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benemilysmom
Squeeker
Joined: Mar 29, 2008
Posts: 10
Location: Connecticut
Status: Offline
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  Posted:
May 29, 2008 - 04:46 AM |
 
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| Post subject: Olympics?? |
My husband and I are thinking of taking our kids to the Olympics. We have heard people say it will be too crazy, too difficult, too dangerous....Wondering if anyone here is going and what peoples thoughts are.
Thank you in advance. |
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oh_the_darkness
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
Posts: 2528
Status: Offline
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May 29, 2008 - 07:21 AM |
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It will be insane. And all prices will double - for laowais at least.
Also don't forget that there is an underground volcano Mount Magnolia underneath the Olympic village that is expected to erupt on the 8th of August. |
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And you may ask yourself Am I right? ...am I wrong? And you may tell yourself My god!...what have I done? |
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CoffeeHawk_0
Board Buddha
Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 14444
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May 29, 2008 - 08:14 AM |
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If you can manage the kids in the Shanghai Aquarium and Pearl Tower on a holiday weekend, then you'll be OK in Beijing during the Olympics. But hotel prices, etc. are nuts, there should be street sellers and pick pockets 'everywhere'.
I've only stayed in Beijing twice for about 4 weeks total, but the taxi drivers there are the most unscrupoulous I have experienced in China. So, it will be like your Shanghai life there, just multiplied a bit.
In reality, that's probably a jaded comment. Perhaps trying a Beijing expat website would be better, or worse, lol. |
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sbergman
Veejay
Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 2165
Status: Offline
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May 29, 2008 - 09:08 AM |
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You should go - it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. |
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tommytheone
Seeker
Joined: Aug 28, 2007
Posts: 40
Status: Offline
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May 29, 2008 - 09:11 AM |
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Wow the prices will only double? That be cheaper than Shanghai since its 3 times the prices for laowais here. |
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sinned69
SuperStar
Joined: Sep 01, 2004
Posts: 1511
Location: China, Middle East, Asia Pacific
Status: Offline
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May 29, 2008 - 10:04 AM |
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IMO its a great opportunity, though likely to be a bit of a hassle in some respects, not least just the sheer numbers of people and the queues. naturally there'll most likely be all kinds in amongst the crowds making some money 
if you and your children can handle the crowds and chaos that occurs during the Chinese new year/spring festival then that might serve as an appropriate barometer for how you all might cope during the Olympics. just remember it most lielky will be worse than the aforementioned CNY.
look at some of the Beijing expat websites, to get some indication about how the local expatriate community are feeling on the subject. you might also be lucky and find some reasonably priced accommodation alternatives that way too.
good luck! im staying away from BJ, i stay away from all the big cities as much as possible, preferring the smaller cities, and mountains...  |
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qing nin shao deng |
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chingiskhan
StreetBeater
Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 2244
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 29, 2008 - 10:22 AM |
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Firstly do you have tickets? They're pretty hard to come by if you don't already have them. Also I've heard hotels are charging up to EIGHT times the usual price. 1000 rmb per night normally could be as high as 8000 rmb.
Of course it's an amazing experience worth looking in to if you can get it organised properly. It'll be crowded but that shouldn't deter you and lots of people who normally travel there will be staying away (ie me) for the entire month. |
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benemilysmom
Squeeker
Joined: Mar 29, 2008
Posts: 10
Location: Connecticut
Status: Offline
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May 29, 2008 - 06:54 PM |
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Thank you everyone for your opinions! I am going to go look on the bejiing expat websites and see what they are saying. |
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mswp
Rocker
Joined: Mar 06, 2005
Posts: 725
Status: Offline
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May 30, 2008 - 03:42 AM |
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I have relatives who've been going to the Olympics for years. When I asked them if they wanted me to order tickets for them, using the early buying options available to residents, they said that obtaining tickets is rarely a problem. I wouldn't worry - I think there will be plenty of sellers in Beijing.
As for the crowds, I think if you're not carrying a foreign passport, there will come a date, where if you are Chinese and don't have a Beijing houkou or some other "permission" that you can't get into Beijing... while it won't be perfect, it should cut down on the hawkers and pick pockets.
Personally, it's not my idea of fun - for the Olympics, I'd rather sit in the cheap seats with a great view -- in front of my TV... and if I were looking to give my kids an "experience" I'd opt for a river or mountain trip. |
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