(no subject)

[oyceter]

Gymnastics!! My favorite ^_^. The Chinese women's team is incredibly tiny. I mean, they all look like they're nine, even though they're 16 or so. The boy sort of looked at me funny when I commented on that and wisely refrained from joking about my height and Asian genes and the possible correlation between the two (but really, I'm tall back at home!).

Had a longer lunch hour today so I could watch the men's synchronized diving. First impression: they all wear their Speedos very low. Although my general rule of thumb is that I would personally refrain from doing any sort of sport on international TV whose uniform routinely gave me wedgies (see: women's gymnastics and beach volleyball). I was very happy for the Greek team, who won gold ^_^. I'm also cheering on the Iraqi soccer team and the South African men's relay team, who were very very fast and whose win was completely antithetical to the whole commentators' trying to play up the Australia-US rivalry thing.

The boy cheers for all the Americans, and I cheer for everyone who isn't American, unless the Americans have no chance of winning. I sort of figure Russia and China and the US will all get lots of medals and whatnot, so I might as well cheer for the other people. I always think it's kind of funny that despite the whole attempt at internationalism and good sport-ness (good sportiness? sportedness?) that in the end certain sports just revert to a very Cold War mentality. Ok, mostly I'm just thinking about gymnastics, but it's always the US pitted against old USSR countries who were Communist, or now, against China, who is Communist. And much is made of the machine-like way the Communist (or formerly Communist) countries train their athletes, while the US is more creative/artistic/etc.

I would also very much like for someone to give the commentators a little pronunciation guide for Chinese names. I realize the weird "q" and "x" and etc. is very confusing, but honestly, it's not that difficult.

I also yell and talk back to the commentators a lot, so it's probably good I'm just watching this with the boy ;). The commentators really annoy me. NBC's coverage also annoys me -- yeah, I know they're broadcasting in the US, but I still want to see all the routines of the Chinese gymnasts and the Russian gymnasts too! I wish they would cut out those annoying sob story biographies and show more sports. I'm still amused that I'm always into the Olympics, despite the fact that I am not interested in sports at all.

*crossing my fingers and hoping Taiwan gets something* (though I doubt it...)

Comments

[skylee.livejournal.com]

The Chinese women's team is incredibly tiny. I mean, they all look like they're nine, even though they're 16 or so.

Yeah, not just their build, but their appearnce is really young as well. Though I'm very short myself, hee. ;)

What sports are Taiwan competing in? I know Taiwan is pretty good at softball, didn't they beat Japan earlier (not in the Olympics, but about half a year or so ago, there was this big win...over...um, something. *g*)

I hope Hong Kong gets something too, but that's even more hopeless!

[oyceter]

I sort of wonder if that's what everyone else thinks when they look at me and my sister... People keep guessing I'm in ninth grade or something, grrr. But then, they keep thinking my almost-21-year-old-sister is 12, so that's even better ;).

I think Taiwan's in baseball, ping pong and badminton... I sadly have no idea really though =(.

I'm cheering for HK too ^_^.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on the coverage being America-centric. Also, there was a good editorial in the Washington Post online yesterday about America's sense of entitlement to gold medals, etc.--I wonder if that's a Cold War relic, or if we were always like that?

[oyceter]

Also, there was a good editorial in the Washington Post online yesterday about America's sense of entitlement to gold medals, etc

Hrm, I should check that out. I guess it's sort of being used to getting golds? I figure once a country or person has won lots of medals for years and years and years, expectations just keep rising.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. The editorial is a bit snarkier about it, but I think, large population, lots of money, of course our athletics are pretty good. And China, large population, centralized sports, lots of medals. Etc..

[oyceter]

I'm guessing that maybe the medal entitlement comes from having won so many in the past? Tends to build one's expectations.

taiwan

[(Anonymous)]

taiwan has baseball, badminton, and ping-pong...at least those 3 i know of. in baseball, taiwan lost their first game against canada but just recently defeated australia in their second game. (i've been reading the taipei times online. =P) i like watching gymnastics, too.....and i agree that the broadcast is very...focused on Team USA. but i guess it's natural, since we are in the States.
(anlee)

Re: taiwan

[oyceter]

I want to watch badminton, seeing how it's the only sport whose rules I understand! But the TV station here broadcasts it at a very strange hour and the VCR is broken. Grrrrr.

[veejane.livejournal.com]

I would also very much like for someone to give the commentators a little pronunciation guide for Chinese names. I realize the weird "q" and "x" and etc. is very confusing, but honestly, it's not that difficult.

I taught myself a little Pinyin off the internet recently (okay, I was looking up the Jet Li movie Hero and its historical context), and I agree that with a good correlation guide and some practice, anybody should be able to do okay with most of the Chinese names.

Then again, I've heard some commentary that seems not to acknowledge the whole name-order business: the women's springboard synchro commentary called all of the western athletes by their personal names, and then called the Chinese women Wu and Guo. Now, I am as ignorant of Chinese as anybody you'll meet, but even I could tell that those are probably family names and not personal ones.

[oyceter]

(oooo, Hero! I'm so glad it's finally being shown in theaters here soon!)

Yah, the whole name business... gah. I keep yelling at the TV and trying to correct the pronunciation.

[anodyna.livejournal.com]

It's weird--I'm totally not into sports normally but I get totally into the Olympics. I couldn't watch any last night and I missed it!

[oyceter]

Eep! I am now hopelessly addicted -- I'd always manage to be somewhere else for years and years of Olympics and forever miss the gymnastics (my favorite), so this year, I'm basically permanently glued to the TV.