting,are of no differences to today’s olympic games,basically.They are all competition and entertainment.
# 你好歹得把人跟鸡狗蟋蟀等区分开来嘛。看动物斗和人之间相互公平竞争，完全是两回事。 ( 刨根 08-07-29 21:16:37 ) 0字 ( 0/4/1 )
What a comment! You should at least seperate human from chickens,dogs and crickets.To watch animals fight among each others,and to watch human compete in a fair game,are two completely different things.
# 在我看来都一样，都是可以按钱称的。 ( 云间1003 08-07-29 21:20:16 ) 0字 ( 0/3/0
To me it is all the same,all cost money,and can be bought with money.
看看火炬的传递，没有半点奥运气氛，倒是文格的味道很浓，到处红色的海洋，口号不断，整个奥运都被中国人泛政治化了 ( 张邦倡三十八世 08-07-29 21:07:41 ) 0字 ( 0/49/4 )
Just look at the torch relay,not a tiny bit of olympic atmosphere,on the contrary,it is oozeing a thick and strong smell of cultural revolution,sea of red(flags) is flooding everywhere,non-stop slogans,the whole olympic is politicalized by Chinese.
川人 translate Sichuen man, another regular blogger at boxun.com.
北京奥运鬼气足 殉葬尸身墓中舞/川人(图)
(博讯北京时间2008年7月31日
坟前奥运 Olympic in front of tomb
世界著名的马屁作家、山东省作协副主席王兆山6月6日曾发表诗词《江城子•废墟下的自述》，假冒地震遇难者的名义、侮辱死难者的人格，写出无耻之极的阿谀之词：
World famous horse fart author,Wang chou-san,vice chairman of Shang Tung author’s association,on 6-June issued a poem he wrote 江城子 ” Self Description under the Rubble”,impersonating quake victims,insulting the human dignity of the deads, he shamelessly wrote a kiss-ass poem:
天灾难避死何诉，
Natural disaster unavoidable,already dead,needless to complain,
主席唤，总理呼，
Chairman and prime minister shouting n calling
党疼国爱，
The party cherishs you,the state loves you
声声入废墟。
All these calls of love,echo under the rubble.
十三亿人共一哭，纵做鬼，也幸福。
1.3 billion’s synchronized weep,
shouldn’t you all be happy, you fortunate ghosts.
银鹰战车救雏犊，左军叔，右警姑，
Silver planes and armoured-cars, rescuing children,
soilders and police-woman abundance
民族大爱，亲历死也足。
This grand love of the whole nation
Once received
is enough to die a happy death
只盼坟前有屏幕，看奥运，同欢呼。
Only wish for a TV in front of the tomb
Lets watch OLYMPIC together,and cheer in unison.
人们只要把王大作家的杰作与张大导演的杰作联系起来，便能看出北京奥运果然是一场别国绝对办不出来的坟前奥运。
Once you compare this classic poem by grand master Wang and the olympic masterpiece by grand director Zhang Yi-mou,you can clearly see that this “Olympic in front of tomb”,is something that no other nation can do.
词曰：江城子 坟前奥运
人祸经年亿民苦，
Years after years of man-made disasters
billions suffer in bitterness
假共和，办奥运，
Fake republic staging olympic,
党欢匪爱，坟前立屏幕。
The party is jubilant,the rascals love it
TV screen in front of tomb.
坑内葬品齐出土，
All things inside grave resurface,
僵尸跳，鬼起舞。
Vampires jump,ghosts dance.
争宠献媚觅钱途，
Competing for favors
Eager to please
Money is the bottom line
词兆山，导艺谋，舔痔俱一流。
Wang’s poem,Zhang’s show
First class ass licking
癫狂过后又何如？
What comes after crazy carnival?
看怒火，照神州
Flames of anger,in ful fury on sacred land.
By Tsoltim N. Shakabpa
China is
The People’s Republic of Terrorism
She instills fear and terror in people
By threatening them with imprisonment
Torture and execution
And imparts dread and appall among small nations
By menacing them with the barrel of a gun
Occupation and expansionism
She inculcates fear and terror among big nations
By imperiling them with her pecuniary power
And sale of nuclear intelligence to the axis of evil
She incites dread and appall among the world
By endangering them with global warming,
Toxic poisoning and extravagant oil consumption
China is
The People’s Republic of Terrorism
She instills fear and terror
By suppressing human rights
And imparts dread and appall
By choking freedom of speech
She infuses fear and terror
By crushing religious freedom
And inculcates dread and appall
By squelching any sign of dissent
She drills fear and terror
By subjugating the weak and harmless
And incites dread and appall
By silencing those who oppose her regime
China is truly
The People’s Republic of Terrorism
Wouldn’t it be easier on everyone if the Olympic martial law is in place?
