Behind the Lens at the Beijing Olympics

Reflecting on Beijing 2008

I’ve been back in the US for about four days now, and believe it or not -- I’m beginning to miss China. The politics, lifestyle, even the food I can live without, but the people -- I miss the locals most of all. There have been many questions about my experience -- from the immigration officer at the Chicago airport (it went beyond the obligatory business/pleasure question) to my family and friends back home -- I’ve answered them several times before, but I will answer them here as well.

Q: Well, how was Beijing? Should I go?

A: After spending two months living in Beijing, I’d hesitate to recommend the city to tourists looking to soak up Chinese history and culture. Sure -- there’s plenty of that in Beijing, but there’s so much more to China that you won’t be able to see through Beijing’s environmental and propaganda haze. I came to tolerate life in the city towards the end of my journey, but only because the Olympics were in town, and many familiar Western conveniences became available, such as an Apple Store and Cold Stone. Unless you speak Mandarin, communication with locals is almost always impossible. Some are learning limited English, but are unable to pronounce words correctly due to a lack of native speakers to practice with.

For photographers, Beijing can be a great place to shoot on clear days, but unfortunately, the sun only breaks through the clouds every so often. If you’re only in town for a week, you may not have a single day without a hazy blanket to get in the way of you and that perfect shot. The Chinese make incredible subjects, and are generally more open to photographers than Westerners. Unfortunately, I think much of this comes from a fear of confrontation, especially when they’re unable to communicate with the foreigner behind the camera.

Q: What was it like to work at the Olympics?

A: I can’t even begin to describe the Olympic experience – it was so incredible to be able to work alongside the world’s top photographers, reporters, and athletes. Just being around the athletes was a thrill – there were so many, from almost every country in the world. There were also plenty of opportunities for staff and journalists to mingle with athletes outside of the competition venues, especially towards the end of the Games.

I had a fantastic time working at the Olympics, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I’ve never been around people from so many diverse cultures at one time, and I really enjoyed watching how each responded to life in Beijing differently. The athletes and journalists rarely left the Olympic venues to explore the city, but when they did, I was more than happy to act as their guide.

During the first week of competition, I answered questions for photographers at the road cycling course (and ended up doing quite a bit of computer troubleshooting as well). A few days after road cycling, I transferred to indoor volleyball, where I worked as a flash quotes reporter, interviewing athletes in the mixed zone alongside reporters from around the world. Often, we had to work through translators -- it was really an experience unlike any other.

Q: Can I work at Vancouver 2010 or London 2012?

A: Honestly, I’m not quite sure. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) required the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) to hire native English speakers from overseas only because very few were qualified in China. Fortunately for the next Winter and Summer Games, that’s not the case -- both will be held in countries where English is the official language. If you’re an expert with relevant experience, feel free to contact VANOC or LOCOG for more information about joining their staffs during the Games. I’d certainly recommend giving it a shot -- working at the Olympics is an experience like no other.

I have a few regrets about my experience in China. Some are less significant, and were only realized when I read the United Airlines magazine on the flight back to the States. I can’t believe I spent two months in Beijing and only visited half of the locations they suggested in their cover article. I never made it to the restaurant, Made in China, but I certainly heard great things. My biggest regret, however, is not taking more time to travel around the country. I visited Shanghai and Tianjin, and made a side trip to the suburbs with Vincent Laforet, but I really wish I had taken more time in the beginning of my trip to explore other parts of the country. Some friends flew to see pandas in their native habitat near Chengdu, or visited the Terracotta Army at Xi’an. I’d love to visit China again at some point in the near future -- but I don’t think Beijing will make it on my itinerary.

This marks my final post to Behind the Lens at the Beijing Olympics. Thanks for visiting, and feel free to continue sending questions or adding your comments to individual posts.

My Bags Are Packed

As much as I’ve enjoyed my experience in Beijing, I’ve been looking forward to tomorrow’s flight for quite some time. In a few days, I’ll reflect on my Olympic experience, but today’s focus has been on getting everything packed into what I hoped would be two checked bags and two oversized carry-ons. No such luck -- I started packing early this morning, and soon realized that there was no way to avoid paying the $100 fee for a third checked bag.

Luckily, I had allowed enough time for a visit to the Tianya market to pick up another bag. I withdrew 700 Yuan (about $100) from the ATM, and went back to the market I swore I’d never return to. After I scored a new suitcase for 140 Yuan, I began picking up even more souvenirs. 500 Yuan in impulse purchases filled half of my new suitcase before I left the market four hours later. I now have well over a hundred sets of decorative chopsticks, but at less than one Yuan each, they’re hard to resist -- time to make some new friends?

