Olympics!!!

[S and S 12]

Remember when the Olympics started and they were all nude males?

Well, not personally... LOL! but yeah

Yeah, but it is amazing that those girls are running at all considering how "inappropriate" it is for them int heir home countries.

My grandmother was given an offer to train for the olympics in swimming. Her father refused saying that well brought up women do not go to the "olympics". Of course this was back in the 1940s. She never could let that one go. She forced my father into swimming at a young age. He inherited her ability, but his heart wasn't in it. As soon as he turned 18 he left swimming for good (he was the top swimmer at his high school). Unfortunately that meant when me and my brother were born, my father refused to even teach us how to swim. We both got his natural ability so we tought ourselves in apartment pools, but we never got the chance to find out how much potential we had. My grandmother took us aside one time without my father's knowledge and tought us some basic strokes. It came in handy for a swim comptetition I did in summer camp. I've had a few other chances to race for fun and did well, but I'm too old now for it to matter.

What do I do? I marry a muslim so now my daughters will definitely not get to see if they have the ability. Maybe my future sons will though. I love swimming so much. I think I got the competitiveness from my grandmother. She never quit swimming all the way up until she passed away at 65 years old.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Remember when the Olympics started and they were all nude males?

Well, not personally... LOL! but yeah

Yeah, but it is amazing that those girls are running at all considering how "inappropriate" it is for them int heir home countries.

My grandmother was given an offer to train for the olympics in swimming. Her father refused saying that well brought up women do not go to the "olympics". Of course this was back in the 1940s. She never could let that one go. She forced my father into swimming at a young age. He inherited her ability, but his heart wasn't in it. As soon as he turned 18 he left swimming for good (he was the top swimmer at his high school). Unfortunately that meant when me and my brother were born, my father refused to even teach us how to swim. We both got his natural ability so we tought ourselves in apartment pools, but we never got the chance to find out how much potential we had. My grandmother took us aside one time without my father's knowledge and tought us some basic strokes. It came in handy for a swim comptetition I did in summer camp. I've had a few other chances to race for fun and did well, but I'm too old now for it to matter.

What do I do? I marry a muslim so now my daughters will definitely not get to see if they have the ability. Maybe my future sons will though. I love swimming so much. I think I got the competitiveness from my grandmother. She never quit swimming all the way up until she passed away at 65 years old.

Maybe things will be different then expected.

[S and S 12]

Remember when the Olympics started and they were all nude males?

Well, not personally... LOL! but yeah

Yeah, but it is amazing that those girls are running at all considering how "inappropriate" it is for them int heir home countries.

My grandmother was given an offer to train for the olympics in swimming. Her father refused saying that well brought up women do not go to the "olympics". Of course this was back in the 1940s. She never could let that one go. She forced my father into swimming at a young age. He inherited her ability, but his heart wasn't in it. As soon as he turned 18 he left swimming for good (he was the top swimmer at his high school). Unfortunately that meant when me and my brother were born, my father refused to even teach us how to swim. We both got his natural ability so we tought ourselves in apartment pools, but we never got the chance to find out how much potential we had. My grandmother took us aside one time without my father's knowledge and tought us some basic strokes. It came in handy for a swim comptetition I did in summer camp. I've had a few other chances to race for fun and did well, but I'm too old now for it to matter.

What do I do? I marry a muslim so now my daughters will definitely not get to see if they have the ability. Maybe my future sons will though. I love swimming so much. I think I got the competitiveness from my grandmother. She never quit swimming all the way up until she passed away at 65 years old.

Maybe things will be different then expected.

I hope so. I would hate for the next generation to go to waste. I have the swimmers build so I'm sure at least one of my kids will get it too. My husband doesn't swim so he can't understand my love of the water. I told him he is doomed if we are near water, lol. I'll outswim him even if I'm in full clothing and shoes (yeah, I've done that, lol). He gets nervous when i say that. He thinks I would just take off in the ocean and leave him. I wouldn't do that, but I might mess with him and let him think I would.

[Nasturtium 500]

My grandmother was given an offer to train for the olympics in swimming. Her father refused saying that well brought up women do not go to the "olympics". Of course this was back in the 1940s. She never could let that one go. She forced my father into swimming at a young age. He inherited her ability, but his heart wasn't in it. As soon as he turned 18 he left swimming for good (he was the top swimmer at his high school). Unfortunately that meant when me and my brother were born, my father refused to even teach us how to swim. We both got his natural ability so we tought ourselves in apartment pools, but we never got the chance to find out how much potential we had. My grandmother took us aside one time without my father's knowledge and tought us some basic strokes. It came in handy for a swim comptetition I did in summer camp. I've had a few other chances to race for fun and did well, but I'm too old now for it to matter.

What do I do? I marry a muslim so now my daughters will definitely not get to see if they have the ability. Maybe my future sons will though. I love swimming so much. I think I got the competitiveness from my grandmother. She never quit swimming all the way up until she passed away at 65 years old.

You know, there are all-girls pools I know there is the whole awrah issue, but they make suits that cover it which wouldn't slow down a competitive edge too much. I think some of the newer top suits are actually full-coverage!

