QuoteReplyTopic: Brits/Beijing Closing Ceremony??? Posted: 28-Aug-2008 at 20:34
..Hello everyone..
..Did anyone see the British ‘display’ during the Beijing Olympic closing ceremony?…
..if so, what did you think of this initial but tentative ‘introduction’ to the London games in 2012?…..
..at first, I really did not know what to think…..a cross between feeling a tiny bit embarrassed and mildly apprehensive, but at the same time, being a rock nut, it was great to see a rather sweaty Jimmy Page banging out the riff to Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’!!!!....although this was ruined somewhat by the pretty poor acoustics (wot no sound-check Jimmy?) and the accompanying warbling by something that I believe won some British ‘talent’ show?…
….what people around the worldthought of all the cyclists whizzing around I don’t know (maybe it was flaunting the rather good performance of the British cyclists in the games itself?), however, I did think the red double decker bus was a pretty good idea although in reality, it should have been one of the ‘bendy buses’ that munch their way around London with reckless abandon…
..the worst bit for me was the lifting of Sir David of Beckham on top of the bus and his kicking a football into the crowd of Chinese performers, (probably the best kick he’s made in the past 4 years), I physically cringed at this spectacle, but was it just me, or did Beckham’s demeanour come across a bit grotty??….how typical of Britain to trot out a has-been football player who has won nothing, I repeat nothing in the sporting field for his country…...jeez, he even plays for England as G.B actually has no football team!!!…
…..I know the Brits only had a short space of time to ‘showcase’ a fraction of what Britain is supposed to be about, but then again, when I really think about it, what else could the British Olympic organisers have produced in the closing ceremony that was a sign of ‘British achievement’ or ‘culture’??….it would have been better to have handed out the national cuisine of free curry dishes to the crowd….naan bread and frisbee poppadoms flying through the air, great stuff….a far better response I think..!!!….
….and there of course was floppy fringed and bouncy Boris Johnson, the esteemed Mayor of London doing his bit to show that British political stereotypes no longer exist!!!!….still, I have a soft spot for ol’ Boris and I can even forgive his slovenly entrance into the ‘birds-nest’ arena to receive the Olympic flag….at one point he looked awfully uncomfortable and attempted to slip his hands in his trouser pockets until some form of international behavioural standard seemed to kick in!!!….
….to be honest, I was unconvinced, and even though I enjoyed watching the Olympic games, I remain a tad concerned whether Britain can keep the torch burning brightly in 2012…..
..so. any comments or observations my global friends???
I liked the british ceremony more than the huge,pompous chinese one...They did everything only to show the world how great they are and to draw attention from the human rights violations that are commited there.The british made a modest,interresting show without the totalitarian things like thousands of "volunteers".
I liked the british ceremony more than the huge,pompous chinese one...The british made a modest,interresting show without the totalitarian things like thousands of "volunteers".
...you have a valid point there i think..... whereas the Chinese displays were undoubtedly impressive in their co-ordination and visual regimentation, i suspect that the British version will be somewhat more 'relaxed' and 'informal' and i guess that is what the Brit organisers kind of showed in their brief foray during the closing ceremony.....
....i just hope that the events in 2012 will not go too over the top in an attempt to be 'hip, 'cool' and therefore overly exaggerated......it will be interesting to see if Britain gets the balance just right and presents a fair reflection on British sport, culture and its peoples.........
I'm sure the UK will do a splendid job. From what I hear you guys will be making it a cozy affair with events at traditional venues (Wembley, Wimbledon, Buckingham Palace, Earl's Court) and new ones at an Olympic village. Cost will be around 18 Billion dollars which is not nearly as much as the Chinese paid but that was one of a kind anyway.
Beijing threw an incredible Olympics. The organization was top notch. The extravagence was spectacular. Millions of yes men got the job done. Politics aside, and there were many issues, the 2008 Olympics was beyond reproach.
The Brits should do it in a way that brings out the best from her culture.
I'm sure the UK will do a splendid job. From what I hear you guys will be making it a cozy affair with events at traditional venues (Wembley, Wimbledon, Buckingham Palace, Earl's Court) and new ones at an Olympic village.
The Brits should do it in a way that brings out the best from her culture.
...Hi Seko....
...to be honest, i am not really into the whole 'British' aspect of the games (mainly because i am floating Englander!) but rather the sporting spectacle, it would not matter to me that much where the games were held, as long as the sporting events themselves were of a quality worth beholding.....but i find it hard to visualise where the 'culture' side will be coming from and how it may be displayed?.....at the moment, there does not appear to be too much to shout about in these parts.....Instead, i hope in some way that the majority of foreign visitors in 2012 will enjoy the sporting events, and find the 'culture' and generally decent character of the peoples and individuals who dwell in this tiny island a postive experience and take that back home with them...
