YouTube sensation of a wrong kind: the parasailing donkey makes me sick to my stomach
Disgraceful and cruel are just some of the words that come to mind...
This amateur video showing a donkey being sent into the air parasailing over the Azov sea in the Krasnodar region of Russia has stirred outrage and disgust online and has now made its way to the TV screens around the world and even BBC has picked up this story. It's also the most popular video in the News & Politics category on YouTube.
The stunt was staged by local vendors trying to advertise their parasailing services for people on the beach. Well, their ingenuity got them worldwide indignation and a potential two-year jail term. Authorities in Russia are launching an animal cruelty probe into this incident.
Whoever was shooting this video and a couple of other people in the background did find the whole situation amusing and can be heard laughing in the video. But, Russian media are saying people on the beach were shell-shocked to see an animal being jacked up into the skies. Eyewitnesses say the donkey could be heard bellowing from 40 meters above in the air, where it was suspended for at least half an hour.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare is now encouraging people to send personal messages to the Governor of Krasnodar to ask for an appropriate punishment for the culprits, but I have serious doubts any of them would even have to pay a fine...
And don't even get me started on the condition of zoo animals in Russia, where it's not rare to see tropical animals quivering in their cramped cages in subfreezing temperatures in winter time. On the other extreme, hundreds of the so-called "prop" animals are forced to pose for photos with tourists in Russian resorts, working under the scorching sun with little or no food, water or shade provided for them.
I am a big opponent of zoos and animal exploitation anywhere in the world, but Russia clearly has a problem to address here... and the parasailing donkey is just another example.
The culture of squandering: is there an antidote?
Vancouver journalist Bob Mackin is one of the most respected local reporters, so when he published a story about Russia's spending at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, I took notice. I mean, I've heard stories about insane dollars that the Russian delegation shed to promote Sochi games in Vancouver, but my jaw literally dropped when I read the findings of the June 18th audit of the Olympic spending commissioned by the Russian budget watchdog.
Russia House, February 2010
The most expensive item on the list was the Sochi Russia House. It came at a price of close to $8 million. I've been to Russia House myself during Vancover Olympics, and I could almost hear the sound of money going down the drain in that place. From non-stop entertainment to all-you-can-drink open bar, the decadence was in the air. I was told it was a way to show the so-called "Russian hospitality." I didn't buy that argument, but if that was part of the Sochi PR campaign, sure...
The next most costly item on the list was the Olympic flag handover ceremony. That wasn't much of an eye-opener either. These things are staged to impress, so blowing that much cash on a five-minute show, likely to be seen by millions of people around the world, made marketing sense.
But it was a different line of spending that made me cringe. The report points out that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko spent $29,980 on his 20-day stay at the Fairmont Hotel, plus $4,800 in breakfast vouchers and $300 for Internet access. By comparison, Canada’s Minister of State for Sport Gary Lunn billed Canadian taxpayers $10,213.49 for his Vancouver and Whistler hotel rooms from Feb. 4 to March 1. Not a bargain either, but the contrast is there. In fact, if you work out the numbers, Mr. Mutko's stay in Vancouver could probably have easily financed the equipment for the next generation of Russian bobsledders, for example. And I'm not talking about the elite up-and-coming athletes. I'm talking about the young kids back in the Russian periphery who have to share Soviet era sleds simply because their parents can't afford anything better. I understand that future Olympians have to be raised in Spartan conditions, but this is no Sparta, this is Absurdville, because these kids are the ones who will be expected to earn Russia those coveted medals in 2018 and beyond.
Of course, spending lavishly has always been part of elitist sub-culture in Russia. And that is a bigger part of the problem. In Russia, for people in power, the magical word LUXURY still means status, and status means respect. For middle-aged power elite in Russia, it still comes down to the kind of shoes you wear, the kind of car you drive, and the kind of posh ambience you create around yourself.
When President Medvedev toured the United States at the end of June, he and President Obama went for a burger at Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia. They went for a place that was as casual as it gets, very American, very conversation friendly... and, an absolute nightmare for any self-respecting businessman or politician in Russia. Anyone who considers themselves to be a prominent member of the business or political community in Russia wouldn't dare go to a burger joint for lunch. Instead, they would spend an hour driving to a very expensive restaurant, dine on the most expensive food and drinks imaginable.. all alone so as not to be bothered, and then spend another hour getting back to downtown Moscow to put on the busy face and go about their business again.
