my self

Soundtrack for my Life

2010-12-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

I have recently found a soundtrack for my life.

I was recently in Starbucks and my eye wandered to a CD that caught my eye. Since the emergence of iTunes, my store-bought CD purchases have been scarce. But the package of Norah Jones’ new CD, Featuring…Norah Jones, really caught my eye. It was a picture of Norah Jones surrounded by the names of amazing singers and groups (Herby Hancock, Willie Nelson, Foo Fighters, Ray Charles, Outkast and the list goes on). I quickly threw the CD in front of the barista who was waiting for me to pay for my coffee.

Before buying the CD I was not that familiar with Norah Jones, but I figured she had to have an amazing voice if all of these great artists were doing collaborations with her. Boy was I right! Jones has a gorgeous voice and I loved that the album had soulful songs from a broad spectrum of genres (jazz, country, rap and alt. rock). The CD has a little of everything, which I think is difficult to pull off. However, each contributor to this mix of talent pairs brilliantly with Jones and there is a common feel throughout the album that allows the songs to play on the same album.

This brings me to why this album has become a soundtrack for my life. I typically prefer music more upbeat and catchy than my recent purchase. But around the third time through listening to the album, I realized why I felt such a connection to it. It was the diversity of great songs…Norah Jones’ ability to effortlessly jump genres and work with such an assorted mix of collaborators. That is a talent I admire, relate to and strive for.

I have always wanted to do and be many things but often feel pressured to choose a path because it is difficult to excel at anything while trying to do everything. I connected with Featuring…Norah Jones because it successfully had it all. In many cases the songs take both her and her collaborator outside their comfort zone (I’m thinking Outkast and Foo Fighters). The album works because Norah Jones and the other singers/bands play to their strengths and find common ground within each genre. Norah Jones’ efforts to build this album is motivating because it shows that people don’t need to be pinned down…they can excel at a number of things as long they work hard and stay true to themselves.

For the next few months this CD will be playing in my car, on my laptop and on my mp3 player. I also know a few friends and family members that will receive a copy courtesy of me of the holiday season.

Here is a short list of others I admire for “doing it all”:

Richard Branson…airlines, entertainment, mobile communications and now space travel (so cool).

James Franco…actor (stoner comedies, bio pics, superhero franchise and soap operas), artist, graduate student and satirical internet short filmmaker

Oprah…talk show host, producer, philanthropist, publisher, business woman and actress.

Can you think of any others?

My Ghandi Inspired Experiment

2010-12-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I thought of a life experiment. The questions I want to answer in this experiment are a) can I change my personality and b) can I create a more sincere connection with people by being tactfully and brutally truthful all the time. I would explore these questions by trying for one month to respond with my honest opinion to everyone and for everything. Something like Jim Carry’s movie Yes Man, but instead of having to respond yes to every question, I’d have to provide the most truthful response. I’ve always admired people who are able to say what they think. Can I be one of those people?

Two days ago I started reading Mohandas Ghandi’s autobiography. It has reaffirmed that I should at least give this experiment a try. In the introduction, Ghandi referred to his acts of non-violent resistance activities as social and political experiments. He also talks about valuing truth above all else. Such dedication to honesty makes it easier for me to take his memories, theories and ideas for granted.

I often feel unsure of myself and if I am unable to find ways to articulate myself right away, I just give up (and I don’t think quickly on my feet). It does not help that I am extremely empathetic and can easily see another’s point of view. Essentially, to all but a select few of my closest family and friends, I have trouble asserting myself. I often ask myself why I can be so confident in some situations and so intimidated in others. My goal is not to lose tact or purposely but heads with others. It is to create faster bonds with people by having them see more of the true me.

I think this will be a difficult experiment. I am not naturally inclined to be assertive and it is not an easy switch to fight nature. This is why I think this will have to be an experiment in progressively becoming more outwardly ingenuous. I want to start by becoming conscious of opportunities to assert a thought that I might otherwise hold back. I will feel free to do or say what comes naturally. The idea is that I will increasingly be able to identify more of those situations and eventually become a more candid person without having to think about it. Since today is the first of December, I think it is the perfect time to start. And because it is going to coincide with my reading Ghandi’s biography, I should have consistent motivation and reinforcement to continue with this goal.