Bring It Home: Chinese Tea

If you’re scrambling to buy gifts before you leave China, consider visiting Tea Street or a nearby grocery store to pick up some Chinese tea. With hundreds of shops, many offering free samples, Tea Street is located only a few blocks from Sanlitun (home to China’s first Apple Store) -- there you will find hundreds of varieties of Chinese tea to fit every budget. Unless you’re an expert, however, it’s difficult to know whether or not you’re getting a good deal. I purchased some tea at Tea Street, but I didn’t even try to bargain -- unlike at the clothing and souvenir markets, I had no clue what I was doing, or if bargaining was even allowed.

If you want to avoid the hassle of bargaining, many larger grocery stores sell tea as well, and offer the same gift packaging that you’ll find on Tea Street. While they’re more convenient and offer lower ticketed prices, grocery stores will likely not offer samples, so purchases may be hit or miss. Stores carry everything from traditional jasmine tea to green tea to flower tea (the dried flowers expand when placed in hot water). Prices range from under 100 Yuan (about $15) per kilogram to 2600 Yuan and up. The gift sets I purchased included about 150 grams of tea (at 500 Yuan per kg) and a gift box for 75 Yuan each (about $11) -- you can mix and match teas in any quantity.

Have Some Free Time?

Most of the photographers I’ve met have been shooting back-to-back events every day since the Games began almost two weeks ago. Rising early and working late into the evening, any free time they have is spent catching up on needed sleep. There are a few exceptions, however. For photographers with some downtime or those staying in Beijing until next week, here’s my top five list of things to do and shoot in the area, far from the Olympic Green.

1. Take the train to Tianjin -- The coastal city of Tianjin is located 120 km east of Beijing, but a new high-speed train will zip you from the capital to the coast in just under 30 minutes. You’ll need at least half a day to explore, especially if you plan to shoot at the “beach.” The ocean excursion is pricey (about 160 CNY r/t including taxi and light rail), but the incredible pictures you’ll be able to make there make it well worth the time and money.

2. Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City -- Several photographers I’ve spoken to haven’t even had time to visit the world’s largest public square, or the Forbidden City. If you have a few hours free, visit both, but if you can only spare an hour or two, head to Tiananmen Square to shoot tourists and locals enjoying the recently constructed Olympic displays.

3. Eat Chinese food -- Under immense pressure to stay healthy so they can produce images, experienced photographers are avoiding eating anything outside of the media village, Main Press Center, or Olympic venues. While this makes sense, they’re really missing out on some incredible Chinese food. Peking duck roll ups (available for 15 Yuan at the MPC) aren’t going to cut it -- experience the real thing at Quanjude, or visit a hole in the wall eatery to enjoy Chinese food at its best (and cheapest).

4. Wander the city on your own -- Escape the Olympics bubble to meet locals in the hutongs, or roam the streets with a camera in the older parts of town. Don’t worry about having a plan -- take the subway away from the Olympic Green, and get off at a random stop. If you don’t like what you see, simply hop back on and go somewhere else -- you’ll also be able to make great pictures on the train.

5. Bring back some goodies -- You can’t return from China without gifts for family and friends, so visit one of the city’s markets to bargain hard for souvenirs. Jade and pearls are very popular, as are calligraphy paintings, chopstick sets, and knock off clothing. Visit the Pearl Marketfor pearls (and sometimes jade) and the Tianya market (literally a few feet away) for everything else. Tianya is also a great place to shoot locals gathered around televisions to watch the Olympics.

Beijing, USA: The Changing Face of China

I arrived in Beijing only a month ago, and I’m already seeing the city change. China is welcoming the Western world with open arms -- or at least their economy is. Just five years ago, I imagine Beijing was in a much different state. I wouldn’t need to walk 15 minutes just to feel like I was in China, assuming I wasn’t trying to communicate with the locals.

But today, the Chinese capital is a hodgepodge of Western retailers, and, to a smaller extent, Western cultures. I lose count of the number of KFC and McDonalds restaurants I see each day, each bursting at the seams with Chinese loading up on fried chicken and hamburgers. “One World One Dream” -- is that the American dream? I visited a Cold Stone Creamery last night -- I couldn’t believe my eyes -- it was right next to an Auntie Anne’s pretzels, and both were within walking distance of my hotel. Prices at Cold Stone were comparable to the States, so I could have easily fed myself lunch for a week for the cost of my 50 Yuan (about $7.30) Love It creation. (Take subway line 10 to Haidianhuangzhuang if you feel compelled to see for yourself).

