Will the olympics inspire a generation?

London 2012. The most highly anticipated sporting event of the past, what seems forever, in Britain, and boy what a show it has been so far. Britain has triumphed in the league tables, positioning ourselves comfortably into third place with a tally of eighteen gold medals. Yes, you heard right. Britain has finally excelled at what appears to be almost every sport. 

So this morning whilst getting ready I went to flick on to BBC one's breakfast show, as I do every morning, only to be met by olympic coverage. Somewhat disappointing, for I wanted to know the weather forecast - which, for the record turned out to be dire - but, alas, for a couple of weeks I can tolerate ITV 1's version. If I'm being honest, the reason I choose not to watch ITV 1's breakfast show is that the order of events and the commentary itself irritates me. They always have to focus on hot topics and question whether the government, for example, will live up to their promises or whether Jamie Oliver will really impact school dinners being healthy and so on. Blablabla. It's far too early for such intense thought on what are quite frankly mundane and bleak issues. 

The topic of today was, unsurprisingly, shrouded with the olympics. More precisely whether, the motto of the olympics, "Inspire a generation" will live up to its expectations. Not in the sense of whether children want to take up sport as such, but as to whether the government are going to be able to fund such activities. Because of course, children cannot learn to run unless they are on a brand new athletics track. Goh, what do you take us for? 

And then it hit me. BAM. ITV 1's morning show annoys the brains out of me because they never ask whether the children are going to eat healthily, they ask whether the government are going to fund such a venture. It's not always the governments place to have to fund every aspect of our lives, you know. Sure, we all live in a cohesive society but, we are all autonomous individuals so, it is actually okay for us to fund our own sporting ventures, or - heaven forbid - even to learn and play sports in a regular playing field. 

Beyond the discussed topic leads to the question what "Inspire a generation" actually means. Personally, and I could be alone here, but I don't see it as simply inspiring a generation to be fit, healthy and athletic. I am well aware that I am not athletically inclined as such, but I do my best in trying to keep fit by means of Pilates and exercise DVDs. In watching the olympics, it would be wrong to suggest that I am not immensly proud (and a teeny bit jealous) of the athletes' faces upon the realisation that they have won gold. It spells a story far beyond the single race they have just won, it tells a story of a journey of determination, hard work, endless hours of practice and extreme motivation. 

And that's exactly how I encapsulate the olympic motto; not just inspiring a generation to become athletically-minded, but inspiring a generation to work hard to achieve their own unique personal dreams. It would be hard to watch how well our country is performing in these games and to not feel the slightest bit inspired by it.

Proud to be British: Olympics 2012

A touching tribute to Sir Tim Berners-Lee

Never have I been more proud to be British. The opening ceremony was a show stopper and a triumph for Britain in a year which has been so historically important for our country.

It started off a bit wobbly, with everyone wondering how the Amish related to British culture. Evidently, British fashion has changed dramatically since way back. And with no thorough narration to the story Danny Boyle was telling, I really did feel for the foreign visitors. I'll confess I was a tad lost myself on the historic story that was unfolding before my very eyes at the start. The puzzled faces in the audience would make an excellent photo opportunity however, I'm sure.

The beginning aside, the celebration of our culture and all things British that proceeded truly did serve to make me a proud citizen. We embraced every part of our country; the history, the culture, the literature, artists and so on. The focus on the NHS and Great Ormond Street was such a tribute to the members of the public sector in Britain, and I think it really harnessed their continuous hard work, which proved to be a very moving, and very public message of our appreciation. 

It would have to be the set design that took my breath away the most. It would be hard to dismiss or dislike just how intricate and visually stunning it was. No expense was spared, and you could see that. The fluidity of changing eras, from the countryside adorned with flowers to industrial Britain was seamless and thankfully worked without a glitch. 

Of course, there's no denying that our opening ceremony in contrast to Beijing's was entirely different. But in comparison to a production of wealth which Beijing put on, Britain created a wholly egocentric ceremony which worked so well. Instead of bowing to the pressure of internationalism, Boyle put on a production of what is quintessentially British; from the artificial rain clouds to the green, grassy hills. Rowan Atkinson made a hilarious debut, JK Rowling featured, Dizzee Rascall, a homegrown Grime artist sang and even the Queen made her acting debut with James Bond (aka Daniel Craig). 

The lighting of the cauldron, followed by an abundance of fireworks was spectacularly breathtaking and a perfect finale to such a historically exciting evening. Overall, it was a quirky take on British life, but a historical triumph too. Well done Danny Boyle. 

Let the games begin!