Heartland

I saw some of the opening hoo haa and it all seemed rather jolly. But one thing puzzled me and I don't want to seem jingoistic but why were the stadum announcements firstly in French and then in English.
Surely not only is English the language of the planet (eg Star Trek) but they are taking place in England.
Can someone explain what appears to be a faux pas?

million voices wrote: but they are taking place in England.

Are they?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spor ... 122165.cms

Two official languages for the IOC methinks.

They appear to have mistaken Gaulish for Gaelic.

I rather enjoyed the opening ceremony. I even found myself waiting anxiously just in case there was a hint of TSOM somewhere in that music mix.... sadly not. But it was jolly as you say.

Swinnow's correct. The IOC's based in Lausanne, Switzerland so French comes first then English. If the host nation has any official languages other than those two then they come next.

What puzzled me was something I've never noticed before: why are so many territories that aren't independent countries allowed to compete? Aruba, American Samoa, Bermuda, both sets of Virgin Islands and several others all field their own teams despite being overseas territories of other countries. I know it's because the IOC has allowed them to have their own Olympic Committees but why?

Anyway, I thought the beginning and end of the ceremony were rather impressive (and hopefully slapped the face of all those who were determined to watch it crash and burn as far back as Beijing) and the Mr Bean sequence was quite fun. The other bits (children's lterature coupled with the NHS, music through the decades, the daft Bond film and that weird version of Abide With Me with the totally mismatched dance routine) didn't really work. But the positives outweighed the negatives. Overall a bit of a triumph. The Queen looked bored though. Maybe that parachute jump took it out of her.

I didn't watch it, dancing nurses celebrating the NHS, and Mary Poppins vs Voldemort just sounded too cringe-inducing. Apparently I missed out, the only people complaining seem to be those who hate the Olympics anyway, and the North Koreans after the Scots ballsed-up the flag business.

us Jocks didn't balls up the NK flag -

BBC Scotland's Olympics correspondent Kheredine Idessane said:
"These video packages are sent centrally from London, out to the other venues, so, this isn't a Glasgow problem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-18995657

James Blast wrote:us Jocks didn't balls up the NK flag -

BBC Scotland's Olympics correspondent Kheredine Idessane said:
"These video packages are sent centrally from London, out to the other venues, so, this isn't a Glasgow problem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-18995657

Speaking of problems, what the hell was going on with Macca and the backing track for Hey Jude?

Maybe they had an errant DAT just in case and someone switched it on.

I enjoyed almost the whole thing, however they should have brought it to an end with Eclipse, Macca's bit was weak in the extreme.

This time unlike Hyde Park, they really should have pulled the plug on him!

F

stufarq wrote: What puzzled me was something I've never noticed before: why are so many territories that aren't independent countries allowed to compete? Aruba, American Samoa, Bermuda, both sets of Virgin Islands and several others all field their own teams despite being overseas territories of other countries. I know it's because the IOC has allowed them to have their own Olympic Committees but why?

Dunno. I wonder why there's "Team GB" and not England, Scotland, Wales like the football?

James Blast wrote:us Jocks didn't balls up the NK flag -

BBC Scotland's Olympics correspondent Kheredine Idessane said:
"These video packages are sent centrally from London, out to the other venues, so, this isn't a Glasgow problem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-18995657

I didn't see that. Seriously, you'd expect slightly more professionalism for twelve billion-odd, wouldn't you?

do try and keep up

Great to see the punk section in the Opening Ceremony and the spirit lived on through Danny Boyle's vision (pity he wasn't a secret goth). Going with the Arctic Monkeys (like most of the show in fact) was brave if a little incongruous, but made more sense when the alternative was wheeling out the old guard (Macca et al) again or going for the obvious (Muse, Coldplay etc).

Apologies - should have said "GB" not "England". Although they are described as the "London Olympics" and the team are "Team GB" although they may well have Northern Irish.

stufarq wrote:that weird version of Abide With Me with the totally mismatched dance routine) didn't really work.

After the initial Kenneth Branagh bit - I loved the chimneys rising up! I was at a bit of a loss to what was going on. However, the dance sequence was AMAZING. Easily the best individual segment IMHO.

I didn't watch this, i never did any of, but i saw fragment with Rowan A. - nice and funny. So i guess that was the best part.

DeWinter wrote:

stufarq wrote: What puzzled me was something I've never noticed before: why are so many territories that aren't independent countries allowed to compete? Aruba, American Samoa, Bermuda, both sets of Virgin Islands and several others all field their own teams despite being overseas territories of other countries. I know it's because the IOC has allowed them to have their own Olympic Committees but why?

Dunno. I wonder why there's "Team GB" and not England, Scotland, Wales like the football?

Cos they're not independent either - one nation and all that. (They all compete separately in the Commonwealth Games as do all of the UK's overseas territories eg Bermuda, British Virgin Islands etc.) Should be Team UK though as GB excludes Norhtern Ireland.

bearskin wrote:I loved the chimneys rising up! I was at a bit of a loss to what was going on.

Industrial revolution (mixed with other bits of British history) culminating in the forging of the One Ri- ...sorry, five Olympic rings. My favourite part of the whole ceremony.

stufarq wrote:Should be Team UK though as GB excludes Norhtern Ireland.

Apparently the full name of the team is "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" but it always seems to get shortened to "team GB". It's something to do with allowing NI athletes to compete for either team GB or for Ireland, depending on their "heritage",

markfiend wrote:

stufarq wrote:Should be Team UK though as GB excludes Norhtern Ireland.

Apparently the full name of the team is "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" but it always seems to get shortened to "team GB". It's something to do with allowing NI athletes to compete for either team GB or for Ireland, depending on their "heritage",

Didn't know that. Although it still wouldn't stop them calling it Team UK, which would be simpler and would save people from thinking that NI had been snubbed.

stufarq wrote: Industrial revolution (mixed with other bits of British history) culminating in the forging of the One Ri- ...sorry, five Olympic rings. My favourite part of the whole ceremony.

I thought it had a bit of a Soviet touch to it, and was half hoping for big-bosomed tovarishas parading last year's tractor production but the nurses made up for that somewhat.

nowayjose wrote:

stufarq wrote: Industrial revolution (mixed with other bits of British history) culminating in the forging of the One Ri- ...sorry, five Olympic rings. My favourite part of the whole ceremony.

I thought it had a bit of a Soviet touch to it, and was half hoping for big-bosomed tovarishas parading last year's tractor production but the nurses made up for that somewhat.

wish i'd see it now

All the ceremony aside, has anyone seen this dude?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18911479

He's in the semi finals!!

I think the games and the coverage has been fantastic so far. BBC red button giving coverage of everything on demand is sensational.

I watched some of the action from the Excel centre and did wonder if perhaps will have been in the audience?

I'm sure he'd have enjoyed the Foil and Epee.

F

Yeah, it has been good. I've watched far more than I expected to and enjoyed it all. Still not sure why synchronised diving is a sport or why cycling rules have to be so mad but really got quite excited today as GB won six medals.

I've just watched some blokes in little boats. It started, they fiddled and faddled for about an hour. They went in various directions and sometimes went round orange bouys. Sometimes they seemingly went nowhere, sometimes they seemed to go sideways. No-one ever seemed to be in front. There was a lot of twaddling about in a group then someone blew a horn and it ended. No-one knew who won then five minutes later they pulled a name out of a hat (well perhaps it was more complicated than that) and they let the Swedes win.