MY OLYMPICS 2010 ADVENTURE: Day Three

FIRST DAY ON THE JOB. Awesome.


Well, everything fell into place, just as I had to keep chanting to myself that it would. Got up at 430 am, to catch the 5:50 bus from Brackendale, took me to the Whistler Olympic Park for approx 6:45, and then took a snappy shuttle up the Calihan to get to the Biathlon Venue. Finding where to go once I was up there was a little bit difficult, but once I figured it out, it was fine.

Some of the trailers and staff

I sat around for a long time while waiting for my team. Turns out I was pretty early. Ate breakfast. Twice. Once before hand and once when my team got there. My crew is the shit pretty much. There are some awesome girls from Kentucky in a Media program with a Film focus, a guy from Vancouver, one guy from Spain, Haley Macdonald of course! aand a few other people, all equally awesome. I had a great time getting to know them, we had a lot of laughs. Serisouly, A LOT. I don't know if it was sleep deprivation, or the jitters from the RIDICULOUSLY STRONG COFFEE, but pretty much everything was funny. Or maybe it's just cause were all so darned cool. Maybe both.

Anyway, I was DEFINITELY right about this Norwegian Andreas guy. Pretty much as soon as I got there, I got free theatre of him arguing with a logistics guy about organizing the food services. the logistics guy...Josh? John? I can't remember. How about we call him LG (Logistics Guy) for now... anyway LG was getting all pissed off...

LG: okay, I know you've been doing this Olympic thing for a long time, and I'm not trying to step on your toes, but we need some sort of system here. The employees are hurtling themselves at the food station as soon as they get in, and the caterers aren't ready that early in the morning, and they are getting annoyed. We should get caution tape to close it off until it opens.


ANDREAS: (flipping his hand out like a flamboyant 40 year old) No no. We no need tape. All need is a nice person to say, wait until open, and tell employees no ready.


LG:But that's not working. People still grab the food. And no one is hear that early to man the tables.


ANDREAS: No need tape. We need nice person. Its fine. Everything fine.

Seriously there was smoke coming out of LGs ears. Clearly he is the type that needs to be OCD organized, and Andreas is as laid back and non chalant as they come. I was laughing so hard. Fully just sitting there laughing out loud. Pure comedy.


First half of the day, we didn't do much, mostly stood around and waited to be told what to do. Eventually we started lugging stuff up to the biathlon terrain and thats when it got REALLY HOT. hell, it is not very cold out there, so all those layers when you are actually moving and caring heavy things - man I was breaking a sweat. But seeing the athletes training was freakin sweet. They were all skiing along, and then would stop, whip out their guns from the backs, lie on their stomachs, shoot some targets, and then keep going. I was trying to think of ways I could secretly strap a camera somewhere on my body and sneak some pictures. It was so dope, but pretty much if they catch you taking pictures of the athletes you get shot. Hmm.....

Then we had a two hour lunch pretty much, and afterwards, uncoiled and recoiled cable for a few hours. Sounds so boring, but somehow, with the people I was working with, it wasn't.

So that's pretty much my day in a nutshell. I feel pretty blessed to be located where I am, the busses were easy, and I have my own private room at home where I can do homework and blog in peace. And where people feed me.

Oh, and I should be getting my uniform tomorrow I think.

Cheerio friends, until next time!

Meena