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Have you ever walked by a TV and saw something where you just had to stop and watch? If so, you're just like hundreds, if not thousands, of Chinese people I saw at a downtown Beijing shopping mall last night.
China was playing Germany in an Olympic basketball match, and there was a huge television set up in the mall so people could watch the games.
And boy, did they watch.
I counted six levels inside this mall, and every single one of them had people lined up against the glass railing to watch Yao Ming and his Chinese teammate play. Even store workers left their shops to watch the action.
With every point China scored, the crowd cheered, clapped, and yelled. It was beautiful.
With every missed shot or turnover, you could hear an entire mall sigh all at once. That, too, was beautiful.
It was one of those moments where I realized I was seeing something special. It's difficult to explain the patriotism the Chinese people have for their athletes, especially basketball players, especially-especially in the Olympics.
I just had to stop and take pictures, because those pictures would explain that patriotism better than any words could. While all of them were watching the TV, I was watching them, and taking as many pictures as I could before the game ended.
If this mall had been in Utah, I would've been kicked out (as I have before) because I didn't get the mall's corporate permission to take pictures. Talk about red tape just to capture a snapshot of something so special and innocent! Or maybe the mall security guards were watching the game, too.
China beat Germany, and the roar of the crowd when the game was decided was a sound right up there with a Utah game winning touchdown or Stockton sending the Jazz to the playoffs. It was an opportunity for the Chinese, who traditionally kind of keep to themselves, to slap high-fives with strangers, to cheer at the top of their lungs, and to feel proud their country won an Olympic game. At home in Beijing, no less.
Everyone left with a smile. Unattended stores got their workers back. And I have pictures to help me remember how a simple game on an ordinary night brought people closer together.
It's exactly what the Olympic Games are all about.
