Torch Relays Today

I plan to do more detailed posts on this in a day or two so this is to give you a quick summary of the days events.  I attended the Torch Relay in Georgetown, ON this morning.  My Mom and Dad came with me.  We were all up very early to see the Torch run through Georgetown between 7-8 am.  Here are a few photos:

Lovely woman handing out hot chocolate. 

Gotta love smaller cities and their hospitality.

Waiting for the Torch to arrive.  Look at the crowds behind us.

It was around 7:15 am.

The Olympic Flame arrives and is ready to be handed off to the next Torchbearer.

Later on in the morning we attended the Torch Relay in Mississauga, ON.  The Torch arrived at the intersection of Hurontario Street and Burnhamthorpe Road around 11am.  It circled around Square One Shopping Mall and then headed into the Torch Celebration.  Cheryl Pounder, Women's Hockey Gold Medallist lit the cauldron and Mayor Hazel McCallion, gave a very inspiring and rousing speech.

Torchbearer exchange on Burnhamthorpe Road, just west of Hurontario Street.

Met my Twitter friend Art from GM.  I think he thinks I'm a little nuts.

Follow him @GM_Artand Serge.

Torch Celebration on Living Arts Drive.

Olympic Torch Relay Toronto, ON - December 17, 2009

It is very late and I am very tired so I think I'm going to write little and put in lots of pictures.  The Torch Relay route did get diverted right as it got to us at Yonge and Wellesley but you cannot dampen Olympic Spirit.  As we walked south on Yonge Street and got to Yonge-Dundas Square, I couldn't believe the amount of people out there!  So many Torontoians waiting out in the cold to cheer on the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.  It was great!
We continued on to Nathan Phillips Square where the Torch Celebration was taking place.  We arrived just in time to see Women's Hocky superstar, Vicki Sunahara, carry the Torch down Queen St. into the Celebration.  We got to see the rest of the festivities as well as the fireworks that ended the night.  Overall, it was great.  I still want to see the Olympic Flame run through the street.  Hopefully I'll get to see that on Saturday in Mississauga.  I'm also try to plan at least one more outing to see the Torch before it leaves the Greater Toronto Area.
For additional photos click here.

This nice young man let me take a photo with him and his Torch.  A Torchbearer from earlier in the day.

The convoy at Yonge and Wellesley St. in Toronto.

Celebrating the Torch and Vancouver 2010 at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON. December 17, 2009

Toronto Torch Celebration ends with fireworks at Nathan Phillips Square.

Waiting for the Olympic Torch to arrive in Toronto! It was a long, cold wait.

On The Eve of the Toronto Olympic Torch Relay

It has been an exciting day as I follow the progress of the Olympic Torch Relay as it gets closer and closer to Toronto.  It will be here tomorrow evening and I will be out to greet it.  I'm really looking forward to this.  I have no idea what to expect, how many people like me will be bundled up to brave the cold, what will it be like when we see it, what will happen at the Olympic Torch Celebration.  Soon I will know.
My Mom is tucked away all snugly in my bed.  She is staying the night so we can head out together tomorrow afternoon.  My plan is to leave my condo at around noon and take TTC (public transit) into Downtown Toronto.  We will be down there very early but I want to walk a bit of the route to see where it is I want to be when the Torch passes by, at the moment I'm thinking of Yonge and Wellesley.  From there, we will make our way to Nathan Phillips Square where the Torch Celebration will take place. 
I'm very excited to be going.  I feel like I have missed being a part of some great moments in Toronto.  When our Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993, I was not out there with people dancing in the street.  There was no way I was going to let the Olympic Torch Relay pass me by!  I've taken the day off of work and will be out there taking photos, cheering on the flame and celebrating this great event that Canada is hosting.  I guess this will also be my first encounter with the Olympics.  Its sure to be a great evening.
Now, I don't have Blackberry or iphone or any other fancy device so I won't be able to transmit any updates live from the Celebration.  I'm kind of bummed about that but there isn't much I can do about it.  I will try to do a blog post as soon as I get home, regardless of the time!  I don't think this is something that can wait a day!  On Saturday I will be at the Torch Relay in Mississauga and will post on that as well.
Have a great day tomorrow everyone.  I hope to see a lot of you out on Yonge Street with me.  A special thank you to my co-workers for making today very special. I wish they could all come with me tomorrow.

