On the verge

Three observations from Beijing on the verge of the Olympics:

1) There are 22 different American teams training at Beijing Normal University before and between their competition dates. I visited Beijing Normal Thursday to interview Greco-Roman wrestler Dremiel Byers (who grew up in Kings Mountain) and it seemed, well, normal. If you’re a Chinese family and you’ve got a kid who’s not too extraordinary but not too bad, one you want to turn out normally, I guess it’d be an ideal place to send him to college.

2) The Chinese are extremely friendly, but there’s one thing I could do without. At the nearest restroom to our office in the Main Press Center, a friendly Chinese restroom attendant always smiles widely as you enters the restroom and then gestures toward where the urinals are. Thanks, buddy – but I think I can take care of this one myself.

3) In my hotel, there’s a sign on the faucet that warns you not to drink the water that comes out of it. Then the hotel conveniently provides you a teapot that you can boil water inside if you really want to drink from the tap. It’s not worth the trouble. A bottle of water goes for about 45 cents here.