My G20

2010-06-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well Toronto got through the G20 with only a few bumps and bruises. I didn't see much of the action. I was going to check out the protest site (from afar) and the fence built around the G20 site Saturday morning before I went out of town. It was raining though, and I am just not that hard core. So I drove out of Toronto and did not look back until Monday morning. I did have the chance to see swarms of police officers as I walked home from the subway on Friday. The police looked prepared (not aggressive) and were trying to keep the flow of traffic moving as much as they could considering the voices of protesters were moving closer and closer.

On Sunday a large group of protesters were boxed in at Queen and Spadina - a 10 minute walk from my house. People were stuck there for hours in the rain. From everything I've heard the protest had been peaceful to that point and a large percentage of the people boxed in were pedestrians and bystanders. My roommates got caught in it walking home from a Toronto soccer game. I'm glad I wasn’t stuck in that. Thankfully the blockade did not get violent and nobody got hurt.

The G20 weekend has me thinking about protests in general and whether they are valuable for creating change and bringing awareness to worthy causes. There were a lot of worthy causes protested over the weekend. I believe most of the protesters had their hearts in the right place. But many of them are ill-informed about the social issues they are protesting and ineffective at promoting their message.

Monday I listened to a caller on a radio show recount his protest experience. The antagonistic radio hosts questioned him on the reasons he was protesting. The caller said he was protesting third world poverty, but when pushed for more details, he used incorrect terms, failed to provide specific examples and was unable to propose a solution when asked. The radio show would have provided an educated poverty advocate a greater audience for spreading his message than a protest, but this caller simply sounded like an idiot.

There were some protesters advocating against the G20 itself and the money spent to hold the summit. I think that is a counter-productive protest. The G20 would have cost a fraction of its supposed $1 billion budget if not for the security required to keep protests from getting out of hand.

Protests were important in spreading messages about civil rights and the Vietnam war in the late 1960’s. At the time radio, newspapers and televisions stations held a monopoly on the news. Advocates for these two causes needed big gestures to capture the media’s attention. This weekend, the protesters got plenty of media coverage, but very little attention was paid to the social messages protesters were trying to communicate. The protests of the 60’s were concentrated on two social issues, whereas the protesters over the weekend were unorganized advocated a large number of causes. There was no way any one message could receive a significant amount of attention.

I think social media is the best approach for spreading word about social issues. The general public receives a constant stream on information on a daily basis. It takes concentrated creativity to capture people’s attention for any amount of time. The powers of social media are just beginning to be tapped. The protesters who failed to create a social wave over the weekend should get off the pavement and hit the web. Just as it took the efforts of free-spirited hippies to capture the attention of America using protests, it will take the web-savvy of the creative Gen Y to promote awareness contemporary social issues.

P.S. Let’s all go green!

My crafty wine

2010-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is a simple update on my last post. Operation crafty has gotten its start. I painted some wine glasses for my friend's birthday. She has decorated her kitchen in turquoise and yellow for spring so I decided she needed some wine glasses sponge-painted in yellow and turquoise.

First I bought some cost-efficient glasses at Honest-Ed's (a discount store in Toronto where you can find just about anything). I also bought 2 bottles of glass paint (Vitria 160). When I got home I laid down some paper and got to work. I poured some yellow paint on a piece of cardboard and used a sponge and dabbed it on the glass. I used lots of thickly painted dabs at the base of the glass and gradually made the dabs lighter and with less paint for a gradual effect. I left about a 1/2 inch at the top of the glass with no paint. I then repeated the process with the turquoise paint for the other three glasses. I then let the glasses dry for about an hour.

Tip: Before putting sponge to glass, dab some of the access paint off the sponge. You want the sponge effect to show, not big globs of paint. I did a few practice dabs with each colour on the cardbaord.

Once I felt the paint was dry I got to work again. I wanted each glass to have both colours. For the three glasses I originally sponged with the turquoise paint, I completed the graduated dabbing process with the yellow paint. I chose to do the yellow top coat first because the yellow paint did not show mistakes as much as the turquoise paint. Finally, I dabbed the other three glasses I had already sponged with the turquoise paint with the yellow paint. I let them dry overnight.

The paint bottles suggest baking the glasses in the oven to make them dishwasher safe. The glasses were too tall for my oven and my friend does not have a dishwasher so I skipped that step. If you want to paint some glasses have a dishwasher, the Vitria 160 has baking instructions right on the bottle.