The Olympics have also presented Beijing with an opportunity to “clean up” a lot of the city’s Hutongs, the alleyways often inhabited by the lower-middle class. But the city is losing a lot of its character in the process. A Hutong near Tiananmen Square was recently leveled to make room for a brand new commercial village, set to open just in time for the Olympics. Peering over the fence used to keep locals out until its official opening, I was reminded of the “traditional Chinese village” I visited in the Beijing suburbs a few weeks back.

As much as Beijingers seem to be eating up Western fast food, many appear considerably less interested in Western people and languages. I keep hearing about how friendly the locals are, and I’ve witnessed it myself on several occasions, but the only people that seem interested in me are those trying to learn English. Also, keep in mind that this isn’t Europe -- there won’t usually be English menus, and the only locals who know any could be your concierge and the person trying to scam you out of $1,400 for Olympics tickets on Craigslist.

Found It: Spray Deodorant

That’s right folks -- after weeks of searching and even a couple close calls, I’ve finally found a bona fide can of Axe body spray. If this is your first visit to my Beijing Olympics blog, I’ll fill you in on the significance of today’s discovery before you head elsewhere thinking you’ve come to the wrong place. I packed a single bottle of deodorant, hoping it would suffice for my two-month stay in China. Little did I know that I would smell like tobacco after an innocent taxicab ride, sweat to the point where I’d have no choice but to find some A/C stat, and end up stinking so badly by late afternoon that a second shower every day was no longer optional. Two showers means two coats of deodorant each day, and I’m running low after only a month.

Resting in Shanghai, I decided that my mission for the day was to find some deodorant while I still had a moment of free time before the Olympics. I entered Watson’s pharmacy, which also has locations in Beijing, and began my usual charades routine, hoping someone would figure out that I was asking for deodorant. The clerk first brought me to an aisle of razors (do men shave their armpits in China?) before presenting the Holy Grail -- two shelves of imported deodorant. I found a bottle of Axe (it was identical to the bottle I’m currently using) and was more than happy to hand over 68 CNY ($10) to help absolve my fear of having smelly armpits.

Tianya Jewelry Market: Beijing’s Best Kept Secret

This brand new complex opened its doors on April 28, literally steps from the famous HongQiao Pearl Market. Tianya offers goods identical to its neighbor, likely purchased from the same suppliers, but because business is slow, prices are significantly lower. Housed in a generic charcoal colored building, you’ll only find Tianya if you want to. A large vertical banner hangs on the structure, but can be easily missed, as the market’s exterior resembles a modern office building, without a hint of what’s inside. Finding Tianya is easy once you know it’s there -- after you exit through the rear doors of the Pearl Market, a 15-meter walk brings you to one of the market’s entrances, marked only by a pair of Chinese characters. Another entrance is located next to a well-marked coffee shop.

The market itself is significantly larger, cleaner, and less crowded than the Pearl Market, and is without a doubt my new favorite place to shop in Beijing. From toys in the lower basement to upscale jewelry stores six floors above, you’ll find everything from electronics to knockoff clothing to pearls on the floors in between. There’s even a great food court, serving traditional Chinese food at rock bottom prices on the lower basement level (chicken fried rice at lunch cost me about a dollar).

While vendors are more reserved at Tianya (you won’t need to worry about them grabbing at you if you try to walk off), one vendor pulled the compassion card, telling me that I was her first customer all day (and this was at 7 p.m., just when the market was about to close). Because I counted fewer than a dozen customers on all seven floors during my hour-long visit, I believed her and ended up buying something I didn’t want (but still at a great price).

The Pearl Market is definitely worth a visit; so bargain very low there -- 30 CNY (about $4.50) for a Polo shirt or large leather wallet is a reasonable price -- then head across the street to Tianya to get it for less. Pearl Market vendors claim that they’ll be doubling prices for the Olympic crowd, but I suspect vendors at Tianya will still be willing to sell at just above cost if necessary. The Tianya market is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day, and is located about one block from the Tian Tan Dong Men (Line 5) metro stop.

Before You Leave Home

There are some things you simply won’t be able to do from Beijing. Many personal hygiene items are especially hard to come by here, so be sure to pack plenty before you leave home.

