VanAussie Daily

POWS – Post Olympic Withdrawal Syndrome

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

I can’t believe this is the last post I’ll write about the Olympics in Vancouver. The Paralympics are coming up, but they don’t quite have the same buzz to them.

Going back to the weekend, if I thought that the crowds were madness on Friday night, then Sunday afternoon and evening were absolute insanity!

I think a large amount of Canadians (and token Canadians like myself) had been building towards this last day and the Hockey Gold Medal Final, which thankfully Team Canada made it into, facing Team USA. If we hadn’t made it, who knows what the city would have felt like…

It’s an apt description that you can judge the mood of this city by how its hockey team is doing, and no time more so than during the Olympics. When we lost to the USA the first time, everyone was in a dark and somber mood. After winning the Gold Medal, the whole city was basically ecstatic! Every car was honking its horn randomly, people were high fiving strangers anywhere you go, individuals were out in the middle of nowhere, just waving giant Canadian flags in joy.

The celebration continued into the night too. The opening ceremony came and went, and people were still celebrating the hockey win, that the Olympics had gone well, and just life in general. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re close to party central downtown, and the noise right through the night was intense.

The streets were flooded with people. We went for a wander just to take it in, and there were so many more people than Friday night! Everyone put on their special gear and got out and about – I even high fived a dude in a big gorilla suit! Honourable mention also goes to the guy with the Inukshuk Vancouver Olympic symbol on his head, made out of spray painted cardboard boxes.

Then came Monday. The city was quiet. Most people had slept in. People looked at me strangely when I went to get my coffee from JJ Bean in the morning because I had chosen to wear my Team Canada jersey one last time to celebrate the win… at least, I think it was the jersey.

It seemed like everyone had a hangover – so many people had been pushing it as much as they could during the Olympics, being out late at night, getting up early in the morning for events and to do the odd bit of work, and now that the games were over, life caught up with them again.

Now there are no more street parties. They’re taking down all the tent venues that sprang up. Strangers no longer high five in the street for no reason. The city has gone back to how it was before the Olympics almost over night.

Well… not quite… there’s still some fun in the air, and I think this city has learned that it can put on a fantastic international event and bask in the spotlights glow. That Olympic fun is still there, you just have to know how to find it and pry it out of the people of Vancouver. It’ll reappear, I guarantee it. After the hangover disappears, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs start looming

(Pics courtesy of Aidan Ward)

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Goooold!

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

We’ve just spent the afternoon propping Moose’s Down Under bar, on Pender and Hornby in downtown Vancouver, watching various Olympics… including Australian Lydia Lassila winning gold in the aerials! Congrats!

The afternoon started out with the quarter final hockey match between Canada and Russia. The Russians were looking tough coming in, so many fans were worried that Canada might be bundled out of the tournament in 6th position by them. The atmosphere was tense in the bar at the start, and every positive move by Canada was cheered, and every time the goalie (Roberto Luongo, the goal tender for the Vancouver Canucks) came on the Louie Cheer was heard – “Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu”. Outsiders could be excused for wondering why Canadians were booing their goalie!

The mood quickly changed after a few goals put Canada in a very commanding position. It’s great watching hockey over here in a bar, as everyone gets right into it, and the cheering when there’s a goal or a good defensive maneuver is so infectious!

We then got to watch Canada taking both Silver and Gold in the bobsleigh (great work!), then the hockey came on… what?! Where were the aerials?! We had to bug the waitress, although apparently they were on it already, but nobody was televising it! Eventually found it on a french broadcasting network, but we couldn’t hear the commentary so that was all good.

Turns out there was another couple of tables of Aussies in the bar watching with us too, so everyone got in and had a good cheer every time an Australian came on. It was looking pretty grim till Lydia came on though!

As we were making our way out of the bar following Lydia’s win, I dropped some CanAussie stickers on the tables of the other Aussies who were there (spreadin’ the love, ya know?), and as we were putting our jackets on at the door one of the waitresses runs over.

“Did you start that CanAussie website?”

Yup!

“That was an absolute life saver for us – thanks!”

Of course there was a bit more conversation, but it’s always great to meet someone who the site has helped. Considering it started out so small then snowballed to what it is, it’s good to know that it’s helping out people I don’t even know when they want to come over to Canada.

On the way back through town, Aidan, Jen and I hoisted the Aussie Flag between us, getting lots of cries of “Aussie Aussie Aussie!” and “Go Australia!” and “Put that British flag away!”

Some people need to take their flag recognition 101 course again.

Still, it was great fun parading down Granville street amongst hundreds of other revellers, flag streaming behind us, just slightly diluting the masses of Canadiana that is out there. Go Australia!

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Victory!! (Ceremony that is…)

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Tonight we had the honour of going to a Victory Ceremony. This is one of those sessions where they gather all the medalists for the day in one place and hang the gongs around their necks. Easier than organizing to do it out in the freezing cold on Cypress or up in Whistler. They also take the opportunity to put on a bunch of musical pieces before and after the show, focusing on a province or territory of Canada for the musical pieces before, and a well known Canadian band afterwards.

