To the EMC China Teams,

I wanted to take a minute to pay respect to the people of China for organizing and delivering a very special evening on Friday night,  08-08-08, for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.

I always believed over the past few years that China would work hard to ensure a memorable event, but I never imagined so many amazing and beautiful themes would be part of the Opening Ceremony.  I expected lots of fireworks, but the show reminded all the world about the many great inventions and contributions of the Chinese culture over thousands of years of history…and that was even more powerful than all the fireworks exploding at the end of the ceremonies.  All night long, everything worked perfectly, and I have to say that only in China could there be the attention to detail and discipline to ensure 2,008 drummers and performers could work so smoothly in harmony that they seemed to be one person.

While I was watching the Opening Ceremony events a few days ago…I was thinking how much pride you must feel for the great face you have shown all of the world.  Even though I of course am not Chinese, I feel proud for the great honor you have brought to Asia.

I always knew China was a country of smart, strong and special people who have played a big part in the history of the world.  Now, the whole world has seen very clearly that China will play a huge role in shaping the future of the world. 

Steve Leonard