Involving the Community

Athletes and tourists aren't the only ones enjoying the Winter Olympic games in Vancouver. The locals are getting involved as well.

Throughout the metro area, there are celebration sites for the locals to gather, watch the games, enjoy some food, and hear live music. The design of each site is reflective of the community.

Last night we were live in Yaletown. Yaletown has lots of high rise condo complexes with views. The people who live there seem to be young professionals or active retirees. The celebration site had pavillions from big companies like Coca-Cola, Samsung and Panasonic. Local groups were also performing and at the end of the night there was a big fireworks display.

Sunday night we were live in Surrey. This community has a large population from India and many young families. This celebration site had many kid-friendly activities. Here's a little video that will give you an idea of what goes on.

-Myrna

Sensory Overload

I grew up in Portland, spent several years in Minneapolis, but after four years in Anchorage I kind of forget what a big city is really like. The endless traffic lights, streets crammed with pedestrians and stores with hundreds of choices are something I don’t have to deal with in a town of 250,000. So arriving in Vancouver I feel more than a little overwhelmed.

I’m a very visual person. That’s probably why I work in television. On our first day in Vancouver I couldn’t stay focused. There were so many signs to read, people to see and sights to digest. If I had been driving we probably would’ve been in a wreck. I tried to take it all in but there wasn’t enough time.

I was also distracted by the shops. As I passed by Ikea, I daydreamed about filling my house with their furniture. When I saw Tiffany & Co., I thought of all the beautiful jewelry. And then there were the grocery stores, ethnic grocers, mom & pop shops, chains stores and fresh organic markets. I knew that each contained interesting products that we can’t find in the U.S. (like Mike’s favorite: muffin mix in a tube)

Of course what’s in the shops is also overwhelming. If you want a piece of Olympic gear, they’ve got it, but it won’t come cheap. The Olympic logo can be found on purses, jewelry, rain jackets, scarves and of course the usual: mugs, t-shirts and hats. Every store seems to have something different and I can’t seem to look at it enough.

So here’s my advice Alaska, when you visit a big city, let a local drive, bring your camera… and if you’re like me, consider leaving your credit card at home.

-Myrna

Pedestrians Rule

I must admit, I underestimated the power of the blog.

Yesterday I posted a whine-atorial about the rain. I had written it the night before, while it was pouring on us for the seventh straight day. Before the blog hit the air, the rain let up and we had a super spectacular sunny day!

Man! Had I known I had that kind of pull, I would have blogged about winning the Canadian National Lottery! Go figure…

Speaking of going and figuring, I’m having the hardest time figuring out Canadian pedestrians. These folks will walk out in front of a vehicle, without warning, and more alarming, without care. We’ve had several instances where someone decided it was time to cross the road right now, right in front of us. Forcing us into a kiss-the-windshield-front-bumper-scraping stop. You know, the kind of stop that eats up about 20 percent your brake pads. These folks come within inches of death, nearly causing multiple car pileups, and, they don’t even acknowledge you. It’s as if to say ‘I’m going where I’m going, when I want to go there, and you will watch out for me!’ If someone tried that in Anchorage, I’ll tell you where they’d be going… they’d be going about 30 feet into the air!

It’s like a bizzaro-backwards world here, pedestrians rule the road, cars fear them.
In Anchorage, it’s just the opposite. Pedestrians know how easy it is to become a hood ornament. Heck, in Anchorage sometimes pedestrians are not even safe on the sidewalk!

In a way, I almost admire the Canadian pedestrian’s courage. They’re confident you’re looking out for them. They’re confident they’re bullet proof. I want confidence like that. On the other hand, I also want to grow old.

Nope, you’ll never see me stepping out into traffic like the Canadians. I know I used up all my good luck blog-whining about the weather.

-Carp

(Editor's Note: After posting this blog, the sun came out, the wind died down and the temperature rose to 50 degrees, a mid-April day in Anchorage.)

“Trickle, trickle, splash, splash. Tell me how long will this rain last?”
-Manhattan Transfer

Welcome to the 2010 Vancouver Rainfest…er… Winter Olympics.

