Sierralima

An event of Olympic proportions

Friday was a momentus occation for China. For the first time, this country hosts the Olympics. Friday night showed the streets empty around Shanghai as millions gathered around television sets to watch the opening ceremonies. I was one of them. I must say I was impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I never doubted the ceremonies would be spectacular, but I knew not what to expect. The use of wires and flying people, the video screens embedded in the floor and around the “nest” at the top of the stadium, and most of all, the number of people expertly performing their roles showed the world what China is capable of. The scale and precision of the performers was excellent. They had very difficult jobs to do and they did them perfectly. Not that my opinion means much, but job well done!

It seems likely at this time that I wil not see any of the games in person. Traveling to Beijing at this time is not convenient or cheap. Some of the events are being held in Shanghai, but my attendance doesn’t seem likely at this time. Will I regret this decision later? Possibly. My excuses, however lame, include being rather busy both inside and outside of work, with not much time to spare. I realize that my attendance, or not, will not greatly affect either the course of my life or the events of world history, and I figure that maybe someday, at a different place and time, an Olympic opportunity will again present itself to me. (Vancouver 2010, London 2012…)