Feb 28

today is Sunday.. feb 28, hard to believe. We rehearsed yesterday for today's ceremonies...it is all coming to an end. The previous day we were called in for 4 hours for review of a new segment. i wandered down early and went to Quebec House and found a chair infront of the tv screens to watch Team Canada win a silver ...medal in ladies curling. The Canadian Men were then playing hockey and had to win to advance to the final game (today). They did win of course and there were people everywhere i am certain on the streets when the game ended. Charles Hamelin of Quebec, the mighty speed skater won 2 olympic gold medals during the hockey game and it was an amazing race. He has been selected to carry the Canadian flag in today.. bravo!! Well deserved Charles. Stay tuned for more pictures tonight.!! I am ready.

Tuesday Feb 23 2010

Another morning of rehearsals for the the closing ceremony... we were there till 11 pm last night and then back again this morning for 4 hours to rehearse the Sochi 2014 section. After I finished work i decided to wander over to the Sochi 2014 pavilion at Science World. I waited in line for 80 minutes and finally entered the doorway. The pavilion has many sections and very little translations in English. There were multitudes of people and it was difficult to stop and read all of the displays. There was entertainment on the main floor for those that wanted to sit and rest a while. There was a beautiful model of the sochi olymipc site (see pictures) and a play area for children on the main floor. The upstairs had the hockey hall of fame (see pictures) and this was a treat to see. I would have loved to see more sport history on display ..ie..the Protopopovs, Irina rodnina.( who won 3 or 4 olympic gold medals in pairs figure skating). They did have video of them but nothing was with english subtitles. There were large sections devoted to commerce and tourism within Russia..ie.. train trips and banking, as well as the auto industry with a new model on display.
The top floor included a nightclub that is not open to the general public after 5 pm..there was a large display of martini and other glasses on display.. I wonder what they were serving!? ;)

saturday Feb 20 2010

Saturday i was off to Granville island to visit the Place de la Francophone. the bus was amazingly full and took forever to get there. The entertainment had just fiished on the air Canada stage and so i just took pictures. I wandered around a bit more and enjoyed a few conversations with representatives promoting francaphone in Northern Ontario..i mentioned all the little towns that i have visited there with skating..they were impressed indeed. i wandered over to the Suisse Pavillion and the line ups were wayyy to longggg. so i wandered over to the Maritime Pavilion and turned on my heel and headed back for the water taxi to take me to Yaletown. The taxi is $4 and about 10 minutes and worth every penny of it at least once. As you can see from my photos there are many nice viewing options.

I wandered down the busy streets to see what venues i could see before i was off to bc place for my 830 pm start time for work. The line ups were tooo crazy and so i just took some photos.

Thursday Feb 18

...Hard to believe that it is the 18th already...time is flying by quickly and it is already day 7 of the olympic winter games. I am off work today and off to the pavilions and the lineups that are now famous around this city. Basically, any event that is free has a huge lineup,,, and events that are ticketed have line ups as well. The skytrains are packed like sardines and alot of people are moving about every few minutes. There are plenty of volunteers and city of vancouver information people to help everyone out.

I am off to yaletown Live City to experience this park today. The first line up is for the coca-cola pavilion that has a line up of about 25 minutes. I wait in line and the sun is beaming down on all of us like a warm spring day.. it is truly hard to believe it is not late April. The line up is worth it and the venue is interesting...too many excited kids are pushing in the line ups and it is hard to stop to take pictures and see all the displays that coke has prepared for its visitors.. i do have some pics as you can see below. I am soon off to the Acer pavilion where it is mainly a fun venue for kids to play games and 3D displays. Panasonic and Samsung have pretty much the same type of displays... lots of games and little else.. too bad.

