Three days and counting - security

Ever since I read about the attack on the policemen out in Xinjiang province yesterday that killed 16, I have realized that for the first time in my life I am living in a place where the possibility of terrorism is very real.

I have tickets for 4 events over the two weeks. I will be at the Bird's Nest twice and the Water Cube twice. I also have a ticket to the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympic Games on September 6th.

Xinjiang Province and Kashgar are a long way away from Beijing. I was there on holiday two years ago and it is an incredible place but its location right next to Pakistan means that often the influence and the physical look of the people is less Chinese and more turkish. The Uygeher (pronounced Weeger or at least close) people are the main ethnic group in the province and a number of years ago, according to what I have been reading, there were a lot of attacks on policemen and many killings. Because of that the security measure in Xinjiang Province are strict.

I expect that every group will have an agenda for these Olympics. They are, as CNN said the other night, the biggest sporting and news event to happen. We usually have one of the other but not both. What better way to try and get your message out? Use the Olympics.

Security in Beijing is tight and it is getting tighter. It is affecting all areas of our lives including our school. We were informed today that a number of our families who had to go home are having difficulties getting re entry visas, so no one is too sure exactly how many students we will have on the 25th of August. As the security on the visas is supposed to last until the end of September it could be a while before everything is straightened out.

One of my Canadian colleagues told us today that when she flew into Beijing a week ago there were 200 empty seats on a flight that had been booked solid for months because visas were not being issued. Hotels are only at 40% occupancy and have no real hope of improving. Of course it is a good time to stay in a great hotel as there are great reductions.

OK, back to what I was saying originally - while the realization that I am in a high risk zone does give me pause it will not keep me from attending my events. My life is in our Father's hands.

I have great faith in China - much prayer has gone up for these Olympics. Friends are meeting frequently to pray for safety, protection.

Oh yes, one more thing. The pollution was bad this morning and as the temp. got up to almost 40 degrees it was almost unbearable with the humidity. Then a nice breeze came in over the city and by 2:00 pm when pollution is usually at its worst we had blue skies and whitish clouds. It was beautiful. Of course, being in Beijing in August is always brutal. Thank goodness for air con.