Nothing to Sneeze at . . .

Just 8 hours into my Olympic adventure, I’ve come down with a sinus infection - predictable, really. This is the place where the bad strains of flu, cold and other nasty microbes seem to start. I’ve started on antibiotics so I think I’ve caught it in time before it’s anything more than a head cold. But enough about my runny nose!

Landing in Beijing and coming to the MPC was a surreal experience. The shiny, new terminal at the airport is beautiful – and almost empty. At least it was when I arrived. Thousands of eager volunteers (I was told 50,000) dressed in various Olympic hues (think collared shirts and track suits in red, green, blue and yellow) are all over Beijing ready to assist bumbling visitors. I was helped by a young Tsinghua University student, named Mr. Feng. He told me all volunteers had to take and pass various tests to be selected and appropriately assigned jobs for the Olympics. Tsinghua University has a good academic reputation so I’ll assume the airport duty Mr. Feng scored is a choice job. While riding to the MPC, I noticed the “Olympic Lane.” That’s right. There is a lane of traffic exclusively for Olympic vehicles. I was too tired to notice if the license plates of the cars on the road ended in even or odd numbers per the plan to reduce pollution. (Polution Controls) I also noticed the elevated highways lit up by blue lights. If Atlanta was the Coca Cola Olympics then I dub Beijing the “Neon Olympics.”