I am still feeling quite blessed for seeing the medals last night..truly privileged to see them up close and all. I am humbled for sure.

a day out and about

I was to work this morning getting ready for the closing ceremonies, but alas, as usual,

Sunday Feb 14 2010

Happy Valentine's day everyone. Hard to believe what i have been through in just 7 days. One week ago i was living in the west broadway area. i woke up after found my car gone, i experienced my first Olympic Anthem emotions last Sunday. I then found my car in a compound, moved to an area that i was uncertain about, had to experience shell shock for a new living condition that i was not used to. Two fellow spot ops took me under their wing until my living environment was more stabilized and i stayed one night at Heather's place in Richmond, and Jonesy drove me back to my door 2 nights. A cleaning lady came in and said she would make it a place for me to live in.. she did wonders.,, she is a true wonder woman. We soon went into rehearsal mode for the openining ceremonies and then on Friday morning at 12:30 am.. we started to reheare the torch relay with the torch bearers. Emotions started to take their toll on me with the extreme lows and now extreme highs and extreme fatigue was hitting me.... i had been unable to get more than 4.5 hours sleep a night due to allergies with dust and other allergens at the new living quarters. Then Friday was upon me and such an amazing day in every respect. I am now sitting on several sleeping bags and blankets on the floor with a wooden chair holding my computer. ...the sun is shining and i have some macaroni boiling on the little gas stove... :) such a wonderful difference.. all is calm and good. I am eagerly awaiting the start of the pairs short program from the olympic coliseum on Hastings and Renfrew... this is sooo exciting indeed. I did add some videos and forgot to mention that on Friday we were all blessed with a wonderful gift of love.. a bagpiper walked the ring road and played wonderful bagpipe favorites serenading us all..it broke any tension that was in the air.... it was wonderful!

Photos and videos are available for viewing on my blog on facebook..

here is the address...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2392950137&gid=404378950356#!/group.php?v=wall&gid=404378950356

saturday feb 13

It is saturday afternoon and it is hard to believe that the opening ceremonies came and went so quickly. I had a great big smile on my face and felt quite proud .. the team of followspot operators did a great job and we were very poud of our accomplishment. I managed to remain calm during the entire ceremonies; I was ...very focussed and checking the tech specs on my sheet and presetting my spot for my next cue.. this helped alot to prevent me being nervous. Before I knew it Matt (spot 15) and I were guiding Gretsky off of the stadium floor with the torch as he was on his journey outside to like the external torch. The ceremonies were soon over and the audience began to depart. I departed the building and did a quick tour around the Ontario and Quebec pavillions..too many people and soon i decided to head back to the house and start my downloading of the pics that you have already seen. What a day it was indeed!

Friday feb 12 - the opening ceremonies !

Here is it.. The day
that British Columbia has been waiting for ….8 years in waiting and it is now
before us. It is 4:30 pm and the stadium is starting to fill up. I started the
day with a wakeup call from my mom who told me that the torch relay was on TV.
I turned on the tv and watched some of the relay before getting ready for the
day.

I decided to make my way downtown early when I
saw the crowds on tv… I was out the door at 10:15 am for the noon call. I heard
the helicopters and noticed that they were flying quite close to me. I wandered
2 blocks away to east hastings and noticed that the torch relay was on its way,
I waited for 5 minutes and the torch ...passed right by me. The locals of East
Hastings were very excited and someone mentioned that they had never seen the
neighbourhood so excited. That totally made my day. I then met a fellow who
mentioned that everything is Beshert..Meant to be.

I wandered down to
the stadium and passed through the security quickly. All was well in the
building and everyone had a huge smile on their faces. We met at the PRG tech
office downstairs with a pep talk and then headed up to our spots. We had a review of all of the cues and then
had a break. We had our review of security detail etc and practiced more of
certain cues we needed to review.
It is now 5:05 pm
and the pre-show has just started. The audience is being educated of when they
need to participate and shine their flashlights or hit their drums in hand. I
hear the helicopters overhead and I am very happy to hear all of them above keeping
us all safe. The protesters gathered near the cenotaph this morni...ng and they
did disrupt the torch relay. I am calm at the moment and think back of the
amazing 2010 so far that I have experienced. This opportunity is God given and
I am very grateful to be a part of this experience. A friend of mine Mikal
Williams suggested my name when he was called for the job.. Thank you Mikal.

