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Beijing in a Rush for 2008



From the calm of Japan to the frenzy paced in Beijing is certainly a contrast. Beijing is preparing for the 2008 Olympic, a very important image building event for all who come to the capital of China. As of now, the air pollution is all too obvious for all to see, as you gazed into the sky. It is yellow in the day and you can hardly see any stars in the night. This is the price of economic progress.

I was in this building, Prosper Centre, just across Kerry Shangri-La hotel. This building has to be completed before the end of this year. The government has given the order that all construction will stop by then. This will allow some time, perhaps for the air pollution to clear partially. I was here because this is one of the rare LEED certified building in China. What is LEED? The acronymn stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" which is a sort of green building rating. Environmental protection has taken centre stage, now that global warming is really "hot" news.

This building is still like a shell in April 20, when I was there, and in a month or two, the owner wants to move into it. Are you able to imagine the frenzied pace to get it done? This is a 24 x 7 operation, with no stop for lunch nor toilet break. This is certainly no "calm" place to be.

Like in life, there are always the dichotomy of events - calmness on the one hand, and excitement on the other. How does one find the balance to ensure sanity? This is one of the reasons, why my friend, Oda-san in Japan built the lodge to bring serenity to the minds of the troubled executives. They can look up the sky, appreciate the stars; rub the shoulders, feel the breeze; sip the sake, grateful that life is still worth living.

One does not have to win the Olympic to be a champion. The cheering is temporal. That joy experienced will soon be gone. Just remember to come back to the calmness of loving those who are precious to you. There is no rush needed, nor a fixed time. It is like a stream that flows 24 x 7; but with a very different meaning to life. Get it?
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