Now while I'm not the biggest Canucks fan, I still believe with all my heart that the cup belongs here in CANADA!!!!
Today is a HUGE game. I'm putting out good vibes for the Canuckleheads. I might even watch the game due to the fact that every time I do, the Canucks win.
Local musician and overall AWESOME dude Bodhi Jones wrote a wicked 'Nucks song, which you download HERE for free (or by donation, after all, he's a struggling musician! Help a brutha out!). You have just ONE WEEK left to download the tune, before it's gone. GET ON IT!!!!
Over the weekend, I had a chance to hear Bodhi sing the tune, first hand. Wanna take a listen? Here it is!
Friends and I decided to enjoy the last Olympic weekend (or Saturday at least) at Holland Heineken House in Richmond. WOW! It was pretty insane. Those Dutch know how to party! The highlights include:
~$4.50 beer (yeah, I couldn't believe it either! The best part for me was seeing the bartenders look of disgust when I'd ask for Orange Crush to be mixed in with my beer. It's a Chilean thing. Try it sometime. ) ~ The crazy Dutch techno music the DJ would play ~ The cover band ('The Coronas') who had a singer that pretended to play the bass guitar...on a ski pole. ~ The 'Kroket' sandwiches. Mmmmmmmmm... ~ Fries with mayo and ketchup (we ate healthy there) ~ The guy dancing on stage in a giant torch (?) suit.
See the video montage. It pretty much explains it all....
Overall, it was an absolute BLAST there!
Besos,
CC.
p.s: My first time taking the night bus from Richmond. Had a guy sleeping in front of me who went crazy when he woke up and a woman next to me barfing in the back. Can you say TRAUMATIZED?!?!?!?!
So here's a list to help you with you last minute Olympic plans:
Best Canadian House to Party At: 1) Ontario House 2) Atlantic Canada House 3) Alberta House
Best International House to Party At: 1) Saxony (German) House 2) Holland Heineken House 3) Irish House
Best Cultural Experience: 1) Northern Canada House 2) Discover Calabria 3) Atlantic Canada House
Keep in mind that the Olympic fun doesn't have to end! A few houses will remain open during the Paralympics (March 12- 21st). Robson Square will also remain a party zone with free concerts and shows, free skating, free admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery (get there BEFORE 3PM!!!) and of course, my favourite, the Ziptrek Zipline remains open (and yes, FREE!!!). The Royal Canadian Mint will also keep it's doors open, but their new location is still up in the air.
I started today at the Korea House (yeah, I didn't know that it existed either, until today!) which is on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Burrard by Pender. I was encouraged by one of the organizers to 'stay for the bubble show!'... I had no idea what this meant but apparently, it's what this particular house is known for, so I grabbed a seat on the floor and waited for the show to begin. First, they made us sit through a promotional video that shows why the 2018 Winter Olympics SHOULD be in Korea (rumour has it that they've been bidding on them for a while now, without success). Then the bubble show began. I thought it was cool, but the kids there went nuts for it!!! See video. Korea house also has some cool tech stuff to check out (including a wifi camera that takes your picture and sends it to a touch screen computer in front of you), a hand acupressure area where you stick your hands into a machine that stimulates your pressure points in order to help you relax, OR you can hang out and make meditation beads. The lineups are really minimal. If you're in the area, stop by, but I wouldn't make this a destination point. Sorry Korea!
Next I headed to the Cedar Carving Pavilion, which is just outside the Vancouver Art Gallery by Georgia and Howe. It looks like a little log house. Inside, there are some amazing works of art by a collection of Musqueam artists, including Susan Point. This woman has been awarded the order of Canada and is an extremely talented artist and carver, and you can walk in and chat with her at any time. The lineups are minimal to non-existent and while you're there, take the time to watch some of the other First Nations carvers do their 'thang.' See Pictures.
So what's the deal with some of the sculptures and artwork on Granville? Some of it I get, some of it, I don't, and some of it just boggles my mind. Like the one on Granville and Georgia. It's this metal blob with no real rhyme, reason or explanation. See picture. I know art is subjective but does anyone GET this one? If you do, let me know...
One more thing. I hate to end this on a bad note but I've gotta say, what's with the barf piles all over the city? I've never had to dodge so many in my life! Is this what the Olympics brings out in us? People who have no concept of when to say 'Ok, I'm cut off'... I feel like I'm back in junior high/ highschool, watching some underage teen run out of a bar to puke in a parking lot. And c'mon people! Let's stop peeing in the streets. Ewwwwwwww.
