One country, one love

Wow, what a happily hectic day. I took the afternoon off to chase the Olympic flame from all the way north in Shatin to all the way south in Central. Crazy amount of running and squeezing between a sea of red-clad supporters but well worth it.

Good thing my office is in Shatin. The moment lunch came I took off and ran to the Shing Mun River. I arrived just in time for the Dragon Boat relay. Couldn't get close enough to the action, but the atmosphere was so fantastic. People left and right - complete strangers really - were talking and laughing and having a great time. The few of us with radios acted as human broadcast speakers announcing every latest news update of the relay.

Although the Olympic flame has been relayed by boat before, this was the first time it was relayed by a Dragon Boat. A technicality, I know, but still something to be damn proud of.

After the flame was passed, the cheer from the crowd and the rowers was amazing. The surrounding boats broke into a joyful sprint.

On my way to the train station, I passed through Shatin Plaza.

What was everyone looking at? You got it, the second most significant part of the relay: the Olympic Horse Statdium

The entire plaza actually quieted the moment the final torch bearer approached the flame dish. It's like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the dish to light.

Eventually, I made my way down to Central. I figured that it would be least crowded area of the final leg of the relay (watching the news reports later in the evening proved me right). Luckily, I found a spot with a huge unblocked view. Still, the runners were so far away that I had to shoot with a 300mm lens.

Yay! The Hon Mrs. Rita Fan Hsu Lai Tai!!

I planned to make my way to Wan Chai but as you can see from the sea of people, there was no way to get there in time to see the finish. Oh well, can't be too greedy; I'm pretty amazed that I was able to see as much as I did.

Overall a fun day. So great to see so many red clad people walking around, showing their support of the Beijing Olympics. There's been so much China-bashing on the news lately but it's clear that although the detractors may be more verbal, they obviously don't represent even the smallest portion of HK.

中國加油!!!

PS

Each night before the evening news the TV stations broadcast our national anthem. I never gave it much thought before, but tonight when I heard the anthem I got goosebumps all over and my eyes nearly watered up. I'm really not a patriotic person and yet tonight, I was overcome with a feeling of satisfaction and pride.