BEIJING OLYMPICS
08 August 2008
By Rudy A. Arizala
Those of you who witnessed on 08 August 2008, via TV screen the Chinese "Greatest Show on Earth"- Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing, perhaps like me could not help but be awed by the enormity, precision and superb synchronization of gymnastic movements, dances, sound (drums, songs and music) and light -bursting in air of multi-colored fireworks.
The main theme it seems the once forbidding city was trying to show or display was "Confucian Harmony" amidst diversity -multi-racial, ethnic, cultural - inhabitants of one time "Inner Kingdom" protected from the "Barbarians" by "The Great Wall of China".
The pageant, gymnastic dances, songs, music and fireworks depicted the history of China from the time it invented the paper, gun powder, and compass up to the development of the "silk route" (overland and maritime) enabling China to have contacts with the outside world up to modern times depicting dream of living in harmony with other people of the world and even with outer space through display of a giant globe or balloon inhabited by weightless, floating beings in space.
Napoloen's once "sleeping giant" is not only now wide awake flexing its muscles, but playful and ready to build a better world in harmony.
The Chinese made maximum use of hosting the 2008 Olympic Games not only to display the enormity and diversity of its people but its capacity to attain harmony thru precision, synchronization of movement, sound and light.
In resume, the "8-8-8-Greatest Show on Earth in China is AWESOME".
Beijing seems to be assuring the world that China's dream is HARMONY with the outside world and outer space - even with what it considered before as "Barbarians".
Let us hope and pray that fierce competition be confined to sports such as the Olympic Games, arts