Marie's Web Log

Well, it's been quite a week over here in the UK. Last night at this time I was surfing the BBC site, reliving the euphoria of London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics. Tonight, we've been watching TV reports about the bombings on the underground.

The emotional rollercoaster started last Saturday with Live 8 in Hyde Park. I know there were concerts around the world, but the original impetus came from Britain, and the heart seemed to be here. I understand those of you in Canada did get to see some of the UK concert (and probably the US one too). The lineup here was pretty good. There were bands I hadn't seen before, like the Scissor Sisters and the Killers, mixed in with the old favourites. Ian had been criticizing the Canadian lineup as being full of has-beens so I pointed out that there were plenty of those in London as well, and he said, "Yeah but they're bigger has-beens." Hhmm.

The Canadian concert, as you might expect, was barely mentioned over here, though one of the papers did take the opportunity to poke fun at Canadians in a review, which said something like, "Fans in Hyde Park were able to watch video scenes from around the world which reminded them how much luckier they were than disadvantaged people in far-off countries. They could, for example, have been in Canada, listening to a guy who looks like the 70s Northern comedian Norman Collier huffing into a harmonica and singing about life being a highway." I have no idea who Norman Collier was, but Ian says he was a skinny guy with blonde hair. So who would that have been, Gordon Lightfoot?

For a serious and personal reflection on our attitudes to Africa, check out this blog: http://fumblingforwords.blogspot.com/2005/07/this-is-for-paulina.html. (I took the link from my friend Dale's blog, I hope he doesn't mind.) I would have made it a proper link, but I don't know how to do that, so I'm afraid you'll have to cut and paste.

Also last weekend, the Wimbledon tennis finals. I don't usually enjoy watching sports on TV, but I do like watching Wimbledon. Some of the matches I saw were quite thrilling, though I don't understand why a few of the women have to grunt so much. It's distracting.

Then, yesterday, the news that the Olympics are to be held in London. I've often been disparaging about the Olympics, as they seem to be a big business enterprise and it's hard not to wonder whether all the money that goes into sucking up to the IOC would be better spent elsewhere (Africa, perhaps?) But it was very emotional when London got the games, as Paris had long been the favourite. And those of you with British origins will know that the only thing better than winning, is beating the French.

And now, today. The bombings in London. The latest figures are 37 dead, more than 700 injured. It's cruel, the turnaround, from the high of yesterday to something like this. And it fills me with despair, and anger, and heart-felt sympathy for the victims. London, of course, has seen bombings and terror attacks before, as have most European capitals. The IRA used to do it quite a lot, though they usually gave warnings and didn't aim to hurt a lot of civilians. The rules have changed now - there aren't any.

We are fine. Amelia is growing up. Only four months until her third birthday. She's almost talking in sentences now.

More soon...