@John Kennedy,
It’s good to see that you still are digging up crap and spreading it all over GVO. One looked at GVO and we can see that you have single handedly turn it into JKVO.
You definitely had been busier than most — given that most of the articles posted here are authored by you. It is kind of reminiscent of someone obsessed. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
But do have to say that I admire your zealousness, and aside from that I really can’t make anything of the things you post and your intentions for China.
Really, I am kind of curious as to what you see coming out all this.
Dear John Kennedy:
It’s an excellent contribution; providing us with insight into how the national Olympic torch relay affects the lives of common people out in the provinces. Perhaps no other major news organization sent reporters to cover the torch relay in Benxi, and we get to hear what the situation was like from ordinary Chinese citizens. I really enjoyed reading Guan Jun’s article, in both Chinese and what I assume is your English translation. Well done! Keep up the good work!
It’s a shame that discussion so far has mostly consisted of irrelevant rubbish (ali baba and karze) and lame criticism.
I hope to see more stories like this in August; allowing us to see the Olympics from the PRC people’s perspective.
Best regards,
Spelunker
@spleunker
If you can read Chinese, why don’t you go and see what kind of stuff are out in Chinese rather than waiting on our buddy JK here. Last time I check, there’s a whole world out there — much more than what’s trickled down here through Kennedy.
Go see what’s out there and then see what our buddy JK here deems GVO-worthy.
As for good stories in August, there will be plenty alright. But I won’t hold my breath as to whether I will see any here — especially from our buddy JK. He kind of reminds me of my neighbor with Tourette’s — most people only pay attention to him the first couple of times, then they all learn to just ignore him.
That is, unless you are a Falun Goner like CarryAnne and our buddy ali baba up there. Did I leave Karze out? And you wonder why the quality of discussion is crappy thus far.
As for the Olympics from the perspective of the ordinary folks in the PRC and what it means for them, Joel at China Hope Alive has an excellent article on it. Why don’t you check it out.
http://tinyurl.com/5sw47e
@damn_lame
I linked to Joel’s post well over a week ago. But please do feel free to send me more links, it’s not just my show, obviously.
I don’t have a problem with Joel, but I’m simply not as interested in a 老外 interviewing 老百姓 with questions like 奥运会对中国人有什么意义？(“What do the Olympics means to Chinese people?”)
Chinese responses to a serious foreigner’s questions are generally not as candid as those in reply to Chinese reporters. They are usually only trying to say what they believe should be said to foreigners. That’s why I think Guan Jun’s article is a more valuable contribution to GVO and may be one reason that Joel’s video was placed among the “recent links” instead.
If I was conducting Chinese interviews in Tianjin or Shenyang then I would ask more specific questions about topics I find amusing such as the rules forbidding “Go China” banners at Olympic arenas (Will it be strictly enforced at Shenyang’s soccer stadium as well?) and of course the 八个不要问 “eight questions not to ask foreigners” campaign currently underway in Beijing.
@Spelunker & John
Of course a lot of the answers are “what they believe should be said to foreigners.” That’s a huge part of what the Olympics means to them: making a certain impression on foreigners. Given that, I don’t think we have to assume a substantial discrepancy between “what they really think” and “what they believe should be said to foreigners.”
That said, I actually agree with your general point. A language student asking his local acquaintances cheesy questions for a happy Olympics video isn’t necessarily going to break much ground beyond what’s already printed in the People’s Daily. But I wasn’t out to dig up dirt; I was giving our neighbours a chance to say what they wanted to the foreign community in Tianjin (that video goes with the cover story for August’s JIN expat magazine).
And just for the record:
- A lot of people I talked to off camera had negative things to say. One lady’s stuff was so negative and sensitive that I’ve actually had trouble getting anyone to help me transcribe it. Overall, comments about the Olympics were positive, but it’s not hard at all to find people willing to complain about it.
- The teachers at our school don’t like the video. They said I should have interviewed “people with more culture,” which I took to mean “people that make China look better to foreigners.” They had the opposite problem with it from Spelunker. For them, the video wasn’t puffy enough.
Quote:”That is, unless you are a Falun Goner like CarryAnne and our buddy ali baba up there.”Unquoted
To: so_damn_lame (1) I am no Falun Gon.I agree with a lot of their arguments,but not all of them.
(2) I read and translate posts from Strong Nation Forum at http://www.people.com.cn,nearly everyday,does it make me a CCP too ?
