Writing on the Wall

WW: Vol 27 No 2 - Aug 11

2011-08-21T20:00:00.006+01:00

Greetings once again from London! The summer is winding to a close, and we've actually had pretty good weather for a change. On the other hand, my financial situation hasn't changed at all since I last wrote - I'm still job-hunting. Strangely, even though I am drastically under-employed, my day-to-day schedule remains busy. So the freelance work I have keeps me running, but I'm not making enough to survive. I read through specific job listings daily, but it's starting to get scary, and I'm beginning to look at things that aren't related to my 30 years of experience - which makes me rather sad.

ELECTRONIC CHAOS. As if that weren't enough ... I meant to send this out two weeks ago, but my computer started acting up. It finally collapsed entirely lastr Saturday, resulting in a three-hour call to Apple and a 12-hour process of reformatting my hard-drive. Alas, the problem isn't solved and it's still a complete mess, which is making both work and job-hunting very difficult. I'm writing this from my 6-year-old laptop, which is barely functioning. Anyways...

CRITICAL ROLE. I continue as secretary of the UK Critics' Circle Film Section, while isn't hugely time-consuming, but involves a few meetings each month. At least it keeps me in the middle of everything! I attended half of this year's Edinburgh international Film Festival; it was stripped-down due to budget issues, but I still had fun staying with friends there. Now with autumn approaching things are gearing up for both the London Film Festival and the movie awards season, which I help coordinate for the Critics' Circle.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I also got out of London twice this summer to see friends. A weekend in Oslo for a wedding was a lot of fun (the plane fare was cheaper than the train ticket to Edinburgh). And then airline miles made it possible for me to attend my family reunion in Colorado in August, with a week in Los Angeles beforehand - it was great to see close friends and relatives for two weeks.

MEMORY LANE. In Colorado, I went through the boxes that had been stored in my parents' garage since I moved to Britain 19 years ago, as well as some boxes packed when we moved to Ecuador 35 years ago, plus things my mother saved since I was born. It was amazing to travel back to my early childhood through all of this stuff! And it wasn't easy to throw most of it away, but I brought a suitcase of treasures back with me. My parents have now moved to Southern California, just a mile from where my brother and his family live in San Juan Capistrano.

LONDON BURNING. I arrived back in London in the middle of the riots, and news coverage in the USA made it sound like I was returning to a warzone. But I haven't seen any sign of the damage or violence; the areas where I live and work were unaffected. Hopefully politicians will look at the root causes of the unrest.

COMING SOON. I'll be sticking close to home over the next few months looking for work as well as covering the 55th London Film Festival in October. There is a possibility of Christmas with family, although we don't know yet where that might be. But the main priority is finding a way to pay the increasingly mounting bills, and of course sorting out my computer chaos!

WW: Vol 27 No 1 - Mar.11

2011-03-12T12:34:00.001Z

Greetings once again from London, where the winter has been longer than usual. We had record amounts of snow in December, and it's been a sunny, cold, relatively dry winter since then. We're still waiting for spring, although at least the daffodils finally made their appearance this week, about two weeks later than usual. So there's hope in the air!

JOB HUNTING. My main job right now is to not worry about not having enough work to pay my bills (fortunately I have some savings to keep me afloat for a few months). The contract I had with Idea magazine ended in December, and I have been badly under-employed since then, with other clients also cutting back due to the recession. It's rather scary being in my late 40s when there's a massive crowd of hungry young 20-somethings willing to work for free. And the most worrying thing is that in the six months I have been looking I've only found a handful of jobs I can apply for. So I am exploring other ways of making ends meet through temporary work or renting out my bedroom, for example. Meanwhile, I still have regular and one-off freelance film-review jobs, so I am fairly busy with screenings and writing.

THE AWARDS SEASON. The first two months of this year were consumed with preparations for the London Critics' Circle Film Awards, which were held for the first time at the British Film Institute on the Southbank. This meant a lot more work for me as the film critics' secretary, as I counted the votes and helped coordinate the nominees' attendance details, among other things. But it was great fun to work on, and the night was a resounding success. On the night, I had two jobs: to welcome the starry nominees and special guests at the end of the red carpet and then to present the supporting actress award to Olivia Williams. (I'm pictured above with our best actor Colin Firth and his wife Livia, and special award winner Kristin Scott Thomas.)

FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I had a great break in California over Thanksgiving, seeing friends and attending a Cline family reunion in the mountains (lots of snow there!). And then I saw my parents again a few weeks later here in London as they were travelling home from a trip to India and Nepal. Two weeks ago I took advantage of very cheap airfare and flew to New York for five days to visit friends and watch the Oscars at a civilised hour (the show ends at 6am Monday morning London time). That helped me recover from the intensity of the previous two months, and also just to get my mind off things here.

COMING SOON. The next few months will be spent mainly trying to develop my work possibilities. I have no plans to be out of London, although I know I'll need to get away again at some point. There is always the possibility of getting a film festival jury spot, and I'm waiting to see what happens with the slimmed-down Edinburgh Film Festival before I decide if I'll attend that in June. And the Lichti branch of my family is having a reunion in August that I hope to attend as well. It's been far too long since I've seen all of them!

Rich.

Cline/Brown reunion

2010-12-01T12:35:00.001Z

Forest Falls, California, November 2010

WW: Vol 26 No 3 - Nov.10

2010-11-08T16:36:00.001Z

Hi again from autumnal London, where the trees are rapidly progressing from red and orange to completely bare. The last few months have been up and down for me, as far as stress goes. There's been plenty of work to keep me busy, with some weeks too packed with deadlines and others in which I've been able to regroup a bit. I've also had time to look around for a new job, but have only found a few that touch on my experience. Applications are in, but I've heard nothing yet, so the search continues. In other news...

THE LAST IDEA. I am currently drawing together the Jan/Feb issue of Idea magazine, which will be my last as editor. My contract was extended until 1st December, which has given me a brief reprieve before my imminent under-employment. Tomorrow I'll meet the new editor and over this coming week I'll hand off the issue to her, then help make sure it gets to print on time. This is my 40th issue as editor, so at least I'm finishing on a nice round number.

THE FESTIVE SEASON. September and October are pretty thick with film festivals around the world, and there were three that I was involved in here: the 18th Raindance Festival in London, the big 54th London Film Festival, and wedged in between I was on the jury at the Iris Prize Festival in Cardiff. Including the 30 competing Iris shorts, I saw 94 films in October. Yikes! And I somehow managed to review all of them at Shadows on the Wall. Now the year-end season has begun, with awards buzz on all sides as I try to see the eligible films before casting my votes.

