Opening/Closing Ceremonies Discussion

[johnjimbc]

Being there in person, here were our highlights:

1. Snowboarder coming in while it snowed inside BC Place. Just a great spectacle standing there inside with "snow" falling all around you in a crowd of thousands and thousands.
2. KD Lang. Voice, Wow, what a voice. Always amazes me. Without close-ups it didn't matter that it was pre-recorded.
3. The "Prarie Dancer" while Joni Mitchell's Clouds played. That actually choked me up, perhaps because I can remember hearing that song when I was a little, little kid and even then thinking it sounded kind of sad. So hearing a more melancholy version with that imagery was just amazing in person.
4. Sarah McLaughlin. Just a great performance, came across well. And the imagery for that song was great as well.
5. The Whales. Just loved it. Was the most realistic image, inside. I looked at the floor at one point during the sequence and thought, "That really looks like whales swimming through water beneath me."

We had a great time. We figured out the malfunction, but partially because I knew from that image posted here that there were going to be 4 plus 1 flames. (4 Nations / 1 Canada). But we didn't realize it until a few minutes later. In retrospect, I think the malfunction could have been much, much more embarrassing. As it was, they skipped the music back to just the right point for lifting the other 3. Can you imagine if they hadn't been able to light the torch!!! When you consider the possibility, what happened looked great.

Sadly the symbolism of the death of an athlete today didn't escape me . . . a somber reminder / symbol.

I am too exhausted to think straight, but wanted to post our impressions while they were fresh.