Another Olympic Day in Vancouver

It's amazing how much there is to do in the city right now. A day has not gone by where I haven't found something to do. And people are partying hard, which means everyone around me are getting sick and catching colds from weakened immune systems. I too had the sniffles earlier in the week, but I think I've managed to recover.

Whether you're lining up in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery to get one of the Omega snowflake pins, lining up at the Royal Canadian Mint to trade in your quarters for the special Olympic coins, or lining up for 7+ hours for a 20 second ride on the free zipline above Robson Street, the common theme here is LINING UP!!

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Oh but it's really not that bad. I mean, we've been getting great weather for the most part, Canada's women's hockey team won gold today, and Joannie Rochette skated a great performance for her mom and earned a bronze to boot! Did you watch her the other night and tonight? Did you break down and sob like I did?



Today I ran into a couple of old friends of mine. Ann, Al, Natalie, and Meredith, namely.



It was by my work, and I was out for a meeting when they walked past me near the Olympic cauldron. Since I was high from drinking a cup of coffee, I of course began screaming Hi to each of them, and they each looked when I called their name and waved back! Very fun! Sadly, Matt Lauer was NOT there. Oh well, it has been fun having them in our city and watching their little segments that they have been doing about Vancouver on the Today show.

In the afternoon, I took a photo with a few Canadian Olympians - Mellisa Hollingsworth from the Skeleton, Mercedes Nichol from the Snowboard Half-Pipe, and Janine Hanson who was in Rowing from the Beijing summer Olympics.

Tried to check out Ukranian House tonight, but because they suffered a kitchen fire, there was no food to be had.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Do I go to the Bay to try to hunt down one of those coveted Canada hoodies that people are desperate to get? Or maybe finally head into Yaletown to see what's going on down in the LiveCity venue down there? I had set out to see two free concerts - Sam Roberts Band and Our Lady Peace - and will be walking away without having gone to either. I just get so tired by the end of the day, after work, after lining up for hours, that the thought of more standing in a giant crowd of people in chilly weather just isn't that appealing.

But now that things are winding up, I may have to suck it up and just get out there and take it all in before our city goes back to normal in a few days....

GOLD!!!!

So by now you've heard of all the horrendous line-ups snaking their way through the city of Vancouver. Whether it's for a beer at the Irish House or for a pair of mittens at The Bay or for a popular JapaDog, you will have to endure the inevitable line.

There is no line however quite like the line up at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion. I went to this pavilion on the first day or two that it opened and waltzed right in. There was a separate line up to go see the medals that the athletes would be winning but at that time, the wait was about 45 minutes, which made me scoff. "45 Minutes? As IF I'm going to stand in line for that long!!"

Cut to this past Sunday when I lined up for a full EIGHT HOURS to see these damned medals. Don't even get me started. It was 7 hours outside in the beautiful weather but chilly shade. Then another hour once we actually got inside.

But it was pretty cool in the end, to be able to see and touch and hold the medals! Security is tight here, so there is no budging into line. I hear that if you go after dark, or during a Canada hockey game, then the wait whittles down to 15 minutes or so. Will have to try that out tonight when Canada is playing Germany!

Here I am holding the Paralymic gold medal! This one is more square shaped than the Olympic ones, which are rounder. Behind me you can see the art that the designs on the medals make when you put them all together.

And here I am holding the Olympic gold medal!! Both this and the Paralympic medals are wobbly/wavy to reflect the landscape of Vancouver/Whistler (oceans, mountains). As well, there is braille on the back of them, which I thought was cool.

I Got My Tourtiere!!

Screw you, Maison de Quebec! Who needs you, when I could go down to Place de la Francophonie down at Granville Island and order a Tourtiere AND a poutine any time I want it!! In fact, I've already done it TWICE this week, so THERE! Take THAT!