The glasses turned out great and my friend seemed to really like them. They all matched but each half had slightly different colouring.

I think the second project I mentioned in my previous post will be much more challenging. First of all, I do not have a sewing machine - I think that will be necessary for making a futon cover. Second, I don't really have any sewing skills. Thus, I think I will go on a hunt for a sewing machine and do some practice sewing by making pillow covers. Wish me luck!

My Crafty Motivation

2010-05-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

My roommate introduced me to a new website http://www.etsy.com/. Warning....this site is financially dangerous. I have not bought anything yet, but I am now obsessed with periodically checking the site to see what new wares are posted. It has been really motivating to see some of the things people have been coming out with. Especially those that have jumped onto recent fads. Not only are these people creative, they are adaptively creative.

The website reminds me of an article I read this morning in The Globe and Mail. It talked about my generation and how we prefer to take our money to small businesses. etsy.com is definitely all about the small business. It caters to niche markets...hipsters, brides, gamers. With new items getting added every couple of seconds, it is really easy to find something catered to you and your style. Individuality at your fingertips.

I have always wanted to think of myself as a creative free spirit. That is why I went into film studies for my undergraduate degree. The plan was to become a successful director. I now work in the public sector and am not using my degree at all. I think my mind is slowly losing its ability to be creative artistically and is growing accustomed to a business way of thinking.

I am more than happy to dedicate my career to business...I'm good at it and I enjoy it. Hopefully I will someday be working in marketing in the entertainment industry or as an innovative small business leader in the environment industry. I can dedicate my artistic inclinations to personal projects. Unfortunately, I am never good at finding time for this sort of thing. It is partly because I am busy and partly because I am lazy. When I do have some time at home, I usually prefer to relax and watch tv or hang out with my roommates.

Like this blog, I will make a valient effort at being more crafty. For my first project I plan to make a gift for a friend who had a birthday last weekend. I didn't have time to get something for her before the big day, so I will give it to her this weekend. My second project will be to make a futon cover for the futon in my living room. This one will be a bit more of a challenge considering I don't have a sewing machine.

I figure if I can take on personal projects, my creativity will grow until new artistic ideas become second nature and I have the skills to execute those ideas. It may also help bridge the gap between business and creativity. Wish me luck!

My Lost

2010-05-18T14:04:00.001-07:00

Ok. My new resolution is not going so well. Let's try this again.

I thought I'd take this opportunity (like so many others) to comment on the series finale of Lost coming up this weekend. I am a couple of episodes behind so I am planning to wait it out and do a marathon of the last episodes next week. It seems appropriate to watch the last handful of episodes in one sitting because I started watching the series in chunks. I became a Lostie in late 2008 and would typically watch 3-4 episodes in a sitting. It took only 3 months to get through the first 4 seasons! When I watch Lost, one episode is never enough.

From the first season I was hooked. A lot of friends fell off the bandwagon because the plot is convoluted and "out there", but I love a complex plotline that requires my undevoted attention and for me to get "lost" in the fantasy of it. Whenever I watch an episode from the new season, I make sure I won't be interrupted from one of my housemates. I love them, but they have a habit of being a distraction.

I must say, I am happy that Lost is ending. Don't get me wrong. I am going to miss the show a ton, but networks and producers typically fail at knowing when to end a show. I respect the fact that this series had a planned shelf life, which didn't change in order to squeeze out every last dime the show could earn. I think it is important to for shows to keep the integrity of the characters and the plot. You can only play out the same love triangle for so long before it gets silly and annoying.

Do I think the finale will answer all the questions us Losties have been saving up since season one? I am likely on the side of the majority when I say probably not. But in most instances where a specific answer isn't given, I think I will have enough information to come up with a satisfactory answer myself. For example, the question that has been bugging me for a while is "What about Walt"? But I suppose he is happy and safe back on the mainland. He is not on the list so his presence isn't required on the island. His specialness does not specifically need to be explained because the audience now knows there are many others with "special" abilities.

My Blog

2010-04-23T12:05:00.001-07:00

So it's almost the end of April and I haven't made a post since February. That's ok because I have no followers yet. Why you ask (the 'you' being retorical)? Because I want to use this blog as an outlet of my thoughts and ideas, to see if there were any strangers out there interested in what I have to say...not to mention a great place to record my Olympic experience for all eternity.

