Paul Hickey: I don't really know how to feel about the Olympic Games

Olympic rings at Odori Park ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 20, 2021 in Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan. Photo / Masashi Hara / Getty Images

OPINION:

As a big sports fan, I don't really know how to feel about the Olympic Games. Some of the tournament-style events have been running for a few days now, and the competition proper is underway this weekend. But I'm really struggling to get enthused about it.

Whether it's the fact there are bigger things happening around the world that need the focus right now, or the nature of the postponement and continued dragging out of the competition, I'm not really sure. But I am hoping I'll get a bit more excited once the competition gets underway, and the friendly time zone means plenty of chances to watch on the telly without ruining the rest of our lives, it may just happen.

A lot of people are still critical of it all going ahead, but the athletes deserve the chance to compete after sacrificing so much to make the grade. And while Covid-19 has already got into the athletes' village bubble, let's hope they can control it and the games get done for everybody's sake, and I can feel excited about being a sports fan again!

Last week I wrote (and talked on the radio) about how impressed I was with the new lakefront, or at least what has been opened up to the public so far. Even after two weeks I am still feeling wowed by how amazing this new asset will be for our city.

But you are never going to please all of the people all of the time. And it's no surprise that the people saying how ugly and unimpressive it is, are those same people who constantly moan about everything that goes on in our city.

A few others may be a little less vocal, but I do just want to say one thing; remember Eat Streat? Those who pushed for and approved the project got plenty of grief from a lot of the public. Now, look at it. Such a destination spot, and the envy of many people all over the country who wish they had the same.

I am no chef, and definitely not a master in the kitchen. So cooking shows on TV have never really been my go-to. It's a bit different for my wife Katie, who is right into MasterChef, which is on the box right now, and with four hour-long episodes each week that is plenty of watching for her.

This, in turn, makes it pretty tough for me to avoid seeing the odd bit of the show, and somehow I have ended up hooked. The dishes being served up by these amateur home cooks are just stunning!

And while the Aussies might inspire me, I'm not sure the latest cooking show announcement will do the same thing.

Paris Hilton is set to star in the new Netflix show, Cooking With Paris. It will feature the hotel heiress and business mogul learning her way around the kitchen with the help of her famous friends.

Her show will put a spin on the traditional cooking show, as Hilton is not a trained chef and doesn't really know how to cook — but she certainly knows how to entertain viewers.

Cooking With Paris will launch on the streaming giant on August 4 with six half-hour episodes.

• Paul Hickey is the host of the local Rotorua show on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. Follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.