Olympic Fever!!

So like all good, proud Canadians, I've been watching the first 6 days of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games with my eyes glued to the screen, baited breath, rapid pulse, and heart glowing with pride. I've surprised myself. As of Friday afternoon, I answered with a resounding "no" to Sympatico.ca's poll, "will you be following the Olympic games this coming week?". And I believed it.

You see, my fandom of the Olympic Games is newfound. Three years ago, as I stood in Vancouver's city centre gazing up at an icy, translucent rock glowing a blue "3 years, 2 days, 3 hours, 14 minutes", I thought to myself "cool digital display, wonder how it works", and nothing more. As national advertisements went out for an open casting call to carry the Olympic torch in its relay from sea to sea, I never once considered applying, as I knew the experience would mean nothing more to me than maybe getting my (literal) 15 minutes of fame in my community. And when it passed by me in the street outside my workplace in Downtown Toronto, I cheered along with the others in my Olympic red mittens (a practical Christmas gift that do keep my hands toasty warm), I briefly felt a surge of "wow - this is happening in my country", which dimmed as the flame failed to stave off the bitter cold, and I was forced to run for the comfort of the nearest Tim Hortons.

I believe the Olympics are overrated, overvalued, and place emphasis on the less important qualities a country has to offer. What do sports and athleticism have to do with a country's greatness? Why do we place such value on a handful of a country's "elite" being able to bring home a pile of metal because they ran, swam, or jumped through a hoop the fastest, farthest, or highest?

When China hosted the Olympics two years ago, human rights issues were brought to light in the country's treatment of Tibet and its people, as well as human rights issues in its own country. And yet these issues were trumped on the world stage by Chinese athletes earning shiny metals, razzle dazzling the media and viewers all over the globe. My issue is - why do we allow sports competitions to define a nation? Why not social welfare, poltical stability, living conditions, and the humanitarian aid we offer to others in need? Hundreds of doctors, nurses, social work volunteers, and military personell travelled to Haiti in the past month to aid a population in crisis, going unnoticed, and likely uncelebrated - all while a well-to do athlete slips down a mountain, or scores a few goals, or skates the fastest, and becomes infamous and synonymous with a country's high status in the world. One that says, "yes, we're the best".

Ok, so I sound like I'm damning the hard work of athletes who have trained their entire lives to get where they are, and that's definitely not what I'm out to do. Everyone has their calling, and being an Olympian is no small task. I can tell you when my opinion in the Olympics changed, when this Olympics became special for me.

The moment Alexandre Bilodeau was announced as the gold medal winner of the men's downhill. The moment his Australian counterpart who won Silver visably showed disdain for coming in second and walked away as Alex tried to shake his hand. The moment Alex hugged his disabled brother and said "I did this all for you - you were my inspiration". The moment Alex invited that spiteful Aussie up onto the top of the podium and put his arm around him in celebration. Those were the moments that were truly Canadian for me. I love this country, it's people, it's land, it's hospitality and warmth. Canada, you truly are the best country in the world! Let's show the world who we truly are!

Another One Bites the Dust

Well it's day 10 of the new year, and I've realized I haven't set any New Years Resolutions yet - well, offically that is. How are yours doing? Did you have a left over cookie from Christmas and totally give up on your plan of a healthy diet? Or miss a workout, give in to a cigarette, and tell yourself your whole plan is ruined?

The nature of a new year's resolution is destructive in itself - when we place a giant time stamp on something and don't achieve it, it gives us the excuse to quit, and to accept failure. I remember years ago, I had a piano teacher who mentioned to me that she doesn't believe in new year's resolutions - because if you realize that something in your life needs to be addressed, then why wait until the calendar gives you the go ahead?

Time itself is a human invention and really truly exists in the human mind. Nature knows no concept of past or future, only present. Too we often forget that the minutes, hours, days, and years - those elements comprising the 365 day calendar - are an entirely a human creation. The Earth existed well before, and will exist well after, time is kept by humanity.

In this knowledge, I wonder why we are so keen to place timestamps on goals, or more importantly, how we determine failure. If failure is "I only lost 1 pound this week, instead of the 5 I planned - this is never going to work!", then how can you ever move forward? Do you think your body says "hey, it's January 1st! Better boost my metabolism, another year has rolled around".

