Olympic Pavilion Review

For those who missed out, or weren't here. Allow me to review the pavilions I visited during the Olympics.

Alberta house:Saw the outside, had an outdoor patio, looked neat...don't know if there was an inside...

Atlantic Canada House:
Lineups were ridiculous...didn't make it inside..David

was around that area for work and he frequently commented on the lines and how difficult it was to move around...

BC Hydro PowerSmart Village:

Will visit during Paralympics

BC pavilion (at Art Gallery):

Also heard of long line ups....I'd been to the clock several times pre-games...I remember being SO excited at the 70 day mark...and here we are...about to be all over...I'll try to get here during the Paralympics also

Bell Ice Cube:

Very cool!!! You get free headphones just for entering and a phot

o with an autographed Sidney Crosby torch. When you walk in there are TV's everywhere and you use the headphones you got to plug in to watch whatever event you want! Also home to those elusive cowbells...impossible to get!

Olympic Line:YAY! so fun! and so quick to get to Granville Island! I wish it was staying...

Canada Line:

Avoided during Olympics...super busy...rode before...will ride again

Canada Pavillion:
Will visit during paralympics

Northern House:
Paralympics

Casa Italia:

Definitely one of the houses I wanted to

go to and didn't make it :( but I did get to try some AMAZING Cheese from there....I was working at Global and the noon show had this 18kg wheel of cheese on the show...sports guy brought some back for everyone. YUM!

CentrePlace Manitoba:
Paralympics

Coca Cola Pavilion:Didn't wait in the INSANE lineup to get it...but this was probably the ONLY interesting part of LiveCity Yaletown....seriously.

Casino Celebration Village:
Didn't make it here.

Four Host First Nations Pavilion:Didn't make it....will go if it's open during paralympics

GE Plaza (Robson Square):I was here SEVERAL times...it's the place to be! Huge skating rink and ziplining! Both of which I will do during the Paralympics :D!!

Germany House:
In Stanely Park...WAY out of the way...didn't make it here

Haida Gwaii house:
didn't make it

Heineken House:
This doesn't need my review...didn't make it b/c it was out in Richmond (vomit) but I think we all know how Holland parties

Swiss house:
boring..didn't go b/c all it was was Swiss food....no showcase or anything...pass.

Aboriginal Village Welcome:

VERY cool....since the opening ceremonies I've taken a newfound interest in First Nations culture...this has a showcase of art as well as an amazing view

Korea House:
didn't make it

Laser Waterworks show:

SOOOO COOOOOL!!!!!!!!! ahhh. fireworks and water and lasers and music...so cool

LiveCity Downtown:
Will go during Paralympics

LiveCity Yaletown:

BORING!!! Like I said...the coke pavilion was the only attraction...the rest was corporate showcases....no pins or anything...super boring...not worth it unless you are going to see a band....and then you have to line up WAY in advance.

O Zone Richmond:
Didn't make it here either...Stupid Richmond...would have liked to go...but..Richmond? really?

Olympic Cauldron:

Visited here a few times...so cool! I got some great photos

Ontario House:
FAIL ON YOU ONTARIO!. shaaaame. SO BORING. the only thing remotely of interest was the brain wave computer controlling showcase...which is creepy. You put on a headset and using your brainwaves you change the colour of Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, or the Parliament buildings.....creepy.... There's No Place Like This? yeah, because no where else SUCKS so bad.

Pride House:
This was near my house...but I'm not loud and proud...so I didn't go.

Park Royal Winter Carnival:
Saw this a couple days before the Olympics...a really sketchy ice rink....and i mean sketchy...but that's about it...soo not worth it

Place de la Francophonie:
EXCELLENT. probably the BEST pavilion of the Olympics. TONS of culture showcases, tons of info booths, lots of handouts, so much info for francophones and wannabes. Loved it.

Quebec House:
WINNER of the WORST pavilion of the Olympics...maybe tied with West House.....Wait in line to walk in and wait in line to buy a $10 beer or random food.... ZERO info on Quebec or Quebec culture....NOTHING of interest to see or do unless you want to wait around for a preformance...but I bet you won't understand what they are singing...for a province that complains so much about not being recognized or having their culture showcased.....WAY TO FAIL...not to mention...there was no roof! So worst place to be on a rainy day.

Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion:
OUUU anywhere that let's you hold the medals rocks....line ups of course so I missed this one...but so cool...wish I could have gone

Saskatchewan Pavilion:

Ties with Place de la Francophonie for Best Pavilion. Has food and beer AND a showcase of Sask culture...and you get your photo in front of a green screen with any Sask. background of your choice! and I got a pen! very win.

Scandinavia house:
In Burnaby? didn't go

Sochi House:

Winner of biggest build up and biggest let down. Everyone wanted to go to Sochi...I mean it took over Science world! It is the next host!! It's got to be awesome! yeah no. 2+ hour waits to enter into a corporate showcase with overpriced food and gear. PASS! You only get to do the cool things like Vodka tastings if you are a VIP...you need special accrediation to even get into Sochi house...and their hours are only 12-5!!!! WHAT?! with the huge line ups you would THINK they would open up and let people see how bad they are at hockey....I mean about Russia...but no..not to mention..ICE cold hosts.....Good luck in Sochi...glad I'm not there.

Surrey Celebration Zone:
Sounds neat...but in Surrey..pass.

Ukraine House:
couldn't find out any info about where this was...so didn't go

Vancouver City Hall:
pretty..dont' see why this would be an attraction though..an old flag and a bunch of lights on the outside...come one come all?

Vectorial Elevation:

The inital bane of my existance. Bright lights shining outside my house all month...but they turned down the bright and it sometimes looked really nice...still question the waste of power though...

West House:
what the HELL is this thing....it's a teeny tiny house...claiming to be a demo for the environmentally friendly houses....it's thisbig...and has space for your smart car....and is powered by the owner's sense of self-satisfaction....lame.

WinterFest at Lonsdale:
Should have gone...but the boats were so busy


Well that about wraps it up...I left some out...like North Van and PoCo ones...b/c...well that's just silly...TOO FAR....but maybe good for the people out there.

I will really miss the Olympics when they are gone. There has been an energy in the city this past month and I'm gonna miss it...and my dad...and my free busses lol. GO CANADA!!! GOLD in HOCKEY! let's do it!!

RIP Grandpa

Got a call from my mom last night. My Grandfather died of a heart attack....:(

It's weird, both times my dad has come to visit one of my grandfathers died....now I have none...

There is supposed to be a memorial service sometime in March....so I might be back in Ontario sooner than we thought

Olympic Photos

I'm SuperCanada!

Be sure to check out my Picasa page daily as I will be adding lots of photos from the events happening in town! There are SO many people and SO many things to do!!

My dad was at the opening ceremonies last night, and since I went to the rehearsal I took his photos and claimed them as my own for my memories! So I'll have some of those, along with all of Vancouver soon

Here's a teaser!Us in front of the outdoor cauldron lit by Wayne Gretzky moments earlier!

The Olympics are HERE. So sit down, SHUT UP, and cheer!

EDIT - for a less emotional and more coherant post with the same message check out the husband type's post - http://bit.ly/a1ofD2

I am so sick of people who are whining about the Olympics, or hate the Olympics or blah blah blah wha wha wha....it took money away from social programs, tear tear. The bill will be huge, whine whine

NEWSFLASH PEOPLE

You want to know how much money would have got to the DTES if we didn't host the Olympics?

ZERO

Nothing. That money would have gone somewhere else less sketchy. Vancouver (city officials) don't care about those people. They would have spent the money shuffling that area further down Hastings.

I'm not saying this is my opinion, it's fact. I would like nothing more to know how I can help those people not be homeless, dirty, smelly, scary and drug addicted. But since I've had little to no advice on how to do that, I will resume my regularly scheduled programming. Which happens to be the Olympics on CTV.

Having gone to the opening ceremonies rehearsals, I can say that the performance made me so freaking proud to be a Canadian, and so happy that the OLYMPICS are here in my city, and our athletes are going to show the world how good we are.

Just because you were picked last for baseball teams all the time as a kid doesn't mean that interfering with torch bearers is cool. That has to be one of the most exciting days EVER for some people. And because you 'protest' you get away with it? sorry no. into lockup with you. throw away the key for all I care.

You want to protest the Olympics coming here, fine. But leave it back in 2003 when it MATTERED. They are HERE now. Protesting it is only making your country look foolish. So save your energy to protest something useful, sit down, shut up, and cheer for the athletes that have worked their ASSES off to be here today.

Don't spoil it for the rest of us just because you can't ski, or don't understand hockey, or hate curling, or just plain SUCK at sports.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch Walter Gretzky carry the torch.


And to all those athletes

Good luck