Three cheers for Canada

I woke up early on Saturday morning, 13 February 2010, to be able to catch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver on TV. I was not disappointed. It was everything that an Opening Ceremony should be: jaw-dropping, spectacular and above-all touching. The whole thing was a combination of animation, technology, art, song, dance and acrobatics. It paid tribute to Canadian history, geography and culture. I particularly liked the part where a giant bear made of pin pricks of light rose from the ground and floated on air for a few seconds. It was really a sight to see. It looked like a constellation, a mascot and an apparition all rolled into one (see pic above).

The grizzly bear is such an emblematic part of Canadian culture, that most if not all Canadians grow up learning what to do when a bear shows up in their proximity. I have family in Canada who, when they come home to the Philippines, somehow always end up mentioning ways to escape, fight off, or lose a bear when one does come around. It is a Canadian thing.

The love of my life, Carl is also from Canada so anything coming out of there has special appeal and meaning to me. This magnificent Opening Ceremony is one of those things. It made me feel so proud to have Canadian relatives and loved ones. There is really nothing like the Olympics to remind you of your humanity and the connections it engenders. I may have watched the Opening Ceremony in my living room at home but it did not take me away from feeling that I was sharing it with millions of other people around the world especially those seeing it live at the Olympic stadium. I knew too that above all I was also sharing it with my relatives and Carl. It is so heart-warming especially since Carl is such a patriotic guy. He loves his country very much. I can imagine how proud he must have been for this great Opening Ceremony.

So it was a little saddening to note that the Opening day was marred by tragedy. According to reports, a luger from Georgia crashed and died while doing a practice run at the luge track. Accounts say that the luge track is a bit tricky and now changes have been made to it to ensure that no other accident ever happens again till the Winter Games end in two and a half weeks.

I am confident that the Canadians will do everything in their power to make everyone safe from harm during the Games. This is not the first time they are hosting the Winter Olympics so it should be easy for them. Canada truly deserves praise for putting on a brave face during the Opening Ceremony and dedicating it to the luger who passed away. Three cheers for the Canadians and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver!