About an hour ago, I realised that I had a headache.
I did my usual. I put my glasses on. I took some Panadol. I drank some water. Nothing worked.
Then I figured out the source of the headache.
The source.
Our ridiculously large new television has been turned off for a total of twelve hours since its purchase on Friday afternoon. And in those hours, I was sleeping.
We kicked off with the Opening Ceremony, which I frankly found a bit of a letdown; sure, the James Bond and Rowan Atkinson bits were great, but it was disjointed and some parts just didn’t make sense. Paul and I got through it by playing the drinking game; we had to drink if ‘Team GB’ was mentioned, if Usain Bolt came on the screen, if the Royal Family looked awkward, if we heard Danny Boyle’s name, or even if a country’s flagbearer was hot. We ran out of alcohol before the flame was lit.
Over here in the Netherlands, I don’t have the pro-Aussie commentary. With myriad channels to choose from, I have the choice of four flavours; Dutch, German, Belgian or British. For language reasons I’ve mainly stuck to the British, which means that I’ve been transported back to Sydney in 2000, when we falsely assumed that our team was so large because it was so good.
No, it’s because as host nation, you automatically qualify for every event. I’ve watched the BBC gush over British beach volleyballers, basketballers and fencers; when it came to events that they are actually good at, like the men’s road race yesterday, they claimed a medal before it had even started. They’re amusing me in the absence of Eddie.
My sports of choice this time around have been archery (such drama!) the kayak slalom (makes me tired just watching) and the good old swimming (gotta love beating the Dutch).
Tomorrow we’ll be on the 6.57am train from Rotterdam to Brussels, where we’ll then change for the Eurostar for London. Our plan tomorrow is to soak up the atmosphere, wander around town and catch some action on the big screens. Our first events will be on Tuesday, when we’ll be seeing the judo during the day and the basketball at night.
The countdown clock in Trafalgar Square when we visited London back in March last year.
So I’m off to bed as soon as the swimming’s over tonight. Hope I can sleep!
As an olympic junkie…although I didn’t think to put it in my blog name…I am supremely jealous. Have a great time!
And I agree…every time something had promise during the opening, it fell flat. They should have landed the helicopter, and Her Majesty should have actually been on board. Plus, I’ve just never understood Mr. Bean…
Yay, catch ups when you get here! Maybe on the Wed night if you dont have plans and if there is a swimming event, we can watch it at a pub somewhere…? I’ll be at the gymnastics on Thurs night. Sooo many of the things you say in your blog are exactly what Ive been thinking too! Missing the Aussie focus on the sports that you get at home
Can someone please explain the segment from the Opening Ceremony with the house bit?
Just think Cait, you are missing the EXPERT commentary from the likes of James Brayshaw (at the rowing) and Dwayne Russell (at the equestrian) however it’s not the same without Sandy Roberts there with Liz Chetkovich at the gymnastics!