Opening Ceremony

Ok, so prior to the actual opening ceremony I read a really cool story about an archer from Korea named Im Dong Hyun. He's legally blind and can only barely distinguish the different colors on the target. What's cool is that he broke a scoring record for the ranking round they had today and helped his team post some major points. Really cool.

The Opening Ceremony. Let me just say that I knew it wasn't going to be as cool as Beijing. They spent tons of money and were out to show themselves off to the world. Also they have the world's highest population for a country so they had tons of people to do stuff for them. And I knew the London ceremony was going to be, well, British. And that it was. I read online that the director wanted to scale things back a notch so other countries would still feel able to host an Olympics because China's was way grandiose. So I didn't have outrageous expectations.

The first section was showing green and pastoral Great Britian, used real animals and grass, showed farms and hills, people playing rugby, cricket, picnicing, and other British things. (I found out they cut out a bunch when you watch it on TV). Then they showed the industrial era of GB and had smokestacks rise and forged an Olympic ring to join four others to make a set. Then they sort of rained fire. During this they had a moment of silence for all the people who fought and died in the World Wars. (Side note-one thing I noticed when I was in England in May was how much they still remember and honor and hold sacred the people who fought in WWI and WWII. I think they do a much better job on remembering those two wars specifically than we do, and it makes sense. Their country was being bombed, they fought in them longer than the US did, but I really appreciate that even though these wars are getting to be a long ways in the past they are still remembered). Then came the literature and arts section showing GB's contribution to the world and then music. Then came a lot of dancing and other stuff they didn't show and then the parade of nations. Then the official opening of the games from HRH and the lighting of the cauldron-which was unique because it was made out of lots of copper petals and stood on the floor of the stadium, not high up so that people outside the stadium could see the flame. And then Sir Paul McCartney got to sing. (I'm excited for the closing ceremonies because Take That and the Spice Girls are going to perform. And then I started remembering all these other British singers they should get like Elton John and Adele). Anyway, it was a decent show.

Things I liked:
-JK Rowling reading a quote from "Peter Pan" I think

-A giant Voldemort and other villians being beat down by a flock of flying Mary Poppinses

-Mr. Bean playing the "Chariots of Fire" theme song-his scene was pretty funny

-The Queen being picked up at Buckingham Palace by Daniel Craig's James Bond and then being flown by helicopter to the Olympic stadium and parachuting in (an actor)-this pretty much stole the show.

-David Beckham delivering the second to last torch bearer to the Olympic stadium-I learned GB hasn't had a  football team in the Olympics for a long time so he never got to go. That's too bad. But he was an important factor in getting the Olympics to GB

-All the fireworks were awesome

A word on team USA's outfits. I know there was a whole controversy when it was discovered that their clothes were manufactured in China. But guess what, everything in the USA is made in China. So I thought that was kind of fitting. Also Ralph Lauren got to choose how to make it, so, like any other business, they are going to do what's cheap. I don't think it's something to get so upset over and demand they all be burned.  Senator Reid, let's burn all your clothes that aren't made in the US and see what you have left. On top of that people were mad that they had berets as part of the outfit and that they looked too European. Does anyone not remember the 2002 Olympics? The berets they wore were all the rage, and were made in Canada, gasp! I watched the other countries tonight and ours were among the classier outfits. GB, no offense, but your outfits were weird. White capri pants and white jackets with gold lettering? It looked a little childish and casual. I think the USA athletes looked really classy and sharp in their blazers. If they didn't want classy, the people in charge of that decision should not have picked Ralph Lauren to design them. Their style is classy.  Everyone's a critic I guess. Including me.

So yeah, it was pretty good, I know some people thought it was weird/boring, but I think you just have to realize that the whole thing was completely British and it makes so much more sense.

Olympics on tomorrow: Phelps vs. Lochte-should be good!