Photo Book (Finally!)

For all of you who have been sitting at the edge of your seats anxiously anticipated the competion of my Vancouver Photo Book, the wait is finally over! If you want, you can even order yourself a copy from shutterfly! Check it out:

http://www.shutterfly.com/photobook/viewPreview.sfly?fid=55dcfc7996779694bcfd7207a7b1fe91

Creating the book has been a very rewarding process and I'm so glad to have a tangible way to remember this incredible trip!

My father surprised me when I got back with a show out from Halerin Hill on the radio! He and my father have been good friends for years, so it's been really neat growing up and seeing him from time to time.

The picture is the last shot of our crew all together in front of the Medals Plaza. How I miss it already!

Finally Home

What a trip! After 30 hours of travel, I'm have arrived safely and soundly to my dorm room in Wilmore, KY - a mere 2800 miles away! I was blessed to have great travel conditions, and no mishaps. In fact, I saw Asbury students at nearly each step in the journey.

It began at 10:00am when I left my hotel to get some last minute supplies (cough drops, souvenirs, etc.). At 11:00am, I was outside with luggage ready to board a van that would take me to the media buses. From there (11:30pm), the media buses took us from Whistler to the airport in Vancouver (about a 2.5 hour trip). It was a quick walk from where they dropped us off to check-in, and my bag weighed in at a grand 70 lbs! Instead of going through customs at my first US stop, they brought US customs to the YVR airport, which was a good move in their part, I think. The airport staff must have organized our departures well because I hardly waited in line at all even though I passed through several security/customs checkpoints.

The plane from Vancouver to Portland boarded at 5:45pm. While I waited to board, I found Karissa, a fellow Asburian who shared about her Olympic experiences with me. In Portland, I accidentally ran into 3 other Asbury students who were on the same overnight flight to Atlanta sitting just 2 rows in front of me! How cool. I spent that layover working a little on the film and catching up on an episode of LOST I had missed while in Canada. It was also nice to know that I could use my phone again!

The overnight flight was alright - I think it was around 7 hours, and I was asleep for about half of it. By the time we landed, I couldn't tell if it was enough sleep to get me through the day or if I was just running on steam. I soon found out that it was the latter.

In Knoxville, I was greeted by my parents and my precious brother. :) We went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel - a welcome meal after peanuts from the plane, and then headed home to meet my aunt from Indiana and my grandmother. It was so good to see them even though I was nearly asleep when they came to visit. After a much needed nap, I threw in a load of laundry, packed my things, and headed up to KY. It was a nice drive, especially looking out at the snow-covered mountains before Jelico. Just beautiful!

Before I knew it, I was back at school in my dorm room visiting friends(the picture is obviously not my dorm room. They decided to play wall-y-ball, so we went up to the gym). It was like I had never left and it felt so nice to see them all again!

Looking forward to breakfast at 7:30 tomorrow... :)

As for final thoughts on the experience, check out my last couple postings. I know coming back to college and student life is going to be an adjustment for me, but I'm appreciating the life that I have here and the amazing experiences I have had because of this place. I would definitely not be the same person if I had gone to college anywhere else! Thank you Lord!

It's Airport Time Again

This is what I will look like for the next 12 hours! Note: I have 1 check-in bag and 1 carry-on with no personal item! I am amazed that I was able to fit my new uniform and purchases in the suitcase. However, the weight grew from 49 to 70 lbs! But I would rather foot the bill for being over 50 pounds than having to worry about 2 suitcases making it here since I've got 2 layovers (Portland and Atlanta). The tea is for a sore throat that developed overnight, but now that it's midday, it's not so bad. I have discovered the cure for a sore throat: lemon ginger tea with honey! SOOO GOOD. Also, I bought myself a mukmuk to use as a pillow on the plane.

Before I left, I took a final stroll through Whistler. It was eerily empty and very still. Instead of dreading the trip back, I distracted myself on the bus to Vancouver by working through shot lists and final preparations for the movie. Because there is still so much to do, I think I will try to drive back to school Tuesday evening rather than Wednesday morning.

I've been in the Vancouver for a couple hours and have gotten so many hilarious remarks on my hat! Some have no idea what it is, and others (typically older men) ask me if I know what it is! In fact, I was at a little deli grabbing a sandwich and the man behind me in line was talking to me about the band, his age, my age, and travel. Before he left, he strongly encouraged me to travel as much as I can while I'm young. He also told me that he has been to 153 nations (WHAT!) and that it has taught him more than anything else in life! I've taken his advice to heart and hope to travel again in the near future. Anyway, it has sparked some really amusing conversations and got me through security with smiles and strange looks.

To receive school credit, the last thing I have to do is write a short paper on my experiences at the Olympics. After my arrival post, that will probably be the last you all hear from me here. For those of you faithful readers, thank you so much for keeping updated! It means so much to know that you all are thinking and praying about me while I'm here - I know it has helped shape my experience! So thank you :)

Winding Down

Praise the Lord a small sore throat is all that's caught up to me as far as poor health for the trip! And I've just noticed it now. Hopefully a good night of sleep will do the trick.

The trip to Vancouver today was productive and relaxing. We (myself, Kristen, Seth, and Lee Clements) caught the 8am bus to take us down, and we headed straight for the aquarium (where we also got into free of charge with our media credentials)!

There, we saw all sorts of interesting creatures from sea otters to dolphins to beluga whales - all just in time for their little shows! We also walked through a tropical portion where they cranked up the heat and added humidity to make it a more realistic climate for the animals. Many were not caged - butterflies and birds were free to fly as we walked through the exhibit, which was really cool. We concluded our visit by watching a segment from Planet Earth in 4D in the theater. The seats rumbled, water sprayed on us, gusts of wind blew, little crawlies were running around our ankles, and we were even poked in the back by eels!

Afterward, we met one of our professors for lunch (sushi, our last hurrah) and shared stories and experiences. While there, we saw the epic finale to the Canada/US hockey game and showed no favor toward either team. When Canada won, people in the restaurant stood up, cheered, and hugged one another. It wasn't long before we saw cars and people clad in red and white filling the streets honking horns and cheering loudly. If NBC covered the celebrations at all, we were right there on Robson street where a huge crowd was beginning to gather.

We headed back to the bus so we could have some time to pack our things and get ready for the trip back home, but on the way, we had one more stop we needed to make. We weaved through the crowds, giving high-fives to total strangers as we entered a store offering Bubble Tea. They were open! I chose a blueberry/strawberry bubble tea and it was... interesting. I have to be honest and say that I did not eat every bubble. Maybe it was because I was full from lunch? I guess it's not for everyone. At least I was able to try it! :)

Today I learned how much of a national sport hockey is to Canada. I've never witnessed so many people joined in celebration for one thing. Most of the commercials here also show mother sending little 5-year-old daughter off in hockey gear to go play on the ice - something I would not imagine finding in the states. Everyone knew what they were celebrating, and everyone was together in it. I video taped as best I could while walking to the bus, and will try to edit it when I get back (time permitting).

