It’s over already?!

Hey guys can you believe it?

The 2010 Games are officially over. Remember starting 4 years ago, when all the construction began taking place? How for some of us walking to school meant getting our ear drums blasted out by jack hammers drilling away, running across   because cars were swerving to miss the big, concrete slabs of temporary road block?

It seems just like yesterday that the Canada Line was being built, the most obvious sign of the Olympics for me.

I had the good luck to be in Korea when the World Cups took place in 2002 in Seoul, co-hosted by Tokyo. The buzz there was incredible. Even though I was only 10 back then, I can still remember strangers hugging each other at every goal, cheering, and basically subdued anarchy everywhere. That was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity.

then I had the good fortune to move to Vancouver, host city of the Winter Olympics / Paralympic Games. I had the good luck to be in what’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime situation 2 times; having such a major and global event happen in their city.

In turns of cheering and fan support, I’ve got to say, Canadians were AWESOME. Don’t try to tell me otherwise; if you’ve been downtown at anytime during the Olympics (not as much during the Paralympics S:) you know what i’m talking about.

The unusual amount of red / white on the streets?

Random guys singing the national anthem?

FLAG CAPES?

and people wearing Olympic merchandise.

It was truly amazing experience… even though school essentially ruined most of it for most of us public school students.

I urge you to get your hands on a souvenir – it’s not too late. Most places still sell Olympic merchandise. This is a memory that you’ll keep forever – so perhaps start a journal or a diary, too! Maybe you can do what we bloggers are doing here; let the world know what you think!

Paralympics aren’t important, eh?

The Winter Olympics have past and the Paralympics are soon to be here…

Well in my opinion, the paralympic athletes deserve more praise. At school there are people who say “no one cares about the paralympics!”. But I say this is rubbish. These paralympic athletes have worked their bodies to the limit DESPITE their handicaps! Just imagine – would you be willing to go down a slope you’ve never been to before, completely blind, only replying on your sense of hearing and a guide? I surely wouldn’t.

Would you be willing to discharge a gun just based on noises you hear?
Would you be willing to cross-country ski, not knowing if you’re going the right way every second?

These athletes have achieved more than Olympic athletes. Without saying, of course, both types of athletes are downright impressive. I can never accomplish their feats… but the Paralympic athletes are something to muse at.

So tell this to your friends who say nay; “Paralympics are here in Vancouver. Why isn’t it just as important as the Olympics? It’s the same thing, with the addition of braver, stronger, and determined(ER) athletes!”

So. Conclusion.

CHEER ON TEAM CANADA!

PS: or whatever team you might be cheering for.

What a wonderful day!

Well ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls

Incase you have been living under a thicker rock than me, today was a BIG day. You know why?

CANADA has won 4 MEDALS TODAY!!! WOOOOOOT WOOT!

Aw come on, old chap! Don’t sit there and read this boring piece of text! I want you to GET UP, and say “TEAM CANADA ROCKS!” five times.

Finished? Hey! You only said it 4 times! GO! DO IT. NOW!!

GO GO TEAM CANADA! WOOOOOOT!

So to sum up today’s events, here you are!

Bronze cross in speed skating: Clara Hughes

Hockey: Canada beats Russia! Do we really need to remind them who’s game they’re playing?

Silver medal AND gold medal in WOMEN’S BOBSLEIGH!

Now go out and celebrate! Actually don’t if you’re reading this you’re probably underage and it’s already past 10 P.M. So don’t get in trouble. But CHEER CANADA ON!

We are now in 4th place! WOOT WOOT!

To keep you connected…

Today has been an eventful day.

Unfortunately I just got off my stringent tutour schedule and I wasn’t able to watch most of the events live. However, I sit here, writing this post, distracted by the CTV feed of the events going on right nwo and what happened while I was busy studying Math D:

So, what happened today?

US Snowboard star Shaun White wins the half pipe gold. This was much anticipated and even expected. Some of the tricks pulled off in this event were spectacular,

Short Track for women: China wins, with Ms. Wang in the lead. It seems that Asians are excelling in the skating events!

Speed Skating 1,000m ‘s champion, Davis defended his title. Korea put in a good fight but wasn’t close enough to snag gold to their home soil.

America took home both Gold and Silver medals from the Alpine Skiing events. Lindsey Vonn took home gold, and Julia Mancuso took the silver.

