OlymPicks: Making Snow, Athlete Meals & More

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In OlymPicks, we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.

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Snowmaking underway in YanqingSnow began falling in Yanqing District on Monday, just in time for the Olympics!Fake snow, that is.

Snowmaking for the alpine skiing events kicked off Nov 15, as two teams of 20 people each are working in 24-hour shifts to make the snow, with the whole process scheduled for completion by mid-January.

Why artificial snow? Well, in order to prevent skis from breaking during competition, glacial snow – aka “icy snow,” or snow with thicker crystals – is required.

Given that such snow is impossible to achieve naturally in Yanqing, these snowmakers will be working their magic ‘til January arrives in order to create the best skiing snow possible for the Games.

Menu featuring 600+ dishes for athletes unveiled, pepper removedOlympians are in for a culinary treat when they’re famished after long days of training or competition, albeit one which might not have as much of a kick as they're used to.Beijing Olympics organizers have announced they’ll be serving up 678 dishes from 12 global regions for athletes throughout the Games, but there's one catch – 48 spices, including pepper and bay leaves, will not be used in order to avoid "false positives" during doping tests, according to Today in 24 News.

That being said, organizers and chefs promise the food will be tasty, and will also prominently feature dishes from all across China with Chinese Lunar New Year in mind.

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Olympics & Paralympics Village readies for Jan 2022 opening

Beijing’s Olympic Village has been completed and is gearing up for its official opening on Jan 27, 2022.

The venue consists of 20 buildings meant to house more than 2,300 Olympians and over 1,000 Paralympians. There will also be catering and medical services provided at the Village, which will be used until the Paralympics end in March 2022.

No word yet on what the site will become following the Games, but they do look like they’d make for some pretty nice apartments if you ask us.

Need a stocking stuffer that’ll wow? Go for this gaudy curling stone
Not only is this baby good looking with a platinum handle, its filled with used and torn up RMB notes (from the looks of it, they seem to mostly be of the RMB 100 variety). This, as CCTV and the curling stone’s designer point out, champions the spirit of a “Green Olympics.”

Would you grab one of these curling stones for yourself or a loved one? Let us know in the comments!

Images: China Daily, Global Times, CCTV

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