Torchbearer AA

Very nice. I'm sure this will not happen in China

That's so stupid. The Netherlands will not let go all international qualified athletes. Nice for other countries. But the IOC and the ITF are going to start a procedure to let one male tennis player for the Netherlands (Haase) go. He has international qualified but not national. I hoped all international sport federations could be so nice. But the FITA seems not to be so nice

Tower seen from the stadium. It's indeed not so near the stadium.

How will be order be of the nations in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony? I don't know the Chinese alphabet, Chinese names etc.

Maybe it's easier to decide before the beginning of August. I don't know if there are a lot of people who are there a week before the start of the Games? I am. Because first I'd like to see a lot of Beijing. Why not a dinner? It's one big party that day

Some people post here somtetimes pictures from the National Stadium. They find it on the internet. But how and where do you find it?

If it will be two birds we have to see in coming weeks also on the other side a strange thing. But I think the two birds on that picture are only a nice commercial creation for that company because the name of the stadium is Bird's Nest.

I yesterday called our Ministry of Foreign affairs regarding the VISA for China. I first also had friends where I wanted to sleep. But they told me some later it was better I could sleep at a University campus. So now I have a room there. The Ministry told you need your flight schedule, and exactly where you are each night with confirmations from hotels, or other places where you will sleep, a recent picture of yourself, a valid ID, and Olympic tickets (very important). China has restricted foreign students allowed to stay in Beijing in this summer to at most 150,000. The others have to leave China. It's not allowed to go to China without Olympic tickets. Tourists who only are going to see the forbidden city, chinese wall and not have any olympic tickets don't get a VISA. I first have to request a new ID, that's valid thourgh half July. I think I will request my VISA in the week of July 7. I have a flight schedule, next week I get my accommodation confirmation, I have a valid ID next week, picture I already have, I have a list with confirmed olympic tickets on my name. I think that's enough. Has anyone a VISA already?

I had that idea too. I heard there will be giant screens also in Beijing. I don't know it it is also near the stadium. But it will be very cool if for example we can see something when the athletes are marching from (I think) the National Indoor Stadium to the National stadium, to see the fireworks live, to hear the music and sounds live from near the stadium etc. Great idea.

Innsbruck I know, but I was not thinking about it when I put the message here. In Innsbruck it was because it were the second Winter Games there. Why in Helsinki? One in the marathon tower and one down in the stadium?

The marathon session is ticketed since last month. So if you want to see it in the stadium, you have to buy a ticket.

Two flames for the first time in history http://player.nos.nl/index.php/media/play/...d/tcm:5-389499/ security preparations for the Olympics.

Is BOCOG publishing a spectator guide, like other Games? Our official ticket agent said BOCOG has not published it, but I am not sure, because it's very strange I think.

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/pre...214418132.shtml Here I see a few pictures from inside the National stadium ( as of Jun. 24). A lot of lights (I don't know if it is more now) is what I see. Nothing about the strange thing on the roof. I think the pictures are specially taken this way.

So now the National Stadium will be closed until the opening ceremony I think. I hope July 10 there could be some pictures from the light effects and so on for the dress rehearsal.

Beijing Olympic opening ceremony to stage full dress rehearsal in July www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-08 21:55:43 Print BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The first full dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics will be held on July 10 at the National Stadium, according to an announcement posted on the official website of the Beijing Organizing Committee on Monday. Wang Ning, deputy director of the department in charge of the opening and closing ceremonies, said rehearsals for the opening ceremony would begin on March 1 and will be moved into the "Bird's Nest" on June 10. "We want to create pomp with extraordinary Chinese features, fueled by hi-tech effects and audience interaction," said Jiang Xiaoyu, the Beijing Organizing Committee's executive vice president. He denied claims that Beijing is intent on surpassing Athens' three-hour epic lauded by many as "the best opening ceremony ever". The organizing committee also said it had employed the second batch of 75 experts and performers to work at its operations center of opening and closing ceremonies. Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who is masterminding the 2008 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, has said the ceremony will last about three and a half hours. Zhang, one of China's most respected directors, is best known for his films "Raise the Red Lantern," "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers". He has won the Jury Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has twice taken the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. The organizing committee has also invited Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, Australian Ric Birch and Frenchman Yves Pepin to be artistic consultants for the opening ceremony. Editor: Sun Yunlong

Thanks for the translation. Was there now source found in Canada what also told about this?

The Pottala palace is a realy impressive building. On the second picture with the dancing women it's just like a big party. What a contrast with the first picture. But where are the spectators? Now crowd anywhere.

http://www.nos.nl/nos/artikelen/2008/06/ar...6D180656BE.html Also Canadian athletes are not going to the opening ceremony. It's a Dutch article, I can not translate it at this time (don't have much time). But I think there will be also English sources you maybe already have find.

I think it's beautiful to have a view from that tower. A big part of Beijing can be seen, the Olympic green etc. ooh.. and important news. It's now allowed for broadcasters to broadcast live from the Tian men square.

It will not be just a transmitting tower. If you read the link just given by NY20?? you'll see at the website of Beijing Olympic Broadcasting it's a oppurtunity for broadcasters to have a magnifecent view.. so they're allowed to be in that tower and to film.

Do you know how many studios will be there in that tower?

There was a deadline for Chinese customers for the payment. If they were to late with their payments the tickets went back to the BOCOG.

I today got the news from Dertour (ticket agent in Germany) they will send my tickets beginning next week. It will arrive probably end of next week or beginning of July. In Norway American Buseniss Express start to send out their tickets from next week on. ATP in the Netherlands has a few dated where customers could pick up their tickets at the ATP office in the Netherlands. There are four days. We have to go a specific day (which we will know if we get an invitation with exact time). Cosport (United Kingdom and other countries) announced today their pick up in Beijing will start August 4. So I hope I have my first tickets by the end of next week.

Everyone could see it if they use the big screens. Right? If the officials and media could see it well, the place of the cauldron on this picture is the right one: http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/139/cauldrongm4.png Thanks NY20?? This is the first time they want to show the cauldron also outside the stadium in a stadium with a roof. In Seoul and before they just had a cauldron inside the stadium. From Barcelona nog stadium had all over the stadium a roof.