Beijing Impressions, Day 1

Went to see Beach Volleyball this morning. Attending an outdoor event, any outdoor event, was a stupendously stupid idea. If there's a breeze and the sun's behind a cloud, it's not so bad, but otherwise this whole city is a sauna. Luckily, the rest of the things I'm going to are indoors.

The famous smog doesn't seem that bad... I can breathe fine, at least, and I used to be asthmatic. At worst, the haze is bad enough that buildings seem a lot more distant then they really are.

It's scary when there are entire sections dressed in identical shirts that read "CHEERING FROM BEIJING WORKERS"; it's worse when shifts of volunteers show up marching in formation.

You're not allowed to bring in outside food or drink, there's no re-entry to the venues once you leave, and the sessions can last for up to six hours. So basically, I'm going to be dining on a lot of concession stand food. There's not much variety, and it's nutritionally disastrous, but at least it's dirt cheap. Nothing's more than $1.50, and most of it is half that.

Oh, squat toilets, how I've missed you. Added bonus: the toilet paper is located communially, outside the stalls - if there's any at all. Best advice I've ever received: when travelling in Asia, carry some Kleenex travel packs with you at all times.

Wandered around Chaoyang Park, the area surrounding the beach volleyball venue - tennis courts, ping pong tables, hiking trails, a small amusement park, etc. Most WTF-y thing I've seen so far: "Battle Field of Happiness CS", which appeared to be some sort of outdoor paintball/lasertag arena, very loosely themed around Counter-Strike. They've also got some big signs depicting LAPD SWAT teams, which can't possibly be right.

Saw the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube as we drove by. They're beautiful, just unreal, even more striking in person than they seem on television.

Usually in Asia I can get find some BBC or CNN for English-speaking background noise while I'm in my room, but no such luck here. No matter - the Olympics are on twelve different channels at any given time.

I'm staying at this dorm for international students. On the one hand, it's pretty convenient: close to a subway stop, and the lodging is free. But since it's their summer holiday, I'm (practically) the only person here, and it's like staying in an abandoned hotel. Creepier, actually, as they don't seem fond of turning on the hallway lights. There's also not going to be much nightlife for me, since the doors lock at 11:00. :(

That's about it for now. I think I might head over to the Olympic Village once it gets dark and look around, snap some pictures, etc. Expect photos of everything I mention on the blog to be posted on Facebook sooner or later, probably after I get back.