Alright: I will admit that traffic wasn't bad. In fact I had some of the best commutes to work that I've ever had.And, clearly, the RCMP and VPD were issued memos that they weren't to taser anyone while the "world is watching" and so there wasn't much to report regarding police brutality.
Finally, as someone who was born and raised in Canada, I've got to say I'm impressed. I love Canada (except for Stephen Harper, and our lagging environmental record, and our slow and pricey internet connections) because it's a beautiful and friendly and safe place to live. I mean, not just a little beautiful: I still am amazed when I drive over the IMB on my way home and see the rippling green North Shore mountains, capped with snow (well, not so much right now) and when I drive down 15th near Grand Boulevard and I cast my glance to the beautiful and bejewelled downtown skyline.
But we Canadians are a demure, polite and understated bunch. We can be kind of standoffish. And Vancouver has been called "no fun city".
Not the case over the last two weeks. People have been phenomenal. It's like we've been waiting for an excuse to show off how fun and nice and talented we are. The crowds downtown have been epic. The mood has been jubilant. People have been enthusiastic and happy and excited and, though I still hate the Olympics, I have been surprised and encouraged by everyone's joie de vivre.
The Olympics sparked random conversations with people I might not otherwise have spoken to. It brought a level of excitement and connectedness that I haven't experienced ever. I was absolutely blown away by our patriotic pride because up until now that was something that was always reserved for the Americans (irony of ironies: Michael was reading American reviews of the Olympics and they were all positive except for the Kansas Star who thought we were way too jingoistic. Like, seriously?).
After we won the men's hockey game yesterday Michael and I walked up to the pub that we had watched the opening ceremonies at. The vibe in the air was electric. People were driving up and down Lonsdale beeping their horns, waving flags, sporting painted faces and jerseys. It was incredible.
Michael, knowing that I would don my staid corduroy cap and jeans, bought us each Canadian baseball caps, mostly because we were going to a pub and he had heard rumours about people getting ribbed for not ordering Molson Canadian beer and he knows my penchant for Viognier. I think the hat deflected a lot of potential problems.
But I do hate to think what the vibe would've been like had we not won gold in hockey. And, to ruminate further, why does it take a hockey game which showcases grotesquely paid athletes to instill us with pride and to make us happy and gregarious?
I liked the Olympic excitement and the positive vibe it gave off, but do we really need the six billion dollar price tag it came with?
I don't think so. I think we can have fun on our own and I hope we do.
Mad props to Sid the Kid, though. It was a hell of a game and I enjoyed the way the sun came out after we won.
The point of this post is that I was flipping through the channel guide and the description for Aqua Teen Hunger Force was "fast food items solve crimes" and I almost fell off the couch laughing.
Clearly I don't have access to cable television much.
3 comments:
You just described living in Texas! That's how we feel everyday. Ya'll should come down here for lessons. We talk to everyone.
LOL. I think Vancouverites want to talk to everyone, but they're too afraid of being perceived as crazy or uncool.
I don't care.
I chat people up in the frozen food section.
I'm nuts like that. Plum nuts you might say.
That's a huge Texas thing. We butt our nose in to everybody's business, but in a good way. Like when I was at the Sonic Drive in the other day. Two teens were trying to pay for their burgers and were 80 cents short. The Car-Hop snatched the bag away and was going to go back inside. 80 frikin cents! I yelled out the window of my car "how much do you need?" Car-Hop bitch said 80 cents in a shitty tone, and I waved her over. She just stood there but the girl who was hungry came bouncing over to my car and I gave her a dollar. By that time they were all standing outside my car and I looked at Car-Hop and said "you aren't from around here are you?"
Then when she brought my order I tipped her something like 2 bucks and said "have a good day OKaaaay?"
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