Stanley Cup survival tips for Vancouver visitors

If you happen to be in Vancouver for #TBEX11, the travel bloggers conference, or you're embarking on your Disney cruise to Alaska, here are a few tips to survive hockey night in Canada.

Hockey is our game. Get used to it.

The Vancouver Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup but came close in 1994 resulting in the now legendary 1994 riots. Vancouver is up against the Boston Bruins, one of the original six teams, who last won the Cup in 1972. The series has a maximum of seven games but ends with the first team to win four.

And in case you're a real newbie, the game is hockey and its grand prize is the Stanley Cup. That's the same Stanley who's Park is on your top ten list of Vancouver attractions. 

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, televised in Canada by CBC, broke its NHL playoff record with a peak audience of 7.8 million. This series is a really big deal.

If you're going to a bar or restaurant or any place that has a television, get there early (by noon, if it's a deciding game). Or go someplace that doesn't have a TV if you're simply looking for a snack and a drink.

Besides the bars and restaurants there are designated free "fan zones" in the downtown core. The crowd sizes have increased and the plan for game three is to close Georgia Street and the Viaduct at 2:00pm. If you're travelling through town, check the local news or Twitter for updates (use the hashtag #canucks). Or join the excitement and watch the game outside on a really big screen.

You'll have a hard time finding a taxi unless you're looking for one as the puck drops at 5:00pm. Or try the TaxiNow app and let us know how it works (thanks to @chickievan for the tip). Public transit will be crowded but a good option. Follow Translink on Twitter for timely updates on bus schedules and road closures.

Don't try to leave downtown immediately following the game unless you're walking. Wait it out, enjoy the crowds. As with all crowds, use your traveller's sense. Watch for pick-pockets, angry or aggressive people, drunk or otherwise altered fans. If Vancouver loses, be careful. While many have said we've matured since 1994, anything can happen. 

Vancouver experienced huge crowds on the downtown streets during the 2010 Winter Olympics without major incidents. It's a great experience, just use your common sense and trust your instincts about fun and danger. Talk to the locals -- we love sharing our city with visitors.

If you're stocking up on bottles of alcohol, get to a liquor store the day before a game, otherwise you're likely to spend a lot of time in a long line waiting to pay. If the street crowds get too large the police could force liquor stores to close early. In BC you can't buy alcohol at a grocery store. And no, you can't legally drink on the street.

Dear Bruins fans, please don't taunt the wild Canucks or you may get yourself arrested. Police don't like taunters. Most Canadians of a certain age fondly remember the Bobby Orr days so a respectful conversation will be warmly welcomed.

Make sure you watch the start of the game to witness a phenomena that has most visitors scratching their heads. Canadians actual sing our national anthem -- with passion. It hasn't always been this way, we were mumblers for a long time. The crazy anthem singing grew up during the Olympics, as seen on this bus. 

All games start at 5:00pm PT. Check Wikipedia for the updated schedule and scores.

Have fun! It's a once in a lifetime experience. 

What I did on my summer vacation

I've neglected this blog for far too long. If you've come back, I thank you so much for your patience. Now that fall is approaching I will dedicate more time to keeping up to date. In the meantime here are some snippets of things I've seen or done over the past four months, or "what I did on my summer vacation."

On the outskirts of El Paso, I fell in love with fresh fruit popsicles at Flautas y Paleteria Tepalca in Canutillo, Texas. When I say fresh, mmmm, I can't come close to describing how deliciously orgasmic they were. Take a look at the pinons in the creamsicle below; then I went back for mango. This was an unusual discovery due to road work on the Interstate but it will now be a regular stop on my trips to that part of the US.

I saw a sonoran gopher snake and heard coyotes howl in the desert of southern New Mexico.

I found a metal tray decorated with actual hotel stickers. Not a replica. Not massed produced. The real deal. Looks like someone had a better summer vacation than I did, 60 years ago.

I discovered more treasures amongst the wonderful things that were once my Nonna Elvira's. Here's a carefully preserved stencil that she used as a pattern for her cutwork linens.

On a quick trip to Nelson, BC and a lovely walk along the lake, I came across a playground for adults fitted with outdoor fitness equipment. Best of all, t's FREE.

In Vancouver, the BC Place stadium roof deflated and the new retractable roof is under construction.

In keeping with the roof theme, the Canada Place (convention centre) roof is being "rehabilitated." Looks like a hazardous job.

I went to Alaska and saw humpback whales bubble net feeding. A humbling experience.

And, finally, while the weather is still nice, this is my favourite coffee place.

While I'm having my coffee please leave a comment letting me know what you'd like to hear more about.

Ciao.

Canada Day 2010

To honour Canada Day I listened to slam poet Shane Koyczan's "We Are More," which millions heard during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Shane has joined the ranks of hockey and beer commercials in expressing the sentiment of what it means to be Canadian.

Here's an excerpt:

we are cultures strung together

then woven into a tapestry

and the design

is what makes us more

than the sum total of our history

A small part of my tapestry:

Listen to "We Are More" by Shane Koyczan.

Read more of Shane's poem at the Vancouver Sun.

In case you missed it, here's my Canada Day post from 2009.

Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics

The Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was held a few hours following the Canadian men's hockey gold medal victory. The closing show was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek poke at Canadiana. It quickly degraded to what one Twitter tweep described as a monster truck rally.

The stereotypes included mounties, lumber jacks, hockey players, floating moose and the now infamous giant inflatable beavers. I'm not sure this is the Canada my Nonnas left Italy for.

Here's a video of the view from our seats at the Closing Ceremony held at BC Place Stadium on Sunday, February 28, 2010.

Canada Day: What it means to be Canadian

Like most Canadians I take being Canadian for granted. We're not raised on a diet of patriotism. We don't sing "O Canada" at the start of every day. We simply ARE Canadian, sometimes with apologies, but never with regret. 

I come from a family of immigrants, my sweetie is an immigrant, many of my friends are immigrants, as are my neighbours [note the Canadian spelling]. We're a nation that embraces diversity through a multicultural policy. We are not a melting pot. Our cultures are fused, not melted.

Our revolutions are quiet ones but that doesn't mean we're not passionate.

We can vote freely, without intimidation or violence but we take democracy for granted. Our last federal election recorded the lowest voter turnout in our history. We need to be more vigilant to protect our democracy. Voting is the least we can do. 

Our sweeping generalizations:

• We don't worry about concealed weapons.
  
• If we're sick, we know we can get well without having to sell our home.
  
• We can sponsor our partners for immigration, regardless of gender.
  
• We can marry the one we love, regardless of gender.
  
• We can serve in our military regardless of sexual orientation.
  
• We don't have to join the military to get low-cost post-secondary education.
  
• As long as we have Québec we will never be "American"
  
• We call our money loonies and toonies, and we don't miss the bills.
  

As for our stereotypes:

We like beer.

We like hockey. 

We believe in Sasquatch, particularly after beer.

Of course, it's not a perfect place. We don't have hot, sunny beaches in the winter. Because it's Canada Day I'll save my rants for another day.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Please share your stories of what it means to be Canadian.