It seems like it’s been raining here… forever. Oh sure, we’ve only been in Vancouver for a week, but it’s rained every day but one. It seems every time we do a live shot (TV lingo for our thrice nightly live reports from the games) we’re getting precipitated on. Normally I’m not one to get worked up over a little rain, or even a lot of rain, but when I look around and see the animals start pairing up, I get nervous.

I talked to a couple of locals who told me this is actually normal February weather for Vancouver: showers, followed by more showers, followed by a 100 percent chance of even more showers.

Speaking of showers, let me take this chance to go down a quick rabbit trail. I’m a guy who likes a good, high pressure, hot shower. I’m not overly fond of high pressure, low flow showers, and that’s what we have at the house we’re staying in down here. The streams of water are so small and high pressure, it’s like having little needles poked into your body. Not relaxing at all. In fact, it’s more of an assault than a shower. When I get done I’m not sure if I should towel off, or file a police report.

Back to the weather in Vancouver…
I know I’m whining. And I know I’ll live, albeit in a slightly more damp state than I prefer. I just hope the rain stays in Vancouver and leaves the ski areas, Whistler and Cypress, alone. The games won’t be as much fun if events start getting cancelled. Ultimately, We all know there’s nothing anyone can do about the weather. One way or another, we’ll all have to adapt to the hand Mother Nature deals us. But like Girdwood snowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof said to me… “Hey, that’s what they get for holding the Winter Olympics in a rain forest.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

-Carp

Stone Guy

Tonight our live shot was in front of an inukshuk at Vancouver's English Bay. For those of you who want a little history/culture lesson, here you go.

The word inuksuk means "something which acts for or performs the function of a person." The inukshuk is a stone sculpture that was used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples north as directional landmarks.

The Vancouver 2010 emblem is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional inukshuk. Over time, the inukshuk has become a representation of hope, friendship and an external expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms. The distinctive formations are found across the country - from coastlines to mountaintops, from small towns to large cities - in a variety of styles.

But we still like to call him, Stone Guy.
-Myrna

Spring in Vancouver?

I’m not even sure why I packed my parka.

Since we came to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, the weather has been very… well, unwinter-like. We’ve had sun, we’ve had rain, we’ve had wind. It’s been almost like a James Taylor song… except for the fire part.

Our first day here it was almost 60 degrees. That’s Fahrenheit by the way. Here in Canada they use Celsius. One morning the guy on the radio said it was “minus-6”. I was standing outside on the balcony, and I thought, either that guy’s thermometer is whacked, or we don’t speak the same temperature-eese (yes, I just made up that word).
Two days ago it rained on us. The day before that, it rained and blew on us. But, it’s hardly been below freezing. Actually, it’s been just like any typical early September day in Anchorage.

A friend of mine e-mailed me and said it looked cold during one of my live shots. Let me tell you, I’ve been in cold before, and this, is not it.

Back in 2000, while covering the Yukon Quest, we did a live shot in Circle, and it was 50 below zero (and I’m talking Fahrenheit my friends, Celsius doesn’t even have a number for that kind of cold). In 1991 covering the Iditarod, I remember standing a few miles out of Elim, waiting for Susan Butcher to come by. My photographer figured that with the wind chill factor, it was 81 below. By the time Butcher did pass by, our camera was frozen solid. Didn’t get one smidge of video. Basically, all we got from that experience was frostbite, and a wave from Susan.

One year covering the Iditarod we were camping in Cripple in 60 below. And at 60 below camping consists of sitting in your campfire, and praying not to die. So when it comes to cold, Vancouver’s weather doesn’t even register.

I just wish I had known that, before I paid fifty bucks for that extra suitcase full of my winter gear.

-Carp

On A Wire

This may be one of the best perks for Photographer Mike Nederbrock and I of the whole trip. The Ziptrek line is going to be big for the games, especially since it's free. We got to go early because of our media status.
-Myrna

www.ziptrek.com