You look good....are you new?

Vancouver just got a little bit greener ... sort of. The much anticipated Olympic Line opened today just outside of the Canada Line Olympic Village station. The last time Vancouver had a functioning streetcar was 1958. The trams will operate 18 hours a day, seven days a week during the Olympic and Paralympic period between Granville Island and the Vancouver Athletes Village.

I first talked about the Bombardier "Flexity" light rail trams in October and could not wait to ride them at that time. Today I was one of the first Vancouverites to get the chance to do so.

Athletes signed autographs on mini-streetcars. The Olympic Mascots (Quatchi, Sumi, Miga)
showed up and got the crowd excited.
There were also performers.
City staff were there too. They counted people
for each ride and distributed certificates.
By the way,
did you know that 170 people fit per ride?
and that each ride takes only 6 minutes.

I was 130th in line.
However the story does not end there.
I could not believe how many reporters
were at the opening.
However, what really impressed me the most was the quality.
Leather handles and chairs + great design.
I am certain the old ones looked nothing like the Flexity.
At the end of the ride,
I was very pleased
by the experience.

I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

Back and just in time...thirty-one days to the Olympics

While in Vancouver for the Peace Summit, the Dalai Lama expressed concerns that technology may be getting in the way of peace so I started using less technology to understand his view. However, as more of my family and friends embrace technology to stay connected using Facebook, Skype and other communication tools, I think technology can help us understand each other better and will begin to blog on a more regular basis.

So I'm back and just in time to celebrate the Olympics. With only 31 days left for Vancouver welcomes the 2010 Olympic Games, my excitement is building. This morning I was listening to Bill Good on CKNW online where it seems the buzz is increasing. As the torch travels the country, Vancouverites have seen Olympic banners and signs decorate the streets. Also, buildings, such as the Bay, have embraced the "look" and "spirit" of the Olympics which look great. There have been great events hosted at Robson Square getting people in the mood to celebrate. In addition, I have started to book my calendar with Cultural Olympiad 2010 which officially starts in 10 days and plan to travel on the "Olympic Line". This is a once in a lifetime event for Vancouver. Let's experience the Games!