And the gold goes to ... volunteers

My parents were fascinated by the Water Cube when they watched an international swimming gala, a test event for the Beijing Games.

They proudly posed for photos in front of the crystal-like stadium, and declared it was the best they had ever seen. They were also impressed by the Bird's Nest, and other infrastructure for the Games - metro lines being added seemingly by the month, and the third airport terminal.

But what left a lasting impression were the volunteers. They particularly treasure a photograph taken with a volunteer, Du Yingying, a junior at the University of International Business and Economics.