1. Everything will cost twice as much as usual.
2. Don’t mess with the fans from the home country.
3. Sleep is not an option.
4. Get your tickets early, and get as many as possible, even if you don’t think you like the sport.
5. Learn to say “Go [insert country name]” in as many languages as possible.
6. Bring plenty of clothes in your country colors.
7. The bigger the cowbell, the better.
8. Talk to the people next you. They may turn out to be a neighbor, or live halfway across the world. Either way, you’ll make a new friend.
9. If you’re going to an outdoor sport, make sure your shoes, hat, and gloves are waterproof.
10. Climb to the top of the bobsleigh run. It’s worth it.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Finally thawed out
We voyaged to Whistler today to see the bobsleigh. Amazing. There's no way to describe how fast the bobsleds are speeding in person. I have a lot of photos of empty track to prove it. I managed to get a few shots with the bobsled in frame, but it was difficult. We traversed to the very top of the course and happened to be standing next to two fans who live ten minutes away from me. We shared e-mails and will trade photos after the Games. We watched the competitors speed down and slown made our way along the course, getting views from all the turns. The course was extremely fast, with several teams crashing around turn 13. Fortunately everyone was ok, and they were even able to take their second runs. After becoming completely frozen, I took the gondola back to the Village and wandered around to find some coffee.
Ray, Angie, and I met at Araxi for dinner. This is the restaurant featured on Gordan Ramsey's "Hell's Kitchen" tv show. No, the winning chef was not there, nor was Chef Ramsey. The meal was quite pricey, but so worth it. I had a perfect Sablefish dish. After checking out the scene in the great little ski town, we got back on the bus to head back for our final night in Vancouver.
As soon as we got on the Skytrain, it was pure insanity. Canada had won its game against Slovakia to make it into the Gold medal matchup against USA on Sunday. The home team will have another chance against the Americans. The town seems to forget about the loss last Sunday. There are spontaneous singings of "Oh Canada", constant honking of car horns, and a whole lot of screaming. I tried to look inconspicuous, but the American flag sticker on my face gave me away. For the most part, the crowd remained friendly.
I can't believe that this is our last night. It has been a whirlwind tour of the Olympics and we are set for another trip eight years from now, dependant on location. We took bets as to where the Games will be. I picked a Scandanavian country (Swedish fans have been very pleasant), Angie chose North American, and Ray has Munich, which is the only city we have heard of so far that is putting in a bid. We know that Sochi in four years is not enough time to prepare for another trip, so we're hoping for the following Winter Games.
In case you didn't read before, I have articles on Puckingawesome.com and NHLdigest.com. I should have one on delcotimes.com as well, but I'm not sure what day. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for reading!
Ray, Angie, and I met at Araxi for dinner. This is the restaurant featured on Gordan Ramsey's "Hell's Kitchen" tv show. No, the winning chef was not there, nor was Chef Ramsey. The meal was quite pricey, but so worth it. I had a perfect Sablefish dish. After checking out the scene in the great little ski town, we got back on the bus to head back for our final night in Vancouver.
As soon as we got on the Skytrain, it was pure insanity. Canada had won its game against Slovakia to make it into the Gold medal matchup against USA on Sunday. The home team will have another chance against the Americans. The town seems to forget about the loss last Sunday. There are spontaneous singings of "Oh Canada", constant honking of car horns, and a whole lot of screaming. I tried to look inconspicuous, but the American flag sticker on my face gave me away. For the most part, the crowd remained friendly.
I can't believe that this is our last night. It has been a whirlwind tour of the Olympics and we are set for another trip eight years from now, dependant on location. We took bets as to where the Games will be. I picked a Scandanavian country (Swedish fans have been very pleasant), Angie chose North American, and Ray has Munich, which is the only city we have heard of so far that is putting in a bid. We know that Sochi in four years is not enough time to prepare for another trip, so we're hoping for the following Winter Games.
In case you didn't read before, I have articles on Puckingawesome.com and NHLdigest.com. I should have one on delcotimes.com as well, but I'm not sure what day. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for reading!
Almost gold...and it's ok
Today was the most exhausting day yet, with even more packed in for tomorrow. We left at around 10 a.m. to head to Canada Hockey Place for the womens bronze and gold medal games. First up was Sweden vs. Finland. By now we have flags for all the teams and have enjoyed cheering for every team. Key to the fun was the cowbells that we got from the Bell telephone store. We became official hockey crazies with this aquisition. And we used them to our full potential. What else would you expect from three people that met while in the college band? Ok, I was a cheerleader and they were in the band, but that's a story for another time. I end up in the band somewhere along the way, playing the french horn thanks to lessons by Angie. Anyway, I had second row seats for the bronze-medal game. Ray and Angie snuck their way down later in the game and the cheering pack was together again. We actually loved the energy of this game. The women on both team played tough, with a few punches and shoves along the way. Finland was overwhelmed with the win and stood with their heads up to receive their bronze medals.
