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Can you believe how fast this year has flown? I know there are a few weeks before we all tear into another year, but when I start buying Christmas presents, and posting them back home (as we all must do now), I'm not only wrapping gifts for my loved ones, I'm also wrapping up another year. The words of John Lennon come to mind: "So this is Christmas, and what have you done?" I have done a lot and what a year it has been for an expat living in China. We started 2008 with one of the worst snowstorms in history, followed by the tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake. The image of a crouching father holding the hand of his dead son still trapped in the rubble will haunt me forever. Then we let the Games begin. Fireworks, 5,000 years of history, and giant whales swimming around the stadium all set the tone before the Olympians dazzled us with world records and feats of the fantastic. The world watched China host the biggest banquet in its history and we expats were lucky to be here to enjoy the experience. The Beijing Games helped change a lot of stereotypes about China thanks to the reports of more than 30,000 members of the foreign media. These short-stay visitors were important people because their television reports, feature articles, radio interviews and blogs reached the biggest worldwide audience in Olympic history. The world's view of China is already changing, according to a survey organized by the Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing. The survey revealed that foreigners liked China better than before, because they knew more. | 
