Olympic Games Openning!!!!

[MaisseArsouye]

I don't speak greek very well, but I can read it. And I was surpised I understood most of the greek speech. It's a wonderfull language, maybe the most beautifull in the world. I went twice to Greece it is some kind of perfect country to me.

 

[bobgote]

What's funny is that the name rmsharpe couldn't remember is originally Greek.

what's funny is that it wasn't funny at all.

The Olympics are likely the most boring sports event on the planet. I don't see why all the fuss.

Just like one out of 10 competitions is of a sport actually worth watching.

We should get rid of the Olympics and have World Cups every two years.

1 in 10? very generous.

and i agree with the world cup thing.

 

[Zwelgje]

TV in summer usually sucks here (all reruns of programs that already were rerun several times ) so I'm happy with every sporting event. I like to watch lots of different sports, although during the Olympics there are quite a few sports that I'll miss.
Watched the opening ceremony but during the "performance" of Bjork I fell asleep. The nations parade with DJ Tiesto in the background was quite entertaining though.

 

[CivCube]

The Olympics is the only sports event that I'll actually watch. It's nice to see something on TV that isn't cynical for once.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

The pictures are great:

Bjork was interesting enough also.


I know the Greek alphabet but I don't know the greek names of the various countries. Who knew Taiwan was named "Chinese Taipei" and spelled something like "Χινεσ Ταιπει"

 

[CivCube]

If it weren't for the Olympus Mons-sized dress, I'd say she would have been escorted by security for impersonating an actual singer. Although she was tolerable enough....

The Greeks' reception of their country was definitely worth watching.

 

[Civrules]

Indeed, they are great, but some still say that it's not significant.

 

[CivCube]

Who knew Taiwan was named "Chinese Taipei"

That's actually how the Olympics refers to Taiwan due to China's insistence....

Indeed, they are great, but some still say that it's not significant.

Yes, war is so much more mature....

 

[AVN]

TV in summer usually sucks here (all reruns of programs that already were rerun several times )

Hmm, unfortunately not only in the summer. In the winter our television is nowadays not much better. I guess that's a consequence of the commercialization of the Dutch TV.

so I'm happy with every sporting event.

Yep, and we had a great time this summer. Euro 2004, Wimbledon, the Tour and now the Olympics.

I like to watch lots of different sports, although during the Olympics there are quite a few sports that I'll miss.

OK, civ3 is not on the Olympics (and probably they don't belong there too), but what other sports are you missing ?

Watched the opening ceremony but during the "performance" of Bjork I fell asleep. The nations parade with DJ Tiesto in the background was quite entertaining though.

I don't like the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games, especially because of the long and boring nations parade, but I will watch a lot of the actual games.

This afternoon's win of Bettini of the men's cycling was a great performance for example.

 

[Silverflame]

I only really paid attention to the parade of nations, which I somehow found really interesting. Iraq and Palestine got really warm receptions. Turkey and Macedonia... not so hot. I already knew about the "Chinese Taipei" thing, but I was suprised to see Hong Kong there.

 

[ManOfMiracles]

I had to learn the Greek alphabet when I went through rush in college. I finally found a use for it!!!

 

[Vasileius]

It was a "spectacular" ceremony ...(CNN,NBC,CBS,BBC and Sky news all used this word ... those journalists don't know lots of words , don't they ? ).

It covered a large part of the Greek history and culture and the history of the Olympics .
The parade was very boring though ... But this is the Olympic protocol ...

P.S. I never doubted that everything would be ready ... Some others did .

P.S.2 "Chinese Taipei" is the official name of Taiwan . In Greek is "Κινεζική Ταιπέι" ...
Some examples :
United States of America - Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες της Αμερικής ( Enomenes Polities tis Amerikis )
France - Γαλλία ( Gallia )
Germany - Γερμανία ( Germania )
Australia - Αυστραλία ( Australia )
China - Κίνα ( Kina )
Italy - Ιταλία ( Italia )

 

[Inter4]

We should get rid of the Olympics and have World Cups every two years.

