Friday, February 19, 2010

Olympic Hightlights: One Writer's View

I'm looking out my office window at clear, blue skies and bright, beautiful sunshine. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was in Phoenix, Arizona rather than Vancouver, BC — home to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Amidst the blooming crocuses and the robins singing in the trees, are 250,000 visitors from all around the world. And what wonderful visitors they are! Contrary to the hard-hitting media reports surfacing in London and other places, I'm pleased to report that from my vantage point, the city and the games all look pretty good!

I was downtown in the heart of Olympic celebrations the other night and felt as though I was in Times Square in New York. We rubbed shoulders with hundreds (thousands?) of happy and excited folks, and heard languages from all over the globe.

I also attended a women's hockey game and it was sensational: Sweden vs Switzerland (3-0 respectively) and had so much fun!

From what I've seen: people are happy; the sun is shining; transit is working well; and lots of fine young athletes are participating in the dream of a lifetime. What's not to like?

(Not to mention that our city of mountains and ocean is looking pretty stunning under the blue skies and bright sunshine.)

Some of my writer friends decided to go elsewhere for the duration of the games, and I understand their reasoning. At the moment, it's pretty tough to find the quiet and solitude you need to write your manuscript.

In spite of the buzz, however, I'm happy to report that I'm zipping along on my current manuscript. I'm trying to hunker down in quiet and solitude for at least a few hours a day. It seems to be working.

Go Canada!

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