I've begun sentences and thoughts with the words, "I can't believe...", but this time, it seems more true than ever. I honestly cannot believe that I am sitting here in my hotel room packing my bags, preparing to head back to Asbury, and will shoot the majority of my film at the end of this week. It's absurd! It's really not believable!

I guess it hit me when I left Kristen and Seth at the bobsled (our typical rendezvous location) to go to my hotel. As I walked alone, I realized that the rest of the trip, I would be traveling by myself. I also realized that my roommate had already checked out of the hotel, so I would be coming back to an empty hotel room as well. But it is nice to have some time to reflect in solitude on what this trip has meant to me.

Well, I must get on to packing! For those interested, you can find me in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RM6x-LjQnU start at 00:30 and you'll see me on the left side of the stage behind the drummer holding red cable. Too cool!

And Away We Go

The title may be premature, but as of now, I will not see any of my crew again for our 3:00 call time or nightly show. Before I turn all sentimental on you all, I'll give you a run-down of the day.

I guess my body instinctively knew that call time would be earlier today, because I was out of bed and full of energy before 8am! I had a nice, quiet morning to myself where I fleshed out some blocking that I've been working on and trying to think up new ideas for shots in unblocked scenes.

At 12:15, I reported to work at the Medals Plaza where I nearly high-fived Usher, but then chickened out last minute as he was walking past me to go offstage. I did, however, manage to get a head nod from him, so that was at least something. In each of the sound-checks, there has not been a band as loud as Usher. In fact, as Al was practicing handheld moves, the speaker vibrated his shots so there was nothing he could do to keep them steady as he stood by the speaker. I was thankful to not be running cameras tonight as my knee is especially acting up now. No need to be alarmed, my left knee has been disagreeing with me since my figure skating days.

The show tonight was different because with every song, dance, and bad joke from our MC, I realized that it was the last. It has definitely come too soon, and I'm left shocked and still. Has it really been 3 weeks already? The show was over and it still hadn't hit me (speaking of the show, Usher is a great showman, though the dances he and his company performed were not exactly family-friendly).

(this was actually about halfway through coiling cable. We worked as a team, one cable at a time so it wouldn't turn into a huge knotted mess!)

After the applause died down and the crowd began to disperse, we brought all of the camera gear back to the "truck" and wrapped cable. It was a great time to bond with the rest of the crew as a sort of teamwork finale for the trip. As we pulled hundreds of feet of cable, we sang the songs that we had heard every night during the preshow and performed the dances as best we could. Before we knew it, we were done!

I thoroughly enjoyed wrapping with the crew which is a bit funny for me to say because the task in itself is generally loathed by all. But after the momentum from the last show and everyone's excitement for being finished yet overwhelming shock that it was over all led to a great bonding experience.

Our director gathered us around when the work was done and individually thanked/hugged each of us. At that point, tears started welling up in my eyes as I began to say goodbye to each of the crew members. I generally don't have a hard time saying goodbye, but this was different somehow. Yes, it's the Olympics, but I think for me it was much more than that. It was learning that I could be an adult, that I have at least the foundation of what it takes to make it in the "real world" and that I don't have to fear growing up.

What a trip!

I say all these concluding statements because work is over, but I'm not home free yet. Tomorrow I will be making a final trip down to Vancouver (for fun) to finally track down some of that bubble tea that seems to be evading me at every turn. We have also planned a trip to the Aquarium to see the Beluga whales and a stroll around the park for some photography. To top it all off, we will have lunch with our dear friend/professor, Don Mink who has come up to Vancouver to collect set pieces for the department that the networks cannot afford to bring back to their home countries. Then I'll get back in time to pack my things and get ready for the trip home on Monday! I will likely have a story about trying to fly on the busiest day in Vancouver airport's history, so I'll keep you posted as I am able.

As Team Canada DJ's would say, "stay warm and have fun!"

So Sore, So Sweet!

This has been the most wonderful day!

Spent the morning relaxing, catching up on stuff for the film, and working on finishing off my food. I'm pretty sure I timed the food consumption perfectly!

Call time was 3pm as usual, and when we broke for dinner, I spent time talking to our producer, Kelly rather than going out for food or to catch up on the film. She actually lives in LA most of the time, working as a producer for many successful films (The Matrix Trilogy, We Are Marshall, Away We Go, Yogi Bear, and many others). She gave me advice on breaking in to the film world and encouraged me to spend my summers there working or interning on whatever I can. After our conversation, I am seriously reconsidering spending this summer there. Do I feel ready? Not completely, but I don't think that I'll ever feel completely prepared to go there. It's about what I learn and how I respond when I'm there that matters. Whether I go this summer or not, I am so thankful to have Kelly as a contact!

As I was suiting up for the night, Al (my camera operator) told me to get my shoulder ready. Why? Because I would be running cameras for the concert!!! Not just the pre-show, which I've been doing on a tripod for the past few days, but the actual big name concert following the Medals Ceremony! I've got pictures of me practicing handheld during the pre-show, but I don't think I'm allowed to post it. If you'd like to see pictures, I'd be more than happy to email them to you :) just comment on this post with your email address.

After the second song, I was ready to give up. The camera was heavy, and I had done it. I looked back at Al, who was doing my normal job, and he smiled back. Nope, couldn't quit. I played various mind games with myself to keep creativity first and pain second. I figured out different ways to hold the camera to give my shoulder a break, and by the end of it, I realized that I had survived, and that it wasn't so bad after all. It's sort of like running - after the first 10 minutes, I'm ready to be done, but after a while, I fall into a rhythm and everything is ok. The best part was hearing the director coach us over the headset. A few times, he would say, "ready 6 (my camera), take 6. nice." And I smiled inside.

Here we are with Nate! From L to R: Kristen, Seth, Nate, Me!
I respect handheld camera operators so much more now, that's for sure. I was completely giddy when we were finished, but I realized that I am not cut out for this as a career. If I end up directing, I will at least be able to sympathize with my handheld camera operators.

After I got off, Kristen and I finally took advantage of the hot tub sitting on her balcony. It was so relaxing! But after 15 minutes I was plenty warm and headed back to my hotel.

Tomorrow is an early call time (12:15pm) and a long night. We will be tearing down cameras after the show and pulling all the cables, so we will probably not get off until late. Thankfully, it's nearly confirmed that we have Sunday off, so I think we will make a last trip to Vancouver (when bubble tea bars are OPEN!) and have plenty of time to wander Stanley Park. I cannot believe that tomorrow is the last show - this trip has been INCREBILE! I almost get teary-eyed thinking about leaving. I thank God for this experience! He is so good!

Pin Trading: My Afternoon Success!

