(August  4, 2008)

As the Beijing Olympics draw near, more and more athletes are arriving in Beijing. But not all of them keep themselves busy training in the Olympic Village or the venues.

When I went to Silk Street today, I was astounded to find the foreign players in clusters strolling around the area. They were from countries throughout the world: Poland, Italy,Cuba, etc.

Obviously, many of them were there for shopping and were well-prepared with plastic bags in their hands. Their joyous facial expressions implied that the shopping trip was successful.

There were also many foreign journalists around, some alone or in a group, with work certificates hanging from their necks. I guess many other places such as Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Dazhalan business street (Great Fence), 798 Art Zone, Nanluogu Xiang market, Panjiayuan market, etc. may very well see foreign players in clusters busy taking photos and shopping during the next few days.

If you cannot enter the Olympic Village for lack of Olympic tickets or media accreditation, this is a good chance for you to see your favorite sports stars in person.