söndag, augusti 03, 2008

Back again in Beijing - back to "the unhappy peoples Olympics"

Been back to Beijing now for almost a week. Have been sick most of the week after the trip to Zhuhai.

Now the Olympics is "knocking on the door" and common people are already talking about the "unhappy peoples Olympics" - this due to all regulations in daily life that will affect the "normal" Beijinger.

Already July 1st many trucks are not allowed to drive inside 5th ring road and this have significant cut the number of transport with food and other supply that every day can reach the city. In some areas (of cause the most poor arears) it is difficult to get food, vegetable, fruit and water.
Just outside our street the blue trucks have been grounded for a month now.















I am quite sure that the sign
"...we are supporting a green environment" not was set up by the drivers....

The system with letting cars with even figur drive even days and odd figure drive odd days have now also been put into system in surrounding citites trying to cut down the pollution - because so far we see no effect of it in Beijing. Some days are really bad and there are now just 4 days to go.
This action in the other cities have also added to the problem getting supplies into town.
Monday night we run out of our drinking water and this is normally supplied to us within 30 mins but we had to wait until Tuesday night because there were no transport into this area on Monday.














Beijing Taxi Drivers have been dressed up like never before. All drivers are to wear the same uniform over the Olympics and the have to pay fine if the do not. The selection is a little bit funny: a yellow shirt-armed shirt with tie..... Yellow is not a such good color against a Chinese mans skin (white or blue is better) and in how many western countries are we using tie together with short armed shirts? The poor guys are feeling really unconfortable since they are not used wearing tie.

We are now just waiting for the big decission on what to do about the pollution when the actions taken so far is not working. Will there be a total traffic stop just allowing Olympic people to have transport in Beijing....