So I started today with a visit to German Saxony House, which is in the rowing club in Stanley Park. Great atmosphere with a decent amount of space (don't know why, but I expected it to be bigger!). Really nice layout with a spectacular view (they also have a small, outdoor patio area. Nice!). So the obvious highlight here is the beer and bratwurst. I guess these people REALLY take their bratwurst seriously. The had the sausages made in Langley and German 'bratwurst specialists' were flown in (from Deutchland of course!) to oversee the preparation and to make sure that it was 100% true to the traditional way it's supposed to be made. Nope, they DO NOT mess with their bratwurst! This place is ideal for watching a game in a cozy environment where you can actually get to know the people around you. I like this place. So do many others, as you'll notice by the (surprise, surprise!) long lineups to get in. If you get a chance, swing by and check out their traditional German house band. I've gotta admit, it made me want to break out into a polka (I'm not ashamed to admit it. I know how to polka and I'm proud of it!!!). The staff that work there are pretty friendly as well. See video.
Next was the Irish House. You've probably noticed the lineup that goes past the Penthouse (at least, I THINK the line is just for Irish House! Unless the Penthouse has some sort of Olympic strip-off I'm not aware of). So the venue is on Seymore and Nelson. It's hard to miss with the flashing lights and rowdy crowd outside. We got a tour of the place and I've gotta say that it's HUGE! Lot's of room, lot's of people and above all, lot's of Canadian pride! I guess I pictured a bunch of Irish hooligans yelling and spilling beer everywhere, but nope, it's all about Canada. Don't get me wrong, they've got Celtic music and dancing, as well as a house cover band, but let me tell ya, this is the place where Canadians go to party! Consider it the Canadian spirit with an Irish twist. They have the usual pub style food, plus some traditional Irish food. I recommend trying the Guiness and steak pie with (what else) a glass of Guiness. See video.
Finally, Laurie and I were walking around downtown and ended up on Burrard street, right by the Scotia bank theater. Cars were passing slowly by with their drivers honking and yelling out their windows. People were running down the street waving Canadian flags, screaming and giving out the random high-five's. This is what happens when Canada wins a gold medal (yay to the womens hockey team!!!).
So I've lived in Vancouver for over 2 years and I've never had a Japadog. I decided it was time to change that but when I saw the lineup, I changed my mind. It was at least 50 people long! I guess it's kind of a right of passage here in Vancouver. Almost every Vancouverite has had a Japadog at least once. I'm still waiting...
So today my adventures took me to the Richmond Ozone.
It was South Asian Day, so it was all about Bhangra dancing and Bollywood movies. Very colourful and very cool!
The Ozone has it's own skating rink, which looks like a ribbon of ice wrapped around green grass. I asked several times how they managed to keep the ice from melting but the answers never really made sense. Ah well. We'll chalk it up to an 'Olympic Miracle'. (FYI: Skate rentals are just $2) See Video.
Next was a stop at the BCLC fun zone, which was pretty awesome. You can try your hand at the Biathalon, taking slapshots for prizes(See video), and experiencing the bobsled in 3D. You can also have an (unofficial) athlete badge made, which was probably the coolest thing we did there. I wonder how many places we can get away with using this? Mind you, I highly doubt that I can pass for an ice hockey player (as stated on my athlete pass). BTW: there's no way in hell that I'm posting a picture of it. It's so hideous that even my own mother would be ashamed to look at it.
Next was a visit to BC street where you can check out all the different regions of BC, including Comox, Tofino and the Okanagan. Did you know that Comox is the oyster capital of BC???? Neither did I. When you stop my these venues, you can try the odd food sample and enter to win a ton of prizes (which I did. Here's hoping they don't sell their email lists!!!).
I also wanted to thank Peak listener Leeann Froese for hooking me up with a yummy Icewine tasting at Inniskillin. Turns out that Inniskillin has an Icewine tasting area there (and has a commemorative Olympic Icewine) . It's not too expensive and definitely worth a visit, especially if you're a wino like me ;)
Last was a visit to the Holland Heineken House. I wanted to find out what the big deal was about this place. Why is the lineup always insane? Why did everyone and anyone want to try to get in there? I got the grand tour and I've gotta say that it's not too bad! Like most places, they have a merchandise and sponsor area (I guess they've gotta pay the bills right?) and a Dutch radio station that airs out of the house ~ straight to Holland. Their beer garden/ restaurant/ entertainment area is nice and big and has an overall good vibe. It also smells like Stamppot - a potato/ sauerkraut/ sausage in a cone combo that everyone tries when they walk in. (FYI: Their money system is different there. Be aware of this). Holland house is known for it's nightlife. This is one of the coolest places to party. In fact, it's so cool that one of the most famous Dutchmen in the world stopped by yesterday last minute; the #1 DJ in the world, Armin van Buuren surprised Holland house fans when he announced last minute that he was going to perform a set (is that what you call it in DJ lingo???). Either way, I found out about this in 'The Daily Dutch International' a daily Olympic newspaper put together by the Dutch and available at their pavilion (in both English and Dutch ~ The Dutch version is longer though). The Dutch consider themselves experts when it comes to their presentation at the Olympics (they've been doing it for a VERY long time) and it shows. Right now, all the Dutch are holding their collective breath and hoping that one of their athletes will help mark a milestone for their country: their 100th gold medal in their Olympic history. You know that's gonna be cause for a HUGE celebration at Holland House! So, the house itself is a blast and if you wanna go partake of a few adult beverages in the evening, I recommend you get there by about 5 o'clock (but still expect a lineup at that time, n'kay?).
