Go Canada Go

The hype is over and the population of the country are delirious following the Sid the Kid's overtime goal in the Gold Medal hockey game. It was a tense affair that we watched on the internet...well, the 3rd period and OT. Because we were watching on the internet the feed kept freezing the game and returned from the same place it froze so that by the end of the game we were watching 3-4 minute old footage. Josh, who was listening to the game on the radio live came through to tell us that the US had scored their goal with 24 seconds on the clock, 3 minutes before we saw it. I gave him hell. In OT the screen once again froze so I joined Josh in in his room and when Crosby scored the winner I did exactly the same. Tracey gave me hell.

It was dream end to a heart stopping game and a fitting finale to the games.

We then watched the closing ceremony on line.

It would appear that the games were a success. Visitors enjoyed the Canadian welcome and BC hospitality, especially the laid back west coast way of life that we all love here. Businesses downtown apparently boomed (at least restaurants and hotels did - not sure about the stores) and the feared traffic congestion did not transpire for the majority of us.

It was, however, debatable whether the games were entirely environmentally friendly with trucks and helicopters shipping snow from outside the local area and the Olympic flame burning huge amounts of either propane or natural gas 24 hours a day but the traffic was greatly reduced for the event as an estimated 250,000 people left to escape the madness.

Britain won one medal (albeit a gold one) and Canada won a record 14 golds so i am now Canadian, except when Scotland play football or rugby or anything else come to mention it.