Absurdity, Allegory and China

Last night we got a taste of what’s to come over the next year. For the last several years we’ve watched from our 10^th floor perch as a new stadium has been in the process of being built across the street to host football (soccer) competitions for the 2008 Olympics. There has been a rush over the last two months to prep the exterior for public presentation. We are now neighbors to a large square, not yet public, in front of the main entrance. Or rather, what I assume to be the main entrance, which is on the north side of the stadium. The south and west sides also have entrances though the north, fronting Binshui Dao, seems to be the logical ‘main.’

At any rate, all day long yesterday entertainment happened. Loudly. Bad songs blaring through cranked-up speakers along with the frenzied tenor of the emcee trying his best to raise a few pulses. Last night it continued as the crowd built. Hard to ignore the noise. Thankfully the whole thing stopped at 8:58 PM. I joked to Beth that there must be an ordinance, as if there are really any laws.