Well I believe it's essential to set goals, I don't believe we should use the excuse of a new year, or a new month, or our birthday, etc. to say "it's time to do this". Live every day like it's your last, and work on things day by day to the best of your ability. If it takes you a little longer to accomplish something, so what? It's never too late to accomplish anything, so long as you're alive, and using a calendar to justify giving up or not trying in the first place is simply a cop out.

Christmas Time on the Clock

It's that time of year again! And what a wonderful time it is - that is, if you have the time to stop and smell the holly and the ivy.

Last year was my very first official working world Christmas, and boy did it fly by. Being in school and having the majority of December off for the past 16 years did nothing for my ability to really stop and enjoy the season. Last year came and went like a drop in the frying pan, and with Christmas being my favourite time of year, there was no way I was going to let it happen again. So here is my 12 Ways of Christmas that I've concocted to make sure I make the season bright!

12. Make your own christmas decorations - while rooting through some old boxes of christmas decorations, I found a plain green wreath with no decorations on it, stowed away. So I decided to hit up the dollar store to stock up on everything the glittered and jingled. After spending 3 hours staring intently at the placement of red, green and gold bells, pointsettas, pinecones and bows, I couldn't help but feel a little warmth of the ol' christmas spirit.

11. See the Santa Claus Parade in your town - Every year I make an effort to attend the Santa Clause Parade. In Toronto, we're spoiled to have one of the biggest and oldest parades in the world, but Santa makes sure to stop in, in every little town across the world. And so do a lot of cute kids dressed up as various fairy tale creatures, and marching bands to pump up the volume on the christmas carols. And if it snows - bonus!

10. Go downtown to see the decorations - particularily the mall windows and city hall - the Cavalade of Lights in Toronto is highly recommended by myself - the fireworks display was amazing (what doesn't say Christmas more than a rendition of "Thriller" with human torches running up the side of a massive building?). The trees all lit up and a night-lighed lap or two around the skating rink really sets the mood.

9. Watch every Christmas movie you catch on television - twice. - I will never, ever get tired of the classics like Home Alone (1 and 2. 3 was a disaster.), Charlie Brown's Christmas, A Christmas Story, and my favourite, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I can remember watching these movies as far back as elementary school (I saw Christmas Story for the first time in Grade 2 on the last day of class, and I sincerely reconsidered asking Santa for a BB Gun. Was it too late to change my mind?). Watching these movies definitely brings back fond Christmas memories.

8. Get that Christmas tree up, deck the halls, and the mantle, and the cat - Sure the Christmas tree can be a major hassle to assemble (or cut down, and drag home), each year (hello pine neetles EVERYWHERE), but once it's glittering with lights and decorations, it adds a very nice touch to any room. I also love pulling out the decorations one by one from storage, each one with a story from Christmases past attached. Add wrapped presents, and voila, you have Christmas excitement.

7. Bake Christmas cookies and cakes - Enough said.

6. Make a Christmas-themed cocktail - Ditto.

5. Attend every Christmas party you can - Even if you're not in the Christmas spirit, seeing old friends and singing a couple Christmas carols can really bring the spirits up.

4. Spend the time to find that great gift for that special someone - it might be hard to get something for that special someone who's very picky, or has everything, or even worse, you've known so long that you swear there's nothing left to surprise them with - but the greatest feeling is getting a gift that you know they will love, and you just can't wait to give it to them and see their face on Christmas day.

3. Give to charity - Those Salvation Army pots are not going to fill themselves! At Christmas it's especially important to remember those who need assistance, and are not in the position to have the luxuries of family, friends, presents, parties, etc. this time of year. Even if it's a few dollars, a toy or a just your donated time, every little bit helps to brighten the season for someone else who may need it. Remember, the true spirit of Christmas is of giving!

2. Attend a Christmas mass or service - Now I know this subject can be a little touchy for those who are not reglious (I'm not much one for religion myself), but the story of Jesus' birth and of the spirit of Christmas is very touching and I believe, still rings true in today's society. The Church service I attend each year is very open and rather than preaching damnnation, tells the story of Jesus' birth through carols, and modern-day tales of Christmas spirit in the city. I look forward to it every year!

1. ENJOY IT - Life is short, and even shorter are the days we are given to celebrate. Enjoy when you can, endure when you must.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2010! May this year be the one where we finally get it right.