GET OUT OF TOWN. London's a great city, but if you don't escape every now and then it can drive you nuts. Especially with strikes on the Tube every month or so. I managed to get away for 10 days in September, with my first visit to Lisbon (a seriously stunning city) and then a week in Faro like last year. Four days in Cardiff for Iris helped break the intensity of October. And I am off to California next week for a Cline family reunion over Thanksgiving. It's been a year and a half since I was last in Los Angeles, so I look forward to catching up with friends and family there. Not to mention the sunshine.

UP NEXT. I'm planning to stay in London for Christmas again this year - always a great time to be in the city. My parents will be visiting for a few days in mid-December, which will be fun. And for January I've applied for a place on a film festival jury (more on that later). Otherwise, my time will be spent sending out ballots for the London Critics' Circle Film Awards and counting up the nominees in December and winners in January. I'm on the committee that plans the glamorous awards night, which will be on 10th February. And of course I'll also be intensifying the job search.

WW: Vol 26 No 2 - Jul.10

2010-07-27T11:52:00.002+01:00

Greetings once again from London on another warm, cloudy day. It's been a remarkably hot summer this year for a change. And it's exactly two years from today that the Olympics will kick off here. The various venues are nearly complete, although the rest of the city is disrupted by construction projects and road works. Anyway, the months since my last update have been fairly momentous for a change...

FAMILY TIME. I had a really nice visit with my sister Lynette in May - 10 days in Houma, just outside New Orleans. It was my first time in the area, and I especially enjoyed all the seafood, plus visits to Bourbon Street and down into the bayous. Of course, the main thing was spending time with Lynette and family and to be there for Andrea's high school graduation. My parents were there as well, so I got to catch up with them too. Meanwhile, my brother Russ and his family moved from Quito after 16 years there; they're relocating to Southern California. So there are no Clines living in Ecuador for the first time in 35 years.

AT THE MOVIES. I was also out of London for two weeks in June, as I headed to Edinburgh for the UK's oldest and largest film festival. It's my favourite festival, with a relaxed atmosphere and a good range of films. I blogged every day and reported on the movies for BBC 5 Live. And I somehow managed to see 53 movies. This spring I also took on the role as secretary of the London Critics' Circle, and my regular work continues as a freelance critic for BBC Radio, Heat magazine, Contactmusic and other outlets, including my own site: www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk

ANOTHER IDEA. Through all of this, the production cycle of Idea magazine continues to dictate my schedule, as every other month I give three full weeks to putting out another issue. The Jul/Aug issue had a sporting theme to tie in with the World Cup, and I'm now working on the Sep/Oct magazine, which includes stories about local heroes who take action on big issues. But the bad news is that after six and a half years, the Alliance has decided not to renew my contract in October. This isn't a budget-crunch issue, just a restructuring. And it's a pretty awful time of year to be looking for work, especially as a journalist/editor when the industry is shrinking. But here I am hunting for a job and hoping this will be a positive transition.

COMING SOON. As I tighten by belt to plan for possibly lean days ahead, I haven't taken a holiday this summer. I will take a very cheap getaway to Portugal in September (as I did last year), and I'm thankful that I can use air miles to get to a family reunion in California at Thanksgiving. Otherwise, I'll be lying low in London, looking for a job and keeping busy with my regular work as a film critic. I also have two UK film festivals coming this autumn: I'll be on the jury at a festival in Cardiff in early October and then there's the London Film Festival later that month.

WW: Vol 26 No 1 - Apr.10

2010-04-06T11:32:00.005+01:00

Greetings once again from London, and once again apologies for the lateness of this update. I hope you had a good Easter - it was a four-day weekend here, which I used for much-needed rest, mostly. Life has been as busy as ever (if not busier) for me over the past few months, even though I haven't done much travelling at all. But amid the economic chaos, I am thankful that my work has been steady...

COLDEST WINTER EVER. OK, maybe not "ever", but certainly for the past several decades. And definitely the coldest in the 18 years I've lived in Britain. with a lot more snow and sub-zero temperatures than I've ever seen in London. All of the plants in my window boxes died (they'd survived the previous seven winters with no problem). It's also been a long winter, which is unusual, with cold weather continuing into last week. It's sunny and warmer today, but I've stopped trying to predict where things are going. Let's just hope for a barbecue-friendly summer!

CRITICALLY SPEAKING. For the London Film Critics' Circle, February is our big month, with our glitzy awards ceremony (on the 18th this year). I've been on the awards committee for the past several years, and it's always great to see our work pay off on the night. This year I have also taken on the role of secretary for the film section of the Critics' Circle - it's not a lot of extra work, but it's something I can do to help and to deepen my involvement there. I'm also a member of the Online Film Critics Society and Fipresci (the international cinema press federation), and of course I continue to cover films weekly in print, on radio and online.

IDEA REVISITED. For the Jan/Feb issue of Idea magazine, we did a fairly comprehensive redesign - both physically and editorially, changing the slant of our stories. It's been a challenge to reach an even keel with this, but now that we're into our third issue in this style (it goes to press tomorrow) it's feeling more natural. On the other hand, the economic crisis has taken a toll on our advertising, with the result that we have fewer pages in each issue - which means that there's less we can do within each magazine. Hopefully things will start turning around soon in this area. In the mean time, we now post the entire issue online so you can flip through the pages.

OUT OF TOWN. It's been nice over the past eight months or so to stay put at home for a change. I've only been out of London three times - to Ireland in November for two days with my parents, to Edinburgh for three days in February to see friends and to New York for five days in March to escape from London (and watch the Oscars at a normal time of day rather than all night as it is here). Next month I'm planning to visit my sister Lynette and family near New Orleans (and I'll see my parents there too), and then in June I'll be at the Edinburgh Film Festival as usual. And that's about it as far as news from me right now.

WW: Vol 25 No 2 - Oct.09

2009-10-19T10:35:00.004+01:00

Howdy once again from London, with apologies for the long gap between these updates. I've had an unusually busy few months since the last WW - I keep thinking it's just me who thinks that life is getting more hectic by the year, but it's clearly a real thing as everyone I know is feeling it too. I think I managed two blog updates, and I need to get better at that. My Facebook page is more up-to-date with photos and the usual bits of randomness...

SUMMER TIME. I had a great trip to California at the end of June - a few days of work and then time to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Their reception was a lot of fun, with around 200 people from over all of those years. As a family, we got to spend a really nice week together in a beach house, and then I had the 4th of July weekend with friends from university days. I also got out of London in August for a camping trip in the English countryside with a crazy group of friends, and in September I spent a week on an island near Faro, Portugal, just lounging in the sunshine and eating seafood - my first non-working holiday in more than a year. I think I need more of those.

