Back in Vancouver

Howdy!  Well, it's been quite a while since I posted about my Canadian adventures up in Vancouver and Whistler.  It was not due to lack of effort; more or less it was due to lack of adventure.  See, I had an incredible weekend concluding the Paralympics, but after that, my adventures subsided for the most part.

The Paralympic Closing Ceremony was awesome.  It did not have the budget of the more elaborate Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, but nonetheless, it was a lot of fun.  I think intimacy was the word.  There were about 5,000 people inside the Whistler Medals Plaza watching the ceremony, and I sat next to the mother of a Polish sit-skier.  We had a great time talking beforehand, and before you knew it, it was time for the athletes' procession.  This was awesome in that I actually knew a number of the athletes by name, and Leonardo Martinez from Argentina, one of the athletes I got to know the best, was his country's flagbearer, walking right past where I was standing.  Needless to say, I felt quite important exchanging pleasantries with him during the ceremony.

left- the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president passes the IPC flag from the mayors of Vancouver and Whistler to the mayor of Sochi, Russia.  right- before the ceremony, a large rain threatened to dampen spirits.  Fortunately, the downpour subsided, and the rain was squeegeed off the carpeted ramp in mere minutes.

After the ceremony, I went back to the village to help out with the end-of-the-Paralympics party for the athletes.  Our Plaza and Events team had an incredible time being a part of this farewell party for the athletes, and all the athletes were curious how I had the good fortune to attend their party (I was the only one who never changed out of this blueberry jacket...thus, I stuck out like a sore thumb...whoops!)

Cupcakes in the shape of a Canada flag at the end-of-Paralympics athlete party

Between the end of the Paralympics and last week, I spent some time in Vancouver searching for housing for part two of my trip, then I came back to Alabama for a bit to attend a luncheon at Auburn University.  It was wonderful time indeed!

So, now I'm back in Vancouver, and the past two weeks have been primarily focused on finding a job.  The tricky part comes in when employers find out my work visa expires in July.  I worked a three day event at Reebok's outlet store in New Westminister.  I got a job offer to work at a Boston Pizza during the event, but I just don't see myself enjoying the hour plus commute each way nearly every day.  It still is an historic time to be up here.  Yesterday, they deflated the air-supported fabric roof of BC Place.  This is where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games were held.  It's been a distinct part of the Vancouver skyline for 28 years, and it came down yesterday.  I missed the deflation, but here's a recap of the event:

I got a chance to look at the dome today.  I must say, it's a little disheartening.  The skyline definitely does not look the same, and though the retractable roof will be completed by August 2011, opponents of the $458 million taxpayer-funded renovation can't help but point out the fact that it rains in Vancouver nearly 1 in 3 days each year.  Suffice it to say, the relevance of the retractable roof is debatable.  

Until the adventures continue,
Brandon

P.S. - Now that I can legally show pictures of the Whistler Athlete Village, I present to you my snowman, Rodney!  And in the background, you can see Team USA's residency for the Paralympics.

Days later, Rodney and I both question the sudden shift in temperature:

  

Don't worry...Rodney, just like Frosty, will be back next winter...I guarantee it (even if I have to make him out of SnowBiz ice)!

A full week of Paralympic fun!

Happy weekend from Whistler!  It's been an incredible week, filled with lots of fun both at the athlete village and on my two days off.  On Monday evening, I was able to attend the medals ceremony, where VANOC awards all the gold, silver, and bronze medals from the Whistler competitions of the day.  The thing that impressed me the most about our Paralympians was the fact that none of them were too cool to celebrate winning, whether that be gold, silver or bronze.  These athletes were literally ecstatic to have made the podium, and they held nothing back from the celebratory dances on the stage. 

It's always exciting when the athletes throw their bouquet of flowers into the crowd. It's like a wedding...only different. I actually caught one of the medalist's bouqets two days later as I came back for another nightly ceremony. Of course, what's a 23-year-old guy going to do with a bouqet of flowers? So I gave them to a little girl with her dad three rows ahead of me. Good choice, I must say, as both she and her father were so excited!

That Monday night, I went on a jog around the village...just needing to get some fresh air and some exercise.  I heard music playing that echoed as if it was a concert.  I followed my ears to the source.  Though no band awaited at the pot of gold, a fiery celebration did.  Apparently, every night during the Olympics and Paralympics, there has been a "Fire and Ice" show, featuring a guest DJ and 15 of Whistler's most talented skiers and snowboarders.  Though I didn't have my camera that night (I was running, remember?), I have been back two more times since (and plan on going again tonight for the finale). 

Then comes snowboarding on Tuesday.  Below are two pictures, one of me and one I took of my friend, Miles, showcasing the ridiculous blizzard we experienced at the top of the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. 

I say "top" loosely, as we were truly about two-thirds of the way up the mountains. The ski lifts going higher in altitude were closed for obvious reasons. The crazy thing was that the snow turned to rain on the bottom third of both mountains.  Thus, we would be skiing in untouched powder, then without warning it would switch to slush in the midst of a steady downpour of rain.  To say it fairly, it was the most unique snowboarding trip I've taken to date.

