Get ready for a real treat as the Olympics officially opens Day One – all the VANOC Volunteers got to go to the last run-through of the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday night. I brought Stephan & Michael along, since they have supported me through this volunteer experience and I’m so glad they came! Changing my flight to arrive a day earlier was so worth it!
We weren’t sure what to expect, but ended up discovering that the show was running with 100% of their acts, so the line-up was spectacular. John Furlong, CEO of the VANOC addressed the crowd of volunteers, thanking us for our contributions, along with the Mayor of Vancouver Gregor Robertson, Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell, and Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper! They asked us to keep all the surprises a secret so everyone will be surprised. I’ve heard the line-ups been leaked, which I was really disappointed to hear, although with 40,000 volunteers and friends in the crowd, there had to be a few people who couldn't resist posting photos on facebook, even though they warned against it.
My first shift as a volunteer was yesterday, and I eagerly got into my blue uniform and nervously made my way down to the Waterfront Station, meeting a group of volunteers at 200 Granville St. I should mention that the organizers made full use of google maps and tagged the street view of where we needed to meet, so I found it really easy being out of province, knowing where I had to go!
Here’s where things get a little interesting and ironic, because let me say once again, that they made the process of finding the volunteer team at Waterfront Station very easy for someone who has NO IDEA where to go in Van, only arriving the day prior.
The first thing our Team supervisors Rina and Josh let us know, is that at some point we may be called to guide people traffic, but until then we will be stationed at the corners answering questions and giving directions. I had an internal voice shout out “excuse me!?” but I kept it inside for the time being and continued on the tour of the station. I will use the anology for people who know Toronto – it’s like being stationed at Union, where all main trains cross, and telling tourist which direction to go to see things like the CN Tower, the ROM, the AGO – all things I could easily do after living in Toronto for 2 years, but NOT Vacouver!
Not wanting to sound uneager or unhelpful on my first shift, I just carried along, smiled, introduced myself to the various volunteers and started to get to know them and said I was from Toronto. Charleen, a retired woman, was the first Volunteer I met, applied and was accepted a whole 2 years ago. Charleen knows EVERYTHING there is to know about downtown Van, having lived here for years. When she got wind of me being from Toronto, and only applying a month ago, she was quite distressed and voiced her concern to me and frantically started telling me things like – “That’s 1000 Media Place, no one but media can go in their”, “Over there is the German House”, “Tell people to go that way to Robson Square”, “That’s the Canadian Line, and over here is…” and so on. A feeling of slight panic set-in when I realized this was going to be my job, but I smiled and nodded and tried my best to take it all in.
I found as soon as someone came up to ask me questions, Charleen quickly jumped in with answers, which I welcomed at first. After a couple hours of this, I was told I could go for lunch and my supervisor Josh joined me for a stop at Timmies. He reassured me that it was okay not to know everything, and everyone including himself was feeling a little frustrated with the new role. Knowing that flexibility is a key quality of being in a volunteer, I let him know I’m good to just go with it, as long as I’m not expected to know all the answers.
On our way back to the station after lunch, he sent me back while he checked on some others, and as I was keeping to myself, a woman got off the bus and said “Excuse me, can you help me find the Philippians Consulate?”. Momentarily, I looked for the crutch of a buddy, and then realized I would try my best to help. I pulled out my iphone and asked her if she had the address, plugged it in and was able to help her draw a map on her documents. Thankful and with a smile she was off to find the Consulate and I was happy and relieved I could help.
This continued on for the next hour or so, where I was able to use my gps to show visitors where they were and how to get places until another supervisor Ryan, asked me if I wanted to help later in the day at Stadium Station, directing people to and from the torch run. I gladly agreed, so left my shift around 1pm, and needed to return at 6pm.
Rather then returning home, I decided to explore Vancouver – I traveled through Pacific Centre Mall, walked around the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the countdown clock, just taking in all the window displays and Canada Pride lining the streets. I saw some really cool art exhibits along Robson, and I found myself at the Canadian Mint, where I exchanged loonies for Olympic loonies, got to meet a few Mounties and saw the Olympic Medals live! I learned the gold medal is silver, then plated, and so is the bronze. The Aboriginal Design on the Medals all make-up one piece of artwork, when they’re all placed together. The Paralympic Medals are slightly different, in a square shape rather then rounded.
After that excitement, I worked my way down to Yaletown, where restaurants were prepping last-minute touches on their outdoor patios and displays. I landed upon the most amazing Sushi place for lunch and satisfied a craving I’d had since arriving – Spicy tuna rolls… yumm… Following that, I chilled in a Starbucks for an hour and charged my phone, getting caffeinated for my second shift.
I should mentioned that while out touring in my blue jacket, I received countless questions I wasn’t prepared to answer. Here are a few:
“Is this where you pick-up tickets?” (by BC Place)
“Are the Trains going to be running 24 hours?” (in the Translink Station)
“How do I get to Science World?” (outside Stadium Station)
“Do you work for VANOC? I want to voice a complaint about the ticket pick-up. I want to speak to someone RIGHT NOW” (outside Stadium again)
Surprisingly, I found myself absorbing the area like a sponge, figuring out the answers like my life depended on it.
Showing up at Stadium Station, I thought I was going to be directing traffic, but again meeting my shift supervisor Maria, she quickly put a yellow arm sleeve on me that symbolize “ask me anything”. Internally I’m giggling but on the surface, I remain calm, getting to know my teammates, and learn that there is really only one questions people are asking “How do we get to the park to see the torch” and I quickly learned the answer “This is Beatty” as I motioned with my hand down the street “Follow this until it turns into Pacific and you can’t miss it” “It’s about a 12-15 minute walk”. There. That isn’t so hard. Fooling everyone walking by, as they thankfully acknowledge my helpfulness. Oh, the irony!
In Teacher school, I learned the best way to educate a student is to allow them to have an experiential learning moment, so what better way to learn about the city of Vancouver and the 2010 Olympics then to be situated where all the action is, and be asked random questions about the city? It certainly has prompted me to learning where things are, learn what’s going on in the city and has allowed me to connect with visitors from literally all over the world – California, India, Georgia (Country), England, Montreal, Calgary, Italy, Hong Kong – just to name a few.
Dave stopped by at my volunteering station for a quick check-in after his shift, and I'm starting to see why he's so exhausted working here. There's just so much going on that the energy is both intense and uplifting, yet exhausting (not to mentioned he's working 12 hour shifts daily until the games finish). My bed never felt better, and I don’t even remember going to sleep, only to wake up to helicopters over us and people invading the street to see the torch run. Stephan and I got up to see the torch at 7am right down his street, at first hoping to see Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the caffeine called our name more, and we ended up right in the place we needed to be, the place where the exchange happened between two torch bearers.
There is a buzz around Van today, the last day of the torch run – Who will carry the torch and light the flame at the ceremonies? Wayne G? Terry Foxes' mom? Those two seem to be the most guessed. We’ll have to see tonight, because that part I’m still in the dark on. That, and if the trains are running 24 hours?
