2008 Olympics and national pride

I am pretty sure that at this point, we are all familiar with the fact that Beijing is hosting the Olympics.  But what really surprised me about the trip was how excited the country, not only the residents of Beijing, are about the upcoming games.  

I was struck with the differences between this and the most recent American Olympiad, which I think was Atlanta 1996.  Granted I was young, but I do not recall the entire country preparing for the event anywhere near like the Chinese are doing.  I was most surprised at how the Olympiad was being advertised within Shanghai, several hundred miles away.  The road from the airport was dotted with many billboards advertising and supporting the Olympiad. 

Likewise, when it came time for my host family, the Olympics were part of our discussion.  My host's family was curious what I thought about the preparations and buildings.  Conversation drifted to what they thought of the games, which of course consisted of the stock answer of it being a way for China to show off to the world.

While this is no doubt true, I do not think that this hits at the heart of the matter.  Many Americans still have misconceptions of Chinese products as being shotty or cheap.  While this may have been true in the past, China is today able to produce some extremely high quality products such as Lenovo computers and Haier appliances.  I think that the Chinese are dealing with this stereotype as best they can, and seek to showcase their strengths to the world.  This showcase though, is not just a showcase, it is also a pursuit to shatter common misconceptions about the quality of life and the advancement of this Asian nation.