Huja's Olympic Miscellany (will be updated)
-I was colder inside the Richmond Olympic Oval where the speed skating events are held than I was up at Whistler Creekside where the Alpine Skiing events are held.
-There are about a dozen TV commercials with Canadians bragging about how modest they are. Isn't it categorically immodest to brag about your modesty?
-Drunken crowds hoot and holler on Granville Street until 3 am every night. Then at about 4 am you can hear cleaning crews hose off the sidewalks and garbage trucks haul way the trash. It's Mardi Gras every night.
-If Canada beats the U.S. in hockey today, there may be a riot.
-If Canada loses to the U.S. in hockey today, there may be a riot.
-The drunken crowds and closed-off streets make it nearly impossible for buses and taxis to reach our hotel.
-If you can buy pizza by-the-slice and falafel in a neighborhood, it's probably a bad place to stay. There are many such eating establishments(as well as nightclubs, peep shows, tattoo parlors and piercing services) all within a block of the Best Western Chateau Granville. If you include the word, "Chateau," in a hotel name, it makes it fancy (not).
-Olympic volunteers wear baby-blue jackets and caps, which they refer to as Smurf Suits. I.e. "Go to the second floor and the Smurf Suit behind the desk will direct you to the right bus."
-Very few media folks have pins to trade - likely due to budget cuts.
-The Olympic torch - anyone else think it looks like a poorly rolled "cigarette?"
-The bus drivers have the BEST Olympic gossip. I'll write a separate entry for bus driver gossip later.
-North American paper hammering the Olympics are hardest? That would be the hometown Vancouver Sun.
-Medal Ceremonies are held in BC Place, site of the Opening Ceremonies. Tickets cost $25 to get in to watch an IOC official hang a medal around the neck of an athlete. But wait, there's MORE. Each evening of medal ceremonies includes a concert featuring a Canadian band. Tonight, 80's band Lover Boy will take stage.
Tuesday, Feb 23 Miscellany:
-Overheard a conversation between the hotel doorman and a guest. Evidently the guest paid $2,400 PER TICKET for four tickets to the mens hockey gold medal game.
-Granville Street has been relatively quiet since the USA beat Canada in Hockey on Sunday. Canada is currently playing Germany. Wonder if the hooting and hollering beings anew with a Team Canada victory tonight (which looks likely as they lead 3-0 in the second period).
-Tickets are scarce for journalists too. Should Canada hold on and face Russia tomorrow, tickets are required for all journalists to attend the game. Tickets are distributed by your country's Olympic committee (i.e. The Houston Chronicle would get a ticket from the USOC, Xinhua News Agency would get it from the Chinese Olympic Committee).
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
-Because the Canadians speak a sort of British English, Bobsled is referred to as Bob Sleigh (and in Sleigh Bells Ringing).
-Light hooting and hollering on Granville Street after Canada demolished Russia this evening. Bandwangoners - that's weak.
-There are about a dozen TV commercials with Canadians bragging about how modest they are. Isn't it categorically immodest to brag about your modesty?
-Drunken crowds hoot and holler on Granville Street until 3 am every night. Then at about 4 am you can hear cleaning crews hose off the sidewalks and garbage trucks haul way the trash. It's Mardi Gras every night.
-If Canada beats the U.S. in hockey today, there may be a riot.
-If Canada loses to the U.S. in hockey today, there may be a riot.
-The drunken crowds and closed-off streets make it nearly impossible for buses and taxis to reach our hotel.
-If you can buy pizza by-the-slice and falafel in a neighborhood, it's probably a bad place to stay. There are many such eating establishments(as well as nightclubs, peep shows, tattoo parlors and piercing services) all within a block of the Best Western Chateau Granville. If you include the word, "Chateau," in a hotel name, it makes it fancy (not).
-Olympic volunteers wear baby-blue jackets and caps, which they refer to as Smurf Suits. I.e. "Go to the second floor and the Smurf Suit behind the desk will direct you to the right bus."
-Very few media folks have pins to trade - likely due to budget cuts.
-The Olympic torch - anyone else think it looks like a poorly rolled "cigarette?"
-The bus drivers have the BEST Olympic gossip. I'll write a separate entry for bus driver gossip later.
-North American paper hammering the Olympics are hardest? That would be the hometown Vancouver Sun.
-Medal Ceremonies are held in BC Place, site of the Opening Ceremonies. Tickets cost $25 to get in to watch an IOC official hang a medal around the neck of an athlete. But wait, there's MORE. Each evening of medal ceremonies includes a concert featuring a Canadian band. Tonight, 80's band Lover Boy will take stage.
Tuesday, Feb 23 Miscellany:
-Overheard a conversation between the hotel doorman and a guest. Evidently the guest paid $2,400 PER TICKET for four tickets to the mens hockey gold medal game.
-Granville Street has been relatively quiet since the USA beat Canada in Hockey on Sunday. Canada is currently playing Germany. Wonder if the hooting and hollering beings anew with a Team Canada victory tonight (which looks likely as they lead 3-0 in the second period).
-Tickets are scarce for journalists too. Should Canada hold on and face Russia tomorrow, tickets are required for all journalists to attend the game. Tickets are distributed by your country's Olympic committee (i.e. The Houston Chronicle would get a ticket from the USOC, Xinhua News Agency would get it from the Chinese Olympic Committee).
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
-Because the Canadians speak a sort of British English, Bobsled is referred to as Bob Sleigh (and in Sleigh Bells Ringing).
-Light hooting and hollering on Granville Street after Canada demolished Russia this evening. Bandwangoners - that's weak.
posted by huja at 2:38 AM
2 Comments:
Hey Jay! Keep the stories and pics coming, they are fabulous. We're always keeping an eye out for you in the background but haven't spotted you yet. Are you Twittering your location? It would be very cool to get live updates on what event you're attending at the moment. Cheers!
Wait--$25 for a medal ceremony AND Loverboy?!? WORTH. EVERY. PENNY.
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