Opening Ceremony

Originally published on February 21, 2010 on My Life Is Like A Song

There was too much material for one post, so you can view my pre-ceremony post by clicking here. This is the beginning of the ceremony.

I decided to video the beginning of the Opening Ceremony, so with one hand I had my video camera and with my other I lifted by tambourine during the countdown.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

It's such a fine line between being able to truly be present in a moment and wanting to have a photograph or video as a memento. A small disappointment for me was because we weren't told where to look, I am looking all over wondering how the ceremony would begin. I got distracted by seeing someone emerge from the floor in the centre. I couldn't tell at the time that it was a camera man. I should have figured it out with the ramp beside me, but hindsight is 20/20...so with the camera rolling, I catch the snowboarder after he has come through the rings and lands on the ramp beside me.

Whether to take photos or not also caught me in a very uncharacteristic moment. I rarely move during our national anthem. Often even if I'm alone at home, I will stand during the national anthem, but this time...I couldn't resist videotaping the national anthem...which isn't too bad, but then half way through, put it down to take photos. It was so beautiful, with the flag on the screen, the flag just raised, the Olympic rings and Nikki Yanofski in a red dress on the stage.

I love so many things about Canada, but one of the things I love the most about Canada is the seasons. Although I love summer the most...loving the heat and sunshine, I probably wouldn't appreciate it so much without the other seasons. I love the beauty of the fall colours. Almost every fall I am out taking photos of the leaves turning colours and it was one of the first paintings I did when I took a painting class last year. I love the pureness and beauty of the snow. I love the crunching sound on a very cold day after a snowstorm. I love the hope of buds growing on trees in the spring.

With my love of seasons, it was perfect when the seasons were so prominent in the opening ceremony. When they first came walking out with the snow falling, I thought it was SO beautiful. Later when the emphasis was on the maple leaves during the fiddling segment and leaves were falling in the audience, I was in awe.

"We Are More", the poem by Shane Koycsan was also a highlight. Although there was too much for me to absorb in the moment, some lines definitely resonated with me. I especially loved when my daughter i.m.'d me saying "please and thank you lol".

The standing ovation that the Georgian team received as they entered the stadium was very emotional.

Being married to a Brit, I was excited when Great Britain entered the stadium led by the Skeleton athlete Shelly Rudman (and I didn't know it at the time, but my favourite Brit winter Olympian David Murdoch is in the photo).


When the United States of America entered led by luger Mark Grimmette, it was the largest cheer up to that point. There were a lot of American flags in the crowd.



The big highlight has to be when Canada entered the stadium. The crowd was thunderous. The flags were waving everywhere. I don't think I had ever heard cheering like that.


I thought the musical performances represented Canada well. Bryan Adams, Nelly Furtado, Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan are very well known (and loved) outside of Canada so they were great choices. k.d. lang was incredible, but that Leonard Cohen song (that she covered on her 2004 album Hymns of the 49th Parallel) has been so overplayed on American and Canadian Idol (and X Factor) since that I'm almost tired of it. The fact that she does it so incredibly well and with such passion made it a musical highlight for most I think.

When the Olympic flag came out, I forgot that some of our great Canadians would be carrying it. So the announcement of these flag bearers was very exciting for me. I had really tried not to think about who would be bringing the Olympic torch into the stadium, so most of these great Canadians (except for Terry Fox's mother) hadn't come to my mind, until the announcement.

Carrying the Olympic flag, Betty Fox, Bobby Orr, Jacques Villeneuve, Anne Murray, Donald Sutherland, Roméo Dallaire, Barbara Ann Scott and Julie Payette.


It was SO exciting when Rick Hansen wheeled the Olympic flame in. A few days before, I was asked by a television reporter in Victoria who I thought would light the cauldron (or who I wanted to). I hadn't really wanted to think about it because I was hoping to be surprised. I answered Terry Fox's mother Betty as one choice. I said Simon Whitfield. I said it would have been great for Rick Hansen and Steve Nash but they had already carried the torch a few days before. My final answer was that I could name 20 people or 100 people that I would be happy to see light the cauldron. It was too difficult to choose just one.

I guess the organizers felt that way too choosing to have 4 people light the cauldron. Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Green and Wayne Gretzky.

When I heard the french announcer say MVP...I couldn't believe that Steve Nash was there. I thought I had read in the newspaper that after he carried the torch in the relay the day before he had left to go to the NBA All Star weekend. I was SO excited to see him carry the torch in the stadium.

With the problems with the hydraulics, there was a delay, so I took the opportunity to stop videotaping and took photos of the torchbearers waiting.

I didn't realize that there was a problem, so when I saw the multiple pillars, I was so excited to see that they were all going to light the cauldron. I can see now when I watch my video (after having seen it on tv) that there is a hole where the fourth pillar was to come up, but at the time I didn't notice it. I wondered why Catriona was just standing there, but still didn't think anything was wrong. I thought perhaps she had another role to play. I was to later learn of the problems. I wish she had gone over to one of the other three or taken over Wayne Gretzky's since he would light the one outdoors. I just read that she considered joining Nash but was instructed not to...bummer. They were also on a timeline because the torches would only stay alight for so long. I saw an interview with Catriona that said that they extinguished the minute they walked out. This is also the reason that they replaced Rick Hansen's torch when he arrived and gave Wayne Gretzky a new one when he left the venue.

Once the ceremony was over, we were told that we could stay to watch Wayne Gretzky light the cauldron on the big screen, but I was really concerned about how long it would take to get everyone out of the stadium. If I missed my bus to the ferry, my hosts would have to make some calls to their friends to find me a place to sleep in Vancouver. I really didn't want to inconvenience anyone, even if they did say that it was no problem.

So I gathered my mementos and my cameras and headed to the door (where we were sucked out because of the higher pressure inside that holds the roof up) and walked out in the pouring rain. Considering that it was supposed to rain the whole time I was there, this was one of the few times that I was caught in the rain during my entire trip. I was on such a high that really, I didn't mind the rain. I arrived at the bus terminal 45 minutes before it was scheduled to leave...enough time to recharge my iPhone a bit for the 4 hour commute back to Victoria.