These are memories that I will have for the rest of my life. I have been
bursting inside to share certain detail with you.. And by the time you read
this… the ceremony will be over.

I am excited as I am
one of the spotlights who will light up the canadian flag when it enters from
the East vomitory. I am also bringing in
th...e olympic flag and the torch bearer who will enter the east vom. Rick Hansen
is the man in motion and the one who will hand it off to the torch bearers on
the field of play. The 5 torch bearers will congregate and me and Matt (spot
15) will guide wayne Gretsky up to the stairway where he will take the torch to
the cauldron outside of the stadium. The power in the battery is about to fade
so I shall close for now. I will update this later tonight after all is done
and I am back at the house. This is the experience of a lifetime and I humbled…

Thursday thoughts - after a difficult night of sleep due to allergies and getting sick i was off to the final dress rehearsal. I walked through the rain and made my way to the gate to pass through... we can not let you in this gate.. sorry! I think i heard that 2 times... In a panic i finally made my way to the gate and security; I only had a few minutes to make my way to my spot light before i had to announce my spot number for the row call on headset. I made it up to the spot booth, put my headset on and announced my number, turned around and noticed a valance drape hanging in front of the upper spots 10 feet away from me and basically cutting off 65% of my coverage area. After a few hours and the bosses came around to see what our sight lines were all was fixed. Within this waiting period it was very stressful and emotionally frustrating; I sat and watched my cues go by as the Olympic Flag bearers marched with the Olympic Flag across the stadium floor; this was the first time I saw who would be marching with the flag. Such a great team of people that they have chosen.

The rehearsal continued and soon the truss in front of me was lifted all the way to the ceiling; now I was only missing one cue in one scene.. how wonderful.
The rehearsal continued till 10pm when we had a coffee break and a chance to get something to eat (very quickly). Upon returning from our break we continued with protocol, and then the torch rehearsal once again.

I am one of several spots who brings the torch bearer into the stadium.. what a selection .. the place will go nuts! WOW... the torch continues on and passes from person to person ( as in previous Olympics) ..I am one of two spots who lights the final torch bearer.. I am humbled.

The rain continued as i made my way back to the bus stop and then back to the house. Upon my return i noticed a note from Joni.. the Irish cleaning lady.. she cleaned some more and made a dent in the kitchen.. i could hardly believe my eyes. WOW.. what a wonder woman she is.

It is now 2:30 am and i 15.5 hours the opening ceremonies will begin. Be sure to watch it all.. it will be a great show to see

Wednesday Feb 10

Wednesday - it is hard to believe that it is 2 days away from the opening ceremonies now. I noticed an increase in tourists today outisde of the stadium area.. the world is finally arriving. Each day that i wander to and from the stadium i stop and chat with police officers from all over the country.. this is so cool! i have met police from Montreal, Trois Riviers, Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton and metro Toronto so far. It has been great! Today i did see Police officers from Saanich and Nelson, but i did not have time to stop and chat.

This evening we had another dress rehearsal minus the torch relay etc. and Olympic Flag ceremonies. The stadium was not completely full but it was very exciting! I had butterflies in my stomach as the clock and the stadium counted down the last 10 seconds. I also grew very proud as i prepped my spotlight on the Canadian Flag and the honour guard. The spots did well through the rehearsal and we all felt pretty proud by the end of the show and ceremonies. It was great to hear the cheers of the crowd when the Canadian Team stand ins marched into the stadium... it will be so loud on Friday when the real team and our flag bearer march into the stadium!

When the stadium emptied the spots in the upper bowl (16 of us) rehearsed the torch relay ceremonies. There are about 5 of us on the torch bearer who enters the stadium and i had a huge smile on my face when the stand ins stepped aside and the real players were in place and rehearsed. My heart and stomach was all a flurry when i saw who it was who will carry the torch into the building. The stadium will go absolutely nuts! I am sooooo excited for you all to see it.

Wednesday Feb 10

The cleaning lady i met yesterday.. she is this older Irish lady who has the best wit and takes no guff from anyone! she is a hoot! I go back tonight after the rehearsal to see how it is.