We lucked out today and got… wait for it… Saskatchewan! Yup, the big flat province somewhere in the middle of Canada that most people tend to skip through as quick as possible. Still, we learned from the Saskatchewanian (Saskatchenite?) comedian MC’ing the session that over 50% of Canada’s wheat is produced in the province, and that it also is more than 50% covered in forest. Interesting stuff.

Watching the Medal Ceremony itself was great. Canada won gold in the Woman’s Ski Cross today, so the crowd was on their feet cheering when she was awarded her medal.

It’s interesting during the ceremony, as they’re simulcasting with a ceremony up at Whistler at the same time, and cross back and forth for the awarding of medals. Those won in the Whistler area are awarded up there, then most of the ones won in the Vancouver area are awarded down here.

Following the ceremony we were treated to a concert by Billy Talent, a Canadian band, and it was a really good show – their frontman is a character.

I’m still a firm believer that every good concert should have pyrotechnics

(Pics courtesy of Aidan Ward)

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Madness… Madness I tell you!

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

The atmosphere in Vancouver on Friday night was ELECTRIC! From our apartment in Yaletown, pretty close to the main drag, we could hear cheers and yells coming from all over the city. We were out on the balcony at one stage watching a small crowd of people milling around on the street corner opposite (we’re on the 16th floor), when I leaned over and noticed quite a large crowd of people on our corner, and then they ALL broke out into a very loud rendition of “Oh Canada”, the national anthem. I tell you what, these Canadians can put most groups of Aussies to shame when it comes to anthems… for one thing, most of them know the words to their anthem!

There’s been fireworks going off at 10.45 each night from the park just down the street from us, so we were eager to head out and get a different view of them. We headed to Granville Island, as there is a grassy hill there and it’s within a football field or so of the fireworks.

We actually expected Granville Island to be going nuts, same as downtown was at the time, so we walked down and took the Seabus from Yaletown to the Island rather than getting in the car. Made sense anyhoo, till they charged us $7 each for a return trip… still, can’t begrudge them being out at all hours of the night on the water.

Rocking up to the dock, the vibe was way different. Lots of folks were lined up to get into Atlantic House (a restaurant that the maritime provinces had gotten together to rebrand and kit out with their stuff for promotional means), and there were some randoms wandering around, but it seemed like the party was over. We headed over to the French quarter to see what was happening there, but there was only a smattering of crowd left and a couple of fights waiting to happen. Apparently a French heavy metal band had finished playing a little while beforehand…

Sauntering out of there before my Team Canada jersey got us into trouble, we found a bar and annoyed friends till Fireworks time, headed up the hill and took in the sights. It’s funny, the fireworks have been pretty much exactly the same each night, so you know when the good bits are coming up.

Following the fireworks we headed back into town on the Seabus, and if possible, town had gotten even more nuts. They finish up at Livecity Yaletown after the fireworks, so thousands of folks from there had headed into the centre of the city… we decided to head into the center of town to check it out too, just for shits ‘n’ giggles…

The downtown streets of Granville and Robson were PACKED with people for about 10 city blocks. There was nothing actually happening, no center of attention, folks just felt like they needed to celebrate, particularly seeing as Canada had won some medals that day.

It was pretty funny cruising around town listening to all the different chants by people from all over the world, who have all come to Vancouver for the Olympics. “Olay olay olay” was a popular one, but by far the most wide spread ones were “Oh Canada” and the more intelligent version “Can-Uh-Duh! Can-Uh-Duh! Can-Uh-Duh!”, which almost gives Aussie Aussie Aussie a run for its money.

We left the area well past 12 and there was no sign of it abating… might as well celebrate while you can!

(Good pics courtesy of Aidan Ward, average pics courtesy of my iPhone)

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Hockey: Belarus vs Sweden

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

It’s always best to make sure that when you’re off to an event, you make sure beforehand that you know which venue it’s at. In Vancouver during the Winter Olympics, they’re playing hockey at Canada Hockey Place downtown, which is about 10 blocks from where I live, and they’re also playing it at Thunderbird Stadium, which is out at UBC and about 20 minutes drive from here.

I had tickets to go see Belarus vs Sweden on Friday, checked the schedule online, and saw that it was out at Thunderbird Stadium. Made arrangements to meet Aidan at the Skytrain, got out of work a little late, and shoot up to UBC. Park up right on 12pm, and have a short walk to the Stadium. When we get there, everything is suspiciously quiet… maybe everyone is inside already? Nope. I check my Vancouver 2010 iPhone app (it’s free, so a great deal!) and yep, it’s on downtown. Crap!

Walk back to the car, drive downtown as fast as we can (legally) travel, park up, walk to the security check point, which is actually the same one they’ve been using for BC place, so about 5 blocks from here and still a good walk from the stadium. It’s the end of the first period by this point, and it’s 2-0 Sweden at this stage.

Rock into the security lineup, and there is no lineup. Strange feelings of deja vu… Still, we mosey in, then there are a bunch of blue jacketed volunteers all ushering us through the empty security stalls, we breeze through there, then get to the other side. What now?