No new medals for Canada, unfortunately. D:

USA is in first place with 14 medals, Germany coming up close with 10 medals. France is coming up with 7 medals, Canada close by with 6, and Korea right on Canada’s tail with 5 medals.

Anyways, to keep you connected, Canada Line is in service. I’m sure you were aware of that a looooonnnnnngg time ago though. If you haven’t been on it for a while though, be prepared! The line up to the Canada line has become ridiculously long.

Almost all trains are near full capacity, and getting on and off are harder than ever. Here are some pointers to keep your trip safe and short!

1. Get to the Canada Line, Skytrain, whatever station 15 minutes earlier than usual. The before / after event rush hours can extend the lines up to 30 minutes!

2. Be polite. Let people step off the train car first before you attempt to get on. It’s much easier for both of you that way.

3. -Take off your backpack! There are tons of people that still wear backpacks on crowded public transportation vehicles. This crowds up the interpersonal space even more and frustrates people when they get hit. Plus, your things are more vulnerable to thieves. Kindly take your backpack off, and hold it by your feet. Be a model citizen!
   

4. Speaking of which, watch after your belongings! If a thief succeeds in getting an item out of your bag or your jacket, it’s going to be very hard for you to chase them down. Make sure that nothing weird is happening around you.

5. Try to avoid over crowded stations. These stations include Waterfront Station, Vancouver City Centre, and Oakridge Shopping Centre. Be aware as line ups could get long!

Oh, and there are police officers / transit officials at every station. If you spot suspicious activity or find random packages lying around, please alert officials of this.

Now on to something new and exciting!

the OLYMPIC LINE!

What is it?

It’s a cool new street-car concept model. It is currently connecting Olympic Village (fittingly) and Granville Island. Between these two stations, a mini-skytrain looking street car will travel in regular intervals at your service. The tram is free of charge and open to the general public. This is a 60-day demonstration test project to see if it could be applied to the streets of Vancouver. I rode on it just a few days ago and also on February 6th 2010, and I’ve got to say, it’s wayyy cool. Try it if you’ve got time. If you don’t, make time! It’s only here for 60 days and it’s been here 27 days already. It’s going to be open for only 33 MORE DAYS!! Go check it out!!!

For more info, please visit:

http://olympichostcity.vancouver.ca/gettingaround/publictransit/olympic-line/

Now go out there and be a model citizen! Try out all the new rides and go to the free venues!

But perhaps most importantly, cheer Canada on! (Or whatever country you decided to cheer on.)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

PS: I’m sure you know already but if you want to see all the official info, check it out here:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/

To keep you updated…

For those of you lovebirds enjoying Valentine’s day or celebrating Chinese New Year or celebrating the Winter Olympics or all three….

Winter Olympics are here and this, is a thing you do NOT want to miss.

For all of us Vancouverites, as cliche as it is, it’s a ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY! For all those of you who do not have work or school, I urge you to go on and cheer on Team Canada! Even for those who do have work or school, I still urge you to cheer on. Go to a free event, scattered all throughout downtown! If you’re lucky enough to have snagged a ticket, scream your lungs out for CANADA!

Now that that’s been said, there are those of us who still live in the stone age. Those of us that have yet to get a television.

Fortunately enough for us, live feeds are available through on the CTV website. You can watch it here:

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/video/ctv/index.html?cid=sbctv

This gives you live feed of current events and statistics. You can also scroll back a little and watch, say, what happened 30 minutes ago. On top of this, the CTV website presents the winners of the past events.

For those of you who have an iTouch or an iPhone, there is also a Vancouver 2010 Guide application. This cool application keeps you updated on all current events, future events, and past events. It shows you where to go, where the events are being held, and even has a map to show you where you are and where you should be. The application is free.

Do not pay for any other applications. This is the official application sponsored by Bell and in my opinion, the best one.

You can get the application when you type in “Vancouver 2010″ into your search box on your iTouch / iPhone’s App Store.

Those are two ways to just keep in touch with the Olympics when you’re on the go or at some place that you don’t have a television available.

Of course, for those of you in Vancouver, Olympics are being televised just about everywhere. Oakridge Shopping Centre has a television set up broadcasting the Olympics, as well as Metrotown. There are numerous celebrations downtown with big-screen TVs broadcasting live feed.

Wherever you are, keep in touch and cheer on Team Canada.

Go Team Canada!