Is Olympic Fever Spreading?

The other week I was in my friendly neighbourhood grocery store.  As I approached the dairy section to get sour cream for the fajitas I was going to make that night, I looked up and saw this massive GO CANADA GO sign!  I literally stopped dead in my tracks and laughed out loud.  I loved it!  This is the kind of stuff I want to see all over Toronto as well as Vancouver when I get there.  I didn't have my camera on me so I had to go back to the store and discreetly take a photo of it. I know retailers frown upon people taking pictures in their stores but this had to be done.

I'm so excited to see signs of the Olympics around town.  Its probably only going to increase as we get closer and closer to the Olympic Games in Vancouver.  I am going to keep an eye out for anything Olympic/Canadian related.  If you see a sign of Olympic spirit in your city I would love to see it.  Send me a photo with a brief description, your name and city where you took the photo and I'll put together a collage of all them for a later post.

The Olympic Torch Relay will be here next week and I saw a sign advertising this as well.  I wandered out into the freezing cold earlier this evening because I had to get a picture of it for my blog.  I managed to take a few pictures before my battery went dead.  If this one doesn't show up well in the blog I'll be going back out there.  The only thing that sucks about that is a) it is frigging cold outside b) it is one of those digital marquees so I have to wait for 10 different things to come up before it gets back to the 2010 Olympics.  If my camera battery hadn't died when it did, I might have lost a finger.  I could barely feel them when I got back in my car.  Ah, whatever it takes for an effective blog post right?

Go Canada Go!  Looking forward to seeing your images from around Canada showing your city's Olympic Canadian spirit.  Email is notashopaholic at gmail.com.

Help Vancouver Visual Artist with Video of Torch Relay

Last week I posted a tweet on Twitter that the Olympic Torch will soon be coming to Toronto.  I got a reply back from Vancouver Visual Artist Rina Liddle.  She is working on a project titled "We Are Watching".  Rina asked if I would be a contributor to her project.  All I have to do is take some video footage when I go see the Torch Relay and email it to her.  She is going to stream together all the video she receives and show it unedited on a wall outside the Jeffery Boone Gallery during the Olympics.
I think its a pretty cool thing to do.  I love the idea of being part of an art project.  Myself, I am artistically impaired.  I can barely draw stick people.  I love that this is another way to contribute to an event related to the Olympics.
I am going to try to submit video footage from the relay and torch celebrations in Toronto and Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto.  The Olympic Torch Relay passes through Toronto and surrounding area's next week.
If the torch has already passed through your town and you shot some video send it along to Rina. She is looking for footage of the relay from all across Canada.
If the torch has not yet arrived in your city, check the schedule and head out with your digital camera in video mode, or use whatever video device you have.  You will be helping out an artist and contributing to history.  For more information visit Rina's blog.  I hope to see every city represented when I visit this exhibit in Vancouver.  You can also follow her progress on Twitter @weRwatching2010.  Please check her blog for the email address to send video footage.  I don't want to include it here or else she might get overwhelmed with spam mail. 
Please help if you can.  It is a great project and we need to support artists and their visions, like this one from Rina Liddle.
If you will be attending to either torch celebrations in Toronto or Mississauga, let me know so we can meet up for a photo for my blogs!
Merry Olympics!

Building an Olympic Worthy Wardrobe

The rental condo is booked, the flights are paid for and I have more tickets to Olympic events than I ever imagined possible. There is the unfortunate task of having to pay for everything but that is being dealt with. Now that all those things have been taken care of, I can focus on the really important things like what the heck am I going to wear? It’s the Olympic Games! Having never been to an Olympics before I’m not really sure what the apparel etiquette is going to be. It’s like I’m going in completely blind! It’s an important job, cheering on my country; I want to make sure I do them proud.