All of a sudden, I have much to share!

I went to work and shared my pin-trading defeat with some of the crew. While many of them just laughed, a few showed pity on me and actually gave me one of their pins! So now, I've got 2 new pins :) To top it off, on break I ventured to find a jacket for my brother and in one of the stores, I met a girl with 3 lanyards full of pins! Her mother is from KY, so I traded her the Lexington pin for a really awesome media pin that looks like a stylized fish. She taught me a few tricks of the trade (including where the guy I originally traded for the Swiss pin got it - FOR FREE at the Swiss house which is literally next to my hotel! I've been so ignorant this whole time!), so now I'm a much more confident trader! While I was out, a young boy approached me about trading for one of my pins (when you wear them, you become attractive and approachable instantly!), but as it turned out, he did not like any of my pins after all! Heh, thanks for the boost of confidence, kid.

All in all, I feel like my afternoon trading redeemed the rather ironic experience of the morning.

(pictured: Jo and Bart, part of the Belgian crew! Bart was one of the kind souls to give me a pin)

I reported back to work at 5 as usual and worked through the pre-show, 7 medals, and Roots in concert. I have to admit, they have been the first band to venture away from their album and spend most of their time improvising rather than on melody. It was wonderful! I'm not a huge fan of rap, but this band was more than rap, they were real musicians. They even had a tuba player who danced more than a lot of the other bands put together! To top it off, in the middle of one of their songs, they broke out into the melody for "Jungle Boogie" which brought back memories of HS marching band and playing in the stands.

So much of this trip has brought back memories from high school, it doesn't seem as distant any more. When I am at Asbury, busy with school, new people, and a whole new setting, it's so easy to forget about high school and the memories there, so I'm really thankful to have so many instances where I've been able to think back and enjoy those memories.

After the show, the entire crew met for dinner at a nearby restaurant. It was such a nice time! The director handed out certificates as well as little silver coin souvenirs in fancy boxes for everyone. He also gave a congratulatory speech to us since we are so close to the end (which is hard to believe!). The time with the crew outside work was invaluabe! Afterward, many went to hang out at one of the crew member's apartments, but I opted to get to bed relatively early (we didn't finish dinner until after midnight!).

Tomorrow is the 2nd to last show. Then we wrap. Then I fly home! This is absolutely nuts.

Pin Trading: My Morning Defeat

Every Olympic games, there is a particular activity that spreads through the town like a silent fever. No one can identify the reason for the popularity, but once they've contracted this sickness, there's no stopping it.

The activity: pin trading
The victim: anyone else but me

I decided to display the pins I have collected so far on my lanyard today. Since the beginning of the games, I had seen people fashioning their pins to hats, gloves, scarves, and especially lanyards. I thought, "Why not? I'm here at the Olympics, so I might as well experience every tradition I encounter." So there I was, wandering through the town back to my hotel room and as my eyes darted from building to street sign to passer-by, his eyes met mine.

This man immediately approached me, found a pin he wanted (which happened to be the one I wanted to get rid of), and offered to trade for something he had. I hesitated, not knowing how this whole ritual should have played out. He said, "Here, I'll give you this." and handed me a small pin from Switzerland. He proceeded to tell me that he had hundreds more pins in his bag back at his hotel just down the street, and invited me to go with him. As gracefully as I could (I'm sure it was more awkward and less grace, unfortunately) I declined. 1) I didn't enjoy this whole pin trading deal and 2) I had other things I was on a mission to do! I guess the pin is OK, but I'm sure he totally ripped me off. Oh well, live and learn.

I've learned I'm nearly a lost cause when it comes to pin trading (hopefully nearly not totally)!

I've never been good at making deals or trading object for object. I'd like to say I'm not cold-hearted enough! Maybe I just don't have the guts or the quick mind to make a fair deal. Whatever the case, I remember trading Pokemon cards in my youth typically ended in small quarrels between myself and my brother's friends. Because of this, I fear that whatever trade I enter will end in someone losing and someone else winning unfairly. I know this is an irrational fear as this is what makes business, so I've just got to learn the right way to trade. Next time, I need to be more educated on what pins I want, which ones are valuable in relation to the one I am offering so no one will come away bitter or jaded.

Will I try pin trading again? Who knows! If I do, hopefully it will be more successful than this morning.

Are You Gonna Be My Girl?

Spent the morning shopping with Kristen for souvenirs since they're all going on sale (now everything is only moderately overpriced! But... it's the Olympics! There's a price for everything, I suppose.) Anyway, we visited typical souvenir stores, as well as fancy clothing stores, and (pictured right) a HAT store! I don't think the shape of my head really favors hats which is good because if it did, I would have been very tempted to drop several hundred dollars on a really awesome hat (or 4) that I saw there. They had fur hats, top hats, newsboy caps, and a wide variety of tuques (which is apparently the more accurate name for what southerners like myself tend to call "toboggans").

I did spend the rest of my per diem food allowance - but it was on a light jacket with all sorts of patches from different Olympic games on it. I feel like it's the best type of souvenir because it doesn't look like a souvenir, but the patches on it set it apart from a typical jacket. I guess that' why they get away with charging $150 for it. Thankfully, it had come down to a mere $78 (Canadian). The thing is, you really can't get away with spending less than that on a nice jacket here anyway, so the guilt is slowly subsiding. At least now I know that I have cash left over that will lose it's value once I hit the states in a few days. :) I've got enough bread and peanut butter to last me, and I need to eat it anyway, so it works out.

As for the concert: Jet it was really fun. They did include "Are you gonna be my girl" on their set list, which I remember listening/singing/dancing to in 8th grade! It was fun, but absolutely freezing outside with wind and rain, so I wasn't too upset when the concert was over. The base player was not bad on the eyes either. :) AND I was able to snag a guitar pick! Yeah! Unfortunately, the guitar pick from the Fray's concert last night, I have misplaced. I'll search the room from top to bottom and hope I can find it. If not, it's not a huge tragedy.

Hope you all are doing well! I've only got 4 more days of work here before I head home - it's gone by so fast!

A Nice, Warm Fire

Obviously, I was not able to update my blog yesterday - to all my die hard fans, I apologize. For everyone else, here's the update. ;)

As for work at the Medals Plaza, we had a very formulaic show last night. Because of this, I was able to run camera for almost the entire pre-show! I would always smile to myself when the director cut to one of my shots. One of them in particular made everyone in the truck laugh! I had a tight shot of a little girl (maybe 2-3 years old) sitting on her dad's shoulders and I thought if she saw herself on the jumbotron, I could get a reaction out of her. When they cut to that shot, she and her dad went WILD! They were jumping and dancing - so cute! It was definitely a highlight of the night for me.

