In spite of the attempts of the negative people, the Beijing Olympics of 2008 were inaugurated to the positive and thunderous response of many people including this loyal CRI English Listener. Here is my personal story about the more than twenty fours leading to the Olympics. I made a Chronological Journal about my experience and reactions.

 

I. The Afternoon before the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics 2008

 

I received a Sports Illustrated Magazine in Spanish at 4:00PM Miami Time on the 7^th of August

2008. The magazine talked about Olympic Potentials such as Vicky Galindo, Jessica Mendoza, Shawn Estrada, Patty Cardenas, and Nancy Rios. I sent the magazine by mail to my family at CRI English as another Beijing Olympic 2008 souvenir. I wanted my family at CRI English to see how the US Latinos are going to participate in the Olympics for the United States. I sent the magazine with an emotion that caught my heart. While I want China and the USA to win Gold Medals, I am a supporter of Patty Cardenas because of her love of family. I was at Versailles Restaurant [the main Cuban Restaurant in Miami Florida]. The people in Versailles including the major power brokers in the entertainment arena supported my trip to China and were glad to have a better understanding of the People’s Republic of China.

 

The BBC even sent me an E Mail inviting me to present Olympic Photos but I E Mailed the BBC telling them to look at the CRI English Website where the Olympic Contest. I even sent the BBC a link to CRI English. My response was that after the attacks of the Western Media against the People’s Republic of China, CRI [China Radio International], and CCTV [China Central Television], I could not give photos to stations that were published by my family. I also told the BBC that another reason were the insults and unfair treatment that they subjected my family in CRI and the People’s Republic of China. This is in conformance with my belief that anyone who attacks my family attacks me. After all, in addition to my wife, daughter, parents, and extended family; The People’s Republic of China and CRI English is my family.

 

II. The Night before the Opening Ceremonies

 

It was the night before the opening ceremonies on the 7^th of August 2008 [around 8:00PM to

9:00PM Miami Time] that I listened to CRI FM 91.5 on the internet and CRI English on my Shortwave Radio while working on the latest news of the Olympics from my blog. It was a thrill just to hear about the torch relay and the arrival of the dignitaries from all over the world. My heart was beating and the blood was rushing to all areas of my body. Again, I thought of the wonderful memories of China and the people at CRI when I met them. I was imagining how the staff of CRI as well as the People’s Republic of China as a whole was celebrating such a wonderful occasion. It was to be the occasion of sports, and people coming together.

 

 

 

III. The Morning of the Opening of the Olympic Ceremonies

 

I managed to wake up early [6:00AM Miami Time] on the 8^th of August 2008 to go to work and

attempted to listen to CRI English or any Olympic Venues at work. It was impossible to access the audio of CRI English at work. I attempted to listen to the local stations at work yet the local television stations and radio stations at work had imposed a prohibition on streaming or broadcasting the Olympics at work “until everything is ready”. “Until everything is ready” is a phrase that has been used a lot but regardless, I refused to allow myself to be prohibited from watching such a great opening.

 

My father and mother called me around 7:15AM Miami Time on the 8^th of August 2008 and still

no live streaming. I decided to visit the CRI English website and read about the opening of the Beijing Olympics. It was a joy to see people dancing traditional dances and celebrating one of the greatest sporting events. During my conversation with my parents, I received news that the Miami Herald has managed to publish the first page of the Beijing Olympics and dedicated the rest of the newspaper to the Olympics. I again was extremely happy and overjoyed. All of my family started calling me on my mobile phone or at work before I started. Many were congratulating me for going to the People’s Republic of China. Others in the Miami Florida area have congratulated me for helping them understand the People’s Republic of China better. After talking with my parents and relatives, I went to the electronic store located in my hospital. The televisions had WSVN Channel 7 [A Television Channel that is an affiliate of the FOX News Channel] and some of their boring talk shows. But I could not resist the temptation to change the channel to NBC 6 [which was broadcasting the Olympics]. The people in the electronic store wanted their talk show and I wanted the Beijing Olympics. Many people started converging around me and looked at the opening ceremonies. The people that were converging around me were supporters of the Beijing Olympics and were in agreement that the Olympics was more important than a talk show in which the host was making up more lies about China and the Olympics in an attempt to further increase her ratings.

 

For one minute, the people in the electronic stores were happy that they were witnessing history. I saw the Flag Raising Ceremony, Children dancing, and the Olympic Cars. I was able to witness those who were enjoying the games. The Flag Raising Ceremony touched me heavily in the heart. As I saw the flag of the People’s Republic of China being raised, my heart started beating with an excitement and happiness. In my opinion, the flag of the People’s Republic of China and the fact that it was raised made me think about family. It was in the People’s Republic of China that I have seen a devotion to country and family that is absent in the West and in the United States of America.

