[The Prices Take Shanghai!] Pros & Cons List of Beijing Olympics and Lauren a...

[Aaron]

Pros

• Amazing architecture
• Cheap food and drink! ($0.50 for water, $0.75 for beer)
  
• Cheap taxis (usually $2-$4 per ride, no tipping)
  
• Reasonably priced official gear ($15 polo)
  
• All birds nest seats covered (so rain wasn't an issue for spectators) but plenty of sunshine
• Clean
  
• Efficient and rapid security at main gate
  
• Affordable original ticket prices ($9-$100)
  
• With a ticket to a venue one could hang out inside the Olympic Green all day
  
• Very friendly atmosphere - Chinese and foreigners
• Commonly saw and met athletes and/or their families
• Easy access to Today Show!
• Eager, friendly, English speaking volunteers at China Mobile and Visa info booths located everywhere
• Chinese people happy to take a photo OF you and even yell at people to get out of the background of the photo
• Chinese people eager to take photos WITH you (people lined up to take photos with us, we were like celebrities, but really, it's just because we're white)
  
• FREE rolling carts at airports (not just Beijing) makes for smooth luggage transportation for the masses
• Tasty bread/egg/chive breakfast for $1 near our hotel

Yummy Beijing flat bread specialty

Cons

• Not enough vendors
• No public shaded space
• No public sitting areas
• Only 1 taxi stand for entire Olympic Green
• Taxi stand 1 mile from venues
• Clean at any expense (citizens removed/displaced...jailed?)
• No permits for protester 'area' granted by China
• Far too few trash cans
• Impractical/dangerous self heating meals at vendors
• Ran out of everything - food, drink, and souvenirs
• Scalpers asking $1100 for a $9 ticket and getting mad at our $100 counter)
  
• China booing Japan during the woman's football match
• Items purchased from Official Olympic Store not allowed in some venues as they may be thrown onto the field
• No restaurants or shopping outside Olympic Green
• Many food street vendors removed
  
• Chinese people not so good at taking pictures in focus
  

My sister arrived today! Off to show her China!

Mr. Gu welcomes Lauren at the Pudong Airport

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Posted By Aaron to The Prices Take Shanghai! at 8/24/2008 10:47:00 PM