Heard of Carl Diem? He was the German Olympic Committee member who suggested that the 1936 Games should be celebrated by selected athletes carrying torches ignited by the sun. This ceremony has been a feature of the Games ever since. According to the South China Morning Post on 13 February, the Olympic flame of the Beijing Olympics will be ignited on 24 March 2008, using a concave mirror to focus the sun's rays on a silver torch. A relay of runners will carry the flame for 137,000km over 130 days and will pass through Hong Kong on 2 May. The Post continues to intrigue us by reporting that the ceremony will be launched by an actress who will offer a ritual prayer to Apollo, ancient god of light and music, in front of the ruined temple of Hera. V. © The Gilvern Times, February 2008.