Another highlight (and I feel a little guilty for saying this) was when one of the crowd animators (the crew favorite) did a high kick in the opening number on the stage and slipped because it was raining. The director thought it was so funny that he put it up on the screens as an instant replay! Throughout the night, I kept laughing to myself about it - situations like that are so much more entertaining when they happen in real life situations as opposed to being rehearsed and staged.

The Fray was a pretty good band live, though I'm sure most in the audience would prefer their CD to live music if they were just limited to hearing it. None of the bands so far have been the kind to perform better live than in a recording. For example, last summer I saw John Mayer in concert who spent more time out of the regular course of the melody and into his improvisations that the live concert was definitely worth going to. Most of the bands here have stuck to the album versions of their songs, which it a little disappointing. But who am I to complain? I am able to watch popular bands perform every night from one of the best seats in the house!

There are just 4 shows left, then we wrap. I'm definitely looking forward to dinner with the crew on Thursday. If the director likes my work, I might be able to get a job from him in London! Who knows... But I think if I did work London, I would prefer a job like 2nd assistant director where I can work in an area I'm more comfortable with. Still, I have no idea what the summer after I graduate is going to look like, so I'm going to trust that God will put just the right people and situations in my life to lead me where I should go. I'm done trying to make it happen on my own! :)

Souvenir items are beginning to go on sale! How fortunate that I've not really begun to buy anything yet! This morning, Kristen and I are planning to go shopping around Whistler for some last minute gift items (and to use up the rest of our petty cash given to us for meals). I think I'm in the market for some sort of hat, or maybe a sweater if I can find one for under $400 (I really wish I were kidding). I'll get back to you with the fruits of my outing this morning.

Look Mom, I'm Productive!

Today I spent the morning working on blocking my musical! The internet in my hotel room stopped working, so it forced me to go to a nearby coffee shop, grab some delicious espresso con panna, and work through the details of the film.

Steadicam, jib shots, and the like. In my head, it looks great! We'll see how production goes...

As it turns out, I left my room key in the room somewhere and grabbed a key that will get me up the elevator only, so I'm hoping the cleaning ladies are there to let me in to get my uniform on for work in a few minutes!

Anyway, that's the update for the morning - have a great afternoon!

Whip it! Whip it Good!

This morning, I was up early and hard at work on a shot list for my film which is proving to be much more difficult than I expected. Because I woke up earlier than usual, I didn't have as much energy as I usually do for the evening show. But DEVO did a great job keeping me alert and energetic.

Call time was 12:30, so I didn't have time for any grand adventures. However, I did nail down a restaurant for our crew so we can have sort of a end of work celebration. I was glad to have that nailed down today to hopefully impress my director :) I dropped his name to the manager, and he said, "yes, it's done, whatever you need." I've learned I prefer work with people to work with heavy equipment, so I'm glad the physical labor at the Medals Plaza is not super intense. I had been feeling a little discouraged because I do not feel I'm providing the best assistance for my camera operator, so being in charge of dinner reservations gave me a boost of confidence.

During the sound check, it was actually too warm to wear my soft shell jacket! It had to be at least 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) which was totally weird. Tomorrow, the rain should be coming in so I enjoyed the clear, warm day while I could. When the sun goes down, though, the cold is absolutely chilling! I wonder how different KY will be from here...

DEVO taught me that age does not have to be a factor in energy level. The band members were well into their 50's-60's, but they still rocked! They were loud, upbeat, and exciting! The lead singer even danced around and spiked up his hair during one of the songs like a teenage rockstar would have done! I was definitely amused. Everyone in the audience was given a blue plastic pyramid-like hat, so looking out into the crowd was like a giant blue lego board.

Overall, I'd say it was one of the best shows yet. Tomorrow, the Fray.

So I Splurged

This morning, I headed to Kristen's apartment for some cinnamon rolls and Sunset Boulevard. We were not able to finish the movie because our crew call was moved up to 1:30, so we headed out without resolution! It confirmed the need to educate myself more on film this summer.

When we arrived at the venue, we realized that not many of the crew had gotten the memo, so after talking with the Assistant Director a bit about her history in the business (which was really interesting!), we headed off to a farmer's market. There, we ate some maple taffy - the oldest candy in Canada! The farmer's market itself was pretty disappointing, with only about 5 tables set up, but it was just a 10-minute walk and the taffy was totally worth it!

I'm back to experimenting with food again (I thought I left that side of me at Asbury). Today, I tried cup of noodles with coke instead of water. Don't worry, I didn't add the seasoning packet. It was not totally gross, actually. I'll never make it again, but at least my curiosity is satisfied.

Fax check was quick, and we broke for dinner.

Remember the infamous banana crepe? When we ate there, I saw that they offered crepes for lunch and dinner on their menu! Kristen and I noticed some particularly delicious-sounding crepes, and made plans to come back to try them!

Today was the day.

We each got one, and then split them - portabello mushroom with pesto cream sauce in one, and seafood and cream sauce in the other. I have to admit, it was some of the best food I have ever eaten! I am definitely going to try to cook something like this for myself the next time I'm in a stocked kitchen.

Tonight was a great night at the Medals Plaza. We covered 8 medals - 4 at BC place, and 4 here (one of which included Bodie Miller - a face I've seen on the podium before, so congratulations!) The majority of the audience was American, which is a change. There were also the Germans, of course, some Swiss, Croatians, and other nations. NBC took the footage of the medals tonight, so there is a slight chance that you all could see me. The concert after the medals ceremonies was One Republic - one of my favorite groups! I really enjoyed listening to songs that I could sing along to - most of the other bands I have not heard of yet.

Tomorrow is another early call time... 12:30pm :) It's going to be interesting trying to get back on East Coast time with early mornings. I shoot my film 1 week from Friday. Freaky.

Vancouver Morning!

Where there's a will, there's a way.

When I saw the schedule of medals ceremonies, I knew I would not be getting a day off. I was a little disappointed to think that I would be so close (relatively) to Vancouver yet not be able to spend any time there. When call times became later, though, I began to craft a plan. Leaving at night immediately after the concert would put us in Vancouver around 12:30pm - if we spent the night at our professor's apartment, we could wake up early and have time to see the city, catch the 12pm bus, and make it back to Whistler in time for call time at 3pm!

So that's exactly what we did!

We had no plans, just the desire to see the IBC (International Broadcast Center), the Olympic torch, and get some bubble tea. Being the plan-oriented, ask-for-directions as a confirmation, overly-prepared person that I am, this was definitely a growing experience for me. The two friends I went with were definitely the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type, so I decided to try out the whole up-for-anything mentality. I did not focus on what I needed to get done or where we were going - instead, I just put myself on the bus with them in conversation, I put myself in Vancouver as we were walking around, and I didn't worry about where we were going or what was going on. It was weird, but kind of nice.

