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China and IMany foreigners have come to live in Beijing and many students study at international schools. They come from many backgrounds and cultures but they have one thing in common. They admire and care for this host country and want to do the best they can for it. I am one of these people. I attend, and have attended for the past two years, the Western Academy of Beijing, one of the Olympic Model Schools and by attending this school I have learnt to focus heavily on the Olympics. I am no longer merely excited by the Games but now also I have come to understand what a great thing they are. Through peace, love and sports they have brought together people of all nationalities and ages – a wondrous achievement in our modern world! The Olympics have also taught me about different communities and I truly believe that you cannot live in a country without gaining, but also without giving something back. I am currently teaching English at a poor local school and I am certain that I am the greatest gainer in this relationship! The students there have taught me that even if you are poor and have very little you can still, by sticking together and generally working as a community – living by the Olympic spirit – live an amazing life. In my work helping to look after animals in China again I gain a great deal. I also work, helping to raise money for many other charities around China and I have a real enjoyment in all that I do. In myself I am nothing special. There are many, many others with the same interests and enthusiasms, but I am proud of what I do. I am proud to be part of the great nation of China, I am proud to represent the expatriate community that the Chinese people have so kindly and willingly accepted and I would be proud to stand up and confess my love for this amazing country by carrying the Olympic torch. In the two and a half years that I have been living in China I have come to appreciate this vast, complex country. It is not the stunning, beautiful landscape or the phenomenal ancient monuments, the amazing shopping opportunities or the mouth-watering food that makes China such a wonderful place to live, but the people. It is their welcoming, friendly smiles, helpful attitudes and quiet endurance of the harsh climate that have made me feel so at ease in this wonderful country that I like to call my home. It would be the proudest moment of my life if I were privileged to represent a small part of this diverse community and carry the torch.
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