What a day it has been... it has been full of emotions and me on the verge of a meltdown, full of disappointment. I finally found my car after a lengthy walk and paying the compound fee. I then packed everything up and moved to a new location as i had no place for my car to be without it being towed on a continuous basis. I could not handle this emotional toil so close to the opening ceremonies etc.. I also felt that my roommate/landlady had too much stress on her plate with Olympic responsibilities and that my arrival did not help her situation and her stress level at the apartment. I took a risk and found a new place that is $100.00 a week in the Clark and Prior street area just south of east hastings. I arrived and the key didn't work for the door. I left and went to work preparing mentally for the full dress rehearsal with 35000 spectators in the stands. It took me a little while to focus in and to forget my daily challenges with accommodation etc. This day at work went very very well and was very exciting for all of the spectators. It was emotional hearing all of the crowd roaring with excitement as the Canadian (stand in) team entered the building for the athletes march...very exciting indeed. All went well with the spots and in general the show I felt. We all felt great after the show. My stress and worries returned as I made my way to the new location and hoped that my car and contents were safe and sound... all was good and fine! Thank you God. I am now settled in the new place... it is an OLD house for sure and I am huddled on a box in a room with my housecoat around me to keep warm... I have internet and TV and this is great! I think the next few weeks will be challenges again for me... it will be so good to be at home again!

sunday

It is a little over 24 hours since my last post.. and what a difference it is with the mood of the day. The place I am staying at on west broadway is a residential zone that requires residential permits for vehicles...I was promoised a permit for my car when the original agreement was made for my staying at this place for the month of February. I was happy to pay for the permit and i received no permit from my roommate of whom i was subletting this place. She works for the olymipcs as well and is very busy in the transport division (ironic). I had parked in her parking spot when she was up in Squamish on Olympic business; she then asked for me to find a place on the street upon her return. My car was gone today when i went out before i was on my way to the stadium. i phoned her and she kindly found the name of the towing companies in the area; thank God my car was towed and not stolen. A difficult decision yet again upon me with only days before the opening ceremonies is upon us.... do i stay at this place where i have to be in constant fear i my car being towed??? or do i move yet again? I am going to move yet again after only 7 days at this place of residence. I am moving to a neighbourhood that is very close to East Hastings and I am hoping that the buses will be running late into the night. So if you are the praying type who reads this.. please pray for my safe travels in the weeks to come.

So tomorrow i am off in search of my car and to find the compound by bus in a timely manner, drive back and load my car, find the owner's son who will deliver me a key to the new place, go there and find a parking spot, unpack maybe and then go to a dress rehearsal with 35,000 people... oh well.. it can only get better from here.... you have to agree.. with me.. it is never boring!!!!

saturday night

it is the wee hours of sunday morning at 3 am. I arrived back here 30 minutes ago. It is amazing how many buses are still running at 1:30 am to get me back here. the day consisted of dress rehearsals again and it was full of new reveals once again. We went through the cues for the Olympic flag and anthem, the torch relay into the stadium, the oath and the declaration of the opening of the games. and then more. I truly feel very blessed to be a part of the process and be a part of the ceremony. i will inform you the specifics of my spot on the day of the ceremony. I had goosebumps when I saw the Olympic flag being escorted in. and then hearing that amazing anthem... i so love hearing it and reality did set in as i only hear that every 2 years. I heard another piece of music and was very excited when i recognized the voice of the singer.. very very excited.

As i walked towards the bus at 1:45 am i looked up and saw the beams of light that carve the sky every night... a part of the artistic design and the public choosing their design in the night sky. i am so very fortunate indeed.

today i went downtown to see the city preparing frantically for the world to arrive. I took the skytrain to Science World and walked along the walkway. Science world has been transformed into a pavillion advertising the next Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia. The athletes village looked ready with the flags waving in the breeze. I wandered further and saw the provincial houses along the walkway..( nothing is ready and open to the public yet). The largest house is the Quebec house.. it looks impressive. I continued on my route and saw a Latvian athlete pass me by..tall and slender with camera in hand. I continued further on my journey along False Creek in search of the David Lam park where a large stage is being set up. I turned the corner at the park and ran into my friend and colleague from my IA 168 local in Victoria. Yogi! How good it is to see you! hahah.. He just finished work and we walked to the skytrain area. I boarded the skytrain which was packed like sardines; this is the first time i have seen the skytrain completely packed! Tomorrow i am back to work and i am sure i will see more tourists who have arrived.

