studioWERX blog » Vancouver 2010

Leaving behind a thank-you note…

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:35:19 +0000

from Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

Brian Williams - the good looking one from NBC

After tonight’s broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we’re going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.

Thank you, Canada:

For being such good hosts.

For your unfailing courtesy.

For your (mostly) beautiful weather.

For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.

For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.

For your unique TV commercials — for companies like Tim Hortons — which made us laugh and cry.

For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.

For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games — you’ve made wearing your name a cool thing to do.

For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.

For not honking your horns. I didn’t hear one car horn in 15 days — which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.

For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.

For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.

For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.

For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.

For always saying nice things about the United States…when you know we’re listening.

For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.

For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.

Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.

Thank YOU Brian Williams, for covering our Olympics with grace, humor and style. You rock!

5 minutes of what the Olympics mean to Canada…

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:50:24 +0000

A video essay byy Stephen Brunt of Globe and Mail… I’ve watched this 3 times and each time I do, I get a little tear in my eye.

today… Canada Forces Fate

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:23:53 +0000

proud to be Canadian…

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:28:55 +0000

and even prouder to live in Beautiful British Columbia…

My Vancouver 2010 volunteering duties are winding down and coming to an end, but everytime I see this commercial, I remember why I signed up to be a 2010 Olympic Games volunteer and why I am proud to be a Canadian. This commercial makes me emotional and is often accompanied by a little tear of pride and joy that I live in such an amazing place, filled with AMAZING people with huge capacity for good and profound moments of greatness. It’s been a honor being a part of this special special event, and even though I’m not an athlete [not even close] I truly feel like I’ve done my very best to enhance the experience of the Games for those attending events, performing and working at them. Who knows, I may even look into London 2012…

Slovakia hockey shots…

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:52:41 +0000

Here are some photos from the Slovakia vs. Norway game last night.

Click READ MORE for the jump to more images…

1. _MG_9985, 2. _MG_9979, 3. _MG_9978, 4. _MG_9976, 5. _MG_9962, 6. _MG_9955, 7. _MG_9954, 8. _MG_9953, 9. _MG_9951, 10. _MG_9950, 11. _MG_9949, 12. _MG_9938, 13. _MG_9931, 14. _MG_9927, 15. _MG_9913, 16. _MG_9911

what’s with Slovakia?

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:47:07 +0000

I’ve been posting throughout the Games that we have had the wonderful opportunity to watch the best of the globe play hockey at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Both Men’s and Women’s hockey. It’s been great fun to watch, but I have a question, and if the universe is listening, can you please tell me why every game we’ve been to features the Slovakia Hockey Team?

It’s the most bizarre and funny thing ever… Each of the 4 games we’ve attended so far, and I mean EACH and EVERY game, has had the Slovakia Team as one of the opponents. Yup. All 4 of our games. They’ve included both men’s and women’s hockey, and have had Team Slovakia pitted against the Czech Republic, Russia [twice - both men's and women's teams], China yesterday and this evening… Yup, you guessed Slovakia vs. Latvia. So that’s 5 for 5 hockey tickets featuring the Slovakia Team, it’s just plain weird LOL!

Don’t get me wrong… I’m NOT complaining, especially since the hockey has been good. Competitive. Men’s hockey is almost always a tough fight, with each team battling for placement. Former and current NHLers [including Vancouver's Pavel Demitra, and top NHLers Marion Hossa, Marion Gaborik and stellar goaltender Jaroslav Halak] make up the Slovak team, so the quality of play has been excellent. The game vs. Russia was outstanding. We came for the Russian Ovie show, and ended up getting more than full value for the match-up with the game going to ’sudden victory’ overtime [love the positive spin on OT by the Olympics] and eventually decided in a 7th round shoot-out goal scored by Pavel Demitra. The Slovakia goaltender Halak make some ridiculous, stand-on-his-head saves in the net [that goalie is SICK in the best way!] and helped his team beat the ever persistent, ever skilled Russian team in a dramatic fashion.

Women’s hockey is usually a blow out [if the opposing team is pitted against Canada or the USA], but the two games we saw had the Slovakian team against Russia and China respectively. It made for competitive and fairly well-matched team play and meant that neither team were humiliated by a 18-0 score. We enjoyed both of them, and were fairly surprised at how well they played.

