The bombastic London 2012 opening ceremony is continuing to cause many a wrinkled brow in international online lecture rooms, where a global army of sinologists are earnestly debating the differences between Danny Boyle's extravaganza and Zhang Yimou's jaw-dropper four years ago - more so after London mayor Boris Johnson said his city's curtainraiser had 'knocked spots off' Beijing 2008's first night.
Various debates over what the two very different ceremonies represented and signified rage on. Many agree each ceremony captured the meaning of modern British-ness and Chinese-ness. Self-deprecation and self-confidence were evident at the former, while solemnity and might made up the latter, appears to be the consensus.
Never in a million years, many are arguing, would Beijing have allowed deaf children to sing, have human rights leaders carry the Olympic flag and let 'workers' make up the vast majority of performers. But never in a billion years was Doyle going to beat the scale of Beijing's extravaganza, some say, though to many he wiped the slate clean with his austerity-budgeted rag and set a different yet equally high standard as Zhang.
Meanwhile, the Chinese media have been quick to point out the country's massive red stamp on the London Games, from the fireworks used to light up the East End sky and the digital mastery used during the computerised segments. And of course, it is important to mention the elegant berets worn by the USA team, which bore the Made in China label. Globalisation has never looked so neat.
Poignantly, the dragon roared on the first day of competition and let the mighty Chinese presence be known amid the non-stop adulation for Doyle and Great Britain, as the current Olympic medals champions snapped up four golds and two bronze to top the table. Whatever the merits or demerits of a socialist state-run sports system, there is no denying its ruthless efficiency turns out winners.
And remember how many mocked the authoritarian approach to putting bums on seats - those busloads of T-shirted and colour-co-ordinated housewives and pensioner cheer-leading squads corralled by Bocog officials to help fill every 2008 Beijing venue?
Shakespeare featured heavily in the opening the London Olympics. So in the same spirit one must ask: 'Oh, Chaoyangmen District Olympic Volunteer Supporter Team and all your affiliations, where art thou?' You could hear the Locog organisers silently call out the same lament on the first full day of competition.