A Well Kept Man

If you want to know who just won gold, let me know...we get to find out before America does. In fact, I don't really have a clue what's going on (I'm watching, just not 'hearing'), although one of the bonuses of living internationally in a country with four official languages is the ability to watch the Olympics in languages I don't understand.

We can watch in Italian, German, Swiss German, French, and British (English), and often we can see different events if we are tired of listening to the overexcited Italian announcers or the subdued French announcers who really don't seem to care who is winning as long as there is a good glass of wine at the finish line. Today I was able to watch rowing, judo, fencing, swimming, basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics (I quickly changed the channel when I realized it was gymnastics and not midget-tossing, the newest Olympic event). Each event was on a different channel in its entirety without breaking away after five minutes for something more exciting.

It is interesting that where the world expects the Chinese to block the internet and TV (or at least control what we can watch), it is really America with the most restrictions on what we get to watch and the time (unless you can figure out that internet thing). Not that I really want to wake up at 3 in the morning to watch the 10m air pistol competition, but should I desire to watch it live I can (in Switzerland). I like being able to see the events live, as they happen rather than on taped-replay at dinner time (or heavily edited to fit my time slot). I do however miss the heartwarming stories and soliloquies by Bob Costas and Bryant Gumbel.

It is fun watching the games in a foreign language if for nothing else than to hear the American athletes names pronounced by Europeans. Lebron James is pronounced Lay-Broaun Yames, Michael Phelps is Michelle Phiilps, President Bush is Mister Booosh (I can't remember what sport the last guy plays but he seems to be in a lot of events). Did you see that photo of the President with the women's beach volleyball team? Let's just say that I'm guessing Mrs. Booosh wasn't very happy with him.

Anyway, GO USA!