After much research, I decided to start with a red zip hoody from the Roots Canada Collection. This decision caused massive panic a few months ago when I discovered this item was on sale and in short supply at Roots stores. This Notashopaholic would not be deterred. I raced out that day to claim my red hoody, my first acquisition of Canada paraphernalia. It is now sitting comfortably in my closet just waiting for its debut at the Vancouver 2010 Games. Since then Roots has debuted their new Canada Collection from which I picked up the Canada toque and a T shirt.

Also accompanying me on my journey will be my Lug Eco Shopper bag. With Vancouver being the eco conscious city that it is, this bag, in Crimson of course, will be a fashionable and environmentally friendly accessory. It’s convenient because it rolls into a small pouch for easier carrying when not being used. Besides you never know when I’ll need a bag for all the Olympic/Vancouver souvenirs I’m sure to acquire.

In September, I made my way to my local Bay store to check out the official Vancouver 2010 gear. I have to admit that I didn’t really have high hopes for their collection. I wasn’t too crazy about the stuff I saw for the 2008 Olympics. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the Vancouver 2010 items the HBC crew came up with. The collection includes a good variety of t-shirts, hoodys, accessories and outer wear in various colours and prints. There are separate collections for Men, Women and Children as well as unisex items.

I added the HBC Canada zip hoody in White to my growing Olympic wardrobe and seriously debated about getting Black. Think I’ll hold off on that one for a bit. Some accessories may be in store for me in the near future. I had my mom pick up a pair of the red mittens. At first I said I didn’t want them and then in true Christina fashion, I changed my mind. I am the proud owner of a pair of these hard to find accessories and I will take them everywhere with me while in Vancouver. The HBC collection is sold at Bay and Zellers stores across Canada and as well as online.

Now that my Canada apparel is taken care of, I still need to figure out footwear, do fashionable waterproof shoes/boots exist? I want to be ready for the Vancouver climate. Outerwear is a big puzzle as well. Will it be cold, will it be mild? Does is actually rain as much as people say? How warm do I need to dress? This is a lot of work people. See the stress an Olympics causes? Anyone else would cave to the pressure, but not me. I`ll be there decked out in full Canada red and white.

Christina Wallaert

A version of this post also appears on Inside Vancouver, official blog of Tourism Vancouver.

 

Canadians Snapping Up Vancouver 2010 Apparel

I visited my friendly neighbourhood Bay store earlier today.  I wanted to see if they had any Vancouver 2010 keychains I could add to my collection.  I didn't find what I was looking for, I'll have to order some Vancouver 2010 keychains online, but what I did see surprised me.  The area in the Bay store dedicated to Vancouver 2010 merchandise was packed!  There were a ton of people trying on Olympic apparel and standing in line to make a purchase. 

Vancouver 2010 Canada Hoody available at The Bay and Zellers

$50

When the line was released back in September I rushed right out to see what the Bay had to offer.  I purchased the White Canada Hoody for $50.  Even back then, most of the red hoody's were gone and I got the last medium at that store.  That kind of mirrors what I saw today.  Those same hoodys were down to almost nothing.  Red and white were completely gone and Black only had a few select sizes left.
I contemplated buying a long sleeve tee but will leave it for now.  I have quite a collection of Canada gear to wear and now need to focus attention on establishing a pin collection, a long and outstanding tradition at the Games is to trade pins.  Having never been before I only found out this tidbit of information recently.  I am on the prowl for Olympic pins.  I would also like to take a bunch of the Canadian flag pins to hand out to people I meet from other countries.  The next few weeks will be spent scouring souvenir shops for these Canadian pins and shopping for the best price.
The Bay stores I have been to do not have the Pins, Keychains and other items for sale.  There is an online Bay store where you can purchase those items if like me, you now need to buy Vancouver 2010 souvenirs other than clothing.
It was really cool to see the frenzy over Canada Olympic apparel today in that store.  Looks like Olympic fever is spreading and Canada is on board! I can't wait to see all the Canada logo merchandise being worn around town and at the Olympics in Vancouver.  I have never felt so proud to be Canadian and am totally ready to show off my Canadian spirit and pride.  Judging from today, looks like I'm not the only one!

