Olympics Culture
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
“L’important dans la vie ce n’est point le triomphe, mais le combat, l’essentiel ce n’est pas d’avoir vaincu mais de s’être bien battu.
The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” – Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic Games.)
James Bond. Harry Potter. Mr. Bean. Music from the UK (including Sir Paul McCartney & the Arctic Monkeys). These are not only inherent to English culture, but were also featured in the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
A humorous video depicted Queen Elizabeth II and James Bond surrounded by a few of the Queen’s beloved (and adorable) corgis, and both made a surprising entrance by helicopter. The “Isles of Wonder” ceremony reflected British history and pop culture with an army of 10,000 volunteers, a focus on the Industrial Revolution, national health, Peter Pan, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, and Mary Poppins, and music from the UK – with performances by the Arctic Monkeys and Sir Paul McCartney.
Across the globe, millions were glued to their televisions or streamed the spectacle online. Prior to the opening ceremony, many were curious about its elements, as the 2008 Beijing opener wowed. In my mind, the Opening ceremony was truly representative of the country’s rich history and culture.
“The Ceremony is an attempt to capture a picture of ourselves as a nation, where we have come from and where we want to be,” Director and Ceremony Mastermind Danny Boyle said, adding the volunteers, “are the purest embodiment of the Olympic spirit and represent the best of who we are as a nation.”
PARADE OF ATHLETES
With every Olympic ceremony comes the spotlight on athletes – their moment to shine and feel national pride. Every athlete beamed, and national attires and country colors further enhanced their patriotism. For the first time in the country’s history, Saudi Arabia allowed women athletes to take part in the games. During the ceremony, many took to Twitter to express their dismay with NBC commentary (myself included). One journalist, The Independent’s Guy Adams, even had his account suspended by Twitter likely for tweets critical of NBC. Twitter reactivated the account since.
Key Moments
So far, American athletes have set the bar high. U.S. female gymnasts earned gold for the first time since 1996, and Michael Phelps celebrated a record in medals earned, and other swimmers Missy Franklin, Ryan Lochte, and Matt Grevers also impressed. Female 16-year-old Chinese Ye Shiwen achieved a world record in the 400m individual medley. A South Korean legally blind archer broke his own record just hours before the start of the Olympic ceremony. I chuckled when I heard the Dutch female field hockey team left more than one impression – receiving praise for athleticism, and good looks.
Unfortunately, amidst impressive athleticism and excitement, controversy arose. Racially fueled tweets led to the suspension of two athletes. Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou did not even make it to the Olympics. Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella was expelled for comments charged towards South Koreans after a game.
A female South Korean fencer endured disappointment and much sadness after a clock malfunctioned in a gold medal match leaving her without the medal. And eight badminton players were recently disqualified for allegedly purposefully trying to lose.
“Is that an Olympic sport?”
Gymnastics. Swimming. Cycling. Archery. Judo. Rowing. Equestrian. The list of Olympic sports is vast – precisely 26.
Every Olympic sport has its place, but I have heard surprise about why certain sports are involved in the Games. I was disappointed to hear that as a firm believer in countries leaving their cultural footprint through their national sport(s).
YOUR OPINION
What did you think of the ceremony (and the NBC commentary)? Were you impressed by the historical and cultural references? Did you enjoy the parade of athletes and traditional garb worn? Which sports do you avidly follow? How do the Olympics unite?
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
Comments (2)
susanwbailey
02 Aug 2012I’ve been enjoying the Olympics, especially the women’s gymnastics. I wish the media though would step back a bit from these athletes. They are all over them all the time showing the whole world every single tear, look of frustration, etc. And then talking about it endlessly, long after the athlete has dealt with it (i.e. Jordyn Wieber). Give them a chance to breathe! It’s uncomfortable to watch.
RE: opening ceremonies: I loved the bit with the Queen and James Bond, and Mr. Bean. I thought that Pink Floyd’s music had not been featured but apparently it was (I came in a bit late). The digital portion with the music was missing a lot of key people (hello, ONE NOTE from Led Zeppelin??).
Still, lots of fun to watch (and LOTS of eye candy for us, for a change :-))
Nicolette
02 Aug 2012Women’s gymnastics were incredible to watch. I can’t fathom the hours spent at the gym to accomplish what they have! I agree that the media does need to lighten up a bit, and give the athletes space to enjoy the games, and not follow them every second, as you said! There was discussion too about the lack of Britpop at the opening ceremony (no Oasis, for instance, and only a little bit of Blur) and other important musicians! But overall, I was really impressed with the incorporation of history and pop culture references. Glad you enjoyed it, too! I’m excited to see more!