19.3.10

dearest blackerry,

just a shell of what you once were.
please, show me a sign.
a glimmer of an intention to return to the technological wingman you once were.
your fogged up screen and these occasional flashes of your red beacon are foreshadowing something more like a slow and deceitful affair... like you have chosen another (the bberry-afterlife or bafterlife)...
say it ain't so.

remember when i needed you and you were there?
like every minute that i have been awake since we were connected?
and even when i have been asleep? like a guardian angel.
you: the gatekeeper to my communications in all of its various tricky little forms.
you would take these emails, texts, bbms, updates and inquiries and file them away for safekeeping while i shut-eyed with the security of knowing you were storing the worlds communications for me until the next business day?
remember?
remember when i became obsessed with foursquare two days ago? checking in periodically in an effort to start a series of mini-mayoral campaigns. beaming my gps from your little hard-drive to the world. our exact location pinpointed and broadcasted through your connection to the satellites so far off in space. that was teamwork. you and me and the ever-evolving-social-network-innovators.

yes i realize that going to spice route was a bad decision.

but you and i and foursquare know that that is not something i do often. and, in fact, shouldn't that be a feature of yours to send me a note, knowing where i am, that says
"sarah, out of character decision, bad idea, please divert to WIDE OPEN on spadina"

?
but where were you then? you're always there with the "convenient" alarms when i am late for an appointment and reminders of unpleasant obligations, but never a preemptive suggestion like that.

one that would have likely resulted in a few too many stiff vodka sodas and a slightly longer walk home BUT with you safely nestled in my pocket.
instead.
staring at you lying still at the bottom of the basin...
deep in the porcelain abyss in that dark boutique-bathroom stall, i sensed the end was near.
and now look where we are...

i will buy you a new skin.
i will charge you nightly and not let you run into the red zone where your precious lil'light turns green begging to be plugged in.
it could be just you and me.
like old times!
what do you say?
bberry?
hello?

6.3.10

flying refined is an understatement


i realize that winkreative (the AOR for porter airlines) is trying to be modest. meek. classy.
but the understated nature of this whole "flying refined" messaging blows my mind. they really could skew blatantly arrogant and no one would contest. a la:


"the best airline"

"choosing to fly another airline could mean you're a masochist"

"our staff is the best looking in the sky"


i understand the tone and personality they are going for, but it's completely unnecessary.
anyone who has ever worked in advertising knows this is a very rare and fortunate position to be in. when you are far and above a category leader that you needn't worry about the legalities of making such kinds of claims.

and anyone who has ever traveled porter knows its true.
especially people traveling from toronto where pearson is the alternative.

lets run through the experience briefly:
the airport is conveniently located right downtown. walking distance for some. 10$ cab for most. free shuttle if you like. FREE.
once there you take the comfortable and short (2min) ferry ride to the terminal where your line to check in will likely be 5 minutes from arrival to completion. you and the 4-10 other people checking in will go through security with the same speed and within minutes you will be sipping free cappucinos, nibbling on shortbread and enjoying free wireless in the cozy lounge as you await boarding.

because of the capacity of the planes, boarding is quick and painless and you are in the air within 30-45 minutes of having arrived at the porter ferry dock on the mainland.

once in the air you are offered a variety of complimentary refreshments from water, coffee and tea, to wine and locally brewed steamwhistle. Sandwiches, chips, cookies and other treats are also offered at no charge.

the rest of the flight pretty much goes as you would expect. clean up. trays up. sometimes the landing is a little abrupt, but they're small planes so that's TBE.

and then you're there and 9 times out of 10, your luggage is waiting for you on the carousel when you get there as if to say "what took you so long? i flew porter, did you come with air canada?"

they do it right. and i say it every single time i travel with them.
point being - i seriously think they should consider saying it more themselves.

