You're from where?

It’s sometimes said that you should go big or go home. Obviously that’s a motto that’s carried through during the Olympics. Athletes have worked years to land a spot and they want to show the world that they have what it takes to be here. At the Channel 2 Winter Olympics bureau we follow that motto. When I say we’ve gone big, I mean that it’s not just four KTUU people here, but our giant satellite truck as well. But it seems that response to our presence here in Vancouver falls into one of two categories, disdain and admiration. Well, admiration may not be the exact word, perhaps “cool” would be better.

It’s amazing what people will say about you when you’re not more than a few feet away. The other day we were walking down the street wearing our blue coats with the giant 2 and peacock logo. I could hear the usual street noises and the chatter of people behind me. But my ears perked up when I heard NBC. The lady behind me said “NBC from Alaska, what are they doing here?” in a not so nice tone of voice. I have no idea where she was from, but I wanted to turn around and say, “We are here to cover our fabulous Alaska athletes, do you have a problem with that?” But I didn’t, because I do represent Channel 2 and one thing you learn in life is that sometimes you just have to let things roll off you. Luckily those comments have been few and I’ve just chocked them up to ignorance.

Then there is the other group of folks. The people who are awed that we came “all the way from Alaska” (you’d think it was the moon) to cover the games. They want to know how we got here, how long we’re staying and what it’s like up there. Several times I’ve had people approach me to say they visited Anchorage or took an Alaska cruise. It was cool to hear them talk about the great time they had. I’ve also commiserated with those from the Northern Canadian Provinces. They too, are constantly asked if they live in igloos and take the dog sled to the store.

But I almost left out the biggest draw of all, the satellite truck. Hundreds of people have taken photos of the truck. I’m guessing people see it as a novelty since I haven’t seen any other vehicle to compete with the truck in the uniqueness category. It’s definitely getting noticed. At least a dozen people have said to me “I’ve seen your big blue truck around town.”

So our Olympic journey is nearing the end, but I think we’ve made our presence known and hope that we encouraged a few people to find out more about our state and others to come for a visit.
-Myrna