Another week and the Olympics will be upon us. Already there’s a buzz in the air. I don’t know if it is my imagination or if it’s true that rush hour traffic on Hwy 1 seems a little lighter these days as folks seek out alternate commuting options.
In any case, I’m somewhat torn about the Olympics being here. On one hand, I think it is great for world-class athletes to have a forum to compete and excel. While not being terribly sporty myself, I still am impressed by what athletes (like anyone who has discipline and works hard) can achieve in competition and sportsmanship. I had a great uncle who was an Olympian (Silver medalist in 1936) and hearing about his experiences certainly has made me consider the value and role of athleticism. Still, the stories of corruption associated with the Olympic organization trouble me. I’m also not that impressed by how freely dollars are spent to show off our city when there are greater issues to be addressed locally and internationally. And that seems to be happening a lot these days.
That said, there seems to be a lot of free cultural and community events happening about town these next few weeks. I am looking forward to experiencing that part of the Olympics. Here’s a local sampling:
- As a venue city, Surrey is hosting its own large celebration at Holland Park February 12 to 28th. Looks like there will be a lot of exhibits from local organizations and artisans, musical performances, and family activities. Personally, I think that the ice skating and the agility dog performances sound like a lot of fun.
- Olympic Torch Relay details and the route map courtesty of the City of Surrey (approximately 2:30pm in Cloverdale, February 8th)
- There are lots of free events in the Lower Mainland listed here: Vancouver 2010 Free Events Guide courtesy of CityCaucus.com
On another note, it looks like the last shipment of Olympic red mittens is set to arrive at the Bay. Now, if we could have some snow to go with them!
photo credit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbc9/4258466912/
