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| Me and Ye Shiwen, two times swimming gold medalist, London 2012 |
As the athletics starts today and all
eyes are on the Olympic stadium with favourites such as Usain Bolt aiming for
gold. Now, I’m really getting into the Olympic fever…
I am thrilled to be in London at the moment. The
buzz in the capital is truly infectious. With concerts and funfairs taking
place in various parks, there is almost something for everyone. So, I decided
to get out there and check out what was on offer. With thunderstorms forecast
for the day, I armed myself with boots and a brolly and headed to the East end
of London where
all the action was taking place - the BT London Live
The trains have run smoothly
so far, though I almost passéd out from heat last week on the tube. (Note: London public transport
does not have air-conditioning so take a hand fan). Taking the train from Westminster to Mile End was not as bad as I thought and at 12.30pm GMT the mood in the train was
upbeat. There was a group of Brazilians, who talked and sang loudly throughout
the journey. This is quite unusual for the British who hardly shout in public
transport. After a few minutes of sending the group some stealing glances we
all gave up and let them be.
Mile End was in full swing
with people waving flags and large crowds had gahtered everywhere which was quite unusual
for a weekday. Security was tight with police officers, soldiers and the
ambulance not leaving anything to chance.
On the short bus ride to
Victoria Park in Hackney where the concert was taking place, I met an elderly couple who were going to the concert as well.
The man told me he had grown up in Hackney and left 79 years ago to live in
Heathrow. Puzzled, I felt like asking him how old he was but at that moment
that wasn’t important. He looked old but he was still out to enjoy life.
We arrived at the park and
there were more policemen and security agents. It was sunny! Thank goodness. More buzz. I walked through
to 'check in'. There were long rows of queues just like at the airport. (Beware). I had ordered my tickets online
and so did not have to wait long. We were told that food and drinks were not allowed
in the park and that there would be an aircraft style checking. (A marketing
gimmick to make us spend in the park, I think). Then, I had my bags checked and
my body searched thoroughly including my boots.
The park was full of fun
for everyone. There were big screens with families camping round. There food
stalls - £7 for a decent meal and £2.50 for a small bottle of water. (Pricey!). There was
the famous zip wire that the Mayor of London,
Boris Johnson got caught on Wednesday, bungee jumping and of course a concert
stage. I ha been expecting to see Misha B but then I found out it was Alexander
Burke we would see.
But after a few hours, I
got bored and settled to watch a few new comers on the music scene. It rained a little. A group called TRIO, sang ‘Umbrella’ by Rhianna and it rained a bit more. We all brought
out our brollies and soon I got more bored so I decided to visit the Olympic Park.
From Victoria Park, it’s
just one bus ride to Stratford.
I was astonished at the number of police riders and security staff I saw on the
way. Most roads around the stadium are closed and I wonder how the residents
around the park get in and out of their homes.
Finally, I arrived in Stratford and the first
thing that hit me was the sight of crowds. I have never seen that many people
in neither London
before nor anywhere else in the world. There were people from every part of the
world. I edged my way past the station towards the brand new Westfield’s
Stratford. Slowly,
I made my way inside the complex. There were people everywhere. Large crowds
were going into the Olympic Park and others were going into the mall.
Once inside I was attracted to a lovely Shambala
jewellery stall and who was I standing next to? The Chinese sensation, 16 year-old
Olympic gold medallist, Ye Shiwen who had been in the news a few days ago. In
the 400m medley, Ye Shiwen astonishingly covered the penultimate lap in 29.75
seconds, faster than record-breaking Michael Phelps in the men's final, and the
last in 28.93, quicker than Ryan Lochte did in winning the male equivalent. The
rest is history.
With security and safety
issues in mind, the management of London Olympics have decided to close the mall on Friday
and Saturday between 10am GMT and 5.30pm GMT to all shoppers except for those who have tickets to watch the
games, members of staff and contestants. This will give visitors and the Londoners
the chance to visit other parts of London which have
become 'ghost' towns because of the concentration of people in Stratford.
Top places to visit at Westfield's Stratford:
The food court – McDonalds, Nandos and KFC
John
Lewis - get a view of the Olympic Park for £2
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| Swimming sensation: Ye Shiwen |
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| Proud: Yi Shiwen with her gold medal |
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| Mile End Station on Thursday |
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| Water sports for children |
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| The wheel at Victoria Park |
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| Bungee jumping |
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| Basket ball at the park |
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| On stage: Trio |
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| Security: Stratford Station |
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| Crowds gather at Startford |
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| People head towards the Olympic Park |
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| More crowds |
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| Stratford: A beautiful kalydoscope of colours |
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| A buzz in the atmosphere |
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| The stairs towards the Park and Westfield's Stratford |
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| Here's looking towards the Stratford Centre |
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| A lego version of the Olympic Park which I found in John Lewis |
Copyright iShine Magazine 2012. All rights reserved.