BUSIEST TIME OF YEAR. For London film critics, October is a demanding month. Press screenings for the London Film Festival (14-29 Oct) start at the end of September, nearly three weeks before the festival actually starts. And during those weeks there's another major festival in London, Raindance (30 Sep-11 Oct), celebrating independent films. It's a little overwhelming, really, as I'm watching two or three films a day this month in addition to the normal releases that are opening in cinemas. But at least the average quality seems a bit higher, and I've seen some excellent films that deal with important themes in clever, engaging ways. Some higher-profile ones worth looking out for are The Informant, The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Road and Up in the Air.

BRIGHT NEW IDEA. Of course, it's not exactly a stress-reliever that I also had to produce an issue of Idea magazine in October. But I got the Nov/Dec issue to the printer on time; we have several articles in this edition looking at global warming in the run-up to the Copenhagen conference in December - but we wanted to examine it from a practical perspective, showing how climate change is already affecting people around the world and what we can do to help them. The Jan/Feb issue is now in the early stages, and we are doing some redesigning and restructuring to better target our readers. We could use patience, creativity and insight in these days.

WINTER'S COMING. I haven't made many travel plans over the next few months - I hope to get out of the city for a few days in early November just to recover from the festivals and to build up strength for the year-end season. I'm also looking forward to a visit from my parents at the end of November for a few days. Otherwise it'll be work as usual as I spend most of my time at my computer writing or sitting in darkened screening rooms. It may sound glamorous when I say that I met both George Clooney and Viggo Mortensen this past week, but I could really use a good night's sleep and some free time to read a book for a change.

Summer update

2009-07-30T17:59:00.002+01:00

I'm finally falling back into my old routine here in London after the activities of June and July. I had did a double film festival in June - with a week at Edinburgh and a week at Los Angeles - and saw some superb films. Both festivals have great atmospheres, with Edinburgh easily the most festive festival I've ever attended and Los Angeles a lively and fun event that includes all kinds of rather cool events (a highlight was a Q&A with Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman after they screened the restored digital print of Midnight Cowboy).

Then it was family time! We had a fantastic reception for my parents in honour of their 50th wedding anniversary. We had a great few hours with friends from throughout the past 50 years (and beyond, but I won't name names). Then my family all escaped to a beach house in Oxnard for a week on our own - really nice to spend that time together. It was the first time we'd done anything like that in five years.

After that, I had a few days in L.A. with friends before coming back to London and diving into work again. Now I'm back on schedule, watching lots of films and writing about them, and also just finalising the Sep/Oct issue of Idea magazine. OK back to work...

Walk for Life - Sunday 7th June

2009-06-08T14:20:00.002+01:00

Yes, I completed the 10k Walk for Life on Sunday, in benefit of the charities Crusaid and the National Aids Trust. The weather forecast was for rain, and there was a spectacular thunderstorm at about 5am, but the day turned out to be sunny and warm, so shorts and t-shirts were the uniform. We started by crossing Tower Bridge then winding through the City until we got to Covent Garden, then down across Waterloo Bridge and along the Southbank back to City Hall where we started. My feet were a bit sore, but that's the point, eh?

A big thanks to everyone who sponsored me! The charities will continue to receive sponsorship funds - so if you'd like to donate, the link to sponsor me is: www.justgiving.com/cline

Idea on the BBC: screengrabs!

2009-06-05T18:50:00.003+01:00

No I had nothing to do with this - I work for BBC 5 Live radio, and it was BBC One television that picked up the last issue of Idea magazine and used it in a sketch on Blue Peter on Tuesday, 2 June.

In the scene, actor Anthony Head is looking for inspiration on some big issue - he picks up Idea and flicks through the pages, finally settling on injustice as his topic...

WW: Vol 25 No 1 - May 09

2009-05-30T13:26:00.003+01:00

Greetings from sunny London on a rather important day: it's my parent's 50th wedding anniversary! They're currently on a Mediterranean cruise with some close friends (they get back tomorrow), and then at the end of June the family will gather for a week together in California to celebrate with them. This week also marked the 17th anniversary of the day I moved to the UK. Hard to believe I've lived here so long - longer than I've lived anywhere else in the world, actually...

JUST ANOTHER DAY. Life has felt a bit grinding lately, with lots of work, deadlines, pressures. I'm sure this is partly because I haven't been out of London since February, but it also seems like things are busier than ever. So I know I need a break. Finally next month I will have a chance to change the pace. I'll be in Edinburgh for the film festival as usual, but am going up earlier so I can spend some time relaxing. And I'll actually only have a few days at the festival before I have to come back to London, repack and head to Los Angeles for the 50th anniversary festivities. We're holding a reception on the 28th and then we have the week as a family in a beach house, which should be fun. I'll also be there for my birthday and the 4th of July!

MOVIE TIME. Much of my daily routine continues to centre around films - seeing screenings, writing about movies, interviewing actors and directors. The London Critics' Circle held its annual awards ceremony on February 4th, and it was fun to get a chance to chat with Judi Dench (we gave her a special honour), Ben Kingsley, Kristin Scott Thomas and the entire cast and crew of Slumdog Millionnaire. Right after that, I headed off to Berlin for 10 days to serve as a jury member at one of the biggest film festivals in the world - very exciting, and pretty exhausting too with at least four films every day. But I really enjoyed that.

IN THE MAGAZINE. The rest of my time is still filled with Idea magazine - a half-time freelance job for me. We're in a transition, as a new general director started in April, so we're taking this opportunity to relaunch Idea as well. We're currently in the brainstorming process, and plan to do the revamp at the end of the year. In addition, my office in the building is moving once again (my third move in five years), but this looks to be a more permanent home. And meanwhile, I'm in the middle of production on the July/August issue, which goes to press at the end of next week.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE. In an effort to break out of the daily grind, I am participating in this year's Walk for Life, a 10k event in London on Sunday June 7th. If you'd like to help, all proceeds go to the leading HIV/Aids charity - you can sponsor me at: www.justgiving.com/cline (I have about £100 pledged so far). Hopefully the weather next Sunday will be as nice as this weekend - we've had a pretty glorious month of May, with very warm sunshine that we all, of course, expect to continue all summer long (fat chance).

Well, I think that just about catches you up with my news. I hope all's well with you - and please keep in touch...

