August 18, 2008 9:27 AM
Maybe I've Been Here Too Long
A definite sign that I've been in this country too long: As Usain Bolt was making his victory lap of the Bird's Nest on Saturday, he pulled his shirt halfway up.
I misinterpreted the gesture, though. See, there's a popular practice among men here in Beijing. When it gets really hot, they tend to roll up their shirts up to about nipple height, exposing their bellies.
So when Bolt rolled his shirt up to a similar height, I first thought that he was doing it as some sort of weird gesture to the Chinese people.
And then I realized that he was just showing off his abs.
I'm an idiot.
[Photo by Getty Images.]
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