Patriotic? Me?

I watched some of the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony today, not as I had expected, in a bar surrounded by tearful and cheering expats, but in IKEA. Having stopped off for a spot of lunch en route to Cao Chang Di (a fab little art district beyond the 5^th ring road), we found it being played on a big screen in the canteen. There was no sound on though and surprisingly little interest from the scores of Chinese people eating meatballs and lingonberry gravy around us. How strange it felt to be in a Swedish cafeteria in Beijing, watching the London Olympics!

I think that we Brits are a humble nation and we tend to be very self-critical. In the UK, patriotism and national pride are all too often associated with the racist bigotry of the BNP and anyway, we wouldn’t want to come across as arrogant or too proud. Danny Boyle’s magnificent and inclusive efforts were a joyous celebration of so many wonderfully British home-grown things. I don’t know what the diners around me thought of it all, but I'm not sure that it matters one little bit. I don't care if the children weren’t as tightly choreographed and as in-time as the highly trained Chinese ones in 2008.  I was just so proud to see all the performers so clearly having the time of their lives and basking in the glory of all things GB. It was the images of dear old Freddie Mercury that first got my eyes filling up as I was so glad to see him remembered and included. Moving too was the splendid multiculturalism on display, which is so valuable and such a contrast to the virtual monoculture here in China.

I nipped off for a free refill and a break from all the high emotion. I came back to replayed scenes of the old chap with Parkinson’s disease who, whilst carrying the Olympic torch, got out of his wheelchair and aided by two friendly coppers, rose to his feet and walked the last few yards. I could see that even my boyfriend’s eyes were moist and combined with the images of smiling police and cheering onlookers, the lump in my throat got bigger. There followed HM the Queen in a parachute, James Bond, Dizzee Rascal, a fleet of good old NHS nurses, a surge of Mary Poppinses,  David Beckham on a neon pink speedboat and a magical glowing butterflies on bicycles. What more could you possibly want?!!

It was quite an experience, mostly because I don’t think I’ve ever felt patriotic in my life before! I guess moving abroad will certainly bring out any patriotic tendencies if you have them! Coupled with an emotional celebration of everything that is great about your home country, it’s bound to get the tears flowing.

I can’t wait to watch it again later, with sound this time and a gin and tonic and a box of tissues!