WW: Vol 24, No 5 - Dec 08

2009-01-17T13:17:00.004Z

Christmas greetings from London! The celebratory season seems to have been a bit more full-on this year than usual - but then that's perhaps because I haven't gone anywhere this year. Since the end of November, I have attended 11 Christmas parties this year with friends, colleagues and clients, from huge events to smaller dinner groups. It's been a bit of a whirlwind, but has certainly put me in the Christmas spirit...

LONDON LIFE. Things continue as normal for me, with the usual variety of work responsibilities. And I managed to get away from it all for a couple of weeks in November to recover in Southern California with friends and family. I had been looking for a cheap getaway closer to home, but the shifting prices of flights and holidays made a trip some 5,500 miles a better bargain! And California was nice enough to give me a heatwave while I was there. The other news is that my long-time flatmate moved in December - this is the first time I have lived on my own since Miami 17 years ago, and it will take some getting used to.

AT THE MOVIES. This is always one of my favourite seasons film-wise, as the year-end movies jostle for position in awards buzz. As a member of the awards committee for the London Film Critics' Circle, one of my responsibilities this year was to count the critics' votes - a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes! Our nominations are out, and the big ceremony is on 4th February. I also continue to write interview features with some pretty big names - just in the last month I've met Hugh Jackman, Jim Carrey, Samuel L Jackson, Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson! My year-end top 10 list is still under construction, as I have a stack of DVD screeners to watch over the holidays, but these are the 10 films that really caught my eye in 2008:

1. The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky)
2. Hunger (Steve McQueen)
3. Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood)
4. Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle)
5. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
6. Milk (Gus Van Sant)
7. Man on Wire (James Marsh)
8. The Visitor (Thomas McCarthy)
9. Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman)
10. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)

MAGAZINE ISSUES. My film writing hasn't slowed down in the economic downturn, and probably won't unless some of the magazines I write for go under, which doesn't look like a possibility at the moment. Actually I'm writing more than ever, with several pieces for a new monthly magazine. Meanwhile, Idea continues to keep me busy; the Jan/Feb issue should be in the post already, and I've already started work on the next issue.

CLINES AROUND THE WORLD. As usual, my family is divided around the continents at the moment. My parents are spending the holidays in Ecuador with Russ and his family. Lynette and family are having their first Christmas in Louisiana. And I'm here in London celebrating the holidays with my friends. I am especially thankful for your friendship too - and look forward to keeping in touch in 2009...

WW: Vol 24 No 4 - Oct 08

2008-10-26T10:33:00.004Z

Howdy once again from London. I hope this finds you well. I am finally coming to the end of one of my busiest seasons of the year - with the convergence of two London film festivals, plus a new issue of Idea magazine to get to the printer. And I barely feel like I've had time to get back on my feet after China...

OLYMPIC UPDATE. It was pretty amazing to be in Beijing for the Olympics in August - my seventh Games but my first time in China. My responsibilities with the 2K Plus International Sports Media group were similar to the other events: reporting on events and offering commentary on the atmosphere at the Games each day. Part of my job was to get out and about, and I was able to attend seven Olympic events (including a session in the seriously amazing Bird's Nest Stadium) as well as tick off many of the things on my to-see list in Beijing. Basically it makes me want to go back and see more one day - who knows? (For more details, see the daily blog below!)

AT THE MOVIES. As I said, there are two film festivals in London this month - Raindance ran 1-12 October, and the London Film Festival started on the 15th (although LFF press screenings had started three weeks earlier) and finishes this coming Thursday. Basically this means that I'm seeing twice as many films as normal - but at least the festival films tend to be much more interesting than the predictable mainstream blockbusters (which have been pretty weak this year). My film writings are at Shadows on the Wall - with daily festival reports and weekly life-of-a-critic notes at the Shadows Blog, if you can't get enough.

IDEA MAGAZINE. And amid all of this, I was working to get the next issue of Idea magazine out - including the typical panic of last-minute writing, editing and looking for photos. We were only a day or two behind the final deadline (partly due to the fact that I somehow managed to scratch one of my corneas), but the issue has now been printed and is in the mail. It has a workplace theme, including a feature on the military.

CLINES ON THE MOVE. My family continues its strange nomadic existence, with my parents travelling here and there (it was nice to have them in London for a few days when I got back from Beijing), my brother matching them mile for mile (with trips to Asia, Europe and Africa), and my sister and family being evacuated from their new hometown of Houma, Louisiana, even before they found a house to live in. But everyone's fine - and things seem to be settling down in advance of the holiday season.

I am planning a short holiday to recover from the past month and brace myself for the next issue of Idea, which starts production in November. But I've decided to stay in London for Christmas this year. Travelling abroad is an increasing challenge in the current economic climate. Keep in touch...

Day 16: And finally...

2008-08-24T23:43:00.004+01:00

It's all over in Beijing - well, until the Paralympics start in a couple of weeks. I flew back to London last night, and was here for handover day, which was actually pretty exciting. I enjoyed getting up this morning and catching up on all the final days' Olympic events and then settling in to watch the closing ceremony, which was full of terrific moments and those incredibly huge production sequences only China could ever stage. Not to mention far more fireworks than were strictly necessary (although no one would complain about that).
In the end, it's impossible to deny that these were astonishingly well-organised Olympics. Not only were the venues bigger and more beautiful than any others I've seen, but not a single detail was left to chance. Sometimes this included a ludicrous amount of inconvenience for the spectators, who were required to walk knee-buckling distances out of the way to get into and out of venues and transport hubs. This obsessive and often cruel style of crowd-control began in Atlanta and was perfected here. No one could get out of line, literally or philosophically. And this time, even though they didn't sell any actual food in the venues (just crunchy snacks and ice cream), you weren't allowed to bring anything in with you either. Not even a bottle of water.

If asked to rank my Olympic experiences, I'd put them in this descending order of enjoyment: Sydney 2000, Barcelona 1992, Los Angeles 1984, Beijing 2008, Athens 2004 and Atlanta 1996. Lillehammer 1994 is in a whole different league, and not just because it was my only Winter Games - it was sheer magic on every level except the transport. And in four years, it will be the second time the Games have come to the city where I live (L.A. was the first).

Looking ahead to London 2012, it's hard not to state the obvious: it will feel like the compact Olympics compared to Beijing's sprawling enormity. It is also, due to that distinct British sensibility, likely to feel much more witty and spontaneous, less meticulously orchestrated, more lively and even more multicultural. The venues will be less jaw-dropping, but they'll be much easier to get in and out of. Although if anything at all goes wrong with the transport system, they'll be much more difficult to get to and from. But most of all, the city (and entire country) will feel a lot more like a big party that the whole world is invited to join, rather than a spotless display of national pride and touristic salesmanship. But I'm certainly glad I have four years to build up the energy to face the Olympics once again. I need a nap.

