My fascination with the Olympics started in 1984 when as a young high school student, I watched on television China's Olympic star, Li Ning perform and win several gold medals in men¡¯s gymnastics in the Los Angeles Games. My love affair with sports also started during my high school years when as a young student, I represented my school in a nationwide sports writing competition and brought home a gold medal for winning an on-the-spot coverage of a volleyball game. From then on, my young mind has not stopped dreaming and aiming for what I thought was an impossible dream ¨C to witness the Olympic Games. In August of 1988, this dream came into reality when as a senior university student, I won the Olympic Quiz show on national TV in the Philippines. And the prize? An all-expense paid, 17-day trip to the Seoul Olympic Games! To this day, I still cherish a prized memorabilia, the key chain to my room key in the Olympic village where I was billeted along with Filipino journalists.
Last August 8, 2007, barely three months in my assignment as a diplomat in the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, I once again felt very privileged when China hosted a lavish pageantry beamed worldwide to celebrate the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As I sat there at historic Tiananmen Square to witness the grand celebration, my mind flew back to 1988 and started dreaming about 2008 when I will, once again, have the privilege to see the Olympics live.
Here I am, once more, aiming for another dream ¨C to be one of the expat torch bearers during the Beijing Games. And why not? We Filipinos consider ourselves ¡°citizens of the world¡±. There are Filipinos in almost every country in the world. To represent my country in China and during the Games will be like reliving a significant part of Philippines-China relations, which dates back centuries ago. Like my Olympic dream as a teenager, when I joined the foreign service, I have always considered China a dream assignment.
After a two and a half year-stint in Hong Kong, I was honored to be cross-posted to Beijing at a time when Philippines-China bilateral relations have reached its ¡°golden stage¡±. I am very privileged to be part of the ¡°Philippine team¡± that continues to endeavor to elevate this relationship to a higher level.
Here I am now with my wife and two children witnessing China as it continues to emerge as a world destination where citizens of the world are welcome to come. There are so many interesting facts about China, its culture and history that we would like to enrich ourselves with. And so many places to visit beyond the Great Wall. As we immerse ourselves in our new home in Beijing, we are touched by the warmth and kindness of Chinese neighbors whose smiles and ¡°ni haos¡± are gestures of their affectionate welcome to us, as we become part of their community.
As I aspire for another dream to become one of the expat torch bearers in the Beijing Games, the Olympic watcher and enthusiast in me remains wishful and hopeful of another dream. And that is for our sportsmen to make an indelible mark in Philippine sports history by finally winning our country¡¯s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games.
