a different kind of lovely


I admit - I am a sucker for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics - summer or winter. There is something so noble and inspiring about the occasion, and I always (always!) get chills at least once while I watch. But I'll also admit that this year, I wasn't quite sure how the ceremonies in Vancouver could possibly be any better than those in Beijing two years ago.

As I watched the ceremonies, though, I realized that there's no such thing as better. Thankfully, they didn't even try to "out-do" Beijing. Instead, the Vancouver ceremonies were artistic and lovely and fantastic in their own patriotic way, both by design and by circumstance...

...like the First Nations of Canada being such a central part of the ceremonies' design.

...like the Georgian team being welcomed with a standing ovation.

...like the Japanese delegation carrying both Japanese and Canadian flags.

...like the countries' flags light-projected across the crowd throughout the stadium.

...like the Parade of Nations happening before the performances.

...like the awesome polar bear that rose out of the floor.

...like the massively huge screen that made up the floor of the stadium.

...like the grunged-out fiddlers and tap dancers.

...like the slam poet's super-cool line, "we didn't just say it, we made it be."

...like the performance of "Hallelujah" just after the official opening of the games.

...like having the cauldron lit by not one, but four people...which, even with technical difficulties, was so unique and beautiful.

...like the well-considered inclusion of so many famous Canadians, and thinking about how neat is must feel for those individuals to be recognized so publicly for their accomplishments through their inclusion in this international celebration.

I enjoyed it so much!

Where I am: home
What I'm reading: nothing, at the moment

Comments

Popular Posts