Sharing an Olympic legacy

With its bubble-clad exterior that pulsates in a myriad of colors at night, the Water Cube in the heart of Beijing's Olympic Green has been one of the most fascinating facets of the 2008 Summer Games for me.

So you can imagine my delight when I finally got the chance to enter the dreamlike venue this Spring Festival, when the aquatics center that hosted the Olympic swimming and diving events opened to the public with an orchestra and musical fountain performance.

Sitting on the sides of the swimming and diving pools under rows of the world's national flags, I could visualize US swimmer Michael Phelps roaring in victory as he collected his eight golds and Chinese diver Guo Jingjing mesmerizing the audience with her perfect mid-air pirouettes off the springboard.