February 16, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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After watching coverage of Alexandre Bilodeau receiving his mogels gold medal, it was time to get out and celebrate Canada's first gold at a winter Olympics. I headed down to Livecity Yaletown for the Matisyahu concert.
Unbelievably the queues to get in were even longer than Saturday's Wilco lines – and we were still waiting as the opening tracks rang out. Luckily we got a decent view through the fence.
Cutting a striking figure in his black baseball cap, and skater jeans, Matisyahu was on fire, bounding around the stage and building his mix of rock, hip hop and reggae to blinding sonic heights. A Hasidic Jew from New York he seamlessly blends culture, religion and politics in his lyrics – and does a kicking human beatbox number to boot.
“Hey Vancouver, thanks for coming together in the rain tonight – PEACE!” he yelled to sodden fans. We were treated to hits like King Without a Crown, the lilting Jerusalem and my fave, the epic One Day off his latest album Light.
February 15, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Art Galleries & Artists
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In downtown Vancouver for some shopping at The Bay, and Pacific Centre mall, I took a stroll along Granville Street to see the Cultural Olympiad’s LunarFest. Different installations all link Canada culturally with Taiwan, starting off with the Lantern Forest. Steel trees support thousands of brightly-coloured lanterns that are designed by schoolchildren from both countries. At night they’re all lit up like big fireflies.
Next to the lanterns are sculptures called Love, Life and Light. Again these are transformed into neon brilliance at dusk. Brue Voyce’s mythical creation, ‘Confusion Fusion’ is made from recycled materials like pop bottles. And artist lu Ping-Cheng has built an elaborate umbilical cord, symbolically connecting Taiwan and Canada.
Further down the street, people are posing for photos inside sculptural cut-out shapes of Olympic skiers, skaters and boarders. I can’t resist.
February 15, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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“QUAAAAATCHIIII!!!! SUUUUUUMIIIIII!!!! MIIIIIIGAAAA!!!!!” Hysterical fans of 2010’s cuddly Olympic mascots were screeching their heads off just for a chance to pet or hug the giant furry creatures. I thought I might be the only big kid at Robson Square’s GE Plaza in Vancouver but no, ‘kids’ of all ages crammed around the ice rink to meet their idols. You’d have thought Madonna or Brad Pitt was in town – such was the level of excitement.
The ice rink had been transformed into an enchanted forest and other skaters in leafy green outfits twirled in formation around the stars. A commentator gave us the lowdown on the Winter Games Mascots: Miga (black and white) is a sea bear, which in First Nations mythology is part Orca whale and part Kermode bear. A snowboarding fanatic, she normally lives in surf capital, Tofino. Quatchi (huge and fluffy with blue ear muffs) is a Canadian sasquatch from the Great White North – and he loves ice hockey.
Mascot to the Paralympic Games, green Sumi loves skiing. He wears the hat of an Orca, flies with Thunderbird wings and skates on furry bear legs. Their sidekick marmot, Muk Muk was absent, maybe marmots just don’t skate?
At the end, we all did get our moment with the mascots as they glided around for big hugs, and putting wide grins on little faces. And afterwards it was time to put on skates (rentals are $3) and make the most of the free ice rink.
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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Complementing the myriad of shows, installations and games at Richmond’s Olympic OZone complex is BC Street. I took a stroll along its collection of stalls showcasing British Columbia’s diverse communities, from log cabins in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast to alpine peaks in the Kootenay Rockies. All offered competitions to win awesome holidays in the province.
At the Comox Valley tent, I delved back into pioneer history on a virtual heritage walk. Exhibits at the Vancouver Coast & Mountains stall included guest ranching, scuba diving and winery touring. I made the most of their free samples of local honey and cheese.
Vancouver Island’s Sooke demoed its ‘Wild by Nature’ side, with a killer whale replica and mock marina, complete with lighthouse. Also coastal and wild, Tofino’s booth proved a real hit, taking photos of visitors on green screens, then superimposing them onto surfing or salmon fishing scenes. My husband can now boast he caught the Tyee (the “big one” in Aboriginal parance).
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Festivals & Events
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Catching the sleek new Canada Line Skytrain to Richmond’s OZone for more Olympic fun, I got through the gates just in time to see crowds massing around the Main Stage for the Chinese New Year celebrations: the Double Dragon Dance.
Everything about today seemed to be super or super-size; from the sunshine, the sheer size of the OZone complex – to the 100-metre long Chinese dragon, held up by hundreds of volunteers. Along with its partner dragon and a couple of lions, the fiery creature swirled, ducked and circled spectators, sending whoops of delight among us all, before bowing in respect to Richmond’s mayor and councilors on the stage.
