Marius conquers the mountain

I’m not a morning person. The sweet smell of napalm in the morning makes me want to go curl up in a bed. Emme kidnapped me at 2:30 AM to go up to Grouse mountain and investigate what fun stuff there was to do. I had never been up there before, and the sights were simply astonishingly beautiful, but it comes at a price: your calves.

We got up there right in time to catch a couple of glimpses of “The Today show“, which to my sadness is not hosted by Katie Couric anymore, but Meredith Vieria who is so photogenic she should be studied. The whole crew was there: Matt Lauer (who has quite a fan following… mainly 45+ women who comment on how “young” his skin looks), Al Roker (who won’t stop smiling while he reads the weather), Anne Curry (who does most of the reporting in Vancouver not in Grouse, and who normally does more controversial topics like Haiti) and the beautiful Natalie Morales (who is eye candy). But as they posed for pictures and yelled behind the athletes, we asked people why there were there, and although some wanted the chance to be on television, some of them were actually ending their night after a Monster party. Emme actually kissed one of them for some bet, at which point I started wondering what I was doing there.

It ends up I was there for comical purposes as they knew I had no experience on the snow or ice whatsoever. They made me hold the camera, put me on skates and tied the camera to my neck, so I wouldn’t drop it. We met a fellow UBC student who was there for fun and a man wearing shorts because he felt Canadian. If you listened you could actually hear the pride on his voice, and deservingly so as Canada is beating the odds in the games. The man in shorts was interesting, but afterwards on the way down we met a man who trekked up Grouse mountain almost every day. He said he climbed up 594 times, but also timed himself and took notes every time. That sounds like obsessive compulsive to me, but that’s just my opinion. What surprised me about this man is that he said it like it was something as ordinary as going for the groceries. The mountain is HUGE and to climb it in 45 minutes is a super human ordeal. Even though it is illegal (in the off season), there are world records and everything (24 minutes and 22 seconds), telling me that there are a lot of these iron-man people out there. Do they all suffer from OCD or are they simply adrenaline junkies? Whatever the reason, they deserve as much recognition as the athletes because they accomplish the extraordinary. If the winter games are about the “amateurs”, then people like him deserve recognition as well. And for that matter so do the people that make it to the Olympics, because it is an amazing accomplishment and they should not cry when they don’t make it to the podium or say they have failed their country, because just by being present, they are making someone in the world proud. I think too much emphasis has been put on the medals, when we have to recognize everyone that makes it here to Vancouver. That’s what the Olympics are all about guys: amateurs who accomplish the impossible. And I am speaking as a person whose nation has three athletes, and for me simply participating here is way more valuable than a gold medal.

Anyway, after skating for a while Brie suggested snowshoeing. I had no idea what this was, I thought we were going to put on those funny looking snowshoes and start walking. I was wrong: we started climbing. Now here lies the problem, I have climbed a lot of mountains before, but I use my whole foot. I have a very weird balance center, and I know it, so I need my whole foot to climb up anything. In snowshoes you use the bottom part of the foot (those little bumps) so you are essentially tip-toeing up a mountain. Let me repeat that: tip-toeing up a mountain. It’s brutal. I think its really cool that people do it every day and have adjusted themselves to it, but it’s definitely not for me. My calves are still hurting and my lower back is not functioning correctly. But the trip was worth it. The view of the mountain and the city is beautiful and like nothing I have seen before, its simply breathtaking. The day was perfect too, it was sunny and nice, the perfect day to tip-toe up a mountain.

Would I do it again? No. Maybe in the summer when I can wear shoes, but snow shoeing is something that everyone should try and then just leave it to the pros. I felt bad at myself because there was an old couple (and I mean old, like 70) in front of us (we began, and were immediately the slow group) that was just going at it like Speedy Gonzalez. We didn’t make it to the top, which was perfectly fine with me, but we still got a great view. I recommend it to the athletic people out there, not to the ones that prefer being taken up by a gondola, like me. Also, if you think you are going to be slow, don’t get Dawn as a guide as it was her first time up the mountain at sunrise and she was stuck with us, so just let her go to the top with the not so out of shape ones, although she was an AMAZING guide.

In the end it was a great experience that I will remember as long as my legs hurt and for a long time after that. For the younger folks I think the Monster party is fun if you snowboard and such, but I asked around and it doesn’t seem that cool. Everyone should experience it, and on a last note, help us find Saxel the mouse as he has been kidnapped. He is a really timid creature, and deserves better treatment.

Vancouver Is Waking Up!

Ok, so I may have just slept the entire day away, but my thoughts today are centered on the unusually lively spirits of Vancouver locals.  When I responded to the ‘Team Head Up Grouse In The Middle Of The Night Outing’ call from Emme, I thought we would be struggling to find anyone interested in having fun with us.  That was not the case!  At 3:00am, there were close to 100 people at the base of the mountain waiting in a long line, and despite the fact that the coffee shop was closed, none of them were grumpy!  People were even smiling and cheering loudly for the drunk party mountaineers as they watched them unload from the gondola.  Usually, I can’t even get a smile from Vancouverites when I say hello on the street!  I was amused by the different outfits I saw that would normally be considered too silly to wear in public.