There was very little traffic so we did arrive at the ferry early. We got off the bus once it was on the ferry and I went up to the 6th deck (or was it the 5th?) where I found a television showing the ski jumping and then the beginning of the Opening Ceremony. I never thought that I would think this, but the ferry ride went way too quick. The nations were about to enter the stadium when we were instructed to go back to the bus :-(

It was wonderful to see the beginning of the Opening Ceremony on television and see what it looked like to the rest of the world. I look forward to seeing the rest...maybe once the Olympics are over and I'm back to my regular television viewing hours, I'll make the time.

Stay tuned for my recount of Canada's first gold medal on Canadian soil...next post: Men's Moguls.

Pre-Opening Ceremonies

Originally published on February 19, 2010 on My Life Is Like A Song

There was too much to write about my day at the Opening Ceremony. You can read part 1 here and the post about the actual ceremony here.

It was a week ago, this moment, that I was sitting in BC Place watching the Opening Ceremonies. I never imagined that it would take me this long to blog about it but I was much busier on my holiday than I thought I would be and I guess in the end, it's better late than never.

I arrived at the venue at 3pm, three hours before the ceremony would start. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to walk around, take photos, and buy souvenirs before having to take my seat at 5pm. Knowing I would be rushed after the ceremony to catch the last bus and ferry back to Victoria, I wanted to ensure I took the time to take in the whole venue.

I was overwhelmed with emotion as I walked into my section. I stood at the entrance for a while taking it all in. The usher took my photo with my iPhone (he was busier taking photos of spectators than finding their seats).


At the other end of the arena is the stage and where the flags would be raised.

I then went down to my seat to admire the view I would have during the ceremony.

I was 7th row beside the ramp. The bottom of the ramp is visible on the right of the photo. The ramp would be deflated after the snowboarder came down and this would be the entrance for the athletes, the Olympic flag and the Olympic torch. The dignitaries' box is up on the right.

At our seats, there was a bag that contained an octoganol box which would double as a tambourine filled with props we would use during the ceremony. There was also a program that detailed what would be seen during the ceremony.

I went for a walk around the stadium to get different views. This was the view from the other side of the ramp (and further to the side):

View from the other side of the arena, looking back at the ramp and my section:

I bought an Opening Ceremony t-shirt as a souvenir, grabbed a bite to eat and really don't know where else the two hours went.

At 5pm, we were asked to be in our seats to rehearse what we would have to do during the ceremony. Time to open my box. There was a flashlight that we would use at various times during the ceremony including when the cauldron was lit. There was a candle-like flashlight that we would use when kd Lang would sing. There was a drumstick for banging the drum during Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado's and at other times. There were various "leaders" around the stadium that would let us know which prop we needed to take out and what to do with it (when to light it, when to turn it off, the rhythm of the drumming, etc.). Sometimes we would need to look at the screen to find out who would be lighting their flashlights. We all had a different number from 1 to 4. The screen would show the numbers and we would light our flashlight when our number was shown. We were also given ponchos to wear so that the lights would reflect better off the spectators. I can't say that the close-ups of the people in the audience shown on television look good with those ponchos, but I guess it helped for the venue shots...especially when the countries' flags were reflected on the crowd.

At first I was concerned that I would miss out on seeing some of the ceremony. I knew I would want to have photos and I would miss some moments because I would be busy taking photos and videos...but now realizing I would also be busy with these props I wondered how much I would enjoy the ceremony...but then I realized that I was part of the entertainment and part of the ceremony and it made it even more special. Just like all the other volunteers, I felt that I was a part of the Opening Ceremonies. Watching them on television when I got back home would be even more memorable.

We practiced the countdown a few times. The bottom of our boxes was either dark or white. We were to hold it up when our number was called. A light would shine on the spectators (and boxes) to spell out the numbers with the light boxes spelling out the numbers. My section would start the countdown at "10".

A countdown started on the screen and as it approached two minutes...I took a moment to photograph it, take in the moment and be thankful for being there.

And then, the real countdown was on....10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!!!

Vancouver Day 1

Originally published on February 17, 2010 on My Life Is Like A Song

I got up early on Friday and was at the computer in my hosts' living room when their daughter told me to look at the beautiful sunrise out the window.

Photographing a beautiful sunrise (over water) was on my list of things I wanted to do in the next 1001 days for my Day Zero Project, so I immediately got dressed and went out in the hopes of capturing a beautiful photo.


I took over a dozen photos as the view kept getting more beautiful the further east I went.



Unfortunately, capturing the sunset didn't happen. It was cloudy on the days that I could have done it.

Later, I arrived at Harbour Air to take a sea plane to Vancouver. Having to arrive an hour before the flight because of extra security during the Games, this made the commute 90 minutes (35 minute flight). By taking a bus/ferry/bus, it would have been a four and a half hour to five hour commute.

Riding in a sea plane was another thing I wrote down on my list of things I wanted to do. I have never been on a sea plane but had seen them occasionally at my parents' cottage land on the lake. At the time, it didn't seem too realistic. We weren't sure whether they would be allowed to fly into Vancouver during the Games. I also thought it may not be worth the expense (and depending on the weather it can get cancelled) but as the day came closer, those 3 extra hours of sleep (or sightseeing or hanging out with friends) rather than travelling became quite precious.

I liked my friend's response when I wondered out loud whether it was "cheating" to have put those things on my list when I knew I was going to Victoria. His response was that it would have been easy for me to stay at the computer and admire the sunrise through the window, but I got dressed (I had woken up 5 or 10 minutes before) and went out walking 15 to 20 minutes down along the water to reach the eastern point. Also, flying on a sea plane would not be something I would have thought to put on my list, but once it was a possibility, I hoped to do it.

I was nervous about taking the sea plane, especially when my friend was telling me stories about how windy it can get and bumpy in the air. As I'm buckling myself in, the pilot tells us to buckle tight because it would be bumpy over the islands. Winds were 40-50 km/hour. At times, I felt like I was on a roller coaster as the plane would dip quickly...but it was never really scary. It was bumpy, but nothing major. I never came close to screaming like I would on a roller coaster. The other two times I took it, it was quite smooth.

As I left Victoria, I did take a moment to photograph the point where I photographed the sunrise and my friends' neighbourhood.


