Commonwealth games, Melbourne 2006

Ok, excepting the pyrotechnics, it was all crap I think – The grand opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games, Melbourne 2006. That was the first time since I landed up here I had watched the telly and that too for more than 2 hours in a row. The lighting was magnificent, it was really first-rate. With the MCG on the banks of the river Yarra, it wouldn't have been appropriate for the City of Melbourne to hold this opening ceremony any place else.

I could see the games torch being carried by AFL {Australian Football League} players one after the other for over an hour and I knew none of them. I speculate if any non-Australian would have appreciation for any of those "so called" Aussie heroes. To be rational, I not knowing them belittles not a bit of their accomplishments. However, I could envision the billion or so people watching the telly all over the world marvel at the 100s of ex-Australian Olympic or Commonwealth games champions who could have carried the torch one after the other.

Unlike India, Australia has won thousands of medals in these games and I am confident all they need to do is look within the city of Melbourne for ex-champs. Nonetheless, it matters none now. The queen [Oh !! My queen], Her Majesty, was swept off her feet with a clever rendition of "Happy 80th Birthday to you" ending with "God Save the Queen". Well, I *know* she was on cloud nine after that. Up to that point, she was feeling queasy with Johnny Howard sitting next to her and looking desperately dispassionate over much of the proceedings. May be the evening burritos were making her stomach churn a bit. Uncomfortable, I know..

To make matters worse, I reckon, at one time Johnny Boy almost got up and started cheering for one of the troupe entering the stadium mistaking them for his own team, the prodigious Aussies - only to realise that the flag bearer was carrying a flag akin to his own but belonging to his arch nemesis, the team from across the Tasman sea. I hope the Kiwis had fun watching that.

The queen got up, in her aristocratic English read out what her secretary had expertly prepared, declared the Melbourne 2006 games open. Wallah !!

Over the 11 days of games, I think the top 5 tally will look like this. [total medals, not gold]

1.Australia
2.England
3.India / Canada
4.Canada / India
5.South Africa

Ok, 10 highpoints of the ceremony:

1.They raised the Indian Flag! Woo hoo. [next commonwealth games holder]
2.They raised the English Flag! Woo hoo. [previous games holder]
3.The pyrotechnics were just extraordinary, ok – no contest here. Better than anything I have seen, ever.
4.Melbourne looked like a fine, glamourous city for once.
5.Johnny boy came to the MCG thinking it was a day night clash between India and Australia. Had a shock when he saw the Queen in the same ground and then slowly realised what was happening after all.
6.Johnny mumbled his way through the Australian national anthem.
7.Australia, England, Canada, South Africa and India had the largest contingents. {not necessarily in that order}.
8.The youngest contestant is a 13 year old boy entering the Table Tennis competition. He can barely see the Table, apparently!!
9.Monica justifiably stayed away from the telly and chatted away on the internet with her millions of friends.
10. A total of 71 countries form the Commonwealth.