Yes, yes I know I'm a little late, but I've been busy! Olympic programmes don't sell themselves you know! More on that later, watch this space...
So in my previous post I argued how the Opening Ceremony was going to be stupendous, and whether you personally enjoyed it or not, I think you have to agree that the effort and sheer Britishness of the event was on top form. Eccentric, creative and brilliant, only Great Britain could have a parachuting Bond Girl Queen, a tribute to the NHS, a nod to the immigrants post-WWII, quotes from Tempest and a hundred dancing Mary Poppinses. The people wanted Britain, and boy did we give it to them.
One of my favourite parts was the whole history of British music, as that was a segment every single person in the country would enjoy at least a part of. Nimrod, The Rolling Stones, Dizzee Rascal; they were catering for every generation.
Something I found interesting, not being a great sportswoman myself, was the way the choreographers incorported a celebration of the beauty of movement into the ceremony, even if it wasn't a celebration of sport per se. I think that way it's more inclusive to everyone, after all, everyone has a body and they can all explore the way in which it works. Not everyone can become an Olympic athlete, and it was nice that the final dance was so moving, not just for the Brits, but worldwide. We didn't want the world to be wondering if they were right about this crazy country all along the whole way through the production...
So, I say hats off to the choreographers, organisers and performers of the wonderful opening ceremony. No one for a minute thought we were going to be competing with the precision and scale of the Beijing Opening Ceremony, as our nations are so different, but the heartfelt beauty and sincerity in the performers enjoyment was lovely, and I think they perfectly portrayed our country's mishmash of history.
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Thursday, 26 July 2012
London 2012: Part 1
We've been hearing that a lot lately. "London 2012." The news is telling us about changes to public transport and delays on the motorway, the shops are selling merchandise (some of them awesome, mostly of them fairly undesirable), and people who have managed to score tickets are making you jealous because you didn't get any. All this under the banner of 'London 2012'.
I feel like this is now such an over-used phrase that it's bordering on the likes of 'Christmas' (No, I'm not going to be the thousandth person to go into the meaning of Christmas, worry not). I hear far too many people complaining about the trouble it's going to cause and the money it's going to cost the country rather than the excitement of what's going to be happening in the capital... TOMORROW. So, I want to stir up some enthusiasm in those of you not yet filled with uncontainable impatience at whether or not Peter Pan/12 horses/a village cricket team/Voldemort is/are going to be in the Opening Ceremony. And for those of you already excited, hey, here's some more reasons to celebrate!
1) The first paralympians were British! Coinciding with the 1948 London Olympics was The International Wheelchair Games, in which World War II veterans with spinal chord injuries competed. We started it. That's cool.
2) It has been announced that if any advertisements of products which are supporting the Olympics or any spectators at the Olympics display full or partial nudity, they will be fined £20,000. It seems unlikely to me that we'll get through 17 days without someone trying to take up that challenge.
3) Britain worked pretty damn hard to get the Olympic Games this time around, with the Bid Team being formed in 2003. After 9 years working up to this point, we can safely guarantee the Games and everything surrounding them are going to be sensational, whatever the pessimists are saying...
4) Kate Middleton. Also beach volleyball.
5) The Olympic stadiums! Not only outstanding aesthetically but also incredibly sustainable. The Velodrome is the most impressive. Green to the last detail, it will even use rainwater to flush the toilets!
6) Over 14,000 competitors from 205 countries will be in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are all encouraged to follow the Olympic principles of respect, equality, and determination, making this the world's largest peace-time event. In today's world, this is our WWI Christmas football game, no?
The are a thousand reasons to be excited about the London Games, not least because this really is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events everyone tries to make out of everything. You really will be able to show off to your kids/grandkids about how good old London Town hosted the Olympics back in the day...
So cheer up, it's sunny! And happy viewing :)
PS. Good friend Jack Connell knows someone in the Opening Ceremony. I know him, you know me. You are famous by association. Wicked.
I feel like this is now such an over-used phrase that it's bordering on the likes of 'Christmas' (No, I'm not going to be the thousandth person to go into the meaning of Christmas, worry not). I hear far too many people complaining about the trouble it's going to cause and the money it's going to cost the country rather than the excitement of what's going to be happening in the capital... TOMORROW. So, I want to stir up some enthusiasm in those of you not yet filled with uncontainable impatience at whether or not Peter Pan/12 horses/a village cricket team/Voldemort is/are going to be in the Opening Ceremony. And for those of you already excited, hey, here's some more reasons to celebrate!
1) The first paralympians were British! Coinciding with the 1948 London Olympics was The International Wheelchair Games, in which World War II veterans with spinal chord injuries competed. We started it. That's cool.
2) It has been announced that if any advertisements of products which are supporting the Olympics or any spectators at the Olympics display full or partial nudity, they will be fined £20,000. It seems unlikely to me that we'll get through 17 days without someone trying to take up that challenge.