ETA: I love swimming too. My grandmother did cometitive swimming and gymnastics. Ammar has asked me if we can buy one of those big free-standing pools and bring it to his village and have me teach the kids to swim. I can do that. I think, IMO, it's a basic safety issue. We're talking elementary kids of course-- teaching them to float, hold their breath, tread water, and all that kind fo thing. They won't be the best swimmers, but they would far beat out anyone else in that area if they were ever in one of those terrible boats at Aqaba which sink.

Edited August 10, 2008 by julianna

[S and S 12]

My grandmother was given an offer to train for the olympics in swimming. Her father refused saying that well brought up women do not go to the "olympics". Of course this was back in the 1940s. She never could let that one go. She forced my father into swimming at a young age. He inherited her ability, but his heart wasn't in it. As soon as he turned 18 he left swimming for good (he was the top swimmer at his high school). Unfortunately that meant when me and my brother were born, my father refused to even teach us how to swim. We both got his natural ability so we tought ourselves in apartment pools, but we never got the chance to find out how much potential we had. My grandmother took us aside one time without my father's knowledge and tought us some basic strokes. It came in handy for a swim comptetition I did in summer camp. I've had a few other chances to race for fun and did well, but I'm too old now for it to matter.

What do I do? I marry a muslim so now my daughters will definitely not get to see if they have the ability. Maybe my future sons will though. I love swimming so much. I think I got the competitiveness from my grandmother. She never quit swimming all the way up until she passed away at 65 years old.

You know, there are all-girls pools I know there is the whole awrah issue, but they make suits that cover it which wouldn't slow down a competitive edge too much. I think some of the newer top suits are actually full-coverage!

ETA: I love swimming too. My grandmother did cometitive swimming and gymnastics. Ammar has asked me if we can buy one of those big free-standing pools and bring it to his village and have me teach the kids to swim. I can do that. I think, IMO, it's a basic safety issue. We're talking elementary kids of course-- teaching them to float, hold their breath, tread water, and all that kind fo thing. They won't be the best swimmers, but they would far beat out anyone else in that area if they were ever in one of those terrible boats at Aqaba which sink.

Wow, that is so cool we both had active grandmothers. My grandmother also did figure skating, but after breaking an ankle she gave up on that one.

As for the pool idea, I think that is really great. I wish I could join you in teaching them. Everyone should know the basics of how to swim. It is a safety issue and it is just good excercise.

I will be looking for women's pools and various ideas for how to dress conservatively while swimming in public. It would be too hard for me to give up. I think losing swimming would be close to losing an arm. I love it too much. Its killed me to not swim all summer, but my apartments don't have a pool and I haven't had the time anyway.

[Nasturtium 500]

Wow, that is so cool we both had active grandmothers. My grandmother also did figure skating, but after breaking an ankle she gave up on that one.

As for the pool idea, I think that is really great. I wish I could join you in teaching them. Everyone should know the basics of how to swim. It is a safety issue and it is just good excercise.

I will be looking for women's pools and various ideas for how to dress conservatively while swimming in public. It would be too hard for me to give up. I think losing swimming would be close to losing an arm. I love it too much. Its killed me to not swim all summer, but my apartments don't have a pool and I haven't had the time anyway.

Yeah, my grandmother did a lot. Mostly, she just tried to figure out how to attract the most jewelry lol.

I think that it is such a basic thing as well. He said we could set the pool up in the soccer field (which is walled) and then I can just have the kids come out for a couple of weeks, maybe 5 or so at a time for about 30-45 minutes each. The pools are like 3-4ft deep, so it shouldn't be too bad. I hope for the 4ft if I am going to teach them to tread water. I also may fill their heads with terrible and anti-cultural ideas about taking off their shoes and sweaters and pants if they fall off a boat. I'd actually be interested in them surviving, not dying a modest death. I rememember a while back when some women in San Fransisco pushed her children into the bay and then jumped in herself and the kids drowned in front of people. How sick and sad-- I am sure someone there could swim. I told him modesty or not, I would have removed all my clothes down to my underwear and jumped in and gotten those kids and left her... no matter how cold and gross that bay is (or my fear of not being able to see what is under me). The kids were too young to kill me by thrashing and pushing me under, and too young to save via grabbing something too. They were like 2, 6months, and something else... I forget. That was years ago. Anyway, I just don't see preservation of life being trumped by modesty, but I'm weird that way. I also remember hearing about Jordanians who go to places like Aqaba and then those terrible boats sink... and they drown. I know i've been there. there is no reason someone couldn't jump off a boat and swim to shore or at least float until someone gets you... but it's only like a mile across at that point and there are hundreds of boats. I figured I didn't want to make good athletes, I wanted to make little survivors lol.

Edited August 10, 2008 by julianna

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Ok I found someone who recorded the 88 minuted opening ceremony online.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Open...=0&start=10

[Nasturtium 500]

Ok I found someone who recorded the 88 minuted opening ceremony online.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Open...=0&start=10

Cool! I'm going to watch it tomorrow. I missed them.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Ok I found someone who recorded the 88 minuted opening ceremony online.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Open...=0&start=10

Cool! I'm going to watch it tomorrow. I missed them.

I missed them too. The video is a little frustrating because it's someone who set up their own cam to record the TV and it's all in Chinese. The cam is on auto focus so it goes in and out of focus. I'm going to keep looking for the opening ceremony coverage by a professional broadcast company but for now this is the most complete documentation I could find.