Olympic 2008
The night belongs to China alone. The opening ceremony for Olympic 2008 is far from just being “a success”, rather, almost every moment of the telecast grasps your heart and sends you in total awe of the spirit of the Chinese. Tonight, all descendants of Chinese heritage stand tall and take pride in this unity of the Chinese.
It is no secret that China has churned a lot of their funds and paid a lot of attention to making Olympic 2008 a success. But, what I was in total admiration of was the amount of talents that was displayed in the show.
The opening showcase of men hitting drums in unison was really amazing. The sound produced was near to being in perfect synchrony. Thereafter, the rising of the halo Olympic rings sends a chill down my spine for being so angelic and silent. Or how about the 9 year old girl who bravely stood and sing a song without showing any sign of nervousness. My favourite part though was the movable type printing performance. I cannot imagine the amount of effort these men put into this performance. Or even comprehend how they actually did all of it being in a box and unable to see anything. Another favourite of mine was of the Olympic torch runners, ending with a runner ‘running’ in the air with his arm extended holding the torch tightly and trailing behind him images of the 56 provinces of China.
From the start to the finish of all the performances, China has shown us that it is possible to sew history and culture together with the technology of modern times to produce a show that is bursting full of innovation and screaming “China Rocks”. Indeed they have achieve it, “to display many years of China history”. And for this, even though my ties with China is 3 generation apart, I feel really proud.
Proud of the elegance and grace that they have displayed throughout the show. Proud of the precision and detail they have paid to every episode of the show.
With such a glorious opening ceremony. The closing ceremony is definitely worth the anticipation.
When unexpected plants grow in the desert…
Never did I expect to see my first sight of Lavender on my way to Bahariya Desert.
Camel or Horse
Trudge the desert like a local on a steady bemused camel or ride with the wind by galloping away on a horse.
No.
A pained, cracked and dry butt coupled with a sore arched back or a screaming human is what you get.
The Pyramids
Like most children who grew up watching National Geography and was greatly influenced by stories of Egyptian mummies and the “mysteries” of their tombs, I have been longing to visit this ancient city. Plus, being the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, who could resist the temptation of making a trip down at some point in their lives just to proclaim they have stepped on ancient land. Yes, it is indeed an exotic trip like most profess, but please visit Egypt only during the Winter time. There was a reason why people always associate deserts with oasis.
A major tourist magnet is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Battle alongside the throng of tourists for fresh air inside the pyramid. Within the pyramid, you would be greeted by narrow and steep pathways (a great excuse to be petite) and humid air. Just a mere 10 minutes stay in the pyramid would feel like 30 minute sitting in a sauna. I was glad to scramble for the exit to be in the scorching 40 degrees heat.
Destination Egypt
Destination: Egypt
Temperature: A blazing 40 degrees
Tan-meter (on a scale of 1-100): 85 [25 pounds* & lots of sun block to the rescue]
Survival kit includes: A bottle or two of 1.5 litre water, sunglasses, a jacket (to retain moisture even though it’s insanely hot) & the ability to remain calm and not get irritated by the heap of buzzing flies.
*25 pounds is a piece of cloth that Egyptians or Arabs use as head gear. It is known as 25 pounds because, my friends and I bought the piece of cloth for 25 pounds [rather expensive in my opinion but the name stuck]
About the Blog
Having moved around umpteen times since 2002 (12 to be exact), I have finally found a permanent home to blog about things that I love and live for. Welcome to Valerie’s world!