And boy was it scrumptious. The meat was perfectly spiced. The poutine had these thick wedged fries that were a meal all their own. I had one lady come by and ask me just what the heck was on my fries, and I had to explain that the little white bits were cheese curds and the brown sauce was not vinegar but in fact, gravy. She was perplexed and I explained the wonders of poutine to her, and she immediately went and ordered herself one to try. Isn't it amazing that people outside of Canada have never had a poutine?

Anyhow, Granville Island's French Quarter / Place de la Francophonie is a wonderful spot to get some Quebecois food! As long as you're not there during a hockey game, the tables and seats are plentiful, and the waitresses are tres friendly!

Olympics 2010: Russia House

On Saturday, I braved the line-up at Russia House and ended up waiting 2 hours to get inside. Not bad. It was a bright sunny day and the line was moving along, since the capacity at Russia House is 700. For those not clued in, Russia House is down at Science World, taking over the sphere for the run of the Olympics. It's a big draw since the next Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia.

For anyone who has not visited Russia House yet, here's a little tip: People with strollers or senior citizens get to walk right in without having to line up!! (or maybe a shorter line, at the very least.) Luckily, we had some fine Russian entertainment out front while we waited in line and watched all the strollers pass us by.

Inside, we saw a model of the Russian Olympic site, photos of Sochi, Russian performances, Russian films, and another torch photo opp! This time, with the Vancouver torch AND the Beijing torch, woo hoo!!

Russia House is open daily from 12 - 5.

Ice Queens

Last week Emily and I attended the Men's Figure Skating Short Program. The ticket cost around $275, but luckily I didn't have to pay for my ticket thanks to some Victory Ceremony Barenaked Ladies tickets I had bought for the same night and ended up scalping. The profits from my sale helped pay for my figure skating ticket, so this was basically free for me to attend!

The Pacific Coliseum looked grand all decorated and done up for the Olympics.

And sadly, Patrick Chan did not win a medal but last week at the competition, we still had some hope inside of us. Oh well, here he is below doing his routine.

But did you see last night's Gold-medal winning performance from Canadians Virtue and Moir?? So Beautiful. I was so happy for them!!! Check out some clips here! Congrats to them!!

Movies: The Box

The Box starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden is a creepy movie about a couple who receives a box on their doorstep, and inside there is a button. They are told that if they press the button, they will get one million dollars but that someone they don't know will die. It's based on a short story and was once a Twilight Zone episode. I for one enjoyed it and thought it was an intriguing concept.

See It!

Madonna Glee Episode Coming in April!

Wiretapped!

Last night I attended a live taping of CBC Radio's Wiretap with Jonathan Goldstein. I love this show and it was such a thrill to be able to go to a live taping of it!



If you're not listening to Wiretap, what ARE you listening to?!

Next week I go to a taping of CBC's The Debaters which should be even more amazing!! Can't wait!!

Movies: Everybody's Fine

No, everybody is not fine. In fact, there is nothing fine about this movie, except the star studded cast. From Robert DeNiro to Drew Barrymore to Sam Rockwell.... it unfortunately doesn't help out the plot or schlock that this movie turned out to be.

So. Not. Fine.


SKIP IT.

I Want My Tourtiere

I'd heard rumblings about this magnificent tourtiere (pictured above) available at the Maison Du Quebec. Yet, when I went the other day to go try one, they DID NOT HAVE ANY!!!

"We like to change our menu every day," I was told pleasantly.

I was I N F U R I A T E D !

This blogger managed to snag one, lucky bum!

I might attempt to go back tonight to see if they're doing them tonight. Grr!!!

And even last night, I went to 8 1/2 because I knew for a FACT that they had tourtiere on their menu.

OR SO I THOUGHT.

I had a very unwelcome surprise when the server told me that the touritere they had there was only for their special "Main Event" week, which was held back in January to stir up business in that area's restaurant scene. Bah!!!!

The Olympics are not about getting to that free concert or finding that elusive pin or getting those expensive tickets... no... the Olympics are about getting a frickin' TOURTIERE!!!!!!!