And that is exactly the kind of culture that Mr. Medvedev will have to fight, if he wants his Sillicon Valley mock-up project Skolkovo to succeed. When the Russian Presdient was visiting San Francisco in June, he Tweeted, "The biggest benefit that the Sillicon Valley provides is the conversation. Not the frivolous kind, but the business oriented, productive one."
And that is bang on. Skolkovo will never become the Sillicon Valley of the East, unless influential people in Russia don't stop wasting money on pretentiousness, trapped in their "insider" social circles. With the past focus on economy grounded in oil and gas, that might have still worked. But, with Russia's new ambition to re-orient themselves for technological innovations and being part of the global market, the love of ostentation has to be thrown out of the window because that is how the rest of the world operates. And that is the bottom line.
From Russia With Love … and Girl Power: Anna Malinovskaya Represents Russia at G(irls)20 Summit in Toronto
"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman" ~ Margaret Thatcher
If Margaret Thatcher’s words are anything to live by, women are clearly not being talked to enough. So what do women do? They throw together a summit to build a space where girls voices can be heard globally, all 3.3 billion of them. A group of teenage girls representing each of the G20 countries came to Toronto to do just that, ten days before the real-deal G20 meet-up …minus billion-dollar security and traffic disruptions. How ironic that 20 young, feeble girls would need less security than a bunch of powerful, grey-haired men.
But at the G(irls)20 summit, it is not about attendance, it is about participation. Without even showing up, anyone (whether male or female) can get their unique number on the G(irls)20 website and weigh in with the real solutions on the website’s forum page dubbed “The Change Room.” It is Day 3 of the summit, and already 615 suggestions from nearly 1,500 users have been filed.
G(irls)20 Summit - What is your number? Photo by Flickr user kimberly-lyn.
Anna Malinovskaya, a 2nd year international relations student from Khabarovsk, was chosen to represent Russia. She says she found out about the summit while browsing the web. Coincidentally, harnessing the power of the Internet was an important theme at this year's conference. The organizers of the G(irls)20 summit devoted an entire session to the use of digital media as an emancipation tool for women around the world, courtesy of the almighty Google.
Malinkovskaya has been paired up with 19 other girls from countries with very different economies, religions and histories. And, getting along would seem like a challenge.
“We almost don’t argue,” laughs Anna. “We have different visions, but we have a lot in common still.”
Supported by Canada’s Governor General, former minister Belinda Stronach, journalist Jennifer Hollett, Olympian Charmaine Crooks, and many other inspiring women, the G(irls)20 summit lays out the foundation of a global conversation about the economic prowess of girls and women.
One of the central tasks of the forum was to identify the greatest challenge facing girls and women today. I wanted to narrow down this question and ask Anna what she thought was the greatest challenge that Russian women in particular are facing.
“It is hard to single out one problem that Russian women have to deal with,” claims Malinkovskaya. “But I think women in Russia are not well represented in politics. There is not a single name people could recall when I asked them to name an influential female from Russia. And that is frustrating.”
Historically, a woman has never been elected to become Russia’s President. And although there are a lot of capable women in Russia who can probably handle the job of a President, the real question is whether Russia can handle a female leader.
“I don’t think Russia is ready for it now,” says Malinkovskaya. “But the potential and the ambition are definitely there.”
Surprisingly, Anna got a lot of interview requests from international press, but has yet to get one from the Russian media. She says the summit is not well publicized back in Russia.
I asked whether it was because a lot of people think negatively of global summits, dismissing them as a waste of time and money. Anna does not concur.
“I think any summit could be efficient or a total failure. It all depends on what the delegates bring to the table. If they seek to find common points of view to come up with solutions, then the summit has to work out.”
Just ask a woman.
World Cup 2010: Lukas Podolski and Yuri Gagarin – Find 10 differences
In the spirit of Day 3 of the World Cup and a triumphant victory of Germany against Australia today, I am posting the following side-by-side portraits of Germany's top forward Lukas Podolski and Russia's first man in space Yuri Gagarin.
Ever since I first saw Podolski play for Germany in 2006, I have been amazed by the striking similarity in physical appearance between the German player and Gagarin. For me, it is their eyes and smiles that look almost exactly the same!
The irony is that Yuri Gagarin is still remembered for his amazing personality and a very warm smile that captivated the world in 1961. A lot of actors tried playing his part in the movies that were shot about Gagarin's life after he was killed in 1968. But, finding an actor that actually looked liked Gagarin and radiated the same warm smile was next to impossible, and to this day I have yet to see a good cinematic impersonation of Gagarin.