On Thursday, I was able to see my first Paralympic event: the women's downhill.  There were three divisions: visually impaired, sitting, and standing.  I was blown away with all three, and one of the resident athletes at the United States Olympic Committee while I was interning there, Allison Jones, competed in the standing competition.  I was so proud to know her!

After the women's competition had ended, I went snowmobile through some mountains just mere kilometers from the Whistler-Blackcomb area. It was a blast, and though my future in professional BMXing looks bleak, it's still fun to pretend!

Today has been my final normal shift with Plaza & Events.  Normal is a slight under-exaggeration, as I was able to attend a luncheon with Prince Edward of the British monarchy.  Though I actually sat two tables away from the prince, I was still very thankful my mom has taught me proper table manners...you never know when they'll come in handy!

Tomorrow, I will be doing two shorter shifts, one in the day and the second one during the wee hours of the night.  In between the two shifts, I will be attending the closing ceremonies at the medals plaza.  On Monday, there will be a farewell luncheon for all workforce (volunteer and paid staff "blueberries," as we're affectionately called).  I'll be sure to provide a Paralympic wrap-up sometime early next week, as well as a picture of the much anticipated village snowman.

'til then,

Brandon

Spring is back at the village!  Though I won't be posting a picture of my large snowman in all his glory until the conclusion of the Paralympics, I definitely can show you what he looked like yesterday.  You wouldn't want to see him today... :-(

The Paralympic Torch Relay and WVL (Whistler Village)

Today is Day 3 of the Paralympic Winter Games, and it's been an absolute thrill to see the ski town of Whistler bustling again with athletes and spectators from around the world.  Though the crowds may be thinner than the Olympics last month, they are still noticeably larger than last week, and the spring weather ended just in time for the start of the Paralympics.  I left Whistler on Tuesday to go down to Vancouver for a Paralympic Torch Relay celebration, and by the time I got back to town yesterday, there had been nearly three feet of snowfall! 
Working with Coke for the Paralympic Torch Relay was an absolute blast!  For nearly 24 hours, torchbearers carried the Paralympic flame around Robson Square.  The torchbearers were all incredibly moving to watch, and the people who came out to cheer on the relay were in high spirits as well!  We passed out free Cokes, pins, and flowers from both the Olympia ice resurfacing machines (aka-Zambonis, but not made by Zamboni) and in random places around the square.  Coca-Cola also had a wheelchair dancing troupe, and they performed every two hours...if you want to see wet tear wells in my eyes, let me watch them perform again...truly touching.

(the first torchbearer to pass our red Olympia...her expression sums up the experience competely)

(I'm the guy in red...furthest to the left)

The fun was enhanced by the frigid rain, which endured until the end of our shift Friday afternoon.  Within the hour following our shift's end, the sun came out.  How's that for irony?  The best memories definitely came about through my work during the late-night shift Thursday night/Friday morning.  Along with three other Happiness Ambassadors, I came back to Robson Square at 3am to cheer on some torchbearers selected by Coke.  While we were there, we figured we might as well cheer on every torchbearer during the hour.  We eagerly ran beside each torchbearer, pumping them up with loud noises, dancing, and creating a crowd to cheer them on with the stragglers still in downtown at that hour.  The final Coke torchbearer during the latenight let all of us hold his Paralymipc torch while it was still lit! 

After that, we figured we might as well explore the late night fun around Robson Square, and it just so happened that the Robson Square ice skating rink was opened all night for this event.  The conundrum: nobody knew it.  Therefore, the four of us went ice skating in Robson Square at 4:30 am with one other guest and two skate rink attendants.  It was incredible! 

Needless to say, by the time we finished skating, it was too late to go back to bed.  Thankfully, McDonald's has been passing out free coffee during the first fourteen days of March up here in Canada...I had three cups of coffee between ice skating and the start of Friday's activation at 8:30am.  After we finished our Coke work Friday afternoon, we were able to go ziplining over Robson Square.  The wait during the Olympics was approximately six hours, however, we had to wait a mere hour-and-a-half for the experience.  Totally worth it!

The Paralympics have a  much more relaxed feel to them.  I met the parents of Gerald Hayden, a U.S. Paralympic alpine skier, on the bus to the athlete's village this morning.  They were on route to watch their son compete today, and we had an incredible time talking about the U.S., their son, and the impact of event delays on their composure.  (The alpine skiing events were postponed yesterday due to the unmanageable fog...Gerald is competing today for an event he was supposed to have competed in yesterday.) 

In a quick nutshell, my job at the Whistler Athlete Village is absolutely incredible.  At times, I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this!  Oh wait, I'm a volunteer...nevermind. :-)  Nonetheless, my (unpaid) job is having fun...and that NEVER gets old.  Last night, I participated in some mean games of Rock Band (I was a triple threat, alternating between bass, drums, and vocals) with some athletes.  Today, my afternoon task is to decorate the main corridors of the village with snowmen.  I think I can handle that!

