Hi everybody!
As I’m writing this to you, I’m sitting at the Chicago O’Hare Airport in a not so comfy chair
. Yep, that’s right, I’m on my way home…
But first, let me tell you about the past few days!!
I think I left off at Friday. Yup, the day we went skiing on Grouse Mountain. We got up early and I was a sun-shiny day again
. I had to laugh before we left the appartment, ‘cause what people get dressed in ski-clothes when it’s +10 outside!! ;D Anyway, we got in the car and there we go! I’m already more comfortable with driving around in an automatic car that isn’t mine in a city I don’t know at all. Especially the really weird rules on the road. I mean, when you’re waiting for a red traffic light back in NL to take a left turn, you just wait for the light to get green, and there you go! But here…you have to drive half way the turn, then wait for the cars from the opposite direction, and when the road is clear, it’s your turn to drive further. And that sometimes means only one car can get through because the light is red again. Frustating! Oh but it even get’s weirder! Take a right turn on red is allowed when the road is clear. If you don’t, the driver behind you will use “nicely” their car-horn (if not even looking angry at you) to remind you of taking the turn RIGHT AWAY. Grrrr…
And then sometimes it’s forbdden to take a right turn on red and sometimes there is a seperate left turn light instead of using the straight on ligth… I mean, can’t you Canadian people make it any more difficult? Would be nice, keeps you sharp, not frustrating at all or getting heart attacks
. Anyway, getting through Downtown is the worst. Cars, people who walk, people who cycle, busses, in-line skaters, dogs without an owner anywhere nearby, it’s just one big mess to navigate through
. I’m SO glad that we are with the two of us, because sure you can use two pair of eyes out there! But we made it, drove through the Stanley Park, over the Lion Gate Bridge and then into the…middle of nowwhere. The more we drove to the north, less people, houses and cars were around. That’s something totally different all in the sudden. Nice tho
.
Grouse Mountain is not that far away from Downtown, just 15 more minutes or so. We parked the car down at the mountain an bought a ticket for the Skyride and a all-day skipass. The lift departs every 15 mintues so we didn’t have to wait that long. The Skyride is a huge ski-lift cabin and up to 100 people can fit in it. They sure tried to get the 100 people in it ‘cause it was pretty packed. It took just 8 minutes to get up at the mountain. I’m not afraid of hights, but when I looked down, for a second I was thinking: we’re so screwed if thing falls down right now…AAAAAAH!
Upstairs we went to the rentals to get us some shoes, ski’s and poles. We walked around a bit and found out that only 3 green and 1 blue ones were open. Well, I don’t mind! It’s been a really long time since I skiid for the last time so…let’s take the green one! And so we did. But oh my **** First part was ok, a bit slippery tho. The second part was really relaxed, but then the last part…AYAYAYAY!!!
Went too fast, couldn't make a right turn on time to get to the lift again and Titia ended up somewhere…upside down in the snow. Had to laugh reeeeaaaly hard tho ;D. This is going to be a great day. My dear Robert just stood there waiting for me as I struggeled with the stupid ski that wouldn’t come off my shoe. Finally I got up, then I forgot that I was still on a mountain so one of my ski’s went downstairs without me
, ran after it, oh no went back ‘cause I was missing a pole too and then finally…got on my ski’s/feet again, put my bottum on the chair of the lift and went up again. Please let us take a different one? It looked like I went to ski for the first time in my life!
But if the last part of that green course isn’t a blue part, then call me a lier but it really is! So we went searching for another green course. Robert agreed. He has some left-knee problems and can’t ski on a difficult course. So if the green one we just took, is the easiest one here…then we don’t want to know what the blue one is like. We did find ourselves another green course, and it was a very friendly one this time. Maybe I was skiing around with a weird look on my face ‘cause there were only kids on the course, but hey! I was doing fine up there so give me break
After that we decided to take the other green course again. Guess what happened…Titia ended up landing face down again at the end of the course.
Stupid mountain. With a few pounds of snow in my underware, we went to the restaurant for a late lunch. After that, we went back to the kids-course, me with all smiles..yay! I can do this one perfect! Look at me making all these fancy turns! OOPS sorry m’am…wasn’t paying attention…
For one more time we tried the other green course. Robert first down, no probs. Titia secnd down, this time I landed with my bottom in the boarding.
