August 7, 2008 7:36 PM
Karma.
I want to make this very clear before I say any more: I really do like this city. The food is good, the beer is cheap and the people are friendly. If Beijing had allowed all the things that were open when I arrived here on July 2 -- the bars, the clubs, the underground city in the south of town -- to stay open, the city would be getting even better reviews. It is, genuinely, a nice place to visit, as long as you're talking about the sights.With that out of the way, let me add this: karma's a bitch.
Today is, without a doubt, the smoggiest day I've seen here in two months. Weather Underground is saying that visibility is .7 miles, and that might be a stretch. The heat index is at 96 degrees, and it's only 9 a.m. CNN.com is saying that humidity is at an absurd 88 percent.
The photo above is from just minutes ago, a few miles west of the Bird's Nest. It's certainly not the blue sky day depicted on that volunteer booth.
I have no idea what they're going to show you on TV when the Opening Ceremonies start. If conditions remain unchanged today, don't be surprised to see athletes actually pull out of the ceremonies due to health risks. The air is really that dirty today.Even worse: the giant fireworks display for tonight's ceremonies? Forget about it. Because all you're going to see are clouds.
One more thought: sitting in McDonalds this morning, watching the Chinese watch the torch relay on CCTV while waving their "Go China Go!" flags (see left), I just felt terrible for them. These Games are really their moment. Instead, tonight could be a train wreck.
August 7, 2008
10:33 PM
Flip Washington writes:
@Oshinsky . . . Does the pollution factor counteract the altitude adjustment when it comes to your alcohol tolerance? What's the best, until-now-you've-never-had-it adult beverage you've consumed during your stay?
You're doing good work over there and I for one appreciate it. Of all the Olympic blogs, yours captures the true spirit of the cynical yet curious traveler the best. Keep 'em coming. And that picture is f*cking brilliant. The smog juxtaposition one's OK too.