“Just wait there and we’ll call the shuttle for you.”

What? Sure!

So we hang out, and sure enough, the “shuttle” comes along… it’s a golf cart!

Short blast down the road later, we’re inside the stadium, in our seats and watching the hockey with the second period just starting. Not too bad considering where we were at the start of the first period!

The atmosphere in the stadium was great. LOTS of Team Canada jerseys (I had my new one on!), so there must have been a majority Canadians there, but everyone got on the bandwagon, particularly when it came to cheering for the underdog – Belarus in this case. Considering that the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, who are the current darlings of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team, were playing for Sweden I found this a bit surprising, but hell, everyone goes for the underdogs!

You would never get this in an NHL game!

On the way back, we found out that Vancouver has renamed the Athletes Village in honour of the Boxing Kangaroo flag hung up there. That’s the Athletes Village in the far background, and if the camera was better you’d be able to see the BK flag

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Torah Bright, she’s alright!

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Congrats to Torah Bright for bringing home a gold medal for Australia! Great effort in the half pipe, particularly as it all came down to the final run for her after a stack on her first run.

Good on ya Aussie!

I thought I’d celebrate Torah’s win with a review of the free “cowbell” applications on the Apple app store. I’ve downloaded as many as I could and given them a good shake, and I was going to give them a one by one review… But the majority of them suck.

From one called Greenbell (environmentally friendly iPhone app?) to one sponsored by Bell, a phone provider over here, which is really only slightly funny for the pun, they are all pretty average and you’d feel a right burke waving your phone around on the edge of an Olympic half pipe with one of these apps. So I won’t bother with a review.

The only one that is even vaguely worth it is called “Cowbell!” (imaginative!) which works well enough and would probably get you out of trouble if you should happen to leave your cowbell at home, shock horror!

Congrats again Torah

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Ladies Curling

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Not some sort of match where the local hair salons go up against each other to see who can perm a ladies hair into the best 80′s hairstyle the quickest, Curling is a big winter sport over here and is a sport pursued by many Canadians.

Notice I didn’t say “Played by many Canadians”, as apparently you don’t say that you’re “going to play Curling”, you Curl… or something like that.

We managed to get some tickets to see women’s Curling the other day, which included the Canadian, USA, Japan and other teams, all playing on four separate fields at once. It’s actually quite a good sport to watch, and Nat and I likened it to being somewhere between snooker/pool and lawn bowls. And probably channeling a little “Sadie the Cleaning Lady” while they’re sweeping before the rock.

The aim of the game is to have as many “rocks” (the things you Curl) close to the middle of the “house”. the more you have in the middle, the more points you get. If you have one near the center of the house, then there is an opposing team one next closest, you only get one point. If there’s a couple of yours closest to the house, then the opposing teams, you get two points.

In the Olympic matches they play 10 “ends” or rounds, with each of the 4 person team team pushing two rocks per end, and it’s the one with the most points at the end that wins.

Well, that’s my take on it anyway… feel free to correct me!

As an Olympic event we were expecting a bit of a lineup before getting in. We weren’t too wrong, but it moved reasonably quickly so no harm done:

Once in there it was only a short wait before the games were on! A parade of bagpipers led the teams out. Of you have bagpipers at a Curling match, you’d be mad not to, right?

So basically they scope out the shots, try and get as close to the middle of the house as possible. There’s a spotter down the end with a broom who marks what they think is the best way to go, and there’s usually a degree of backing and forthing if its a more interesting shot.

The person who’s turn it is to chuck the rock then gives it a good old push

Then a couple of the team keep an eye on it on the way down. If they don’t sweep, the rock will turn, or curl. They can apparently curl up to 10 feet in one direction, which is pretty huge. If they sweep the crap away from it in front, smoothing down the ice, it’ll go straighter and further. So if you see them sweeping like mad, they’re probably trying to get more distance/speed out of it.

Here’s a stitched up panorama view of the curling gym from our seats, which were in a really good spot (just click the thumbnail below)

Of course, the day was made much better by two wise cracking, slightly drunk Canadians sitting behind us who knew next to nothing about Curling… “look at the Curl on that one, eh?!”

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Silver!

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Went up to The Junction pub on Davie st tonight to watch Dale Begg-Smith in the Moguls final with a bunch of other Aussies… What a great atmosphere!

Big crowd cheering on the Aussie as well as all the Canadians, and I managed to get a short video of the reactions of the crows during Dales run and then when he was put in the top spot. Good stuff!

Fireworks went off again tonight down at Livecity Yaletown too. Will have to get down there in the next few nights and check it out up close!

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Fireworks!!

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

We were just hanging out in the apartment, taking things in, writing blog posts, the usual stuff when we heard some shouts and yells and a bunch of bangs outside. Go to the window. Nothing. Back to the couch.

More bangs! Go to the window. Nothing.

Then they start in earnest, and they’re going off just down the street! There’s a thing called Live City in David Lam Park, which is just down on the seawall. It’s great being treated to a 10 minute fireworks show from your own balcony!

Of course, leave it to bloody Aidan to get his elbow in the way…

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