As we were about to land, I took photos from the sea plane. I didn't know it at the time, but the covered up cauldron is visible (bottom left) as well as the hotel I would end up staying in for one night just beside it on the right on this zoomed in photo.



When I arrived in Vancouver, it was perfect...the first words I heard were "Go Canada Go". There were a few people taking photos, so one of them cheered as someone was taking his photo and those three words were the first thing I heard.

It was so great to see everyone in national colours walking around...whether Canadian, American, Australian, Swedish, Russian, Swiss and all the other countries.

I walked up towards Robson Square and stopped by the Art Gallery where they had a countdown to the Opening Ceremony. It's really starting to hit me that in 6 hours...I will be watching the Opening Ceremony.


I walked around Robson Square watching people ice skate or going down a zip line over the square...very cool.

I then start walking towards BC Place and stopped in front of the Canada Post building where there was a trampoline show and where we could write post cards to the Canadian team (and receive a great t-shirt with autographs in a maple leaf design).

I was almost amazed to see the line-up waiting to enter The Bay's Olympic Superstore. Supposedly you could find gear from all the different countries and I guess that was worth lining up a full block in order to get in.

There were so many people walking around. I spotted a few torchbearers waiting for the torch to arrive, but was on a mission to find the bus station, so I didn't stick around. After the Opening Ceremony (which was scheduled to end at 9), I needed to catch a 10:30pm bus that would go on the last ferry at midnight. Not knowing how much time it would take to exit BC Place, I wanted to make sure I knew how to get to the bus/train station.

While there, I see the news about the Georgian luger dying in his training run...SO sad and shocking.

I then head back towards BC Place and go through the Ontario Pavillion, where I read on the whiteboard that Adam van Koeverden is about to arrive for autographs at the Right To Play display.



I wait around for a while, until the woman in charge confirms that he had to cancel because his interview with Global went longer than expected. Big bummer. I was very excited about having the chance to meet one of my favourite Olympians as you can see from my posts from the 2008 Olympics. You can read them here, here and here.

After spending a bit more time in the Ontario Pavillion including watching a bit of Jamie Kennedy's cooking demonstration...


it was time to enter BC Place for the Opening Ceremony.


Stay tuned for that report.

Victoria Highlights

(mostly written on Feb 11 but posted on Feb 17th, 2010 on My Life Is Like A Song)

I arrived in Victoria last night. No, don't get confused, I know the Olympics are in Vancouver, but I have free accommodation in Victoria, so here I am. I'll be commuting to Vancouver for my Olympics events.

So today, I considered going into Vancouver to try to see Steve Nash run in the Torch Relay, but found out the time too late to get there (looks like his time ended up changing so I might not have found him anyway).

I decided to have a relaxing day going around Victoria instead.

My hosts/tourist guides recommended going to Mile 0 to see the Terry Fox Statue and to go to the Frontrunners store because it has a Simon Whitfield jersey on display (as well as a Steve Nash jersey that my host forgot to mention...hello???) Ok, perhaps not your typical tourist stops in Victoria, but perfect stops for me.

If you know me or have read my blog for a long time, you will remember me being very excited to have visited the Thunder Bay Terry Fox statue in the summer of 2008 (and in 1983). I also mentioned him as one of my favourite reasons to love Canada (interestingly, the photo I used for this post was of the Victoria statue that my friend took when my son's Flat Stanley visited him - you can see the Flat Stanley on the statue).

As I approach the Terry Fox statue in Victoria, I can see that there is an Olympic torch in his arms. I am thinking..."ooohhh, they put an Olympic Torch on the statue for the Olympics", not realizing that it's a much too valuable an item to leave out. I don't rush over (thinking it's there for a while) and make a phone call home.

As I'm on the phone, I see someone take the torch down..."oh gosh, I missed the opportunity...how cool of a photo would that have been?'

So I rush off the telephone and head over to the statue. A very friendly man wearing a Terry Fox t-shirt strikes up a conversation with me, wondering where I'm from. The conversation finally gets to him as I ask him why he's wearing a Terry Fox t-shirt (and there is a television camera man there interviewing him).


It turns out that he is Rob Reid, the owner of Frontrunners, the store I was planning on visiting. He was the driving force to have the Terry Fox statue erected in Victoria.



So here I am, at the Terry Fox statue, watching the man responsible for the statue being erected being interviewed by A Channel.

All I can say is...

Awesome!!

Then he tells me to get his friend (from Calgary) to take my photo holding his Olympic torch with the Terry Fox statue.

You may know that I had the privilege of holding an Olympic torch a few months ago (you can read about that here), but for now, to hold the Olympic Torch of someone who is one step removed from Terry Fox (and Simon Whitfield and Steve Nash), beside the Terry Fox statue was SUCH an honour...and really...SURREAL!!

After a few stops, (for afternoon tea, to see Emily Carr's house which was not opened and to Harbour Air to organize my flight to Vancouver) I end up at Frontrunners. I locate Simon Whitfield and Steve Nash's jerseys and ask permission to take photos.


I had so much fun in the store. I was like a kid in a candy store. Who needs a museum when you have Frontrunners?

The staff were amazing and completely indulged me in my enthusiasm. Rob had just left apparently, so I just missed him. One of the staff saw me and said "the girl with the black coat and black camera...Rob said you'd be by". Ooooohhh, I'm famous! LOL (I don't think in a good way though).

Rob it turns out had gone out for a run. I'm not sure if he forgot something, but he ended up running back into the store for a minute...enough time for me to take a photo, for him to say hello and give me a hug.

In another part of the store, they had Rob's torch relay outfit with a cutout of his face and the torch sitting on the wall above. The staff were great and brought the torch down and took a photo of me with it again (beside Rob's cutout...love it!!).


Many of the employees in the store are world class runners. One of them, Jim Finlayson holds the World Record for the Beer Mile and is a two-time Canadian National Marathon Champion.

Another employee, Erin van Wiltenburg, who fitted me for some running shoes (ok, walking shoes) ran 100 marathons (4200 km) in Africa in 120 days in 2008!

The store also displayed Simon Whitfield's autographed jacket from the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and his running shoes on display.


A perfect museum for me.

I also took the opportunity when I left to take a photo of the cherry blossoms in bloom outside of the store (yes, it is February!).

Really, a perfect day in Victoria...for me.

