Opening Ceremony! Spoiler Alert

JUST KIDDING.
But those of us stationed at The Bird's Nest got to see an Opening Ceremony dress rehearsal on Saturday night and it was amazing. Truly a spectacle. Breathtaking--there are not enough adjectives to describe the scope of the production. I have to say I would not want to the NBC producer who has to figure out where the cameras are located and what they are going to shoot because there is a LOT going on during the ceremony.

The stadium was packed almost to capacity. (capacity=91,000) The audience was mostly Chinese, and they were so excited to be there. They were taking pictures outside the venue (taking pictures inside was strictly prohibited) and for many of them this was an incredible honor...some won tickets in a lottery, some paid big RMB.

Just a couple statistics on the Opening Ceremony:

*For the opening and closing ceremonies China is spending (estimates are at $100 million USD)more than double what Athens spent on the Opening Ceremony in 2004
*More than 10,000 performers are participating
*It's 210 minutes long
*It's been in the making for 3 years

...in case you forgot, the Chinese invented fireworks. Just a hint.

and you can get a beer and hot dog in the Bird's Nest for 8 RMB...that's about $1.20