Olympic Recap

 Dear Readers,

I know that some of you in far off places are vicariously enjoying my Olympic experience (Thanks for the notes) but sometimes a girl gets really busy. Especially when she has been watching speed skating and curling and hockey and ignoring her other responsibilities. I apologize for the delay in getting the final Olympic blog up, but I had more important pressing things to take care of.









Like stopping to smell the flowers. Thank goodness spring gloriously erupted before the Olympic flame went out.

The potential for a city wide depression after such a high could be substantial.

But, it's difficult to feel melancholy when vibrant colour is splashing itself across every tree and bush.

Gone are the street performers that kept everyone laughing, like these clowns from Slovakia.

The super rich have set sail hopefully leaving bags of money behind.

 Everyone that had a horse in this race took off from YVR on Monday making it the busiest day in the airport's history. Which, they bragged on Tuesday, went flawlessly.










Yes it's over. As the flame went out on the cauldron there was a collective gasp; not as huge or as soul sucking as the the gasp when the Parise scored for the USA but significant. Even though everyone knew it was over, the finality of the fire going out seemed a shock. Before the jubilation of the Canadian win in hockey, there was a sadness in the air for the last two days of the Olympics. I was surprised by my own feelings. I wasn't thrilled about the Olympics coming. I remember  the city referendum about the Olympics. (After they had already been awarded?) We discussed what we thought were the pros and cons. Living in protest central, all I heard were the cons, but I do recall arguing that a positive could be for Vancouver to have a collective experience. Every other city I have lived in in Canada has events that engage the citizenry as a whole. Not in Vancouver, for all it's beauty and abundance, it's a cold place. There are many reasons for this. A protest culture with a militant faction, a police force paranoid of large gatherings since the 1994 Stanley Cup riot and APEC conference pepper spraying, almost everyone is from somewhere else, NIMBYism, ultra polarized politics, the detachment of a cannabis culture... blah blah blah.

For me, the most lasting legacy of these Olympics will be the opportunity it gave people from all walks of life to gather in the streets and experience joy together. In this most negative, grumpy of places this was a moment over due and longing to happen.

After the first few horrible days of the Olympics,  general euphoria set in and  I wondered where the protests went. The observers publicly stated that the police had behaved themselves and the fissure that developed within the coalition seemed to take the air out of the movement. Finally, on Thursday I noticed a poster for another protest and thought the opportunity for pictures, that I missed when I had my cold, had again presented itself.

Although the local arena, Britannia, did not get an upgrade

 as a Olympic hockey practice facility it was used as one anyway. This did not please the people who felt they had saved the neighbourhood from the dreaded games.

There were about twenty-five people, mingling, sitting in the grass, listening to rap music and seemingly enjoying the sun.

The police swooped in to repress the demonstration. Well, actually, across the street two cops with bicycles watched and casually chatted with amused bystanders. The protesters seemed to be in a festive mood. I guess the energy created by masses of people coming together permeated even this.

Since the women's hockey gold medal game had just started, the streets were virtually empty and a protest isn't much of a protest without an audience, so it wasn't long before everyone left. I wondered down to the Ontario pavilion and watched the end of the game on a big screen on the side of the building.

After cheering the women's win I headed for BC Place as I had a ticket for the evening's Victory Celebration. I was supposed to be early to go through security but the game delayed me (and everyone else) but it wasn't a problem. There was fifteen security gates that easily handled the approaching crowd.

I had nosebleed seats which, at first, bothered me but then I noticed that I had a really good view of everything, including the mechanics of the show's production. This may not thrill most people but I have been around enough film sets to appreciate difficult rigging. The cranes and elaborate lighting set up blew me away. Cameras rigged to cables shot from the roof to the floor in seconds and another whizzed by horizontally. Two steady cams, one on a jib arm, at least five on sticks. Just watching the logistics kept me thoroughly entertained.                                                                                 

 This was as close as I'll ever need to be to Ben Mulroney.

