finally...

8/8/2008 - As you can see from one of the photos above, people who don't have an opening ceremony ticket cannot even gain access near the stadium. The government mobilized thousands of soldiers to guard the area around the bird's nest.

I watched the beginning of the ceremony at the Worker's Stadium, where they have all the soccer games in Beijing. Then my friends and I walked over to the brand new San Li Tun shopping center because they have this giant screen sponsored by Addidas. Also, the very first APPLE store opened at this mall.

It was very exciting watching the ceremony outside of the house because the area I was at had many foreigners. So as each country's athletes walked out, some of them cheered very loudly for their own country.

YES!! - SOME PEOPLE WHO STOOD BEHIND ME WERE CRYING WHEN THE CHINESE POP SINGER WAS PERFORMING. I WAS ALMOST GOING TO CRY, BUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE IT WAS TOO BUSY LOOKING AT THEIR TEARS.

**I guess you guys didn't see Jackie Chan and Andy Lau!!! I know CCTV didn't broadcast their performance. So I am pretty sure NBC didn't either. **