8.8.08 “One World, One Dream”

Two years ago, when Alex was not yet 6 months old, he made his second trip half way around the world and back. At less than three months, he’d already been to the Middle East and now double that age, he took on Singapore and China.

Beijing was literally marking the days until the 2008 Olympic Games with a large countdown clock rolling back the hours in Tian'anmen Square. On that muggy July day, there were still 754 days to go before opening ceremonies, but the Chinese government and people were preparing for the throngs of international tourists.

Like the Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, the five official mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, known as Fuwa, carry a message of friendship, peace and good wishes from China to children all over the world. Each of mascots has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow. When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing.

Alex was a star during his visit to Beijing – touring the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, shopping and climbing the Great Wall – as hundreds of Chinese people surrounded him to snap a picture of the little American baby who’d come from so far. (Check out this blog’s story from July 2007). As I took pictures of delicacies like scorpions on a stick and panda bears, Alex somehow became a mascot of goodwill too as he brought smiles and joy to so many with just a smile.

As the countdown clock shows just hours until China commences the Games of the XXIX Olympiad , the whole world is watching and waiting. But on 8.8.08, Alex will be practicing for the 2028 Olympics by jumping across the living room, shrieking in glee and waiting for his marks from his parents. You never know…maybe he’ll win the Gold for the high jump, the long jump, gymnastics or be able to dunk a basketball! He’s already got the Gold, Silver & Bronze from mom!

China's 'Forbidden City' forbids Babies?

The Forbidden City was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is located in the center of Beijing, China. The complex is comprised of 9,999 rooms -- and, what feels like that many tourists. But, there are no babies allowed inside the Forbidden City. (OK, that is absolutely not true. But, I didn't see any. In fact, I didn't see any babies in China at all.)

When Alex was 6-months-old, he visited Beijing in intense summer heat. At every step, we were followed, photographed, and stopped by throngs of Chinese excited to see our little boy. If you ever want to know what it feels like to be stalked by paparazzi, then take your baby to China. With over 1.31 billion people, China has the largest population of any country in the world. The crunch of people on the roads and sidewalks is felt as you ping-pong your way down any street. Even the tourist spots are shoulder-to-shoulder with Chinese teens and adults snapping pictures. But there were no babies, toddlers or small children to be seen. The Chinese prefer to keep their children at home. And, that made us a big hit!

At Tian'anmen Square we were followed by excited teenagers. Navigating the stroller through the main gates for the Forbidden City became a bigger challenge as everyone tried to sneek a peek inside. On the exquisite grounds of the Summer Palace a police officer actually had to break up the crowd gathered around us. At the panda exhibit at the zoo, there were more people taking pictures of us then taking pictures of the near extinct pandas. And even on the hottest of days, as we made the ultimate climb up a very small portion of the 4,000 mile-long Great Wall of China, heads turned and cameras from all directions were pointed at little Alex.

I can't help but wonder how many Chinese scrapbooks, camera phones and even blogs my son is posted on. The chance to visit China was a trip that I'll cherish a lifetime. But more than the Ming Tombs, beautiful jade factories or the anticipation of the 2008 Olympics slated for Beijing, what I'll remember most is the thousands of smiles Alex brought to the faces of China!