The Olympics begin today, for me, just like everyone else. I’ll see the Opening Ceremony on television in PST – the first time I’ll be in the same time zone as an Olympic event.
I’ll be in Whistler during the Opening Ceremonies, watching on a Panasonic television in the Uniform Distribution Wait Room – a television donated as part of being a worldwide Olympic partner.
I partially know what is coming; the dress rehearsal was comprised of most of what people will see – some things, naturally, like the entrance of the athletes and speeches of important people cannot be done as stand-ins. The flame will be lit, the Games will begin.
People will be commenting, Twittering, Facebooking, LinkedIn-ing – I’m not sure the breadth of it all, or what will be said, or impressions – I’ll be active with some of that too, I’m sure.
Right now I’m writing free-form, coming up with something to make the connection I’ve been striving for – this is not a first impression piece, or one from notes to The Midwest Perspective, just an attempt to make a connection to those following this one blip amongst all of the others.
Tired of that, I switch to my initial Whistler Observations from the first day I arrived. The best:
// “The place is a warzone. Howitzer blasts for avi control mix with Miga, Sumi and Muk Mukk.”
“3.5 billion (television viewers) will conclude that, from West Vancouver to Whistler, lies the recreational capital of the world. 3.5 billion people will conclude that Canada is everyone’s dream and our reality.”
“Blenz Coffee Shop; randomly waiting for Accreditation and Uniform Distribution in two hours. New snow on the mountain.”
“Think: what can I do to deliver stories back to MN being here?” “…Emerging themes: Signs of globalization – hydrogren busses”
“Two iPhones [one per person] are replaced by one iPhone and new Macbook by a man in artsy glasses, drinking tea and biscotti, complete with teapot. My little Verizon phone seems so inadequate but so relieving.”
“…biscotti dropped awkwardly”
“…and to Tapley’s in Whistler to watch the Vikings and Cowboys – Vikings up 7-3.”
“The worst is that one has to pay to sit or do anything – soup, ginger ale, etc.”
“In the correct place for gentrification as I am by far the youngest person here.”
//
1 comments:
Can't wait for the opening ceremonies! My first pair of downhill skis came with the Olympic sticker on them. The 1972 Olympics were in Japan that year. I was in Steamboat Springs. The Japanese Olympic skiers came later that winter to jump in Steamboat at the famous Howelson Hill.
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