Day 15: Flag waving

2008-08-23T01:23:00.003+01:00

Friday was my last night in Beijing, and I had a ticket to the semifinals in water polo. The competition was pretty intense - both in the water and in the stands. First there was Montenegro v Hungary, and the Montenegro fans unfurled a mind-bogglingly enormous flag possibly 10 metres across (far exceeding strict rules posted outside venues that limit the size and content of flags). And their chanting took on an almost religious fervour as they cheered their team. But as the match continued, the Hungarians gathered steam - fans appeared all over the stadium, and by the end they overwhelmed the small group of Montenegro supporters, even to the point of producing a flag just as big! In the water, Hungary also triumphed by one point.

Next up was the USA against Serbia, and in the stands it was no contest. The flags were all within acceptable limits even if no one was in his or her assigned seat. I found myself right in the middle of the American fans (sitting next to a woman whose son was on the team, who kept shouting things like, 'Don't foul them!' and 'Good job!'), including several US athletes from other sports. The Serbian fans were divided on either side of this roaring mass, and could barely get a cheer in edgeways. And in the pool, it was just as lopsided - even though the teams were pretty evenly matched, the Americans scored twice as many goals, and were extremely triumphant winners.

National pride is an interesting thing at the Olympics, because it seems so powerfully emotional and yet can turn in a moment. Several competitors here have even changed nationalities to get to the Games - the Georgian beach volleyball teams are made up of players with extremely Brazilian names (and tans), runners from Qatar often come from east Africa, and at least one American basketball player, when she didn't make the US team, defected to Russia so she could come to Beijing with the Russian team. It's been noted that for these athletes, sport is their real nationality. And I can't help but wonder what would go through their heads if they were standing on a podium with a gold medal around their neck, beaming with pride as an alien national anthem played along with the raising of their new flag.

Day 14: Riders in the mist

2008-08-22T06:20:00.006+01:00

I had a rather surreal day yesterday, which kind of matched the misty weather and sporadic rainshowers. It was like I was travelling between parallel dimensions as I headed out after a morning of work to the 798 art zone, a sprawling neighbourhood of warehouses not far from where I'm staying here in Wangjing, northeast Beijing. The buildings were built in the early 1950s, when China turned to Germany for help with industrialisation. And indeed, you almost feel like you're in East Berlin - buildings full of subtly stylish flourishes and ominous angles. Today, these factories have all been turned into painfully trendy art galleries - hundreds of them - creating one of the biggest art communities on earth.

And as everywhere in Beijing, 'big' is the operative word. You can walk for hours in here, prowling through collections of paintings, sculptures, video, mixed media, you name it, and snapping photos of the impressive displays of public art in streets and alleyways. Architectural features have been used inventively, as have hits of errant equipment, including a railway steam engine. There's a definite Chairman Mao theme, as artists use party icons to make ironic commentary - although it's not as bold or as provocative as it might be (for obvious reasons).

Next I headed over to the Olympic Sports Centre for the final two events in the modern pentathlon. The idea of watching 35 men horse jumping for three hours was a bit worrying, but in reality it was riveting. They are assigned horses in a draw, and we can immediately see which riders bond with their horses and which don't. And woe to those who don't, as we saw several thrown through the air, crashed through barricades and even one French rider who fell with his horse, which rolled over him. All of them got back onto their horses, although a few didn't manage to finish the 15-jump course.

Then the sky opened again and it poured through their 3 km run. The stewards had given us all free rain ponchos (in London I predict they will be £10 each), so we cowered in the stands. But the runners looked like drowned kittens! Well - fit, athletic drowned kittens who were competing in the Olympics' most astonishing event. Frankly, after swimming, shooting, fencing, running and horse jumping, these are by far the most well-rounded competitors here.

Day 13: Just do it

2008-08-21T04:54:00.004+01:00

In addition to my daily work responsibilities, I of course have a long list of things to see while I'm here in Beijing. I've never been in China before, so want to get as full an experience as possible. I have, however, found that accomplishing one thing in a day is pretty much the most you can expect, mainly due to the sheer size of this city and the time and effort needed to get around. But I ticked two big items off that list yesterday.

First I headed south to the Temple of Heaven, a beautiful sprawling complex of parklands and buildings where the emperors would pray for a good harvest. Everything there has been beautifully restored in time for the Games, and even in yesterday's oppressive heat and humidity, it was a lovely place to roam around for an hour or so.

Next I headed to the northwest to the Beijing Zoo, mainly to see the pandas (I couldn't come to China without seeing them, could I?). Much of the zoo has also clearly been tarted up in time for the Olympics - but not all of it. The panda houses had an air of faded glory about them, but the pandas themselves were great fun to watch as they blobbed around and ate bamboo and occasionally surprised us with a spurt of energy. Usually in order to get more bamboo. Like everything else here, the zoo is absolutely immense, with vast areas dedicated to virtually every family of animal on earth. Some of these zones were shiny and new, and very nice, but others were alarmingly cramped, and some of the pathways were on theverge of collapse. A strange mix - but an impressive place that's worth preserving as long as they put animal interests ahead of the tourists.

I have a few other things I'd like to see, including the whizzy art district 798, which is very near where I'm staying, and a longer visit to the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, it's chucking it down with rain today, so getting around might be trickier than yesterday. I'm also looking forward to seeing an event tonight - I have tickets to something I've never seen before at an Olympics: modern pentathlon. Frankly, the idea that someone can compete in fencing, shooting, swimming, running and horse jumping boggles the mind.

Day 12: They eat seahorses, don't they?

2008-08-20T05:07:00.002+01:00

Yes, it's probably required that every tourist in Beijing visit Wangfujing Street, specifically the market alleyway where all sorts of unmentionables are being sold on a stick. Spot the seahorses in the photo above, along with scorpions, silk worms and octopusses. (I only saw people actually eating octopus.) This area is just adjacent to Tiananmen Square, and on a sunny day here the risk of being blinded by an umbrella is worse than Christmas shopping on a rainy December day in Oxford Street! The moment the sun emerges, colourful parasols are everywhere, and at a dangerous height for a 6-foot tall foreigner.