Got My Tickets!

originally published January 20, 2010 on My Life Is Like A Song

Well, I'm one step closer to realizing one of my dreams. I have my tickets in hand...and they are oh so pretty!!

I actually got my moguls tickets last week from my friend in my book club (who was kind enough to sell it to me at face value!)...and if my friends thought my tears of joy were brought on by the wine...the Purolator driver can confirm today that nope, it wasn't the wine...I cried again (ok, I didn't cry in front of him...but I'm sure my eyes were teary). At least he knew what they were (he told me...like I needed to be told...lol).

Every day I visit the Vancouver 2010 website in search of more tickets. I will be there for 4 days and at the moment going to 2 events. The commute to Vancouver will be quite lengthy so perhaps 2 events will be plenty, but I keep looking in case there is someone out there who really wants to get rid of a single ticket (not at 5 times the face value though like most of them are trying to do).

The events I'm interested in while I'm there are (in order of preference):

• Pairs Free Program on the 15th
• Men's 500m speed skating on the 15th
• Short Track speed skating on the 13th
• Men's 5000m speed skating on the 13th
• Women's hockey Canada vs Switzerland on the 15th

I won't be heartbroken if I don't get any more tickets. The ones I have are more than worth the trip. I also know that staying in Victoria and commuting to Vancouver will be very time consuming so perhaps it's best if I don't get more (you can really only do one event per day and I'll be arriving back in Victoria at 2:30am...yes AM)...but then I think that I can always rest when I get home....so I keep checking and hoping.

While I'm on the Olympic website, I see their countdown.

23 days until the Opening Ceremonies!!

21 days until I leave!! (3 weeks tonight)

Time is flying. There is so much to do before I leave. From packing, to organizing child care, to learning how to use my DSLR camera properly (and my pocket one), learning how to use my iPhone (and input my contacts), etc.

The list goes on...but there's one thing that is often on my mind.

I have been asked by Mothers on Fire to write about my experience for their "Diaries of a Mother on Fire" section. I was thrilled when they asked, but I am wondering what I will write about? How do I condense a lifelong dream in a few paragraphs? (you would think I was competing from the way I'm talking...lol) Most of the "diaries" are a couple of screens long. If you have been a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I can write a couple of screens about everyday events...yes, I see you nodding your heads.

I think my biggest challenge will be to keep my diary to a reasonable length, which means I have to choose what I will write about very carefully....no going off on tangents or into much detail.

I'll save the tangets and details for my own blog!

Fueling the Fire

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on January 9, 2010

As many of you know, in just over a month, I will be going to the Olympics.

I intially managed to secure myself an Opening Ceremonies ticket. A friend of mine who has decided not to go is selling me one of her Men's Moguls tickets (at face value). Securing other tickets is looking pricey as the fan-to-fan Olympics website (where ticket holders are reselling their tickets on the Olympic website who are confirming the tickets are legit) have tickets for sale that are going for much more than face value.

I've had a mixed reaction from friends to my news that I am going to the Olympics. I've had people who are over the top excited for me. These people either have known me a long time and know how passionate I am about the Olympics...or it's someone I haven't known that long...but I guess long enough for them to have experienced an Olympics with me. One that stands out in my mind said "of all people, this should happen to you"...and it surprised me, because I didn't think she knew me that well. The other supportive ones are other acquaintances who have had more exciting adventures themselves than the Olympics...so to them, it's a realistic choice, just not one they're choosing (or they are also going).

The others, who think perhaps I'm a little crazy either can't imagine me doing something so extravagant, or perhaps know that I have never travelled on my own besides business trips (and perhaps don't remember my business trips). I never did the Europe backpacking thing...so I guess this is my equivalent of that.

So, this post is for those who think I'm crazy. I'll just fuel the fire.

My friend who is selling me the ticket, forwarded a message she received about the Olympic Bus Network. I realized today (I'm normally so on top of doing my homework, but somehow missed this) that the only way to get to Cypress Mountain for the Moguls Event (and other events) is via three "hubs".

The friends I am staying with in Victoria had told me that it would be "so easy" for me to get to Vancouver (and Cypress Mountain) for the Olympics. I trusted their (ok, his - I'll let her off the hook for this) opinion...not that I would choose anything else, had I known ahead of time.

They (he) said that to get to Cypress Mountain would be so easy. They (he)'d drive me to Nanaimo. The ferry would take me very close to Cypress Mountain (on the map, it looks like I could walk there - he's not lying but I'm exaggerating a bit). The problem is that during the Olympics, the shuttles are coming in from North Vancouver and Burnaby, so I have to ride 45 minutes (including a bus transfer from the ferry) east...only to ride 30+ minutes back west on "approved" transportation.

It looks like I won't be going this route. Rather than getting my friends to drive me to Nanaimo very early in the morning, I think my best choice is to travel by bus from Victoria to the ferry. The bus boards the ferry and then would drive me downtown. This seems a wiser choice. Less hassle for my hosts and less on and off transportation vehicles for me (I think). I would also get some shut-eye this way as well (as long as I'm not too excited to sleep).

So here's where I give fuel to the fire to my friends who think I'm crazy. My tentative schedule for my Moguls day looks like this:

5ish taxi
5:15 arrive at bus terminal (ok, 5:05 - it's very close)
5:45 am leave Victoria bus terminal
7am (without getting off the bus...board ferry)
8:45am arrive Tsawwassen (stay on bus)
9:30am arrive downtown Vancouver

walk/take public transit to Waterfront
Board seabus to Lonsdale Quay (15 minute ride)

Board bus at Lonsdale Quay (that I have to reserve a time now - how do I know what time I'll get there? lol) that will take me to Cypress Mountain (30 minute drive).

So, in summary, I'll leave my friends' place at 5am for a 2:30pm event (ok, I do want to arrive there early to enjoy the environment and atmosphere).

The event ends at 6:30pm...too late to catch the 7:30pm bus from downtown (have to take a bus and seabus to get there) so I'll have to wait until 10:30pm to leave downtown Vancouver to arrive in Victoria at 2:20am.

I do find it interesting that they added morning/afternoon ferries back to Victoria during the Olympics, but not evening ones (they added a midnight ferry after the regular 9pm one - a 3 hour difference when most events end early evening) ...hmph...who is going to Victoria before events end?

