Saturday, March 6, 2010

Starbucks, the Olympics and Gold Medal Kids

I am sitting at the Starbucks on Denman Street and Robson Street, one block from my home at Denman and Haro in Vancouver.

Several leftover Olympic visitors are still here. One table has about four nations represented and all of them are speaking English as a second language. What fun.

Am thinking about my daughter, Marion, who was one of the managers at the Ritz Carlton Starbucks on PCH near our home during 2002 while she was working her way through school. She requested to work in Salt Lake City during the Olympics and had her third Olympic experience! L.A., Atlanta, and Utah. Thank you Starbucks.

My son Don made Salt Lake City his third Olympics as well. First, also L.A. Second, when he was fourteen years old, he went to Lillehamer on his own! That will need a separate post for sure!

Anyway am grateful to Starbucks for access to the internet. A reasonable time limit is given to Starbucks customers here in Canada, no charge like the USA. So thank you SBUX! And if you read this blog Marion and Don, thank you for being GOLD MEDAL KIDS.

Pin Trading at Hudson Bay

Actually slowed down enough to place pins on a board and set up a pin trading table at Cocacola's pin trading center at "The Bay". Paul and Christy were in charge and had one spare table. I enjoyed asking everyone what the highlight of the games was. Needless to say, many answered the USA - Canada Hockey Game.

Couldn't, and still can't help smiling, just thinking again about that game. In the morning CTV was predicting a 5-1 victory for the Canadians. I knew it would be a spectacular ending for Canada to win and of course I knew I would be happy no matter what happened but 5-1!! When I heard that, I knew we must work hard for them to earn gold, and work hard we did! All the Canadians who surrounded us upstairs in the Swiss House didn't know that we were from USA until the famous 27 seconds-goal! It was fun to watch their amazed faces. (The most amazing thing of course for all of us is what happened AFTER the game when we ALL got into the most fantastic Closing Ceremony!)

The manager of the Fairmount Hotel told me he enjoyed watching the amazed faces of the crowd as well. There was a Canadian group in the big lobby watching the big screen and a USA crowd was watching a smaller screen behind the bar on the side of the lobby, which was transmitted about 20 seconds or so ahead of the big screen. That 27-second goal caused an uproar so loud that Canadians all turned their heads to see what was happening at the bar and missed the actual play.

Anyway, while at "The Bay" pin trading, I met so many fun folks. About half were foreigners and half were local Vancouverites. Several VANOC and VANOC volunteers were also trading. There were a few former olympians and a few funny Olympic freaks like me. If they brought their kids I gave them stickers of former mascots so they could learn the history of the games. Some were just starting so I gave them pins. Those who were interested in the history of the games, I gave first day issue sailing stamp post cards from the 1984 games. Some were delighted to get my leftover broadcasting tickets from AOB, Atlanta 1996 with the beautifully designed hologram.

I made about 15 trades. I'll write my thoughts about pins and what I think about their value on another post. But for now, I must say I surprised myself. Somehow I could not trade a couple of pins that I fully intended to trade, even when offered three for one! AaiiiYA! Crrrrrazzzy in Canada!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Basking in the Afterglow

These warm Vancouver days emerged during the games. The rain would come just in time to shorten a few long lines. Will add later to blog when I return to California. Must go bask!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Olympic Energy, Hearts Swelling

Yes, it is the energy, the "chi" that comes from hearts swelling
in the midst of this "oneness of humanity" that also deserves a gold.

Quick comments:

The party kept growing, Vancouver explodes with "Olympicmania"

Shane's poem = We are more...please, thank you...zed not zero...

Aboriginal artistry excellence from the four nations

Canadian humor and the three legged cauldron

Hearts swelling

New Canadian heroes

Sid the kid

The luxury of Swiss House Fondue while watching the hockey game

USA Miller MVP even though "Canada IS Hockey"

Closing explosion and the beaver returns

Closing Ceremonies right back where I started with broadcasters!

Basking in the afterglow

Monday, March 1, 2010

Vancouver 2010 Closing Ceremony

Briefly, here's what happened. After waiting around for a possible ticket on Denman Street, met my family, Michael, Joan, Gian, Marissa, Isa, and Benicio, all ticketless, at Granville Island inside the upper dining room of The Swiss House, which was a comfy great spot to watch the exciting USA-Canada Hockey Game. Then we all took the Aquabus and made our way back to the downtown area and was surprised to get close to the entry of BC Place without hearing, "You can't go further without a ticket". Then got my sign-making kit out. (a few others borrowed my big MAGIC marker, : ). Michael and Joan went to rest from the walk and watch Isa, and then after of few minutes of nothing much, reminded those around me to Think of the Olympic Spirit and...Opaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Spectacular Closing Ceremony at BC Place

Can you believe how BIG the Olympic Spirit must be...it got all of us...Michael, Joan, Gian, Marissa, Isa, Benicio and me into BC Place for a spectacular Closing Ceremony!!! (Just returned, it took hours to walk 9 blocks to my home away from home because of so many incredible spontaneous street celebrations!!!) Opaaaaaaaaaa!