h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So that was the Opening Ceremony...!

I liked the impromptu (at least to all of us) 'celebration of 100 years of female participation in the Olympic Games', but my favourite bit still has to be the beginning of the performance by the marching band(s). Amid the clamour of the drummers could clearly be heard the crowd bawling 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!' That just about made my night.... The welcome and smoking ceremony by the Aborigines from Arnhem Land was the only bit that made me cry, though, although the march past by the united Korean team also came close. Maybe I'm getting more somnolent in my old age...

Guess what, hypo, I was there! Yes, one of the little lights in the audience was me!

I loved it. The atmosphere, the whole production of it was amazing to see. I teared up in the pre-entertainment, as there was this childrens choir singing "G'day, Welcome to Australia". And then when the little girl sung her song in the center of Australia, I felt so patriotic.

The other bits were moving, like the Aborigines welcome section, and the march of the united Koreas. It was great how the whole audience stood up and cheered.

Overall, it was a memorable night.

Glad to see you back, JJJ...!

I was just talking to Mum about the production, and it was agreed between us that we would have liked to have been there, but getting home afterwards would have been enough of a hassle to make us think that even sitting and watching it at home was good enough.

Did you hear Roy and HG's dissection of the event last night...? Their commentary on the opening rounds of the gymnastics alone was worth watching, but the bits where Johnny and Livvie got caned were a bit over the top, some might think...!

Oh, was that on the Dream? I didn't see that one, but I'm sure it must have been hilarious. I've watched them quite a lot over the past few weeks- in fact,they're on right now!

Yeah, getting home was a bit of a hassle. Packs of people all left at the same time. My bus route just happened to be the one that positively everyone had to cathc, and I waited in line for at least an hour and a half, and that was once I even got to the bus stop. But even so, the experience more than balanced out the wait.

It's been great, I've been to quite a few events and still have a few to go. Although I may have been sick of the olympics before they started, now I'm loving it. Sydney's looking great.