In wonder of Wanda – and Beijing

Steven Spielberg may have pulled out of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. French Prime Minister Sarkozy may have threatened to boycott opening celebrations. The international media may be whipping up a frenzy over the Tibetan issue.

But on the ground in Beijing, it’s Olympic business as usual – but dare I say, imbued with even more fervour and determination to put on the greatest show on earth.

The new Terminal 3 at Capital Airport is staggeringly huge. It’s also freezing – outside, the temperature is 6 degrees Celsius, inside, it feels about the same. I dread to think of the energy bills this place will consume at full capacity.

After deplaning, I take the train to Terminal 3C – that’s where the baggage claim for my flight is. At immigration, there’s a little machine in front of the counter that invites you to rate the service of the officer. It rates four satisfaction levels. I “pinged” the “Greatly Satisified” button.

This feels infinitely friendlier than the eye-camera at Bangkok airport, where I have just come from, where the officer usually just grunts and gestures you to look into the camera.

At Beijing, the officer was efficient, friendly and polite.

The airport representative who is escorting me is a young boy who is clearly proud of what he does. “You like the new airport?” he asks. “It’s for Olympics.”

When the baggage takes nearly an hour to arrive on the belt, he apologises as though it is his fault. “Very sorry, airport is very big.”

He then hands me over to the Sofitel Wanda representative who then hands me over to the driver who later hands me over to the hotel concierge who then hands me over to the reception who then hands me the key to my room …

I feel like I am part of the Olympic torch relay which incidentally was being flagged off that very morning in Tiananmen Square. (The Beijing Olympic 2008 torch relay is the longest in Olympic history, passing 134 cities in 130 days with 21,880 torchbearers covering 137,000km.)

I am also reminded that China has what places such as Singapore lack – lots of people for lots of jobs.

The service at the Sofitel Wanda is sharp, smart and crisp. There’s a new air of professionalism among Beijing service staff in the city’s deluxe hotels.

That night, I pop into the Lan Club, the hottest and trendiest night spot in the city currently. It is staggeringly huge, awesomely funky and seriously cool. A total of US$35 million is believed to have been sunk into this one floor of space designed by Philippe Starck.

The bland lounge music does nothing for me but being here reminds me of the size, scale and might of China.

It seems there is really nothing they can’t do when they want to do it.

As I depart from Terminal 3E (this time), I see they’ve already designated a few immigration lanes, “Olympic lane”.

The Chinese have said Olympics 2008 will be the biggest, bestest and grandest ever in Olympic history.

You’d better believe it.

Catch up with Yeoh Siew hoon at The Transit Cafe – www.thetransitcafe.com

By : Yeoh Siew Hoon

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