Never one to pass up an opportunity to flag its readiness for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing's organisers went into overdrive last week with dozens of celebratory events to mark the 500-day countdown to the sporting spectacle.

State-run media was saturated with reports and pictures of crowds posing against a giant countdown clock in the heart of the Chinese capital, while others took part in a walk-and-jog through the city, accompanied by life-sized mascots of the 2008 Games, the Fuwas.

The organisers also unveiled the winning design for the medals of the upcoming Olympics - one which combined the use of jade, which signifies honour and virtue in Chinese culture, with gold, silver and bronze.

The medals feature the Beijing Olympic logo, the five Olympic rings and 'Beijing 2008' in a centre circle, which is then surrounded by a ring of jade in different colours.

The gold medal has a ring of finer white jade, while the jade used for the silver medal sports a slightly darker tone. The bronze medal has a ring of green jade.

'The elegant design represents Chinese culture and the Olympic spirit,' said Ms Jiang Xiaoyu, an executive vice-president of the Beijing organising committee.

At separate press conferences, the Olympics organisers also gave the assurance that the 31 stadiums being built or renovated for the Games would be ready by year-end as scheduled.

The one exception would be the showcase 91,000-seater National Stadium, known fondly as the 'Bird's Nest'.

Officials said the National Stadium, which will be the main venue for track and field events, would be ready in March next year, but gave no reasons for the slight delay.

One Olympic venue, the Shunyi Olympic Water Park, is expected to be completed in time for its first major test event, the Junior World Rowing Championships, in August.

Located about an hour's drive north-east of Beijing, the park boasts a 3,000-m rowing lake and will host rowing, kayaking and canoeing events.

The media blitz, however, has left some Beijingers wondering if the city was organising one countdown too many.

Taxi-driver Li Wenge groused that it was not that long ago - in August last year - that Beijing had marked the two-year countdown to the Games.

'In a few months' time, we would mark the one-year countdown,' he added. 'Would we then have to mark the 200-day and 100-day countdowns as well? Can't the money be better spent helping the poor?'

But one bit of news which failed to get into the Chinese media last week, was how French politicians and an American movie star are calling on corporate sponsors and athletes to boycott the 2008 Games due to China's ties with Sudan.

Actress Mia Farrow had accused Beijing of 'bank- rolling' the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, while French presidential candidate Francois Bayrou said last week that 'France will do itself honour by refusing to take part' in the 2008 Olympics if Beijing continued to block UN Security Council resolutions condemning Sudan.

Beijing has rebuffed the critics, saying that they did not understand China's policies in Africa.

Hmm... indeed there's so much hype about the nearing of the Olympics...500 days..and the list goes on. Skies are artificially cleared to improve conditions for the big event...modernization is taking place at a rapid pace. Yet some parts of Beijing are still experiencing extreme poverty. What a stark contrast...tall high-rise buildings in the city area..buzzing with excitement over the very prospect that a world-event is to be held soon.

I wonder what will possibly happen after the Olympics.