Can't We Just Have Some Fun?

This sign says roughly, "We and the World in Harmony.
Through the Beijing Olympics, the World will love China"

having fun with some of the "Olympics Volunteer Security"

And the Rules just keep on coming....The Olympics officials continue to announce new rules everyday to attempt to keep all of its expected visitors in line. What will be the outcome of this particular strategy to impose authoritarian order on the world's crazy sports fans?

the government is trying to treat all of the Olympics tourists like 18 years olds in their freshman dormitory. No yelling, no pornography, no drunkenness, no falling asleep on the sidewalk, no Mongolian Hookers -- NO FUN! Of cource, I never had the experience of living in a freshman dormitory, but one can imagine such oppressive measures to ensure order will be met with the most coy attempts by fun-loving foreigners to break free of the control. What the government sees as uncultured, many regard as mild and harmless entertainment. But people's reaction to this form of rule-enforcement is something I have disagreed with my Chinese friends about for a long time. They see rules as a good way of imposing order & harmony, I see them as obstacles through which I must navigate to break free.

Following the recent bus bombings in the West, the bus matrons have been paying a lot more attention to me and my big lap top bag. I try to accede to their inspections, but it is annoying.