Day 3 - 218 -- The Games are On

For the next two weeks,  televisions will be filled with scenes from Brazil as Rio de Janiero hosts the first ever Olympics to be held on the continent of South America. While it is not without its controversies, as are any Olympics, mounting such an undertaking in an emerging economy seems long overdue. The opening ceremonies have focused on environmental issues, noting the need for reforestation of Brazil to counter the decades of rain forest destruction -- the very rain forest that feeds the air we breathe. A touching practical example was the planting of seeds by each athlete as they entered the stadium -- to create what has been termed the athlete's forest -- a future looking endeavor. It is the first time a team of refugees will be competing under the Olympic flag -- an amazing nod to inclusion. The inaugural laurel award was delivered to Kenyan runner, Kip Keino, now 76 years old -- and he ran into the stadium. This award honours a person with achievements in education, culture, development and peace through sport. This recipient runs a charitable home for orphans where they live, learn and participate in sports.

As the 10,000 athletes compete in the coming days, it will give the news cycle something positive to wind into their generally negative newscasts. Broadcasts of sporting events will supercede regular programming. That is not a complaint, since this allows us all to be exposed to some aspect of the games. Personally, I am not a major sports fan. I follow tennis and downhill skiing, enjoy equestrian, figure skating, and  swimming events, and do follow the Saskatchewan Roughriders <smile>. Yet, every four years I find myself watching many other sports -- both traditional and new -- that show the world does move forward. I find personal stories of individual athletes inspiring from Eddy the Eagle to Yusra Mardini (a Syrian refugee who pushed and pulled the boat filled with 17 people for 3 hours after the motor had stopped, until they reached Lesbos). Each of these, and many, many others, inspire the world with their perseverance and positive attitudes. They are leaders and heroes, whether they win a medal or not.

I look forward to watching these games since they seem to be almost in my time zone for a change, though things do go later into the evening. It will be a good way to end a day. I had a couple of songs in my head while thinking of the games. Interestingly, they were both featured in the opening ceremonies tonight. The first one that I became acquainted with in its English version is about an area of Rio. It was some time before I heard the original version sung in Portuguese -- one that I prefer and will share here. The second is about the country. The version that I share here is by a favourite singer/songwriter/musician/poet (and yes, I realize the lyrics are in Spanish for this cover <smile>). Enjoy!

The Girl from Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema) -- Astrud Gilberto, Joao Gilberto, & Stan Getz

Brazil -- Michael Nesmith