Saturday, July 26, 2014
An ordinary day in London
It is mid summer, and the sun is shining and it is hot, it's been a great summer by any standard. I had a rare chance to spend a day by myself, which is an usual treat these days. I have been on a "get ready to launch" mode this weekend, getting my hair coloured and picking up some summer sale bargains - a necessity to overhaul my wardrobe before I start my new job on Monday.
I was having a relaxed stroll in Kensington high street, I just had my morning coffee, not in a rush to anywhere other than doing some shopping. Then I saw the big crowd with banners gathering around Kensington tube station. I quickly realised this is a protest against Israelis bombing in Gaza. There were more and more people joining as the march was moving along the street, on the other side of road there is a small gathering of Jews opposing Israelis war in Gaza as well. I felt moved. For a moment, I was feeling guilty about going about doing my leisurely shopping when there are serious conflicts in the world and people who are suffering from war. But I don't know the solution to these issues, there don't seem to be one. For so many years, the same pattern repeats itself, it is heart breaking to watch the innocent children dying but unless we find a solutions both parties will accept, I don't see the end to this. Sadly I remind myself the old saying the end of one war is the beginning of the new war, this does seem to be the case for the second world war.
I carried on with my bargain hunt and got home after lunch. I turned on the TV, ironically there is a special programme about price George's first 12 months on sky news. I watched with disbelief, feeling somehow this is another nostalgic coverage that keeps us from reality. Same thing as commonwealth games. This must be the least recognised sports event and who cares other than the royals chewing on the remains of the British Empire.
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Such disappointingly naïve comments about the commonwealth games - it sounds like a statement pulled from the China Daily playbook.
The whole point of these games is to allow people to enjoy their competitive sport in an atmosphere that is not the Olympics...it is about having fun - which is something that too many people (are you included?) have forgotten about.
Where else can Papua New Guinea play the Falkland Islands in a game of bowls? Or Zambia play the Norfolk Islands?
The games are uniquely and eccentrically themselves....a series of silly games without malice - except maybe where the aussie swimmers are concerned!
There are no sporting superpowers in Glasgow - no China, no USA, no Russia and without them the desperate search for success is a much mellower thing; it is a much simpler affair without the intrusion of global power politics.
There are few obvious stars. The swimming and athletic events have some world class athletes but most events are contested by athletes who are there primarily because of a love of their sport rather than the financial rewards that come with success. They are there for the simple beauty of doing something well.
People coming back from Glasgow report sunny skies, packed streets and smiling faces...even from the Scottish.
Celebrating eccentricity, celebrating the simple joy of sporting contest, celebrating the diversity that comes from bringing many nations together - and doing some good along the way...such as the Unicef appeal at the opening ceremony.
That's what the CG has done through the last 80 or so years.
My only disappointment - Pitcairn still cannot find anyone to take part.
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