3) Britain worked pretty damn hard to get the Olympic Games this time around, with the Bid Team being formed in 2003. After 9 years working up to this point, we can safely guarantee the Games and everything surrounding them are going to be sensational, whatever the pessimists are saying...
4) Kate Middleton. Also beach volleyball.
5) The Olympic stadiums! Not only outstanding aesthetically but also incredibly sustainable. The Velodrome is the most impressive. Green to the last detail, it will even use rainwater to flush the toilets!
6) Over 14,000 competitors from 205 countries will be in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are all encouraged to follow the Olympic principles of respect, equality, and determination, making this the world's largest peace-time event. In today's world, this is our WWI Christmas football game, no?
The are a thousand reasons to be excited about the London Games, not least because this really is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events everyone tries to make out of everything. You really will be able to show off to your kids/grandkids about how good old London Town hosted the Olympics back in the day...
So cheer up, it's sunny! And happy viewing :)
PS. Good friend Jack Connell knows someone in the Opening Ceremony. I know him, you know me. You are famous by association. Wicked.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
To Summer
Toes sink into the long, dewy grass.
The morning sun, warm on glowing skin.
A butterfly flutters, leaving there
A trail of faintly visible gold.
Bright white washing flaps gently, lazily
Mimicking the birds buoyed up on their
Azure sea, their boundless swathe of blue.
And Ah! that blue. The forget-me-nots
Hang their heads. The jays and dragonflies
Cease to fly. Peacocks sit, tails lowered.
And so, they emerge. Streams, and crowds, and
Hordes of pale faces, too long ensconced,
Seek ice cream, merriment, picnics, Sea.
They lie, lounge, loll, sprawled on the carpet
Of emerald green. They laugh, they shout,
The collective voice of happiness
Dancing and wheeling up to the sky.
I love Summer :D It's been a while in arriving, but now it's here I think everyone's appreciating it a lot more than they would have otherwise. So I think it's probably worth the wait. I wrote this in the hopes that it would express my pleasure over this gorgeous season, not to win any prizes ;D
I think what I love the most is not worrying about the weather, as we must so often in our changeable climate. Who cares about umbrellas, and layering clothing, and matching socks, when the sun is beating down glorious rays of warmth?
Many people seem to dislike this heat though, what do you think? Let me know your favourite time of year :)
The morning sun, warm on glowing skin.
A butterfly flutters, leaving there
A trail of faintly visible gold.
Bright white washing flaps gently, lazily
Mimicking the birds buoyed up on their
Azure sea, their boundless swathe of blue.
And Ah! that blue. The forget-me-nots
Hang their heads. The jays and dragonflies
Cease to fly. Peacocks sit, tails lowered.
And so, they emerge. Streams, and crowds, and
Hordes of pale faces, too long ensconced,
Seek ice cream, merriment, picnics, Sea.
They lie, lounge, loll, sprawled on the carpet
Of emerald green. They laugh, they shout,
The collective voice of happiness
Dancing and wheeling up to the sky.
I love Summer :D It's been a while in arriving, but now it's here I think everyone's appreciating it a lot more than they would have otherwise. So I think it's probably worth the wait. I wrote this in the hopes that it would express my pleasure over this gorgeous season, not to win any prizes ;D
I think what I love the most is not worrying about the weather, as we must so often in our changeable climate. Who cares about umbrellas, and layering clothing, and matching socks, when the sun is beating down glorious rays of warmth?
Many people seem to dislike this heat though, what do you think? Let me know your favourite time of year :)
Enter: ABIGAIL (looking timid)
Hallo, everyone!
Pleased to meet you.
Searching for an emotional outlet at the beginning of 2012, I started keeping a sort of personal blog. It helped to clear my head, explore my writing style, and analyse issues of interest to me in an organised way. It recently occured to me that making these scribbles of mine public might not be such a bad idea.
I'm a bit nervous at putting what has so far been a personal endeavour out on the internet, but I feel there's a great deal to gain here.
A blog gains you free access to constructive criticism (very much encouraged, by the way), and serves as encouragement to keep providing posts for your audience. I also hope that over time, readers will request topics for me to blog about, which can help a writer stuck in a rut.
So, no, this is not going to be a blog with a specific purpose at first, but I'm hoping it might grow into one, depending on what people want to read.
That's all for now, folks.
Abby out.
Pleased to meet you.
Searching for an emotional outlet at the beginning of 2012, I started keeping a sort of personal blog. It helped to clear my head, explore my writing style, and analyse issues of interest to me in an organised way. It recently occured to me that making these scribbles of mine public might not be such a bad idea.
I'm a bit nervous at putting what has so far been a personal endeavour out on the internet, but I feel there's a great deal to gain here.
A blog gains you free access to constructive criticism (very much encouraged, by the way), and serves as encouragement to keep providing posts for your audience. I also hope that over time, readers will request topics for me to blog about, which can help a writer stuck in a rut.
So, no, this is not going to be a blog with a specific purpose at first, but I'm hoping it might grow into one, depending on what people want to read.
That's all for now, folks.
Abby out.
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