A Big Party

Yup. Vancouver has been a big party place the past 2 weeks. I joined in the fun and trekked to several celebration sites around town with family and friends.

I'll let the pics do the talking....

This was at Robson Square - between Vancouver Art Gallery and the GE Plaza (Feb 16)

Lantern Forest along Granville St (Feb 16)

Several streets were closed to vehicles (Feb 16)

Burrard St (Feb 16)

Corb Lund concert at the Surrey Celebration Site (Feb 18)

Line-up for the famous Japa Dog along Burrard and Smithe (Feb 20)

Crowd in front of the Olympic Cauldron in Coal Harbour (Feb 20)

An unidentified guy wanted to have his picture taken with Sangko and kids (Feb 20)

8pm crowd. GE Plaza (Feb 20)

Patiently waiting to enter LiveCity Downtown (Feb 25)

Security check at the entrance of LiveCity Downtown (Feb 25)

Medal Ceremony for the women's hockey inside LIVE@LiveCity Downtown (Feb 25)

Good turn-out, eh?

Go Canada Go!

I never bothered before to watch hockey even though Canucks was playing. It's because I don't like violence and that is what I see when I watch this game. So I'd rather just watch something else on TV.

But this week is an exception. This is Olympics! And Canada has a big chance for the gold. So even though I don't understand the game -- except that the puck needs to go inside the net -- here I am, glued to the TV.

Canada is leading in the Men's Hockey semi-finals, 2 - 0, against Slovakia. Watching right now. 2nd period. Inside the arena you'd see a sea of red -- mostly Canadians rallying to support Team Canada. I'm not surprised that stores in the Lower Mainland had run out of the red/white hockey jerseys! This is just the semi-finals. What more if in the finals, Canada will play against the US team, just like Sunday's game.

I would love to watch that game, if ever. And there's a big chance.. a very big chance. But for now, I'll be content to sit here in the comfort of my home -- cheering and rooting for team Canada. Go Canada Go!

Oooppss.. by the way, Sidney Crosby is a one good-looking hockey player. So after the Olympics, will I be watching NHL especially the Penguins game? Let's see.

Women's Wednesday

Several more medals for Canada. Women's all. Hooray!!!!

And not to forget, Team Canada advances to the semi-finals on Friday (for men's hockey). Score was 7-3. Another hooray!!!

Let The Games Begin

The 2010 Winter Games kicked off last Friday. The ceremony was held at the BC Place here in Vancouver where spectators were given ponchos to wear and drums for audience participation.

The ceremony started with a video clip of a snowboarder going down the slopes while a narrator enumerated the places where the Winter Olympics have been been held. Then an unexpected entrance of a snowboarder through one of the Olympic rings awed the audience. What followed is a superb opening ceremony albeit the lip-synched duet performance of Nelly Furtado and Bryan Adams and the hydraulic malfunction of one of the arms for the cauldron.

There were quite a number of highlights but personally loved two performances: K.D. Lang singing Cohen's Hallelujah and the poem We Are More recited by Shane Koyczan. The ceremony's depiction of Canada's culture was not much of a production number but more of visual effects. Kudos as it was put together superbly!! But just wondering why the focus was only on the aboriginals? I have to mention that I liked the whales and that part where a young guy flew over the prairies. Was this produced by Cirque du Soleil??

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was present, of course and the Queen's representative, Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean. Premier Gordon Campbell was on hand but his name was not mentioned during the ceremony. (No politicking???) Both IOC President Jacques Rogge and VANOC CEO John Furlong delivered their obligatory speeches.

An unusual moment was the moment of silence for Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili who met a tragic accident while training that morning in Whistler.

The finale of the ceremony -- lighting of the cauldron -- was delayed a bit. This was due to the hydraulic malfunction I mentioned earlier. Instead of 4 poles to support the cauldron, only 3 went up, leaving Catriona Doan no pole to ignite. The ceremony didn't end there for the Great One has to go across downtown to Coal Harbour to light a smaller version of the cauldron. It is an Olympic tradition that the Olympic Flame be viewed by the public.

This part of lighting the second cauldron might be the reason why Gretzky was chosen to be the final torchbearer. Imagine if it was Betty Fox who will be carrying the torch across town on top of a truck, not to mention it was raining that night.

Many opined that this last part -- hydraulic issue and running to the second cauldron -- quite put a damper on the ceremony as everybody expected an ending with a bang. But with or without bang, the opening ceremony served its purpose. It welcomed the whole world and its athletes to the world of games where it is just not winning but coming together in the spirit of sportsmanship.

And Vancouver is proud to be the host... Let the games begin!!!!

Counting the hours

13 hours to go... 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

World-class athletes have arrived days ago. International press had set-up shop already. Foreign diplomats planed in. For the next 2 weeks, the world will be focusing on Vancouver.

Olympic fever can be felt mid-January. As Feb 12 approached, it intensified. Much more when the torch arrived in the Lower Mainland.

I was there when the torch passed by our area. I took pictures but the desire to see the actual run was more rather than documenting it. And yes.. it gave me goosebumps. No picture would be able to justify that heart-warming feeling I had. I'm not of Canadian descent but there was a sense of pride, of belonging.

Ah...yes. For this event is not for Canadians only. This is for everyone. A way to come together regardless of color and language. A way to unite and to instill in each one of us that if everyone will come together as one, the world we live in will be better -- much, much better.

Welcome world!!!!

"Torch-waiting"

A day to go.

Most Surrey and Langley residents are awaiting the Olympic torch to pass through their cities tomorrow, Feb 8. I'm one of them. Will leave work earlier than usual to be able to catch this event -- if not in Guildford, then at Holland Park.

Will be in red.... for sure.

Check this out: http://www.surrey2010.com/