Therefore I want to keep this anonymous and not tell my friends or family about it (yet). So for now it will be just me; until someone stumbles across it using Google or I join a blog group, which I just found it is how other blogs sometimes get discovered. For now I am happy to keep this blog as my online journal.

So to wrap up my Olympic series of posts (which I seriously failed to complete - hey! I'm new at this), here is a quick summary of my trip:

Definitely a highlight of my life. So much energy. The streets were packed and everyone was carefree and happy. Great weather, exciting events, lots of cheering.

Some highlights (some of these are repeated in earlier posts so bear with me):

1. Free yoga

2. Skiing in Whistler

3. The first Canada hockey game (which I was at). Iginla got a hat trick everyone threw their hats onto the ice. That seemingly spontanious event got me very excited. I didn't realize that's what people did when there was a hat trick! Also everyone cheered just as loudly for the eighth goal as they did the first.

4. The rest of the events I got to attend (women’s and men’s curling and another hockey game, finland vs. germany). I definitely have to give curling a try now.

3. Missing a free Arkell’s concert so I could watch the Canada-Switzerland hockey game, then stumbling upon them playing another free concert my last day in the city.

5. The sun coming from out behind the clouds on my third day while riding a bike through Stanley Park…then never leaving for the rest of the trip.

6. Seeing my old roommate Britany from Queen’s who I haven’t seen since first semester of 4th yr.

7. Lots of buskers strutting their stuff in the streets. As previously blogged, I expecially enjoyed the ones with little or no talents. It was as if they said “why not?, lets have some fun”

8. Staying in a wicked condo right across from one of the celebration sites and listening to concerts from the balcony in my room.

Finally, I want to share my experience at the end of the Olympics. I didn't watch many events live on CTV while I was in Vancouver...basically the hockey games. I mostly watched the recaps at night and in the morning. I got home on February 21 and didn't follow the games much after that. I have no tv at home. I would read the Globe and Mail online and maybe catch a few buzz-worthy performances on the CTV website, but I wasn't concerned with it at all hours of the day like I was in Vancouver.

I was horrified to find out the Gold Medal hockey game was going to take place the same weekend I was in a frisbee tournament in Sudbury. I managed to convince some of my teammates to stay in Sudbury after the tournament so we could watch the game in a bar...otherwise I would have had to listen to the game on the radio as I made the 4 hour drive home. It was great to watch Canada beat the U.S. with a big group and it was a very exciting game. A tied game and overtime that did not come to a shoot-out. Sidney Crosby is amazing! However, I felt I missed out on the crazy celebration in Toronto after Canada won. I'm sorry I missed that, but I can't feel too bad...I doubt that celebration came anywhere near the Olympic experience I had!

My Olympic Events

2010-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

The last few days of Olympic events has been everything I expected. Watching Canada beat Norway 8-0 in their opening game was the most fun I've ever had at a hockey game. I arrived decked out in my Team Canada hockey t-shirt my brother got me for Christmas. My dad and I entered the line to get into the arena and saw a sea of red. Every Canadian fan (over 3/4 of the spectators) was dressed in red. Canadian flags were everywhere.

It was intoxicating to cheer with a full arena for our Country and the athletes that are representing our national sport. It is incredibly satisfying to know that the collective voice of the audience can be heard by the players and that they can feel our support. The energy did not waver for any of the goals. Each time the puck went in the net, the audience roared just as loudly as we had for the first. Definitely an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

The hockey game was followed by two days of curling. The first morning we got to see the Canadian women in an exciting match against Japan. The venue was a much smaller and more intimate setting than the hockey arena, but the energy was very consuming as well. Canada made some huge mistakes in the beginning and allowed Japan to steal 3 points. They had to work their asses off to catch up and the audience was with them every step of the way. The sound of feet stomping against the metal bleachers echoed through the arena as the women pulled ahead by one point in the very last end. There was an anxiousness and excitement that went way beyond the hockey game.