Friday Feb 5 2010

My day off today...i will go downtown and take pics and see what has changed... stay tuned for pics tonight.!!!

late thursday night...early hours of friday morning

it is now Friday.. what a week it has been. I have just completed 7 days work straight.. it doesnt really feel like 7 days either. It started out watching rehearsals to become familiar and today we had a dress rehearsal of sections of the show. It is all coming together now nicely. It is a feast for the eyes and ears ...and catchy tunes too...

the security sweep is now underway as we all have Friday off for the building to be swept through. Saturday will be the first day with full security in and out.. so that will be an experience.

wednesday feb 3

It is Wednesday noon, sitting here sipping my coffee. I have been overwhelmed with allergies from the poor air quality for the last fe w days ( inside the building)...but I am feeling positive it will all improve today; thanks to Sudafed and vitamins etc...

We have been going through the motions of protocol and the cere...monies. It is all coming together now and soon we will be going through entire dress rehearsals of the opening. It will be great! Each day we hear more music and the vocals that you will hear. I am excited for the world to hear that music that we are hearing now! I am sure everyone will be smiling and nodding in approval.

Two days and counting.. the official security sweep and processes are about to start. Friday will be my day off for the security sweep and then the fun begins on Saturday.

tuesday am

I am starting to feel that the transportation and amount of walking outside is going to be a nightmare. I might have to leave 2 hours early to be there, and i am hearing a rumour that we may be working graveyard shifts. The air is horrible .... my lungs beg for clean air. When i get back to victoria i am going down to the ocean and will take a deep breath of fresh air.

tuesday am

It is 01:30 am on tuesday.. i arrived back to the apartment almost an hour ago. My feet are still throbbing and i am thinking.. I am sick of walking! The walking has only started as it will be a distance to walk to get through the security, then we need to walk around the building to get to the west entrance and then w...alk back to the tech room, and then walk back to the east entrance and up to my spot. I forgot to mention that it will be quite a walk to just get to the security entrance etc.. the crowds are coming and i am sure it will be just as fast to walk as it will be to take the bus... sigh.. I did that test tonight and it was only 2 minutes faster to take the bus over walking.

with all of the exercise that i am doing, i feel like i have not slimmed up much.. oh well. Today i walked only 7.5 km.. that is alot less than i did the first few days.

sunday

it is Sunday, last night as i was going back to the apartment i was trying to think of what day it was.... i had no clue; I had to look at my phone to see the day of the week. Today I feel slightly more rested and just ate something for lunch... I feel much more energized than i did yesterday.

The show is expanding as ...we go through each of the scenes and add more spot cues. the FS caller added that this is one of the most complicated and tricky followspot shows around ... no pressure...!!! It is definitely a feast for the eyes to see.

Saturday

today i am settled in my new place on west broadway...this will be interesting too!

Sunday

Today is another rehearsal with the follow spots. We rehearsed 6 scenes three times. I can hardly wait to see the rest of the scenes that are planned. It is very exciting. As I mentioned before, I am a spot on the upper balcony ring; the approximate distance from my spot to the field of play/stage is about 360feet.. It is a big show with lots of wonderful things. the other day the carpenters who were working in the seats were kind enough to build me a little platform to stand on.. i now have a 4.5" lift on the scaffold so i can reach the height of the controls on the top of the spot light!hahahah..

The skytrain is getting busier and busier and more crowded each day.... and a lot of the tourists haven't even shown up yet... It is 11 days till the opening ceremonies and I can hardly believe it. I am so excited for all of you who will be watching the opening ceremonies by TV, internet or in person.