OLYMPICS / Your Story

Can't I respect that gift China is giving me?
By Ricardo Setyon
Sohu.com
Updated: 2008-08-18 14:44

 

(August 17)

(The author, Brazilian sport journalist)

Fire, moon, speed, blue sky, gold, memories and respect.

Three days thinking about how to put in words the feelings of being here.

They say, and I laugh about it, that Journalists can put anything they think , want and feel into words…

Nothing could be more wrong than that.

Coming all the way from Brazil, being inside the Olympics that will change the world, and having the chance of breathing the same air that Chinese and people from another 204 nations and regions do, articles became more of a travel, a journey among the greatest moments of the 29th Olympic Games.

I do not want to be the journalist from abroad that tell the world, so many times, around and around, again and again that the skies of Beijing are dirty, the air contaminated and to breath is hard.

I want to be the one that will explain to people in my country, that it is not true! The clouds that often surround the skies of Beijing, are a result of the lack of winds, powerful enough to push those same clouds away from where they are “trapped” by the mountains that surrounds the capital city.

In Beijing, in the streets of “PEQUIM”, as we say back in Brazil, are clean, full of flowers, plenty of volunteers, and above all, safe, calm, and relaxed. I like that.

I do not want to be the Swedish athlete that unhappy with the referees and with the bronze medal he won, he decided that was not good, and decided to throw it to the floor!

As fans, staff and, of course, journalists, complain about how hot is Beijing, how sweaty, and humid, those kids, volunteers, of course, are hours inside the FUWA mascots. Bei Bei, Nini, Jing Jing, Ying Ying and Huan Huan, never complain, always are in good mood, and will not let you, me or no one, down, accepting that request to “just one more picture please…”…

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