Yesterday Dad and I saw the Canadian men sweep the floor with Sweden 7-3. Sweden conceded (gave up) before the final end. Once again there was a lot of cheering and support, but there was definitely no question over who was going to win. One of the things I enjoyed most about this event happened after Canada's game was over. A couple of really tight races were happening on the other sheets - in particular the game between Denmark and the USA. The Canadian portion of the crowd (once again the much larger portion of the crowd) stuck around to watch and cheer almost as hard as they had for their own country. There was a large American crowd and many of the Canadians were cheering for Denmark (myself included). Denmark won when the Americans missed an easy shot with their final rock. Once again the arena was roaring. It was as though the entire crowd absorbed the excitement of Denmark's tight game to make up for the comfort and confidence of the Canadian game.

Canada also had its second hockey game yesterday against the Swiss. Dad and I thought it would be fun to go to a restaurant with a big screen to watch the game. We went to Earl's which has a large viewing area at the bar to watch the game. We weren't the only ones. The viewing area was packed to capacity and people were lined up along the stairs leading to the washrooms just to get a glimpse. Canada didn't play very well considering the Switzerland game was supposed to be an easy win, but it made for a really exciting atmosphere in the bar area. There was a large group of guys from Switzerland right in the middle of the viewing area. They attempted to cheer for Switzerland just as hard as the rest of us were cheering for Canada. In the last few minutes of regular play, the Swiss and the Canadians in the bar had a light-hearted cheering match to support our respective teams. It went back and forth for about 5 minutes. Everyone was having a great time despite our disappointment in the level of playing from team Canada. In my opinion it has everything to do with the enjoyment of watching this game in our home country and getting to share the experience with other countries from around the world. I really wish I didn't have to go home in two days. I would love to stay until the end of the Olympics!

My Vancouver

2010-02-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

The last two days I’ve definitely struggled to both enjoy Vancouver and soak in every experience available at the Olympics. I’ve had a fantastic couple of days mainly doing the former. The rain went away and Dad and I took full advantage. On Sunday we rented a bike and rode through Stanley Park. It was fantastic. A real workout – the bike I rented was a complete piece of crap, but I didn’t mind because the park was gorgeous. The sun seemed to peek through the trees simply to put a spotlight on the forest. Yesterday we went skiing in Whistler. One word…Wow. If I had ever questioned the beauty of Canada’s terrain, yesterday it was put to rest. I had to periodically stop on my way down the mountain to take in the majestic view. There is no doubt now that I could be happy living in Vancouver. It reminds me of when I lived in Scotland. There is a lot of rain, but when there is good weather, everything looks spectacular and everyone rushes outside and enjoys the outdoors.

Unfortunately, my two days of Vancouver outdoors got in the way of a momentous Olympic experience. Sunday Canada won its first god medal of the games, the first gold medal our country has won in Canada ever. I was so wiped from bike riding and hiking that I did not have the energy to celebrate with the rest of Vancouver Sunday night. Same story last night when the Victory ceremony was held. However I did watch the replays on TV, and I would not give up my last two days enjoying the B.C. outdoors for anything. Tonight I will return to celebrating the Olympis. It is Team Canada’s first hockey game, and I will be there!

My love for spontaneity

2010-02-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

I found something completely uncommercial and uncorporate amidst the sponshorship logos and organized events downtown. It seems a group of friends got together to create a dance party along one of the busiest streets. They were decked out in the craziest outfits you can imagine...often incorporating Canadian apparel into the costume. They had a microphone, a scooter, two trampolines and loads of boomboxes. They created a performance space and took turns dancing in the middle of it. They weren't good by any means (most did nothing more than attempt a move and fall flat on their face); they were just in the streets creating fun. How refreshing!

P.S. I am in my room listening to Bedouin Soundclash playing live across the street. Wicked!

My first day at at the Olympics

2010-02-13T09:01:00.001-08:00

I would definitely need two hands, maybe more to count the amount of times I got choked up yesterday. I went for a run in the morning morning and went by loads of city workers blocking streets, directing traffic, securing the perimeter of the O Zone and who knows what else. It hit me that the entire city came together to make this event happen. Throughout the day, locals and Olympic staff were more than happy to suggest restaurants, places to explore and answer any and every question my dad and I came up with. These Vancouverites make me proud to be Canadian and to be part of the host country.

I continually felt connected with everyone in the city and the energy of the games; every aspect of them. The Olympics (at least the ones being held in 2010) are mob mentality at its greatest. I wore my Canada Olympic t-shirt to celebrate the first day of the games. And everywhere I went there were heaps of people in Canadian apparel. I soaked up their energy and excitement and made it my own. We are all here to celebrate Canada and our athletes' quest for gold.