So am I crazy? To witness a 2:30-6:30pm event, I'll leave at 5am and return at 2:30am...almost 24 hours. Water does make the commute more tricky, but it kind of is like staying in Windsor for the Toronto Olympics and coming in for the day (or Toronto for the Detroit Olympics...maybe the border equals the ferry and seabus). Sounds crazy, but if it's your only free accommodation, wouldn't you do it? I would!! And I'm VERY thankful!!!

To be fair, my friends did mention that perhaps we would find a friend in Vancouver who would have a spare couch for me. I had a friend from Toronto who considered going. She lived in Vancouver so knows a lot of people there. I had hoped that she would join me, but it doesn't look like it will happen. Whether I find a friend or a friend of a friend in the Vancouver area or not, I think that this will be a highlight of my life...and whether my friends think I'm crazy or not....they may be right...but I don't regret my choice.

I'm glad I am doing it, while I am still young enough to enjoy it (and endure the early mornings/late nights).

Fueling The Fire

As many of you know, in just over a month, I will be going to the Olympics.

I intially managed to secure myself an Opening Ceremonies ticket. A friend of mine who has decided not to go is selling me one of her Men's Moguls tickets (at face value). Securing other tickets is looking pricey as the fan-to-fan Olympics website (where ticket holders are reselling their tickets on the Olympic website who are confirming the tickets are legit) have tickets for sale that are going for much more than face value.

I've had a mixed reaction from friends to my news that I am going to the Olympics. I've had people who are over the top excited for me. These people either have known me a long time and know how passionate I am about the Olympics...or it's someone I haven't known that long...but I guess long enough for them to have experienced an Olympics with me. One that stands out in my mind said "of all people, this should happen to you"...and it surprised me, because I didn't think she knew me that well. The other supportive ones are other acquaintances who have had more exciting adventures themselves than the Olympics...so to them, it's a realistic choice, just not one they're choosing (or they are also going).

The others, who think perhaps I'm a little crazy either can't imagine me doing something so extravagant, or perhaps know that I have never travelled on my own besides business trips (and perhaps don't remember my business trips). I never did the Europe backpacking thing...so I guess this is my equivalent of that.

So, this post is for those who think I'm crazy. I'll just fuel the fire.

My friend who is selling me the ticket, forwarded a message she received about the Olympic Bus Network. I realized today (I'm normally so on top of doing my homework, but somehow missed this) that the only way to get to Cypress Mountain for the Moguls Event (and other events) is via three "hubs".

The friends I am staying with in Victoria had told me that it would be "so easy" for me to get to Vancouver (and Cypress Mountain) for the Olympics. I trusted their (ok, his - I'll let her off the hook for this) opinion...not that I would choose anything else, had I known ahead of time.

They (he) said that to get to Cypress Mountain would be so easy. They (he)'d drive me to Nanaimo. The ferry would take me very close to Cypress Mountain (on the map, it looks like I could walk there - he's not lying but I'm exaggerating a bit). The problem is that during the Olympics, the shuttles are coming in from North Vancouver and Burnaby, so I have to ride 45 minutes (including a bus transfer from the ferry) east...only to ride 30+ minutes back west on "approved" transportation.

It looks like I won't be going this route. Rather than getting my friends to drive me to Nanaimo very early in the morning, I think my best choice is to travel by bus from Victoria to the ferry. The bus boards the ferry and then would drive me downtown. This seems a wiser choice. Less hassle for my hosts and less on and off transportation vehicles for me (I think). I would also get some shut-eye this way as well (as long as I'm not too excited to sleep).

So here's where I give fuel to the fire to my friends who think I'm crazy. My tentative schedule for my Moguls day looks like this:

5ish taxi
5:15 arrive at bus terminal (ok, 5:05 - it's very close)
5:45 am leave Victoria bus terminal
7am (without getting off the bus...board ferry)
8:45am arrive Tsawwassen (stay on bus)
9:30am arrive downtown Vancouver

walk/take public transit to Waterfront
Board seabus to Lonsdale Quay (15 minute ride)

Board bus at Lonsdale Quay (that I have to reserve a time now - how do I know what time I'll get there? lol) that will take me to Cypress Mountain (30 minute drive).

So, in summary, I'll leave my friends' place at 5am for a 2:30pm event (ok, I do want to arrive there early to enjoy the environment and atmosphere).

The event ends at 6:30pm...too late to catch the 7:30pm bus from downtown (have to take a bus and seabus to get there) so I'll have to wait until 10:30pm to leave downtown Vancouver to arrive in Victoria at 2:20am.

I do find it interesting that they added morning/afternoon ferries back to Victoria during the Olympics, but not evening ones (they added a midnight ferry after the regular 9pm one - a 3 hour difference when most events end early evening) ...hmph...who is going to Victoria before events end?

So am I crazy? To witness a 2:30-6:30pm event, I'll leave at 5am and return at 2:30am...almost 24 hours. Water does make the commute more tricky, but it kind of is like staying in Windsor for the Toronto Olympics and coming in for the day (or Toronto for the Detroit Olympics...maybe the border equals the ferry and seabus). Sounds crazy, but if it's your only free accommodation, wouldn't you do it? I would!! And I'm VERY thankful!!!

To be fair, my friends did mention that perhaps we would find a friend in Vancouver who would have a spare couch for me. I had a friend from Toronto who considered going. She lived in Vancouver so knows a lot of people there. I had hoped that she would join me, but it doesn't look like it will happen. Whether I find a friend or a friend of a friend in the Vancouver area or not, I think that this will be a highlight of my life...and whether my friends think I'm crazy or not....they may be right...but I don't regret my choice.

I'm glad I am doing it, while I am still young enough to enjoy it (and endure the early mornings/late nights).

Open Happiness

Originally post on My Life Is Like A Song on December 19, 2009

The first thing that I want do
Make sure that you feel it too
So I'm not the only one

Coke introduced a new campaign last January entitled Open Happiness and had a song in its commercials.

They have released a Canadian version of the song that they are using during the Olympic Torch Relay. I heard it the other night at the City Torch Relay Celebration.