Next up was the anticipated USA/Canada gold-medal game. My superhero cape was the American flag, and we had no problem tredging through a sea of red and white to get into the arena and take our seats. We were pleased to have pleasant conversions with the Canadians around us, and even happier that we had many USA fans in the rows surrounding us. The woman sitting next to me was from Winnipeg, but cheers for Pittsburgh because of Sydney Crosby. I nicely informed her that people from Philly don't like him. I tried to be polite. She had been nice to talk to until she brought up Sid. Differences aside, we talked about hockey and both cheered for our teams. At the end it was just two goals that made the difference. We all clapped for each team, with no animosity or taunting. Allegedly the Canadian women brought beer, champagne and cigars to the ice after most people has left the arena. I don''t think it was proper for them to celebrate like this in their uniforms, with gold medals draped around their necks. Nevertheless, everyone behaved and we didn't get beaten up for wearing a ridiculous amount of red, white, and blue.
We did a little wandering in Yaletown to find any last-minute deals. We enjoyed some stree performances and headed to a delicious Italian dinner in Yaletown. We just couldn't let the night end, so we made our way to Robson Square to see the nightly fireworks show. Then it was back to the condo to get ready for an early departure to Whistler for the bobsleigh event. It's about a two-hour bus ride. After the event, we'll wander around Whistler and then eat at the famous Araxi, featured in Gordan Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen tv show. Then back to Vancouver for our last night. How fast it is here. We've been going nonstop, and loving all of it. Hope you're enjoying reading this. I'm about to fall asleep staring at the screen, so I'll be off to bed.
Next up was the anticipated USA/Canada gold-medal game. My superhero cape was the American flag, and we had no problem tredging through a sea of red and white to get into the arena and take our seats. We were pleased to have pleasant conversions with the Canadians around us, and even happier that we had many USA fans in the rows surrounding us. The woman sitting next to me was from Winnipeg, but cheers for Pittsburgh because of Sydney Crosby. I nicely informed her that people from Philly don't like him. I tried to be polite. She had been nice to talk to until she brought up Sid. Differences aside, we talked about hockey and both cheered for our teams. At the end it was just two goals that made the difference. We all clapped for each team, with no animosity or taunting. Allegedly the Canadian women brought beer, champagne and cigars to the ice after most people has left the arena. I don''t think it was proper for them to celebrate like this in their uniforms, with gold medals draped around their necks. Nevertheless, everyone behaved and we didn't get beaten up for wearing a ridiculous amount of red, white, and blue.
We did a little wandering in Yaletown to find any last-minute deals. We enjoyed some stree performances and headed to a delicious Italian dinner in Yaletown. We just couldn't let the night end, so we made our way to Robson Square to see the nightly fireworks show. Then it was back to the condo to get ready for an early departure to Whistler for the bobsleigh event. It's about a two-hour bus ride. After the event, we'll wander around Whistler and then eat at the famous Araxi, featured in Gordan Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen tv show. Then back to Vancouver for our last night. How fast it is here. We've been going nonstop, and loving all of it. Hope you're enjoying reading this. I'm about to fall asleep staring at the screen, so I'll be off to bed.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The view from my window
The Olympic world sits beyond my window, showcasing everything the city has to offer. The fireworks are erupting above the buildings in Robson Square. More fireworks from the waterfront are reflecting off the apartment building windows across the way. I can see the long line to get into the party at Ireland House. The live music is blaring, easily heard from the 20th floor condo. I don't need a television to know when Canada scores a goal or wins another medal. The excitement is in the air. And the Olympic rings on the waterfront turn to gold. Neon signs call out for the fans to enter for more nightlife. The majority of people walking by have flags draped on their backs like superhero capes. Even more amazing, I can see the same hockey game on each tv in the apartment building across the way. It is Canada's sport.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Still motoring along
Being an Olympic fan is tiring! I think we've walked over ten miles each day. I guess I should start where I left off - yesterday.
We hopped on the bus to head to Vancouver Olmpic Centre to see curling. Public transportation is free for anyone with an event ticket. It was a quick ride over the bridge and we were on our way to see one of the most popular events here. The place was rockin'! Unfortunately the seats were extremely close to each other with little room to sit. I settled in and made friends with the nice Swedish men sitting next to me. I decided to root for their team since USA was not in any of the matches. I didn't understand everything that was going on, but it was worth seeing.
