The Tent was a CTV tent, and within it were some people manning a photo camera rig. I stood outside the tent watching the opening Ceremony on the big screen over the entranceway, and hadn't realised that I was in fact standing in a line up. A chinese girl was looking at me as if to say "Are you moving forward", so I stood aside. It later transpired that CTV were giving awayyy free cheesy photos of you and your friends overlayed on top of snowy olympics scenes from around the city, and they would print them out for you to take away. I also imagine they make good screen fodder for CTV to pack out collage scenes of the olympics into the news casts.
The jollity went on, and I started feeling the incresing rain and drizzle rolling down the top of my head. It got to the point where I had had enough, and decided to make my way back to the chocolate lily and watch the rest of the opening ceremony. Apparently Canada would come out last, which is what I wanted to see, and everyone was on tenter hooks wondering who would light the olympic flame. Would it be Wayne Gretzky, the all-time number one hockey player in history, or would it be the mother of Terry Fox, a true champion human being if ever there was one. Many names were bandied around, and I set out back to Kitsilano to curl up on the chaise longue to witness the remaining events.
On my return, Canada were due out imminently. I waited, and when they emerged - coupled with the olympic happiness from the city I'd just been enveloped in - a tear trickled from my eye. It was so nice to see Canada being so happy about being who they are, and hosting the world in such a friendly and open way. The arms were open wide to everyone, embodied by the army of olympic volunteers, and here were Canada's hope for these games emerging in their red and white uniforms. It was a sight, and the cheering in the stadium could almost be heard across the city in Kitsilano.
The spectacle was winding to its climax, and the mystery was about to be revealed. The flame bearers started emerging, and a mixture of personalities emerged. One was Terry Fox's mum, another was Wayne Gretzky, and there were a couple more. There was a hushed and embarrassed silence as the flame cauldrons faiiled to appear from the stage due to a mechanical fault but once they did, an unfortunate female athlete had her olympic flame lighting dreams ruined by her part of the cauldron not appearing from the set. I was impressed though with Canada's choice to have 4 flame bearers each light the cauldron - the first one indoors at any olympic games. Canada has always been an extremely diverse country, and the multiple representations of Canada's sporting greatness - past and present, able bodied and disabled - is a great way of showing the world that it is a country that appreciates that diversity.
In the closing part of the ceremony, it was exciting when Gretzky went to light the external permanent flame. I toyed with getting back out to go and see his motorcade through the streets. The salacious news channels were talking about al-quaeda et al targetting the games - would the get Gretzky? What bollocks....
It all ended very happily, and you just get swept up in the pomp of it all. They endlessly repeated what I think were the absolute highlight of the games - the up-front, center stage presence of Canada's First Nations people. On the west coast, there is countless symbolism generated by these people - totems, painting, the mighty Inukshuks (which are the way-markers used by the inuit made from stone, and the remarkable symbol of the Olympic Winter Games for Vancouver). It is a culture I love and whose art I am in awe of. The powerful history, and the sheer antiquity of these civilisations were displayed for all to see, and I hope the world loves them as much as I do.
If the night could have a punchline, it would be that there is an olympic spirit, and it arrived in vancouver. Let the games begin.
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