1. Unlock your cell phone -- Sure, you can buy a mobile phone once you get to Beijing, but if you already use a GSM phone in the States, call your wireless provider and ask for an unlock code to use your phone with a China Mobile SIM card. While you have them on the line, be sure to ask if your model is GSM-900 compatible.

2. Visit your doctor -- If you take prescription medication, carry your pills in a bottle with your prescription clearly marked. Expect to get sick at least once, so ask your doctor what he or she recommends for dealing with stomach issues.

3. Bring a copy of your eyeglass prescription -- I dropped $300 on a backup pair of glasses before leaving home, only to find a similar pair here for about $15. I bought a pair of glasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses for 110 CNY each at the Silk Market. Some of my colleagues have had issues with the smog, so eye drops may also come in handy.

4. Load up on deodorant -- We take it for granted in the States, but deodorant simply isn’t available for purchase here. With hot weather and long workdays, you’ll be glad you remembered to pack some.

5. Pack some Purell -- Almost as important as deodorant, I reach for my hand sanitizer several times daily -- It’s especially handy when you want to munch on tasty street food and there isn’t a sink in sight. Grab plenty of the pocket sized and larger containers, and pack extras for friends.

6. Bring plenty of business cards -- They’re very important in China, and if you haven’t done so already, have your cards printed in both English and Chinese. Many Chinese don’t read or speak a lick of English, so your cards will be useless if not also written in Chinese.

7. Buy a Slingbox -- These clever contraptions broadcast your cable television signal to your computer over the Internet, allowing you to watch American TV from anywhere in the world. The Slingbox Pro includes a built-in cable tuner, so there’s no need for a cable box.

8. Duplicate your passport -- Bring both hard and soft copies of your passport and visa. Be sure to snap a picture of your passport and email it to yourself before you leave, so you can prove your identity in an emergency. Also consider leaving copies with a relative so they can fax it to your hotel if necessary.

9. Don’t forget your OIAC -- If you’re coming to cover the games, pack your Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card in your carry on, and email copies to yourself as well. The card acts as your visa and is very difficult to replace if lost or left behind.

10. Buy some guidebooks -- The only guidebook I use on a daily basis is the Eyewitness Travel Beijing Pocket Map & Guide -- but I’d be lost without it. The subway and city maps are a necessity and the book is small enough to carry in my pocket. English guidebooks are very difficult to find here and will likely be out of stock once Westerners begin to invade the city.

Live from Apple Store Sanlitun

Apple has joined the International retail presence in Beijing with their first Chinese Apple Store opening today. Without any other obligations on a Saturday morning, I decided to check out the scene at The Village at Sanlitun, near a popular Beijing nightlife hotspot.

I arrived just an hour before the opening to about 350 Chinese and Westerners (I was number 349) in queue in front of the store. Apple has yet to penetrate the Chinese market, already flooded with fake iPods and iPhones, so I wasn’t surprised to see a significantly smaller crowd than at openings in the U.S. and other International cities.

Employees began to hand out umbrellas to help keep customers cool during the hour-long wait. Beijingers use umbrellas to shelter themselves from rain and sun alike, so seeing dozens of umbrellas on a sunny morning is nothing out of the ordinary.

The store opening comes just before tens of thousands of journalists and spectators visit Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. Apple Store Sanlitun will honor Apple’s International AppleCare warranty on products still covered in the U.S., and will provide Genius Bar, Personal Shopping and One to One training (798 CNY per year) to customers beginning today. All Apple products will be sold, with the exception of iPhones, which are not officially available in China. The store is located at The Village at Sanlitun, an upscale International shopping center still under construction.

Buy it in Beijing

With the Olympics quickly approaching, Western retailers have been racing to increase their presence in Beijing. Stores such as Wal-Mart and French superstore chain Carrefour are open for business with outlets throughout the city, while other global retailers are applying the finishing touches on their stores -- Apple will open its first Beijing retail store on July 19. If you’re wondering what to pack, don’t worry too much -- virtually every product you can find in America is available here for much less. After all, most of the products we use on a daily basis are made in China. There are some exceptions, of course; you may not be able to find the same brand names, and for whatever reason, deodorant is extremely hard to come by (though available if you have time to search). Western retailers are also a blessing for photographers --- because the city is littered with gray market cameras and accessories, head to Wal-Mart or Carrefour to pick these items up as well.