(3) I strongly believe that only 仁義 道德 can help CHINA. Also 走向共和
Following are a few of the posts from http://www.people.com.cn
张艺谋的《满城尽带谎金甲》，已经表现出非常变态、畸形的审美取向，中国居然还让他当奥运的艺术总导！ ( 笔铭非 08-08-01 12:05:34 ) 0字 ( 0/126/8 )
Zhang yi-mou’s “A city full of gold armour” had made it very clear that his views and ideals on beauty and art are twisted and deformed,why China still hire him to be the chief artistic director is beyond me!
# 一群戏子 把好好的中国男人搞垮了 ( 玉米爱大米 08-08-01 12:56:19 ) 97字 ( 0/6/0 )
A bunch of clowns,completely destroy China’s manhood.
# 二十一世紀中國最缺乏的就是人材。挖空心思在拼湊形式， 形式不足用色綵彌補。 哪有功伕攷慮內涵。更何況与中華傳統斷絕多年 ( 何布同 08-08-01 12:13:36 ) 0字 ( 0/6/0 )
On this 21 century,China is extremely short of talents. Using up all the wits, just to stack up various shapes and forms;when shapes and forms have run out,simply use colors to patch up.Moral and culture is out of his realm.For too many years,he had cut himself out of Chung Hua tradition.
# 除了变态，他还懂得如何取悦洋人。 ( 油盐不进的四季豆 08-08-01 12:10:49 ) 0字 ( 0/7/0 )
Beside twisted mind,at least he still knows how to kiss foreginer’s ass.
# 这届奥运，也许是我最厌恶的一届。这象个在崛起的大国吗？没有一点举重若轻的感觉 ( 笔铭非 08-08-01 12:07:54 ) 0字 ( 0/21/1 )
This olympic really disgusts me.Probably the most disgusted.Does it look anything like being the rise of a great nation?Not a single bit of easy going feeling.
# 为了些洋人来狂欢，弄得举国不安 ( 笔铭非 08-08-01 12:08:34 ) 0字 ( 0/5/1 )
Just because of some foreginers come over here to have a wild party,now the whole nation is disrupted and uneasy.
# 就算出点小乱子，又怕啥？汶川大地震，山摇地动，咱们都没怕 ( 笔铭非 08-08-01 12:09:54 ) 0字 ( 0/4/1 )
What is that the government really afraid of? A bit of hiccup here and there? What about Wen Chuen Big earth quake,no one showed any fear back then.
# 都是同样变态,所以,选对人了 ( 阿耨多罗三居士 08-08-01 12:07:17 ) 0字 ( 0/8/0 )
They are all of the same twisted mind,that’s why,the correct one was picked.
@ali baba
I apologize if you not a Falun Goner.
But you sure of heck act and talk like one.
For the Falun Goners, they bitch and moan, and quite often fabricate stuff completely out of thin air to legitimize their own warped and twisted cause.
So, if you are not a Falun Goner, what is you reason for bitch and moaning?
Dear Joel:
I applaud your efforts to put local peasants on your video. My favorite was the bike repair man.
Of course I also appreciated the “Sexy Beijing” series of interviews conducted by 苏菲, especially when she went around the capital on March 8 asking women on the street about the meaning of “san-ba”.
I will be happy to help you transcribe the naughty stuff from that one lady in Tianjin. You simply post it on Fool’s Mountain and I’ll give you an honest and accurate translation.
The teachers at your school don’t like the Olympics video because you didn’t interview the local communist party secretary’s wife, the director of Tianjin municipal foreign affairs office, the head librarian from Nankai University, and perhaps a random violinist from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music.
Cheers,
Spelunker
To Karze:
Welcome to the people’s republic of “terrorism”!
I live in a city in Southern China, and there are about 60,000 foreigners living and working in this city, some are working for multi-national companys, and the other are working in Chinese companys.
I don’t feel any terrorism in China, but as my colleagues’ saying, in Iraq, Afghanstan. And i believe people all felt terrorism in New York on 9/11,2001.
People in China are busy doing business with different countries, to make their lives better. But there is one country in this world which are fighting terrorism through invading other countries for decades… Who is the united states of terrorism? hehe…
Better staying in China, it’s safer…
It’s over 20 minutes of scratchy audio (what’s left). I’m pretty sure you don’t want to bother. But if I run out of options for help, I might just take you up on that.