I also tried to get into the official Olympic shop in this area, but gave up after moments in the crush of people grabbing at whatever remains on the shelves. Olympic fever here is definitely at fever pitch, especially as the host country is topping the chart with 43 gold medals this morning. Chinese flags are flying everywhere, poking out of hairdos and pasted onto smiling cheeks. I'm thinking about getting one myself. Meanwhile, the scalpers have been chased away by a series of nasty official signs - although they've actually just moved around the corner about 25 metres away and are still going strong. Which reminds me that I need to get over there this afternoon and see if I can find tickets to something.

Basically, by Day 12 that enforced Olympic etiquette has gone out the window, and that's not a bad thing, as it allows us to see a glimpse of the real Beijing. The quiet streets of the early days have given way to a riot of unruly traffic, with people, bicycles, scooters, cars and busses swerving and dodging all overthe massive avenues. It's rather thrilling to watch, because there is a sense of order - it's just not as we know it in the West. Meanwhile, people are smilier than ever - happily trying out their English and helpfully offering assistance as we wilt in the hot Beijing sunshine. For a few more days, at least.

Day 11: One world, one dream

2008-08-18T16:14:00.004+01:00

Cynics always take exception to the deliberate adorableness of the Olympic mascots, which seem to increase in number each year so helpless parents will have no choice but to purchase a complete set of cuddly toys and matching school supplies for their demanding children (see yesterday's post). This year there are five - count 'em! - mascots, one matching the colour of each Olympic ring. Conceptually, they are several steps above that bizzarro Whatizit from Atlanta 1996, but that's not saying much.

They're called the Fuwa, and they carry 'a message of friendship and peace to children all over the world'. Based on the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky, four represent a Chinese animal: Beibei the fish, Jingjing the panda, Yingying the antelope and Nini the swallow. And in the middle is Huanhuan the Olympic flame. Together their names say, 'Welcome to Beijing': Bei jing huan ying ni.

In other words, Olympics are pretty much like political campaigns: packed with heartwarming and faux-inspirational catch phrases and images that sound good but mean little. The Beijing Olympic slogan is plastered absolutely everywhere here: 'One world, one dream' (to which activists add the words 'one peace'). It's a lovely sentiment, even if it's not really true in a world as unjust as this one is. But in the Olympic Village athletes from warring countries are sharing meals and becoming great friends. And maybe one by one something like the Olympic experience does make a tiny difference for them. But I still think those mascots are a bit creepy.

Day 10: The emperors strike back

2008-08-18T08:12:00.002+01:00

Our tour guide yesterday made some interesting comments about Chinese society that helped make a bit of sense of how people behave here. Essentially, she was saying that even though the Chinese empire ended with the revolution, the policy over the last 30 years of only allowing one child per family has created a nation of little emperors. (Pictured is the third emperor of the Ming dynasty at his tomb outside Beijing.)

This is a generation of people who have no sense of sharing or doing housework and who have much more commercial dreams in life - to own cars and houses. This really does explain the slightly entitled attitude of young people, which also filters to the way they drive. They will not wait in a queue if they can see a way to sneak into the front. They never get out of someone's way, and have little sense of spatial awareness, strolling slowly two or three abreast even though there's a massive traffic jam of pedestrians behind them trying to get by. They have no qualms about reaching around you and grabbing the last of whatever it is everyone wants to get.

On the other hand, this also makes them confident and even likeable - offering friendly greetings and an eagerness to please. They also have a keen interest in the West, which means that as a tourist there is a friendly inquisitiveness that extends to sometimes very direct questions about things like age and salary.

And this of course also gives them a fierce sense of accomplishment, which is demonstrated in the almost ruthless efficiency of these Games. Every corner of this city is in Olympic mode, with ornate landscaping, public artwork and colourful signage. It's a fascinating mix, and also interesting to find out that now, if both parents are single children, the government allows the couple to have two kids. Let the games begin, indeed.

Day 9: On the Wall

2008-08-17T11:40:00.002+01:00

I'm still pretty sleep-deprived, so the early start this morning wasn't very helpful. But off we went - five members of my team here, none of too bright-eyed it should be said - to visit the Great Wall. We started out at the Ming Tombs, burial place of almost an entire dynasty of emperors and very impressive in its scale (in other words, this vast scale thing is not a recent concept in China) and also in the way it is perfectly lined up with the mountains and with Beijing to the south, using the very best feng shui possible. (Although the fact remains that they're all dead now.) It was a fascinating place, and we concluded with a visit to a nearby jade factory/shop/restaurant for a touristy bit of salesmanship and the first actual Chinese food I've eaten in China.

Next up was the drive up into the mountains to Badaling, along the road cycling route. The signs are all still in place, as are the finish line grandstands and the medal podium - all within view of a dramatic section of the Great Wall. We drove further up into the mountains to a point where we could ride a kind of rollercoaster lift up to the base of the wall. There were literally thousands of people up there, as if it's National Wall Climbing Day or something. We had to join the scrum to get into the narrow stairwells and through the small tower doorways (there was no queuing - it was a free-for-all), and thenas we climbed, we had to dodge all the people taking photos of each other on the wall. But then, they had to dodge us too.

It was an amazing experience. Walking up there is quite difficult - steep and uneven, with sections of extremely erratic steps. We climbed as far and as high as they would let us go - past four towers to the very top tower in the area - and the view was astonishing, seeing the wall snake its way across the mountains in both directions. It's hard to imagine anyone building even this section of the wall, let alone 6,000 kilometres of it.

But then, this is China. And as we've seen during these Olympics, the Chinese are hugely organised and willing to push themselves to do astonishing things outside the scope of normal achievement. The Olympic Park and venues are bigger and grander than anything I have seen at my previous six Games. And the workers here are amazingly disciplined - last night I glimpsed, behind a venue, a 'platoon' of volunteers marching to their positions in perfect formation. This was not a show for the tourists. This is how they do things here.

Day 8: Feel the burn

2008-08-16T04:10:00.002+01:00

It always happens: at some point in one of these work projects, the late nights, early mornings and long days of running from from place to place leave me feeling utterly shattered. And I think the city is feeling some of that as well. There's a noticeable strain on the transport system here, with fewer busses (which are of course more crowded) and the feeling that the Chinese government just might be realising that the Olympics is too big for them to control everything from crowd movement to what more than 20,000 journalists report (or even what they decide to cover).

Meanwhile, yesterday was the first day with bright blue skies, and it was a stunner. For the first time, I could see the mountains that circle the city as I headed into the Olympic Green, where I spent hours roaming around the venues (the Water Cube is even more astonishing close up than it is on TV), visiting the sponsor pavilions (one has four terracotta warriors in it) and trying in vain to find something decent to eat (besides the ropey snack stalls, the official sponsor McDonalds has a monopoly). The official Olympic superstore had a queue stretching all the way around the building, so I didn't bother. Strangely, there's nowhere else in the city to buy official souvenirs.