Have to say that it was all loose snow at the end so for the third time I wasn’t able to make the right turn. At least I passed on the baby-course!
When we were done skiing we returned our rentals and walked around on the mountain some more. Took some pictures (beautiful sunset over the mountain and few over Downtown and Vancouver!) and decided to go downstairs again. This time we were sitting at the front of the cabin. We had this beautiful view over the lighted Lion Gate Bridge, Stanley Park and Downtown and spotted the Olympic Flame burning at the Boulevard. Have to go there some time too! Downstairs we went to the car and drove home again. We were tired so we went nowhere that nigth. My brother was in is cocktail-mixing mood again and got a nice tequilla-sunrise again
. I asked him why his tequilla was white and mine is orange back at home and he said: this one is the one that doesn’t give a headacke! I took a second one and I have to tell you that I have to have a really good conversation with my brother. No headacke?? Wanna trade? Cause I got up with a headacke the next morning. Or maybe it’s not the tequilla itself but drinking too much when you’re not used to drink at all??
Anyway, the next day, Saturday, was again a lovely day. I can get used to this without a doubt! This morning we wanted to visit the Antropolic Museum (or whatever) that is about the origin of Canada. Wow what a huge museum! With a looooot of nice stuff to see. Totem poles, statues, kanoos, everything made from wood. Interesting stories about “once upon a time”. Maybe some of you think that visiting a museum is boring and maybe it is, but I sure liked it to see something of “old old Canada”. After that we went back home again to change clothes (Orange!!) and went to the HHH to watch the 1500 men. We were a bit late but still could find ourselves a nice seat on the floor in front of the big screens. And yay here we go Dutchies! And surpirsingly enough we won the gold!!! Mark Tuitert did it for us Dutchies
. He surprised everybody, his opponents but most of all himself. He kept skating around with the Dutch flag in his hands with a look on his face that said: please hit me with something or I will never believe what just happened! The HHH was going crazy, partymood all over!
We decided to go back home quick for some dinner (on the free rental bikes, Dutchies only!) and went back for the gold celebration with Mark himself on stage. And the crowd was going ballistic! Mark was so happy and the more happy he got, the more happy the crowd got, the more happy he got… After that we stayed just for a little while and decided to catch the train Downtown to go to the Olympic flame and to walk around the party Downtown by night.
And it was niiiiice! They replaced most of the fence around the Olympic flame with plastic glass. We took some really nice pictures, from the two of us too (loads of people walking around ofcourse who know how to handle a camera) and after that we walked around Downtown. It was already 11:30 or so but I still looked like it was a regular Saturday shopping-afternoon. BUSY!!! With soooo many crazy Canadian walking, dancing and singing around. Like they never partied before, like the would never be able to party again after the Olympics, everybody just took everything out of it. I LOVED it! But then I noticed something. Not for everybody it’s party-time. Maybe not everybody likes the Games. There was a homeless guy sitting on the street with his head in his hands looking down with a look on his face like: When will all of this be gone! I for a moment I really felt sorry for him. I mean, we “rich” people come over here for a couple of weeks spending loads of money like it’s nothing. And then I hear myself complain about some things at work, at home, at gymnasticspractise, family issues and stuff like that. But looking at this guys it seems that I am in no place to complain at all. Made me realize that I am a very fortunate person. Maybe the guy thinks he useless to the city, he’s grateful for getting some change money from people walking by. Too bad he didn’t realize that for one moment he was very important too me. He made me being thankful for everything I have and that I shoudl treassure it. And I did give the guy a few coins that were left in my pocket. Hope the guy is still doing fine making more people be aware of their luck…
Before the last train would depart, we made sure we catched one. Since there were too many people who wanted to catch a train, the ticket machines went down so we enjoyed a free ride home. Back at home we went straight to bed.
