Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008
10:48:53 -0700
Subject: Light the passion, share the dream - 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in San
Francisco on April 9, 2008 - A Historical Event
You are the CAIES Team in support of the Olympic Torch Relay:
We have twenty members, spouses and friends signed up:
Sandy Ao (YEI Engineers);
Louis Chan and Ivy Chan;
Raymond Chan;
Tony Cho;
Joseph Ho, and Rose Ho;
Jane Lam and Zhen Xia Yao (Jane’s sister);
Rowena Leung;
Ho Louie and Daisy Louie;
Kayon Louie;
Stan Moy;
Mancheuk So;
Ronald Soohoo, Rose Soohoo, Bonita Lam and Danielle Chin;
Hansom Tom.
You may have seen the routing in the news. It starts from AT&T Park, along Embarcadero, passing Ferry Building, Pier 39, Fishman’s Wharf, into Jefferson St, Beach Street, Bay Street, back to Embarcadero and finish at Justin Herman Plaza (next of Hyatt Regency at Market). In addition to the local community organizations, there will be over hundred of large bus loads of supporter from other cities. Since this is a relay event, at starting point and at finishing point, there will be people gathered. Along the route, we also need to place people to cheer the runners. CAIES team with other community teams of about 150 people will be positioned at a section between AT&T Park and Pier 40 in front of a large, twenty feet height Red Sculpture (at 2nd Street and Embarcadero) and a small restaurant named Java House ( not Red’s Java House ). It is a very scenic sport. With the blue sky, the sparkling Bay, the sculpture, the yacht harbor, the torch carrier running by and you cheering, it will be a sensational picture to be broadcasted worldwide.
It is perfect and easy to take public transportation there. You may take BART to Embarcadero and walk about 20 minutes to the location or take street car to the location. You may take Caltrain to the 3rd Street Station and walk about 15 minutes to the location.
The relay is scheduled to start at 1:00pm. It may not start exactly on time. By 1:30pm, the first relay runner may reach our station and do the switching to the 2nd runner right in front of us. In a few minutes, it is over. We may leave the station. You may go home or go back to the paper piling up on your desk. Or better, much better, you are encouraged to take a coffee break, take a leisure walk to the Finish Point to see the closing celebration show around 3:30pm and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
Now comes the tough part. When shall we gather at the location? I was advised to ask everyone be there at 9:30am to secure the position. Considering that we are no longer 18 year old, we can’t stand there that long. There are logistics problems such as lunch, wash room facility and others. I suggest that couple of volunteers to be there earlier around 10:30 or 11am to occupy the place and to be counted. The rest of the team should be there before Noon. Lunch will be on your own. (If you be there early, Java House is a good place for Hamburger). If you be there real early, you may want to walk to the starting point and take a look. But you better be back to our position way before the relay runner gets there.
We’ll pass out US flags, Chinese flags, Olympic flags, five ring flags, color banners and US-China friendship pins for you to use and keep. Mancheuk, if you can bring the CAIES banner, the one we use in Scholarship Party. That will be nice to display too. We have excessive supplies. If you have friends willing to join us, please sign them up and let me know. I heard that hundreds of people are signing up in some community organizations motivated by the political noise in the news.
San Francisco is always cool. Even around noon, standing outdoor and be exposed to Bay wind, warm and layered cloth will be needed. Hat, sun block lotion, water, Tiger Balm, light folding stool or whatever makes you comfortable should be considered.
If we are confronted by people of ‘different opinions’, please be calm. If they do something wrong, it is not our job to correct them. Call the police nearby or the group leader if necessary. There may be some noises, but I do not expect anything too bad.
Tony Cho will be the lead of our team. Raymond, mancheuk know everybody. Please give Tony a hand. I’ll be in an interview at SJ Water Pollution Control Plant that afternoon and will miss the whole show. To share with you the excitement, I’ll buy you dinner around 6:00pm. Please let me know whether you can join.
We do not do this every day. We may not do this again for a long time to come. Let’s enjoy it.
Any questions? Any challenges? Please let me know.
Larry
CAIES Team,
What a day. I am proud of everyone of you. You broke away from your confortable routine and came to witness this historical event. You may have to watch the torch relay runners from the TV screen, but your support showed Olympic Spirit. That is the torch all about. Your presence made the 'Shout toward East and Hit the West' （声东击西）tactic successful. So, congratulations. Mission accomplished.
Professor Soohoo's group traveled a long way from Davies. Special thanks to Mrs. Rose Soohoo. She made a CAIES banner for this special occasion. It made our group real official. Take a look at the photos.
My thanks to Tony, Mancheuk, Rowena ......for taking care of all details. Please thank the guests in your group. I do not have their e-mails address and can not thank them personally.
I'll get more souvenirs and distribute to every one when I get them.
Larry