This version features Kardinal Offishall, Bedouin Soundclash's Jay Malinowski, and cœur de pirate. This is reminding me that a friend (stv) had recommended cœur de pirate a while ago. Just realized I never downloaded any of her songs, so just went to download Comme des Enfants as a start. It's funny how things come around sometimes. She'll be performing in Vancouver and Whistler during the Olympics.

They also have a bilingual version where cœur de pirate sings her part in French.



I love Jay Malinowski's voice. I noticed it the other night when the song started playing. I'll definitely be looking into Bedouin Soundclash again. I loved When The Night Feels My Song from a few years ago, but didn't download more than that.

Kardinal won the Juno Award for Single of the Year for Dangerous in 2009 and performs on the Estelle track Magnificient. I'm sure he has a lot more credits, but these are the two songs that appear on our iTunes playlist. He ran in the Torch Relay 15 minutes earlier than I saw it in my neighbourhood. Cool!

The song can be downloaded for free at www.icoke.ca

C'mon lift me up
it's a brand new day
Open up a lil happiness today

Torch Relay In Toronto

First published on December 18, 2009 on My Life Is Like a Song

This is my 200th blog post...and 100th post in 2009!! Thank you for sharing my blog with me.


Last night I gave a summary and initial impression of my day following the Torch Relay in Toronto.

This is my more detailed account after reviewing my photos, videos and telecast. I was in for some surprises.

I started by driving up to North York to see the Torch Relay in the daytime. I parked just south of Mel Lastman Square. I then walked north for about 15 minutes (almost 10 blocks) until the convoy was approaching. The RBC truck came first handing out RBC Olympic Relay flags and then the Coke truck came by handing out commemorative painted aluminum Coke bottles. In my rush to get to Yonge Street (there was a lot of cheering when I was parking so I wrongly thought they were already approaching), I left my bag in the car figuring I wouldn't need it if I wouldn't be waiting long. So I now had a bottle, a flag and one mitt in my left hand (having no where else to put them) and a camera in my right hand. I learned that I need to practice taking photos with one hand because I kept pushing buttons I didn't want pushed. The camera is quite small and most of the buttons are on the back face where I was trying to hold it.

I looked for the orange dots on the lampposts to find a spot where the flame would be exchanged. A torchbearer was soon dropped off and so many spectators went up to him wanting their photo taken with him (even strangers). In a way this was good, but in another, he probably wasn't able to completely soak in the moment watching the flame arrive as he was busy posing for photographs.

The flame arrived and was transferred.


I did take a moment to appreciate the torch arriving from afar but then, I clicked. One of the reasons I wanted to go on my own in the afternoon was so I would get my photo-taking over with.

It was also a good opportunity to see how it all worked so that I would ensure a good experience with the kids when we would get only one chance (no running or following for them).

Once the flame was lit, I followed it down Yonge Street.

I managed to keep up with this torchbearer (Marien Gehrels) and saw him transfer the flame to the following torchbearer (Kevin Chambers). I caught up after Kevin passed the flame. I didn't see who the next torchbearer was (more on that later). I stayed and watched as the crowd took photos of Kevin and watched him board the torchbearer bus.

I thought this would be it for my experience. I couldn't keep up with the pace of the relay, but then for some reason (I didn't know it at the time, I did end up catching up). I still had to go south to get back to my car. After watching the telecast on television, I see that the next torchbearer walked the last part of his relay. The crowd was so large that it slowed down the convoy (and this was the rowdy crowd I had heard from my car).

It turns out that this torchbearer who I couldn't see because of the crowd, but I could see the flame he was carrying was Craig Kielburger. In case you don't know who he is, I have blogged about him in the past. He founded Free The Children with his brother Marc. You can read what I wrote here.

So complete bummer that I didn't realize that he was there...this is one of my annoyances with the torch relay (and perhaps done purposefully to prevent immense crowds in certain areas). CP24 was showing the names of the torchbearers (where I got their names).

I wrote the following before knowing who the next torchbearer was (who ended up being Craig's brother Marc Kielburger):

The following torchbearer was probably my favourite of the ones I saw. He really took the time to appreciate the moment. He kept thanking the crowd for coming as you can hear in this video...



...and he really tried to look on both sides and wave to the people who were lining the street.

He looked right at me once when I took a photo, but the camera hadn't focused properly.


He then passed the flame to a younger torchbearer (turns out to be Ferdinard Ismael).


This is probably my favourite photo. I love how close I managed to get. I love the look on his face and the younger one looking up at the flame. The crowd control was really not as tight at this point as it would be later in my neighbourhood.

After this transfer, I lost touch with the flame for a bit. I was walking down Yonge, again figuring this was the end of my experience as the flame got further and further away from me. I can still picture myself walking down, looking at the flame with a huge grin on my face...and looking at everyone around me with cameras and also smiling.

It was really an amazing experience.

In hindsight, how did I get so close to Marc Kielburger? I'm watching it on television and the crowd is so big. At one point, the crowd covers the street (the camera truck ahead is filming the crowd and can't see Marc). In hindsight, it also explains why Marc is taking his time and making sure he waves to everyone...so cool!

When the flame gets passed, they do stop for a minute or so, this gave me the opportunity to get close to the flame again. The following torchbearer (Lindsay Leo) began by walking. When I realized this, I ran to catch up to her.


I caught up with the last torchbearer when they stopped to transfer the flame to the small "torch" to be transported by convoy on the 401 to Scarborough.

After they took the smaller flame to the convoy, I stayed by the last torchbearer, watching the flame...

and then watching as they extinguished it.




This photo of the last torchbearer I think is a good representation of how all the torchbearers felt when they were done. I love the expression on his face! It shows the pride and the pure joy of experiencing (for most) a once-in-a-lifetime event.

I wrote the previous few sentences before realizing that this is Richard Peddie. The CEO and GM of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

So my afternoon consisted of 5 torchbearers...300m each, so 1.5km in 20 minutes!

(editing this comment after reviewing the telecast...6 torchbearers (I had missed Kevin in my count plus Craig that I didn't really see)...300m each, so 2.1km in 20 minutes!! My first photo was taken at 2:17pm and my last one at 2:37pm.

This is what I called my whirlwind Torch Relay experience.

I was ready for my neighbourhood Torch Relay experience with my children.

I had planned on going to the end of my street and finding the closest orange sticker on a pole signifying a transfer of the flame.

