Where have the superheroes gone?

Vancouver and Canada put on a friendly party for the 2010 Winter Olympics. We donned the red mittens, stole enough courage to take public transit, and actually talked to strangers.

In the quiet weeks following the Closing Ceremony, the streets of Vancouver seem deserted. No more flag-waving, no more cow bell, no more outburst of our national anthem. We are slowly recovering from the collective hangover, avoiding the glare of the pink cherry blossoms that came months too early.

I have only one question: where have all the super heroes gone?

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.

Granville Street

Granville Street in downtown Vancouver is a pedestrian mall that was a rapid transit construction zone for years and has recently transformed to celebrate LunarFest (Chinese New Year is on February 14th) and the Olympics. The mall is a buzzing crossroad for locals and Olympic visitors.

Here are a few photos from yesterday's stroll along Granville. And yes, it was a beautiful spring-like day!

Cheering Messages

This message board in front of H-Mart, at the corner of Robson and Seymour Streets, was a clear attraction for visitors and foreign students. Who could resist the call for "Cheering Messages for your country"?

Do you have a message for your country?