Olympics Week Two

Okay, I've been out pretty much every evening since the Olympics started.  Now that they have ended I just don't know what to do with my spare time.  Yes, I could be working on my report cards, or writing blogs but instead I keep reading all that I can read about the Vancouver 2010 games.  I can't believe how incredible they were.  I can't believe how LUCKY I am to have been able to take part in them - attending most functions on FOOT!  Anyhow I will write a real blog about my experience at the 2010 Winter Olympics but I just can't do it yet.  So... here's week two's installment of some of the sights and sounds I was up to.  Be warned, there are a lot of photos here.

Karen

This picture was taken while watching the Opening Ceremonies 

(It should have been in last weeks blog but I only recently received it)

The Athletes Village

(Double click the image to see the various countries)

Ontario Pavillion

Concord Pacific 

(Some pavilions are on the right, water on the left, and BC Place straight ahead

Molson Canadian Hockey House

(This was one of the few "pay" Pavilions)

Quebec Pavilion

View from the water of Quebec and Saskatchewan Pavilions

Sochi House

(AKA Science World)

Holland Park (Surrey LiveCity Site) inside the big tent.

Erica, Ashanti, and I at 54-40 Concert

Nancy and I watching Canada's Hockey Team BEAT the Russians!

Nancy, Paul, and I on Granville Island

Nancy and I being silly as usual

The Light Display on every night.  

Anyone could go on line and control the movements of these lights

Outside LiveCity Yaletown

Granville Island from the Granville Street Bridge

(The white arch in the background is one of the many live venue stages around town)

Some local "olympic" art

Amy and I at the Northern Canada House Innukshuk

Northern Canadian's watching their Yukon athlete compete.

My Inukshuk

Our latest boyfriend 

German House - yes there is a good hockey game on TV

German House (take two)

The next bobsleigh champions - or not.

The OLYMPIC RINGS!

The Olympic Cauldron

Amy and I at the Cauldron

A lot of people checking out the Cauldron

Amy and I

Two Crazy Canadians

(They were all ready to watch Team Canada beat Slovakia)

Royal Mint Pavilion - they let people touch the medals but the line up was way too long for me.

Goofing around on the secret 5th floor of the Bay.  I didn't really want to wait in line for the "official" olympic store but the fifth floor (which required no waiting in line) had a lot of good stuff too.

Silly me, again.  I actually tried this jacket on in all three colours.

For $500 a pop (plus tax) and living in a city that doesn't get THAT COLD I decided to pass on the purchase.

Hockey Jersey Fun

Sochi Russian (2014 Winter Games) Mascots

Sochi Clothing

(Super super expensive and not really all that nice)

Women's Gold Medal Curling Game

We watched it on TV in the Bay, in Sleep Country, and on the Streets

You were always near a TV.

Having a little fun with the Olympic Mascots!

Snowboarding Sumi!

Aboriginal House Totem Poll

Vancouver by Night

(From Amy's apartment window)

Molson Hockey House

Maison Du Quebec at Night

Yahoo Fancouver fun again.

My good friend Ana and I.

Ana lives in Calgary and had an eight hour stopover in Vancouver

Kathy, Ana, and I

The Stanley Park Inukshuk missing one of his gloves.

The OLYMPIC Rings photographed from Stanley Park

The Olympic Rings AND the Cauldron

(Double click and you'll see the flames at the middle right)

Harry Jerome running with his OLYMPIC mittens too!

Stanley Park Totem Polls

Saxon House

The Vancouver Art Gallery

Robson Square and its ice rink

One of many ads on buildings in the downtown core.

A view from the Chapters at Robson and Howe

Yes, that's a REAL BIG Canada Flag

The Vancouver Public Library

Olympic Venues and the Athletes Village (across the water)

Photo taken form Amy's Apartment

Me, post run, freezing, infront of a massive Canada flag.

Alberta Pavilion

Bell Ice Cube

BC Place Stadium

Olympics Week One

I apologize if you’re reading this because it means there isn’t really a blog yet just some photos of what I’ve seen around town this past week.  What’s really sad is that I’ve seen a whole lot more but I can’t seem to get the photos off my phone so you’ll have to just enjoy these ones.  A real blog will replace this message soon enough but in the mean time I’ve got some Olympic fun to enjoy.

Karen

Street of Lanterns (On Granville Street)

Granville Street (Downtown Vancouver)

Holland House, Richmond B.C.

Me holding an official Olympic Torch

Aboriginal Lanterns (on Granville Street)

Me and Elaine riding to Sochi, Russia

Robson Square - Free Venue in Dowtown Vancouver

(Also home of the FREE Zip line)

Coca Cola Pavillion in Yaltown Live 

(another FREE Venue in downtown Vancouver)

One of several FREE stages around town

(LiveCity Yaletown Stage)

Nightly Fireworkds from Live City Yaletown

(I live just across the water and this was a ten minute walk from my home)

Cypress Mountain - home of many of the Freestyle Events

(notice the lack of SNOW)

Women's Aerials (Qualification Round)

There is an athlete flying in the air if you look closely.

(I have a lot more of these types of photos)

Packing down the landing between rounds of competition.

(Notice how AWFUL the weather looks  - NOT!!)

Me at my only official Olympic event.

More shots of Cypress Mountain.

(Ski cross training was taking place on the mountain but I don't think you can see them in this photo)

The line up to catch the Olympic bus back into town - although it was long it moved quite quickly.

The Bay in Downtown Vancouver

Home of the "Official Olympic Merchandise"

(It had a line up at all times!)

Looking out at the corner of Robson and Howe on a typical night.

(Downtown Vancouver)

Robson and Howe

Me, Shelley, Michelle, and Michelle at Robson and Granville

(This photo was taken by one of the many "friendly" police officers)

Irish House

(Always busy, always filled with drunks)

A Dance party on the streets of Yaletown

(Downtown Vancouver)

Fake Snow and a Canada US Dance Party

Maple Leaf Karen

Yahoo Fancouver - a cool interactive display outside on the street in Yaletown

Michelle and I outside of the Coca Cola Pavillion 

at Live City Yaletown

Sam Roberts Concert

ME at the Sam Roberts Concert

The Olympics Are COMING!

If you've opened a newspaper or turned on the TV you've got to know that the Olympics are coming to my city this week.  There are signs of the Olympics all over the city and it's so exciting.  My provincial government has come up with a great "commercial" for my province as a way to entice visitors to visit my part of the world AFTER the Olympics are over.  Follow the link if you haven't seen it.  It's pretty cool.

Anyhow, today I stayed a little later than normal to catch a glimps of the Olympic Torch Relay as it came down the street near my school.  It was very cool to witness the event.  At first a car came down the main road to let us know that the torch would be coming past in a few minutes.  Then police cars and sponsor vehicles (which were more like floats) came by.  Finally a torch runner was in our sights.  She stopped at the corner not too far from where I was and lit the next runner's torch.  The new runner was then off running past me.  Here a few pictures to enjoy.

The crazy Royal Bankers!

The Coca Cola Truck

The Torch Runner

(His mom ran by me and was so proud of her son)

And there he goes..

If you can imagine things are really buzzing around my city because the 2010 Winter Olympics officially begin in four days.  I can't wait to take in all that the games have to offer.  There are a ton of FREE events and venues too so I'm sure I'll be missing a lot of sleep in the next couple of weeks.  I'll try to take some photos around town.  In the mean time here's one photo taken just last month of my home town, Vancouver, Canada.  Enjoy!