In the morning of the 13th, I talked to Karen at the Chocolate Lily about getting to my next destination - the Manor Guest House - and she said she would have a print of how to get there for me. I decided to follow one of the tips in their extensive binder of information about the surrounding area - one that they had lovingly put together over many years of experiencing the local outlets and attractions, taking time to put impressions and context into their entries. I had identified a coffee place - the perfect thing for breakfast.
I went up to "Bean around the world" just up Cornwall at the junction with Walnut, and ordered a cappuccino to take away, and a breakfast muffin. Their coffee was as the binder had promised - very good. The breakfast muffin was also great, with Ham, egg and various cheeses.
I returned back to my suite and found Karen had returned from a bike ride getting groceries. She asked me if I would like to see the other suite - the Linden - and I jumped at the chance.
The Linden had similar decore to the Laurel, except that the Linden was much bigger. It had a large fireplace, a proper kitchen - both open plan to eachother - a separate bedroom with a door, and a larger sitting area and larger TV, and a nice bathroom. If I recall, the nightly price for this wasn't that much greater than the Laurel, but you get a lot more. Karen said a person could cook a turkey in there if they wanted - it was nicely layed out and capable.
I checked out, sorry to see the back of the place and Kitsilano as a whole. Kitsilano has a very laid back feel to it. The streets are pretty and quiet and the beach is a short walk. There are lots of people running, people with dogs and lots of quiet. You wouldn't think Cornwall St. was just down there.... I fell in love with the place, but I will probably never be able to afford to live there.
Anyway, I have Short Track Speed skating today and I also have to get across town and checkin at the Manor Guest House. I said my goodbyes to Rob and Karen, and headed for the bus. I stood for quite a while with all my bags. Increasing numbers of people showed up and I was getting worried about losing my first place in the queue. Some of the people looked ppretty militant to the thought of lining up and so I had to stand my ground.
The journey took no time at all. I got to the Waterfront station just before 1pm, and I got caught up in what would be a nuisance trend with the Olympics in town. The Canada line - brand new, as I've said and very fast - is the line that takes people north to south in the city. And Translink are strictly regulating people going into the stations. I lined up for what seemed an eternity to get onto the platform. But Waterfront is the last station in line. If you are quite far south at a busy station, I have a theory that if you go one stop south to a quiet station - you are allowed to jump the queues if you are going south - and then simply get off that train and change platforms, it will be quicker than lining up for a train to the north. I never tried it, and it is probably only a phenomenon that applies when the olympics are in town.
I got to the manor House at a whisker past 3pm, and knocked at the door. Initial impressions were that it was an old building, and it showed by the sort of textured finish on the outside of the building. I rang the doorbell - it said to on the front door - and a guy who must be the cook answered the door (I found out later the door is always unlocked, and I could have just pushed it). He was a really nice guy and he asked if I was checking in. He was cooking a huge pot of mushrooms for something, and he seemed to probably be more of a chef than a cook. Was he cooking dinner for the owner?
The building itself that I waited in while Jason - the chef - got the manager was a turn of the 20th century building. It had beatiful wood panelling inside, and high ceilings. It must have once been owned by someone very wealthy.
I noticed my name on an envelope, and also saw that I was staying in a different building. It seemed like they have quite an operation here. The manager emerged a couple of minutes later - David is his name - and he was very friendly and took me up to my roon. We exited the building, and we went immediately next door. He opened a door on the right hand side, and as I entered a familiar smell wafted iinto my nostrils - new home smell. It all looked brand spanking new. The staircase was beautiful and fitted, dark wood with plugged fittings. Up to a new kitchen seating area, then up to my brand new room. It transpires the property had cost $1.6 Million and a further $800K to fit out.
My room had a step up into the room, and a high bed with nice sheets. The bathroom was an odd arrangement, but nothing to worry about. It had a door into my room as if it was an en-suite and a door into the hallway that was sliding. It worked on a sort of airlock principle. When I'm in there, I lock the sliding door but obviously keep my door into it unlocked. When I'm finished, I had to not forget to unlock the sliding door for the people across the hall to get access, but also that I have to lock my own door into it so that they cannot encroach on my room. One time I forgot to unlock the sliding door after I had finished, so I had a knock frrom the neighbours.
I was on a tight schedule to make it to the short track speed skating over at the Pacific Colliseum, so I took the train north again - lineups and all - and asked at waterfront how to get there. A transit person said to take the 135 bus from Hastings. I went immediately there, and wound up standing for quite a few minutes. Various 135s went by, each of them full. Weren't there buses dedicated to taking people to venues? The 135 is a scheduled service so isn't ideal.
I got talking to a guy in the line up and asked him if he was going to the short track. We yacked for a few minutes, then I noticed him and his girlfriend making tracks for a taxi. "Do you mind if I share your taxi with you?" I blurted, and the guy said "No problem sure you can". I followed them - it was awkward taking the spot since they seemed to be saying goodbye to friends whom they left to fend for themselves - but we got in, and had a new taxi driver who was out of his first ever pick up.
We chatted along the way about various things. It turned out that she was working for Coca Cola. I don't know what he did. It was a fun taxi ride, and we were joking about various things along the way. We got to the venue and the girl was expensing the taxi, so she said not too worry about the cost. We parted our ways, and I walked down to the stadium as fast as I could.
It was a large stadium - there was no way anyone would spot me in this crowd from the TV coverage. I found my seat, and I was sitting next to a couple from britain, and an irish guy that seemed to be at the event on his own. Wwe all got to chatting about things - what we were doing there, where we were from etc.
The short track speed skating is a nice sport - probably the most exciting one at the olympics. The skates are missing the hinged blade of long track, and there are more athletes involved.
There were several races tonight, and there were ample Canadians in the line up. The statistics are all available on the web, but as a Canadian myself it was so great to be here in an olympic venue in Canada - especially after the majesty of the atmosphere in the cccity, and the amazing spectacle of the opening ceremony - and able to support my country in person. It really was exhilirating.
Nothing can describe the first race, and the frenzy into which Canadians get when the Canadian athletes on the ice make the slightest move. Usually the move would be a decisive one, and in the heats the canadians worked just hard enough to get into the two finals. The surprise of the night was the world number two only making Final B which doesn't decide a medal. He won his final, but was dismayed at being in the B final. His compatriot in Final A wrangled his way up to fourth only because the Chinese number one crashed, along with the two Koreans who were in second and third.
The womens relay was a sight to behold. It wasn't going to lead to a medal race today, but the Canadian women's team came in second I believe. The irish guy and I noticed that there was one little pint pot of a girl on the Canadian relay team who seemed to have a tornado super power. When the rest of the Canadian girls were doing OK or falling back a bit, she would come on and skate like I've never seen anyone skate. She was so fast, and in her short time at full pelt would close significant parts of any gap. It was breathtaking, and the spectators were loving it all. Canada on Canadian soil - an awesome combination.
I will remember the excitement of this night for a long time to come. I'm not qualified to really commentate at all on this sport, but being in the stadium is completely different to seeing it on TV, and it is really the best way to see the olympics, and to cheer on your country. As someone living in britain, where nationalism and pride of that nature is inextricably linked with the pollution that is the BNP/National front, coming to Canada where I grew up and seeing the national pride on show have really been a wake up call. Call it the olympic spirit again, call it my imagination, being there changed the way living in britain has made me think.
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