I arrived in London on 19 July and have been gradually assimilating the Olympics ambience in this 'er berg!
The Games must be about to begin. The sure sign is the much planned and furiously debated Games Lanes will be operational tomorrow morning even before the larks wake up, at 6.00 am. The proof of these imaginatively designed new fangled lanes exclusively for the use of vehicles connected with the Games, competitor coaches for example, is in the accomplishment of the lofty objective of keeping every competitor's transport time to his/her competition venue throughout the entire duration of the Olympics to within a mere 20 minutes. The proof of this pudding is in the competitor commute times and I'll be reporting on this as soon as stats begin to trickle.
I went down this evening to London's Oxford Street, the shopping pivot of the City, to get a first hand feel for the Olympics fervor on the eve of London 2012. Although the Opening Ceremony is on 27 July, action where it really counts, on the sports field, begins tomorrow at 4 pm in Cardiff with Great Britian's women footballers literally kicking off the Games.
Emerging from the depths of the Oxford Circus tube station (London's metro calls itself the "tube") I look left into Regent's Street and here's what I am greeted with.....
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The flags of the world's nations are flying with India's proudly esconsced in the middle of them all. My thoughts immediately go to the sudden desire to hear our anthem playing after a medals ceremony, our flag in the middle of three and a glittering gold medal on the chest of an Indian. One of our first chances to make this an actual occurance is on Sunday evening when Deepika Kumari and the archery ladies team will be vying for top honours on the hallowed cricket turf at Lords. How lovely it would be to have the Indian anthem playing right across Lords at the same place Kapil Dev lifted the Prudential World Cup in 1983. I was personally there 29 years back (and have the ticket to prove it!) and I will be there, this time with Rati, this Sunday too. Will Rati and I watch Indian sporting history again being made at Lords? Let's see.....
Sauntering back to Oxford Street presented me with another Games sight.....
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| John Lewis on Oxford Street, the department store which is "never unknowingly undersold", is all decked up for the Games |
This is a tacit reminder to me that the Olympics are set to begin.....with a British blast. Couldn't help but notice that I was not the only bloke clicking. Mobile phones are out doing duty as cameras. Chotta cameras are also having their shutters exercised in the hot summer evening air. A gentleman comes up to me and enquires about the "strange" camera lens I am using. "Pardon my asking but your lens is different and bulges out like a frog's eyes," he emerges out of thin air and queries. "Oh, that's a Fish Eye lens," I proceed to explain, immediately adopting the airs of an "expert" photographer (which, of course, I am far from!). "The fish eye gives me nearly 170 deg of an angle and photograph. Really captures a whole length and breadth more than other camera lenses." He walks off suitable impressed with my photographic credentials and those of my fish eye.
Hunger soon sets in and John Lewis provides both sustenance in terms of food and a desire to shop in the Olympics shop spread across most of the fifth floor. Lots of goodies there were too of the Olympics kind to potter around and purchase.....
.....and lots of goodies too I hope there will be for me to post in the coming Olympics days. See you all very soon. Tata for now.