A mass Tai Chi performance followed, creating a flowing red sea of bodies around the dragons – truly graceful.
Aside from bands and shows, the Ozone is packed with activities. I got a chance to try the outdoor skating rink (perfect on a sunny Sunday afternoon), learn about the Richmond Oval legacy which promotes sports for youth, and take a virtual bobsleigh ride in the 2010 Games Dome.
On the way out I took in the Ice Gate - a colourful, jagged ice sculpture by BC artist Gordon Halloran. It reminded me of Vancouver’s mountainous skyline at sunset – something I had a great view of on the way back to the Skytrain.
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Wineries & Vineyards
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While in Richmond to see the O Zone and BC Street, I visited the Inniskillin ice wine booth for a 3 flight tasting ($10). Mmmmm.
To go with the ice wine theme, there were enormous ice scupltures and ice bowls (shown in the picture).
The ice wine I liked best happened to be the one of the three that was from BC. The Okanagan Riesling was the sweetest... and I have a sweet tooth :)
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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I checked out BC Street in Richmond, and loved the Tofino tent. They've
completely transformed a white outdoor tent into a rainforest. The
first thing I noticed when I walked in was the smell. Cedar scent hung
in the air, and made me feel like I was in a forest on the coast.
Awesome.
My favorite part of the Tofino tent was a green
screen photo booth. You stand on the mark, they snap your pic, and then
the background will transform to show you surfing a massive wave or
holding an enormous salmon (I went with the fish). I wish I could have
seen the pic right away, but they'll be emailing it to me soon.
There's
also the chance to chat with a local Aboriginal carver, as well as
plenty of artwork. Very laid-back vide -- a must visit.
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
The great thing about jet lag, is that getting up at 6am is not a problem, as you've already been awake for 2 hrs!
Having been tipped off that Arnie Schwarzenegger was going to pass the Olympic torch flame to Seb Coe I set off in the dark with my running shoes to Stanley park. All was quiet until I turned the corner on the waterfront, when I could hear the distant music from the party bus. At least i knew I was heading in the right direction.
The crowds grew, the music got louder and it was still not even 6.30am!
I ran through the crowds to find Seb Coe waiting at the lighthouse, casually sitting on the wall chatting to the press.
And then the Terminator arrived! The crowd went wild. The torch exchange, a hug and Seb Coe was on his way... What an amazing atmosphere!
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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By now, I’ve learnt to leave a couple of hours to get into Vancouver’s free Olympic events – at least the big ones. So my friends and I joined the line around David Lam Park early to see alt-rock Chicago band, Wilco perform at Livecity Yaletown. And surprisingly we all moved pretty fast, getting in to see today’s Games highlights on the big screens. Canadian Jenn Heil’s silver medal win at the Women’s Moguls at Cypress Mountain was going down a storm, with US fans jubilant over Hannah Kearney’s Gold.
Award winners (of the Grammy kind), Wilco got everyone rocking enough to forget about the pouring rain. I got chatting to Steve from London, UK who’s a big fan, but even more psyched about his Olympic snowboarding tickets. “It’s one thing watching the Games on telly, but way more special getting to see them live,” he admitted.
As the band drew to a close, we checked out the rest of Livecity Yaletown, stalls offering global street food, 3-D videos in the Panasonic marquee and computer games in the Samsung tent. Coca-Cola’s tube-shaped pavilion showcased bottle designs through the ages, interactive games, a giant polar bear and video footage of the Olympic torch relay.
Trooping out, we were just in time to catch a spectacular firework display over False Creek.
February 13, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Curious about the Vancouver Winter Olympics’ Four Host First Nations - the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh – I headed over to the Aboriginal Artistans Village. It’s housed in the Vancouver Community College near the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion and the unmistakable architectural landmark that is the Vancouver Library.
Big smiles and warm welcomes ushered in the crowds and I spent a good hour absorbed in beautiful hand-made Aboriginal crafts. Cedar wood carvings of eagles and Orca whales jostled for space beside intricate basket-ware, beaded mittens, and hand-spun grey, cream and black Cowichan sweaters. Presiding over huge glass carvings of salmon runs was Jody Broomfield. He explained how his Coast Salish motifs were chosen to adorn Olympic lanyards, gift boxes at the Opening Ceremony and even an Olympic-themed coin. “I was so proud sitting up in BC Place last night, seeing my designs everywhere,” he said.
Opposite his stall was Corrine Hunt and her exquisite jewelry (pictured). A member of the Raven Gwa’wina clan from Ts’akis, a village on Vancouver Island, Corrine was chosen to design the Olympic medals – and is hugely excited to see them being presented in the first awards ceremony. “Look out for my Orca whales on the Olympic Games medals, and ravens on the Paralympics.”