Devin's Diary: Day Three

The peculiarities of the Olympics shone through today in grand fashion. Early this morning, we began our journey via a bus along East Hastings to Granville station where we caught the Canada Line to the King George stop and walked a serene 1.1 km through a lovely Vancouver residential neighbourhood to the curling venue, Vancouver Olympic Centre. The monolithic security barrier at the gates of the Olympic Centre highlights the odd juxtaposition of international airport-calibre security against the serene suburban backdrop so typically familiar to Canadians. A string of pre-recorded celebrity voices (including Matt Dillon AND Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams) played over the loudspeakers while we waited to be scanned and frisked by the blued coated volunteers.

Again, the fans inside the venue were friendly, respectful and sprightly – permitting each other alternate opportunities to cheer and chant for their respective countries without interruption, while the unaligned Canadian fans continued to assist every lonely fan to cheer for his country. Something should be said for both the lack of advertising within Olympic venues and the seamless product placement within them. Normally, within a sports venue, the boards, walls and ceilings are draped in corporate logos: at the Olympics, the venues are tastefully decorated with solely the VANOC colours and images of the games. However, when its time to buy refreshments, Moslon, Coke and Visa are seamlessly and suddenly integrated to encompass your every stare, purchase and action. It’s a strangely comfortable way to be subjected to advertising which carries the games… perhaps a little too comfortable. Is it coincidence I’ve recently been craving a Coke Classic?

And when Morgan Freeman tells you that Visa is the only card accepted at the Olympic games, he’s not kidding: you can even leave your debit card at home – Freeman said VISA!

While we went to a Victory Ceremony at BC Place this evening and watched a live feed of John Montgomery receiving his gold medal in Whistler, the real Olympic magic happened for us afterward. As we walked along the shore of False Creek from BC Place toward the Skytrain, the lights and sounds of the provincial pavilions echoed off the water, while the lights danced on the ripples. The Saskatchewan globe, carrying projections of prairie images was a distinctive marker in the night sky. And all along the False Creek shore, what began as the spontaneous activity of a few people, has resulted in thousands of fan-built inukshuks lining the water. It is astounding. Every rock is part of a human-built structure: small, large and extra-large with feathers: it was stunning. A true spontaneous unique eruption of Olympic spirit that could never be planned, organized or replicated, that involved everyone who wanted to build or watch… no Visa required.

Guest post from U of S Alumnus Devin Dubois