We boarded the bus at 10pm last night, and arrived in Vancouver at the bus stop at midnight. I had a piece of paper with very basic directions scribbled, as well as my professor's cell phone number to let him know we had arrived safely. We would find the train station from the bus stop, and from the train, walk to the apartment. All went well, and we were welcomed to Vancouver by a swarm of Canadian hockey fans (they had just left the hockey venue where Canada had won I believe). Thankfully, we were only on the subway for 2 stops!

Our professor welcomed us kindly, and we headed to bed after we could manage to take our eyes away from the incredible 30th floor view.

The "plan" for the day was to tour the IBC with Dr. Owens, then get some bubble tea on the way to walk around Stanley Park (a gorgeous river walk around the city). As it turned out, none of the bubble tea places were open until noon, so we settled for frozen yogurt as we quickly headed back to the bus station. It was fun, but I would have really enjoyed a longer visit. Better a short visit than no visit at all, though! :)

Because we had to wake up so early, I spent a bit of the bus ride resting, and part of it finally getting some reading done for my Spanish Linguistics class that I'm missing. I'm a bit anxious about the details of my film, but I hope to get that worked out tomorrow.

If you would like to see more pictures, check out my facebook. Love!

Peak-to-Peak!

I would try to explain the sensation of traveling across two mountains over the largest ski lift drop in the world, but not even pictures can do the experience justice! Who knew? I was given a whole sheet full of intersting information to relay about the moutain and the ski lift, but I seem to have misplaced it. One I find it, I'll edit this post so you can learn more about the lift.

For now, here are pictures!


This is coming up the first lift that would take me to the peak-to-peak lift.
SO BEAUTIFUL! I love the trees all covered with snow. Apparently, Whistler has some of the best powder because it is so close to the coast, so it sticks even to the sides of mountains and trees!








This was the initial view as we came across Whistler Moutain. I wanted to join them on skis, but did not give myself enough time to rent them. Another day, when my ankle is healed I'll be sure to hit the slopes one last time!







I waited in line to take the type of lift with a glass bottom so I could
see how high we really were - it was incredible!









Well folks, here is the view from in between the two mountains! Breathtaking! The photo really doesn't do it justice.







Finally, I came down the moutain on a regular ski lift, only without skis! Thankfully, it dropped me off at the upper village, so I just walked down to the main street and found my way just fine! (check out my previous blog for details).

All in all, it was a GREAT experience and I would love to do it again - with skis! :)

Independence Success!

Today I decided to go up on the peak-to-peak lift solo and it was INCREDIBLE! I proved to myself that I could be an adult and I could figure things out on my own without really asking much advice from anyone. Anyway, my moment of triumph was actually finding my way back down the mountain from the upper village to the lower village. The key was finding my hotel from the lift, so I knew the general direction I needed to go. I followed the sun and my heart and made the absolute most direct route that I could have with no maps and without asking anyone! What a contrast from my absolute navigation failure from last week! Needless to say, my navigation confidence is restored, and I saved time and stress since I need to leave for work very soon.

I will post more about the incredible views and such during my dinner break probably. If not, the next time you'll hear from me will be tomorrow evening or late at night as I'll be traveling to Vancouver after this evening's performance. Pray I have the same good sense of direction as I did today. Love to all!

Where Did That Come From?

There really isn't too much to say about tonight, except that the concert was a total surprise! It was a band called Deadmou5 (pronounced dead mouse) that I quickly looked up on youtube before I left for work this afternoon. From what I could tell, it was some sort of techno, and when the stage rotated to reveal the concert, that's exactly what it was. One man, wearing a mouse's head with x's taped on the eyes (so it's dead, naturally) behind a big DJ stand. For an hour, he played techno dance music that I thought was alright, nothing out of this world, and the audience LOVED it! I was shocked! They were dancing and moshing and other activities associated with rave-type dances like I had never seen in any other show! And we've had some big names...

The most exciting news of the night: I ran the camera on stage tonight for the pre-show and concert! What I was filming was seen on the big screens! It was exciting, but also more tiring than I expected. I enjoy camera, but I think I prefer a camera on sticks to handheld. I'm just not built to wear a big camera on my shoulder for long periods of time. But if I can prove myself with a handheld camera, anything is possible! Right? :)

Anyway, it's late so I'd better head off to bed. The plan is to venture to Vancouver tomorrow!

A Visit to a Venue!

This morning, I had intended to go to the peak to peak ski lift, where I would have seen some incredible views of the mountains from a gondola. Instead, I opted to stay in for the morning and work on the film. As is typically the case these days, I ended up going with a third option that I had not planned on - touring the sliding venue! This is where bobsledding, luge, skeleton, etc. happen and it was by far the best option. I still got views, and I was able to see athletes practicing! Not only that, but we started out in the production trailer where all the technical work happens. The directors were running through camera shots and it was SO FAST. In fact, it was so fast that the director only actually directs the first few shots, then hands it over to the TD who basically clicks through 20-30 different cameras as the sliders pass by, and finally, the producer takes the ending as they are approaching the finish house. I got some great video footage of the work all happening, but I will not be able to post that until after work here is finished.

Afterward, I considered trying to get on the peak to peak lift, but decided I had better wait until I have time to really enjoy it because I'm headed to work soon!

I apologize for the picture, I'm not actually sure if I can post pictures of the venue, so to save my job, I will just go ahead and post this one. It's the view from the venue. ;)

Classy

Tonight I felt much more involved in the whole process of the production. Reason: they dropped me a PL! I think that stands for production line, but I could be wrong. Anyway, that meant that I would now wear a headset and listen to the director during the show - too cool! Because the pre-show is always the same, it's made that portion of the night much more interesting. What I think is the coolest part is what he is saying I have already learned from my classes! All of his cues are the same cues that we used to direct our projects. I also realized how much pressure our director is under - when he directs the medals ceremonies, it is basically down to a formula. He is really uptight, because if he doesn't get the medals right, his job could be on the line. The stress sort of flows down through the crew, and before I was on headset, I could never really tell. However, once the band began to play, I could tell that all the stress was subsiding, and he was just having a good time and had the freedom to be creative.

One of the medalists tonight really inspired me. The bronze medalist won her medal after breaking several ribs on a practice run. She worked through the pain and was still able to win a medal! I heard the director say that she came to the Medals Plaza in an ambulance and she had 2 men there to assist her walking across the stage. I could see that she was in incredible pain, but she still walked around the stage, stepped up to her podium, and then joined the other two on the gold medal podium at the end. Definitely an Olympic moment.

I was also impressed by the music, Our Lady Peace (from Canada). They were classy, did not complain about the cold, and thanked the camera crew! They put on a good show and the audience was thrilled! I saw several crowd surfing, which was really exciting to watch.

I would love to hear from you all if you are still following along! Hope you are doing well!

Amish in Squamish

The title is a little deceiving, as I did not see any Amish in Squamish, but I thought it would add a little interest to my travels for today, plus it rhymes! Squamish is a little village about an hour from Whistler, and they've got a Wal-Mart (which is the reason I journeyed down)!