After the event, we headed to Granville Island for the famous Indian salmon candy that I've been craving since being in Vancouver in August. The market is one of my favorite parts of the city. The market has a tremendous variety of fresh flowers, produce, seafood, cheese, meats, breads, and other prepared foods. But the prize is the previously mentioned salmon candy. These are scrumptuous little bites of salmon covered in a maple honey syrup. I was not disappointed; they were as good as I remembered. We were able to see Place de la Francophone, Switzerland House, and one of the Canadian houses. There was an outdoor concert and various other performances. After a nice sit-down dinner, we took a long walk back to our place. Crossing the Granville Bridge we saw the vectorial light show and found Slovakia House. We all fell asleep nearly the second we got home.
Today was the first day to roam around. We headed out to find the Olympic cauldron. On the way (in the wrong direction) we walked through Yaletown and saw one of the spontaneous street hockey games that we've heard about. The typical Vancouver weather finally found us as it started to rain. We finally set ourselves straight and headed to see the flame. On the way, we saw a display of two of the torches and found the countdown clocks, which is now counting up. The flame was a sight to behold along the waterfront. Photos to come. Then it was back to walking, and shopping, and eating. We watched the Canada vs. Germany game at a local corner bar. Literally, it was "The Corner." We were all wet and tired, so we returned to the condo for a rest.
We hopped on the bus to head to Vancouver Olmpic Centre to see curling. Public transportation is free for anyone with an event ticket. It was a quick ride over the bridge and we were on our way to see one of the most popular events here. The place was rockin'! Unfortunately the seats were extremely close to each other with little room to sit. I settled in and made friends with the nice Swedish men sitting next to me. I decided to root for their team since USA was not in any of the matches. I didn't understand everything that was going on, but it was worth seeing.
After the event, we headed to Granville Island for the famous Indian salmon candy that I've been craving since being in Vancouver in August. The market is one of my favorite parts of the city. The market has a tremendous variety of fresh flowers, produce, seafood, cheese, meats, breads, and other prepared foods. But the prize is the previously mentioned salmon candy. These are scrumptuous little bites of salmon covered in a maple honey syrup. I was not disappointed; they were as good as I remembered. We were able to see Place de la Francophone, Switzerland House, and one of the Canadian houses. There was an outdoor concert and various other performances. After a nice sit-down dinner, we took a long walk back to our place. Crossing the Granville Bridge we saw the vectorial light show and found Slovakia House. We all fell asleep nearly the second we got home.
Today was the first day to roam around. We headed out to find the Olympic cauldron. On the way (in the wrong direction) we walked through Yaletown and saw one of the spontaneous street hockey games that we've heard about. The typical Vancouver weather finally found us as it started to rain. We finally set ourselves straight and headed to see the flame. On the way, we saw a display of two of the torches and found the countdown clocks, which is now counting up. The flame was a sight to behold along the waterfront. Photos to come. Then it was back to walking, and shopping, and eating. We watched the Canada vs. Germany game at a local corner bar. Literally, it was "The Corner." We were all wet and tired, so we returned to the condo for a rest.
Monday, February 22, 2010
HOCKEY!!!!
Sorry that it’s been a little bit since the last update. We’ve been running around nonstop. We woke up yesterday morning and went to pick up all our tickets. Then it was on to the first hockey game – Russia vs. Czech Republic. Ray bought a flag for each team so we could cheer along.
**I need to interrupt myself for a second. Looking out our window, I just saw fireworks going on from Robson Square. How amazing to see that while just hanging out at the condo?**
The hockey game was incredible. It was completely different than going to an NHL game. The only thing that was the same is the size of the ice. There were no men in suits, business meetings, or people just going to hang out at this game. The crowd was passionate, hanging on every moment of the game. And they got what they paid for. Of course the highlight of the game was Ovechkin’s hit on Jagr. The place went wild. Russia is going to be a tough team to beat.
The day was dubbed “Super Sunday” because of the three big matchups, with USA vs. Canada as the highlight. We headed downtown to find a good spot to watch the big game. Robson square was so mobbed, we could not find a spot to watch on the outdoor screen. So we went to the most obvious place we could think of. No, not the bar. We headed to the Sears on the corner and went straight to the electronics department. A crowd was already parked in front of the televisions. Decked out in USA clothes, we cheered along as we watched our team somehow pull out the victory. Canada had more shots, more time in the offensive zone, and seemed to be controlling the play, yet we managed to win.
