Random Licks: Back from Beijing

Dave and I are back from our week at the Olympics. We saw the Opening Ceremonies. We saw the China-U.S.A. basketball game. We saw Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh blocking and smashing in Beach Volleyball.

We saw Michael Phelps break a record and the U.S.A Men's Gymnastics Team win an unexpected bronze medal. We saw the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube and all the other astonishing architectural feats, including The Forbidden City and The Great Wall.

We didn't see any dogs. Or to be more precise, I saw one dog---a little, white poodle at the base of the chair lift that took us up to The Great Wall.

I read that "dog" was ordered to be removed from all the restaurant menus in China during the Olympics. I will never know what was in the dubious hot dogs at the various venues, but I'm suspicious.

It was very strange to drive through the city of Beijing, with it's population of more than 17.4 million people, and not see one dog, especially since so many distinctive and largely ancient breeds originated in China: Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Spaniel, Chinese Shar-Pei, Tibetan Mastiff, Chow-Chow and, my particular favorite because one was my pet in 102 Dalmatians, the Chinese Crested (my hairless little dog in the movie was called "Harry").

I suppose I could count the formidable Fu Dogs that we saw in The Forbidden City, but they were very old and scary and bronze. I'd like to think that Beijing does actually have a dog population and that they were all glued to their televisions, chewing on treats, watching the games, out of the humidity and smog, smugly lying in front of a humming air conditioner.