February 23rd, 2010

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The Sacred Space

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Re posted from www.metroblenznewssquad.com

By CS Ling

I’ve had enough of crowds especially after being sandwiched on all sides by people of all sizes AND who are invariably much taller than me. My goal on Saturday was to get out of Robson and Granville as quickly as possible. Yet, I could only move as the crowd moved… one small step at a time. Yes, I am one of thousands of people who created the wall-to-wall mass of human beings in Downtown Vancouver over the weekend. Exciting but not terribly enjoyable for the 5’3″ petite me.

After twenty minutes of being pressed up against people, I finally crossed over Granville Street and made my way down to the Aboriginal Pavilion. There, I found the highlight of my day. There, I found The Sacred Space.

All tension and stress left my body as I watched Chief Mike Retasket of the Shuswap Nation perform a mesmerizing dance to the sound of song and drum; his headdress and regalia breathtakingly intricate.

The essence of his being was evident in every single move, every single action. Chief Mike Retasket danced to the rhythm of life. I was in awe.

When the dance was over, Chief Retasket greeted spectators one by one, shook their hands, and welcomed them to Canada. There was such joy in his face. The countenance was such that he made us all feel like we just entered into his home – a warm welcome home to The Sacred Space.

Written by: CS Ling
Photos by: CS Ling

CS Ling is a humanitarian at heart. She is an alumnus of the prestigious Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and 2008 USANA Children Champion Award. CS is an occupational therapist and entrepreneur. Currently she offers her creative services to Boldfish Video Production as New Media Relations. Follow her on Twitter (@CS_Ling).

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Tags: Aboriginal Pavilion, Chief Mike Retasket, Shuswap Nation, The Sacred Space

Day 11, Swag vs Sketchy

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Re posted from www.metroblenznewssquad.com

Well after a great day in the forest yesterday, I came home to find out that it wasn’t the victory celebration we all thought it was going to be. My only bonus for the writer in me was a new word my wife introduced me to, Swag.

Being unfamiliar with the term and at her direction I googled it. Turns out it is a bit over used, so I can expect to be chastised somewhat for its use. For those of us uninitiated, it is a term implying “Free Stuff or Olympic Swag,” of which, there is a lot of it going around. This applies to all the country houses, provincial houses, most of which are free, at least until the evening, particularly where alcohol is sold. Imagine that, paying to get in to buy a drink, so after six, not so much.

During the day however, almost everywhere you go, there is free stuff. Sometimes you have to be alert or it can just walk by, but there are bags of stuff being given away free everyday, so be aware or be passed by.

On the sketchy, a word my nephew likes to use for all things unsavory and there are those unsavory elements flirting around the periphery, so be alert. If the deal sounds to good to be true, it usually is. Forewarned, is forearmed.

See you tomorrow,

David Hutchison

david@transitionsadvertising.com

David Hutchison is President of Transitions Advertising www.transitionsadvertising.com Canada’s creative voice of seniors advertising. He is Board President of Promoting a Culture of Peace for Children Society of BC www.wartoystopeaceart.com

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Tags: Free Stuff, Olympic, Swag, Transitions Advertising

Calm Monday night…

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Re posted from www.metroblenznewssquad.com by Manny Bahia

For an Olympic hosting city, it was rather quiet in Downtown Vancouver Monday night. The 7pm booze restriction curbed the incessant public drinking which occurred the previous week and the streets were more like an average Friday night. It wasn’t bad, but nowhere near the raucous throngs of crowds we were used to.

It seems a couple of factors played into the huge drop-off. One definitely had to do with the loss of Brodeur and the boys the night before. The prior night and all of Monday offered a sombre mood in Downtown. Also, many people I spoke to just needed a break from the partying. Consecutive days of partying last week just took too much of a toll on people’s bodies.

With all this being said, look for the crowds to only get bigger with the big bash nearing its end… until next week, when we face crickets chirping on Granville.

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