How are the approaching Beijing Olympics affecting Chinese life?
A.: Advertising is everywhere. You can’t walk a kilometer without running into at least five signs promoting the Olympics. Prices are starting to slowly rise in Beijing. This is mostly being felt in hotels and foreigner areas but, as the Olympics approach, I’m sure the price hikes will be across the board. I was talking to a cab driver, and he showed me an English textbook that the government gave him. According to him, all registered Beijing cab drivers have to take a rudimentary English test sometime next year. He was learning phrases such as, “Welcome to Beijing,” “Where do you want to go?,” “I hope you had a nice flight” and so on. English is on probably 75 percent of the “important signs” around town (road signs, subway signs, restaurants), so it is not too hard to get around. I am curious if there is much of a movement within China to keep all the signs in Chinese, just as in the States there is a force that wants to keep Spanish off of signs. 9. What, if anything, do people ther
Related Questions
- What happens when you take a ride from one of the people walking around the taxi stands offering discounts in China?
- How have the focus on the Beijing Olympics and the Sichuan earthquake affected the hotel business in Dalian?
- Beijing Olympics: Basketball: How did the Aussie Mens team (Boomers) finish 4th in their pool?
