The Olympics and the Ravelympics start tomorrow! This is exciting (and problematic) for me on several levels.
I’ve always been a big fan of the Olympics. We got our very first color TV just in time for the 1980 Winter Olympics. My brother was sick at the time, like stay-at-home-from-school-for-a-week-and-whine-on-the-couch sick. So the new color TV was a delightful acquisition in his eyes I’m sure. The remote control was a delightful acquisition in my eyes. (muah ha ha haaaaa). You see, we’re talking the OLD DAYS here, where you actually had to get up and walk over to the TV to change channels. We had never had a remote control before. I don’t even think we knew what it was. Well, I discovered that I could sit at the top of the stairs, unseen by my cranky-sick brother and point that little remote at the new shiny TV
Click
Bro: WTF (or whatever teen aged boys said in the 80s). Stumbles up and changes the channel back to what ever he was watching, slumps back on the couch.
Me: Giggles evily.
Five minutes later.
Click
Lather Rinse Repeat
This went on for quite some time until the Mother caught me and well, we know how that turned out.
But it was an Olympic year. We watched the hockey team win. And since the RemoteControl-Torture Olympics, I really get into the event every time it airs (Big yays from me for splitting the summer and winter events to happen in different years!). I love the obscure events like shooting and judo. Women’s Hockey is the best. Watching the distance running events? Not so much fun. There’s so much drama! It brings out all of my all-american-flag-a'waving pride!
As I have previously discussed, one member of my household is none to fond of certain aspects of the Olympic experience (namely, the theme song, gymnasts and horses. Oh and the kung fu fighting which is very limited despite her impression).
However, I’m especially torn about the China Olympics this year. Regardless of the fact that my company is hosting a lunch in honor of the beginning of the Olympics (that is very sweet) as we have large facilities in China, I just can’t really support the Olympics this year. I highly respect all the Chinese people I have known over the years but I can’t get behind anything sponsored by the government of the People’s Republic of China. The genocide in Tibet , the atrocities of the revolution, there are countless examples where the government has trampled human rights and have decimated cultures. I will celebrate Chinese as individuals, but not their government as a whole
But I will rally behind the Ravelympics!!
This is a fantastic event on Ravelry where you sign up for Olympic Teams and compete in events! I’m in the Sweater Sprint, the WIPs Wrestling, and Hand Dyed Hurdles. I’m concerned about being able to finish my sweater in time, but I will try my best!! That’s what counts in the Olympics, er, Ravelympics, I’ll certainly get an A for effort!
More on the sweater as I progress…
I’ve always been a big fan of the Olympics. We got our very first color TV just in time for the 1980 Winter Olympics. My brother was sick at the time, like stay-at-home-from-school-for-a-week-and-whine-on-the-couch sick. So the new color TV was a delightful acquisition in his eyes I’m sure. The remote control was a delightful acquisition in my eyes. (muah ha ha haaaaa). You see, we’re talking the OLD DAYS here, where you actually had to get up and walk over to the TV to change channels. We had never had a remote control before. I don’t even think we knew what it was. Well, I discovered that I could sit at the top of the stairs, unseen by my cranky-sick brother and point that little remote at the new shiny TV
Click
Bro: WTF (or whatever teen aged boys said in the 80s). Stumbles up and changes the channel back to what ever he was watching, slumps back on the couch.
Me: Giggles evily.
Five minutes later.
Click
Lather Rinse Repeat
This went on for quite some time until the Mother caught me and well, we know how that turned out.
But it was an Olympic year. We watched the hockey team win. And since the RemoteControl-Torture Olympics, I really get into the event every time it airs (Big yays from me for splitting the summer and winter events to happen in different years!). I love the obscure events like shooting and judo. Women’s Hockey is the best. Watching the distance running events? Not so much fun. There’s so much drama! It brings out all of my all-american-flag-a'waving pride!
As I have previously discussed, one member of my household is none to fond of certain aspects of the Olympic experience (namely, the theme song, gymnasts and horses. Oh and the kung fu fighting which is very limited despite her impression).
However, I’m especially torn about the China Olympics this year. Regardless of the fact that my company is hosting a lunch in honor of the beginning of the Olympics (that is very sweet) as we have large facilities in China, I just can’t really support the Olympics this year. I highly respect all the Chinese people I have known over the years but I can’t get behind anything sponsored by the government of the People’s Republic of China. The genocide in Tibet , the atrocities of the revolution, there are countless examples where the government has trampled human rights and have decimated cultures. I will celebrate Chinese as individuals, but not their government as a whole
But I will rally behind the Ravelympics!!
This is a fantastic event on Ravelry where you sign up for Olympic Teams and compete in events! I’m in the Sweater Sprint, the WIPs Wrestling, and Hand Dyed Hurdles. I’m concerned about being able to finish my sweater in time, but I will try my best!! That’s what counts in the Olympics, er, Ravelympics, I’ll certainly get an A for effort!
More on the sweater as I progress…
Posts
1 comment:
Our sentiments about this year's Olympics and Ravelympics are the same! Between Tibet and Darfur, it's just impossible to watch China shine in the eyes of the world. I hope the athletes give the best performances of their lives, but I just can not watch.
(I can, however, knit!)
Post a Comment