Then how could we have LA Copa América and The Euro Cup.

Keep it that way..

 

[kryszcztov]

France - Γαλλία ( Gallia )

Eh thanks : I wondered why France was just before Germany (didn't see its Greek spelling), and rather at the beginning. I didn't know it started with the gamma letter. Greeks need to update their diplomacy screen : Gauls have gone for so long !!

The ceremony was a nice delight to watch, I enjoyed it. As a true (but new) Greek fan, I really appreciated the efforts to describe History. The historical scenes were really nice, though they could have added a lot more things of course. I really liked the living white statues, pretty well done. The hoplite formation was rather weird. I'm not into Bjork, but I found her quite good yesterday.

On a chauvinist note, I really appreciated the French sportsmen with both French and Greek flags. And I was pleased with some text parts being read in French by the officials. Pierre de Coubertin lives.

 

[luiz]

Then how could we have LA Copa América and The Euro Cup.

Keep it that way..

One year the Copa América, the other World Cup. The Euro Cup can happen simultaneously with the Copa América.

 

[ManOfMiracles]

On a chauvinist note, I really appreciated the French sportsmen with both French and Greek flags. And I was pleased with some text parts being read in French by the officials. Pierre de Coubertin lives.

Isn't French one of the required languages for the Games? As for the dual flags, I was very surprised to see athletes from Turkey waving some. Given the relatively quiet reception they received and the bad blood between the countries, that was a bold move.

 

[Vasileius]

Eh thanks : I wondered why France was just before Germany (didn't see its Greek spelling), and rather at the beginning. I didn't know it started with the gamma letter. Greeks need to update their diplomacy screen : Gauls have gone for so long !!

The ceremony was a nice delight to watch, I enjoyed it. As a true (but new) Greek fan, I really appreciated the efforts to describe History. The historical scenes were really nice, though they could have added a lot more things of course. I really liked the living white statues, pretty well done. The hoplite formation was rather weird. I'm not into Bjork, but I found her quite good yesterday.

On a chauvinist note, I really appreciated the French sportsmen with both French and Greek flags. And I was pleased with some text parts being read in French by the officials. Pierre de Coubertin lives.

Well yes , we are a bit outdated ... most of the names are of the Roman period ...
Unfortunately there was not much time to add more things , but it was ok .
The hoplite formation lacked of helmets , but the formation was the real one . The first sarissas are down and the others are up . When the first line dies , the second sarissas are going down ...( I gave a pretty silly explanation ).
French is the primary language of the Olympic games (same as the E.U.) . English are the secondary .

P.S. Man of Miracles , governments or ...generals don't represent people. While every one tried to be friendly , like the Turkish government , the Turkish generals were sending 8 F-16 to violate the Athens FIR . The "Ankara dictatorship" as some in the E.U. call them .

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

I loved the opening ceremony, the only let-downs were Bjork, the giant flying head - statue thing (what was with that?), and the really bad Australian clothes.

The good included some of the flag-bearers' clothes (like the Mongolians), and the floats with the people doing art (could have been longer IMO).

 

[Vasileius]

the giant flying head - statue thing (what was with that

This was an enlargement of a small statue of the Cycladite type . Cycladite civilisation is the older one in Europe (before the Minoans). And those statues are the oldest ever found ... In the ceremony this statue broke , to a "kouros" of archaic age and then to a classical statue and then to a hellenistic ...

The "Harpist of Keros" is one of the most famous statues ...

 

[Dann]

This was an enlargement of a small statue of the Cycladite type . Cycladite civilisation is the older one in Europe (before the Minoans). And those statues are the oldest ever found ... In the ceremony this statue broke , to a "kouros" of archaic age and then to a classical statue and then to a hellenistic ...

Oh. I understand now. Thanks for the information.

BTW did anyone notice the 2 Koreas fielded a joint team? They carried a flag featuring a map of a united Korea instead of either of their respective flags. Is this a sign?