I was watching the telecast when the reporter said she was just north of Eglinton (I missed where she was exactly) and that she was at the spot where Ivan Reitman (director of Stripes, Ghostbusters as well as many other films) would pass the flame to his son Jason Reitman (director of Up In The Air that was nominated for Golden Globe and SAG Awards this week).

Having seen the crowds running down following the torch and converging where the flame is being passed, I figured that this was not the place for my children to be. Especially since a lot of the time, security, media and spectators stand in front of where you are.

When I got to Yonge, we see the CTV truck and the reporter. The Reitman exchange is happening just north of our street at 5:15pm.

We walked further north, but then I realized that the previous transfer would be popular as well with Ivan Reitman receiving the flame. After a brief discussion, we decided to stay near our street and watch the torch pass (rather than a transfer). The kids were excited (ok, me too) to receive glow-in-the-dark Coke bottles to wave as the torch went by. Very cool to see the torch in the dark (and happy I also saw in the daytime). Being in between transfer points, we did get a good vantage point of Ivan Reitman walking past with the torch.



We got home happy with our experience. Not taking the time to inspect the glow-in-the-dark bottles, I took photos thinking they were like glow-in-the-dark necklaces that would only glow for a limited time (turns out they have an on-off switch and possibly have batteries).

(how cool are they?)

My torch relay experience continued by going downtown to meet my husband at Nathan Phillips Square for the city celebration. The torch was supposed to arrive at 7pm but was delayed an hour because protestors disrupted the route, but we were not told why the torch was late. The celebration seemed to go without a hitch (if I hadn't known that the torch was late), but I arrived late, so perhaps people who had been there since the beginning saw some repeated performances or videos. I haven't watched the full telecast yet, so can't comment on the delay.

After some entertaining performances, the torch arrived carried by Vicky Sunohara who won 2 gold medals and one silver medal in women's ice hockey. We couldn't see the flame come across the ice rink on the red carpet (saw that on the telecast afterwards), but we could see the flame go through the crowd, up to the stage.




We were quite far, but with our zoom lens, my husband captured the torch as it was about to light the cauldron and then the lit cauldron.












The lighting of the cauldron was followed by Vicky being interviewed and by speeches by federal, provincial and municipal politicians.

We ended up having to leave early and as we were leaving, I noticed an aluminum bottle on the ground. I picked it up (it was empty...I wasn't planning on opening mine) and brought it home so that I would have a pair of bottles (turns out it didn't smell like coke when we opened it)...Did I mention that it was a really cold day and evening (for Toronto)?

So, I had a full day relishing my time in the presence of the Torch Relay. I have some souvenirs to remember this day:
The middle two bottles are the front and back view of the glow-in-the-dark bottles. The two red flags are also the same (different view).

I just learned today that Steve Nash will be carrying the torch in the relay the day before the Opening Ceremonies. Barring a snow storm or other flight delay, I will already be in Vancouver/Victoria that day. Hopefully I can find out where he'll be and perhaps have another torch relay experience.

This is happiness!

Dream Big

First published on November 14, 2009 on My Life Is Like A Song

When I was a little boy
I swore that I would change the world
when I grew up
Nothing else would be enough

I see it everyday
We settled for safe
And lose ourselves along the way

'Cause if you don't dream big
what's the use of dreaming
(Dream Big by David Cook)

Last spring, I saw a presentation from Mothers On Fire. You can read what I wrote about it here in case you want the background to this post.

This fall, I saw a second presentation from Mothers on Fire. I was going to write about it, but then got sidetracked when I read what I wrote about the first presentation and was reminded that I hadn't been a "mother on fire" since that first presentation (which was a couple of days after getting a puppy). You can read that post here.

So now, I will write about the second presentation by Brenda Jasmin of Mothers on Fire.

This presentation didn't resonate as much with me as the first one, maybe because it's not as much fun as the first one "Finding Your Inner Fire". It was about "Getting Over Guilt".

I guess I do feel guilty about some aspects of parenting and homemaking but I rarely feel guilty about having time for myself like a lot of mothers do.

I believe that the main reason I am like this is because of my husband. He always believed in the importance of his activities and his friends and always encouraged me whenever I had an opportunity to go out with my friends or for activities I enjoyed. It has been a give and take for us. I never questioned the activities that were important to him and he never questioned the activities that were important to me. We supported each other.

The timing was good to hear about guilt though (and to revisit that first presentation) because I struggled with the first few months of having a puppy. Being at a mother's group and listening to moms talk about feeling guilty for not being able to accomplish as much as they used to, it reminded me that I am a new mother. I hadn't really made the realization that I do have a newborn that I have been taking care of...it's just not a human newborn but a puppy.

Brenda also talked about being a "good enough" mother and not a "perfect" mother. This again, was not an ideal topic for me. I don't think I ever pretended that I could be a perfect mother. I think I let go of perfection in motherhood early on. (I do have perfectionist tendencies though but that's a different topic altogether) So when we were talking about what a "perfect" mother is like, I never tried to achieve the characteristics of the "perfect" mother.

Could I be a better mother than I am? Yes I could, and I keep trying to improve but perfect was never what I tried to achieve.

This presentation was a great reminder for me though to let go of the guilt of the past few months and make sure that as I try to make my dreams come true, I don't feel guilty in the future.

My favourite items on the Top Ten List for Getting Over Guilt include:

• Resist the urge to compare yourself and your children to others.
• Find times to be present for your kids.
• Take time to acknowledge what you have accomplished.
• Let go of the opinions of others (and society) and listen to your own inner voice.
• Remember that when you also take care of your own needs and do things that make you happy, your loved ones benefit.
• Connect your activity to your deeper values and dreams.

Mothers on Fire has reminded me to follow my dreams. I have been writing a lot about it in the past few months. With the Olympics being held in my country in less than 100 days, my dream of attending the Olympic Games has been my focus.

I am one step closer today to realizing that dream. After over four hours of two computers refreshing every 30 seconds and my fingers redialing for tickets yesterday, I managed to secure a ticket to the Opening Ceremony.

