Welcome! The 2010 Winter Olympics are here! Go Canada Go!
Follow along on my excusions into the excitement!
1. Hooray - the Olympic Torch comes to Surrey today! I made my final study of the map with the torch route. Should I watch in Cloverdale or in Sullivan Heights? The torch would be in Cloverdale for 8 minutes traveling along Hwy 10. Sounds good on the surface, but further reading of the local newspaper reveals that 30 schools have been invited to line the route in Cloverdale! Ah! OK, that sounds a little crowded! Later, the torch travels through some quieter neighbourhoods on its way past City Hall and then north to Guildford Mall. OK, my mind is made up!
2. I arrive an hour early to find a parking spot on 60th Ave. Ah, just in time, as the quiet street is already lined with families all dressed in variations of RED & WHITE! Parents are lining their kids up to take their photos - they're so cute! Grandmas are giving last minute instructions on what to say and do when the flame comes past! Wave like crazy and cheer: "Go Canada!"
3. The sea of red spills onto the roadway. Flags waving. Eyes searching. Where is that torch of fire . . .
5. Finally, something REAL is happening! Police in cars and on motorcycles drive by. Other quasi-official looking cars and SUVs drive by. We even clap when the regular transit bus pierces the crowd oh-so carefully. Not sure why we clapped for the bus, but the excitement is building!
6. Kids have made paper torches, headbands, and flags; all ready to show their Canadian spirit! Families' clothing reveals their allegiance! Even Dads are scanning the horizon!
7. OHHHH! A big Coca-Cola truck pulls up! Everyone strains forward to see what's going on. Will they give out pop? Pins? Shirts? I'd like a pin, if that's OK.
8. Ah, Coke people dropped out of the truck with loaded bags - what are they handing out??? It's flags!! Yay! I'll get to wave one. (I hadn't brought a flag because I needed both hands to use the 2 cameras strapped over my shoulders. One with a long lens, the other with the wide angle lens.) But wait, I hear the Coke man say, "The flags are only for the kids." Miffed!
9. Oh, they're running along exciting the crowd! Yahoo! Go Canada! Yay!
10. Music reaches our ears as we see a big blue truck rise over the hill. It's the RBC truck with a band, hyping everyone up! Oh, where is the flame???? How long now???
13. Hooray! There it is! Go Marty! (that's the torch bearers' name.) Cheers! Clapping! Go Canada Go!
14. Marty looks like he's enjoying himself! It's getting closer to me! Can you hear the repeating clicks of cameras?
15. Ah! It's going right by me! Go Marty!
Go Canada Go!
Go Canada Go!
16. Bye-bye flame - see you in Vancouver!
Photography copyright: Barbara Sugawara/SugaImages