Then I had tickets for the evening session of athletics in the Bird's Nest, which was great fun - seeing all the 100-metre men run, watching about half of the heptathlon events, a women's steeplechase (surely one of the oddest Olympic events, and no fun for the poor competitor who stumbled in the water hazard then was pushed underwater by three women who ran right over her) and lots of shot putting, discus throwing and triple jumping. The packed-out crowd was raucous - especially when a Chinese competitor took the field. The photo here is of a medal ceremony.

I got home around midnight, and have another full day today. Maybe should take a nap before I head to the bus stop.

Day 7: East or West

2008-08-14T17:49:00.004+01:00

I spent all day yesterday in the eastern side of the city, which is where all the embassies are, plus a lively collection of cafes and bars. It's also where I saw the boxing competition, at the delightfully named Beijing Workers Gymnasium (actually a rather lovely revamped arena). I'm not particularly a boxing fan, but my goal is to watch things I wouldn't normally see.

I just love the mix of nationalities in both the competitions and in the arenas. When the Iranian had his bout, a section of the crowd came to life with some seriously infections multi-part chanting and flag waving. When the Irish and British boxers appeared, their loyal fans cut loose with the usual selection of sporting anthems. And no matter who won, everyone cheered. The boxers themselves seemed a bit cocky and overloaded with testosterone, but I guess that's the point in this sport. And at least almost all of them were good sports. I'll be at athletics this evening in the Bird's Nest Stadium.

By the way, I also had my most depressing experience in Beijing yesterday: I walked around a corner and saw a gigantic sign for Hooters. It's bad enough that America exports Starbucks, KFC and McDonalds, all at the expense of local businesses. But this is scary. Then this evening in the English newspaper China Daily I saw a front-page ad for Hooters, listing five locations around the country. Sigh.

Day 6: Tickets and postcards

2008-08-14T03:22:00.004+01:00

One of the big stories here is the fact that, while all tickets for Olympic events here in Beijing are officially sold out, the venues are full of empty seats. This happens at every Olympics, actually, mainly due to the fact that such a large number of prime seats (ie, in the line of sight of TV cameras) are given away to corporate sponsors and VIPs, who don't value their freebie tickets as highly as others who have worked so hard to get them.

I would really love to get into the swimming venue here, but I don't have a ticket to an event. So I headed down to what seems to have become Scalper's Corner, a small area on the edge of the Olympic Green where you can buy tickets to almost everything - if you're willing to pay over the odds. People sit around the edge with their tickets on display, while more aggressive salesmen prowl the square with thick clumps of tickets. Every seat in the Water Cube, even for a preliminary diving round, is priced at 4,000 yuan (around GBP 310). This is for a ticket with an 800 yuan (GBP 62) cover price. I'm not quite that desperate, so I'll keep looking. The thing is that most of the people selling tickets here are professional sharks - I'd rather find one from someone who just has a spare and would like a bit of beer money!

Later, I headed down into the Hou Hai, where a series of lakes make a natural cool spot right in the middle of the city, surrounded by bars and cafes, most of which have brand new Olympic sponsor signage. The Yandai shopping street is also here - a narrow alleyway of small shops that sell all kinds of things. I got the feeling that this was a touristy area, even though nothing even remotely tempted me into a shop. Oddly, I have yet to see a single postcard for sale - even in the obvious tourist shops. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, but they seem as elusive to me as the tickets are.

Day 5: Old and new

2008-08-13T01:49:00.004+01:00

Took my life in my hands once again and dove into the transport system again on Tuesday, but was much more successful this time. After the bewildering madness of Monday, busses and underground trains seemed to have been whipped into submission - as if I knew where I was going and how to get there.

The Beijing Subway is an intriguing mixture of brand new trains and stations from various decades. Most of the trains I was on were gleaming new, with video screens showing highlights of the Games - plus one line that had video screens on the wall of the tunnel that tracked the speed of the train (pretty imporessive). Other train carriages were much older and creakier - but all of them were jam packed, mainly with locals but dotted with tourists and competitors.

I first headed to the heart of the city - Tiananmen Square at the entrance to the Forbidden City. Once again the sheer scale of this city is almost overwhelming. The square is so big you can barely see across it, and after walking back through two courtyards of the Forbidden City, I knew I'd only seen a fraction of it, but figured I'd need more time to explore further. (Actually I'd only reached the gateway to the actual forbidden part.) Nearby is the new performing arts centre, which looks like a gigantic egg sitting in a lake (you enter the building under the water). And from here I travelled east into the business district to look at some more architecture, namely the Chinese Television building, which teeters against gravity and looks like it might fall on you at any moment. Both are pictured below.
Beijing - and most of China I suspect - is a fascinating mixture of old and new, blending their ancient history with a fierce desire to push the boundaries into the future. But in doing this, they may be losing the stuff that's in between. One bus I was on took an intriguing shortcut, diving off the main thoroughfare to cut through a narrow street that clearly used to be a vast old neighbourhood of hutongs - small courtyard houses and shops. Onle a few strips of these were left along the road, with vast fields behind that had been cleared. But there in front of the shopfronts were people sitting on stools, cooking on barbecues as if nothing had changed all around them. They clearly aren't even going to let the thundering passing busses disturb their culture.

Day 4: 'This is China'

2008-08-12T04:23:00.003+01:00

It doesn't take very long after you arrive in Beijing to discover that there is a very specific way of doing things here, and it sometimes clashes directly with our Western drive and impatience. We may want everything done immediately, the way we like it, but 'this is China', and things work differently here. Often, this is another way of saying, 'Be patient!' Especially in the face of another person telling you, 'No, that's not allowed.'

There's a definite sense of organisation here, which means that as a mere person you often feel lost in an impenetrable system. I certainly discovered that yesterday while trying to navigate the transport system and then witnessing the astonishing scale of accomplishment in the Olympic set-up here. The venues are big and seriously impressive - it's impossible not to stand outside the Bird Nest Stadium or Water Cube swimming venue and not gasp at the sheer audacity of it all. Add in the immense wide avenues and expanses of grass and other landscaping, and, as a mere person you feel pretty insignificant standing in the setting.

But this also brings an intriguing communal spirit, which is also immediately apparent. People who aren't in a position of control are wonderfully helpful, even across such a serious language barrier. The woman on the bus coming home last night, without saying a word, made it clear that I could trust her: this was where I needed to get off the bus to get home (I had shown her my address written in Chinese characters). It took me a few minutes toget my bearings on the totally unfamiliar street, but in the distance I thought I recognised something, and sure enough, a few minutes later I was back in my flat.

