London 2012

The end of the Olympics Closing Ceremony was really British. Like, it even featured umbrellas. Here's to making it to London in 4 years.


What caught me entirely off-guard, as though I'd been living under a rock for all this time, is that the British national anthem is "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Or rather, the other way around.

God save our gracious Queen,

Long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen:

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us:

God save the Queen.

O Lord, our God, arise,

Scatter her enemies,

And make them fall.

Confound their politics,

Frustrate their knavish tricks,

On Thee our hopes we fix,

God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,

On her be pleased to pour;

Long may she reign:

May she defend our laws,

And ever give us cause

To sing with heart and voice

God save the Queen.

I smugly point out that the American version is quite plainly better. Rhyming "arise" and "enemies?" (Or "Queen" and "Queen," for that matter . . .)

The tower of Babel thing at the end was sick though. 北京北京，我爱北京。

La Cérémonie de clôture des Jeux Olympiques faisait très brittanique, jusqu'aux parapluies qu'ils ont utilisées. Comme j'aimerais y aller aux Jeux à Londres en quatre ans!

Une chose qui m'a frappé, c'est que l'hymne national brittanique est la même mélodie qu'une chanson patriotique américaine qui s'appelle "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (Mon pays est de toi [terre de liberté, etc.].) Les paroles du hymne brittanique sont un peu gauche, à mon avis . . .

Le Tour de Babel à la fin de la cérémonie était formidable! Les chinois, eux, il savent monter un spéctacle!