I started today at the Royal Canadian Mint on Granville and Pender. First of all, there's ALWAYS a long lineup there. From open to close, long lines. You've just gotta accept that if you're headed there. The Mint is...ok. The highlight for me was getting the chance to hold the Olympic and Paralympic medals. (FYI: if you piece all the medals together, they make up a work of art. See the black and white picture to see what it that would look like). The giant Canadian gold coin (worth a million bucks by the way) was kinda cool to check out as well. Other than that, I was ready to go. Sorry to all of you who have a general interest in the Royal Canadian Mint. If it's any consolation, my dad is a coin collector. Me? Not so much. I prefer the spending aspect of it all... ;) See Video
Next Laurie Logan and I headed to the 4 Host First Nations House. There, you have a chance to watch a movie in their dome called 'We Are Here' (lineups aren't too bad). You also have the opportunity to try traditional cuisine and check out First Nations performers doing their 'thang'... rap, hip hop, blues, jazz, rock, etc. You name it, they're performing it. Free shows for the public every evening. There are also giant Coke bottles scattered at this venue, which have all been designed by First Nations artists and are all up for auction with proceeds going to charity. Cool. See pictures.
Final stop was LiveCity Yaletown. The lineup was actually minimal (a miracle!!!) and I've gotta say the the Coca-cola tent was the highlight (no endorsement intended here :P). There was this employee who actually had the word Coca-cola shaved into his head! Talk about dedication! Getting a collectible coke bottle and having your picture taken with the Olympic torch is one of the coolest things to do here, along with finding out about all the environmental initiatives that some of the sponsors at LiveCity Yaletown are involved in. A solar powered cell phone? Yup. Believe it. I also had the chance to see our Mayor (Gregor Robertson) drumming for a band called Bitterly Divine. It was kinda weird/funny to hear the bands lead singer call our Mayor, 'The Mayor of Rock'. See video.
So today, Monday, February 22nd, Laurie Logan and I head out to the Surrey Celebration Site to check out what's hot and what's happening. Turns out that the site is closed on Monday AND Tuesday (FYI!!!!) so we end up going on a tour.
It's a pretty cool layout and I've gotta say that it's definitely a more family friendly zone. With tons of stuff for the kids to try out (curling, tobogganing, skating, PLUS a kids zone!) the little ones will definitely be busy, just bring something to keep them entertained in those long lineups.
The concert lineup for this Saturday is STELLAR!!! Kuba Oms, Jon & Roy, Hey Rosetta!, You Say Party! We say Die!, Tokyo Police Club and Wintersleep. A solid lineup. So if you want to bypass the ridiculous lineups here in Vancouver, the Surrey Celebration Site is definitely where you wanna be. I say you try taking the skytrain there. If you're like me and foolish enough to pick the person with the WORST sense of direction to be your co-pilot (aka: Laurie Logan), then you'll spend a good 45 minutes lost and end up at a place called the 'T Barz'. See video.
So on Saturday, February 20th, my good friend Dar managed to get her hands on 4 tickets to a medal ceremony at BC place. Obviously, we were all PUMPED!!! Canada was getting a medal that night, so we were ready to hoot, holler and scream to our hearts content... PLUS, the Stereophonics were performing that night. It honestly doesn't get better than that right?
We had amazing seats but it turned out that the entire medal ceremony was being held in Whistler, so we watched it all on giant TV screens. Seriously? People PAY for this? Pppffffftt. If it weren't for the Stereophonics concert, I would have been pretty choked.
The band ROCKED and Laurie Logan, Sandra Klaric and I managed to snag an interview with Kelly Jones (dear GAD he's smokin' hot!!!!), lead singer of the band. See video....
Being the sneaky bunch we are, we managed to grab a picture next to the infamous opening ceremony cauldron (you know...the one that didn't work properly... :P) and I had a moment of insanity and managed to almost get myself stuck in a giant plastic ball (I'll look for it in the closing ceremonies and say, 'See? See? I was stuck in THAT....', like it's something to be proud of). See video.
Finally, after passing on a few lineups, the girls and I decided to walk around Downtown and found ourselves dancing in the streets. Literally. We came across a stage by the Plaza of Nations (right outside the casino) where there were singers belting out some vintage tunes. The girls and I joined the other random 12 people dancing in the street and well...you know... danced in the street! See video.