The walk back to the arena to see the next game was good for us, bad for Canadians. It was easy to spot the USA fans, draped in flags and high fiving each other while walking by. It was even easier to spot the deflated Canadians. We got some nasty looks and even a growl from one person. It was more like a kitty cat purr than a tiger growl. The fan had been stripped of his energy, as had the country. We enjoyed the Finland vs. Sweden game, but it just lacked the excitement of the first two games. It was like the Canadian fans had robbed the fun out of the arena. I’ll make sure to bring it back when I return on Wednesday.
We thought the Olympic Superstore would be less crowded at midnight, but we had no such luck. No red mittens to be found, except children’s size. Luckily, that worked for me, but not for my friends that wanted a pair. Maybe they’ll get more in later in the week. Today was a long and tiring day full of walking, curling, and eating. I’ll wait to write about it, because this post is long enough already. Hope everyone is enjoying their week, wherever you are.
**I need to interrupt myself for a second. Looking out our window, I just saw fireworks going on from Robson Square. How amazing to see that while just hanging out at the condo?**
The hockey game was incredible. It was completely different than going to an NHL game. The only thing that was the same is the size of the ice. There were no men in suits, business meetings, or people just going to hang out at this game. The crowd was passionate, hanging on every moment of the game. And they got what they paid for. Of course the highlight of the game was Ovechkin’s hit on Jagr. The place went wild. Russia is going to be a tough team to beat.
The day was dubbed “Super Sunday” because of the three big matchups, with USA vs. Canada as the highlight. We headed downtown to find a good spot to watch the big game. Robson square was so mobbed, we could not find a spot to watch on the outdoor screen. So we went to the most obvious place we could think of. No, not the bar. We headed to the Sears on the corner and went straight to the electronics department. A crowd was already parked in front of the televisions. Decked out in USA clothes, we cheered along as we watched our team somehow pull out the victory. Canada had more shots, more time in the offensive zone, and seemed to be controlling the play, yet we managed to win.
The walk back to the arena to see the next game was good for us, bad for Canadians. It was easy to spot the USA fans, draped in flags and high fiving each other while walking by. It was even easier to spot the deflated Canadians. We got some nasty looks and even a growl from one person. It was more like a kitty cat purr than a tiger growl. The fan had been stripped of his energy, as had the country. We enjoyed the Finland vs. Sweden game, but it just lacked the excitement of the first two games. It was like the Canadian fans had robbed the fun out of the arena. I’ll make sure to bring it back when I return on Wednesday.
We thought the Olympic Superstore would be less crowded at midnight, but we had no such luck. No red mittens to be found, except children’s size. Luckily, that worked for me, but not for my friends that wanted a pair. Maybe they’ll get more in later in the week. Today was a long and tiring day full of walking, curling, and eating. I’ll wait to write about it, because this post is long enough already. Hope everyone is enjoying their week, wherever you are.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Craziness all around
I can't believe how crazy it is here. Everybody we've talked to has told us that today has been the busiest day by far. Tomorrow is a big day - two hockey games. Although it's not the spotlighted USA vs. Canada game, we'll be seeing two great games and will definitely find a great spot to watch the game.
Tonight we went to a reception at the USA House. We heard three former Olympians speak; John Naber, Donna Weinbrecht, and Jeremy Bloom. Jeremy Bloom? He used to live four doors down from me. "It's a small world," he said, but I'm pretty sure he had no recollection of me. UnderArmour models don't tend to pay attention to me. The second floor of the USA House is a place for athletes to hang out when they're not competing or at the Athlete Village. While we saw former Olympians, there were no current athlete spottings. Maybe later this week. Of course I had to do a little shopping at the USA store before leaving. We were told to be careful if wearing USA apparel around the Canada fans, but we know that won't happen. I didn't bring all my red, white, and blue clothes to Canada for no reason! I'm a Philadelphia fan. We live to antagonize fans of rival teams. Tomorrow should be an exciting day!
Tonight we went to a reception at the USA House. We heard three former Olympians speak; John Naber, Donna Weinbrecht, and Jeremy Bloom. Jeremy Bloom? He used to live four doors down from me. "It's a small world," he said, but I'm pretty sure he had no recollection of me. UnderArmour models don't tend to pay attention to me. The second floor of the USA House is a place for athletes to hang out when they're not competing or at the Athlete Village. While we saw former Olympians, there were no current athlete spottings. Maybe later this week. Of course I had to do a little shopping at the USA store before leaving. We were told to be careful if wearing USA apparel around the Canada fans, but we know that won't happen. I didn't bring all my red, white, and blue clothes to Canada for no reason! I'm a Philadelphia fan. We live to antagonize fans of rival teams. Tomorrow should be an exciting day!
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