i was there for 6 months in 2000, the year when they were bidding for the 2008 olympics. i could not believe what i saw–it was summer, so naturally the grass was not green. they had to spray the grass with green paint so that it would look fresh and green. they had to place large flower plants in many places, but the flowers were made of cloth.

• Really?! Grabe naman! That is so deceiving. praying with green paint, fake flowers, tsk, tsk! I think a lot of places in China are like dried places, it is just the major urban areas are habitable, but the resources needed there come from nearby places, which make these vulnerable. I read somewhere that a lot of disputes are happening since people in the construction business want to tear down centuries old structures for the sake of building skyscrapers. Sigh. If this is progress then I don’t think I’d want this kind.

that seems so wrong— that so much is spent on making one event so nice and the ramifications are felt far and wide for years maybe they will be blessed w/ rain in the forgotten areas

• So true, Marcia. What we do, whether in a small or grand scheme can have effects on just to us, but with others too. Abuses done with Mother Nature are the worst kind people can do. So sad.

hi julie,

i hope you don’t mind, but i just tagged you.
http://j3net.blogspot.com/2008/01/linky-love.html

thanks sis.

• Thanks for the tag, Janet. Will line this up. Mejo busy pa ang lola mo. Argh!

i dont know, but i didnt feel comfortable when China won the olympics hosting just because they went to all those ‘artificial’ trouble to attract the people; just like what sexymom said and more… i dont know

• Yup, “artificial” trouble, I agree, they have the place, the human resources but it was something like too soon for them. I hope they won’t regret the effects to those provinces suffering droughts in the next few years.

LOL! What a “clever deed” of these Chinese. What am I going to do? I am a Chinese too… Excuse me, k? I am not in.

• Healy, I hope I don’t sound high and mighty here I just wanted to make a point about the effect in the environment brought about by the drought in some provinces, just to make the place where the Olympics will be held, green and pleasing. It doesn’t make sense to me.  Thanks for the visit!

What a shame! What a sham! What a shim-sham! From substandard food and medicines to lead-tainted toys, and now this. The Chinese really ought to be ashamed of themselves. It’s time the upright ones stood up and did something against their “clever” countrymen.

• As I have said to healy, I didn’t want to sound high and mighty. I am concerned with the quality of life and the effect to the environment of the droughts becoming more severe because of this. So sad, Btw, we don’t buy anything that looks suspicious. We have become brand conscious, more Philippine made products, especially the food, unless they have factories too over there.

[...] before the Olympics, I had doubts, like what I have written here and here not because I doubt China’s ability to host the event but because of pollution situation and [...]