The Olympic Torch: Finally, I Encounter some Fire

*Sorry, I'm having problems downloading pictures*

I’m very behind. It’s funny, since starting this thing I’ve found myself experiencing reality in terms of blog entries. Rachel finds that her favorite meat ever is marinated kangaroo. Rachel gets an Australian haircut. Rachel sees the Olympic torch. Rachel learns to drive on the left side of the road. Rachel hits the “fruit bowl” of Australia. Rachel gets called “mate” for the first time. So yes, I have about 15 entries catalogued in my mind that will never come to fruition. But I need to start somewhere. So for this one, I’ll start with the Olympic Torch. Especially since I have pictures…well, SOME pictures.

The day before I left for my road trip (see next entry, hopefully) the Olympic Torch came to Canberra. Well more specifically, it came right past my dorm. When I wheeled my bike out of the parking lot that morning, I wasn’t planning on sticking around to watch the event – I had a (sorry Mom) shit-ton of stuff to do before I was supposed to leave the next day. But when I left I saw metal railings/barricades along the side of the road AND large groups of Chinese students chanting, honking their horns, and waving flags I found myself turning away from my bike route to see what was up. I figured this was an opportunity to experience an interesting cultural event. I could stay up late to get ready to leave the next day.

I parked my bike at a spot within viewing distance of the growing group of Chinese students and oversized red flags. Soon, I was joined by a family of Australians (and one German woman) who had been driven away from their previous spot next to the Chinese students. The family was a mother, a German woman friend (or partner?) and two 10-12 year old kids. They were holding a small “Free Tibet” sign. The German woman complained to me that the Chinese students were being aggressive and putting their flags in front of their sign – I also had seen them exchanging some words.

Then I waited. The torch relay started around 9:00 and it was supposed to come past my dorm at 11:00. Meanwhile, I took pictures of the Chinese nationals and the small group of Free Tibet protesters. About 10 minutes before the torch was scheduled to come by, the crowd around me grew exponentially, mostly comprised of Chinese students. It was amazing, really. Apparently, there had been an online campaign trying to rally Chinese citizens in Australia to show a strong Chinese presence. It was highly successful.

Then the sponsors came by. It was incredibly strange – there was a truck pulling a platform of Australian 20-something women clad in sparkling spandex playing Van Halen’s “Right Now” – I had no idea what they were advertising. Things like that. At one point, I was feeling encroached upon by the growing crowd of Chinese students around me – I asked the student next to me to make sure his flag was out of the way when the torch came by so I could get a good picture. Then there were murmurs: the torch was coming! The TORCH was coming! The Chinese crowd started chanting something in Mandarin that I can only assume was along the lines of “Go China!”. Police and security started coming by. I saw the group of Canberran police that was jogging along the torch.

It was at this point that my camera battery died.

I couldn’t believe it. Only me, right? It was about 10 seconds before the torch came by. But to be honest, the whole thing was rather anti-climatic. Some woman who I didn’t know was jogging slowly carrying what looked like an empty paper towel roll that was on fire. What really drew my attention the most was the fervor of the Chinese crowd and the growing uneasiness of the Free Tibet family next to me. They were being nearly trampled and overcome. Flags were thrust in front of them and they were silenced. Mission accomplished, China!

Immediately afterwards, the sea of red moved down the street shouting jubilantly. I looked at the Free Tibet family and the mother was crying. The children were visibly upset. Now, I’m no Richard Gere when it comes to Tibet: I’m not up to snuff on the issues nor do I have the unbridled passion that comes with that good old “Free Tibet” bumper sticker. But I did get a taste of the power of Chinese nationalism and what it can do to dissenters (Aside: But then again, can we say anything differently about America?). Were my torch observations an allegory for Chinese-Tibetan political relations? I can’t say. But I do have some sweet pics of Australian women dancing uncomfortably in sparkly spandex to Van Halen.