Olympic Cauldron

 

Last night, we had the Opening Ceremony to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. In the end, they lit the cauldron that will be kept lit, until the last day of the games.

I can't say that I'm an Olympic's fan, because I'm not. I realized that yesterday, when I was discussing the Vancouver's ceremony and past ones with a friend of mine, and couldn't remember the Beijing opening., or any for that matter (maybe the reason for that is my lack of TV time, which decreased to almost zero in the past years. Maybe I have selective memory).

That said, when they are in your own backyard it's almost impossible not to be contaminated (in the good sense) by it. I have mixed feelings, but overall, I'm enjoying to experience it so close to me, and as a local. The opening ceremony was amazing and I was one of the lucky people to got to see it twice: In person and on TV (I was able to see the last dress rehearsal from a very good seat!). It's hard for me to choose one favourite moment: From the First Nations and Aboriginals welcoming the world, to the orcas in the ocean. I loved the colours of the fall with fiddlers and maple leaves. Or the dreamer on the fields of the prairies. I loved the poem that said "Canada is an experiment going right for a change," and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah sang by candle light.

However, everyone was curious to one part: The special person who would light the Olympic Cauldron. I especially liked this moment. Not because it was Wayne Gretzky, also known as the great one, but because the moment was shared among 4 athletes, instead of just one. To me, this moment represented my experience with Canada and Canadians: Gentle, humble, compassionate and accepting. It was pretentiousness, especially because it would be hard to choose only one person. Merit, almost always depends on the eyes of the beholder. But it was symbolic. In the end, unfortunately one of the pillars didn't come up and one of the athletes didn't get a pillar to light. I think she should have improvised and gone with someone else, but it's hard to say what goes in someone's mind ( and heart) when you have millions of people watching you. 

I like the Olympic Cauldron in Vancouver. It is a nice design. In a world of phallic designs, it is good to have something that is normal and down-to-earth. Literally. The design is about 10 meters high (which is not so high compared to these ones) , but instead of one , there are 4 pillars that lean sideways creating a bonfire, with the flame on top. I read it is supposed to look like a bonfire and that makes me like it even more. Wish we could have bonfires at the beach. During the summer of course. 

It was more fun to see the ceremony while following the comments on twitter, than to hear the comments on TV. I think most people liked the show. Some people didn't, but that's life and we can't please everyone. I  thought the music sounded better live. On TV it wasn't the same, or maybe the same emotion. However, the effects of the ice cracking and the ocean with whales were better on TV. It was fun and different to have the audience helping with the show. On each seat, they found a drum (designed by a First Nation and on exhibit at the Aboriginal Pavilion) with a white vest to help with special effects, a fake candle for the song Hallelujah, and a flashlight to help with the  lightning. I have a few maple leaves than fell from the "sky "as a souvenir.But the best one is the poem declared "We Are More," by Shane Koykzan.

Let the games begin!