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DEL.ICIO.USThe Butterfly’s in Beijing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ni hao, y’all.
The AJC’s Olympics coverage team landed last night after about 18 hours in the air, and we’re gearing up for the Games. (Unfortunately Delta hasn’t yet unrolled its in-air WiFi service).
My role here is a hybrid of sports, business and society coverage. I’ll be catching up with Atlantans who are in Beijing for fun, business or both. Thanks to all of you who have e-mailed to let me know you’re here! I’m looking forward to meeting you. If you’re here and I haven’t heard from you give me a shout.
(If you’re here and plan to demonstrate, good luck. There seems to be a pair of uniformed guards on every corner.)
Despite the city’s efforts to curb pollution by keeping cars off the road and halting construction and factory work to lessen dust in the air, the sky’s hazy today and I could see neither stars last night nor the sun, really, today. But you can tell Beijing’s spruced up. There are flower boxes perched on the side of the expressways and newly installed flora everywhere.
The ATL gets a little shout-out in a botanical montage at one intersection, as one of several recent Olympics host cities to have its name spelled out in blooming tribute.
I just had lunch with Atlantan Sheila Hula, who with husband Ed runs the all-Olympics-all-the-time publication Around the Rings, and I’m heading over shortly for a preview of the Terracotta Warriors exhibit, coming to the High Museum of Art this fall. (High Museum Director Michael E. Shapiro is in town, as you’d expect. I’ll tell you what he says when I see him).
In his Atlanta home studio the other day, Steve Allen puts the final touches on a painting to be unveiled here in Beijing.
I’ll also be attending Atlanta Legacy Night, where a delegation from Atlanta will unveil a painting by Steve R. Allen, artist-in-residence for the DeKalb International Training Center. Allen has presented paintings at the Athens, Sydney, Turino and Salt Lake City Olympic Games.
Dr. Marc Daniel Gutekunst, co-founder with Prince Albert of Monaco of the Atlanta DITC, expects a colorful and prominent crowd for that event.
More later,
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