And so it was Sunday already. Today we stayed home. In just a few days we are going back home. I was doing some laundry and started packing already
. We watched the ladies 1500m at home. Nice, but oh so different then watching it at the HHH. And we Dutchies….won another gold!!! It was soo amazing because Ireen Wust won the gold medal after she did not do well on the 1000 and 3000. She deserved it SO much! And so we went to the HHH again that night, partyyyyyy!! ;D
And so it was Monday already… Today we stayed home again. Finishing packing, helping my brother ‘cause he’s moving Saturday to Seatle. We did go to the Stanley Park that afternoon for some gift shopping at the Vancouver Aquarium and the gift shop at the totem poles. We made ourselves some dinner and watched some tv that evening. Think we were a little depressed that day because the next day would be our last day in town…
On that next day we went to the HHH early for the 10.000 men. When we walked into the main hall we had to laugh pretty hard. Normally it is packed in there! And now….not a single person in the house!
What happened over here??? We got ourselves some coffee, picked a seat on the floor in front of the big screen, leaning with our backs at the boarding, trying to wake-up a little as the competition started. I already figured out why there wasn’t a single person around. The first flight of competitors is not an interesting one. And as the first flight ended and the second one had to wait for the ice-resurfacing (yep, with one Olympia and one Zamboni, maybe the Zamboni’s are less “green” but they are 10 times better, dhuh) more people came in to join us. And so it was packed again as always, orange all over (hair, faces, clothes, flags, shoes, everything!) Our first Dutchie Van de Kieft performed well but not good enough. Our second one tho, Bob de Jong, performed really well and got in second place. First place was still for Lee from Korea. And then it was Sven Kramer his turn, the undefeatable guy on the 10.000 men since Torino 2006! And he skated as expected… With every round he got more ahead of the time skated by Lee. Untill….that very moment that his coach got caugth up in doing to many things at one time during the most important race of Sven’s live, missjudged the fact that he thought Sven was taking the wrong turn (outer instead of inner) and send Sven into to the inner turn. Sven got confused and messed up since he thought he had to take the outer turn and decided, in a split second, to take the inner turn. And that’s where he los this gold medal. As I said, his coach missjudged the situation. Because he was so busy with doing all of the stuff he shouldn’t be doing (writing things on a board for Sven to motivate him) he thought his opponent Skobrev came out of the inner and was talking the outer turn next, so that Sven had to take the inner one. And that my dear coach, was wrong. The whole audience in the stadium got sort of quiet, so did we at the HHH. The athmosphere went from +100 to -10.000. Game over… About what happened after that… Sven angry, coach feeling guilty as hell…blah blah blah. We went home feeling Sven his saddness, pain and disappointment. He was on course of winning gold. He was many seconds faster than Lee. But because he made a mistake of changing lines….he got disquillified… As I said: game over… There are just not enought words to describe this. Back at home we finished packing and went out for dinner with my brother as a goodbye dinner. And we enjoyed it, loads of fun!!! After that Robert went to the HHH again because there would still be a celebration because Bob de Jong ended up getting the bronze medal! I went back home with my brother. Not late after that Robert came home too. We all went to bed early because tomorrow we have to get up at 04:00!!
And so today is the final day of our vacation, visiting my brother and being in the town of the Olympic Winter Games. We got up at 04:00 like I said and left the house at 04:45. Put the suitcases in the back of the car, fitting Robert somewhere in between (my brother and I took the front seets) and drove to the airport. We parked the car at the Hertz returns parking space, dropped the key in a secured box and went to the terminal. Over there we had so say our goodbyes right away. After checking in, we had to split up. Leaving my brother behind and us to go to the security check. We did it short
and nice but behind the doors, out of sight, I had to cry a little
. I won’t see my brother again untill Christmas and it still feels like the family back at home in NL isn’t complete. We dropped our suitcases, walked to the security check (Vancouver airport: these people are just sooooo nice! They do their jobs as well as the people in Chicago do, but they are so much more relaxed and nice! Complements on that!), hand carriage check, body scan, get dressed again, went to the visa check and walked into the taxfree zone. We hang out there untill it was time to board. Got come coffee, tea and breakfast to wake up. Our flight to Chicago was good. No delays, even 30 minutes faster then from Chicage to Vancouver. In Chicago we didn’t have to rechecked our bagage, didn’t have to go to trhough security again. We arrived at the same terminal as we would have to leave from again, that easy. Our flight is at 6.00pm, 1,5 hour to go from now…..