Funding an Olympic Games

Last year when the idea for this trip was still in the early planning stages, I didn’t really give much thought to how much the whole thing would cost. For awhile I wasn’t sure if we were even going to go after getting tickets for two events and facing long term unemployment. That changed earlier this year. After starting a new job and getting more tickets, it was time to proceed with the rest of the planning; securing a place to stay and getting transportation out to Vancouver. As much as some of the plans have stressed me out, it has been kind of fun.

This trip however is not without its sacrifices. One of things people are most curious about is how much it is costing me. For a variety of reasons, I long ago decided not to reveal costs to anyone. My parents don’t even know how much everything really is. Between you and me, the truth is, this isn’t really a trip that I can afford to go on. It is a huge effort to pay for everything plus cover my regular everyday living expenses. As much as I’ve set budgets and stayed within them, it’s still quite a huge chunk of change. The money has to come from somewhere and I will be paying this off for a long time to come. It’s mostly my social life and shopping that is taking the hit. I’ve spent more weekends at home than ever and I am staying away from malls so I’m not tempted to spend money in them. Any extra cash is being set aside for trip expenses. I’m even considering getting a second job to help out the money situation. I don’t mind altering my lifestyle for the sake of my trip. The experience of Vancouver 2010 will be unlike anything I’ve ever had the privilege to attend. It will no doubt be a very special and thrilling experience. And these are the things that must be done so that can happen.

I never expected that seeing an Olympics was ever in the realm of possibilities for me. I’ve gotten some attention from journalists who have wanted to talk to me about this experience for stories they are writing. One of the things they ask is why this is special to me. It’s really hard for me to describe why it is. I guess one of the reasons is that I never thought someone ordinary like me could go see the Olympics. I always thought tickets would cost a thousand dollars and I wouldn’t be able to afford to see anything let alone all the events I have tickets for. It’s so special to me because an everyday, ordinary person like me, through a lot of planning, determination and lifestyle adjustments, can (somewhat) afford tickets to Vancouver 2010, hunt down a condo in a city where no hotel rooms are to be found, and book a flight for February 2010 nine months in advance. And really, there is nothing in my regular life that would draw attention from journalists, so that in itself makes it pretty special! I can’t wait to see who I get an email from next. All I know is that if it’s possible for me, it’s possible for many others like me. I am looking forward to meeting those people next year in Vancouver. It will be pretty exciting to be surrounded by people who love the Olympics as much as I do. It’s been exciting up to this point and I’m not even in Vancouver yet. I can’t wait to see what else the future brings.

A copy of this post can also be found on Inside Vancouver, www.insidevancouver.ca.

Olympic Torch in Canada

Catriona Le-May Doan and Simon Whitfield, first torchbearers for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Image: from The Toronto Star, Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press

I was watching the news last night and saw coverage of the Olympic Flame arriving in Canada. There was a big ceremony in Victoria and I loved listening to the comments from the people they interviewed. One person said it was the first Olympic related event they had attended and they were now starting to feel the excitement. How I wish I was there! This is the kickoff to the whole Vancouver Olympics. I am so envious of the people in BC. I wish I could be there to see and feel everything being built and prepared for the Olympics. What a special time this is for all Canadians and especially those in Vancouver. I know there must have been some inconveniences and there will probably be more to come, but it must be so exciting. Vancouver and Whistler is in the news all over the world!
It's like I can't get enough of the Olympics. Its pretty obvious to me that this will probably be the only one that I attend, so I am going to make the most of it and take in everything that I can. I will follow the journey of the torch across Canada. I will also do my very best to be in attendance when it passes through Toronto in December. Those lucky torch bearers, enjoy the experience. I can only imagine what it must be like!
Come on Canada! Are you catching Olympic Fever yet?

Memories of a Year Ago

It was around this time last year that I got serious about going to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and started to build my ticket request. Many nights were spent going over the schedule, ticket prices, events and dates. When I was finally happy with the schedule, it was submitted and then I sat and waited to hear the outcome. Had I known what the future would hold, I may have decided against the trip. About a month after submitting that ticket request, I was laid off from my job. Not knowing when I would be working again, the Olympics were the last thing on my mind. Days were spent job hunting with little or no results and all I did was worry how I was going to pay bills. In December, a few weeks after losing my job, we got the results of my ticket request. Two events, out of all that planning, is what we were awarded. At the time, I wasn’t even sure if I would ever get to the Olympics. Selling those tickets and calling off the trip was looking like a strong possibility.

