Funny how history repeats itself.  A year ago, I was somewhat blassay about the Olympics being in this fine city of ours. The Olympic Committee had not been especially warm or welcoming to locals, but a few of the Houses changed all that for me, especially La Maison de la Suiss and Saxony House.  Oh and how did I love the music at the Saskatchewan Pavilion and all the fantastic Arts at Atlantic Canada House! Well, I’ve been feeling a little the same way as the one year celebration got under way this weekend, that is until a heard a German accent yesterday and then I was taken right back, burning red face and all.

You see for me the Olympics weren’t really about the games or sport at all. They were about the people I met, both local and from around the world and in sharing in our traditions from music and celebration to food and beer.  Oh and there were some fine beers – thank you Saxony House, I get teary eyed just thinking about those tankards.  I’m happy to provide you with an address for a care package.

Saxon-Canadian Relations (aka Being a good Canadian Diplomat.)

So we all need goals, especially around games, and that I had, just like any of the athletes.  My goals were two fold.

1. Enjoy as much food, drink and music from all around the world, as possible.
2. Encourage International Relations by hosting a little competition of my own against my darling hummingbird604.  How you ask?  Well, our own Olympic Sport of seeing who got more Olympic dates.

Now, this really set a great purpose and tone to the Games as things got off to a roaring start in our Olympic Event.  The Opening Ceremonies alone I had three dates.  Needless to say, despite the odds, I was leaving Raul behind in a white wash.

Olympic Dates 2 & 3 (Yes, they happened at the same time, as did Date 1 - he's taking the pictures. I'm not a girl that wastes time.)

That was until this Saxon fellow got in the way, and turned me head over heels in a hunt for unrequited love.

Stealing a Kiss

Not wanting to lose though, I tossed my heart aside and still managed to get in a kiss or two:

Thats when Raul pulled off the mittens and started playing dirty, deeking me out and landing me a very real Olympic romance and case in International Relations in my lap.  Now, I’m not one to smooch and tell, but lets just say that that German accent yesterday was all I needed to take me right back to Vancouver 2010 and turn my face as red as a beet.

Faced with nostalgia, I think I’ll dig up a bit of our unused footage to share with you in the coming weeks.  Who knows it might even help to me cure of this past year’s weakness for foreign men.