Living the Olympic dream: Week One

It has only been eight days since our city of Vancouver welcomed the world to the 2010 Winter Olympics. I know. Can you believe that? The Olympics are happening in my backyard. News crews are everywhere, the streets are full of thousands of people and Canada has won Gold three times already. The other night it really hit me though as I sat in the third row at Canada’s opening hockey game against Norway. There I was with Sidney Crosby skating right in front of me while Donald Sutherland was madly texting a few seats away, it felt like a dream. Surreal.



It all started last week when I headed down to City Hall to watch the torch make its way through our neighbourhood. The intersection was jammed pack of people. We could barely see anything and there was serious jockeying for position with cameras as the torch passed by us all. “Umbrellas, umbrellas, down, umbrellas down,” they shouted from the back with their cameras and just like that, the torch was gone. That was the first day we truly started to feel the energy and magnitude around the world event that was about to drop on our doorstep.


We watched the rest of the torch run leading into the opening ceremonies where I was glued to the television for the next few days. While the show did have variety, fantastic performances of Oh Canada by Nikki Yanofsky and the Olympic theme by Measha Brueggergosma, it was still old guard heavy. Amazing production and creativity, but give us more Shane Koyczans and punk fiddlers! Shine light not only on the roots of our country but all of our extended branches leading up to the present day. I know more of our cultural diversity and creativity will sure enough be featured in the closing ceremonies and hopefully then someone will perform a version of Oh Canada that the entire nation (you too Colbert) can sing along to. Perhaps the Olympics trademark Innukshuk will make an appearance too.




Watching the Olympics on television made it too easy to stay inside and I was starting to have Twitter overload. It was crazy. The Canadian fever was electric and Canadians tweeted and blogged heavily during the ceremonies and continue to throughout the games on everything from the weather and medal results to partying hot spots. We banded together against CTV for their insensitive coverage of the luge accident. We cheered on our athletes, rejoiced and winced together as they took the world's stage. The protesters outraged most of us though we ended up giving them even more coverage by continuing to talk about it. I felt like a crazed reporter of sorts with my on the streets coverage mixed with my armchair critiques but was Twitter getting the best of me? It had already been over a month since my last blog post so was Twitter actually encouraging me to write less? Being a stay at home Dad for the last year, Twitter at times had been my connection to adults, the community and the creative potentiality in us all. I thank my little network for keeping my creative and professional spirits alive and I’m thankful for my wife who reminds me of how great I’m doing with our son.



Those first couple of Olympic days all blurred together. The ceremonies and the torch with Wayne Gretzky, the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the brief protests and winning our first medal, then our first gold. It was a rollercoaster start to the games. After watching the Olympics in tandem with the entertaining running commentaries and insights on Twitter, it was time to hit the streets. So I’m very thankful for this great weather we are having. I hope it doesn’t screw up too much of the winter part of these Olympics but I love being outside with my notebook and pen in hand. We joined the street party up Granville St. to Robson. We checked out the zip line, the CTV news broadcast desk and the thousands of happy people scattered around downtown. We also joined the hoards of people standing behind a tall chain fence attempting to take decent photos of the Olympic flame, by far one of the biggest disappointments by many visiting. If you walk down you can hear the displeasure in many different languages. Even today with the adjustments to the fence finished the entire scene is a bit of an eyesore. It looks like it will be something that will finally be unveiled properly once the world leaves Vancouver.






On the streets was a different type of connection, an unwritten connection. Even if you didn’t talk to anyone we were all communicating together with our joy. Shoulder to shoulder, tear to tear, we are united worldwide on the streets of Vancouver. If you are from here it feels like Canada day everyday as the sea of red makes its way through downtown. But sitting in the sun by False Creek the sea of red turns green and brown from the muddy grass everywhere. While Cypress Mountain melts everyone is enjoying the mild weather in February. The seawall is busy and the parks are full of happy children. Just across from us is the athletes Olympic Village which looks majestic with its row of nation flags and the green roof. The residences are adorned with small Canadian flags, Dutch banners and the Australian kangaroo. Meanwhile my son is playing like a champ with a boy from Latvia and a little girl from the United States while I give someone from Sweden directions to GM Place.




It really has been a week unlike any week I’ve experienced. A worldwide event like the Olympics in your city, well, you can’t escape it…unless of course you do escape the city like some have done. Even though I believe that the corporate and economic side of the games still continues to benefit the very few, it is not the bottom line reality that is making up my Olympic memories. No, it is our Canadian athletes at the center of my happiness with this Olympic experience and sharing it with my family, friends and network. I will never forget watching breathtaking performances by Jennifer Heil, Alexandre Bilodeau, Maelle Ricker, Mike Robertson, Marianne St-Gelais, Kristina Groves and Christine Nesbitt. With an amazing view from our couch, I’m reminded constantly that this it is not a dream while fireworks burst into the sky and Vancouver city is lit up unlike ever before. GO CANADA GO!!