Sunday 23 September 2012

Sunday Mornings: Coffee, Reflections and Music


How was it for you? The question whose answer ( in a sexual context) sometimes demands a white lie, could well have been asked by Londoners of each other after the end of the recent Olympic bonanza.

Did the earth shake for you? If not, then, all those years of preparations were for naught. If it did, then, join the club. I have a confession to make: I loved the Olympics and the Paralympics. They cheered me up no end. My usual cynical self left the countyy along with the hordes of other people going abroad and looking for an alternative to the Games.

Of course, it helped that the national mood demanded that ecstasy become the duty of almost every citizen to display. An alternative had the potential to be thought of unpatriotic and nihilist.

Just to give you an idea of how proud I felt of my adopted city being on the world stage, I will admit to feeling chuffed to bits when Bradley Wiggins won the Tour of France, prior to the Games. I've never followed the Tour, nor am I really interested in cycling as a competitive sport (although I do ride a bike). But such was the fervour that took hold of the country that I allowed myself to be carried away by the waters of chauvinism. I, too, was a Briton at that moment.

The next time that patriotic feeling was on display took place during "Magical Saturday",4th August, in the evening, when, in less than an hour Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all decorated their chests with gold medals.

What was pleasant about the Olympics and Paralympics as well was that the support from the public was spontaneous and truly heartfelt. In fact, whenever a politician (except for clown Boris) tried to piggyback on the success of Team GB, they were rightly shown up. Both Osborne and Theresa May were booed during one of the Paralympics events and I remember thinking then: "Blimey, don't Brits (and non-Brits) sing well in unison?"

This musical prowes, by the way, was demonstrated in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and in the same events in the Paralympics (although in the latter, there was too much Coldplay for my liking). And not just the scores, but also the performances, the creativity, the incredible energy. It was an odd act to watch, too. The famous Britsh stiff upper lip had finally collapsed. Replaced by Mo Farah's unmistakable hands-to-head "M " gesture.

However, patriotic histrionics aside, I'm looking forward to the report on the Olympics and Paralympics finances. That's not to detract from the spectacle presented to us, after all, just Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds' smile was worth the £9bn the Games allegedly cost. But we do need to look into the long-term legacy of the summer sports celebrations because as tax-payers we have the right to count our pennies and make sure that those pennies were well spent and will contribute to the development of future generations. Especially in a modern world that is so bent towards short-termism and dependent on the free-market mantra. The G4S security fiasco was a reminder, if any was needed, that private companies venturing into the public sector realm brings many challenges, not least accountability.

So, how was it for you? Worry not, for I won't be looking into your eyes and thinking that, strangely, your words have suddenly taken on a whiter shade of pale. Be honest, be you, I can take it.

© 2012

Next Post: “Food, Music, Food, Music, Food, Music… Ad Infinitum”, to be published on Wednesday 26th September at 11:59pm (GMT)

16 comments:

  1. very interesting to read a comment about the games from someone who lives in london.. i heard quite some things and some people sounded disappointed...glad it was so positive for you...when i watched the opening celebrations, i was just amazed at the high quality and creativity...awesome job!!

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  2. From far away, London and the Olympics were awesome! You did a great job!

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  4. Sorry, typo!

    I'm not a fan of the Olympics in general, there's too much cheating and drug-taking and blatant disregard for ethics that I don't like.

    Having said that, I was feeling patriotic and proud of my city, knowing that London and Londoners were center stage and doing a damn good job of it too. I loved that, especially since there's been so much doom and gloom for so many years in the capital. This summer's celebrations of the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee were just what we needed.

    I also heard from several friends who had tickets and attended some of the events and the sense I got from them was much what you describe. That there was such euphoria and patriotism and a sense of unity from everyone. One of my friends said that she felt completely filled with love for everyone. That's a powerful thing to happen and it made me sad to have missed such moments.

    Jai

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  5. Many thanks for your comments.

    Spot on, Jai! Like you, I was a bit wary about the Games, especially with the brouhaha about the budget before. But once they started I couldn't take my eyes off them. Bolt, Clare Adams and all the other athletes really put on a good show.

    Greetings from London.

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  6. We have to hand it to our team, they really did us proud this year.

    Jai

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  7. I love that you fully embraced it! For, isn't that is what we mean when we say, 'live in the moment'?

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  8. I watched all I could and was proud of the Brits! It's wonderful to see people go all out.

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  9. I loved parts of the Olympics and shrunk from others. While I understand the national pride when you're hosting, the amount of jingoism (particularly American) made me cringe. I grew up in Atlanta and was there for the Olympics nearly twenty years ago, so I know how exciting it can all be. Unlike most, I loved the opening ceremony and really enjoyed the musical part of the closing (the John Lennon thing made me cry!). My very favorite moment, though, was when Oscar Pretorius ran in a trial and the winner and he exchanged numbers. I found that incredibly moving and will never forget it.

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  10. We loved watching every night....my kiddos REALLY loved watching...in fact they would record everything and watch in the next day or days! And...I get your excitement for your adoptive country, because even though I was in London only once, I felt a bit of pride in the "jolly good" show they put forth :)
    Wishing you a fantastic week!!

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  11. I loved the opening ceremonies and the remainder of the games. What a nice respite it was (for the most part, smile) from our constant barrage of presidential politics drama.

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  12. I have to agree. I loved the Olympics, especially the cycling and the canoeing, but I was blown away by the paralympics. Then the earth really shook!

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  13. It was fabulous for me! I love spectacle and I appreciated the show London put on, finances none withstanding. And too much Coldplay? Surely you jest! Just kidding, there's been way too much Coldplay in a lot of places...

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  14. Many thanks for your kind comments.

    Greetings from London.

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  15. I was a total skeptic, didn't think we should be wasting money on all this nonsense, don't watch sports, etc etc from pretty much the minute we won the bid (I was in london that day) to ten minutes into the opening ceremony. Which I wasn't watching, but all my mates on twitter were, and I started picking up the vibe and just had to switch it on. And then I absolutely loved every minute of the games :-)

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  16. Hi,
    It's nice to read you and to know your opinion about the Olimpic Games It's good that you felt some patriotism, after all, you live there ; that's your home now.
    It's in those moments of euphoria when we, foreigners, realize that we are part of our adopted countries.(Also when we pay the taxes ;-))
    As for the Games, many people mind the opening and closing ceremonies, a lot, but I particularly care more about the competitions and the athletes. I watched almost all of them. They were quite a sight to see. It's was really exciting! you, Londoners were amazing hosts!
    L.M.Quint
    http://con-sentsconsentimientos.blogspot.com.es/

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