Olympics Redux

OK, so chronologically, this post is way out of whack.

During the final weekend of the Paralympics, we decided to go back up to Vancouver to see (or see again) a few things before all the Olympic sites/sights closed down for good. So this would have been the weekend of 3/20/10.

One of the things that we wanted to see was the Olympic medals. This is apparently the first time that they have been available to the public to view/touch/see in person.

We arrived at the place (Vancouver public library - downtown) at around 10:30/11AM. When we got there, the last person in the line was standing by a sign that unfortunately proclaimed that from that point, the line was 6 hours long. Yes. SIX HOURS. One of us (the names have been withheld to protect the guilty) stated emphatically that this was ridiculous and we would have to be certifiably nuts to actually wait 6 hours to view some medals that neither of us had won anyway. The other party involved emphatically stated that they really wanted to do this. The reluctant party relented but made it clear: if we get in this line, we were committed - no waiting for 2-3 hours and then bailing.

So yes, we waited six hours.

Yes, we are crazy.

And apparently, this is what everyone else who *wasn't* in the line thought. When you get to the end of the line, you are actually in the foyer of the library. As the final minutes of your quest tick by, various library patrons would pass by and ask 1) what is the line for? and 2) how long is the line up? When you answer question 1, you get a look of interest: "hmm, maybe I should get in the line too". When you answer question 2, you get a look of, "you're a nut. "

But yes, we did actually see the medals.

Now, for the record, the insisting party thought it was totally worth it, while the relenting party thought that, while it was pretty cool, it was not "six hours" worth of cool.

When you (finally) get to see the medals, they give you one glove (that you get to keep - so that glove/souvenir represents six hours of your life) and you may only touch the medals with the gloved hand. Before you actually go into the display area (that is thoroughly curtained off so no outsiders can peek in) they explain the rules to you: take as many pictures as you like and take pictures of anything you like - but no pictures of you pretending to have actually won the medal: no thumbs up or #1 signs or victory signs or wearing the medal, nor may you kiss, lick, or bite the medals (seriously - they said that). And you (and your group - you are herded into the display area in a group of 20) get 15 minutes.

The medals are actually quite heavy. Much heavier than one would think just by looking at them. Also, they really mean it when they say no two are alike. Apparently, if you could put all the medals that were made all together (and assuming you put them together correctly) they would form a piece of aboriginal art.

Also, while they give you all these rules about the pictures, they actually encourage everyone to take their pictures with the medals. Go figure.

Now, one might wonder how this six hour David-Blaine-feat-of-endurance was accomplished with young children present. And like any good illusion, there is a trick involved. Here, the trick is to not have them present - or at least not the older one that gets bored easily. Jonathan stayed with my parents for the day and we took Ethan who was not opposed to standing around for six hours (did I mention it was a *six* hour wait?!) and was surprisingly really good - he didn't complain about anything all day (unlike the reluctant party).

The Vancouver Art Gallery was free for the duration of the Olympics/Paralympics. However, the line literally stretched around the block. And after waiting six hours for the medals, the person that was originally opposed to to lining up for the medals was quite emphatic that we were *not* lining up for this too. The other person (wisely) did not argue the point.

By this time, (the last days of the Paralympics, that is, not six hours later) the Olympic Superstore downtown was well picked over. You no longer had to line up to get in or get in only through one entrance off the street. But by the same token, unless you are a very large person (height or girth), there is nothing you can buy that you would want to wear. Unless you like/can tolerate polyester.

- b