My point? Maybe Podolski should be auditioned.
Government 2.0 In Russia: Megabyte Democracy — An Interview With Russian e-Gov Expert Alena Popova
For Alena Popova, a young Russian woman specializing in the so-called “electronic government,” a lot of international conferences go the same way.
When Alena tells people she is from Russia doing consulting work in Government 2.0, a common response to her “elevator pitch” is disbelief.
“Really? You have Gov 2.0 in Russia? Are you joking?" is what Alena says she gets a lot.
Alena Popova, one of the pioneers of Russia's attempt at Gov 2.0.
At last month’s Government 2.0 Expo in Washington D.C., Popova was in high demand. She is one of the pioneers of Government 2.0 communications in her native Russia.
“I kept on repeating 150 times a day that there are elements of Gov 2.0 in Russia and that this area is being actively developed. People started to ask questions.”
Alena says the interest toward how Government 2.0 is developing in Russia is high. And, the offers for partnership keep coming. For one, a community engagement site seeclickfix.com that is growing big in the United States by letting citizens report issues in their neighbourhoods is now also expanding into the Russian market.
“Ben Berkowitz (the co-founder of seeclickfix.com) is smart for recognizing this project could pick up in Russia,” says Alena.
Alena Popova is a representative of the new generation of Russian women – confident, smart, ambitious. So ambitious in fact that she says she wants to become Russia’s first female Prime Minister by 2015.
I have first heard about Alena on Twitter. Popova’s handle ranked way up there in the Russian list of “key influencers,” hence she made it onto my Twitter feed. I started paying attention when Alena began referencing the Russian version of Government 2.0, a mystery term to me at the time.
I consider myself to be quite web 2.0 literate, but I have never heard about electronic government before. It made me curious, so I turned to the omnipotent Wikipedia to find out what it actually stands for. Turns out the so-called “Government 2.0” is a system for “creating a comfortable, transparent, and cheap interaction between government and citizens.”
Once I got Alena to share her insights with me, I asked for her own definition of what Government 2.0 means.
“Often people say e-gov is all about new technology. I think that Gov 2.0 is about the new strategies of communication between citizens and people in power, the greater public control by people over government’s actions…”
Sounds good, but does it work in Russia?
Alena says they are not that much behind.
“There is a lot that still needs to be done, but we are moving forward.”
The bottom line according to Popova is that Gov 2.0 experts in Russia understand that citizens using government services should be the ones to decide what services are offered to them, that the politicians should be active online, and that the government can benefit from the social initiatives.
“Our President has a Twitter account and a blog. On top of that, he calls on government officials to react to the citizen appeals they get online in an efficient manner. But in Russia, there is no one platform for that, no government e-mail system…The use of agency work is not up to par either, which forces the government to take on the functions that are not the government’s primary job. So we are consulting with a lot with international experts to discover mechanisms of Government 2.0 that would actually work in our country.”
Meanwhile, Popova is battling it out on the home front.
Duma 2.0 is Alena's brainchild (Duma is Russian for "Parliament"). Originally, the project was supposed to become a place to bring citizens and government officials together. The job of the people would be to discuss current issues and changes to laws, while the job of the government would be to listen in.
Yet, this experiment in "megabyte democracy" turned out to be too big a bite for the Russians to chew.
«We understood that right now this scheme does not work,» Alena sums up. «Primarily because users in Russia give few suggestions, reverting to scolding instead. So the efficiency is low…We are the pioneers in this format. That is why we had failures that we learned from. But, Duma 2.0 piqued interest. And people are waiting to see what it will ultimately end up being.”
Alena says the online market in Russia is aware of her project, and so is Medvedev's administration. But Popova says she is not the one to see the world through pink coloured glasses.
“We realize that it is hard to get politicians to be open and accountable. But for now, we have the lobby of the President who helps along with different programs in the realm of government openness.”
Popova says open data will never be 100% accessible. But, how effectively will things that do become accessible work is something that only future will tell.
For now, Russian e-gov experts disagree on how long it will take the idea of Government 2.0 to find solid ground in Russia -- some say it will take 3-5 years, others say it could take up to a decade.
«I think the next two years will show how this area will develop in Russia,» says Alena. «One interesting fact – there are 2-3 mobile phones per household in Russia, but only 30% of households have access to Internet. Our e-government has to find a model that works under these circumstances. I believe in apps. Plus, the mobile Internet is growing very fast in Russia…But on some level it will depend on myself and the like-minded individuals who are ready to create, fail and create again, while looking for models that work.»
