Ａ　Ｔａｓｔｅ　ｏｆ　Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ　Ｌｉｆｅ：Ｏｌｙｍｐｉｃ　Ｈｏｍｅｓｔａｙｓ.docVIP

Ａ　Ｔａｓｔｅ　ｏｆ　Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ　Ｌｉｆｅ：Ｏｌｙｍｐｉｃ　Ｈｏｍｅｓｔａｙｓ 　　 　　DURING the Olympic Games, Beijing is expected to host about 250,000 foreign spectators a day. When visiting Chinese spectators and general domestic and overseas tourists are added to this figure, the total number of visitors is expected to be around 550,000 a day during the Olympic weeks. With insufficient hotels to accommodate this number, the city has adopted another strategy. In March 2007, the Beijing Tourism Bureau announced its Olympic Homestay Plan, the perfect choice for those wishing to experience the life of ordinary Beijingers. 　　 　　English teacher Han Rubing lives in a community just 15 minutes’ walk from the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube. Her husband Miao is a lawyer who has spent time in Germany. Their son Miao Zhuangzhuang, like many other kids, is a big fan of Japanese animation characters Ultraman and Doraemon. This August, their life is set to change after they were designated Olympic Homestay 0000 on April 10, 2008. 　　Zhuangzhuang regularly practices wushu, or martial arts, while his parents make time for Peking Opera rehearsals. “We cannot sing as well as the professionals, but as typical Chinese, we want to show foreign friends this aspect of local culture.” Miao has long been keen on opera and has a lot of fun practicing. 　　A year’s preparation has given Han confidence, but she is still not satisfied with her apartment. 揟he flat looks crowded and a little old-fashioned,?she says. 揟he community was built in 1990 and the layout is f lnot practical.” Han wants to make up for the design shortcomings of her home with a harmonious family atmosphere. 　　Han’s own homestay experience in Sydney has given her some ideas. When she and her colleagues arrived at their reception family’s home in cold weather, she wanted to soak her feet in hot water before going to sleep, just like she did back in Beijing. The landlord asked what she needed and the next morning Han found a big new basin just outside her door.