August 24, 2008

Just watched America beat Spain in basketball. Spain played very well. Kobe Bryant really wanted to win. It shows how someone can come back from adversity (his problem with the young girl in Colorado). Learned Joe Biden will be the Vice Presidential candidate and agree with David Brooks he will make a very good running mate and Vice President if elected. He is loyal, knowledgeable, and will hammer McCain during the election. Sitting here typing and listening to CCTV 1 in Chinese with picture of Chairman Mao on the Heavenly Gate is quite amazing. Now they are showing the Chinese girl who beat the other Chinese (Taiwan) girl in ping pong with music reminiscent of Wide World of Sport in the background. Earlier in the day went to a mall in downtown Beijing which is as good as any upscale mall in the US. Serious case of “deli belly” laid me up today. Feel better now and am going to restaurant for Peking duck. Hope I don’t get worse. Went to supposedly best Peking duck place in Beijing. Taxi driver dropped us off about half mile from restaurant where pedicycle person was waiting who drove us to restaurant. He wanted to charge us 200 yuan ($30.00) whereas taxi ride from hotel was $5.00. My wife bargained him down to 50 yuan ($7.00). The daughter of the owner of the restaurant was named Jacqueline and she spoke to us in English about how much trouble she had with the government. She said about two weeks before the Games started she was told by the Fire Department that the restaurant had two problems with the electricity. She fixed the problems and told she could still not remain open during the Olympics. Luckily her restaurant was chosen to be interviewed by the Dutch team for TV and she was allowed to remain open during the Games. Numerous teams and officials came to the restaurant. VP Gore and Gistard d’Estaing are some of the guests in the photos on the walls of the restaurant.