I will keep you POSTED!!! Over and OUT!

Olympics 2010: Yahoo!!!

It's all about the freebies. At Casa Italia (the Italian House) yesterday on my lunch break, I snagged a free cheese grater, a free tote bag, and a bar of Kinder chocolate!

Then last night The Ex and I visited Yahoo! House, which is the headquarters for figure skater Elvis Stojko, who is writing Olympics coverage for Yahoo. It's a pretty fun pavilion, because you get a free pin, free hot chocolate, and free heat packs (not that we need it in this glorious glorious weather we're getting!)

There were also TVs and big screens all over where you can watch the live events. We were there to witness Sidney Crosby's winning shot in the Canada vs Switzerland hockey game last night. It's the eye of the storm though, because the stadium is mere blocks away which meant we needed to hightail it out of there before the mass exodus took place out onto the streets.

But not before taking some silly photos for Yahoo! who have stations set up for folks to come in and do their poses. They then give you two free hard copies of your photos, as well as upload them up onto Flickr. Check out the Yahoo Fancouver photos here!

Canada House

There was a big stink over the building of Canada House because the architect was American and the design of it was uninspired and borderline fugly.

However, you can't judge a book by its cover. Canada House was pretty fun, I must say! I mean, I got take another photo with the RCMP fellas!! So how can I complain?

There's a lot of interactive things to do like this snowboarding game that I was totally HORRIBLE at! You can also take a pic with the Olympic torch, which of course I had to do again. The ParaOlympic Torch is also there. Yesterday, the Stanley Cup was in attendance for fans to revel at.

Bobsled!!

Happiest Video EVER

The Bell Ice Cube

Not only are provinces and countries putting up pavilions and houses, but so are some corporate sponsors! I ducked into the Bell Ice Cube the other evening during the Victory Ceremonies, and inside we were greeted with a set of free earphones and our very own cow bell!! Everyone inside was of course glued to the big screen watching as Alex Bilodeau received his gold medal on home soil!

The New Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel

Built just in time for the Olympics is the new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, located right on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver. It's a beautiful hotel, inside and outside. They have a restaurant called Oru that I can't wait to try, and they also have a more casual cafe/eatery for the lunching crowds, called Giovane, which will be the perfect place for me to go hang out on my break after I tire of going to my tea shop Muzi.

Here are some photos of the new hotel!

Flaming

On Monday I went to visit the Olympic cauldron, which is less than a block away from my work. Here it is!! Of course it was all barricaded behind a gate, which has caused a huge ruckus amongst locals and tourists alike, criticizing VANOC for not thinking that people would flock to this attraction to take a nice picture with it. After the outcry, they have dismantled the barricade and put up a smaller one instead, apparently.

2010 : Year of the Tiger

So now that we've rung in the Chinese New Year, it's time for our forecasts!



I read mine, and it seems rather on point! Especially when it comes to career. It tells me to expect changes, possibly a promotion, that this will happen either early this year or in the Fall. It makes sense because come September, I'll be reaching my three year mark with the government, which means they HAVE to make me a permanent employee instead of continuing to string me along month to month. So, we'll see if this prediction holds true.

What does the Year of the Tiger have in store for you? Find out here!

Olympics 2010: Canada CODE and CBC

There is an overwhelming amount of things to do in the city right now, which is awesome!

One of those things is the Canada Code program, which includes three venues for art to be on display: The Great Northern Way Campus, Emily Carr on Granville Island, and the Vancouver Central Library.

There are also tons of free live broadcasts taking place over at the CBC Vancouver headquarters. In fact, I'm heading to a taping of The Debaters next Tuesday and can barely wait!!!

I've heard they have CBC trader pins available at some of their meet and greet events - I totally want to go and meet Wiretap's Jonathan Goldstein this weekend, and maybe catch a performance by Canadian band Stars on Thursday night!

