Holy Olympics, batman!
I watched the opening ceremonies with Jen last night, and I actually spent most of the time with my mouth gaping open. The first hour was just one impressive feat of technological showmanship after another (hello, unscrolling Largest LED Screen In The World, As Long As A Football Field And With People Dancing On It! or the costumes that lit up on and off during the piece with the bird and the birds’ nest?)
I’d had it recording on our DVR and paused for about an hour and a half before we started watching, so we were able to watch about the first 3 hours without having to see commercials. Eventually we got tired of the Parade of Nations and I just fastforwarded until we were watching live TV. Some time around this point, we cut to a shot of the Bushes, in their holy non-priority seating, batman – they were seated like average joes at a baseball game, and boy did W look like he wanted a beer. And the prez was more-than-glancing at his watch. International goodwill events are sooooooo boring and time consuming. Yup.
Well, despite my criticism of the US president, I did actually skip a lot of the parade of nations. Until I couldn’t fast forward any more, and then we admired outfits and rooted for the little guys. And THEN Yao Ming and a 9 year old boy who looked like a toddler next to him led the Chinese olympians into the arena. And it was just a huge time.
The little boy had been a hall monitor, and when his school was destroyed in the earthquakes in Szechuan province a few months ago, after he freed himself from the rubble he WENT BACK to help his teachers and classmates. He was quoted saying that he felt it was his responsibility, as he was a class leader.
I admit that I’m prone to cry any time the national anthem is played. Epic events really get to me. But live news coverage of the earthquakes really touched me at the time, and this boy’s story just pushed me over. Real tears, people, not the kind that come from anthems.
I can’t bring myself to delete the DVR event just yet.
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And Zhang Yimou directed the whole thing! Total love letter to us Film geeks!
Don’t delete it. I missed part of it and would love to see it commercial free when I am down there.