I will admit it up front, I am an Olympics junkie. I can't get enough. I watch any game that is telecast - I don't care how odd. You know the one where they ski and then stop and shoot rifles? How did this EVER become an Olympic sport? I don't care, I watch fascinated.
All I have to do is hear the music - Dum dum, da dum dum dum dum, dum da da dum da da dum di dum dum dum (you can hear it right now, yes?) and I leap toward the TV where I become one with the athletes - which is pretty amusing given that my favorite participatory sports are floating on a raft, water aerobics and watching my grandson play. When athletes win the gold, I am standing on the platform with them. "Yes!" I scream out, "We did it!" (note the "we" here - I am just so very proud of what "we" accomplished).
I am the perfect target for the "Up Close and Personal" stories. I get teary at the right place (when they describe how an athlete overcame a bad home life or an injury or bullying by others, etc), want the showcased athletes to win (even if they are not from the US) and feel personally victorious when they inevitably do.
I also love the stories about the venue - winter or summer - ski resort or urban center. But this year it was especially significant. I was in London in 2005 (I did a 6-week house exchange with a British family that summer) when the Brits learned they had been awarded the 2012 Olympics. To be exact, I was touring Hampton Court Palace with my sister-in-law Melinda, when one of the security guards said to me, with uncharacteristic excitement in his voice, "We got it - we got the Olympics! Can you believe it?" When I responded,"That's wonderful" in my American accent he quickly added "Oh, and I'm sure it would have been lovely if it had been awarded to New York instead." I burst out laughing and assured him that I knew it would be incredible in London. Of course, 15 hours later everything changed when bombs exploded in the subway and I then learned about another side of British life - that stiff upper lip that keeps going when all else is falling down around them.
So, I was really looking forward to these games. I wasn't concerned about possible comparisons with Beijing; this was London, for Pete's sake. Imagine my shock when I realized (about a month before leaving) that the Games would start the day after I left for Africa and end the day I came home. The trip's timing could not be worse. Because of this trip I would miss the whole thing. The entire event. I, #1 Olympics Fan, was going to miss the 2012 Summer Games. MISS THE OLYMPICS? Impossible. Inconceivable.
Well, let me say the Olympics are quite different when traveling outside of the country.
1. I only saw bits and pieces - usually when we were in airports that had televisions. Our 4 safari camps were out in the bush and had no television or cell power or even electricity in some of our rooms (well, solar power).
2. What I saw was usually quick overviews - 10 seconds here, 15 seconds there - nothing in depth.
3. No Up Close and Personal moments about individual athletes; nothing about London.
4. Understandably, everything focused on African athletes.
What I DID experience:
1. At about Day #3 I learned that the US had 3 medals, a few behind China. Didn't know if they were gold, silver or bronze or what they were for, but we had them. That was the last I heard of number of medals won.
2. A single paragraph from a NY Times editorial was printed on an airport TV screen that said the opening ceremony was amazing but odd. Wondered what THAT was about.
3. Saw a 1-minute story about African athletes in a badminton game - didn't know badminton was an Olympic event - and a 3-minute story about the cricket game between England and South Africa. Same thing.
4. About half way through the Games, while waiting at the Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe, we saw about 20 minutes of a women's beach volleyball game between Italy and the US. Have no idea why the African network chose to show it given no Africans were participating - chalk it up to the skimpy outfits? Unfortunately, our plane was called when they were ahead 15-10. Learned later, of course, they won the gold.
5. While having high tea at the Victoria Falls hotel in Zimbabwe I heard from a young South African woman that the American women's team had won the gold in Gymnastics. I was delighted but the person telling me couldn't give me the additional info I wanted. How did individual medals fall out? How did the men do? Anyone fall off the balance beam? Have trouble with those pesky uneven bars? Any additional drama?
6. Once in Cape Town in South Africa we had a TV but was really surprised at the limited coverage - at least on the channels at our hotel. One evening there was nothing on. Did see the semi-final and final women's soccer games - much fun. Saw lots of snippets of other African-related events but nothing from the US.
7. The big news was Chad le Clos's victory over Michael Phelps in the butterfly. BIG BIG NEWS. Even though I, of course, would have rooted for Michael, it was also interesting to witness the great pride South Africans expressed. Their athlete beat the great Michael. The other major story was Oscar Pistorius but I didn't hear about it until I got home. Obviously it must have been BIG news in South Africa, just not mentioned while I was watching TV there.
8. Finally, on my flight home I watched 8 movies - two were to get me in the mood for watching whatever was taped in Portland: Chariots of Fire and Cool Runnings. Such great movies.
Now that I am home, I bless my sister, Mary, for taping whatever she could but, you know what, it's just not the same. I try to put myself into the right mood but I know that the medals have already been awarded, nothing is yet to be determined, the athletes are all home. I did see the opening ceremony and really liked it. Yes, it did have its odd moments but loved Danny Boyle's use of film. And the Queen - who knew?
So, overall, was it worth it? Yes, unquestionably, Africa was worth missing the Games but I hope I never have to make that choice again. To cope with my sense of loss I am thinking ahead to 2014, to Sochi, Russia. Ah, the Winter Games - what fun. Skiing, bobsledding, the absolutely insane luge - but you know what? This is hard, given that it's 100 degrees in Portland today.
