let the games begin

It's finally here! The 2008 Beijing Olympics kicked off today with a spectacular Opening Ceremony of pageantry and pyrotechnics: China strides onto Olympic stage. Nearly two years in the making, the man behind the spectacle is acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou: Gritty Renegade Now Directs China’s Close-Up.

We in the United States with regular televisions don't get to watch it until tonight on NBC, but Yahoo has posted a pretty decent photo gallery from the event. These two photos kind of stood out for me:

A view of the Opening Ceremony from inside the "Bird's Nest."


A view of the Opening Ceremony for Chinese migrant workers.