For those of you who don’t know, I live right in the middle of the city currently hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver. The streets are packed with languages from all over the world and the happiness and energy are palpable.
Aside from the actual sporting events, there are multiple daily musical performances, fireworks, vector light shows, and much more. Many main roads are closed, there are major parking/stopping restrictions and transit is brimming. The security is requiring hours to get into many venues. And there are of course the background controversies around the cost of the Games, displacement, and the various related effects of a massive influx of visitors.
In the middle of February, we’re having a warm spring with flowers up and cherry trees coming into bloom. I was out yesterday without a coat. As this is a “Winter” Olympics, this has caused some problems with snowlessness on slopes like Cypress where the snowboarding is. They had to truck and fly in most of the snow for those courses.
The place is also a sea of Olympics Sponsor labels, even the sides of large buildings. Lulumon, the locally based yogawear company, produced some non-Olympics sanctioned wear with a little humor. I’ve tried to get one of their EH? t-shirts but they’ve been out of my size every time I’ve gone by and rather pricey.
Quite the spectacle and adventure unfolding around us.
Davidya
Thanks for the personal update. I’ve been wondering about that myself!
How exciting and fun.
Next winter Olympics will take place in Sochi, Russia, my husband’s home town. So we are planning to go in 2014.
Hi Shamballa, Elena
Yes, it’s quite the drama. I have a good friend coming to visit shortly too. That will add to the fun.
Good friend also looking forward to experiencing the adventure unfolding around us, within us, maybe even beyond us, eh?
Ah – she’s practicing her Canadian, eh?
Fun and exciting!
What do you get with a mobile dance rig and a flash mob? Dancing in the Streets:
http://vimeo.com/9451898
(notice how not everyone is wearing coats…)
Apparently, they moved on down the street and played other songs.
That video is gone but heres another of it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUZyX8qQgvE
Pingback: Disasters « In 2 Deep