I've been a fan of the Winter Olympics since I was a kid (not so much the summer ones, because I'm not all that interested in watching gymnastics or swimming or running, stuff like that
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I've been feeling it for a few years now [I live in Vancouver, near one of the skiing venues], what with road and building and venue construction and all the associated local news and planning and such. Really feeling it now with road closures, lots of interesting foreigners in the city, massive security presence, transportation challenges. Pretty head-spinning stuff to be living in. The sheer logistics is incredible. There is SO SO SO much more stuff going on here than 'just' the Winter Games - free concerts and events, theater and protests, famous people and the "Cultural Olympiad". My SiL is volunteering and she's been doing her volunteer training for this for the past couple of years.
Sure, the positive impact of the Olympics on the host city is debatable, and there are tons of people who think the money would've been better spent on health care and education and homelessness etc etc... the mood here is like walking around in a daze. But it has been pretty smooth - it's clean here, the biggest expense [from what I understand] is improving the dangerous windy highway between Vancouver and Whistler [a two hour drive] which is fantastic, and there hasn't been any real inconvenience for people living here until now. Olympic tickets, especially for the medal events, are expensive and a lot of them went to lottery because so many people wanted them. I won't be going to any events because I will be working extra hours - I work just a few blocks from the Olympic Village - but I am going to cheer for my fellow Canadians so much I am sure I will lose my voice.
Ya, a lot of it sucks, ya, it's political and so much bullshit, and ya, there are lots of protests planned here and backtalk and grumblings and whatnot. It's nowhere near perfect but it's a helluva experience. Go Canada! :)
I've head about the Cultural Olympiad--not sure what it is, but I'll look it up.
What do you think about the opinion that the games are on stolen land? That's the thing that actually bothers me the most, even though the other stuff is also bothersome.
And yeah, I'm going to watch and cheer and everything else this year. And if Canada and the US are ever in a dead heat I'll be in big trouble, because I'm cheering for both countries.
Cultural Olympiad is a giant arts event - plays, performances, art, seminars, etc, that happen at the same time as the sporting events... basically the entire city is a huge event centre!
Re: "Stolen land" - Definitely words to make people ask questions and think negatively of the Olympics. Of course the First Nations were here long before European settlers, and they got shafted for the most part. Quite often when a new community or centre or road is being built, they come forward claiming that the land is theirs or is sacred to them, etc. Fair enough. There are some really rich nations [First Nations 'tribes'] here and some that are not so rich. Some of them have casinos and make a ton of money off that. There are many reservations in the area where many First Nations people live, and many support systems in place for them, should they choose to use them. The stolen land part refers to the white man building on what they consider 'their' land, even though there's been no building on reserves or sacred spiritual sites. It's great publicity for them. My MiL works with First Nations helping them start businesses, and I have some First Nation friends, and to me the whole stolen land thing is a publicity stunt to get attention. Everyone wants a piece of the Olympics, the largest televised/publicized event in the world, and First Nations is hosting a ton of cultural events during the Olympics to show off their people and history and art. *shrug* I can only hope that some good comes of it.
Sure, the positive impact of the Olympics on the host city is debatable, and there are tons of people who think the money would've been better spent on health care and education and homelessness etc etc... the mood here is like walking around in a daze. But it has been pretty smooth - it's clean here, the biggest expense [from what I understand] is improving the dangerous windy highway between Vancouver and Whistler [a two hour drive] which is fantastic, and there hasn't been any real inconvenience for people living here until now. Olympic tickets, especially for the medal events, are expensive and a lot of them went to lottery because so many people wanted them. I won't be going to any events because I will be working extra hours - I work just a few blocks from the Olympic Village - but I am going to cheer for my fellow Canadians so much I am sure I will lose my voice.
Ya, a lot of it sucks, ya, it's political and so much bullshit, and ya, there are lots of protests planned here and backtalk and grumblings and whatnot. It's nowhere near perfect but it's a helluva experience. Go Canada! :)
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What do you think about the opinion that the games are on stolen land? That's the thing that actually bothers me the most, even though the other stuff is also bothersome.
And yeah, I'm going to watch and cheer and everything else this year. And if Canada and the US are ever in a dead heat I'll be in big trouble, because I'm cheering for both countries.
Reply
Re: "Stolen land" - Definitely words to make people ask questions and think negatively of the Olympics. Of course the First Nations were here long before European settlers, and they got shafted for the most part. Quite often when a new community or centre or road is being built, they come forward claiming that the land is theirs or is sacred to them, etc. Fair enough. There are some really rich nations [First Nations 'tribes'] here and some that are not so rich. Some of them have casinos and make a ton of money off that. There are many reservations in the area where many First Nations people live, and many support systems in place for them, should they choose to use them. The stolen land part refers to the white man building on what they consider 'their' land, even though there's been no building on reserves or sacred spiritual sites. It's great publicity for them. My MiL works with First Nations helping them start businesses, and I have some First Nation friends, and to me the whole stolen land thing is a publicity stunt to get attention. Everyone wants a piece of the Olympics, the largest televised/publicized event in the world, and First Nations is hosting a ton of cultural events during the Olympics to show off their people and history and art. *shrug* I can only hope that some good comes of it.
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