Olympics Opening Ceremonies

[Mael Coluim]

here's the dunsire site take on it for more info

Great link. Thanks!

[sharpdressedscot]

With the changing demographics in the US, Texas may secede and rejoin Mexico.

And the rest of western US, as it was also part of Mexico.



I didn't see any kilts nor pipers at the opening ceremony... conspiracy!!

[piperdown]

What I have been told is that the band is from Dundee, called Fintry Mains Pipe band.
They are not a competition band but if they did compete it would be at a grade 5 level.
The tunes I heard over and over and over were Scotland the brave, flett from flotta and the auld house.
It inspired me (as a new pipe band member) to practise/practise/practise.

[Galician]

I really doubt China wants to encourage that sort of thing. Which is why I am also puzzled that they still allow Hong Kong to field a separate team. *shrug*

But enough of politics. I bet, for many Chinese, this was the first time they'd ever heard the pipes or, if it was shown on CCTV, seen a kilt. I wonder if pipe bands will start springing up around China in the near future. There's already at least one appropriate tartan for a Chinese pipe band. They'd have to import it from Scotland (Strathmore Woollen Company), though.

The decision to let Hong Kong field a separate team might be analogous to how Puerto Rico has its own there, though it's a U.S. territory.

On that note, when Hong Kong was handed back to China ten years ago, the final ceremony was the lowering of the Union Jack to the sounds of a band of bagpipers slowly playing "Auld Lang Syne" and continuing as they slowly marched off to a British naval vessel to depart. I myself found that it very moving. I'm sure that thousands of Chinese were watching that ceremony, and so have heard bagpipes and seen kilts at least fairly recently.

[macwilkin]

On that note, when Hong Kong was handed back to China ten years ago, the final ceremony was the lowering of the Union Jack to the sounds of a band of bagpipers slowly playing "Auld Lang Syne" and continuing as they slowly marched off to a British naval vessel to depart. I myself found that it very moving. I'm sure that thousands of Chinese were watching that ceremony, and so have heard bagpipes and seen kilts at least fairly recently.

More recently than that, as the Hong Kong Police still maintain a pipe band, and there are at least two civilian pipe bands there today:

Those pipers, btw, were from the Black Watch, who were part of the last British garrison of the Crown Colony of Hong Kong.

"Auld Lang Syne" was also the tune played by the Indian Army when the last British regiment, the Somerset Light Infantry, left Bombay in 1947 after Independence. The Black Watch played it in a similar scene when they left the new nation of Pakistan.

Regards,

Todd

[Nervous Jock]

Chris Hoy's folks had their banner taken down today cos it had little saltires on it

[Nervous Jock]

Didn't actually see them on TV, but they were live (on the radio yesterday afternoon, I heard they actually marched in just ahead of Yemen for some reason).

Anyway here is an article and a really small pic,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/s...al/7549580.stm

Adam

They were defo playing in Rig, saw somew photos but don't have link

[Galician]

More recently than that, as the Hong Kong Police still maintain a pipe band, and there are at least two civilian pipe bands there today:

Those pipers, btw, were from the Black Watch, who were part of the last British garrison of the Crown Colony of Hong Kong.

"Auld Lang Syne" was also the tune played by the Indian Army when the last British regiment, the Somerset Light Infantry, left Bombay in 1947 after Independence. The Black Watch played it in a similar scene when they left the new nation of Pakistan.

Regards,

Todd

Interesting to know! My point was simply that the pipers were probably seen across the entire nation. I'm sure that HK residents were somewhat familiar with it after a century of British rule.

[cessna152towser]

Chris Hoy's folks had their banner taken down today cos it had little saltires on it

Wife is watching Olympics on the telly.
As a Scot I consider it grossly offensive that the English national anthem gets played when a Scot wins a medal for "TeamGB" .

[Fedgunner]

Wife is watching Olympics on the telly.
As a Scot I consider it grossly offensive that the English national anthem gets played when a Scot wins a medal for "TeamGB" .

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