Stuck inside of Kalispell with the Beijing blues again
The 2008 Summer Olympics could be described as the biggest "coming out party" in the history of the world.
China - despite being one of the oldest cultures in the world - is as nervous as any 17-year-old girl about to be introduced to proper society for the first time. Like the debutante who frets about her hair, and makes endless adjustments to her wardrobe, China is in a tizzy of last-minute preparations - caught in that maddening place between demure self-doubt and absolute self-absorption.
Short of any major disaster such as a terrorist attack, the world's attention from Aug. 8 through 24 will be about equally divided between the balance beam and other sports competitions of the Olympics and the balancing act of the Chinese government as it struggles between its instincts for hospitality and secretiveness.
No one knows how any of it will turn out, but everyone can agree that siting the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 is a masterful stroke of timing. The world's most populous nation is poised to soon become the world's most powerful nation as well - in ways that have less to do with the number of nuclear missiles than with the sheer number of people. China is now both a huge market and a huge manufacturer, a combination that assures it a growing place on the world stage.
But most of the world remains leery of China, partly because of unfamiliarity and partly because of continuing concern that China is officially a communist country, with the only truly successful communist regime in the world.
Most of us will, of course, watch the Olympics from the comfort of our living rooms, but even so this will be a great learning opportunity for millions around the world.
I'll be watching at home here in Kalispell, Montana, with my two children, C.J. and Meredith, and my wife, and we'll have a special interest in the reporting from China because that was my wife's home until she moved to the United States earlier this year. River, or Yuzhao as she is known in Chinese, is a passionate ambassador of Chinese language and culture, and I expect to learn as much from her as from the TV announcers.
Indeed, it was just one year ago that I was visiting Yuzhao in Beijing prior to meeting her family in Inner Mongolia, and I can assure you that she was instrumental in keeping me from eating the wrong foods, turning down the wrong streets and generally staying out of trouble. (Hint: Bring your own toilet paper when out sightseeing, as that is the local custom.) With her help, I was able to learn a little of the language and a lot of the traditions, and to see for myself how the country blends thousands of years of history with an enthusiastic embrace of modern sensibilities to create something uniquely Chinese.
Yes, everyone who visits Beijing must see such cultural treasures as the Forbidden City - the massive estate that once housed China's former emperors and the thousands of people who attended them; the grand tableau of Tiananmen Square with its political history and such features as the mausoleum of Mao Zedong; and the nearby Great Wall. You can surely expect to see NBC doing numerous educational reports on that historical part of China.
But, in some ways, the most interesting part of China today is its people and its thriving economy. You will never find harder-working people anywhere in the world, and now that the communist leadership has embraced capitalism, it is undoubtedly safe to say that the American ideals of entrepreneurship, self-confidence, opportunity, and a boundless sense of individual possibility have taken root in the people of China.
I am confident that China will get high marks from foreign correspondents and tourists in general as a result of all the attention of the Olympics.
But remember, this is just a "coming-out party." The 17-year-old girl (with the 5,000-year history) still has a lot of growing up to do, and with each passing year will become more capable, more cunning and more alluring. She will have many suitors, and will learn to handle herself with poise and dignity, but for now there may be some missteps and stumbles as the Olympics put the world spotlight on her for the first time.
Still, I cannot help but wish I was there.
(If you are interested in visiting China, check with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce about their Mission to China, which will bring at least 80 people from the Flathead to Beijing and Shanghai in April 2009. Cost is only $2,150 per person for all basic expenses on the nine-day itinerary, which is a real bargain. Although this group will fill out quickly, other expeditions are expected to take place later, as interest has been at a high level. Call the chamber at 758-2800 for more information.)
. Frank Miele is managing editor of the Daily Inter Lake and writes a weekly column. E-mail responses may be sent to edit@dailyinterlake.com