All eyes will be on the country known as The Red Dragon as the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics begin on Wednesday, February 2nd (the Opening Ceremony is February 4th). I am reminded of my high school band trip to Beijing and X’ian in 2003, which was just before they hosted the Olympics for the first time.
Although there were some calls for boycotts due to human rights violations (such as forced abortions/sterilizations and Uyghur Muslim camps), in the end, almost everyone seemed focused on playing the Olympics as planned albeit with Covid protocols in place. It seems like major sporting events like the Olympics should not be awarded to countries that constantly violate the rights of their citizens. The main focus of the rest of this blog entry will be on the current state of major theme parks in The Red Dragon. I will also provide some commentary on how likely I am to visit the parks. The first Tier 1 (Disney or Universal) theme park to open in what is currently considered the country was Hong Kong Disneyland on September 12, 2005. The politics were very different back then. The “Hong Kong Handover” from British control happened in 1997. Companies like Disney saw this as a significant opportunity to get a big foothold into southeast Asia. The park is the smallest Disney park in the world, although it can be considered a full day park after some more recent additions to it. I had high hopes of getting to Hong Kong Disneyland (and Ocean Park Hong Kong), but I’m tempering those expectations after Beijing’s greater control over the region. The next major theme park to be built in The Red Dragon was Shanghai Disneyland, which opened on June 16, 2016. It arguably has two of the best Disney rides in the world–Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure and TRON Lightcycle Run (which is coming soon to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom). With Shanghai being on the mainland, I knew that there would be difficulties as a priest traveling there (for example, bringing materials to say Mass in my hotel room). However, with the direction that Beijing is taking, I don’t have a strong desire to travel there anytime soon. Another major theme park, which is conveniently close to this year’s Olympics, is Universal Studios Beijing. It opened on September 20, 2021. Certainly it will benefit from the close proximity to one of the world’s largest cities. With Universal parks also in Singapore in Osaka, Japan, I don’t currently have a strong desire to get to this newest park. Although there are several other large cities in The Red Dragon that would be potential sites for major theme parks, foreign investors will probably avoid pursuing those projects if government control continues progressing the way it has been.
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I have put my personal projects (like Bible World) on the backburner for now, because I’ve entered another months-long imagineering competition on the WDWMagic.com Forums. This one is called “One Little Spark” (season 3). It’s my fourth major competition, although it’s the first one since summer for me. If I get put in charge of a parish this summer (my role would be as a Parochial Administrator), then I will need to take a break from competitions as I adjust to additional responsibilities. One Little Spark is focused more on fun and zaniness than some of the other competitions I’ve participated in. I have 6 teammates, and we go up against two other similarly-sized teams. Our first project was a Chinatown design for Disney’s California Adventure (next to Disneyland); we took first place. You can check it out here (the link directs to The March of the Animals flat ride that I designed): https://sites.google.com/view/ols3-teamb-act1-scene1/attractions/the-march-of-the-animals.
Bible: Matthew 2:1-12
In Gospel-Land replacing the Prince Charming Regal Carousel is The Three Kings Merry-Go-Round. Based on the great Feast of Epiphany (January 6th or the second Sunday after Christmas, which is January 2nd in 2022)–traditionally when Christians in many countries around the world receive presents (rather than on Christmas Day like in the U.S.)--this ride focuses on the three kings (or “magi”) who journey from the east by following a star. The names of the kings are traditionally held to be Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar. They are recognized as saints, and some of their remains are kept at the cathedral in Cologne, Germany. If you were wondering for a probable scientific explanation for the star that led the kings to the manger in Bethlehem, here is one that I found on-line (https://catholicstraightanswers.com/three-kings-truth-behind-star/):
In the center of the Merry-Go-Round are depictions of Melchoir, Caspar, and Balthasar with their gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. “We Three Kings” and other associated Christmas/Epiphany songs are played while the ride is in motion. Once again, this a ride that families will enjoy the whole year round, but especially at Christmas and Epiphany. |
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