Game On!

Just in case you weren't one of the 3 billion or so people worldwide who was watching the show, we rang in the Athens games with a spectacle unmatched. Currently, our Canadian media team is staring down 1:30am, waiting on our ride back to our resident housing. Many of our fellow Athens Olympic Broadcasting (AOB) Asburites are working 16 hour days as camera assistants, researchers, and camera ops. Even so, spirits are high around here as we look forward to Day 1 of competition tomorrow.

Tonight, during the 3 hour gauntlet "Parade of Athletes" at the Opening Ceremonies, we saw a warm reception to an American team that we were hesitant about and an Iraqi team that also garnered a lot of support. Those guys are already making a name for themselves, ousting the Portuguese men's soccer in their first bout yesterday. The 4-2 victory thrilled Iraqi fans who couldn't seem to stay in their seats (they kept running out onto the field).

In other news, yours truly scored an interview in an internet cafe' with a Korean reporter earlier today. Surrounded by patrons eating their ham on rye, we talked sports, politics and what it's like to maneuver Greece's newest olympic sport, metro transit.