Originally posted by Seko
...topic at hand. Hmmm...Jimmy Page. Rock and Roll baby!
Was that air guitar action believable?
....could have been a touch of air guitar going on....Jimmy is generally quite sloppy with his playing anyway so maybe the organisers took no chances!!!......but he appeared to be playing live to me judging by the finger movements 'cos thats the way i play the song!!!!!!...........anyway, it was still great to see.......
I hope the brits will not kick 1 500 000 people out of their homes while organizing the games or try to censor foreign journalists like the chinese did.
Wladyslaw Warnencz; repeating the same thing time and time again on half a dozen differnet forums is trolling, and I would appreciate if you would cut it out now. You have made you point; you don't like Chinese.
I was not overly impressed with the british display during the closing ceremonies, ecstasy turning to horror; watching Jimmy Page perform, but having to listen to some pop "star" I've never heard of sing along. The double decker bus was a great idea, but the actors walking up a stairway to nowhere, (now that could have had potential to seque into a certain rock song, but 'twas not to be) cyclists, bunch of people dancing around at a bus stop with a kid, Beckham... I was indifferent to the chinese ceremony at the start, after I saw this, the chinese part looked quite a deal better. It was amusing to see the london mayor up there looking casual and somewhat nervous, I rather liked that to be honest, made him seem less like a crotchety, uptight suit; (which is the impression I get from most of these officials involved with the olympics) he showed some emotion.
All that being said I still think london 2012 will be good. Its the olympics, its always great.
Edited by Justinian - 29-Aug-2008 at 06:28
"War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace."--Thomas Mann
I hope the brits will not kick 1 500 000 people out of their homes while organizing the games or try to censor foreign journalists like the chinese did.
Well, you know what they say; to make an omelette you gotta be willing to crack a few eggs and have some abortions.
I was not overly impressed with the british display during the closing ceremonies, ecstasy turning to horror; watching Jimmy Page perform, but having to listen to some pop "star" I've never heard of sing along. The double decker bus was a great idea, but the actors walking up a stairway to nowhere, (now that could have had potential to seque into a certain rock song, but 'twas not to be) .......... It was amusing to see the london mayor up there looking casual and somewhat nervous, I rather liked that to be honest, made him seem less like a crotchety, uptight suit; (which is the impression I get from most of these officials involved with the olympics) he showed some emotion.
.....Now that would have been superb if 'Stairway to Heaven' was given a good airing Justinian!!!!!..... with rumours abound that Pagey, John Paul Jones plus 'a drummer' are back in the recording studio, and if Percy Plant hops back on board, then 2012 could see an (almost) full-blown reuinion gig by Led Zeppelin to open the games!!!!...mind you, by then i a sure that the band will have to be carried out on stage to play.....
..i have to agree with you about bumbling Boris, he is less uptight and more casual, and i do like that.....however, the stifling and crippling polictical correctness currently breeding out of control in Britain will ensure that Boris will put his foot in his mouth on the odd occasion, and good for him too....i also wonder how much of a 'physical' spectacle Britain will be allowed to show given the current reign of the 'health and safety' overlords???....you would not believe the kind of sanctioned stupidity that is enforced nowadays by these closeted, narrow-minded, blinkered local council officials........
..still, enough moaning, i will be looking forward to Boris and his cabaret act sometime in the near future.....
Wladyslaw Warnencz; repeating the same thing time and time again on half a dozen differnet forums is trolling, and I would appreciate if you would cut it out now. You have made you point; you don't like Chinese.
I don't hate Chinese, I love the people, the land, the culture. The Olympic games in China were bombastic, I believe there will be no better organized games for a long time. The last games that were so great were those of 1936. And that's the point. The chinese people deserved those games, but not China. London will have a difficult job to be better than Beijing. Allthough you Brits are not very nice to Germans usually - e.g. the towel war - (I wonder why I never had problems with you, I've even friends there) especially England stands for us for Fair play and true sportsmanship. Perhaps you can show the world fair and friendly games, without any propaganda, without doping (O.K. I don't think you will manage it) and perhaps you will not agonize young British children to be top in the gold medals list. I think that's the best you can do - BE BRITISH - people will like it ....... or not.
I don't hate Chinese, I love the people, the land, the culture. The Olympic games in China were bombastic, I believe there will be no better organized games for a long time. The last games that were so great were those of 1936. And that's the point. The chinese people deserved those games, but not China. London will have a difficult job to be better than Beijing. Allthough you Brits are not very nice to Germans usually - e.g. the towel war - (I wonder why I never had problems with you, I've even friends there) especially England stands for us for Fair play and true sportsmanship. Perhaps you can show the world fair and friendly games, without any propaganda, without doping (O.K. I don't think you will manage it) and perhaps you will not agonize young British children to be top in the gold medals list. I think that's the best you can do - BE BRITISH - people will like it ....... or not.