Okay, accept that I missed them and move on. The world has not come to an end. I can cope. Africa was more than worth it but put your ear down toward the screen where you are reading this - can you hear it? Lean close. . .
There it is: Sigh.
All I have to do is hear the music - Dum dum, da dum dum dum dum, dum da da dum da da dum di dum dum dum (you can hear it right now, yes?) and I leap toward the TV where I become one with the athletes - which is pretty amusing given that my favorite participatory sports are floating on a raft, water aerobics and watching my grandson play. When athletes win the gold, I am standing on the platform with them. "Yes!" I scream out, "We did it!" (note the "we" here - I am just so very proud of what "we" accomplished).
I am the perfect target for the "Up Close and Personal" stories. I get teary at the right place (when they describe how an athlete overcame a bad home life or an injury or bullying by others, etc), want the showcased athletes to win (even if they are not from the US) and feel personally victorious when they inevitably do.
I also love the stories about the venue - winter or summer - ski resort or urban center. But this year it was especially significant. I was in London in 2005 (I did a 6-week house exchange with a British family that summer) when the Brits learned they had been awarded the 2012 Olympics. To be exact, I was touring Hampton Court Palace with my sister-in-law Melinda, when one of the security guards said to me, with uncharacteristic excitement in his voice, "We got it - we got the Olympics! Can you believe it?" When I responded,"That's wonderful" in my American accent he quickly added "Oh, and I'm sure it would have been lovely if it had been awarded to New York instead." I burst out laughing and assured him that I knew it would be incredible in London. Of course, 15 hours later everything changed when bombs exploded in the subway and I then learned about another side of British life - that stiff upper lip that keeps going when all else is falling down around them.
So, I was really looking forward to these games. I wasn't concerned about possible comparisons with Beijing; this was London, for Pete's sake. Imagine my shock when I realized (about a month before leaving) that the Games would start the day after I left for Africa and end the day I came home. The trip's timing could not be worse. Because of this trip I would miss the whole thing. The entire event. I, #1 Olympics Fan, was going to miss the 2012 Summer Games. MISS THE OLYMPICS? Impossible. Inconceivable.
Well, let me say the Olympics are quite different when traveling outside of the country.
1. I only saw bits and pieces - usually when we were in airports that had televisions. Our 4 safari camps were out in the bush and had no television or cell power or even electricity in some of our rooms (well, solar power).
2. What I saw was usually quick overviews - 10 seconds here, 15 seconds there - nothing in depth.
3. No Up Close and Personal moments about individual athletes; nothing about London.
4. Understandably, everything focused on African athletes.
What I DID experience:
1. At about Day #3 I learned that the US had 3 medals, a few behind China. Didn't know if they were gold, silver or bronze or what they were for, but we had them. That was the last I heard of number of medals won.
2. A single paragraph from a NY Times editorial was printed on an airport TV screen that said the opening ceremony was amazing but odd. Wondered what THAT was about.
3. Saw a 1-minute story about African athletes in a badminton game - didn't know badminton was an Olympic event - and a 3-minute story about the cricket game between England and South Africa. Same thing.
4. About half way through the Games, while waiting at the Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe, we saw about 20 minutes of a women's beach volleyball game between Italy and the US. Have no idea why the African network chose to show it given no Africans were participating - chalk it up to the skimpy outfits? Unfortunately, our plane was called when they were ahead 15-10. Learned later, of course, they won the gold.
5. While having high tea at the Victoria Falls hotel in Zimbabwe I heard from a young South African woman that the American women's team had won the gold in Gymnastics. I was delighted but the person telling me couldn't give me the additional info I wanted. How did individual medals fall out? How did the men do? Anyone fall off the balance beam? Have trouble with those pesky uneven bars? Any additional drama?
6. Once in Cape Town in South Africa we had a TV but was really surprised at the limited coverage - at least on the channels at our hotel. One evening there was nothing on. Did see the semi-final and final women's soccer games - much fun. Saw lots of snippets of other African-related events but nothing from the US.
7. The big news was Chad le Clos's victory over Michael Phelps in the butterfly. BIG BIG NEWS. Even though I, of course, would have rooted for Michael, it was also interesting to witness the great pride South Africans expressed. Their athlete beat the great Michael. The other major story was Oscar Pistorius but I didn't hear about it until I got home. Obviously it must have been BIG news in South Africa, just not mentioned while I was watching TV there.
8. Finally, on my flight home I watched 8 movies - two were to get me in the mood for watching whatever was taped in Portland: Chariots of Fire and Cool Runnings. Such great movies.
Now that I am home, I bless my sister, Mary, for taping whatever she could but, you know what, it's just not the same. I try to put myself into the right mood but I know that the medals have already been awarded, nothing is yet to be determined, the athletes are all home. I did see the opening ceremony and really liked it. Yes, it did have its odd moments but loved Danny Boyle's use of film. And the Queen - who knew?
So, overall, was it worth it? Yes, unquestionably, Africa was worth missing the Games but I hope I never have to make that choice again. To cope with my sense of loss I am thinking ahead to 2014, to Sochi, Russia. Ah, the Winter Games - what fun. Skiing, bobsledding, the absolutely insane luge - but you know what? This is hard, given that it's 100 degrees in Portland today.
Okay, accept that I missed them and move on. The world has not come to an end. I can cope. Africa was more than worth it but put your ear down toward the screen where you are reading this - can you hear it? Lean close. . .
There it is: Sigh.
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