 

The only time I felt anger was when I saw Bush in China [from a clip in NBC 6]. Many people in the hospital started screaming acts of repudiation against Bush. I wanted to do the same thing but the Hospital Police was watching nearby. I was angered by Bush’s presence since he tried to mix politics with the Olympics. Maybe it is an exaggeration but I was a better representative of the United States of America during my visit to the People’s Republic of China and I am only a citizen. Bush may be a “President” but he no longer represented anybody characterized by the screaming of acts of repudiation in the hospital as well as the rest of Miami, Florida.

 

The children dancing also stole my heart and were also an emotional moment. It reminded me of two calendars that I received from CRI when it was Radio Peking in 1980. The calendars were pocket in size with gold lettering and in the front side there were two designs. One design showed a little girl studying science with Saturn and other planets as background while she looked at the stars. Another design was a girl doing gymnastics with a background of sports. I still have these calendars hidden in a private place. Another reason I felt a strong emotion was that the children dancing reminded me of my daughter and how she would dance in school plays. It was great seeing children dance and it was also great to see how in the People’s Republic of China, the children and family are treated with dignity and respect [something that has been lacking in the West especially in the Capitalism without Brakes that is inherent in the United States of America]. The idea of family was to be reinforced later after reading the CRI English Article titled: “Let’s Pump Iron At the Gyms, Do Aerobics, Take Kids Swimming”.

 

Afterwards, I left the electronic store to go back to my desk at work. I went to the CRI English website while nobody was looking. It appeared that the hospital floor that I work in was empty. It was the time to take a look at the Opening Ceremony at least in photos. The Bird’s Nest was beautiful especially at night. Many in America have a divided view of the structure but the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube could be described in only one word “Excellent” and “Fenomenal”. Regardless, seeing the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube made me feel that I have gone back to paradise. After all, China is a paradise and more so with the Beijing Olympics of 2008. It made me travel back to that brief time of freedom that I felt in China and in Beijing. One of the CRI English reporters asked me after leaving the Bird’s Nest why I did not talk much. My response was that being in Beijing, China and seeing the Bird’s Nest [as well as other Olympic Venues] left me speechless and that it was an emotion that could not be expressed. I further explained that if there is a heaven, it must be the People’s Republic of China [including Beijing and the Olympic Venues].

 

The Beijing Opera as well as the Exhibition of Chinese Print was also excellent especially since it took me back to an earlier place and time in America when I saw a Beijing Opera and a Chinese Print Exhibition when I was eleven years old in 1973 and a delegation from the People’s Republic of China came to visit the United States of America at that time.

 

I was deeply moved when I saw the presence of the only female Afghan Athlete in the Beijing Olympics of 2008. Her name is Mehboba Andyar and her tales of struggle to come to the Beijing Olympics 2008 mirrored my struggle to attempt to go to China in the face of reactionary elements within the United States of America. I hope she wins a medal since she had to struggle against the reactionary and conservative elements in Afghanistan who even invented many lies against her.

 

IV. Conclusion

 

The People’s Republic of China earned the right to host the Olympics and has become the third country in Asia after the Republic of Korea and Russia [at that time the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic] to host the Olympics. [There are people in North America who think Russia is totally in Europe without taking into account that the majority of the land mass of Russia is in Asia.]

 

The People’s Republic of China deserves to be treated with the respect and dignity accorded to other nations. CRI English also deserves to be treated with the respect and dignity accorded to all International Broadcasters. I am happy to the point that tears have run down my cheeks, my heart beats, and the blood moves in a state of excitement that the People’s Republic of China and CRI English are participating in what will be the Olympics that will be superior to the Olympics held in the 20^th Century.

 

I am also glad that the negative people are hiding and licking their wounds after the insults that have been hurled against the People’s Republic of China, the Beijing Olympics of 2008, CRI English, and CCTV. The fledging new republic of Nepal deserves my congratulations and praise in placing the troublemakers and agitators against the People’s Republic of China and the Beijing Olympics 2008 under control so that the world [including Nepal] can enjoy the games.

 

The only thing that is left to say is the following: “Long Live The People’s Republic of China, Long Live China Radio International, Long Live China Central Television, and Long Live the Beijing Olympics of 2008”.

 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!

 

PS: Thank You China for giving us this amount of happiness that has not been seen in a decade.