One thing I have to say is that the Slovak team fans are kinda rabid, loud and generally a lot of fun. It’s that kind of team spirit really makes the Olympic Hockey experience come alive. Cheering, chanting, costumes, team gear and national flags. That is the true testament to the Olympic spirit. Nationalism at it’s finest. After 4 games with the Slovakian team, now even we are chanting along with them: “Go Slovaks Go! Go! Go! Go! Go Slovaks Go!” LOL! I feel like we’re being assimilated into the Slovak culture ala the Borg Collective. ‘Resistance is futile!’

So universe, what are you trying to tell us? Somewhere in our bloodlines are there Slovakian genes floating? Are we lost members of a Slovakian hockey family? Or are you just telling us that we should be cheering for the underdog? Regardless of what you’re trying to say, we’ve enjoyed our Olympic Hockey experience, even if it has been just a touch one dimensional ;^)

Go Slovakia Go!

Getting ready for Men’s 1500m…

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:27:46 +0000

Big day today for the USA and Canada at ROO. Men’s 1500m. Shani Davis holds the record and won gold in the 1000m. Wonder how he’ll do today.

We [that's T and me] are going to Women’s hockey tonight. Looking forward to it. Here I am heading off to my shift… I look a little bit tired don’t I?

tonight…

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:52:42 +0000

We see Ovechkin, Malkin, Semin and MORE! Yep, Team Russia on the ticket tonight… No rooting for the Slovaks tonight, it’s a full-on Russia cheerfest.

I really enjoy watching Ovie play. It’s just so effortless. I’m seriously hoping for a Canada | Russia Gold Medal Hockey final. That would be a game for the ages… A true test of the question, “Who is better? Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin?”

In my humble opinion, I’d say Ovie is the more passionate, naturally gifted player. The puck just finds him and he finds the back of the net with a verve and love of the game unmatched by most of the NHLers. And skills? Let’s just say his puck and skating skills are SICK! On the other hand, Sidney is the more ‘complete’ player. Offensively gifted and defensively well rounded, BUT pure, unadulterated passion and love of the game? Yes, Sid has it, but Ovie has it in spades and that is what I think edges him out over Sid. Now as a dyed in the wool Team Canada fan, I know what I’ve just said here is probably considered blasphemy by most and I will probably be tarred and feathered for it is some random parking lot outside of Canada Hockey Place… BUT, it’s simply my opinion about two exceptionally skilled and naturally gifted hockey players. And besides, I’m a girl, so what do I know?? LOL ;^)

For tonight, I had to buy a Russia Team cap. I LOVE the design. So traditional and so, so pretty. It totally appeals to the artist in me and the fact that Ovechkin plays for team Russia is simply a bonus LOL! We fully expect a whole lot of crazy from the Russian / NHL fans tonight. Last night was loony with the Czech / Slovak fans. Tonight, I think they’ll ratchet it up another notch. I’m thinking about bringing ear plugs LOL!

My photography featured…

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:44:54 +0000

on reknown fiber artist Janet Echelman’s website!

I recently shot the Water Sky Garden public art environment for Janet Echelman before the Olympics began. I got permission to go behind the security perimeter at the Richmond Olympic Oval and took photos of the new lighting configuration for artwork over a 2 hour period from early sunset to dusk.

Some of the photos are spectacular if I do say so myself LOL… but really, it’s so cool having my photography out there on such a high profile artist’s site!

Her piece at the Oval is wonderful. It is kinetic [undulating gently in the wind and smallest breeze] and vibrant [the gradient netting is fabulous with it's vivid red colour palette], so it really is a joy to photograph. BUT, I have to confess… I do prefer shooting it at night when the nighttime lighting makes the piece come to life. The re-positioned lighting illuminates the curves of the structure and the texture / colour of the netting, enhancing the gentle curves of both the net armature/rings and the nets themselves. Wonderful!

Here is one of my favorites from the evening shoot…

Water Sky Garden at the Richmond Olympic Oval - East Side

heading out…

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:02:35 +0000

tickets in hand…
Bay card ready for 2010 Team gear…
my camera is charged and ready…

its time to really get a feel for the 2010 Winter Olympics experience in downtown Vancouver this afternoon and evening! catch you later…