So, team GB's habitual 4th has now moved up to 1st Cycling, rowing, long-jump, heptathlon, 10000 m....don't know whether I can cope with all this success. Much more comfortable with losing, unlike the Americans whose dreams of winning are built into their DNA - chests puffed out, muscles bulging, eyes glaring - and that's just the women. In the opening events even the visiting French president, Hollande, gloried in team France's then-superior medal position, sarcastically thanking Cameron for laying out the red carpet for his athletes. Hollande even seems to have introduced new French words to the Olympics like Repechage and Domestique, but don't even think of introducing any more English words to the sacred francais! And what's with all these 'new' English verbs like 'to medal'?
All this excitement too much for me, but Him indoors is literally having a field day. From the opening Korean flag gaffe (don't make a Korea out of it), to the 'oarsome' display of the GB rowers, when will it all end? And, I'm sure his sideburns looked longer when 'Wiggo indoors' cycled to the boulangerie this morning!
Showing posts with label 2012 London Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 London Olympics. Show all posts
29th July 2012
Last week we were in England - bombarded by Olympics' news everywhere. As expected, M25 traffic at a standstill, then had to pay for the privilege at the Dartmouth bridge toll-booth. Inner-city road lanes much too narrow for our French left-hand drive car. The people - as usual, depressing self-deprecating characters everywhere - and that was just in our car!
And then I saw the Olympics' opening ceremony. That showed exactly what it's like to be English - completely mad, off-the-wall but brilliant. No other country could have devised such a thing. 'Normal' countries would've produced something like youngsters training to be fit for the future and linking all 5 continents in a blaze of fireworks or something, but we don't seem to do 'normal'. The English production could've been a disaster but wasn't. I loved the way it moved from rural to the industrial age, using characters like Brunel, Shakespearian words and actors, reminding the world of our heritage. Fantastic. And when a torch-holder was asked how it felt, he said 'hot'! But then I saw yesterday's usual British sporting disappointments. Same old, same old. Him Indoors says our competitors must've been told to '..go Fourth and multiply...'!
And then I saw the Olympics' opening ceremony. That showed exactly what it's like to be English - completely mad, off-the-wall but brilliant. No other country could have devised such a thing. 'Normal' countries would've produced something like youngsters training to be fit for the future and linking all 5 continents in a blaze of fireworks or something, but we don't seem to do 'normal'. The English production could've been a disaster but wasn't. I loved the way it moved from rural to the industrial age, using characters like Brunel, Shakespearian words and actors, reminding the world of our heritage. Fantastic. And when a torch-holder was asked how it felt, he said 'hot'! But then I saw yesterday's usual British sporting disappointments. Same old, same old. Him Indoors says our competitors must've been told to '..go Fourth and multiply...'!
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