Posted on 12/05/2007 12:13:06 AM PST by BGHater
The drills are about to begin. With his right hand, Zhang Ran hoists a yellow flag above his head, much like a sailor directing traffic on an aircraft carrier.
He's facing 150 salesclerks sitting in tidy rows, handpicked by their labor union to learn the approved cheers and chants for next year's Beijing Olympics. It's all good-humored without the slightest whiff of swearing or boorish behavior.
Nobody doubts that TV-friendly venues will glitter when the Olympics open in eight months. It's other matters that cause worry — people's manners, their knowledge of many unfamiliar sports and the government's promise to allow more than 20,000 reporters unfettered access.
Zhao Xi, a 24-year-old Communist Youth League member, works in a nearby shopping mall, a five-minute drive from Tiananmen Square. Mr. Zhao is using an off-day to work on the cheers.
"We want to do this because we are making contributions to the Olympics," Mr. Zhao said. "It's an honor."
Mr. Zhang's left hand snaps another flag, and cheers erupt with military precision.
"Zhongguo, Zhongguo — ha, ha, ha. Zhongguo, Zhongguo bi sheng," the crowd shouts, simultaneously beating yellow, stick-shaped batons to the rhythm. "Jia you, jia you." Rough translation: "China, China — ha, ha, ha. China, China must win. Let's go, let's go."
One of about 20 cheers approved by authorities, it's drilled a half-dozen times — orderly repetitions practiced in a meeting hall darkened by stained gray carpet squares and wood paneling. Thirty red and yellow paper lanterns dangle overhead, casting faint light on government slogans papering the walls.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Workers from Mongolian Cow, in Tongzhou, learn how to cheer for next summer’s Beijing Games during the seminar
Sessions are being held in Beijing and across China to instill a more polite form of sportsmanship ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Participants are taught when it is appropriate to take pictures and not to antagonize athletes from former wartime enemy Japan.
Only the commies, only the commies...
The Chinese pretty much defined their group cheer at Tienanmen Square, TANK you very much.
Remind me to skip this next Olympics
Hahahahaha! Really, these Chinese are the limit....I can’t believe the depths to which human dignity can be driven in order to make people behave so stupidly and not think anything about it.
LOL LOL
If I was a tourist visiting the Olypics in China I would be concerned about the food vendors.
Yikes!
I hope no one supports/watches the games from china. Poisoning their exports, refusing our servicepeople leave time. They can stuff it!
Remembering 1980 (US boycotts Moscow Olympics over Afghannistan) and 1984 (USSR, six years from death, boycotts LA Olympics in retaliation, forcing EastBloc colonies to do likewise)...
I wonder whether this could be the Olympics where the US team shows up, the US gov’t representatives show up, but over here only the hard-core track’n’field fans bother to tune in...
I might watch the opening ceremonies. Maybe. And if I see too much Red, it’s going off.
When you see how easily the ChiComs can herd their subjects into stupid robotic Olympic human pet tricks ...... This reminds me how North Korea is today and how all of China was under Mao. Where robotic subjects were harnessed for murderous ideological wars at the whims of their leaders. Cultural Revolution but also other glorious Communist “struggles”
Fishing out primo plastic containers to recycle to serve soft drinks for 2008 Olympics
They may not have had any choice in the matter.
Cheer and look happy, or else.....
Picking trash out of that river is like spitting into the wind.
Just another reason to thank God that I live in the United States of America, all it’s problems notwithstanding.
Yeah, what you don’t see are the armed, stern-faced Chinese policemen standing behind the cameras encouraging them to be happy.
What’s the gal doing in post 10?
Sorry, I meant post 12. My bad.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
