Summer Olympics 2008

How many of ya'll tuned in to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics this year? If you missed it, you missed something very extraordinary! I always love watching the opening ceremonies....not quite so much the "lighting of the torch" but all the performances and the opportunities countries have to show the entire world something about their culture.

Beijing really did a top-notch performance! From watching the Today Show early in the mornings, to hearing bits and pieces all over the news, I really have learned some interesting things about China. For starters, never give anyone a present wrapped in white paper--it has an evil/bad connotation to it. Also, it is proper etiquette to leave small portions on your food after being served in someones home. If you clean your plate (as we think is best), the host/hostess will think they did not serve you enough food, and you might leave their home still hungry.

Here are a few pictures from the Opening Ceremonies. (All were borrowed from the Boston Globe's homepage)

1. Thousands of martial arts instructors got together and did a fabulous routine. I don't think they had much time to practice, but they mimicked the pattern of flowing water. It was amazing to see them in such elaborate formations!

2. Several times, they had women hanging from the ceiling (kind of trapeze-artist like) and they did various Chinese-art things. It was so pretty and very graceful.

3. This was by far my favorite...people walking around this globe...and the globe would change. Sometimes it seemed like a ball of fire, other times it resembled the Earth. People would walk/run across the globe (made possible after 8 months of training), and it was a great symbol of unity...just what the Olympic Games try to portray.

4. The oh-so-recognizable Olympic rings. They looked as good as ever.5. Don't ask me how they did this act, but these were dancers (kinda like the martial arts guys) who had on white clothing that were sometimes glow-in-the darkish, yet other times, they were plain colors. They stood in the ring formation, then quickly would switch and get in one huge circle then fan out toward the audience...some of them glowing and others not. Strange, but oh so cool!6. The fireworks. I watched a clip about the painter of the Olympic sky on the Today Show, before the Ceremonies were broadcast on television Friday evening. This guy was amazing...he starting blowing things up and making/setting off fireworks since he was seven. It is an art form, and his canvas was seen by the entire world. One word: spectacular! Fireworks were coming out of the dome, going off in the sky, going off in corners at a timed speed....I mean....W-O-W!This last picture shows the Athletic Dome really well. Whoever designed it was very modern in taste, but it is something to WOW about, again. Above it, you can see the side of the Indoor Water Arena as well. It is really cool looking, too.

The Olympics just keep getting better and better. I hear the Chinese only spent $400 million dollars on this program...was it worth it? Hmmmmm. I DID enjoy it.