Beijing Torch Relay

Yep. That's right. It came here, right past my work. Bit of an anti relay really. Took me bloody ages to get to work by bus that day, the bus driver was seriously on something and nearly killed us a couple of times - he forgot half his route so had to do a u-ie in the middle of the highway, almost side swiping two cars, and ran a red light. A bus running a red light? By the time we got to the city he had been reported via mobile at least twice (bless those canberrans). Something was upsetting him really bad and I heard him telling a bloke that his wife was taken away in an ambulance that morning and he was worried... why did they make him work???

Anyway, tourists everywhere - all with red flags in their hands and on their faces... all chinese and thousands of them! I heard/saw firsthand a few tussles with the free tibet protestors and most of the people on my bus felt "good on them, they'll only get one chance with the whole world looking at them".

Half my work colleagues were at an official 'relay breakfast' at parliament house, the other half were fighting the traffic or working from home.

Anyway I got a few photos... really crapping again but photos nonetheless because I WAS THERE! So for my beloved nephew, here are my photos of the Beijing Olympics 2008 Torch Relay that came to Canberra on 24 April 2008 and passed right by my work in Allara Street.

Photo 1 - the relay passing down the highway (past the swimming pool) and in view from my office window.
Photo 2 - on its way (missed it again) up the highway and around the corner to Parliament House.
Photo 3 - arriving on stage via Ian Thorpe - my, my how tall he is!
Photo 4 - the Australian National Anthem sung by Jonathon Welch (the Choir of Hard Knocks) - beautiful, beautiful voice, and me (not so beautiful voice but very loud) coz there weren't no other locals there - just me and him, oh and thorpey.
Photo 5 - the crowd singing the Chinese Anthem - unbelievably stirring and patriotic (if one can call communism that) and they missed a verse too! See it's not just us aussies that forget!


So there we have it for another 4 years.

M