YTFILES -- Alena Popova can be found on Twitter @alenapopova.
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Russians Lose IIHF Title: Vancouver Olympics Nightmare Re-lived
So, it happened. Russia lost to Czech Republic 2-1 in the finals of the IIHF world championships in Germany.
But, is all lost? As in, will Russia lose again in Sochi in 2014? Because winning the hockey title seems to be the ultimate goal for the Russians in Sochi, part of the "if we lose hockey, doing well in any other sport does not really matter" mentality. Hockey is the king of winter sports in the minds of Russians, so losing in Sochi is technically not an option, but is it?
After the Olympics here in Vancouver, one of the Canadian reporters covering hockey during the winter games was complaining to me about the unwillingness of the Russian players to talk to the English-speaking media after the matches. He also told me one thing that really stuck in my mind -- he said Russian players have this "world against us" attitude. An attitude that they have now extended to include the Russian media after videos showing key Russian players smoking at a restaurant after the game with Kazakhstan popped up on the Internet, causing a massive outrage at home. After learning about the videos, the Russian team went on an organized "media strike" when the entire team shunned the reporters, leaving many important tactical questions answered in the midst of the tournament.
Ilya Kovalchuk devastated after loss. Photo credit: Martin Rose, Bongarts/Getty Images
But, if the team can "organize" themselves against Russian media in the wake of the allegations of discipline violations, they can "organize" themselves against anyone else, including coaches, staff, and management. One thing they sure could not organize themselves against today were the Czechs who wanted the victory ... badly. The last time that the Czechs won was in 2005, and the spark with which they played today was akin to the spark with which Ovechkin, Kovalcuk and others ended the 15-year title drought in the gold game victory over Canadians in 2008. That spark was not even remotely present in the game against the Czechs today.
So what is next? Well, fixing attitudes does not come easy. Hiring coaches that can make their players leave all the drama on the bench, concentrate on the game and convince them to be open and polite with media might be more attainable.
Meanwhile, Russia is ending a disastrous Olympic season with a silver IIHF world medal. Not too shabby if you really think about it.
Oscar-Winning Documentary “Moscow Strikes Back” – WW2 History: 1943 To 2010
May 9 marked the 65th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War. The Victory Day has always been very special in my family growing up. We were fortunate and none of my family passed away in that war, but the pain and the suffering that engulfed the nation hit so hard that six and a half decades later, we still feel it.. of course, myself being the third generation survivor, I know it from the accounts of others, but this intangible legacy is inherited, it is almost inbred.
This year around May 9, I came across the footage that I never knew existed. A documentary titled "Moscow Strikes Back" was shot in October 1941 and documented one the bloodiest and most pivotal points in WW2 - the Battle of Moscow. The movie received an Oscar at the 15th Academy Awards ceremony in 1943, half a world a way in the sunny Los Angeles where the ravaging war on the Eastern front was but a concept on the movie screen. A unifying thread, the movie symbolized an era when the US and the USSR were still allies, fighting against the same evil.
Here is an excerpt:
After watching the movie, I did some digging to find out more about the people behind the footage. It turns out the Soviet Union had 258 wartime videographers. Of them, every second one was injured, every forth - was killed. Collectively, they shot 3.5 million meters of tape, every centimeter of which had to be torn from the grip of death.
But, how much has changed? Thinking of dozens of reporters and cameramen dying on the front lines around the world every year, I think we ought to give more respect to the people who still dare risk their lives to document history for us ... after all, tape is one of the few things remaining that does not lie. It is how we choose to use and interpret it that is sometimes questionable...
Living The American Dream: Interview With Anna Trebunskaya Of Dancing With The Stars
Combine Russian ambitiousness with confidence of a Californian and you get Anna Trebunskaya. At least, that is an impression I got from talking to Anna about her life and career on America’s top dancing show “Dancing With The Stars.” Anna Trebunskaya is one of the professional dancers on "DWTS," and this season the stakes are high for Anna and her partner Olympic champion Evan Lysacek. Many predict the couple might make it into the finals, and maybe even win the show.
But, Anna’s journey into the spotlight has not been a predictable one. She moved to the US from Russia at 17, finding her purpose in dancing. Trebunskaya calls California her home now, but says Russia will always be a big part of her life. Right now, it seems she is living her American dream, enjoying the moment, while doing what she loves.
