Well, gang, I’m here in Beijing, and I’m loving it! Nothing could have prepared me for the incredible sites of the Olympics. Would you believe it? I found this little slice of home while taking in the sites: an American barbeque restaurant and grill. I was all set to watch the opening ceremonies on a TV when they started this karaoke contest. First prize? Tickets to the opening ceremonies in The Birds Nest! I got up on stage, did my best rendition of God Bless the USA, and before I knew it I had tickets to the biggest, most colorful show I ever saw.
Flags of every nation splashed color in the crowd of thousands of people, from just about anywhere and everywhere you could possibly think. I managed to make my favorite colors of red, white and blue, the most prominent part of my wardrobe!!! I brought with me a large US Flag, draped over my shoulder, to wave like a crazy person when our athletes marched in to the stadium. I was pretty loud, too! I think one of them basketball players heard me shouting, “PHLEPS!!!” cuz someone looked in my general direction. Mmmmm, Phelps… he’s so great! And he’s a good swimmer, too… tee hee hee!
I also wore a whole punch of pins on my favorite USA t-shirt. I attached a US and State Flag Lapel Pin to my shirt. That way everyone knew I was not only American, but that I’m also from the Tar Heel State! The best there is! WOO! I popped on a bunch of Star Lapel Pins, too! Fifty of them! Guess what for?! HA! I put them all over the front of my shirt; I probably looked like a constellation. One thing’s for sure: there was no question in anyone’s mind who this girl was rooting for. Just cuz I’m abroad for the summer, trading in my favorite diet of hot dogs and apple pie for asian cuisine, doesn’t mean I checked my patriotism at the border when I got off the plane. I’m loud, I’m proud, and I love my country! No reason I should hide that.
The opening ceremony was truly a site for the ages. I sat next to a family from Canada who draped themselves, head to toe, in red and white. The littlest boy of the group, who was probably no more than six or seven years old, wore a Canadian flag like a cape. He was like Super Maple Leaf Man!! It reminded me of how beautiful International Flags are. A couple rows above me were people from France, Jamaica, Mexico… and proud Chinese natives were all about the stadium.
While enjoying the fireworks show I could not help but hum, to myself, all of the classic American hymns that we know so well on the Fourth of July. It just doesn’t seem right to watch a fireworks show and not think about the birth of our nation, the best on Earth! I’m so glad I was able to see the show from the seats, and to cheer on our athletes to victory for the next two weeks.
And on that note, I’m off to the Water Cube to catch a glimpse of Team USA in a swimming match. And I’ll tell you one thing, I really do like Chinese food, but I could really go for a hot dog and some potato salad right now! Hopefully, next time you hear from me, I’ll have found myself a yummy piece of home, and maybe, just maybe, I will see Michael Phelps break a record, too! Soooo much fun!
Lexi
Posted by Lexi the Vexillologist 
Posted by Lexi the Vexillologist 
