The kids were really cute. I noticed the cheerleaders were pretty tuckered out by the end of the ceremony. Actually, they started to run out of steam before it was halfway through, but given the heat and pollution, they did pretty well. I noticed they had water bottles as part of their uniforms, which was sensible. Some of the teams had very strange outfits. And some of them had me wondering how the athletes managed to keep from passing out -- they looked really hot and uncomfortable!
I'm seeing the Parade of Nations now and some of those outfits are weird. It's almost like some were dressed for a wedding or something and I had to be wondering how hot it was. As for the cheerleaders, yes they look hot, but man I don't envy their task of standing, dancing, and being there for that entire time.
Don't think Australia has a team either. Mostly European teams. Currently watching the road race. Should interesting, so circuit about to start.
Bush with volleyball chicks Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Kind of surreal... http://www.daylife.com/search/photos/all/1?q=bush+volleyball
I don't want to sound too negative but I really hated the ceremony, it just seemed too perfectionistic, reminded me of the North Korean military parades with those tens of thousands of people marching and waving in perfect unity; human individuality counting nothing, the collective everything. In my opinion it was a totalitarian show befitting of a totalitarian regime; the best example of which was at the end when Rogge and Hu Jintao walked along the red carpet with the chinese women on the side looking absolutely alike - same height, same haircut, same everything; like nice obedient cloned soldiers.
Gee, nothing nice to say just because it was China? you know your own country isn't perfect either...
That's part of the Chinese culture even before Mao, the cultural revolution, and the founding of the PRC. The family unit (basically the government, the nation) is to be put above personal desires most of the time. It's something that my Chinese professors were pretty adamant about when I took a Chinese law course in Beijing this summer. And London shouldn't try to top Beijing they should just try very hard to show the world the soul of London and Britain if they manage that it'll be just as impressive as Beijing's opening ceremony.
I was about to say elegance beats flash but the Beijing ceremonies were elegant as well as being flashy. But I'm sure our cousins across the pond will do themselves proud.
I just watched the Gold medal ceremony for Michael Phelps and man did they butcher our national anthem "and the rockets red glare" repeated like 3 times and they cut it off 3/4 the way through.
NBC's coverage is rather confusing. I was under the impression that they were showing delayed telecast of the day's events. Now Michael Phelps just won his first gold medal for the Men's 400m Individual Medley (and I thought, they were giving gold medals for the heats?). Looks like NBC is also showing June 10 (China time) coverage on Saturday night.
Well watched the Womens Archery this morning, (Chen Ling was cute) and that was a pretty close contest between the Chinese and Korean teams, both have finished over 20 points ahead of Britain