Olympic Tryouts! (spirit fingers crossed)

A while ago I entered my email onto the Olympics website to be a volunteer for the London 2012 games. Why?  Because I believe in world peace and knew I probably wouldn't get tickets otherwise.  I didn't get tickets, and figured that avoiding the crowds next year by boarding up the flat like we do for the Notting Hill Carnival was in order (with a massive ocado order just before).

A few months ago, I got an email after coming back from a dinner party (note: I was a little tipsy) asking for volunteers to perform in the Opening Ceremonies.  Since I was on my high school dance team, I figured I was just what they're looking for!  So I went ahead and signed up.

Yesterday, the 5th of November (I remembered), I trekked across town earlier than I normally do on a weekday.  My coworker had auditioned earlier that week and reassured me that the dance audition wouldn't entail triple pirouettes into a back handspring.  However, I still practised my jazz hands at random points through the week in preparation.

When I got off the tube at Bromley by Bow, I met some other random people who looked just as lost as I was who were also wearing workout clothes (one from the Isle of Wight even).  My new friends and I introduced ourselves and decided to somewhat stick with each other during the process.  After we checked in and were sitting in the audition room, the energy there was palpable.  The organisers reminded us that BILLIONS of people would watch the Opening Ceremonies, and that we would be a part of perhaps the biggest event of our lives.

I started thinking - I may be a part of an event that would be watched by more people than who watched the Royal Wedding.  This was my shot to beat K-Middy at her own game.

I'm not allowed talk about what we did in the auditions, but there was a LOT of dancing, movement, getting in and out of formations, and just grooving.  It was a 2.5 hour Zumba class!

I had a great time.  For once, I had an excuse to be silly and shake my tush in public, and all in the name of world peace!

I'm waiting to hear back about my audition.  Even if I didn't make it (or I did make it but can't make the next audition due to Thanksgiving, or the last few rehearsals due to my June wedding back in Cali), I had a great time and I officially caught Olympic fever!

(DISCLAIMER: Olympic fever may expire once the tubes get congested, tourists descend onto the entire city of London, and/or we realise how much money we can make by subletting the flat for a couple weeks).

My inspiration for the audition...

An idea of what it felt like...