The Olympics have been spectacular. From the Opening Ceremony, to the exhilarating competition, the amazing photo and video coverage, the smooth logistics, the additional entertainment and activities around the city, and most notably the kindness of the volunteers and British people across the city. London 2012 has been a real success for London and the nation, and it has been a lot of fun to be a part of it.
Last Sunday we went to the Olympic Park to watch the water polo. We got our tickets over a year ago in the ticket lottery and were the only ones of our friends to get any — so we felt pretty lucky. A part of our strategy was to select events that we thought would be less popular and thus better odds. It worked :-). And we lucked out with the session that we saw. Hungary came back from behind to win in a close finish against Russia, while Australia won in a thrilling penalty shoot out to beat China. We really got into it, cheered hard, and saw some amazing goals.
We spent a bit of time in the park as well looking around. It was fantastic to be there and be a part of the experience. We were super impressed at how organized everything was. We were through security (run by the army) in seconds and they were so much more polite than security at the airport. There were volunteers everywhere to help direct, encourage, or just take group pictures for you with your camera. They even had people doing silly skits and antics to help entertain the crowds and set a festive mood.
Then this Sunday we headed downtown to see the marathon — the classic Olympic event. Once again, the preparation was thorough to the last detail. We found a spot under Waterloo Bridge and waited patiently to see the runners rush by. It was very different from the London marathon as there were far fewer runners. But it was also on a loop, so we were able to see them pass by multiple times. The crowds were super enthusiastic cheering for all the runners — and a little louder for Team GB. It was great to see London out supporting the games.
One of the great things about the Olympics is that it has spurred a real since of pride and patriotism in the nation. Americans are naturally patriotic, so this wouldn’t be so unusual in the States. But here people are typically more reserved and this is the most patriotism we’ve seen since moving here six years ago. Not only has London done a fantastic job with hosting, but Team GB has performed well making this Olympics a source of pride for the country as a whole and not just London. Not only has it been exciting for us, but we’ve enjoyed a bit of pride and patriotism ourselves as we are only a rubber stamp away from becoming British citizens.
It has been interesting talking to some of the native Londoners about the Olympics. There was a lot of skepticism and grumbling about the city being invaded, the overloaded public transport and roads blocked off only for Olympics officials. The warnings about transport really played to the English psyche and most natives stayed home or left for holiday. It turned out the transport really wasn’t that bad (I had the best two weeks commuting ever). In the end, the skeptic natives were all won over. By the time the Olympics finished, they were proud of London and Team GB. As a result, there has been a mad rush for tickets for the Paralympic Games next month and organizers are now predicting the first sell out in history!
For me, I never really thought that I’d experience a ‘home’ Olympics. Even when we moved to London six years ago, it seemed so far away. We never thought we’d still be here for the Olympics. We feel fortunate that we’ve been able to take part and have such a wonderful experience.