Berkeley Uni has set up a cinema screen in Sproul Plaza to show the events of the day. Unfortunately, because of some strange idea of having different times in the same country, everything is starting at 7.30am here. Nevertheless, a small crowd dedicated to democracy will be catching the 7.59am bus from university village.
Because of the campus-wide wireless network I will be attempting to blog live as events unfold, an electronic Dimbleby if you will. Stay tuned.
7.03am - Woke up before my alarm, got out of bed, brushed teeth, shower, got dressed.
7.21am - Sunrise.
7.29am - Breakfast of toast and marmite with orange juice.
7.58am - The bus arrives, early! It's amazing.
8.27am - Get off a few stops early so Dana can pick up a coffee.
8.42am - We're at the Inauguration...there are a lot of people in Sproul Plaza, but there's free tea, coffee and orange juice at the front (if you can get there...) Cheers ring out every time Obama appears on the big screen, or is even mentioned.
8.47am - The announcement of the the pastor from Saddleback Church draws a few hisses from the crowd. Berkeley, honestly!
8.53am - Aretha Franklin gets the biggest cheer of the morning...
8.57am - Joe Biden, Vice President (from Scranton, Pennsylvania) gets sworn in. Cheering (and whooping)!
The young faces of hope in America today.
8.59am - Some kind of musical performance. The crowd are growing restless for the main event as the Berkeley campanile chimes 9am. Hannah Singer screams because her sister Maya won't give her a bite of bread.
9.04am - Here's the man! Barack Obama comes forward to take the oath of office...
9.05am - And he's in! After a few fluffed lines the crowd goes wild for President number 44.
9.07am - It's the Presidential address. There are a number of sniggers as GW is mentioned, but cheers at every mention of "hope", "change" and (of course) the environment.
9.14am - Promises about more investment in science and universities go down pretty well here...
9.19am - The President goes through a list of the faiths of America. "Nonbelievers" gets a huge round of applause from the Berkeley crowd. Please.
9.21am - It's nice to be stood here in a T-shirt looking at the wrapped-up people in Washington.
9.27am - Speech over, the stage is given over to a poet. The Berkeley students stream from the plaza! Philistines!!
9.34am - The Singer children leave for school, tired but elated to have witnessed history. At least, that's how I interpret Sofia's screams.
9.37am - Show's over, Hannah's off to school and I'm off home.
