Let the Games Begin!

12:09 PM: That's a wrap! With fireworks exploding over Tiananmen Square, the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Olympiad comes to an end. That's it for me this morning. I'll be back when the real competition starts later tonight!!!!

12:04 PM: THE CAULDRON HAS BEEN BEAUTIFULLY LIT!!! Someone cue the fireworks!!!!!!!

12:01 PM: Li Ning, the final torch bearer after 237 000 of them, is lifted off the air and airwalks around the Nest on a rolling mat. This has got to be the most amazing torch lighting I'v ever seen!!!!
12:00 PM: Sun JingFang passes the flame to Li Ning, 6 time Olympic medallist in gymnastics and world-renowned sportswear designer.

11:59 AM: Chen Zhong passes the flame to Sun JingFang, the captain of China's world champion women's volleyball team back in the 80's.

11:59 AM: Zhang Jun passes the flame to Chen Zhong, first taekwondo Olympic Champion from China.

11:57 AM: Zhan XuGang passes the flame to Zhang Jun (my dad's birthname haha), a famous badminton Olympic Champion.

11:56 AM: Li XiaoShuang passes the flame to Zhan XuGang, a weightlifting Olympic Champion.

11:55 AM: Gao Ming passes the flame to Li XiaoShuang, an incredible Olympic artistic gymnast who hails from the same province as me.

11:54 AM: Xu HaiFeng passes the flame to Gao Ming, a decorated Olympic diver.

11:54 AM: HERE COMES THE OLYMPIC FLAME!!!!!!!!! Carried into the Nest by Xu HaiFeng, the first ever Chinese Olympic Champion.

11:53 AM: Oh my, that's some ridiculous fireworks!!!!!

11:52 AM: It's approaching midnight in Beijing and the celebrations go on with another song "Holding Our Hands".

11:51 AM: There are A LOT of volunteers keeping order in the stands.

11:50 AM: Wang LiPing, gymnast referee, grabs the Olympic flag and takes the Judges' Oath.

11:49 AM: Zhang YiNing, table tennis player, grabs the Olympic flag and takes the Athlete's Oath.

11:47 AM: Looks like there's an artificial wind to purposely make the flags flap...

11:45 AM: 91 000 rise to their feet once again for the raising of the Olympic Flag and singing of the Olympic Hymn by Chinese children.

11:36 AM: The Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing are officially opened by President Hu JinTao.

11:30 AM: The mike's fine, but somebody's gotta fix the camera now. The framing is so bad...

11:25 AM: LiuQi-head of the Beijing Organizing Committee (who's house my dad has been to)-and Jacque Rogge (President of the IOC) take to the stage.

11:23 AM: The return of the Fireworks!!!!!

11:22 AM: Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki get warm cheers from the crowd as their face is shown on the JumboTron.

11:08 AM: Guess who's here: The People's Republic of China!!!! Yao Ming leads the red and yellow contigent and the crowd goes beserk! Walking alongside Yao Ming, a 9 year old boy who survived the SiChuan Earthquake. President Hu JinTao, former President Jiang ZeMin and Sport Minister Liu Peng wave and clap for the 639 member delegation. Dignitary count: 20. What an inspiring moment!

11:07 AM: Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia-who is fluent in Mandarin-waves to the Aussie delegation. Dignitary count: 17.

11:05 AM: Prince Albert of Monaco appears on camera. Dignitary count: 16.

11:03 AM: NBA MVP carrying the German flag! Boy, he is TALL!!

10:54 AM: Switzerland strolls into the Stadium behind Roger Federer! Federer's turning 27 today and he'll be going for Gold! The President of Switzerland-Pascal Couchepin-and his wife are on hand to wave to the Swiss. Dignitary count: 16.

10:51 AM: President of Montenegro appears as his delegation marches in. Dignitary count: 15.

10:51 AM: Hey! Montenegro-the newly independent country-makes their first appearance at the Olympics.

10:51 AM: The Presidents of Fiji and South Korea appear on camera. Dignitary count: 14.

10:44 AM: Wow, look at Kiribati's costumes...very "revealing" and flowery.

10:40 AM: President Alvaro Uribe and his wife appear on camera. Dignitary count: 12.