Today I plan to venture down into the centre of the city near the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square - which should defintely give me some new things to ramble about tomorrow....

Day 3: Getting around

2008-08-11T05:14:00.005+01:00

I'm writing this from the Beijing International Media Centre, home for the thousands of journalists who don't have official Olympic accreditation here. Only a couple of members of our team got official Beijing credentials - the rest of us rely on the rather amazing service offered here, including a superb dining hall where an all-you-can-eat buffet costs about 50p. This is the view in the work room - the TV screens include CNN (USA) and NHK (Japan), but not the BBC, intriguingly.

Meanwhile, today I hit the ground running, forced to find my way around this vast city. First thing this morning, I had to register my presence as a foreigner at the local police station (fairly straightforward). And I also recorded my first programme material this morning - a chat in the daily More Than Gold programme and my first one-minute roundup of the day.

Then I headed into the bewildering transport system, which involves busses that fly past where you think they should let you off, resulting in 20 minute walks in the opposite direction (this happened to me three times). I also braved the Beijing Subway, taking a few trains along with the busses to get to the rowing venue - about a 90-minute journey without all the extra walking! The rowing was very cool - in a figurative sense, as the air was hot and muggy. And then I came back here to catch up on some work. The not hugely clear photo here is of a women's double 2km repechage finish.

Taking unexpected turns on the busses today also gave me my first glimpse of some of the main venues here, including the Bird Nest stadium with the massive Olympic flame on top - both by day and lit up for the evening - all rather stunning. And also the Water Cube swimming venue, which I am dying to get into (all events are sold out, but I haven't given up). The main thing that strikes you about the Olympic setup here is how sprawling and enormous it all is. The distances even between two adjacent stadiums are epic. It's a little overwhelming, actually. Tomorrow I'm thinking of venturing further into the city, maybe into the centre if I'm feeling brave/energetic. I'll keep you posted!

Day 2: Hazy Beijing

2008-08-10T11:14:00.004+01:00

Landed in Beijing roughly on time after a 10-hour uneventful flight. It was a bit strange to land here, as you can't see anything - it's like a thick fog envelops the entire area. The sky is white and visibility is very limited. After the usual immigration, bagage and customs malarky, I got a taxi to the flat where I'll be staying - very nice, in the northwest section of the city (off the 4th ring road and about a 10 minute cab ride from the Olympic Park and the Media Centre, which is where I'm writing this.

The weather is hot and sticky, and there was a massive thunderstorm shortly after I arrived here at the Media Centre. Fortunately, among the two bags of freebies I got there's a very large umbrella. Also in the goodie bag is a Chinese SIM card for the spare mobile phone I brought - essential when you're trying to keep track of colleagues.

First impressions: This is a massive, sprawling city. The sense of scale is a bit overwhelming, as I still have to figure out how to get around on busses and the metro, but riding in the taxis it was an endless stretch of high-rise offices, blocks of flats, massive shopping malls (I've seen the full range of icons--Starbucks, Pizza Hut, B&Q, Sephora). It's very modern and very busy, with a lively sense of, ahem, spontaneity at every traffic junction.

I start work tonight - and will see my first event at the rowing venue tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, I'm sitting in here watching 16 giant screens showing the feeds from all of the venues - this seems like a pretty good place to keep on top of things.

Day 1: Leaving rainy London

2008-08-09T20:07:00.002+01:00

And away I go! Had a nice day today - brunch with friends, non-panicky packing, and then it went predictably chaotic when I entered the London transport system. What should have been two Tube trains and 90 minutes turned into five trains and over two hours. Fortunately the airport was eerily empty so I didn't wait in a single queue.

Meanwhile in Beijing today, Olympic records fell as predicted in the swimming pool, and seven sets of medals were spread out among the nations (but nothing for the UK, alas). It'll probably be world records tomorrow.

So from seat 54L I'll say goodbye for now. Expect slightly more groggy blogging tomorrow.

Kick-off: An epic opening

2008-08-08T16:51:00.007+01:00

At precisely 8pm on 8/8/08, the Games of the 29th Olympiad kicked off in Beijing with perhaps the most spectacular opening ceremony ever. I guess we should have expected the ceremony to be an astonishing show. After all, this is a country with 4,000 years of history and a population of 1.3 billion - all of whom seemed to be part of the cast. And of course this is the land that invented fireworks.

The precision and artistry were simply breathtaking - epic in scale and vividly rendered with colour and inventiveness. And it was a remarkable combination of human performance and technical wizardry. The visual effects, which were subtle and clever, were extremely impressive, from the city-wide fireworks to that amazing giant scroll, which seemed to live and breathe on the floor of the stadium. At times it looked like we were watching computer-generated effects on a scale far beyond anything we've ever seen in a film.

But this was all real. There really were 50,000 performers out there, all of whom were beautifully synchronised, full of expressive exuberance and almost frighteningly synchronised. Only China could produce something on this scale and manage to fill it with life, humour, history and imagination without ever getting pretentious about it..Ok, hours two, three and, gulp, four of the ceremony felt like they would never end - but this is nothing new. At least the torch lighting sequence was truly outrageous. Honestly, the London 2012 organisers must really be sweating right now.

Anyway, I fly to Beijing tomorrow - and now I'm dying to get over there.

Ducks in a row

2008-08-06T13:52:00.005+01:00

Everything's ready for my flight to Beijing on Saturday. I received my visa from the Chinese Embassy here in London today (it was a two-day process). And this is the delightful photo that accompanied my application.

The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity, as I've had to get my laptop repaired in preparation for the trip - it's essential equipment for my role at the Olympics. I'll be writing scripts and recording material for community stations around the world - and posting more personal observations (with photos) here every day.

This may be my seventh Olympics, but I've never been to China before, so it's a pretty big adventure for me. Our team will live in three flats in the Chaoyang district - between the fourth and fifth ring roads in the northeast side of the city. This is 15 minutes from the Olympic Park and the Beijing International Media Centre, which will be my home away from home. It's about 45 minutes from Tiananmen Square.

Now I just have to prepare two weeks of my normal work in advance, so I can meet deadlines while I'm away (the joy of being freelance: no holidays from deadlines). So I'd better get back to work...

And here we go

2008-08-04T17:46:00.000+01:00

This is my first posting to this new WW blog - no doubt the first of many, starting with my trip to Beijing this Saturday. Watch this space for random updates, photos and lots of rambling text. Have fun....