A Week in Whistler and Coke Pavilion Pics

Nearly a week after I typed my last blog post in a Starbucks in Vancouver, I find myself typing amidst new scenery at a Starbucks in Whistler.  The frigid air has succumbed to warmer weather, most likely because I decided to come up here.  Whistler is a mountain village about an hour-and-a-half away from Vancouver, yet I once again found myself in rain yesterday.

The week-long period between the Olympics and the Paralympics can be characterized as transitional to say the least.  My first night in Whistler, I stumbled upon the Whistler Medals Plaza and a most incredibly lovely statue of the Olympics rings.

Eight hours later, I head from my accomodations to the bus stop, and the rings have already been switched to the International Paralympic Committee's logo.

 

 (Yes, I realize this picture's at night...it looks cooler that way...but it really was changed the next morning...honest!)

Though I haven't gotten to do too many outdoor activities yet here in Whistler, I did indeed get to go tubing with a fellow Coca-Cola Happiness Ambassador, Melanie, at the Coca-Cola Tube Park at Whistler-Blackcomb on Saturday.  It was definitely an adventure worth taking if you're ever up here.  I thought for sure I was going to fly out of the track every time...yet, I never did...kudos to the slope specialists that build the tube slopes!

I've had two shifts at the athlete village thus far, and after my shift this afternoon, I will be heading back to Vancouver to help Coca-Cola with their part in the Paralympic Torch celebration in Robson Square this Thursday and Friday.  An exciting week is ahead...allons-y!

Brandon

P.S. - Coca-Cola gave us all thumb drives with exciting pictures of all the Olympic projects...thought I'd share a few here!

Our Coke team (I'm the one whose shoes are furthest to the bottom of the picture...chillaxin')

A midnight fridge restocking party

 

An aerial view of the Coca-Cola Pavilion during LiveCity's nightly firework show

Boxing Day and the Coke Celebration Party

Well, the Olympics are over...sad day!  As soon as we closed our Pavilion doors for the last time Sunday night, we worked feverishly through the night to get everything boxed up and ready for demolition.  I got back to my home Monday at 5am.  After a couple of hours of sleep, it was time to move out of my Cambie homestay house.  Meanwhile, the demolition project continues.  As of this evening, this is all that's left of our pavilion:

All around Vancouver feels a bit morbid.  All the outdoor venues are being torn down with the exception of two which will stay open through the Paralympics.  So it looks like boxing day (the day you take down your Christmas decorations) all around town.  But, as hinted at, there's still definitely an excitement around here knowing the Paralympics are just around the corner.  And Canadians all over Vancouver are still beaming about their incredible performance during the Olympics.

Last night, we had our Coca-Cola celebration party.  Wow...there are no words to describe it.  We had so much food!  There was a Coca-Cola ice sculpture featuring the classic Coke countour bottle. 

You could pour your Coke or Coke Zero in the top, and it would flow into the ice sculpture in a corkscrew pattern before coming out of the bottom of the bottle.  It was soooo cool!  We danced into the night too, with the party beginning at 7pm and ending around 3:30am.  I leave for Whistler either today or tomorrow, depending on some last-minute accomodation details falling into place.  Very last minute...

Speedskating in Richmond

Just finished watching some speedskating at the Richmond Olympic Oval. U.S. and Canada in the men's finals tomorrow ...go USA!


And just to add body to what I texted to my blog earlier today, I cannot tell you how incredible it was to actually attend a long-track speedskating event.  It's like Nascar on ice.  The events I saw...the team pursuit for the women's quarterfinals and the men's semifinals...were absolutely awesome. Two teams of three skate on opposite sides of the rink.  The time recorded is based on the last skater, so it really was a team event.  An Olympic record was broken by the Canadian team today.  And the U.S. edged out the Dutch to capture the second spot in the finals tomorrow.

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see alot of wood in the structure of the Oval.  The roof is made of a wavy wood pattern, and it really has a unique look.  To make matters even cooler, the Oval's wood was reclaimed from a beetle raid in British Columbia.  Yay for sustainability!

Two more days to go, and the Olympic flame will be out.  I'm going to get some sleep now so those last two days will be awesome.  'Til next time!

We're in the home stretch. :-(

It's hard to believe that there are only four more days in the Winter Olympics! I have been pumped up about these Olympics since Vancouver got them in 2003. Now they're almost a part of history. With that being said, we still have an incredible four days of living the dream participating in the Winter Olympics with Coke.

I just found out this week that I will be helping Coca-Cola with their celebration in Robson Square during the two-day celebration of the Paralympic Torch Relay. Therefore, when I leave Vancouver for Whistler, I know it's only for a short while...that's a relief for sure!

One last thought about this job before I take the Canada Line to work this morning revolves around our uniforms. They are truly works of art, made from recycled Coke bottles, and they are very Canadian. In fact, they are so Canadian that in certain areas of town, we are constantly mistaken for Canada's Olympic team. We then tell them we are the co-ed curling team, and it's amazing how many of those people still believe us. However, these are the same people we saw taking an ice sculpture down a main street, having believed the restaurant owner gave it to them. There's definitely a variety of people in the city right now...that's for sure.

Well...I'm off! 'Til next time!
Brandon