Beijing buzzing ahead of Games opening

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijingers waved flags, painted their faces and snapped pictures of Olympics venues on Friday, excited about the opening of the Games after years of planning, hoping and waiting.

Newspapers splashed pictures of fireworks and the showpiece venues. Commuters crammed into a subway car all silently pored over a special Olympic supplement blaring a headline "Realizing the dream".

"I never thought I'd see this day. We just feel so fortunate and happy," said Shi Le, 73, out for a morning stroll.

When she moved to Beijing from the countryside 50 years ago, China was poor, diplomatically isolated and gripped by the fervor of radical Communism.

Now China is using the Games to highlight its rise into the world's fourth-largest economy and most Beijing residents are proud to see the capital in the global media spotlight.

"There are so many more cars and people here now. Everyone has a television. Eating enough is never a problem these days. To see the country develop to this level makes me very satisfied," Shi said.

Nearby, residents snaked around the corner outside a post office to buy commemorative stamps only available on August 8, 2008, a day picked to open the Games because of the auspicious symbolism of the number eight in Chinese.

Hu Yihua, 55, emerged with her son, carrying a parcel full of stamps and stationery.

"It's a special day. And in our household we have a child born in this Olympic year, so we're buying these things for her so she'll have them when she's older," Hu said, beaming as she spoke of her granddaughter.

"She was born on the day the Olympic flame was lit in China," Hu said.

Many of those at the post office or at neighborhood kiosks buying breakfasts of soy milk and steamed pork buns planned to get together with their extended families to watch the opening ceremony on television.

"You can see the city has prepared very well. It just makes our hearts really happy to see this day," said Lao Wu, 70, wheeling a bicycle laden with vegetables away from a market.

Near the Olympic venues, throngs of families snapped photos, some of them with Chinese flags painted on their cheeks. At one Beijing salon, hairdressers painted the Olympic rings and slogans on their arms in glitter.

Although forecasters were talking about possible storms, even the prospect of wet weather wasn't going to dampen spirits.

"It won't rain!" said Shi, glancing at the smoggy sky. Even if it does it won't matter."

(Editing by Keith Weir)