Home > Social Butterfly > Archives > 2008 > August > 12 > Entry
Made in the USA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlantan George Hirthler has made his mark on Beijing
Beijing has slapped its official Olympic slogan, “One World, One Dream,” all over town.
Did you know it was created in Atlanta? It’s true.
George Hirthler, the ebullient Atlanta communications strategist who worked ACOG and is now working with 2016 contender Chicago, submitted the slogan chosen several years ago to brand the 2008 Games.
He’d actually submitted it for consideration for the Atlanta Games, but says it’s the perfect catch-phrase for the Beijing Games. He was among the Atlantans and former ACOG officials who turned out for “Chicago Night.” Windy City Mayor Richard M. Daley and a slew of Olympic athletes including Bart Conner and Bob Ctvrtlik, who’s also an International Olympic Committee member.
Bob Ctvrtlik, left, and George Hirthler
There were tons of Atlantans there, including Hirthler’s fellow ACOGer Charlie Battle and Jessica and Andrew Rodbell, the cutest couple ever. She’s a Pace girl who went to UGA; he went to Westminster and the University of Pennsylvania. They met while working on MBAs at Emory.
The Rodbells
The Rodbells visited Beijing in 2000, before they were married, and talked about how neat it might be to live here during the Games. Two corporate transfers later (hers with Google, his with Coke), here they are.
Nancy Tao and Sean O’Keeffe also moved here from Atlanta, seeing an international experience. Her dad, Austin Tao, is from Shanghai and emigrated to the U.S. at age 10. Sean, you might guess, traces his heritage to Ireland.
Guess which one speaks Chinese? She’s learning.
Keith Williams, left, and Phil Morrison
Of all the bars in all the hotels in all the world…
I walked into theirs.
Phil Morrison and Keith Williams first started playing together years ago, in hotels and restaurants in Atlanta. After performing at the Atlanta Games they decided to hit the road, and landed gigs all over the globe, starting in Tokyo.
Right now they’re working for a few months in the gorgeous fifth-floor lounge at the new Beijing Hilton. When you get off the elevator, a hostess in a ball gown with dazzling rhinestone brooch greets you to lead you into the bar, called Flames.
The jazz duo’s song “Beijing Olympics, Hao Yuing” (“good luck”) has been honored by Beijing Olympics Song Selection Committee. You can listen to it here.
“We want to communicate love, unity, the oneness of our human family,” Williams said. “Music really is a unifying language.”
For their Hilton gig they have hooked up with L.A. songbird Viva Vinson, but are still missing a drummer (if you and your pair of sticks are looking for work in Beijing, you might head on over.)
Morrison and Williams love introducing international audiences to jazz. It’s often an educational process, and they say that sometimes after a set, their new fans rush up to ask, “was that jazz?”
They remember the pride they felt playing at the Atlanta Games, since they were Atlanta residents at the time. So they can relate to the pride residents of their temporary city feel at hosting the 2008 Games.
I got there late Tuesday night after hitting several other events. The place had thinned out some so the guys were up for a request: “Georgia on My Mind,” of course.
Here’s what I saw today
The great thing about spotty cell phone service is the unforeseen opportunities it can introduce. For example, if I’d known my scheduled interview had been called off, I wouldn’t have found myself knocking around with a couple of spare hours in a colorful Beijing neighborhood today. So, here’s how I spent my unexpected free time.
First, I stumbled onto an outdoor fitness center.
A future Olympian
This one looked really fun
You have to like this frank description. None of this “active senior” business here
Since dogs are off the menu I guess they’ve been put to work. This little guy was holding down the fort while the driver had a smoke. Thoroughly freaked out by the CDC warning about rabies in China I didn’t pet him (or her).
Translation by Yoda
Comments