Sunday, July 29, 2012

the Olympics so far

Well kids, I have been pleasantly surprised by CTV's coverage of the Summer Games.  Gone are the nonsensical whims of fashion & teenage angst.  Analysts include some of Canada's greatest athletes who provide great insight into each event.  Overall, a significant improvement from 2010.

So what's burning Athena's cookies?  Product placement.  There was a bottle of Coke prominently (read: purposefully) displayed during Ryan Cochrane's press conference yesterday.  This morning the CTV & RDS hosts had a cup of McCafe front & centre.  I wonder who's paying the bills? Hmmm.

This brings up another question for me.  How is it that McPigs, Coke & P&G end up being Olympic sponsors?  Doesn't the Olympics represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement & performance?  You train hard, endeavour to eat properly and keep yourself in the right frame of mind to have the opportunity to represent your country in front of the world.  Instead, you are surrounded by brands that encourage you to eat shite, drink shite & wash yourself in shite.  Nasty.

What's all this whinging about the Opening Ceremonies?  I thought it was great!  Ethan & I watched it over a glass of sparkling wine & had a blast.  So what if they highlighted the NHS.  People, it was a tribute to the Great Ormond Street Hospital which is one of the world's leading children's hospitals.  And yes, the British health care system is something to be proud of (I'm talking to you USA)!  Loved Mr. Bean's performance.  Great Britain has given the world the Internet, Harry Potter, James Bond, football hooligans and Coronation Street.  By right they should be proud of that!  All those who oppose just sit down & have a cuppa (tea for all you non-Brits).

I think I need to get up earlier to watch the good stuff.  Athletics starts Friday August 3rd!

Monday, July 16, 2012

wedded bliss

Ethan and I are married!  Holy crap!  We just got back from our honeymoon in Santa Banana.

We had the time of our lives during our wedding and our honeymoon.  And yes, our marriage is legally binding, if you catch my drift.

While we were in Santa Banana, we learned so much about the people and the culture.  The one thing that I will remember most is the power of the human spirit.  The people of Santa Banana may not have financial wealth but they are extremely talented.  We saw so many artisans and musicians that would be world-renowned if it not were for the government restrictions placed on these people.

Should we 'free' them?  No, it's not our place to do so.  The best thing we can do is visit their land, learn from their culture and find a way to showcase their talents to the world.  It's the next thing to do on my bucket list!