Fast forward to April of this year and it was Day 1 of my new job. I was so happy to be working again, and more important, I was happy to have landed a good job. In May when I got notice of Phase 2 tickets going on sale, I knew that this trip was going to go forward. As I said in a previous post, I was going to make sure we got enough tickets to justify going to Vancouver. That phase of tickets was very successful for us and I was able to move forward with planning our trip. I’m very lucky and fortunate to be able to experience this. I really feel as though I am a part of a very special group of people. It’s truly a once in a lifetime experience.

If I didn’t get a job when I did, none of this would be happening. When I look back on the last year, so much has happened and I wouldn’t change any of it. These last few months have been so much fun for me. I think I appreciate this experience more because I did lose my job and thought that this would never be possible. It goes to show you that dreams can come true and I am living one of mine.

Christina Wallaert

Olympic Torch Relay

I've been hearing a lot this week about the Olympic Torch Relay as celebrity participants are announced. Back in June my mom told me about a website where you could enter your name to be a torch bearer. Being the Olympic fan that I am, of course I entered the contest. Unfortunately I wasn't one of the random winners chosen to participate in this exciting event. I assume someone must have told them of my inability to run. For all the people that did win, congratulations. Have fun. What a great event to be able to participate in. I guess for this part of the Olympics I will have to stand on the side lines and cheer on those who won. No problem. I'll get lots of pictures for my blogs.
If you want to know who the winners are and who will be carrying the torch in your area, go to Carry The Torch and search by name, day or map. I've marked December 18th and 19th on my calendar. That is when the torch will be passing through Brampton and Toronto.
For the full route and other information about the Olympic Torch Relay you can get information on the Vancouver 2010 website and check out their interactive map.
Bundle up and join me on the route to cheer on the Olympic torch. See you out there.

Booked & Ready To Go; Next Steps

As baseball season ends and curling season begins, I'm struck by how fast and yet also how slow time seems to be moving. My condo has been confirmed, the first payment has been made. All I have to do now is wait for 2010 to arrive.
I've also booked our flights. This is a part that I thought would be as difficult as the hotel. I was even preparing to have to fly into Seattle and drive to Vancouver. Thankfully that won't be necessary as I've managed to book us on West Jet. Both West Jet and Air Canada have several flights a day from Toronto to Vancouver. If you're willing to do a connecting flight you give yourself even more choices.
When I booked availability was still good but I wouldn't wait for too long. I was actually surprised there weren't more flights that were full.
Now that all the the big stuff has been taken care of, we are focused on the smaller, more fun items. I'm trying to fill the extra days that we are in Vancouver. Shopping is a must! I hear Yaletown has great boutiques. I've also been told there is an area of stores that features Vancouver designers. I definitely need to go there!
I'm also hoping to meet up with old friends and acquaintances I know in the Vancouver area. I'm really looking forward to that, being able to combine my trip of a lifetime with catching up with old friends. Don't worry, I'm also leaving some time open to meet up with the new friends I will be making!
My mom is occupying herself with studying a map of downtown Vancouver. And yes I mean the old fashioned street map. None of this GPS crap for her. I have no doubt her hard work will pay off. She hasn't gotten us lost yet. She is also strangely occupied with locating a grocery store in our area. I'm not sure why this is such a priority for her but I hope she finds ones soon. I'm willing to check out some cool restaurants a few nights so a grocery store is not as high on my priority list.
As for my younger brother, he is watching all of this in amusement. He thinks I am nuts and wonders how he gets pulled into all my crazy ideas. The answer? I've got no one else to drag to this thing other than my family members. If someone wanted to pay my way to the Olympics I wouldn't put up a fight. My brother, he's along for the ride and sooner or later he will start enjoying it. If for no other reason than on some days he will have an entire condo to himself with all the cable channels he could possibly want.
I have to say I am really enjoying my Olympic planning days. I never thought this time leading up to Vancouver 2010 would be this much fun. From contributing to Inside Vancouver to being interviewed for a "How to" column on finding accommodations in Vancouver, it's so funny to me that people are interested in hearing my story. After all, I'm just a girl who has loved the Olympics all her life. I knew the only way I would ever get there was as a spectator. The fact that I will probably need to get a second job to afford all of this is a small price to pay (corporate sponsorship anyone?).
These experiences are adding a dimension to my journey that I never anticipated. It makes the ride up to February 2010 that much more fun!
Go Canada Go!

