As the DJ always asks: ARE YOU READYYYYYYY?

The answer (in short) is in the title of the song We Are Ready - specially composed to mark the one-year countdown to the Games.

The next question is: How ready?

The answer is: Read on (in full).

First, some perspective. From a long time ago.

Not everyone knows that the ancient Greek Olympics were first and foremost about training for war. The competitions were called "agons" (as in "agony") and they sometimes involved fights to the death.

Fortunately, the world is not at war (except in a few places); and the agony (as in "far less painful") is perhaps limited to those who miss a medal.

But there is no denying that Beijing is on a war footing. And venues, the most visible signs of readiness, are the most obvious.

The feverish pace of construction as the venues near completion - some are complete - the appreciative sounds made by visiting dignitaries (accompanied by happy, hard-hat pictures), the sense of accomplishment, all point to a happy state of readiness.

That would be a pleasant contrast from some of the earlier Games.

Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, described venue construction as "always the most sensitive issue".

"You have seen all the misery in previous Games when venue construction was delayed for all kinds of reasons.

"I think that has been very well understood in Beijing and by your leaders because we have never had to worry about the venues being ready in time."

That's a thumping vote of confidence for construction ability. But there's also one for aesthetics.

"The venues took our breath away. All the venues are spectacular and will offer a very, very powerful backdrop to the Games," Verbruggen said last month at the IOC full session in Guatemala City.

He also seems to be happy with the venues' post-Games use: "We at the IOC look at (the issue) very carefully because we do not want a city or country to be stuck with a number of white elephants afterwards that are not used or that are costing a lot of money."

For the record, the Games requires 76 training venues and 37 competition venues, of which 31 are in Beijing - 12 built from scratch, 11 renovated, and eight temporary facilities.

By the end of last month, two venues, the Beijing Shooting Range Hall and Shunyi Rowing and Canoeing Park, were completed and formally handed over to the venue operation teams.

As for the others, all will be completed in time for the test events - way before the Games starts.

The National Stadium, dubbed the Bird's Nest, will be the last to be completed - in March next year - because of special touches needed for the opening and closing ceremonies.

But if it were only about construction, Beijing would win the Games by a country mile. After all, more than half the cement and steel consumed in the world last year was in China.

The promises made while bidding for the Games were: Green Olympics, High-Tech Olympics and People's Olympics. And implicitly, a showcase for a magnificent civilization.

Now, "green" is not a word easily associated with China; and central government officials readily admit that goals to reduce pollution and energy consumption are not being met. Some local officials like another kind of green: the greenback, which they see as far more important for their people.

The Games might be a reason, but Beijing is the only region in the country to have come close to meeting energy-reduction targets last year.

Another heartening fact: The green coverage in the city reached 50.5 percent by the end of 2005, meeting the Games target two years ahead of schedule.

The air quality has also improved significantly. Last year, despite heavy sandstorms in spring, Beijing managed 241 "blue sky days" - days with good air quality. For this year, the target is 245 days.

In a city where 1,000 new or used vehicles are registered every day, auto pollution is being brought under control. Last year, 15,000 taxis and 3,000 polluting buses were taken off the roads, and 4,000 natural-gas-driven buses were put into operation.

The Beijing organizers also have some contingency plans for the Games period to provide for a better environment. The details are not known, but a hint comes in the form of last year's China-Africa summit: most government and military cars were ordered off the roads.

Air quality was considered one of the major challenges for Beijing, but IOC President Jacques Rogge is confident Beijing will effect sweeping change.

"We are all aware that the backdrop in Beijing, set against a country experiencing such rapid economic expansion, is tough. However, we know that BOCOG, and the Chinese government at all levels, are dedicating a lot of effort to creating the appropriate conditions for the Games air quality," Rogge said just before the one-year countdown to the Games.

"We have been assured not only by the attention they are paying to this point, but also a number of contingency measures have been outlined to us which could be used, if necessary, at Games time."

Venues and weather aside, it's the people who make a great Games.

And Beijing has not been lacking.

Since recruitment of volunteers started a year ago, about 560,000 people from home and abroad have applied for the 100,000 positions at the end of last month.

Of them, about 50,000 have been accepted for general training, while around 20,000 have received training for special positions, such as drivers and interpreters. About 30,000 have been chosen for special positions, of which some 5,000 will participate in test events.

In addition, recruitment of volunteers for urban services during the Games began in June, and the number of applicants reached 270,000 at the end of last month. City volunteers have fixed or specially assigned working positions during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and are not directly involved with the events.

Some 500 voluntary service posts around Olympic venues and in other major areas in Beijing will be set up to provide information, language and emergency services, with 400,000 city volunteers standing by.

Their motto: Smiling Beijing.

And smile they might, too, for they have a glorious 5,000-year recorded history to show off - China has rooted its rich culture into all the elements of its first Olympic Games.

Besides the Games emblem, "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing", and the mascots Fuwa, the pictograms and medals as well as the torch feature traditional cultural elements, such as the ancient Chinese characters, jade and lucky cloud.

The torch relay route for the Beijing Games also borrowed from the ancient Silk Road, through which Chinese culture was spread to the rest of the world.

The big stage for displaying Chinese culture, of course, will be the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games, with the directing team led by China's best known film director, Zhang Yimou.

As Rogge said: "This will be a chance for people to discover first-hand a city where modernity and tradition blend in an inimitable way, a country with one of the richest cultures in the world and, above all, remarkable people.

"I am convinced that as much as the Games will enable the people of China to develop a new vision of their own society, they will help athletes and visitors gain a fairer perspective on China."

Come next year, the DJ with the old question will most likely hear: WE ARE READYYYYYYYYYYY!

(China Daily 08/08/2007 page25)