Love Thy Neighbour...or something like that.

Last week, for me, was a week of mini triumphs. Not only did I get some pretty damn good results from university, but I had an informal one-to-one chat with a lady who used to be a journalist for Nottingham’s local paper. We mulled over our Costa latte and cappuccino, chatting for about an hour during which she suggested new directions and ideas I could chase that I hadn’t even considered. Everything suddenly seemed that little bit more in reach, just a little bit more possible. That day I suddenly felt more driven, more focused, more optimistic and more determined that I can make progress towards my dream.

Writing for a living.

So determined in fact that the next morning, despite having a day off, I resisted the temptation to wrap up in my cosy duvet and blissfully ignore the outside world. Instead, I got up and walked to the local Sainsbury’s and bought a paper.

I did the brisk, early morning, paper-fetching walk. Oh yes I did.

I then proceeded to make myself a cuppa, opened a packet of digestives and flicked through this paper like the budding journalist I am. One news story in particular happened to catch my eye and, dare I say it, provoke a little giggle.

The Independent had a filler article entitled ‘2012 Olympic ‘segregation’ for warring nations’.  The more I read the more bizarre yet obvious this story became. It addressed an issue I never even considered within the Olympics.

Athletes from conflicting countries having to live in close proximity to each other within the Olympic Village.

Well, of course they won’t be borrowing each other’s butter will they?  How silly of me.

Yet, whilst the issue seems obvious, it also seems slightly ridiculous. Can these individuals not put up with it, just for the duration of the Olympics?

One man seems to be going to extraordinary lengths to keep the peace.  Chris Hale, who is in charge of the Village for the InterContinental Hotels group, told The Independent his plans. Israel and Iran will be housed at opposite ends of the Village, Team GB will be far away from Argentinian athletes following the recent tension over the Falkland Islands, German athletes will be distanced from the Greeks after protests erupted in Athens in response to measures forced upon their country by Berlin…and so on. (Needless to say, any friendly nations remaining will be given the same apartment block.)

But this isn’t all. Oh no.  He also has to consider that no one wants to be near the Brazilians who are renowned for being the biggest party goers, and the athletes don’t want to be anywhere near the swimmers who finish in the first week and spend the remainder of the Olympics having fun.

And there was me thinking the Olympics were a chance for the world to unite over sport. How naïve. How amusing.

I don’t know why but this story just struck me! It’s a side of the Olympics no one tends to consider, because the minute that an athlete starts running, a gymnast starts to somersault, or a swimmer jumps in from the starting block, conflicts and wars seem to fade away. The sport, the thrill of the competition, and the buzz of winning takes over.

Yet the real world continues elsewhere.

It just goes to show…’love thy neighbour’ is so much easier when you actually get along.