Our experience on the top was even better.  Spontaneous kisses for Emme, stories from unknown great athletes, Canadian flag cape-wearing skaters, and free expert snow tips for our own novice Mario were some of our most pleasant surprises. We even got our snowshoe guide to do ridiculous yoga poses on top of the mountain (Well, our ‘top’ was only half way since Emme kept slipping and giggling, my water bottle kept falling out of my pocket and rolling way back down, and Mario was just trying to breath.)  Everyone we met was more than willing to participate in our shenanigans and held back nothing in the quest for a good time.

I’ve noticed this new Vancouver spirit spilling over to my regular daily interactions at the kids’ school, stores, banks and the lines I’ve been standing in to party at the different Olympic houses.  I’ve made more instant friends this week than in my entire time living here.  Perhaps  it’s the infectious attitudes of our international visitors, or maybe it’s because we all feel united as Canadians fired up to win, but whatever it is, I hope it lasts.  Please keep the love alive Vancouver, and don’t go back to sleep!

Contagiously Canadian

I have been present in many crowded events over my 21 years. New Year’s in NY 2009, New Year’s in Toronto 2010, when Peruvian President Fujimori resigned in 2000, to watch Britney Spears drink coffee in Boston, between others. Yet not once have I felt the energy I did last night while I was walking through the streets in downtown Vancouver. I had the brilliant idea of going to see the awards ceremony for Maelle Ricker at the huge screen on Robson square.

As I watched the crowd chant “Oh Canada” with huge smiles on their faces I felt a sense of false nationalism that has seemed to invade everyone here for the winter games. People dressed in black, yellow and red holding Germany’s flag were trying to follow the words, and everyone hugged each other as Ricker’s face zoomed in unto the screen. I have decided that every time Canada wins gold I’m going up to Robson Square and simply enjoy the happiness these people are having, as it is as real as it can get. An elderly woman came up to me as she saw I was taking a lot of photos and videos, and thinking I was still recording looked straight into my camera and yelled: “I love Canada!!”. I should have asked her to do it again but she just left yelling woos and yeahs towards the immense crowd. In total there were many chants for Canada and I participated in most of them, because even though I am not Canadian and know absolutely nothing about the rules of any winter sport (in particular Biathlon, I get lost every time I see it on the TV), I actually cheered on for Canada because I was proud to be on Canadian soil and surrounded by such great people. So from the bottom of my heart: Thank you for hosting the Olympics, they are amazing fun.

Now, of course my night didn’t end at 8. Afterwards we walked through Granville where we saw a man with an actual eagle head, a ton of jugglers although this one in particular impressed me with her skills, and my friends dragged me to Doolin’s “irish” bar where the tequila shots are cheaper than the Guinness and everyone was having a miserable time. Yet although my night was nothing short of fun (I ended up in Numero Uno Pizza being asked by a 70 year old woman what language Peru spoke and my whole life story leading up to UBC) my core memory of last night was of the following woman:

We were cheering Canada in the middle of the street when this woman dressed in something Bjork would wear came up chanting for Canada in a very thick accent. She looks younger in the picture above, but I thought she was 60. I asked her where she was from and she said Norway. When I asked her why she was cheering for Canada she said: “because I love Canada, and I am here, right?”. She took a picture and kept on walking, but I still remember her, not because of her weird clothing style, but because she was having fun by herself, minding no one’s business. She chanted on along with the drunk college boys, and was obviously having more fun than anyone on that block because she was doing it for her own sake. If you ever see her roaming the streets of this lovely city please tell her she has my respects. And she should have yours too.

Giving Colbert a Miss This AM

Huge fan of Stephen Colbert and very much enjoy watching a show live, but can’t really say the filming of yesterday’s Colbert Show in Vancouver was my speed.  Why?  Not because of the content.  It was difficult to actually see or hear the content properly and really thats what one goes to see Colbert for.

So the reason why I won’t be there this morning:

1. With such a large crowd it was difficult to see, hear or properly engage in what Colbert had to say.
2. It was standing room only.  This does not aid in people being able to see or hear, and quite frankly is not respectful of your audience. Colbert is not a musician.
3. It was standing room only on a very muddy, and getting progressively muddier, field.
4. Making it standing room only at a popular satirical show, opens the door for more protesting and a surge of people in the mud pit.

So no, not going again this morning.  And my recommendation to the Colbert Nation: bigger is not always better, respect your fans with proper seating (even if that means that only the first 100 people get a seat), and think about your fans safety as well as your own (a standing room only mud pit with 100s of people and visible protesters in the crowd is not safe). All this said, a noble and well meaning attempt I am sure, just remember, bigger is not always better.

Plans for Tonight?

With house guests, rallying against a proroguing parliament, my exercise regime, prepping for the Olympics, and training the new Ahimsa intern with the things that are really important (ie. ME, as opposed to whatever do gooder crap Erica is filling his head with), I have been rather remiss in mentioning that my friend Kelsey is hosting a benefit for Haiti tonight.  Aside from getting to spend time with the gorgeous likes of a girl like Kelsey, there is going to be live music and a live and silent auction.  Always find live auctions to be a gas. And this one is really bound to be given that Kelsey has got The WZRD playing.

Who wouldn’t love a concert with men dressed like wizards!!!!

Here are the details:

• Tonight: Wednesday January 27th
• Time: 8 pm
• Location: Barcelona (1180 Granville)
• Cost: $15 in advance or $20 at the door

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