These People Are Amazing

A cab driver mistakenly took us to a hotel at the northeast end of Beijing after dinner instead of to ours in the southeast. It was very a long ride. We expected an argument about the fare and got one--the driver would not take any money. I found a bellman to translate and intercede to get our driver to take at least half the fare. (The entire amount was about $10.)

"No. I sorry. I sorry," the driver said. He flat-out refused to take anything.

"This right," the bellman said. "He a good man."

What would it have been like in New York?

There has been much criticism of holding the games here. Garrett is asked about it again and again in interviews. One things seems sure, the crowds of locals ogling the venues today seemed genuinely excited and very happy to see people like us.