Well, the Cube certainly seems to house a fast pool. Check out the results. Christian at timedfinals says in the very first session Japan’s Natsumi Hoshi swam a blistering 200 fly.

Interestingly, only last month a former Australian coach had forecast no new records would be set in the pool. Why, because the finals would be held in the morning, and swimmers aren’t at their best then. We’ll see.  

Pictures by Claro Cortes IV and Jason Lee/Reuters

With a flat-screen TV this big, friends will be queuing up for a seat in your living room! Actually this isn’t my house. It’s  a photo by Arnd Wiegmann taken at a Berlin bar during last year’s soccer World Cup.

Last year I splashed out and bought myself a flat-screen TV — the incentive? Well don’t tell my missus, but it was nothing to do with cosying up on the sofa and watching a soppy movie.  It was the big year of cricket and rugby union — World Cup time!

So, I wonder if manufacturers are rubbing their collective hands with glee this year? With the price of flat-screen teles falling to a price that even I could afford, are they poised to make a killing in ‘08?  Our correspondent in Seoul, Rhee So-eui, this week wrote an interesting piece on this subject titled “Asia techs hope for Chinese Olympics splurge”.

Another interesting story appearing on the Reuters wire this week looked at the impact of the Beijing Games on the markets. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Wei Gu’s column titled: “The Beijing Olympics: a market blessing or curse?”

MENU

Chicken without sexual life

Husband and wife’s lung slice

Bean curd made by a pock-marked woman

These are some of the English translations appearing at restaurants which authorities are determined to clean up before the Games.

The Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau is preparing a set of fixed English translations for Chinese menus is set to be published before the Spring Festival in February.

The state news agency Xinhua reported that the final draft, which has been partially revised after soliciting opinions from netizens and language experts, has been sent to the printers and would soon be recommended to restaurants across the country for their bilingual menus.

I, for one, though hope these lovely mistranslations still abound at the time of the Games. It certainly adds a new dimension to eating out!

Just for the record, the menu should have read:

Spring chicken

Pork lungs in chili sauce

 Stir-fried tofu in hot sauce.

Picture of a young boy eating noodles at a restaurant in Beijing by Hyungwon Kang