It was more amusing than anything else to travel an hour by bus through some of the most incredible scenery of my life to arrive in at Wal-Mart in a little town surrounded by majestic mountains! Aside from Home Depot and a coffee shop, there really wasn't much around.

I had a couple different instances of self-discovery so far today.

One, I realized how my introversion/extroversion plays with my energy level. When I am tired, I prefer to be alone, and when I'm full of energy, I prefer to be around people because for me, people tend to drain my energy - especially people I've just met.

I've also potentially come to a mini career crisis. No need to fear, I'm not going to change my major to Accounting or anything drastic, but I am trying to sort out in my head if this is the type of media that I would like to pursue as a career. It is a lot of traveling around, staying in foreign places, and gaining all sorts of really amazing experiences, but part of me is also a bit of a homebody. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling and being independent, but there is a point when it's time to be home. Fortunately, I have not reached that point here yet - I'm only 1 week in! But I have a feeling that when my time here comes to an end, I will be ready to be back home. As far as film goes, I definitely prefer it to broadcast work (at least from the camera point of view), but because I haven't had an experience comparable to this one in the film world, I can't really compare it. What I do know is that I love to teach and would eventually love to teach film at a University. What happens before I get there, though, only the Lord knows. For now, I'm trying my best to live for Him and enjoy each place that He directs me.

On a more comedic note, I've realized how funny men are!

Usually, I walk around Whistler in my full uniform which is basically a ski suit - not the most flattering choice of attire in the world, but it keeps me warm, so I like it. Well, today was much warmer than usual (and sunny!), so I decided to wear jeans and the lighter uniform jacket which is more fitted than the big ski coat, and some more stylish boots than the heavy-duty snow boots. My hair was having one of it's better days, so I wore it down and put on just a little bit of makeup. I say all this because I was absolutely shocked to observe how many more people noticed me! All sorts of strange men were smiling at me, asking about how I was doing, much more than usual - one in particular even gave me a high-five! I just laughed at the whole situation and headed back to my room to put my marshmallow suit back on for tonight.

Days Getting Shorter

My job has sort of dwindled a bit with the changes in our venue's purpose. As it turns out, our footage will be limited to IMAG (the jumbotrons) and not sold to networks (except for our coverage of the medals ceremonies) which means that we don't really have to go all out to get really awesome shots because our audience is so small. Therefore, the cameras aren't moving around much at all, so I don't really feed cable much. This also means that the hours we are working are cut down as well, which I suppose is fine since we are getting paid for the day, rather than by the hour, and we don't really need to practice since all the medal ceremonies/preshow are the same. I'm keeping a positive attitude, trying to focus on what more I can learn instead of complaining about not doing enough. Hopefully I'll actually be able to operate the camera during the pre-show some nights since we are not sending the footage anywhere! :)

The medals ceremony today was nice, nothing particularly exciting or different from other nights, but I'm trying to appreciate each night as unique so I don't get desensitized to it by the end. Lots of German medals awarded, in contrast to last night where the crowd was predominantly Swiss.

Tonight's show was Feist. It was pretty good - there was a lot of hype built up in my mind from other people, but it was still good music. She is a pretty good performer, but a definite diva. ;)

In other news, my director decided to play a prank on me yesterday.

I was at the camera, waiting for Al (camera operator I assist) and one of the camera operators motioned that I should put the headset on. Just as I was putting it on, I hear my director ask if Al is on headset. As I was his camera assistant, I knew that I needed to answer him to tell him that Al was not there yet. The only problem was, I did not know where the intercom button to speak to the director was. The director became angry, saying that if Al was not on headset that moment, he would not have a job anymore and that this was unacceptable! I was absolutely horrified because I knew I needed to tell him that I was there, but couldn't find the button, and was afraid to press other buttons because I could accidentally shut it all down and ruin it! All I could think to do was stick my face in the camera and motion that I was there. At that point, the director started laughing and I realized that the camera across the audience from me (thankfully there was no audience at this point) had been zoomed in on me during this whole freak out. What's more, everyone on the production crew saw it on their monitors. Finally, the director told me where the intercom button was, and I was able to speak to them. When I returned to our little media break tent, everyone was giving me a hard time about it, which I thought was pretty cool actually. I'm always glad to be the brunt of a little practical joke. Even today people were asking me if I had found the intercom button, which again brought some laughs, but it was a good thing to happen. It's like I've been accepted by the crew in some form or fashion.

There was another time the second day that we were running through technical details for the pre-show where dancers come out, but the dancers were not there for that rehearsal, so Al told me to go dance in front of the stage. At first, I thought he was kidding, but I did it anyway and of course the whole production crew got a good laugh out of that one too. What they didn't know was that I was semi-accustomed to that sort of thing from my figure skating/musical theater days. It definitely brought back some memories, and I actually miss dancing like crazy! Not like clubbing dancing, but ballroom. One of my life goals is to become a pro at ballroom dancing.

Success! Jo, my Belgian friend, let me borrow a USB cord that works with the video camera! Since I don't have editing software on the laptop (except moviemaker), I'm not really able to edit any of the footage, but I will when I get back. For now, here's me on Blackcomb mountain "reporting". It cuts off at the end - again, very rough, but you can at least see where I was.

Shocking!

12:04pm.

That's the time I woke up this morning. When I looked at my phone, I was totally in denial - I'm not the type to sleep in until noon. Even on a Saturday morning, I won't sleep past 9am, but here I am, awake and confused. I think I'll blame the rain for being so zen-like. Also the fact that I had just gotten 6 hours of sleep the night before a day full of semi-strenuous activity might have had something to do with it. But no matter, call time is not until 3pm, so I'm safe!

If I had woken up when I should have, I would be a little coffee shop now, sipping a latte and working on the storyboard for the film I'm directing 2 days after I get back. It's a short original musical (approx. 8 minutes long) titled Facebook: The Search for Love written by my best friend and creative genius, Molly. The film is cast and locations are secured, it's just a matter of working out blocking, technical details, and shot list at this point. Exciting times!

Looking at the title of this blog makes me laugh to myself - here in Whistler Village we've gotten everything but ice and snow! Mostly rain and fog, but even so, it is absolutely beautiful here!

If I Spoke French

Then I probably would have enjoyed tonight's band (Pierre Lapointe) much more. As it is, I think they did a pretty good job - I feel bad that they lost much of the audience that was there to view the medals, but it was bitterly cold out, so I couldn't blame them.

Other than that, it was a relatively slow night. Tomorrow I may get some hands-on experience during the pre-show. Email me if you'd like specifics. ;)

If you want to keep an eye out for me in the TV, chances are you will not find me. However, if for some reason you see footage of the Medals ceremonies in Whistler (for events like cross country skiing, bobsled/luge, downhill skiing, nordic events) then I will be on stage right (the left side of the screen) dressed in all black. Most of the time, I am hiding behind the wall, but you never know!

