Another … and another set of eyes on Vancouver

As the Winter Olympics winds down in Vancouver, I’ll be watching (I guess) the hockey final. For true athletics, though, you should pay attention to the 50km men’s cross-country ski event, which takes place a little earlier.

That’s 50km, people — more than a marathon. And cross-country skiing is hard. I know, I used to coach it.

One of the things I’ve loved over the past couple of weeks has been reading all the stories out of Vancouver from foreign journalists. Sure, a lot of them are sports-related, but with hundreds of journalists all covering the same set of events, and everyone looking for a little local colour to differentiate their broadcasts, there’s been some interesting stuff.

Usually, if you’re reading a light feature about a faraway city, it was either written by the hometown paper, or by a travel writer who maybe spent a weekend there. For the Olympics, though, there’s been plenty of other eyes on the city.

I particularly enjoyed these four pieces:

1. “Vancouver’s secondhand stores: a real treasure trove” — The L.A. Times.

In which the writer discovers that Vancouver is not a cultural wasteland:

I packed carefully for my trip to Vancouver last autumn: my smartest New York-bought parka, layers of excellent textures, skinny cords, comfy walking shoes of real leather, and sneakers for the gym only.

Puffed with pride, I strode the chilly city until, on a corner in the Kitsilano neighborhood, the zipper on my parka broke and I faced an Angeleno’s dilemma: spending a fortune on a replacement I might wear a few times a year versus getting something blah and forsaking my fashion-plate look.

2. “Narrating Canada’s Quest for Gold in Men’s Hockey” — The New York Times.

In which the Canadian television play-by-play broadcasters are profiled in the New York Times, to their apparent disbelief:

In both delivery and demeanor, Cuthbert and Miller are pleasantly unpretentious, each cut from a much plainer cloth than the colorful Don Cherry. Speaking separately, each said his first reaction to an interview request was that it must be a practical joke.

3. “Leaving behind a thank-you note” — MSNBC

In which an American anchor comes to grips with all the Canadian-ness he’s about to leave behind:

Thank you, Canada … For your unique TV commercials — for companies like Tim Hortons — which made us laugh and cry. For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon. For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games — you’ve made wearing your name a cool thing to do.

4. “Will London be as British as Vancouver is Canadian?” — BBC

In which a Brit just cannot seem to come to grips with all the Canadian-ness he’s seeing:

This is a country so secure in its patriotism, so comfortable with its international reputation for “nice”, that when the American women appeared close to tears collecting their silver medals, Canadian fans thundered “U-S-A! U-S-A!” in sympathy. (Would English football fans do that for players from a rival team?)

Any other favourites you’ve seen?