Lifestyle: Olympic games 2018
Without sounding that I am knocking any of the Olympic athletes for their skills, training or commitments , viewing them has not happened. I did watch the opening ceremonies as I wanted to see what the South Koreans had in store with their technical wizardry. The feeling for me was a scene from Dr. Strangelove with the startling contrast of North and South Korea still fighting the cold war except it is 2018.
The illusion of détente with the two sides making peace for two weeks of fun and games then going back to the threat of nuclear holocaust is boggling. For those who are not familiar with the classic movie Dr. Stangelove, you need to see this masterpiece. Without revealing too much , the United States and the Soviet Union are about to go to war due to a series of circumstances that no one knows how to control. The players in this movie are caricatures of men in power with basically grotesque visions of what the world should be about.
Back to the games on why I have not been watching. I grew up with ice, snow and cold weather. I was not fearful of playing in frigid temperatures. Cross country sking , hiking and camping sledding and snow ball fights were all part of my winter routine. I went to graduate school in upstate NY where it was often below zero in the dead of winter.
I think it comes down to a couple of factors. For the most part, winter sports are very expensive. Buying a set of downhill skis, and getting lift tickets are beyond most people.
There are not many bobsled runs in NY City. You can ice skate of course but circling a frozen pond with the threat of falling through was not that appealing. You also need plenty of winter gear which again can run lots of coin.
The biggest reason for not embracing the Olympic games are seeing a group of white folks parading with happy faces, faultless skin and blonde hair telling everyone what sacrifices they had to overcome to get on the team.
Yea I know it is not totally like that anymore. You do see a handful of ethnic nations compete but that still is a novelty.
Norway a nation of less than 6 million is leading the pack with a total of 28 medals right now. Germany is second with 20, Canada has 17, and the Netherlands has 13. The first ethnic country is Japan with 10. There you go. The whiteness of the winter Olympics does not appeal to me, never has.
If you are enjoying the games , please continue to do so. I will be waiting for the baseball season to start.
Keep smoking