Anyone Watching the Olympics?

So the Games are now underway in our fair city. I have never been one to be glued to the TV when the Olympics are on, but I've been quite interested this year. I'm sure the fact that they are taking place right under my nose helps encourage me to tune in. There have been some amazing, wonderful moments, and some heart-wrenchingly awful ones too. I can't skip over the passing of young Nodar Kumaritashvili, a young luger from the country of Georgia who died as a result of injuries sustained in an on-track crash. To place blame on the venue, the designers, or the athlete is wrong in my opinion. It was a horrible, terrifying accident that happened on a track that had hosted thousands of practice runs over the last few months. Nodar was obviously experienced enough to be on Olympian. It was an accident that could have happened to anyone. I think to point fingers and replay the footage hundreds of times over is a disrespect to his memory. He was an amazing athlete and wonderful competitor who lived for his sport.

On to a brighter side of the Games: the Opening Ceremonies. I have heard lots of feedback from fellow Vancouverites, as well as opinions from members of the media. The local crowd is very proud of our city and the show we put on. Yes it was a little long, and very "Canadian", but overall I thought it was great. To be totally honest, I could have done with a little less of the boy flying over the wheat fields, but that was quickly made up for by an amazing performance of "Hallelujah" (one of my fave songs) by k.d. Lang. I've never been a big k.d. fan, but wow, she was amazing. She really did that song justice! I've heard many a person complain that this opening was nowhere near as great as Beijing's ceremony....umm people, first off the Summer Games are much larger than the Winter games, and secondly there are over A BILLION Chinese people, while Canada holds just over 30 million. We are a much smaller country, with a smaller economy. Besides, us Canadians pride ourselves on understated elegance hahah! I thought Vanoc did a great job and it made me proud to be Canadian. I can't help but get a bit annoyed at the media for whining and complaining about how awful the ceremony was. Thousands of people worked for thousands of hours during the last TWO YEARS to put it together. How about we give our fellow man a pat on the back instead of trying to tear him down? Even if I thought parts were a bit silly, I will still compliment the heck out of anyone who took part. It was truly a wonderful show of art, dance, music and culture. It made me so proud to be from Vancouver and Canada! Go Team Canada!

PS - YAH we won our first gold medal on Canadian soil last night in the men's freestyle skiing! So proud :)