Anyway, I'm signing off here. Good night!

Skiing!

Well folks, this is the only evidence I have for you right now from skiing this morning. Details to follow.

What a blast! I met Kristen to get ski gear, which didn't cost us a dime! We were fitted and on our way up the mountain after about an hour (to get details sorted out). She was much more brave than I was, so she tried snowboarding. I stuck to skis.

We set off at the very top of the Blackcomb mountain and began our descent. It was slow going, and poor Kristen couldn't get but a few feet before falling, so we were hunting for a smaller slope so someone could instruct her a bit. After receiving more misinformation than I care to relate, a man on snowmobile found Kristen and took her down to the nearest downloading lift. That meant that I was on my own for a while. It was nice being by myself surrounded by a MAGNIFICENT view of God's creation. I was so overcome, I started singing hymns quietly to myself :)

If I had a USB cord, I could post some video that I took. Ironically, the video camera fits in my pocket while my digital SLR would have been in far too much danger to take it down my first time skiing in years. Maybe if I have the opportunity to go again, I can take some pictures. One place I would really like to visit if I get the chance to go again is a gondola that takes people from the top of one peak to the top of another!

To give more explanation to the picture, I was headed down the mountain, following signs to Whistler Village, and found a place that I thought to be the bottom. I took off my skis, and carried them in the most awkward and clumsy way possible. The man at the security gate told me that I had arrived at the sliding venue. When I put my gloves back on, I looked down at my left hand and saw blood running down my thumb. My first thoughts: "Cool, blood! Where did it come from? Why doesn't it hurt? So cool! I have a battle wound!"

I'm still pretty excited about it. Is that weird?

Anyway, I think I'm headed to the hot tubs to relax a little then shower before call time. I have to keep pinching myself - this can't be happening!!!

Flaming Bananas!

Happy Valentine's Day to all! I'm single, but happy. We celebrated with a pancake breakfast this morning as we watched Breakfast at Tiffany's (one of our friend's V-day tradition). We reported for work shortly after that, and the rest was pretty typical to every night. Sound check, break, another check, break, doors open - start live feed for IMAG (DJ, MC, dancers), medals, concert.

Tonight's medals ceremony seemed much more intense than last night - there were more medals awarded (including swapping to a live feed from BC Place in Vancouver, which was new for us), as well as a better show (in my humble opinion) by Estelle.

I blew my food budget for the day on a not-so-aa flaming banana crepe that was very tasty. To make up for that expense, however, I ate dinner at the hotel (salad with tuna at 10pm - very Spanish) while watching pairs figure skating. Not for a minute did I consider myself pitiful for spending Valentine's Day evening alone, but after a while, a friend did come to visit, so that was fun.

Anyway, I'd better rest up for skiing tomorrow! The media has access to 5 days of ski passes/rentals - free! It should be a clear day tomorrow so I am beyond thrilled! Is this work or vacation?

EDIT: When I mentioned the flaming banana crepe, I left out the most important part of the story! While the flames were dying down, I wanted to smell it to get an idea of how it might taste. What I did not realize was that sticking my face in a flame woud singe my eyebrows. When I got back to the hotel later that evening, I realized that was the reason my eyebrows looked a bit flaky. Sigh.

The First Show!

I feel like a blogging fanatic!

Today was like a vacation - I spent the morning drinking coffee, bopping around Whistler, and looking at really interesting shops such as a totally natural/organic spa store (photo on left) where the workers there demoed several of the products for us. Super cool. Everything smelled lovely, and we promised to go back to make purchases.

For lunch, we (Kristen and I) visited our favorite little restaurant, Ingrid's for "Supreme Veggie Wraps". AMAZING! And it's one of the most economical places around - only $8 for lunch rather than $20, which is nice.

After lunch, we began our hunt for free ski passes as well as information on free yoga lessons we have been hearing about. Both rumors are true! Hopefully, we will be able to go skiing one morning super early (probably near the end of the games in case we injure ourselves), before we have to report for work at the Medals Plaza (around 12:45pm). Another possible excursion would be Vancouver, but since we're scheduled to work every day, that's not looking like too good a possibility.

When we reported for duty, the All American Rejects were already on stage for their sound check, so we quickly signed in and made our way to the stage. Hearing their songs brought back so many memories - I used to listen to them during my figure skating days, and so now it seems I've come full-circle at the Winter Olympics where figure skating is a huge deal listening to this band from the past. While it seemed anti-climactic to be right there on stage with the band, it did give me a new perspective on humanity. As I was telling my friend Rachael last night, people are people. That is one thing that I think will stick with me after the games. Sure, there are a few uniquely gifted people who are able to compete and win Olympics medals or who are able to play music that many people like, but deep down, they all struggle with the same stuff that "normal" people do. They all need food, water, and sleep. They have their little weaknesses, no matter how much they try to cover them up, and they all want to be loved. If I stay on the track to the film industry, it is very likely that I will encounter famous people along the way. Instead of being totally intimidated by them, I just need to realize that they are really just people when it comes down to it, and try to relate to them on that level.

Tonight was the first night of the medals ceremonies, so the president of the Olympic Committee came to give a short speech while someone lit the cauldron in Whistler. I really enjoyed the whole process, and even though every night will follow the same formula, every event will be unique in some way. I can't begin to express how blessed I am to be here!

I hope you all are doing well - I'm sending extra Valentine's Day love to all of you! :)

OH! I nearly forgot - one of the benefits of being on stage for the bands is that I will probably return with a whole collection of guitar picks! I was also fortunate enough to pick up a drum stick from the All American Rejects tonight. I gave it to Seth, another student from Asbury who is working in the rain, while Kristen and I are fortunate enough to be under the covering of the stage.

Tomorrow, pancake breakfast with real Canadian maple syrup, eh!

Hotel

I finally have the long-awaited hotel pictures for you all! My working hours will probably be something like 1:00pm-10:00pm, so I will have the mornings, to wander Whistler, and possibly go skiing! I've been hearing rumors that the media center has free ski passes, so I'll be checking up on that in the next few days. I want to wait to ski until the end of the trip, though, in case I am injured.

This is the view from the window in our living area. Take a right, and you're on the main walkway that will take you down to the Medals Plaza, or up to the ski lifts/gondola!

This is our kitchen, complete with pots, pans, etc. We're hoping to take one lunch and cook something really fancy.

This is our bedroom, complete with a second TV. To the left is the shower room, followed by the sink/water closet.

The bathroom and living areas. The fireplace does not have real logs, but it still gives off heat!

Let the Games Begin!

We had a short day of work today, so that everyone could get to a TV to watch opening ceremonies! Therefore, I spent the morning exploring Whistler with Devon and Kristen, some friends from Asbury. It really is a neat little town, and it's so surreal to be here. I mean, it's the OLYMPICS!


