The Chinese women's team is incredibly tiny. I mean, they all look like they're nine, even though they're 16 or so.
Yeah, not just their build, but their appearnce is really young as well. Though I'm very short myself, hee. ;)
What sports are Taiwan competing in? I know Taiwan is pretty good at softball, didn't they beat Japan earlier (not in the Olympics, but about half a year or so ago, there was this big win...over...um, something. *g*)
I hope Hong Kong gets something too, but that's even more hopeless!
I sort of wonder if that's what everyone else thinks when they look at me and my sister... People keep guessing I'm in ninth grade or something, grrr. But then, they keep thinking my almost-21-year-old-sister is 12, so that's even better ;).
I think Taiwan's in baseball, ping pong and badminton... I sadly have no idea really though =(.
I agree with you on the coverage being America-centric. Also, there was a good editorial in the Washington Post online yesterday about America's sense of entitlement to gold medals, etc.--I wonder if that's a Cold War relic, or if we were always like that?
Also, there was a good editorial in the Washington Post online yesterday about America's sense of entitlement to gold medals, etc
Hrm, I should check that out. I guess it's sort of being used to getting golds? I figure once a country or person has won lots of medals for years and years and years, expectations just keep rising.
Yes, exactly. The editorial is a bit snarkier about it, but I think, large population, lots of money, of course our athletics are pretty good. And China, large population, centralized sports, lots of medals. Etc..
taiwan has baseball, badminton, and ping-pong...at least those 3 i know of. in baseball, taiwan lost their first game against canada but just recently defeated australia in their second game. (i've been reading the taipei times online. =P) i like watching gymnastics, too.....and i agree that the broadcast is very...focused on Team USA. but i guess it's natural, since we are in the States. (anlee)
I want to watch badminton, seeing how it's the only sport whose rules I understand! But the TV station here broadcasts it at a very strange hour and the VCR is broken. Grrrrr.
I would also very much like for someone to give the commentators a little pronunciation guide for Chinese names. I realize the weird "q" and "x" and etc. is very confusing, but honestly, it's not that difficult.
I taught myself a little Pinyin off the internet recently (okay, I was looking up the Jet Li movie Hero and its historical context), and I agree that with a good correlation guide and some practice, anybody should be able to do okay with most of the Chinese names.
Then again, I've heard some commentary that seems not to acknowledge the whole name-order business: the women's springboard synchro commentary called all of the western athletes by their personal names, and then called the Chinese women Wu and Guo. Now, I am as ignorant of Chinese as anybody you'll meet, but even I could tell that those are probably family names and not personal ones.
Eep! I am now hopelessly addicted -- I'd always manage to be somewhere else for years and years of Olympics and forever miss the gymnastics (my favorite), so this year, I'm basically permanently glued to the TV.
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Yeah, not just their build, but their appearnce is really young as well. Though I'm very short myself, hee. ;)
What sports are Taiwan competing in? I know Taiwan is pretty good at softball, didn't they beat Japan earlier (not in the Olympics, but about half a year or so ago, there was this big win...over...um, something. *g*)
I hope Hong Kong gets something too, but that's even more hopeless!
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I think Taiwan's in baseball, ping pong and badminton... I sadly have no idea really though =(.
I'm cheering for HK too ^_^.
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Hrm, I should check that out. I guess it's sort of being used to getting golds? I figure once a country or person has won lots of medals for years and years and years, expectations just keep rising.
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(anlee)
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I taught myself a little Pinyin off the internet recently (okay, I was looking up the Jet Li movie Hero and its historical context), and I agree that with a good correlation guide and some practice, anybody should be able to do okay with most of the Chinese names.
Then again, I've heard some commentary that seems not to acknowledge the whole name-order business: the women's springboard synchro commentary called all of the western athletes by their personal names, and then called the Chinese women Wu and Guo. Now, I am as ignorant of Chinese as anybody you'll meet, but even I could tell that those are probably family names and not personal ones.
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Yah, the whole name business... gah. I keep yelling at the TV and trying to correct the pronunciation.
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