We've been slow on the blogging cause D and I (she came up to visit me in Beijing) have been busy watching the Olympics.
Anyway, D noticed an article in the New York Times that made us so mad. Yet again, NYT has decided to step on China as hard as possible.
background: Liu Xiang, the Chinese star athlete who had a World Record in hurdles, had to pull out of the race today but he has been suffering from major injuries in his right leg. The whole nation is sad that he had to pull out of the race but the general sentiment is that we're proud of him and of all his has achieved and hopefully he will regain his health soon. In other words, a different picture than what NYT decided to paint.
Two quotes that angered me the most in the article:
1. "Liu's body had failed, which, in the eyes of many Chinese people, meant they had failed, too."
- that's not true. Yes, his body went through injuries, and the Chinese people are sad that one of the best athletes in the world cannot represent China to compete in this historic and brilliant event. But we don't think his body that "failed" to let him compete in the race translates to Chinese people being hit in the heart by the feeling of failure.
2. "A visitor to China wanted to hug the horrified fans and say:
It's all right. Your athletes are leading the Olympics in gold medals by a huge margin. Your young people are the sweetest, most prepared volunteers any Olympics has ever seen. Your government has organized an efficient Olympic Games."
- I personally don't appreciate the quote from a visitor who had wanted to say "your young people are the sweetest and most prepared volunteers." I'm sure this person is really nice , but for NYT to put it in a widely circulated article.. it's like saying to the world: I'm sorry you can't compete in this international event, but gosh darn-it, your mama bakes the best cupcakes.
Here's the article if you want to read the whole thing: A Country Feels a Hurdler’s Pain
Labels: current events