Tuesday, February 23, 2010

No longer on the mountain

Day 12 of the games

I was just too exhausted to post anything last night.  Due to my walking cast, I am no longer posted to the mountain in Whistler.  I am now an RV - Roving Volunteer.

I spent the day roving around the international marketplace and the seawall.  I answered questions for folks who were lost and in 3 cases, posed for pictures in full uniform.  I thought that was kind of odd.  There are 25,000 volunteers wandering around wearing the same uniform.  It's not like we are unique.  I am well aware that the camera is not my friend so as not to scare these lovely tourists when they go to take a look at the shot, I made like your slightly retarded cousin and made goofy faces.  This way it would look goofy on purpose not because I look like a freak of nature when the camera flashes.

Yesterday was another scorcher - 13 in the sun.  And as such, the streets were filled again.  Mind you, not quite as busy as on the weekend but not by much.  As an example, the line-up for Canada house was only 90 minutes as opposed to the 2 1/2 of the weekend.

The marketplace is kind of fun.  It is in the middle of the old Plaza of Nations of Expo fame and as such has a stage smack in the middle of it.  During my time there, they had 3 different musical acts playing.  I kind of felt bad for a couple of them.  They play in front of a giant screen that is showing all the games and at times, the audience would break into cheering and drown the poor band and singer right out. 

At one point, a rather inebriated fellow started to dance and tried to pull me into the mix.   I pointed down at my foot in the hopes that when he noticed the walking cast, he would back off.  I was wrong.  Instead, he started to bop around like he had one as well before reaching down to try to lift mine right off my foot.  I tried to laugh it off whilst pushing him back into his friends where it seems some beer was spilled.  As any good Canadian knows, you can do just about anything as long as you don't spill the beer.  I thought the friends would get mad at me but instead they called him an idiot and made him go off in search of more beers - one for me as well to make up for them having stupid friends.

Another fun event at the market - I got to have calamari on a stick for the first time.  Who would have thought you could have calamari on a stick?  I am here to try new things and this was most certainly one of them.  Makes for easy eats. .  It wasn't that is was so tasty, but I could walk, talk and eat all at the same time. 

I am back in the office today and tomorrow and then my last two shifts of the Olympics will be Thursday and Friday.  I will let you know where I will be.  I am getting tired.  I think only the young have the stamina to work 2 jobs. 

Today's picture is the Athletes Village from across the bay,.

Stay tuned.

1 comment:

  1. Until now I've been a lurker - thoroughly enjoying your blog. I feel as though I'm seeing the Olympics through your eyes. Quite entertaining -unlike the NBC broadcast! Keep up the posts.
    Lola=Carol Hansen

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