 

To keep the audience amused before the show started, a camera roamed around stopping on an unsuspecting audience members.  Everyone was egged on to cheer for a kiss. It was corny but I caught myself chuckling a few times.

It was a treat to see the Short Track Relay gals  receive their silver medals. The Chinese team that won gold were so thrilled it was very moving to watch.

The crowd went nuts for the Women's Bobsled Team and their silver medals.

But that was nothing compared to the roar that shook the building when our gold medal team took the stage. I got the giggles listening to twenty thousand flag waving hosers belt out O' Canada.

Of course, being Manitoba night, the evening was finished off with Burton Cummings. The fifty-something lady from North Winnipeg sitting next to me was swooning with excitement. I had way more fun watching her than him.

Walking home the Saskatchewan and Quebec pavilions lit up the clear evening.

So did the full moon. I felt like I was in a magical dream. The Vancouver of two weeks previous didn't exist.

Then came the most quintessential Canadian moment of all.

No not this one.

Ya, this one. The big game. The ultimate show down. Revenge, national pride on the line, all that stuff. Looooooouuuuuuuu! We watched the game at home with a couple of friends and made the mistake of eating bbqed hamburgers in the third period. What a recipe for a stomach ache that was.

We celebrated Sidney's goal in a way we felt appropriate; beer in champagne glasses

Then, we took to the streets. Even "too cool for school" Commercial Drive was alive in red and white. Every car that drove by had flags in the windows and honked their horns non stop. Pedestrians reached out to high five the car passengers.

Thousand upon thousands spilled into the streets. Everyone was singing, cow bells rang, every vehicle on the street and boat in the harbour was honking, it was deafening.

Santa took a break to party.

Elvis rose from the dead. It was a happening place to be.

Love was in the air.

So was the smell of weed and beer being dumped into the sewer by the cops.

Young and old, back and white, liberals and conservatives, men wearing turbins with Canada flags sticking out, women with muslim head scarves and flag tatoos on their cheeks, everyone was there sharing the joy.

My cheeks hurt from smiling.

I have listened to a lot of post modem and analysis on the games, all the experts speculating on why Canadians and especially Vancouverites reacted the way they did. I still can't really comprehend how this thing, the Olympics, that were so dreaded by everyone turned into a communal expression of joy. Relief? Pent up frustration? Personally I think some of it came from a weariness of cynicism. Our politics, media, internet commentators, even artists work from the negative. Everything is so dire, global warming, poverty, H1N1, funding cuts, famine, it's endless. I think everyone just wanted to go outside and play and forget about it all for a couple of days. We needed an excuse to feel unabashedly happy instead of guilty or jealous or angry or paranoid that someone else's gain was their loss. I hope some of this positive energy can stick around for awhile. We sure could use it. Wouldn't it be nice if we could use it to help each other and constructively grow together rather than whining and bitching and complaining and suspecting the worse of each other all the time. 

I know I sound a little Pollyannaish, which surprises even me, but, good grief, it was sure nice to have something to cheer for rather than against.

Live City Rocks!

After watching the Canadian men trounce the Russians in hockey,  Gord and I and our friend Lynn braved the rain, which turned out to be light and insignificant, to check out Damian "Jr Gong" Marley at the Live City stage in Yaletown. When we got there the line up extended from David Lam Park past the Granville bridge (aka really frigging far) and a portable electronic sign said wait time was 60 minutes. We did not believe the sign.  Gord made a call and we walked straight in through the media entrance. I am an Olympic blogger after all, I should get in the media entrance (it helps to know people).

 Live City serves as both a concert venue and a place to watch sporting events on the biggest, clearest screens I have ever seen. 

The venue is surrounded on all sides by Olympic trade show where sponsors show off their wares.

Coke has a 8600 square foot three story red "Happiness" tent that projects moving images onto the roof. Inside there is Coke stuff.

At the back, Yaletown high rises provide a backdrop to the Panasonic pavilion where, I've heard, there is an impressive 3D theatre. Samsung and Acer and the City of Vancouver have pavilions there as well but I wasn't there to see them.