5.3.10

why wasn't ski ballet at VAN2010?

i loved VAN2010 like nobody's biz, but where was SKI BALLET (proper terminology = ACROSKI)?

remember this? .... wise choice VANOC. (highlights at 1:35, 8:40)

2.3.10

farewell rings... but not good bye

what a games.
having been fortunate enough to attend these olympiad in beautiful BC i have to say, as i sit in the sparsely populated terminal (contrary to predictions of mayhem) about to board my chair in the sky back to the centre of the universe, my heart aches a little.

when the sun rose over vancouver this morning it brought with it eerie and lonely silence signifying the sad reality that the olympics are over.

what a games.
walking through the streets of van today, as the echoes of weeks of escalating cheering and honking fades in my ears, memories of the crowds of red plaid blanketing the city from the shores of the pacific across to the false creek inlet bring about some nostalgia for an energy that was impossible to contain not 24 hours ago.

there are few experiences that i have had in my life where i felt so connected to strangers and neighbours alike.

but what a games it was. canada you rocked the hizouse and we are so proud.

the medal count, the records broken, and personal bests aside, these games represented so much more than simply the importance of high performance sport, they let us show off our canada.
and to some it seems that this exhibit of national pride was not appreciated. this article boils my blood.(this one too)
of course it was about canada and why shouldn't it be?
the olympic games are a celebration of sport AND culture, awarded to world class cities in countries to showcase their athletes but more importantly to welcome the world into their identity. and that's exactly what we did.

we apologized as things went wrong (unnecessarily).
we stood behind our athletes as they won medals, broke records, expressed disappointment and exhibited excellence (especially in the face of adversity and criticism from the media - but that's a whole other story)
but most importantly we cheered.
and we cried.
together.

we showed the world that we may be dispersed longitudinally but we are united when it comes to the important stuff.

since feb12th it has been impossible to find a seat at any bar in this city, walking two city blocks in any direction from granville and georgia was a joke, and you couldn't turn your head 90 degrees without seeing a roots or HBC toque.

the sun rose this morning and revealed the pavement now diffused of the crowds that once flowed over it. and as i walked through these seemingly vast corridors of the city, i was met with thousands of teal-clad VANOC volunteers with that vacant boxing day look on their faces. that disbelief that after all of that, it's over, and life goes back to normal.

it took 25 000 of these passionate volunteers, 2 600 world-class high-calibre athletes and the patience and hospitality of a city with a population of 600 000+ to pull this off.
so, to you 627 600 plus individuals, from lil ol me, i say thanks.
i will never forget it and i don't think anyone will.
so bye bye for now rings....you have given us memories to last a lifetime. let's do it again sometime.

a tip of the hat and a wag of the finger - the legacy the rings leave behind

as much as i would like to avoid tagging colbert to these games any more than he already is, i must adopt his TIP/WAG system for a moment as i offer a most genuine tip of my hat to our athletes who knocked VAN2010 outta the park and to our friends in countries around the world who were such gracious guests, embracing our culture, our silly songs, our love of plaid and beavers, and all the while cheered as loud as they could.

alternatively, i assign a stern and pointed wag of my finger at the eager media and the opportunistic and trigger happy sports funding critics who became deafeningly vocal with criticism of the OWN THE PODIUM program only a few short days into the games.
the glory of the first few medal wins overshadowed by this preemptive and unjustified smear campaign.

before they even hit the slopes or took to the ice, while our athletes struggled with the already immense pressures of performing on the world stage on home turf, they were forced to bear witness to this mushrooming multimedia debate questioning the ROI of the minor funding they currently receive and the validity of the programs assigned name. not to mention suggestion of prospective cuts to that funding based on predictions of meager and unimpressive results in the athletic endeavors that they had not yet embarked upon!!! for shame.

unfortunately, the preemptive apology for predictions of PODIUM OWNING seems typical of the cndn persona. that we would apologize (to whom?) for setting such high hopes before the results are in. wag. wag. wag.
well, i hope that it has taught us a lesson.

certain media personalities should be applauded for avoiding the discourse and opting out of conversation altogether; recognizing that the discussion was both unnecessary and disrespectful at that juncture.

after the most successful games of any host nation ever, where are the critics now? oh, applauding our athletic accomplishments and assigning credit to the financial support of the own the podium initiative? what a short memory you have.

i am the first to say that we need to be accountable to our taxpayers and ensure that money is being spent effectively and on results driven programs.
but if these games have taught us anything, it's that we have an incredibly talented roster of athletes on whom we should be spending more money for training and services and paying better attention. we should be fostering communities where sport and recreation are celebrated and encouraged all at levels fostering a breeding ground for capable and champion athletes.

so once again i say, bye bye les rings.... here's hoping you leave behind a legacy of renewed and active appreciation of athleticism and lessons in not speaking too soon.