There are still some walls to surmount before I get there, but this is the first step. Now that I have a ticket, I will continue to work at fulfilling my dream by booking a flight, arranging accommodation, arranging for my kids and puppy care and of course, work on my finances (this is not a cheap dream). The biggest challenge will be ensuring that Mother Nature doesn't wreak havoc with my dream. It will be February in Canada. Snow storms happen. Flights get cancelled. I am trying to make sure that I take all these "walls" into consideration as I plan my trip.

I do believe that if I had not been introduced to Mothers on Fire, I would not be going to the Olympic Games this winter. I had given up on that dream last year when I looked at getting tickets for my whole family and realized financially (and logistically) it was not realistic. The timing of those two presentations was perfect for me. Would I rather go to the Olympics with my family? Absolutely!! But going alone is better than not going at all and going alone is realistic and doable.

When trying to make dreams come true, we will come up against walls. You can read my post about "they're just walls" here. These walls are not meant to stop us, but to make us show how much we want something. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson late in life (but fortunately not too late). I used to give up on my dreams too easily.

I hope that my going to the Olympic Games will teach my children to Dream Big. We don't know what we are capable of until we climb over, dig under, go around or knock those walls down.

'Cause if you don't dream big what's the use of dreaming

Partial Dream Come True

Originally appeared on My Life is Like A Song on November 4, 2009

They say that when we write our dreams down, we should be specific. In case you have missed my recent posts about my dreams, go back a few posts to fill in the gaps.

After one friend called to share his viewing of the Olympic Torch going by in Victoria, another friend of mine got to carry the Olympic Torch in the Olympic Relay.

What a wonderful surprise I got while I was preparing dinner last night to have that friend (who had just flew home that day) show up at my door with a long box containing THE Olympic Torch....ok, HIS Olympic Torch (since there are over 12000 of them)....but an Olympic Torch that has been lit with THE Olympic Flame!

To make things even better, he leaves the Olympic Torch with me to enjoy for 24 hours.

Seriously???? He's going to leave it with me?

A friend of mine described this photo of me with the words..."it looks like you're a kid in a candy store". Imagine if I actually got to run in the relay...what would that photo look like? LOL

So last night, I called my family and some friends to share my happiness. More than one person said, isn't your dream to carry an Olympic Torch? This could be your dream come true.

I did think that this could be as close as I get to my dream this year. I will watch the Torch Relay run past down the road from where I live. I will go downtown to see the Torch Relay Celebration...but I am now actually TOUCHING and HOLDING an Olympic Torch. I probably won't get to hold a lit one so this could be as good as it gets.

I may not get to Vancouver to be AT the Olympic Games.

So last night, we had dinner with the Olympic Torch on the table. I toasted with the favourite Canadian wine I had (Weir Wine Pinot Noir) and felt very blessed to have a friend who shared his experience with me.

I think it's very beautiful. It's long and curvy with the Vancouver 2010 inukshuk logo. It is heavy when you first pick it up, but for its size I didn't find it too heavy. I could easily run the 300m distance with it. The inspiration for its shape was:

"Canada’s open land, vast potential and smooth, fluid lines left in the snow and ice from winter sports"

This is what it looks like when it's lit:

You can see the evidence left behind from the lit flame on this photo.

On the one side, it has a bilingual inscription of
"With Glowing Hearts"
"Des Plus Brilliants Exploits"

On the other side there is a beautiful (because we know how much I love...) a maple leaf.

The stainless line on both sides are supposed to represent the blade of a skate.

I did look to see what I wrote as my dream in my book (whether it was to carry the torch or not). It says to...

"attend the Olympic Games" and then thinking that travelling across the country (or to another country) being a little unrealistic amended it to...

"be a torchbearer for the 2010 Olympics".

So, to those saying that I have realized my dream...just carrying an Olympic torch is not my dream...it is to BE a torchbearer for the 2010 Olympics. I was specific ;-)

It does not look like this dream will happen. I may be a torchbearer for a later Olympics. Who knows? And to be quite frank, I am a dreamer enough to still believe that somehow perhaps something could happen to make me a torchbearer. The Relay hasn't reached my province yet. But I am realistic enough to fully appreciate the experience I had last night...and today as I sit to write this with the Olympic Torch in sight.

I will chalk this up to a partial dream, and learn from the experience if the full dream doesn't happen.

They're Just Walls

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on November 3, 2009

It doesn't matter what's in front of you
It's smaller than it seems
So don't you stop
Until they fall
They're just walls
(Walls by Ross Copperman)

A few weeks ago, I read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. If you think back a year or two, you may remember the professor who had terminal cancer and gave a "last lecture" - Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.

My mother was reading it over Thanksgiving weekend and I got it the following week to read.
The timing of me reading this book was perfect since the possibility of me achieving one of my childhood dreams is just around the corner.

You will know that in the last month, I have been thinking about my Olympic dream and trying to find out how to make it happen.

My favourite quote from The Last Lecture is:

Brick walls are there for a reason:
they let us prove how badly we want things.

I have been talking about brick walls a lot in the past few weeks. I have been thinking about all the brick walls I have come across with relation to my Olympic Dream in particular (and my other dreams).

Yesterday, one of my favourite singers posted a song on his My Space page. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it. You can listen to it at www.myspace.com/rosscopperman

Here are the lyrics (as I hear them):

Maybe it's the way they look at you
Their eyes telling you
That everything you do
Is never going to be good enough
They'll try to crush
The love you have inside
When you're just about to fly

So don't give up
Find your way around
Yeah don't give in
Til they all come crashing down
It doesn't matter what's in front of you
It's smaller than it seems
So don't you stop
Until they fall
They're just walls

I'm my own worse enemy
Sometimes I can't see
The forest through the trees
I get lost
I get paralyed
Then I realize
That I can see a light
Breaking through the other side

So don't give up
Find your way around
Yeah don't give in
Til they all coming crashing down
It doesn't matter what's in front of you
It's smaller than it seems
So don't you stop
Until they fall
They're just walls

When I told my husband (who has a blog about coincidences) he said (and this is my favourite quote for today):

"That's not a coincidence, that's the definition of synchronicity".

So, my dream to attend the Olympic Games may still not come true. I'm not saying that just because I read a book or sing a song that I will be able to surmount the walls I keep coming up against, but it is giving me motivation to try to scale them, go around them or knock them down.

If my dream doesn't come true, I will remember another great quote by Randy Pausch:

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.