Last dash for the Olympics

It's June 19th, and 50-some-odd days to the Olympics. I should know the number, for goodness' sake, considering it's reported on the radio everyday during every single commercial break...

Nonetheless, I must say that Beijing has made some great strides in recent months. A few key examples:

• As of June 1st, plastic bags in ALL OF CHINA are now provided at a cost. Stores and restaurants are no longer allowed to provide plastic bags for free. Though the cost of a bag ranges from a mere 0.20 yuan to 1 yuan each at my local Carrefour, the impact was immense. On a recent grocery trip, out of the 80-100 shopping carts that I passed by, I saw only maybe 2 or 3 carts that had opted to pay for their bags instead of bringing their own. That's HUGE. Need I repeat? HUUUUGE! Why doesn't the US do that?
• Also as of this month, smoking is no longer allowed in public areas. *note* that's all public areas, not just indoors. I've noticed this in restaurants and bars already...and I'm sure the impact will be appreciated by all.
• Beijing's subway lines will have doubled in number between last year and this year, and the cost of taking the subway actually decreased a few months ago! That was in an effort to get more people off the roads, and underground. New subway cars have been added, and air conditioned cars have replaced the old ones from the 80's. A new subway ticketing system was just implemented, now charging by distance instead of a flat rate, thus bringing Beijing's subway system back into the modern 21st century...