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I know it doesn't make me the most popular girl in the world, but I'm not a big fan of the olympics in general. I've never been much of a sport's girl OR a tv girl, so having it on 24/7 on every tv around... eh. I'm usually ready for it to be turned off within a few days of when they start.
Good question Recessionista. I live in Vancouver right now, and Olympic Fever has certainly taken over. Things I like about the Olympics: Celebrating sporstmanship and atheletic achievement, and the employment oppurtunites for many people (a friend of mine works for VANOC in communications).
That said, the Olympics have a dark side that I don't like. The biggest thing I take issue with is the new law passed that allows police officers to force homeless people to go to shelters. They claim it is so they "help" the homeless - well just how the heck are you going to help them by forcing them into shelters, many of which don't have free beds, and taking them away from all their posessions and familiar neighborhoods. I think it is to clean up the streets so the world doesn't see the city has a homelessness problem. The cost overruns associated with buidling Olympic venues and the ASTRONOMICAL costs of tickets and merchandise are horrible! I couldn't afford tickets to any of the events.
I have been excited about following the torch relay though. The relay just went through my hometown of Saint John, NB yesterday! Can't wait until it makes it back to Vancouver.
@Valhalla: Very good point! It's so wrong to force homeless people into shelters because they can't bring any of their stuff in with them. Vancouver has a MAJOR problem with homelessness & instead of addressing the issue the city is trying to just push the problem under the rug & hope no one notices. I was driving home from my moms & I noticed that Hastings & Main has been cleaned up a lot. There were more police officers hanging around than ever before... honestly- I think the homeless people are being picked up & dropped off in other cities.
My mom's city has seen a major increase in homeless people... they used to never have any & now they are everywhere! Like all of a sudden.
I've volunteered to work with some of the homeless people in that area over the years & I learned a lot about the "code" on the street. We might not understand how they live- but they have their own little system. It's pretty interesting.
I'm going to be over the moon when it happens... I mean, how often does the Olympics come to your hometown? I think I'm just tired of hearing about it lol. I just want it to finish up already! I'm excited for the opening ceremony & for the press its going to bring to Canada. Lets show off our incredibly beautiful city & country!
It's also great b/c all my US guests who are coming here next summer for our wedding can get a sneak peak of this awesome province :)
We had the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 and it was AWESOME! We went to dressage and Synchronized Swimming... some of the best memories I've ever had! My family didn't get super into the "collectibles," like pens and hats, but its still fun to see people wearing the sweatshirts around!
I think it will be a good time. I live far enough away (Langley) that I hope traffic won't really be a nightmare that far out, and I have tickets to hockey and men's figure skating, so that's exciting!
I don't live in Canada, which is why I guess I can't wait for the Olympics! It always gives me something to watch on the tube! the summer olympics last year were the best two weeks of my life! haha!
I'm quite excited for the Olympics! I'm going to women's bronze medal curling. My fiance works downtown and is less than thrilled about the traffic the olympics will cause. I think in general though, it's an exciting time for Vancouver and for Canada, and I'm totally stoked! :)
I am pumped for the olympics! Gooooo Canada! One of my old roommates went to the Women's gold medal hockey game in Italy. I was so jealous. I can understand the frustration of being in the packed city, though.
I can NOT wait until the Olympics are OVER. I am tired of all the hype. I work in the downtown core and am TERRIFIED of how long it will take me to get to work. And of course there are all the issues surrounding the homeless people and how our city will look after all this madness is over.
Frankly the one thing I did like about the Olympics are/were those mittens. I wish I bought a few dozen in hindsight so that I could sell them for a profit!
Someone gave me a pair of those mittens for Christmas... I was like, ahh thanks?! I'm so out of touch lol.
I love the Olympics, if I wasn't saving for the honeymoon, I would take some time off and just veg and watch them on tv!
I really enjoy the Olympics. Summer more than winter but they're both exciting. The music always gets me pumped. I like the fact that everyone comes together and shows unity for at least a little bit.
