Nose Bleed Seats and Roaring Fans

Hey!  Comments are coming in!  That is motivating me to keep posting.  Finding wireless for the little web broadcasts has been problematic but there is no problem with the blog. 

At the curling venue, there are no telephones!  So, if you plan to come to watch some games, you'll have to make outside contact through a cell phone... hopefully if you don't have one, someone will help you out.  Also, they completely clear the facility between draws, so if you have back-to-back tickets, you have to exit for about 30 minutes and hang around.  If it is raining, be prepared for that.  The Vancouver Curling Club is still open (it will move into this venue after the games) and you can get a bite to eat there, it is only a few hundred meters from the main gate.  Also Main Street, only 2 blocks away, is funky... antique shops, lip-care salons, lots of asian restaurants and european bakeries.  Stop there before your game and stroll between King Edward and 30th, as you approch the Venue.

I have completed my first game.  It is nice to get that behind me.  It all comes back to you after the first stone.  (For those of you who don't know... I'm a Timer at these games.)  I have a bird's eye view of the venue.  I'm completely up in the nosebleeds, but people have paying seats right in front of me.  Some of the spectators have a long climb (56 steps) to get to their seats too.

If you've been watching any draws, you will know that the crowds are really enthusiastic.  You can feel the stands shaking when they do their foot-stops and yells.  The fans are starting to cheer on other teams besides Canada too, and that brings a lot of smiles and sheepish sideways glances, depending on who the pet-team's opposition is (often USA or Scotland).The 3Main Bus is working great for me.  As a volunteer, it saves me about 15 minutes of walking (compared to the King Edward train station at Cambie).  But for spectators, since the main entrance is on the opposite side of the venue, the difference is not as great.

Russ Howard held the broom for the ceremonial first rock.  The commentator welcomed the Chinese teams to their first ever Olympic Games for curling.  The pipers for this event are really really great.  They are giving us a broader repertoire than Mary's Wedding and Road to the Isles.  There are only four teams in the event that do NOT have both a men's and women's contingent here:  Russia, Japan (women  only) France, Norway (men only). 

Off the curling site, there are huge crowds downtown.  My bus transfer is by The Bay and even at 11pm last night there were 500 people standing in line to GET INTO The Bay, along Seymour Avenue.  I think they want some of the touques and sweaters that are only available there.  My favourite is the made in China Cowachin knit sweater with the moose antlers on the front.  But, I'll pass on the line-up.  One of my colleagues waited 4.5 hours for the zip-train ride over Robson Square.  I guess being in line has become a party.

Today I don't work until the evening shift so finally, I will take in some Pavillions and get some shots of other things.

Wowsers - 2 golds.  I'm also thrilled for the Korean team's wins in the speed skating - I have lots of friends cheering them on.  This city is full of good will and enthusiasm and I think the main stream media is having a hard time finding controversial stories to quench master control's lust for the negative.  It real is almost all good!

Today's photos show the flags, from a Stat's monitor.  The junction bus seat on the 3Main bus.  My work station in the Nose Bleed seats, and a bit of the opening ceremonies of the curling event.  See you tomorrow.  Back to the bus.  I'm meeting lots of folks there.