concept vs. execution

So, as I noted in my last entry, it seems that one thing that is common here (though probably not just here) is the inability to follow through and bring to implementation or completion certain ideas or concepts. Often these are quite good ideas—at other times they may be horrible ideas, or only good for some people.

One example of a good idea is the yoga class I attended two weeks ago in the King Gym. What can be wrong with providing stressed out students with the opportunity to stretch, perhaps get a little meditative breathing in, etc.? Well, the problem here is that the King Gym is an exceptionally noisy place, so yoga, which is supposed to be somewhat relaxing and tranquil, became an activity where you strained to listen to the absurdly flexible teacher give instructions (in Chinese, of course) over her portable microphone, while next door the treadmills were going and in the room behind people were playing ping-pong. My favorite part was the end, Savasana or corpse pose, where the teacher turned out the lights and put on this tape of this person saying “relax” over and over again (in Chinese: fangsong) as if somehow just saying it could create the proper atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I fear that the Beijing Olympics will be another example of the “good concept-bad execution” paradigm. I am certain that they will be wonderful in many ways, and I think they are generally good for the city (building new subway lines, supposedly making the city “green” though there is little evidence of that as yet, etc.) There is great pride here in China hosting the Olympics, and I am happy that China was awarded this opportunity. Of course, it is hard not to be a bit concerned by some of the slogans you see around town, notably the one that says “Xin Beijing, Xin Aoyun” which literally translated means “New Beijing, New Olympics.” However, the provided translation says “New Beijing, Great Olympics,” which makes me wonder if there is some sort of insidious plan afloat for the “New Olympics” that they would rather laowais not contemplate. I also actually feel somewhat sorry for the athletes who prepare their whole lives for their one moment to be in the Olympics and will end up here. The claim is that the air will be cleaned up in time, but so far I see little progress on that. Beijing is also appallingly hot in the summer and I can’t imagine it will be a very good setting for breaking of sports records. It also has a looming shortage of water, which is of course relevant for the Olympics because, as my friend Xie Lihua said in discussing the issue, “athletes need to shower a lot.”

Also relating to water and this topic of discussion, my new room here, where I moved when Jim came, has a persistent shower problem. In many places in China (and elsewhere around Asia and in the world) there is no separate tub or shower structure—you just shower and there is a drain in the bathroom floor where the water goes, and the floor just gets kind of wet. Unless, of course, you are in my bathroom here, where the drain is actually in the highest part of the floor and so all the water flows away from the drain and the bathroom does not just get kind of wet. I bought a mop that I have to use to push the water toward the drain when I’m done. I asked about it at the front desk and they apologized, said many rooms were like this, and that it is an “engineering problem.” Well, this building is only about three years old. China is one big construction site, and one consequence of this is that often new buildings are total crap, to put it bluntly.

I actually wonder if this is reflective of modernization, or modernity, as a whole. Excellent in concept, often flawed in execution. Global warming, anyone?