The tail end of my Olympic adventure

I decided to take it a little easy this weekend, as I have invariably caught a mild virus from riding on numerous squishy subways.

I'm mostly okay though, and headed off yesterday to the Softball at the Fengtai Sport Centre Field to take in a game which finally gave me a chance to fly my Australia flag! :)

It was Australia versus the Netherlands, and from the onset the Dutch didn't really stand a chance. While they were a strong enough team - with a hell of a pitcher - the introduction by the commentators when both teams were warming up that Australia had earned the bronze medal for the sport at both the Atlanta and Sydney Games and a silver in Athens, might have psyched the opposing team out.

Australia won easily and I was happy that I had a chance to wave my flag and clap enthusiastically through the 7 innings afforded on this Olympic event. My ticket also meant I had entry to see the second game of Canada taking on Venezuela, and they seemed initially more evenly matched, despite Softball being more widely promoted in Canada.

It was interesting to see all the Australian fans in their green and gold livery (and headgear!) depart the stands after the first game, to soon be replaced by the white and red flags and costumes of the Canadian supporters. I guess when you barrack for a team, it's way more fun when you're there en masse! :)

As I had time earlier in the day for a bit of a wander, I noticed that the Military Museum of the People's Republic of China was on my way, so stopped in to have a look at China's proud Communist legacy.

As expected, it was an overview of the giants of China's 20th century regime, with whole floors given over to the vehicles and instruments of war that remind you that what has been achieved here has sometimes been at the point of a gun.

But on the higher levels there were sections devoted to art, calligraphy and the philosophy of Sun Tzu, author of the prodigious 'The Art of War' which despite it's title, also advocates diplomacy and the cultivation of positive relationships with other nations.

There was also a veritable treasure trove of gifts from heads of state from around the world to China; I spotted items from Bob Hawke and Kevin Rudd in the Oceania section and Richard Nixon and Yasser Arafat in the Americas and Middle Eastern sections respectively.

I had no events today and so just walked through the Wangfujing centre mall and dropped by a Christian event in Liangmaqiao, as it had been advertised that multi-sport former Olympian Carl Lewis was going to be there.

However, I left soon after the highlight of seeing one of the Harlem Globetrotters and hearing an inspiring former Olympian runner speak about her relationship with Jesus. While she was cool and so were the other sports people there, (I had gotten the invite from Dr David Smethurst, a likable chaplain for the athletes who happened to sit with his group at my table in McDonalds a few days ago - the people you meet on Olympic Green!); my lapsed Catholic reticence and general secular attitude made the whole white gospel atmosphere of the event a little too much for me to take.

But hey, to each their own, and what is amazing it that the Chinese Government, who less than a decade ago disapproved of any outward form of religious worship (one of the tenets of Communism); is now quite supportive of the Christian ministries that seem to be springing up all over China.

Tomorrow I finally get my chance to see the Track and Field events at the Bird's Nest, so I'm very excited about that! :)