BUT, I don't like when a city spends so much to build itself up! It has to have so many buildings and after the Olympics the building is no longer used and it just sits there. Ciies spend a lot of money, and go into debt sometimes.
actually, all the venues being built are designed to be completely sustainable. they all have plans in place for them - ie, olympic village is going to be a retirement complex - and all those plans will continue to earn the city money and be an asset to our community. also, the transit upgrades vancouver has been able to fund through the olympics.
another aspect of the buildings that's interesting to note is how environmentally friendly they are. the buildings use much less energy than the current codes require. it sets a great standard for future projects in and around vancouver :)
beijing was idiotic about the games and the money they sunk into them - vancouver, not so much. the city officials have been at every olympic event since we won the bid for 2010, examining their pros and cons so we can do it better :)
I can't freaking wait! It will be the one time where I will get to see Canada on my tv for 2 straight weeks. I'm going to have to find some small expat bar to watch the hockey games as I'm pretty sure the Korean stations won't be profiling hockey! My mum sent FI and I each a pair of the mittens for Christmas. They are sooooo warm...and good for wind chill! Well done mitten makers!
People always freak out on me, but I don't give a flip about the Olympics. I'm always happy for the athletes when they win, but I don't really watch it or follow it.
Exactly 1 more month until the opening ceremonies in MY city! Woo! Nows the time where we're all starting to get on board with the hype. There isn't too much political crap going on... we are just hearing amazing stories about inspirational athletes & I get goosebumps thinking about how exciting it is for our city. We're going to be profiled around the world... what a great promotion for our beautiful province & city!
I've got Olympic fever. I know its a different attitude than I expressed in the past, but it's hard not to get excited. This doesn't happen often... I may not have been able to get my hands on some tickets, but I'm going to every medal ceremony & party I can get into lol.
@starlette I did a project in grad school on major events, such as the Olympics or the World Cup, and the impact that they have on the cities that host them, and you're exactly right that it varies entirely according to how the host city plans in advance. Hosting a major international sporting event can ruin a city or bring it into a new age of prosperity based entirely on how they use the funds, whether it be to build new public transportation that connects important population centers, or squanders it on useless showmanship.
I'm in Seattle and I'm incredibly bummed that we won't be able to make it a couple hours north to see any of the events, but we just couldn't fit it into our budget or schedule what with our trip to Hawaii in March, our honeymoon to Moorea in July, and a possible trip to FI's sister's college graduation in Virginia in May. I hope you Vancouverites enjoy the heck out if it, despite the traffic.
Any changes a week out? I was always excited, since it's probably the only chance I'll ever have to watch Olympic figure skating!
Today I went to my mom's city to watch the Olympic torch run through the city... followed by a party at the local stadium where the torch would "rest" for the night. They had this huge ceremony where they lit the cauldron (below) and we all partied. It was Canada Day 2.0! It was so much fun... thank God for our warm weather! :)
The Olympics are proving to be tons of fun!! I hope everyone will watch! The politics are behind us for now & we're just proud to be Canadian & to highlight our home!!
I tried so hard for tickets, but was unsuccessful. Housing was really expensive anyway, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. As an ex semi pro winter sports athlete, I really wanted to see some of the snowboarding events.
That's a great picture!!! I can't wait for the Olympics to start!!!
@RecessionistaBride--that's so cool you went to see the torch run! It sounds like a great celebration.
My sister works for VANOC and got my parents, my brother, my fiance and I tickets to a couple events as Christmas presents. (I thought it was great that employees had to go through the lottery system just like everyone else--somehow that seems very Olympic-spirit-like) Anyway, we're so excited! It made my Christmas present to her seem pretty lame in comparison :) She's letting us stay in her apartment for a week (we live in California), which is the only way we can afford to go. She also got me a stuffed Mukmuk w/ the mittens--definitely one of the best Olympics mascots ever. Anyway, it sounds like Vancouver is a fantastic city, and I can't wait to see it. And good luck to those of you stuck in the traffic with because of all us tourists--I hope it's not too much of a pain, and we really appreciate the hospitality! :)
I definitely support the Olympics (although I am aware of the other side of the issue as well)
I am carrying the torch tomorrow in the torch relay!!!!! soo excited!!!
