Big Bang...about 10,000 of them

The Olympics ended in rare form. For those who have yet to see the closing ceremony, enjoy. Like the Openning Ceremony, it's awash with visual stimulation and thousand man choreography that will make your head spin. Then, following the final passing of the torch to the English, the Beijing sky lit up with fireworks--a display even more spectacular than the openning fireworks.

At the time, Ted, Geoff and I were inside my new favorite chur (meat on a skewer) spot, watching the birds nest on television. The fireworks started, and then we heard the sounds of explosions outside. Ducking out into the street, and looking directly south (toward tiananmen) the fireworks began. Soon the street was flooded with Chinese and foreigners alike, all with a perfect view of the last hurrah. What was most impressive, was not just the different types of fireworks, but the length of the show. It quite literally lasted 15-20 minutes.

After, we made our final push to Sanlitun, expecting mayhem and a throng of foreigners. But to my surprise, Sanlitun was relatively tame and it appeared that the foreigners had either returned home, or had finally given in to fatigue of the last weeks. Even the athletes that were everywhere during the last two weeks, were missing from the mix as all hopes of finding Lebron and Kobe were dashed to pieces.

Today, the streets are quiet and people seem to be taking the day off today. I wonder if post-olympic depression has started to set in, or if all of Beijing is collectively breathing a sigh of relief. Things will be very different in the weeks and months to come. I hope Beijing won't suffer an identity crisis.