A Night With City and Colour

Last night I attended the City and Colour concert, which was part of the Cultural Olympiad going on around town in addition to the Olympics.

It was a good show, and I had more fun this time since I am more familiar with his music since the last time I saw him a few years ago. What I don't understand however is the type of crowd he attracts. His music is mellow and melancholy and thoughtful and intelligent. Yet some of the people who go to his shows are loud, drunk, and skanky. What gives?? His music is not really conducive to people yelling out stupid things to, yet it happens.

Oh well, if you don't know his stuff, here's Sleeping Sickness, which is not as slow or sad as some of his other stuff, but still has the same intensity and emotion.

Canada's Gold

Now that Alex Bilodeau has won Canada's first gold on home soil, everyone is in love with him, aren't they? I know I am. I should go stalk him at the athletes' village!!



He's so cute and so well spoken and the whole background story about his brother and his inspiration. Brings. Me. To. Tears.

Amazing!

And then of course there's the ex-Canadian Dale Begg-Smith, who is now Australian and ended up sullenly winning the silver medal (though I hear he looks like he's got something up his arse all the time). Apparently he's known for being a jerk? What's this shady malware/spyware business he has that has made him completely rich? And now he and the Australian team are seriously complaining that Alex did not deserve the gold??? oyyyy.... Sour grapes, much?

Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's, Happy Day!!!

Today was a good day.

Canada just won its first Gold medal on home soil.

The weather in Vancouver was downright balmy and beautiful.

And I got to spend Valentine's with The Guy.

We met up early this morning for a Valentine's breakfast. It was more than I had even hoped for. To see him on Valentine's?? I'll take it! After our meal, though, we decided to continue to hang out and go check out a bunch of the houses and pavilions that have sprouted up all over town in a mini-expo.

First up was Russia House, which has taken over Science World. Unfortunately, the line-up was atrocious and I'd heard rumblings of a 3 hour wait. No thanks!

So we skipped out on Russia and instead walked over to the other side of False Creek where an abandoned parking lot once stood and now played host to pavilions and line-ups.

The first one we went towards was Quebec House, which had a huge line-up forming. We were greeted by staff members who gave out free Quebec scarves to everyone waiting in line. It turned out though, that the line was just for food! And we could've walked in way earlier instead of standing there! Oh well, at least we got a freebie scarf out of it. Inside there was not much going on. An empty stage waited for performers to take to it later in the afternoon.

Across from Maison du Quebec is the Molson Canadian Hockey House. It costs a cool $99 to get in! And what do you get when you get in? You get to BUY your own beer from waitresses with big boobs while watching the hockey games on a big screen TV. Whoopee. FAIL!

Instead, we hiked over to Ontario House, which had ropes decorating the outside.

After lining up for a good half an hour, we finally got to go in and see their "4D" (as opposed to 3D) mini-film on Ontario. It featured snow and water being thrown into our faces, the smell of the great outdoors, and even people jabbing us as we watched a parade down Toronto's Yonge Street. Very cool concept, and probably the best pavilion there!

Saskatchewan House has an interesting design to it too, with images being projected on at night. Here we went for a bite to eat and tried some bison burgers and Saskatoon berry tarts!

Also, a friend of The Guy's came and met up with us and he seemed nice and friendly. I was of course nervous and excited to meet one of his friends, since I don't know too many of them. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I felt that we got along.

After, we walked through the throngs and throngs of people in downtown and visited other hot spots like Alberta House (which turned out to just be a restaurant) and made our way up Granville Street to see all the public art installations. At times it was just fun to feel the energy and buzz all around! Cow bells were ringing left right and centre (you can buy them at The Bay - apparently they are used to cheer on skiers and snowboarders, etc.)

Best Valentine's Day EVER.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Olympics 2010: Heineken House!!

Today I heard someone say, "Might as well see everything while you can!"

Good attitude!

