Olympic Goodies

So I have just been to register at the Main Press Center and in the process was handed a nifty backpack with a bunch of useful stuff like media guides, bus routes etc. During these sort of jamborees reporters usually get given bits and piece by corporate sponsors and governments, most of it fairly disposable. One of the best things in the APEC pack I got years back in Hong Kong was eight rechargable AA batteries. Here's what was included (some kind of computer cover, a transformer plug and a packet of postcards not shown) in the Beijing 2008 package:

DIT

As you can see, there's a bunch of practical stuff, for once. There's an Immediate Care Kit that includes sun tan lotion, insect repellent, band aids and hand sanitizer. There's also handy portable fan, a pair of tiny binoculars, sunglasses, a flashlight. some sort of MP3 thingy and some coupons for free Macdonald's burgers. Hmmm. Hard not to wonder how the Olympic official who put this together views reporters as he or she apparently thought we would be too dumb to come in from the sun, plagued by bugs, sweaty, hungry, dirty, self absorbed (earphones) and totally in the dark (flashlight). Actually, that may not be so far off the mark.