Accommodations Anyone? Do your homework.

For those of you who may be in the same boat I was, looking for a place to stay in Vancouver during the Olympics and having a tough time, I wanted to make you aware of some things you should check before booking any rental accommodation.
Once I was pretty sure Mode Suites was going to be my choice for renting a condo, I had to convince myself that who I was dealing with was reputable. After all, I had found them online and they could have been anybody.
I started by asking if they were registered with a local Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau. It was a good sign when the person I had been dealing with encouraged my due diligence and happily provided me with the information they were registered with a Chamber of Commerce. The next step was to ask that Chamber of Commerce to verify this company did indeed have a membership with them, which in fact was confirmed. That office was also able to provide me with the Business License number of Mode Suites. They suggested that I contact Vancouver City Hall to see if the Business License was registered with them. It was.
From there I felt pretty good about proceeding with the booking. A couple of things here, make sure you read the contract-twice at least. If you have any questions, ask them. Do not assume anything. Make sure there is a contract that spells out payment schedules, how damage deposits will work and is very clear about what is included in the condo/house you are renting. A contract is a legal document. Do not sign it if there is something you do not understand.
If you are paying with a credit card, the company should also send you a credit card authorization form which states you give them permission to charge your card for the agreed upon fees. If there is no contract, no credit card authorization (which you do not need if you are using a different form of payment) and the company does not issue you a receipt, be leery as to what you are getting into.
The Olympics is a great event and there are a lot of legitimate companies you can deal with, but there are others who may not be. It is our responsibility as consumers to check things out. If the person you are dealing with discourages you from verifying their business, that would be reason enough for me to walk away. Any business that has nothing to hide will give you the information you need to check them out.
A special thank you to the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Vancouver City Hall. Both organizations were very pleasant and helpful to me with all my requests.
Good luck in your search. I can't wait to see everyone in Vancouver. Its approaching fast!

Making Progress

Things are really moving along. I'm in the process of securing our condo rental for the duration of our stay in Vancouver and our flights were booked this week.
Once I gave up on trying to find a hotel room to book and moved onto condo rentals things began to take shape. I feel relieved that all of the major things are booked. Now I have to work on paying this all off, getting a computer so I can blog from the Olympics and looking for some Canada paraphernalia to take with me to show the athletes that I support them.
I'm surprised that all these things didn't take longer to tell you the truth. Everything seems to be working out after much research, discussion and budgeting.
We're on our way!!!!
My mom is already praying for decent weather for the day we leave. The last thing I need is to get stranded because of a snow storm!

Mode Suites to the Rescue

It looks like I'm going forward with booking a unit from Mode Rental Suites. They are a company that does long term rentals in the Vancouver area. They are making some of their units available to people like me who need a place to stay during the Olympics. We'll be in a very cool part of Downtown Vancouver and walking distance to some of our events! What could be better?
Flight will be booked soon. Looks like everything is a wrap. Just need to start paying for it all!
Now that is all done, I'm on the lookout for Canadian Olympic gear. Stay tuned. That post coming up shortly.

Vancouver Links

I found a link on the Tourism Vancouver site for information on accommodation in BC for the Olympics. Here you go. Hope you find these helpful:

Tourism Vancouver
2010 Destination Planner
Access Vacation Group
Breakaway Vacations

I have been in contact with Paula from Mode Suites. Mode is a company that provides long term accommodation to business travellers in the Vancouver area. They are opening up their inventory to people needing places to stay during the Olympics. There are a variety of units available at a variety of costs. Paula managed to find me a great unit located close to downtown that is actually within my budget! You can contact her through a general email address located on their website. Good luck all!