In the afternoon, we were exiting a pavilion that led to a large outdoor venue with two large screens and a stage. The archive footage had been playing on the screens when I entered the pavilion 15 minutes earlier had been interrupted by the news. A luge athlete from the country Georgia had a horrific accident and died during his final turn of his final trial run. The number of people that stopped to watch the screens increased ten-fold from before I had gone into the pavilion. I reacted to that death with a sadness I rarely get when watching the news. There was a communal sense of shock and mourning in the audience. We all felt the loss of a young man who tragically died reaching for his dreams.

I even felt connected to the protesters yesterday. One of the issues the protesters voiced is the capitalist nature of the Olympics. I can't argue that one. Earlier, I had stood in line to watch a 10 minute 3-D TV video showing in one of the pavilions. It ended up a 10 minute commercial for Panasonic’s new 3-D technology. Unfortunately I think capitalism and commercialization are the only ways the Olympics can work. It now requires so much money to run the games that the hosting city and the Olympic Committee need those sponsorships to survive. To me, this issues do not take away from all of the positive reasons to host the Olympic Games. However, I feel proud that there are people giving voice to these issues and hopefully the protests will start a discussion that will improve future Olympic Games.

My favourite part of the day was watching the Opening Ceremonies. My dad and I managed to park ourselves on stools in front of a TV at a pub right on Robson St. As the countries paraded around B.C. Place, the people in the pub banded together. Anytime one group began to cheer for a country they supported, the rest of the pub cheered with them. In particular, there was a group of men from the Netherlands decked out in orange. When the Netherlands team came out, everyone got to their feet and celebrated with our international guests. However, that cheering did not nearly compare to the energy that room emitted when Canada entered the stadium. I am sure our voices could have been heard all the way at B.C. Stadium. The Ceremonies themselves were a disappointment. The spectacle of the performances did not nearly live up to my expectations. However, the lighting of the torch was amazing. The excitement in the pub built up each time one Canadian Icon passed the torch to another. When Wayne Gretzky took the torch outside and began driving down Robson St. everyone rushed into the streets in attempt to get a glimpse and the Great One…not just the people in our pub, but EVERYONE. The car quickly turned off Robson. My dad and I followed the crowd for a bit, but realized there was little chance we would see the torch go by and headed home.

Day 1 of my vacation

2010-02-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was up at 4:00 am this morning to leave for Vancouver with my Dad. Everyone on the plane looked miserable. I couldn't have been happier. I love flying...well today I loved flying. It may have something to do with the fact that it has been 3 and a half years since I have last been on a plane. I was giddy with anticipation just to be travelling anywhere, not to mention it is my first time coming to B.C. and I am here for the Olympics. The OLYMPICS! I am going to get to watch Team Canada play hockey in our home country!

The first thing we did upon arrival was go for lunch. Now, I'm not generally a big sushi fan, but how can you come to Vancouver and not eat sushi? Plus, my Dad's friend we are renting a condo from was there to show us a great place and tell us what to order. I have been converted. I now love sushi...even the ones with fish (I am generally not a fan of seafood - cooked or raw).

The condo is amazing. Great kitchen, great entertainment unit for watching the games and a toasty fireplace. We are in Richmond, right across the street from one of the Olympic celebration locations called the O Zone and the speed skating rink.

The only other thing I accomplished today was a run at Minoru Park (right behind the O Zone). It was raining but that didn't bother me. It felt good to step out the door and not get the urge to run back inside and hide under a blanket. The grass iss green and some of the trees are in bloom. There are Canadian geese, bunnies and a multitude of ducks. It was the most refreshing exercise I've had in months.

I feel like I am taking Vancouver for a test drive. Every time I have spoken with someone from Vancouver I get the sense that I would really like living here. It may have been somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophesy but I am already in love with this city. I don't have any plans to move here quite yet. It is so far away from my family that I doubt I would ever make it a permanent home, but I may want to stay for a few months sometime in the future. But, I am here for the Olympics. I have wanted to go to the Olympics since the summer games were held in Sidney. I want to get immersed in the spectacle and strong feelings of national pride. Over the next 10 days I am going to have to balance my desire to experience the Winter Games with my desire to wander the city kicking its tires.