Flying In The Sky

Let's look at this video...

Everyone should know, it's Beijing Olympics 2008 Opening Ceremony, in-the-air 李宁 (Li Ning) lighten up the Olympics cauldron.

Like everyone (if not, then everyone in China), I was looking forward to watch the opening (and closing too) ceremony since months ago when the clock ticked counting down to 080808. I was putting high expectation on it. You'd know, the entire show was directed by 张艺谋 (Zhang YiMou), you can't just treat it like a typical ceremony. Undeniable on yesterday night, I was extremely impressed, the theme titled "The 4 Great Inventions" showed to the world the great minds of our (my root ancestor was in China) ancestors; the diversity of the performance introduced our richful culture to the world and the presentation using advanced technology proved to the world (in particular to the West) that nothing is impossible in China. And I salute and respect that finally China now has full answer for the 3 questions that were asked a century ago!

I was getting emotional and excited even at the very beginning during the count down, then the 29 foot-print fireworks, the 4 great inventions theme and so forth, the surprises were just flooding me. I was yelling to myself Wow!, Amazing!, Wahlau Eh! all times. Came to the moment to light up the Olympics cauldron, my heart beat pulsed at faster pace. I kept on asking myself, how would the cauldron get lighten up and trying to get some clue from some of the 张艺谋's movies that I watched.

The moment came. Li Ning was slowly borne into the air, running a lap round the Bird Nest, passing the flame to the cauldron and finally the cauldron brighten up Beijing.

My reaction was "Oh I see, it's like that." No Wow. No Wahlau Eh.

Why? I was asking myself why I reacted this way.

Now take a minute minus 1 second to view this video...

Recall the movie title? Yes, it's 卧虎藏龙 or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Look familiar?

Let's replay the merger of two...

Look matching?

You judge.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying copycat here, it's a very common aided technic used in movies to fly a humankind.

Oh, common aided technic. No wonder my response was "Oh I see, it's like that."

I still remember one of the past Olympics at Barcelona, a handicapped archer shot an "Olympics-flamed" arrow up across the stadium to the cauldron, a truly mankind way to success without help of fancy technic. This aligned with Olympics spirit, no aid of estacy or drug to win the game.

Beijing Olympics 2008 Opening Ceremony was so excellent and the best I've ever seen, I feel it would be perfect if the lighting ceremony was without the "string-attached" aid. Of course, 李宁 has no flying capability like Superman, may be another way to fly him up there. I don't know what could be better way though since I am not 张艺谋, perhaps this was the best so far that 张艺谋 and the Design Team thought of.

Note:
3 questions were asked by China YMCA in 1908:
1. When China could send the first athlete to Olympics? Answered long ago.
2. When China could win the first medal? Answered long ago.

3. When China could host Olympics? Answered on 080808!

Edit: this blog was supposedly out yesterday. Due to dispute copyright claim with an American media company (or read here) in YouTube, the videos were only released today, 10 Aug 08.

Comments

  1. Hey, can't blame me for getting excited over Olympics. We were all also going "Wah wah wah" like so many times during the opening! Super Impressive. Love the drumming activated by lights too. Looks like pixel from the top view! Just pity the participant. What health hazard! .. And I got the same reaction for the lighting of the cauldron too! hehe.. The greatest impression was definitely during Barcelona ( 1998 i think ) for aiming the arrow into the flame thingy! :)

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