Go!

I am only just beginning to recover from Monday's shift - The first Technical Rehearsal of the Opening Ceremony.  I can't help wondering if I will last the duration.

Arrived early to prove to Ian that it is possible - he inserted all those comments about my ability to win medals for my unpunctuality!  Only to find that no-one expected all the volunteers to be on time and to get through all the security checks promptly so we were left standing with nothing to do but chat amongst ourselves and watch the Team Leaders trying to assert their authority and compete with each other for two hours outside the Aquatics Centre.  However, prior to this came my rejection at security - surely they have not read my blog and fired me already I thought but of course not, my accreditation had been cancelled due to changing jobs.  So went through the security check twice and they still didn't pick up that I had a large, full, water bottle rather worryingly.

Eventually the group team leader (yes its unbelievably hierarchical - we had 12 in our team and 3 team leaders - too many chefs?) pitched up having been briefed (which it obviously wasn’t) to inform us of our role for the day - apparently it will change every shift.  We were to stand in the main square - World Square - and direct the Olympic Family to collect their packs - we never did establish how you could distinguish someone in the Olympic Family from the general public or indeed the reason they needed to collect packs or even what they consisted of - despite my frequent questions.  Lisa, an exbookmaker and I (and no, you are not picturing her actually - she is a sweet, mild mannered, smiley lady from a village in Cambridgeshire) could foresee all the questions we would be asked by the general public whilst still trying to grapple with the notion of guessing the Olympic Family but no-one had any answers for us.  Many of the abundant leaders with walkie talkies it seemed couldn’t use them.  So not, unsurprisingly when the crowds were let in 3 hours later we were bombarded with questions that we couldn’t initially give them answers to and a number were of course annoyed and irritated.   So what was the reason the largest McDonald in the country wasn’t open likewise, the special, huge, London 2012 merchandise store?  They certainly missed a trick -they would have made a fortune.  However, I did get to practice my toilets this way line and a number of times - that was once we had established some time later which toilets were open.  Although  It took another hour before all the teams were aligned as people were bounced back and forth like table tennis.  Our roles were also in triplicate as we stood alongside people wearing sandwich boards with coloured badges (I think, we were never told, that these were really the people directing the Olympic Family with some kind of code) and then there was security - same top as GM's, different bottoms - who remained in the shadows beside us -  seemingly doing  less than us, certainly showing less initiative but getting paid. So much to learn already for the many leaders - that’s if they ask for feedback.

Once the show commenced at 8.00 we were left again with nothing to do for 3 hours so our very nice team leader - not one of the loud mouthed, trying to assert themselves gang - very kindly bought our little team of 4, a beer.  We knew it wasn’t allowed - uniform staff can't buy with the general public but again - were they really going to fire us?  We sat around talking for a while, utilised our meal voucher in the huge canteen with two small monitors.  I had hoped to see outside, around World Square, enormous monitors in order to see some of the action while we worked but they don’t exist.  It had been tiring but at least we had been busy and much more interesting than standing around making polite conversation.  Besides, I needed a rest from the overwhelming heat and sun - there is no shade whatsoever. 

As we walked back to our positions we noticed that a line of people - mostly army and stage crew - were standing waiting to go into the stadium.  We overheard the impressive stage manager saying that due to a lack of numbers they would all have to go into the stadium a number of times.  Our lovely team leader jumped on this and offered us as new recruits.  So we were tagged and enlisted.  The army thought it was great fun to have 4 lonely GMs (Games Makers) in their ranks and used us to sharpen their tongues.  All going swimmingly until a rather cute guy asked if I was babysitting him - so much for the sharp wit!  However, he then proceeded to entertain me for the next half hour (and 50 Shades of Grey actually came in useful - no, not like that but the witty retorts.  Although we did share a rope as I was the front of Cambodia and he was the back).  We proudly marched into the opening ceremony behind our flag bearer to a twinkling stadium and at that point I WAS Miss Cambodia - shoulders back, head held high - the only time I'll ever be a world class athlete.  But more about the stadium later as I attend the last Technical Rehearsal this evening as a spectator.  So will shortly be able to reveal the big secret you all want to know -what will David Beckham be doing?!  I already know a fair amount about the show as I sat with two dancers on the tube home.

The journey home was horrendous.  Left my shift at 11 ish feeling on a high from my show stopping performance only to come straight back down to earth as I hit the massive crowd waiting to get to Stratford Station.  We were penned in and released  in waves a few feet at a time.  It took 40 frustrating minutes to reach the station only to find that neither of my options  existed so had to travel by a different underground.  Needless to say, the trains were jammed to capacity but everyone was buzzing about the show.  The trains were like Friday night 11.30 party trains minus the alcohol reminding me of my EBN days.  Travelled on  three trains alongside volunteers and even got a hug goodbye from another dancer as he picked up his bike at Gunnersbury at 1.15pm. 

Overall, I would say it was a very mixed day with some significant highs and lows that left me exhausted as Ian's alarm woke me at 5.30 the next morning.