The band playing when we arrived was Chocolat from Montreal.

They are good (Gord made an iTunes purchase when we got home) and the lead singer looked very french in the stripes and red.

 Live City has a very well produced show. There are no breaks in the action or time standing around wondering if the band will ever come on. As soon as Chocolat left the stage, we were watching Clara Hughs getting her bronze medal on the big screen.

 

Then mayor Hunky, who is looking a bit tired and stressed at the moment, came on stage and proclaimed the day as Canadian Snowboard Team Day. 

Looking very geek chic in toque and glasses, Gold medalist Maelle Ricker joined him on stage and read a speech thanking the city for giving her the opportunity to tell kids to get out and be physically active. She said that that next year, on this day, kids should take the day off of school and go snowboarding.

She was joined on stage by members of the snowboard team and everyone cheered.

The snowboarders left the stage, Damian Marley was introduced, his band started playing and the lingerers at the back pressed forward. It got sardine packed just like a real rock concert, only one where everyone is wearing red and some sport weird hats.

Mr. Marley came on stage and everyone was grooving to the reggae beat.

That is until Gord and I  got rammed from behind by a guy leading a wheelchair convoy into the crowd. I turned around and he said "sorry coming through".  They made it just far enough to be trapped with Gord one side and me and Lynn on the other. I wonder why they preferred to leave a trail of bruises in their wake just to get a view of someone's ass rather that sit in the accessible zone that has a better view than 90% of the audience?  My guess is that it isn't a comfortable place to chain toke.

Anyway, after that distraction, we finally found a way to move Gord onto our side of the convoy and got into the concert. 

Ya mon, wave that bear hat!

There is a lot of flag waving at the Olympics and if they ever decide to make it an official sport this guy gets my vote to win gold. He waved that Jamaican flag loud and proud through the entire concert.

The big screens are a marvel and the sound system spectacular. I've never been to an outdoor concert that size with sound that good. Marley did a lot of interaction with the audience and played every song you'd expect. Great show.

When the concert ended the backdrop behind the stage went up revealing the skyline of false creek and three big spot lights shone up into the air.

Water cannons shot straight up and Olympic moments were projected onto the water. Pretty cool.

A couple of flares looped out over the city.

A montage of gold medal moments flashed on the screen as K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" blasted out of the speakers. The fireworks intensified as the song came to a climax. It was a jaw dropping moment of incredibly intense hype, that left several thousand people in tears and craving a cigarette. What a ride!

I wish my cold hadn't prevented me from seeing earlier shows. Oh and by the way, Lynn's friend got in line at the Granville Bridge and made it into the show.

Olympic Fashion Spectacle

Olympic fashion is really important. The, official Olympic sponsor, HBC has sold a zillion dollars worth of red mittens.

  

 There are line-ups a block long to get into the store to buy official Canada sports wear.

 

And, it isn't just Canadians buying the stuff. A good portion of the people I saw in line were sporting other nation's colours. 

 

Good souvenirs to take back to the kids in Sweden, I guess.

 

It seems that everyone is wearing something red, even if it means mittens and toques when it is a balmy thirteen degrees outside. 

There are those, however, that choose to be a little more creative with their patriotic fashion choices.

Others are entrepreneurial.

 Attractive head wear is a must,

no matter which country you support.

It's also important to make sure your pet reflects your nationalistic fervor.

Some like the, "I just got off shift at Home Depot" look. This is not my personal preference but there are worse offenders...

... like the "Elvis gives blood" boys,

 

and the ah... ah ... quick call the Fashion Police!

Officer Dudley Dress Right to the rescue. He's fabulous but the job is so big he needs super power help, so he calls on his friends,

 the Fashion Savior (his breath is really garlicky),

Cowboy Canuck (uses his umbrellas for good and not evil),

and Captain Coolada ( just generally better than everyone).

Yes, the Olympic crowd is an awfully attractive bunch, but I choose these two to bring home.