0034 The Friendlies Will Get You

China has the world’s largest population, the tallest mountain, the longest wall and now…the most Olympic Mascots. Five. That’s two more than Sydney had in 2000. They call these mascots the Olympic Friendlies and their names are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini which, when said together -- Beijing huan ying ni -- means Welcome to Beijing. They are a fish, a panda, an Olympic flame, a Tibetan antelope and a swallow and they symbolize everything from China’s diversity to the Olympic Rings themselves. Conspicuously absent are the tiger and dragon. Oh well. Given the surplus mascot merchandise that Sydney undoubtedly had to dispose of after their Olympics, it’s probably just as well. #ceas #china #tsutsui #wilson