Saving the best for last, we are went into the Central Olympic Green on Sunday night. Finally the Bird's Nest and the Cube, up close and personal. The whole Green looks like a make-believe city. Like an architect's design come to life. Perfect! And facing each other are the two stars of the Games, in primary colors. Red and steel for the Bird's Nest and Blue for the Cube and beyond that all the other venues all the way to where the eyes can see.
It's a magical stadium. I was not sure I liked it. The steel entwined felt like chains to me. But close up it is much more "designy" than even the pictures will allow. Futuristic almost, with star shaped chandeliers and the dominating red. This red is the true coloiur of these Games. It's everywhere. In China's flag, in the athletes outfits, in the logo itself and now in the stadium.
Inside it's huge and feels confined, closed up, in a coccoon, a Nest even from within and from where I was sitting I could not see the flame. You can only see it from the one half of the stadium. In fact you cannot see the flame even from the outside. You have to go quite far away to see it and then only at certain angles.
Finally, a full venue! The atmosphere was outstanding and there was excitement in the air. There is so much light, we could be in daylight and more. Tonight we are here for Women's 100M, 100M and 400 hurdles, 3,000M steeple, triple jump, Men's hammer throw, High Jump and 10,000 Metre.
It lasts roughly 4 hours and you are never bored. There is always something going on at one end of the stadium or the other with the ocasional medal ceremony thrown in.
Of course by the time it came round to the 10,000 meter race there was just a fraction of the audience there. 10pm is way passed an average Chinese person's bedtime. To the point where the Women's 100m medal ceremony had to be rescheduled to the next day. Undoubtedly it is a bit sad to get a medal when there is hardly anyone there to see you receive it.
Without question it is at night that both the Nest and the Cube come to their full glory. Lit up, they shine like all sorts of precious stones. The grounds were practically empty and we had the magical Olympic Green to ourselves just for a few moments before heading down to Sanlitun and the joys of Bar street.