Which is why I'm proud of myself for saying YES to going out late last night to the Holland Heineken House located at the Richmond O-Zone. I went with my Ex and his boss and his boss' girlfriend. The boss paid for everything - from the cab ride from downtown Vancouver to Richmond (and back) to the entrance fee and to the beer inside.

Inside was a MASSIVE party going on, and they were all especially happy because earlier that evening the Netherlands won a Gold medal in the men's speed skating! Needless to say, it was very very celebratory! They had a cover band doing songs by request from the audience (who had to go up to a telephone and call it in to the singer on the stage). Some songs and requests were in Dutch, but it didn't matter because everyone was having an amazingly great time!

I tried out some of the food they had there, including some deep fried mashed potato and meat mix that they sandwiched into a hot dog bun. The people working there were partying it up too. I took a photo of these workers who posed for me and then got caught dancing behind the counter!

Vectorial Elevation

Want to take part in some of Vancouver's Olympic festivities?



Remember that light show in English Bay I blogged about? You can go online and create your own pattern for it to follow!!

Just visit Vectorial Elevation and create your own light show for everyone here in Vancouver to see!

Dancing In the Streets!

Well, you might have heard about the anti-Olympic protestors who took to the streets yesterday morning and vandalized property and caused a big ruckus. I mean, come on, people. That just totally discredits your side. Resorting to vandalism will not make people want to listen to you. Why not stand there peacefully and get your message out? Why break windows and throw newspaper boxes out into the street? Yeah, you've lost my respect, sorry. The Olympics are here and it is a fantastic time to be a Canadian, to be a Vancouverite.

Just check out the flash mob that took place later the same day! Now this is what should be happening in our streets more often!!

Olympics 2010: Opening Ceremonies

Well it's here. We are definitely the world at the moment.

Tonight the Opening Ceremonies took place. Did you watch? I had an embarrassment of riches when I got to see the rehearsals not once, but twice. It was truly an amazing experience.

I loved the tap dancing part and the poetry the best. kd lang's version of Hallelujah is beautiful, as was the ode to the prairies with Joni Mitchell's song. It would've been hell of a lot cooler if Joni Mitchell was actually there to sing it though.

Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado? Meah. Lip synching - badly.

Sarah McLachlan was wonderful, her voice so angelic, and she sang live!

The cauldron malfunction at the end was unfortunate, and Wayne Gretzky's ride right past my work building was a bit awkward, but overall, well done Vancouver!!!

We Are The World 25 For Haiti

Celine's alright, but I miss my Cyndi Lauper!!!

Everybody Hurts - Haiti Charity single from UK

Listen for Kylie, but sadly she doesn't appear in the video!

Pin Collecting!!

Why didn't I get on this bandwagon earlier?

The other day I walked into the Olympic superstore at The Bay and wound up finding my peeps. That's to say: fellow crazy hoarders, except with pins!!!

I had a few in my pocket, including one that I got at the Torch ceremony in Richmond on Tuesday night. One of them pointed at it and said, "I like that one! Wanna trade?!"

And so it began. My first pin trade! And I was immediately hooked!!! I gave it to him in exchange for a vintage Montreal Olympics pin, which I love!



Yesterday I visited the just opened Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion really briefly just to grab myself one of their pins they were giving out. I snagged two and traded one with someone a mere 10 minutes later!

I knew I should have lined up with the hordes of people at CTV months ago when they were handing out media pins! Apparently the media ones are the hardest to get and big with pin collectors!!!!

Olympics 2010 : Richmond O-Zone

Last night, me and 20,000 or so of my closest friends hiked out to Richmond to visit the Olympic area known as the Richmond O-Zone. This is steps away from the new skating rink facility where a lot of the sporting events will be taking place. But more importantly, The O-Zone will be home to a slew of free events during the Olympics, and last night's arrival of the Olympic Torch was just the first of many!

Yes, I had to take a photo with some RCMP officers.

Then after waiting about an hour in line, I got my chance to take a photo with the Olympic torch! Yay!!!