10:35 AM: Peter Mansbridge needs to stop talking about politics and just enjoy the Parade.

10:28 AM: Look at this...Henry Kissinger and his wife Nancy wave to the Americans. Henry Kissinger, of course, was the man who worked to open diplomatic relations between the US and China.

10:27 AM: Lopez Lomong carries the flag as the US Team enters the Nest. George and Laura Bush appear on screen, the crowd (somewhat enthusiastically) cheer. Dignitary count: 11

10:25 AM: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin watches as Russia enters the Nest. Dignitary count: 10.

10:23 AM: President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan waves to his team. Dignitary count: 9.

10:22 AM: Who I presume to be the First Lady of South Africa appears on camera. Dignitary count: 8.

10:14 AM: Princess Anne waves to the British delegation. Dignitary count: 7.

10:09 AM: Hey, there's Manu Ginobili, one of four NBA flagbearers (Dirk Nowitzki leads Germany, Andrei Kirilenko leads Russia and Yao Ming leads the Chinese contigent)

10:08 AM: President of France Nicolas Sarkozy appears on camrea. Dignitary count: 6.

10:08 AM: One of the many princes of Saudi Arabia claps his country in. Dignitary count: 5.

10:04 AM: Who I assume to be the Prime Minister of Finand appears on camera. Dignitary count: 4.

9:58 AM: The volunteers keep dancing away...boy, do they ever get tired?

9:45 AM: HERE COMES CANADA! Adam van Koeverden looking all so fine waving that Maple Leaf! It's giving me goosebumps!

9:40 AM: Prince of Luxembourg appears on camera. Dignitary count: 3.

9:38 AM: Atmosphere is great, but the music has got to be better!

9:26 AM: Prince Frederik of Denmark appears on camera. Dignitary count: 2.

9:23 AM: Great ovations for Japan, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong!

9:22 AM: President Shimon Peres of Israel appears on camera. Dignitary count: 1.

9:17 AM: Marshall Islands makes its first appearance at the Olympic Games! Welcome!

9:15 AM: Someone needs to fix the microphone! That echo is really a party pooper.

9:09 AM: Here come the athletes!!!! GREECE-GUINEA-GUINEA BISSAU-TURKEY...

9:06 AM: Even more fireworks!!!!!

9:02 AM: Ahh...the long awaited theme song for these Games now revealed-sang by British soprano Sarah Brightman and Chinese pop star Liu Huan-named "You and Me".

8:53 AM: 2008 Tai Chi performers on the floor doing routines with the utmost synchronization-as we've seen through this ceremony.

8:48 AM: A human recreation of the Bird's Nest sorrounds the first international superstar of the night-pianist Lang Lang.

8:41 AM: More fireworks!!!!

8:35 AM: Once again, we see synchronization at its best with the Silk Road performance-especially the oar holding performers!

8:25 AM: The Confucius performance makes me wonder...what would Confucius say about the current status of China and about the Olympics being held in Beijing?

8:17 AM: The paper scroll performance-breathtaking! Great way to show the ancient Chinese culture!

8:12 AM: Up goes the Chinese flag and 91 000 rise for the National Anthem. Red and yellow firecrackers barrage the Olympic Green.

8:10 AM: Children of the many minorities in China bring in the Chinese flag accompanied by the tune of one of the many patriotic songs of China, sang by a 9 year old girl.

8:05 AM: Twenty nine footprints of fireworks explode into the air along the North-South Axis in Beijing on which all the important landmarks are perched (including the Olympics Green).

8:04 AM: The drumming performance was synchronization at its best! Don't you love the glowing drumsticks?

8:00 AM: What a countdown! Love the drummer patterns!

7:54 AM: President Hu JinTao and IOC Prez Jacque Rogge have arrived at their seats.

7:49 AM: When asked to describe the Opening Ceremonies in one word, Zhang YiMou, director of grand event, says "ROMANTIC".

7:43 AM: Wow! CBC just gave a beautiful shot of Bird's Nest from the studio tower! Incredible visuals! The stadium's glowing in a reddish orange light.

7:39 AM: Ahh...look at that packed Bird's Nest! The drummers are taking their positions!

Alright folks! Here we go! Seven years in the making! Let's get it started!

-D