We went to see the torch today in Tianjin, but they wouldn’t let us get close.
http://chinahopelive.net/2008/08/01/the-sacred-flame-comes-to-tianjin
To so_damn_lame
Please answer my question,as I have answer yous,
I read and translate posts from Strong Nation Forum at http://www.people.com.cn,nearly everyday,does it make me a CCP too ?
John, do you agree with Karze’s PRT claim?
@ali baba
I am more than happy to answer your questions if they were real questions.
The “question” that you asked me is a rhetorical question anyway. It is kind of stupid to ask me for a direct response when you know damn well what the implied answer you were trying for.
If you are really obliging me to give you a direct answer, then I have to say frankly that I really don’t know what you are. Nor do I know what you motives are.
But from the comments that you have posted, you appeared to be a Falun Goner in almost all aspect.
Then again, I could be wrong. That’s the main reason I asked that if you are not a Falun goner, then what’s you main reason for bitching and moaning. It is better to hear it from the horse’s mouth rather than keep guessing myself.
So, ali baba, if you are not a Falun Goner, what is you reason for bitching and moaning?
of course, most people shall temporary stop paying attention to it. But now, everybody are paying attention because it’s in the final, climax destination.
They may be making jokes about it. But not anymore, with terrorist attacks and protestors, the sense of pride and appreciation towards the police, security staff snd voluteers are seriously observed.
IMAGINE
By Tsoltim N. Shakabpa
Imagine a free Tibet
Enjoying democracy
Imagine the whole nation
Living happily daily
Imagine the religious
Worshiping as they wish
Imagine all the people
Practicing their own culture
What a world it would be
Finding freedom’s key
One world come true
One dream come true
You may think I’m a schemer
But I’m only a dreamer
I may not reach heaven
But I sure don’t want hell
Imagine a democratic China
Respecting human rights
Imagine Chinese people
Celebrating free speech
Imagine China and Tibet
Living neighborly in harmony
Imagine if we can say
We are brothers and sisters
What a world it would be
What a future to see
One world come true
One dream come true
You may think I know it all
But I’m only a poet on call
I right the wrongs that people do
And write the rights we pursue
Imagine there’s no fighting
Nothing to kill for
Imagine there’s no wanting
Nothing to die for
Imagine a world in which
We forget our schemes
Imagine a world in which
We share our dreams
You can then say
The world is truly one
One world come true
One dream come true
Copyright: Tsoltim N. Shakabpa - 2008
China is truly The People’s Republic of Terrorism
God said so
Men realize it
And the devil admits it
Imagine a free Tibet
Enjoying democracy
Imagine the whole nation
Living happily daily
Then immediately after liberation,
USA will march in and demand payment of BIG debts owed by Dalai for the luxury financial support he got while protesting China overseas. Then USA demands drilling of oil, setting up navy/army defense bases for USA benefits.
Imagine the religious
Worshiping as they wish
Imagine all the people
Practicing their own culture
This freedom will soon be exterminated when USA sends in Christian priest and nuns to preach the religion of Christ. Tibetan Chinese will be christians in a few years time.
What a world it would be
Finding freedom’s key
One world come true
One dream come true
Oh yeah, just like the dream of Native North and South American Indians’ dreams have been squashed by Europeans.
You may think I’m a schemer
But I’m only a dreamer
I may not reach heaven
But I sure don’t want hell
As soon as you leave China, Hell will be where you are going. . .
Imagine a democratic China
Respecting human rights
Imagine Chinese people
Celebrating free speech
Yeah, I can imagine all ethnicities get along in ONE CHINA with bus explosions and insults toward each other.
Imagine China and Tibet
Living neighborly in harmony
Imagine if we can say
We are brothers and sisters
But if you leave China, it’s like you are saying goodbye and cutting the tie to the siblingship forever. You are abandoning your family.
What a world it would be
What a future to see
One world come true
One dream come true
when you insist to leave China, you will see One HELL come true, and One NIGHTMARE come true
You may think I know it all
But I’m only a poet on call
I right the wrongs that people do
And write the rights we pursue
Better make good judgements, or you will regret for generations to come
Imagine there’s no fighting
Nothing to kill for
Imagine there’s no wanting
Nothing to die for
There will be Bloodshed when USA tries to turn you into Christians and Iraqis
Imagine a world in which
We forget our schemes
Imagine a world in which
We share our dreams
The world except China wants to keep you people in the dark by believing only in religion and nothing else.
You can then say
The world is truly one
One world come true
One dream come true
When Tibetan start to appreciate the progress CHina has brought for you, then One world/One dream will be reality
Copyright: Tsoltim N. Shakabpa - 2008
correct a typo
should be “.. .with OUT bus explosions . ..