Like the mesmerizing Eye of Sauron, the one-eyed babysitter dominated my world Friday-and many others it seems. The phones stopped ringing, the emails stopped coming, interviews were cancelled, but the tweets were flying. Courier reporters were glued to the newsroom TV at 1 p.m. Friday for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. I was as equally glued to my smartphone catching what everyone was saying about the ceremony on Twitter. It was a global race to see who could tweet the fastest, wittiest comment about the Danny Boyle-directed opening ceremony. Hats off to the person behind the Queen_UK Twitter account for the cheeky comments about the opening ceremony.
Here is a selection of her or his regal tweets:
- "Text from Angela Merkel: Just think, if this was happening anywhere else in Europe, I'd be paying for it!"
- "That's the happiest you'll see the Greeks looking anytime soon."
- "Dear Olympic visitors, in the United Kingdom, Mondays are optional. Which is why today one shall be mostly reigning from the garden."
In an ill-advised move, the Courier chose not to send me to England to cover the 2012 Games. But luckily I have John, my trusty correspondent originally from Wales but now living in Biggleswade (yes, there is such a place) to be our eyes and ears on the streets of London.
Here's his take on Boyle's creation. "Pleasantly surprised that it went off without some awful glitch like Live Aid," Biggleswade John wrote. "The concept was also pretty cool, but I was devastated they forgot some of our favourite bands in the cultural bit-wot, no Cure, Morrissey, Bunnymen, Joy Div? Also, some of it must have been bemusing for those not familiar with the U.K. Coronation Street? The NHS? Bread of Heaven? And I am getting bored with Paul appearing at the end of everything, too. Surely, Ray Davies and Billy Bragg deserved more opportunity to be recognized for the national treasures they are."
Bill, as he prefers to be called (I know because I met him once and he told me so), is indeed a British treasure and was robbed.
As John and I instant messaged each other on Facebook Monday, my eyes couldn't help but steal glances at the one-eyed babysitter in the newsroom as the male swimmers with their long, sleek and smooth bodies made their way to their respective blocks. I have always liked men's swimming-the pre-race part anyway.
As John and I conversed, the parallels between the London and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»games added up. The forecasted travel chaos has failed to materialize. John, who admits that it is hard "to get excited about a bunch of people parading a flame about," is enjoying having tourists around. Security is omnipresent, but as with Vancouver, the police are blending in. "To be honest, since 7/7 we just got used to it. As I was on one of the bombed trains, it's a necessary evil as far as I am concerned. It's generally good natured and sensitively done."
John is referring to the July 7, 2005 coordinated suicide attacks on London that targeted civilians using public transport during the morning rush hour.
John wanted to get tickets for the Games but it's been an exasperating experience.
"For the UK tickets sales, the process was a bit of a 'mare. First you had to get an account (Visa only), then put in bids for events at a price you wanted to pay. I tried for five-six at a reasonably cheap price, didn't win any, and then lost interest. I would have liked to take the kids, but the process was all too much hassle."
A Herculean task indeed.
But let's get back to frivolities. What is really catching people's attention, John?
Women's beach volleyball, of course, Fiona.
"They normally have the choice of bikini or swimsuit, but as it's Britain they have allowed T-shirt and shorts. Apparently, it is a gesture of inclusiveness for those from countries with a little more pudeur than us lascivious and decadent westerners."
Bikinis, apparently, remain the order of the day-despite the coolish weather within the Horse Guards Parade, which is just a glance away from the London Eye and Nelson's Column in central London. And to make the entire event just that much more surreal and silly, organizers are playing-nay, blaring-the theme from Benny Hill between rounds. Not surprising-given Hill's "I'm not against half naked girls-not as often as I'd like to be" joke.
We've now had Mr. Bean and Benny Hill. It's time for Ricky Gervais to get in the Games.
Twitter: @HughesFiona
