The Brott Blog is pleased to have a few Vancouverites at our service who have promised to report on their perspectives as residents in our fair Olympic city to the West during these exciting 17 days. We are always thrilled to hear from the always-effervescent and cultured Irene Kavanagh, whose wit and charm will liven up anyone's rainy (or snowy as the case may be) Vancouver day:
Good Tuesday morning, Brott Festival!
What a weekend! I was positively inspired by Alex Bilodeau’s win….. and OMG… who wrote that Tim Hortons commercial!!….. I was completely run over at my own unexpected emotional reaction…..by the time the reunited family emerged from the airport wearing all the newly purchased winter clothes, I was a blubbering mass of confused protoplasm. The finest in manipulative advertising BUT apparently “based on a true story” as the introductory title stated.
Alex Bilodeau….perfection all the way down that run! And now Mike Robertson from Alberta, who won Silver for the Men’s Downhill Cross…a crazed snowboarding event….. these people have knees from the gods…..
From BC Place last evening, the victory and medal awards ceremony were held honouring Canada, Australia, and the United States. Three young men, at the top of their game, and for Alex Bilodeau, his life is about to change forever. The crowd didn’t want to let go and their cheers went on for several minutes. American Bronze winner Bryon Wilson, smiled brightly at the judges, the crowds, and at his golden competitor; Australian Silver medalist Dale Begg-Smith….not so much…oh dear.
I wondered if Dale had ever heard Jerry Seinfeld’s bit on the Olympics and his wonderfully skewered view of the silver medal. On the other hand, Dale was born in 1985 and this is from Jerry’s “I’m Telling You for the Last Time” Broadway show in 1998, at which time he was retiring all his old material….This means that Dale would have been 13 years old. I never cease to be horrified by people who are often younger than my funniest memories.
Tomorrow I’m hoping that S and I can inch through downtown and find our way into some of the international pavilions - hopefully first at the Canada and BC buildings…. prior to which we might flip a coin to see whose family’s silver service should be sold to pay for parking. Or we could go quite radical and use public transportation, which is currently at its best for all the visitors. During the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Games (Mar. 12 – 21 in Vancouver and Whistler, with opening ceremonies also held at BC Place Stadium), an Olympic Line free streetcar service has been created for athletes, visitors and residents, running along a stretch of specially upgraded historic-railway track and will connect Granville Island to the Line's Olympic Village Station. Some of the teams have been at Granville Island to meet, greet, and press the flesh. The love-fest is on! For seventeen days, everyone is in one place to celebrate excellence and diversity.
Yes indeedy Vancouver is now high on Olympic fever. Did you see the opening ceremony? Spectacular! Or And I thought that k.d. lang’s performance was mesmerizing. She seems to be getting better as she gets older. The city is giddy….Whistler and Cypress mountains have kabillions of people spending money….Granville Island, a trendy, artsy area in mid-town, has tourists and new pay parking that has the locals very ticked off. In fact, the whole parking scene has run amok…..if you park underground for the evening anywhere downtown, don’t expect to come away for less than $30. The city definitely is expecting to rake in truckloads of cash. Considering what already has been spent, I hope it does, even at the risk of having everyone feeling as though they’ve been turned upside down and shaken out for their last few pennies. On the whole, there are bazillions of people everywhere but they’re having a super time.
Irene