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.

Anniversary

Nonno Joe & Nonna Filomena married in Bocchigliero (Calabria, Italy) on May 1, 1915. I've been thinking about them a lot as my own parents pass wedding milestones. Here's an excerpt from their wedding registration:

"L'anno millenovecento quindici, il giorno primo del mese

di maggio, alle ore pomeridiane quattro e minuti venti,

in Bocchigliero, nella casa posta in Vico Manca."

Check out this family portrait from their 50th wedding anniversary in Canada.

While Nonno & Nonna are long departed, their descendants gather annually for a cousins' party. The family portrait -- now trying to contain over 100 cousins -- is a staple of the party.

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.

Virtually here: Winter Olympics, Vancouver 2010

I've put together this post for my friends and family who want to interact with the Olympics but are too far away from Vancouver -- or won't leave the suburbs.

There are oodles of bloggers reporting on the best pavilions and events, so I won't touch those. This is simply a list of things you can do remotely to control a part of what we're experiencing live. Enjoy!

Vectorial Elevation

Part of the Cultural Olympiad, the Vectorial Elevation allows online participants to design the nightly light show over English Bay. Watch the live light show or take control and create the light patterns we'll see.

The Athletes

Wonder how the athletes are experiencing the Olympics? Follow them on Twitter or Facebook to get a look behind the scenes. Check out my list of athletes on Twitter -- it's neither authenticated nor complete but it will give you a conversational view of athletes like US short-track sensation Apolo Ohno and veteran Canadian hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser.

My photo of Apolo Ohno after his silver medal win in the 1500m.

Google Street View on the Slopes

Google used a custom snowmobile to capture these images. It's your turn to take a run on the slopes at Whistler.

Ontario House

The Ontario House pavilion showcases some interesting technology, including a 4D theatre and projected air hockey.

Air hockey projected on the Ontario House floor.

My favourite technology, is the lighting that visitors manipulate via a brain-wave reading headset. Watch as visitors control the lights on three of Canada's most famous landmarks, including Niagara Falls and the Canadian Parliament buildings.

I take control of Parliament. Do you hear that, PM Harper?

Live Cam

LiveCity Yaletown is one of the hot downtown locations for free concerts. Check out the live cam to see the long line-ups or listen to daily concerts.

Alberta's Corb Lund winds up the crowd at LiveCity Yaletown.

Official Channels

For official listings, medal counts and schedules, download Bell's free 2010Guide for iPhone or Blackberry, or check out the official website. For photos, videos and more engagement, become a fan of Vancouver2010 on Facebook.

Watching Live

If you aren't near a TV but have access to a computer, follow the live action on CTV (from North America only).

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?