Wang Jixiong, his wife Niu Ailing and daughter Wang Ying live in a hutong in Beijing. Wang works in the office at a paper-making factory, his wife hasn't had a job since the hotel where she worked as a receptionist closed, and Wang Ying has just started her career in the Huaxia Bank, after graduating from university with a business degree. How have the Olympics affected your family? Not that much really. Our daughter has just started as an intern at a bank in Beijing and she is working sometimes 12 hours a day because there are so many more foreign customers to deal with, and so much to learn. She's happy though. The regulations about odd and even car licence plates will affect me because I sometimes drive a car for work. Does this regulation irritate you? Not at all. The air will finally start to get better because half the cars will be off the road and all the building work will stop. There will be much less pollution. Has the construction in your area been annoying you? It has been terrible. We have called the police several times when they carry on into the night, but as soon as the police go they start up again. Do you think the pollution has affected your health? (Ailing): Not my health as such, apart from the noise. It never stops, all day long, everywhere, the noise of the restoration work drives me crazy. They know they won't be able to do it once the Olympics starts so for the past couple of months it has been getting worse and worse. So are the Games a good thing? Of course, so people can get to understand China better. There are no disadvantages that I can see. (Ailing): It's been really nice to see older people learning English because they feel they can help visitors to China. Have you? (Ailing): Ahem, no. What do you think about the huge amounts spent on hosting the Games? It will improve our lives. There has been inflation, yes, but I think that would have happened without the Olympics. (Ailing): One of the things I really like is the way shop doorways, and the entrances to people's homes, have improved. The government has given money to people and shop owners to do them up and they are now looking really smart. Every shop is looking forward to the Olympics. They all see it as a great opportunity. We have also heard that during the Games, public transport will have extended opening times, and not only that, it will all be free!
