New place like home: Let THE GAMES begin!!

This is me finishing my study abroad blog, slightly over a year later.

Friday, July 27, 2012

It is the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 summer Olympics, and we are right in the middle of the madness. Jenny, Noel, and I decided to wake up early to have a brunch fit for an Olympic athlete and then watch the Royal Regatta under the Millennium Bridge. I was surprised how calm the city seemed for it being arguably the most anticipated day of summer in the world thus far. There wasn't even a wait for us to dine at a cafe that was mere steps from Millennium Bridge. The rainy haze, on the other hand, was no surprise.

After a few brunch mimosas, we headed over to grab a good spot to watch the Olympic torch pass under Tower Bridge.

We waited for about 45 minutes..by ourselves. So much for rushing to get there early for prime seating. I guess the Thames is quite long. Eventually we welcomed company around us and noticed Millennium Bridge quickly line with eager spectators. It was fun to share this moment with some local British folks even if we were much more enthralled in the experience than they were. When we saw the first police boat race under Blackfriars Bridge and Railway, that's when we knew it was time.

Security was dense but I guess that's the price for protecting a torch that has been in transit on a 70 day road-trip from Greece.

The Olympic Torch Regatta

The torch is at the bow of the boat

Look, you can even see Shakespeare's Globe Theater on the other side of the Thames!

From here, we decided to try to chase after the regatta in attempts to snap a pic of the torch passing under Tower Bridge. We ran on roads and back streets along the Thames, pushing through other tourists and spectators to get our precious picture. Through the masses of people, we got slit up and then weren't even allowed to get closer than a quarter mile from the scene. Thank goodness for zoom. This is as good as it got--

The torch completing its route, signify the start of LONDON 2012!

That evening, our group planned to make the trip to Victoria Park for Opening Ceremonies to mingle with hundreds of other spirited sports fans from across the country. Several altered tube stops later, we made it to the park only to find about a thousand other people in line ahead of us. Rumor had it that security was no longer allowing people in to the screening areas, so we created a simple, but brilliant plan B: find a pub. We stumbled upon a crowded but not packed restaurant/bar with a decent happy hour special and large screens blaring pre-ceremony coverage. We slung back colorful drinks from bartenders with dreamy accents and discussed the Spice Girls' reputation from the perspective of a middle-aged British. Really immersed ourselves in the culture, you know?

We cheered our American hearts out when the announcer shouted "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and we saw our athletes proudly wave to the world with their preppy navy jackets and goofy sailor hats. It was an emotional moment to say the least. Our cheers drowned out most of the boo-ing but the negative chatter was undeniable. Friendly competition never hurt anyone.