As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games come to an end and Beijing returns to normal, I can't help but feel a bit emotional. I will truly miss these games, and I'm not just talking about the sports event. I will miss the way this city looked and behaved over these past two weeks.

I will miss the clean air, the lack of heavy traffic and the lack of bad billboards.

I'll miss taxi drivers following the rules of the road, the kind and helpful volunteers, and being the center of attention.

I'll miss the bikini-clad cheerleaders, the free stuff all over town, the Fuwa mascots, and the extra flowers and trees.

I'll miss the sports nuttiness, the clueless foreigners, the loud and colorful clothing, the "ambush" functions and parties, and the clean public toilets.

I'll miss the ability to watch uncensored feeds of CNN and the BBC.

I'll even miss the crowded hotel bars, the bad stadium food and the armed police.

And I'll miss the color red.

I'm an optimist, though, and like many people in China, I hope of few of these things are here to stay. Wish us luck.

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