No solitude for ceremony singletons
BEIJING (Reuters) - It is the show of the century for teacher Wei Yuanjun, and she does not mind that after blowing half a month's salary and traveling for two days she will be watching the Olympic Games' opening ceremony without her family.
Like most people with one of the coveted tickets, Wei won it in an online lottery which only handed out the chance to buy a single ringside seat at an event that is expected to attract a global television audience of at least 1 billion people.
"This type of chance comes round once in a hundred years. I feel so lucky and happy. And my friends are so jealous," she said grinning in the security queue to get into the stadium.
Urbane bankers and nervous teenagers, flag-draped patriots and high-heeled saleswomen walked up to the stadium gates from an outer cordon, made into temporary equals by strict traffic controls and the one-ticket limit.
No one seemed worried sitting on their own would damp the atmosphere at show which starts at 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month -- eight is a lucky number in China.
"We are all Chinese. That's enough," said librarian Meng Qinghai, heading into the stadium with a new friend.
Many with tickets were taking no chances and arrived as much as six hours early, often wearing national colors of red and yellow. Even the more restrained had flag stickers on their face.
"This is China's most important day, so being able to come here I'm very lucky. Everyone here is my friend," said Tan Huaiyu, dressed in a homemade yellow "team China" t-shirt and bright yellow wig that had already won him a throng of admirers.
Accountant Yan Hui from central Hunan province took a more subdued, but equally excited approach. She arrived by train wearing high heels and an elegant black and purple evening frock.
"Its like our country's birthday, I felt I should get a special dress," she told Reuters, as she headed in to a seat that had set her back 5,000 yuan ($730).
"I haven't felt lonely since I got off the train this morning, even though I'm on my own. Its very strange."
($1=6.862 Yuan)
