Thursday, July 07, 2005
London
For a while now if you mentioned the 2012 Olympics it was assumed that Paris would win the bid. There has been an Olympic fever all year in Paris and we got wrapped up into it as well. London, sure it had a small chance ... and Madrid, Moscow and New York were never mentioned. I was waiting anxiously yesterday for the news.I took an early TGV train from Paris to Sete and called my sister along the way to ask if the decision was announced. Once we unpacked her car and the kids ran inside to put on their bathing suits, my sister called down to say that London won the bid. I was immensly disappointed for France. For the money that they spent for the bid, for the hopes the city had. But I also kept thinking what someone once asked me ... Why does Paris, one of the most tourist ridden cities in the world, need the Olympics?
In Newsweek magazine last week, some French government official said that France wanted the 2012 Olympics in part because they wanted to build more sports facilities -- they wanted more of a focus on sports in France. I can understand that. As a relatively sports-oriented family we are often surpised how little sports play a part of children's lives here. My son, who played golf, soccer and basketball was a bit of an oddity to his friends who focused on piano playing, chess and theater. My experience has been that sports are an afterthought here -- certainly not something that goes hand-in-hand with education.
So, I'm sorry for Paris, but I wish London a wonderful 2012.
**After writing this post I found out about the bombings in London. My thoughts are with the people affected by this horrible and senseless terrorist attack. How can people hate so much?
-- said Auntie M in Paris
11:47 AM