As a Vancouver Island-ite I'm not that stoked on it. I do love watching the athletes compete and think the spirit of the Olympics is good but I can't even BELIEVE how much money we're forking out to get it all set up and how ridiculously overpriced all the events are. I feel bad for anyone who is working in downtown Vancouver and will be trying to get to their office during the games (my sister lives in Kits and works downtown and is not looking forward to it!).
I'm totally an Olympics Junkie. My one friend and I are nuts for any and everything Olympics related. I love it. Its up there with Shark Week as some of my all time favorite TV time.
Im so glad the olympics are here!!I actually got some tickets...WHICH to everyones biased opinion arent that expensive if you are willing to sit in "not so great" seats.
I am going to the USA-Canada game on sat (cost me 125 with taxes and surcharges) CHEAPER the a Canucks game (and actually probably worht watching *Laugh*). FH and I gave two tickets to his parents for x-mas to anothe hockey game (they are going tonight) and I sold my Sweden-Finland tix and still have some for the semi-final game and the victory ceremonies on the 26th!!
CANT WAIT...GO CANADA GO!!! :)
The Olympics are here and I thought I'd give an update from an "inside" perspective ("inside" being inside Vancouver).
Commuting to downtown for work every day hasn't been so bad. The streets are FILLED with tourists. Every night is a HUGE party. The line ups to the free pavillions are HOURS long. A lot of my co-workers have gone to Olympic events and were not disappointed. There has been minimal crime and issues (aside from the tragic death of the Georgian luger and lacking snow). I'm still skeptical as to how much debt we'll be in after all is said and done.
I could care less about athletics and am really, really upset that NBC's programming has all been preempted by the Olympics. I WANT NEW EPISODES OF CHUCK! Some shows have been pushed back as far as three weeks!
There should be like, an "Olympics Channel" that's added and that everyone gets while the Olympics are on, so that it doesn't obstruct regular programming for those of us who could care less.
I am definitely a sort of. There are a few things I like to watch, and we watched the opening ceremonies, but I love the little Olympic mascots!
When Chicago was up for the 2016 bid, I was TERRIFIED. I really didn't want them to come here because it would just make an already busy city even busier with people everywhere and longer commutes to work.
I'm really not a fan of the Olympics. I have a ton of respect for the athletes ('cause it's no secret I can't do any of that stuff), but yeah, I really don't think it deserves three solid weeks of 24/7 programming. I watched speed skating the other night for all of 90 seconds, and I was like, "Wow, they're fast" before flipping the channel to something else. I just don't get the appeal, I guess, and I just really do not care.
Neither FH could care less about the Olympics…or any other sporting event, honestly. We only knew it was the day of the Superbowl because Puppy Bowl was on and peeps on FB kept talking about the Superbowl!!! LOL we got (free) awesome tickets to a Yankees/Red Sox playoff game a few years back and went, and everyone we knew was complaining hardcore because we spent most of the game eating every kitchy ballgame food we could find (Fenway franks, anyone?) instead of being super into the game. It was fun tho ;-)
Veganglam- TOTALLY AGREE with you about a separate Olympics channel, we’re irritated about losing all of our shows as well! :(
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If you live in BC, all you've heard about for years is the 2010 Games! I keep going back & forth on this one... I'm excited, but not really. If I weren't immigrating to the US & had a travel ban on me, I would probably rent out my condo & head to my FIs.
The events I wanted to go to cost more than my car payment. The traffic is already a nightmare in the city- imagine how nuts its going to be then... if tourists can even afford to rent a car. The markup for the olympics is nuts! The price of ANYTHING with the 2010 logo on it makes me shake my head. The sweatshirt I bought was $75. A small teddy bear I bought as a gift was close to $40. Also the majority of VANOCs "suggestions" kind of bug me. Sigh.
I'm sure when it rolls around I'll be crazy excited for our city & country... its just hard right now though!
How do you feel about the upcoming games?