Canucks Hurry Hard

Day 3 at the Olympics was the day of our first Olympic event! We were excited but we’d also been having so much fun wandering around we almost felt like we’d be missing out by attending an event. Seriously. We’d been waiting our whole lives to attend an Olympic event but the giant street party was seriously that euphoric.

First we continued our Olympic shopping missions at various Bay stores around Coquitlam and Burnaby. Most of the merchandise had been shipped to the Olympic Superstore but there were still some goodies to be found.

This Canuck was ready to rock ‘n roll!

‘On the wisdom bus heading into town’ we had a great view of Olympics sites.

The Athlete’s Village

 

Sochi 2014/Russia House (aka the science center)

Some of the provincial houses in front of Canada Hockey House

In a few hours this area would be crawling with Hockey fans.

The curling venue was in the suburbs, a short walk from the train.

Signs and smurfs (enthusiastic volunteers in blue jackets) directed us to the Vancouver Olympic Center. From directing crowds, giving directions and cheering the smurfs were fantastic ambassadors of the Olympic movement and a kudos to the great job of the Olympic organizing committee. At one point we overheard a european who had been to other Olympic Games note how awesome the smurfs were, saying “This is amazing, you would never have someone stand on a street corner giving directions for hours at another Olympics. In europe you’d have to find your way on your own”. Yeah Canada!

Can you see the venue in the distance?! Insert squeals here.

 

 

“I’ve got the whole world in my hand”

Glowing hearts? Check!

As we were waiting in line to go through security I heard someone call my name and turned to find old friends from home (across the country)! What are the odds that I’d not only bump into them in Vancouver, at the Olympics, but in line for an event?! Random!

I wonder how many photos I took of Olympic Flags? Hmm, well, at least you can see the curling venue in the background of this one.

You may be wondering what one does at a curling event. Well, this was my first one but I was pretty sure it involved drinking. Veggie wieners and beer anyone?

We settled into the last  20th row and enjoyed yelling “go hard” (TWSS) and “hurrrrrrrrrry” along with other curling cheers.

^ This is my friend Jew-lay, isn’t she so classy with her white wine while the rest of us have beer.

The USA was one of the teams playing and the hugely North American crowd was bumpin’. Some teams complained the cheering wasn’t part of “curling etiquette” but I think they were bitter they didn’t have such amazing cheerleaders.

Canada wasn’t playing but I was excited to see the Chinese, who are coached by a Canadian and trained in Saskatchewan.

At first I tried to watch all four games but that made it difficult to follow anything that way so I mostly watched the USA vs. Great Britain and China.

I would have gone to just about anything if it was an Olympic event, even ping pong (oh wait…), but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed curling, I think we all were. By the end of the event we had cemented plans to form a curling team, look out for ‘Christ our hope here comes the pope’ in the future – we represent the Stellar Curling Club in Stellarton.

I’m pretty sure I looked like this for most of the trip.

The thought bubble would read “I can’t believe I’m at the Olympics! Holy #*&@ I’m at the Olympics and it’s the greatest thing ever… I’m also a nerd but a nerd who’s at THE OLYMPICS!!”. Or maybe I just needed to pee?

After the event was over we got to see Team Canada practice for a bit. They were awesome!!

(^This is team Japan but aren’t the Olympic rings pretty?)

Fun fact: I went to university with one of the guys on the Canadian mens team who won gold!

It was beautiful outside when they finally forced us to leave the building, something about people with tickets to the next event. Pfft.

Hey, look, mountains more Olympic flags!

I feel like I should remind you this is the winter Olympics, they will probably never be this warm again. Amazing.

Back downtown we evaluated our party options and decided on Alberta House.

Once the sun set it began to get chilly and we kept warm in line by singing O’Canada with the crowd…

…and watched more curling.

Eventually not even the Olympic flame could keep the frostbite and rabid hunger away and we abandoned our plans in favour of heat and food in the ‘burbs.

Stay tuned for more golden Olympic memories…