We visited the Olympics store, and a couple other places in hunt of good deals (which is rare for a town like this, under the circumstances), but managed to find a few things that we were looking for.

For lunch, we decided to eat in, which makes sense because I've got a whole kitchen in my room! I keep intending to take pictures of the room, but I am so busy blogging about taking pictures that I never actually get around to it. Tomorrow it will be done.

The weather here has been extremely odd. In the past, Whistler has been notorious for snow fall, but now it seems that all we get is rain. Every day, cold and dreary rain. Hopefully on the mountain where it matters they are getting snow. And I shouldn't complain since my position as a camera assistant is stage right - covered from the elements with a little added heat for the artists! Yeah, I have no room to complain.

Work today was very short, just making sure everything works the way we need it to and everything is set up for the big day - tomorrow! The headliner for the night is All American Rejects. I'm excited for live music, but not necessarily thrilled at the bands that will be playing. But I love live music! I've already discovered a new Canadian band that I think I might like: Tragically Hip. They're really popular here, but not anywhere else.

When I returned to the hotel, I joined over half of the group from Asbury in one of the hotel rooms to watch the opening ceremonies! I was surprised to see the blunders that I did, and can only imagine what the director and crew members were going through in the control room. Ouch. But it was really great to reconnect with everyone and hear about how their work is going!

Today at the sliding venue, some of my classmates actually witnessed the accident. Please keep them in your prayers. I can only imagine how that could affect the rest of the games. Wow.

Anyway, hope you all are doing well. Like I said in my facebook status, feel free to text me anytime (incoming texts are free!) - just don't expect a response back because it will cost me 10 cents... If you'd like my number, just email me.

Love to all!

Day 2!

Yesterday was a very long day - over 12 hours of work! I met the camera operator that I will be assisting, named Al, and I think that it will be a good working relationship. He told me that just before he arrived here, he was visiting his newborn grandchild - and is expecting another grandchild by the time he gets back! He's from Salt Lake City, where our director and several others in the crew are from.

Jo (pronounced "yo"), the man from Belgium who has been working with us since yetserday, is absolutely hilarious! He knows 7 languages and has had some really interesting experiences. He claims to be a world traveler - a description that fits him more than anyone else I have ever met! We had a conversation last night about languages and culture, which related exactly to what we had been discussing in linguistics! We talked about learning French compared to learning Japanese. He told us that before you can even begin speaking Japanese, you should study the language and culture first. Ex: water is holy, so if you have a bottle filled with water, you call it water, not a bottle.

Today, I have a very short day (maybe a couple hours to make sure everything is working properly) and then I will watch the opening ceremonies (not from BC place down in Vancouver, but in a hotel room with as many Asburians as we can fit)! Now, I'm getting ready to go explore Whistler for the first time since getting here. It's a good day :)

Until next time, eh!

First Day of Work!

What an exciting (and long) first day of work! A couple men from Belgium worked with us and showed us how to set things up. They were hilarious! One minute, they were explaining things to us in English, and the next, they would break out in Dutch to each other. They joked that their favorite language to speak to each other was cantonese - which wouldn't surprise me as they each knew 6+ languages. That's what I really admire in other countries - the emphasis on learning more than one language. The work here is not at all boring to me, in fact, I feel like a small child climbing all over a jungle gym!

Tomorrow will be a long day - 11.5 hours, but I'm looking forward to it! The Medals Plaza is really amazing, even with the disillusionment from working behind-the-scenes. It's crazy how many people it takes to pull something like this off - and how much time and effort go into the little details.

I also had my first mountee experience today - I watched them as they saluted and marched around in their boots and really interesting pants. The kind I saw were in navy, not red, but that didn't take away from their mounty aura. Some time in the very near future I will have my picture taken with one.

Still unsuccessful on my bubble tea hunt, but I'm not giving up hope. I've got 17 more days!

Food has been really good - I had lunch today at an Indian restaurant and dinner at a place called "Soup Boutique". Each small meal costs about $12 (in Canadian dollars), so I'm try my best to enjoy the food, but not go crazy with my spending, because it adds up.

I don't know why I thought Whistler wouldn't be cold, but now I've learned to bundle up even if 30 degrees doesn't seem that intimidating. Good thing I learned my lesson now and not on an extremely cold day.

It seems that my time is up again. Until next time. :)

An Early Morning

My call time is not until 9:00 this morning, but since I'm still on Knoxville time, I didn't fight waking up early to get a bright start on my first day working in Whistler. To clarify, I'm not actually in Vancouver, I'm in a little town 3 hours north called Whistler. That's where all of the skiing/biathalon stuff is happening, not to mention the Whistler Medals Plaza where I'll be working as a camera assistant.

Last night I didn't really get to touch on my experiences once I arrived in Whistler, so here it is.

While I was on the bus to Whistler, I needed to contact my logistics manager to let him know that I would be arriving and to find out when I would need to show up for work the following morning (this morning). I needed to find out where to get my credentials so I could tell the bus driver where to drop me off. When he told me that he didn't have my information in any of his things, I decided the best course of action was to go straight to the hotel, where I knew I had a roommate and a room with in my name.

The bus dropped me off outside of my hotel, but because of the set-up of the suites, I soon realized that I needed to walk all the way around a little maze of sidewalks to get to the front door - that what I thought was the front of the hotel was actually the back! Thus begins my navigation blunders of the night. But more on that later.

The first Asburian I saw was Rachael Woodward - a fellow "new hire" like myself. She had been there a few days already, and was able to tell me everything I needed to do. It was totally weird to walk into the empty hotel suite and see someone else's things scattered around - I felt like I was breaking in somewhere I did not belong! My next goals were to find the accredidation center (I had heard several different names/locations for it along the way), and find somewhere with internet so I could stay up-do-date on details for the trip. I left a note in the card slot outside the door to let my roommate, Julie, know where I was and how to contact me. Then, I headed off to explore the town of Whistler!

Whistler is a resort town, so there are resort hotels, shops, and restaurants at every turn. I like to think that I'm an excellent navigator, so I attribute my utter failure to the sun already setting, and the fact that basically every building looked like the next. I would be so sure that the path I was headed would take me where I wanted to go, but because there wasn't too much light, the path I thought I was on was not the path that would take me where I needed to go - true to life, is it not?

After more walking than I care to relate (and countless wrong turns), I got my credentials, picked up my uniform at my boss' s apartment, found friends, went to dinner, and bought groceries for breakfast and lunch. I have a feeling I'll be in great shape when this is all said and done!

A note: pin trading is highly popular at any Olympic Games. So far, I've collected pins from my friend at USA Today and Visa pins from the pizza cafe where I had dinner. I hope to trade these pins for all sorts of exciting ones while I'm here!

I'm signing off here, it's time to get ready for my first day of work!