Asian Games where is it ??????
I have been driving around the city pretty much the whole day just enjoying the rain and the clean look it has given Doha, outside the fact that the dirt road diversions seem to have changed the color of my black jeep to brownish white. Anyway what surprised me was here I was driving around the city where within the next couple of hours it is going to start hosting the "Games which took our Life" and there is nothing glamorous or spectacular out there to promote the city. The roads look as dull as ever with the exception of the mess covering fence to fence Asian games banners and the flags on the Lampposts.
Come on so much money and the place is not decorated. We have better decorations during Eid time or when the annual GCC conference is hosted. With the exception of the torch run where you had every mad land cruiser driving Qatari trying to show his patriotism and being a pain in the A#% and police blocking roads, there seems to be nothing which says that this place is hosting the Asian games or that the biggest event in the country’s history is taking place. Every bit of Human Energy is pumped into the event but nothing seems to be there except for brightly lit stadiums (only at night) and Qatari flag flying Land Cruisers.
Maybe the Opening ceremony will be a huge success or maybe not, but what is there outside the stadiums to say we are celebrating and we are moving forward. The Road leading up to Khalifa Stadium are the biggest eyesore, the grass is still sprouting the flower beds are very very limited or not to be seen at all. Come on Doha used to look beautiful every winter with beautiful flowers beds and green lawns, this winter even that has been deprived from the city because of the "Games that has made our lives part of a construction site".
I just had to share my thoughts and don’t know how many of you noticed or felt it but I just hope that this thing works for Qatar and hope it does not make the Qatari’s forget where they came from and who they are, cause to me it looks like they are losing it to modernization and progress for all the wrong reasons. As long as I am here its home and I just have this real feeling of disappointment and regret that this place has lost its identity and its original charm all in the name of progress and fame.
the opening ceremony was absolutely awesome... the fact that there are no major traffic woes implies that the games have been planned well... moreover, when alls said and done, money will make the media heap praises ;-)
Rgds,
J.J
:)
I'm in the UK at the moment. I'd hoped to see a bit of the opening ceremony on TV and maybe spot my husband in the crowd. No way. No mention of Asian Games on TV or radio. Perhaps I'm watching and listening to the wrong channels. I thought this event was second only to the Olympic Games. Perhaps someone should have told the UK media.
"Shame about the boat bit - must have been a technical fault because at rehersals there was alot more to that piece, boats came in over head, pearl divers on wires etc....."
There was no flying boats with divers?? I thought I've missed that on TV.
bindu, do u have nilesat? Try to find alkassTV. With us it's in channel 128.
Many are telling that they watched the opening ceremony in TV....but on which channel??please tell me about the channel which is telecasting asian games.i tried Qatar tv, Al-Jazeera and Al-jazeera english.i could not find....and i am not getting Al-JAzeera sports in my satellite receiver.i think it is a pay channel.
I watched it on TV and thought it was fantastic!
OMG the horse bit, the best moment of the ceremony, I really thougth it was going to fall backwards before reaching the top!!!
LOVED IT, and great spirit from the crowd as well
Well done Qatar
Just got home, thought it was great, really enjoyed the ceremony.
Shame about the boat bit - must have been a technical fault because at rehersals there was alot more to that piece, boats came in over head, pearl divers on wires etc.....
A big thumbs up from me.
We arrived in the house just around 11.30, traffic was really well organized. I think police well prepared for that.
My son stay awake to watch all the way till the end... eventhough long way pass his bed time.
I enjoyed my favourite singer Jacky Chang Shieh You ... :-)
Firework was spectacular ...
But sitting for hours with wet jeans/clothing really a nasty experience... thinking we were in England at that time. My husband was prepared with 3 bin bag from our house ... so we slide that into us and put the whole for our head :-)
I didn't see any women with veils on TV either. I did perhaps see a few wearing hijab -- but they mostly showed young, non-muhajjabas. Interesting.
Moudir, the wind cold and rain was almost unbearable. We were well dressed and had umbrellas, but when they passed the yellow cloth over the heads of spectators, they left many people (including me) wet from head to feet.
There were more people in the corridors queuing for hot tea and popcorn than watching the show.
There were lots of women in veils, yes. To the left of us was sitting a group of girls from UAE, and only one of them had face open.
I did have an umbrella, but many people did not. The show had its good parts, sure.
The entrance of arabic horesriders was spectacular, the "box opening" was very well done, however watchin Sindbad driving around the arena in his boat for 20 minutes was tedious.
Also I feel that the "techno-science show" albeit well done has absolutely nothing to do with sports, neither with Asia and therefore receives thumbs down. Seems like it was prepared for some other show, but was squeezed in here.
I was just worried if the people there got wet or not...
Some observations:
1. Not a single veiled woman, performer, athlete or spectator shown on TV ?!?
2. The Lebanese star singer and Spanish singer were cool, there were a lot hand holding(s), close touching(s), i almost thought there would be a hug at the end, but... they were saved by the lights going off on stage...
3. I missed the part or didn't get how the flame travelled to the top of the tower ?
4. Most Asian athletes were wearing a suit, shirt and tie ?!?
It seems that the tower location was a design flop; the dignataries under the covered roof were giving their backs to the tower.
All in all a great success for Qatar despite the rain !
Moudir
The opening ceremony was spectacular.....and far above expectations....well done!
It was nice to see the pride Qataris had in their country and a celebration of Asian culture. The horse thing was really cool. I saw it on one of the commercials for the games and was surprised they were actually going to do it. The horse almost gave up close to the top, but fortunately it made its way. I usually lend a critical eye toward stuff here, but watching the opening ceremony was pretty pleasant. It was also funny to see Ahmedinejad, Haniya, and Asad all at the same place.
The opening ceremony was good and well co-ordinated. Qatar is unfortunate to have more than its fair share of dooms-dayers. Doubting Thomases of the world willing to write it down even before it started. But Qatar always scrambles to get its act together well in time.
WELL DONE.This was certainly one of best openings in Any type of continental games despite the rains.
that's one opinion. i personally, disagree.
and if you're on the way to an event and it looks like rain, maybe you should plan ahead, take an umbrella and dress for the weather.
Opening ceremony was a flop. Nothing spectacular, nothing to do with sports, it was raining and show organizers were not prepared for that, even so they insisted at a certain point on passing a totally wet becuase of the rain yellow cloth over the heads of spectators.
By the time the delegations started arriving on the field many were leaving (including yours truly), because of the unsupportable wind cold and rain. They could make it a covered stadium, or at least distribute or sell umbrellas.