China dose not deserve the games? I was not aware that nations needed a certificate from you or anyone else for that matter to host the games. Games are not awarded to those "who deserve" them. It was an open invitation for bids, the Chinese submitted theirs, others did so as well (including Paris, Istanbul and Toronto if memory serves) and there bid was selected as the best. In 1993 the 2000 games were given to Sydney over Beijing because a few more members thought that Sydney offered a better bid, in 2005 London won the 2010 games over Paris because it was thought they offered a better bid.
I London will have a difficult job to be better than Beijing. Allthough you Brits are not very nice to Germans usually - e.g. the towel war - (I wonder why I never had problems with you, I've even friends there)
...i hope all the Germans who travel to England in 2012 will have a good time and enjoy all what will be on offer...me personally, generally, i have no axe to grind with Germans....i once had a German girlfriend for about 5 years and the only thing we really argued over was, inevitably, football!!..although her mother did have this rather worrying habit of forcefully slapping on her black leather gloves with undisguised menace when the weather was a bit nippy.....!!!!
..i also worked alongside a German chef in a restaurant in England and we got on just fine, we both shared a gleeful passion for Rammstein, The Scorpions and Kraftwerk although it was a bit disconcerting when he came into the kitchen on the 20th April and demanded that everyone sing happy birthday.......!...the other thing was that his father would vist every now and then and he often referred to us as 'Island Monkeys', and in the spirit of maintaining Anglo-German relations, we had the phrase sown into our chefs caps!!!!!....
....to work in a kitchen you have to be thick skinned and all manner of banter and insults were traded between all of the staff who included a variety of Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, a Greek, English, Irish and an Arab from Oman.....nothing was sacred in the kitchen and you know what, everybody without fail, remained the best of friends, we had great nights out together, some drank, some did not, everybody was level headed and at the end of the working day, a healthy respect was formed between all of us, a lesson to be learned by the polictical correctness police i think....
..anyway, i digress.....London 2012, enjoy the sports, come here and make some new friends, and if you see a group 40 something males with 'Island Monkey' t-shirts on, you will know who it is...!!!!!
..i also worked alongside a German chef in a restaurant in England and we got on just fine, we both shared a gleeful passion for Rammstein, The Scorpions and Kraftwerk although it was a bit disconcerting when he came into the kitchen on the 20th April and demanded that everyone sing happy birthday.......!...the other thing was that his father would vist every now and then and he often referred to us as 'Island Monkeys', and in the spirit of maintaining Anglo-German relations, we had the phrase sown into our chefs caps!!!!!....
..i also worked alongside a German chef in a restaurant in England and we got on just fine, we both shared a gleeful passion for Rammstein, The Scorpions and Kraftwerk although it was a bit disconcerting when he came into the kitchen on the 20th April and demanded that everyone sing happy birthday.......!...the other thing was that his father would vist every now and then and he often referred to us as 'Island Monkeys', and in the spirit of maintaining Anglo-German relations, we had the phrase sown into our chefs caps!!!!!....
lol? are you serious?
..quite, quite serious Temujin....he still works at the restaurant now we bump into each other every now and then for an odd pint or ten...the 'birthday' thing was in all honesty, a 'joke' which although in very bad taste, reflected the kind of in-house banter that went on....it was his way of digging at us English, like i said, you have to be thick skinned in the kitchen, its very, very hot, tensions can be high and the work is energy sapping and hard when busy....this kind of thing often diffused working tensions and, to be honest, helped all of us to work well as a team, nothing could unravel us as a group....and if we could all take the banter from eachother, nothing would phase us as a working unit no matter what working problems arose, to outsiders we were invincible, and hence the 'Island Monkey' needlework in our chefs hats!!!.....i could tell you you whole load of stories and incidents that would make your hair stand on end....but please believe me when i say no harm, physical or otherwise was every intended to anyone within our kitchen team, and besides,you should hear some of the stuff we English had to deal with, i never knew there were so many ways to insult an Englishman....!!!!...
...i forgot to mention that for a while, we had a Kosovan refugee working with us and he could not speak any English at all, but the strange thing was, he formed a very close bond with the English head chef who was the only one who could communicate with the Kosovan lad...they would 'talk' for ages and no-one else had a clue what they were on about....but they did...later, after many months, the Kosovan did learn some rudimentary English language (mostly swear words!!) and he looked upon our head chef as his 'brother', still does....good times and a fair reflection on international relationships betwen decent, well-rounded and realistic individuals from a mix of cultures and nationalities....
..i wonder of they will be attending the London games.....
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