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30 Reasons to watch the Games
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-08 15:08 12. English, English A 170-page Chinese Menu in English Version is seen as exemplary of one success of the English-speaking campaign throughout the city. Pop stars teaching audiences correct English pronunciation and cab drivers toting language books all are part of Beijing's multilingual pre-Olympic effort. "It's not just about the language, it's about how open and confident we are," said Li Yang, founder of Crazy English. 13. Babies named after Olympics A total of 4,104 Chinese have been named Aoyun (Chinese for "the Olympics") in homage to the Beijing Olympic Games, according to the figures released by the National Citizen Identity Information Center under the Ministry of Public Security in June. Nearly 700 of the names were registered in 1992, when Beijing first applied to host the Games and another 553 were registered in 2001, when the city officially won the bid. About 92 percent of those named Aoyun are male. 14. Weddings during the year and on opening day Aug 8, 2008, or 08-08-08, is more than just a date: it marks both the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games and is considered a lucky day for marriage with so many eights. It is estimated that 15,000 couples will marry in Beijing on the day and 130,000-140,000 this year. |