Here is an edited version of the script of my interview with Anna Trebunskaya (click on the audio file below to listen to the unedited version).
YTFiles: How are you, Anna? Thanks so much for joining me.
Anna Trebunskaya: I am very good. Thank you.
YTFiles: So, you guys are heading into Week 7 of competition on DWTS. And all these past weeks, you have been leading the pack interchangeably with Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough. Last week, you slid back in the rankings a little bit, but are still very much in the game. So, how do you guys feel? What was last week? Was it a sign of running out of gas?
Trebunskaya: The thing is Evan has a crazy schedule. He is not only doing "Dancing With The Stars," he also has commitments with "Smucker’s Stars On Ice." So we actually travel to a different city practically every day of the week. I think we kind of pushed ourselves too hard. And, then he ends up being hurt. He hurt his head; he had a mild concussion. I think that did not help us last week. I don’t want to blame it on the injury, but I think we just pushed ourselves a little too hard physically.
YTFiles: And is [Evan] still dancing on broken toes?
Trebunskaya: Yes, he is getting over the broken toes. It’s been five weeks, so the doctor said he could stop taping, and he has been off the prescription painkillers, so this thing is getting better.
YTFiles: The closest you have ever gotten to winning DWTS was [when you reached the finals] in season 2 with Jerry Rice. This year, many bets are on you and Evan to win this thing. How real do you think it is for you guys to come on top?
Trebunskaya: You know, the thing I have learned about our show...because this is my fifth season and I have only been in the final once,... it is such an unpredictable show. Because we do not really know how the audience are voting. We never know how many people have called and voted for us or somebody else. And, it is really anybody’s game when we get to the final, it really will be up to the audience for some couple to win or not.
YTFiles: Who of your competitors do you think have the most potential to win this season of "DWTS"?
Trebunskaya: You know it might sound kind of odd, but I’ve just really been enjoying watching Pamela Anderson progress. She is getting better every week. She is such a character, she is such a personality that I think America is going to be behind her. You know, I won’t be surprised if she will be in the final.
YTFiles: All we see as viewers of the show is glamour, beautiful extensions and awesome dances. But, there is obviously a lot of hard work behind the scenes. So, I am just wondering, logistics wise, how many hours a day do you and Evan train together?
Trebunskaya: Well, our schedule is pretty set...We normally start rehearsal at 9 and then we go until about 3 pm, and then he has to go skate, so we get about six, and sometimes more, sometimes less, hours a day.
YTFiles: Wow. That is a lot of work to put into this.
Trebunskaya: Yeah, that is the thing. People see the end result. They do not see us working 20 hours a week to get there. And, I just want to say that especially last week’s samba was a very challenging dance for Evan. And, if people could see where he started that dance, just being a little bit lost, you know with the hip action, and where he got on Monday, I mean it was such a huge progress.
YTFiles: I enjoyed that samba, by the way. I thought it was fantastic.
Trebunskaya: Thank you. I thought he was good too. I loved it. I enjoyed dancing it.
Anna Trebunskaya and Evan Lysacek. Photo credit: ABC.com
YTFiles: And of course, you have to follow Evan around quite a bit, when he goes on the "Stars on Ice Tour."
Trebunskaya: Right. I follow him everywhere.
YTFiles: So, is your life pretty much his life at this point?
Trebunskaya: Well, I kind of joke about it. I say, you know, I have an amazing opportunity to, first of all, dance with an Olympic gold medalist, that is pretty awesome. And secondly, I get to watch "Stars On Ice Tour" and hang out with Sasha Cohen, and Benjamin Agosto and Tanith Belbin, and Meryl [Davis] and Charlie [White]. I get to meet all these people, and hang out with them, but, you know, my life is what it is now, and that is just part of the deal.
YTFiles: In season 7 of "DWTS," you and your husband [edt. Jonathan Roberts -- also a dancer] decided to stay away from the show to concentrate on your competitive dancing. Is "DWTS" really such a chore that it just totally takes over your life, so that you can't concentrate on anything else?
Trebunskaya: Pretty much. I mean, especially when you get past the middle of the season, you have to commit all your time and energy to this show.
YTFiles: One question that a lot of people are wondering about is how do you actually get on this show as a dancer? How do you land this gig? Because it just seems like a dream job for any dancer.
Trebunskaya: Yeah, we had auditions ... About 60 people auditioned for six, or seven, spots at the time ... And, then it was whoever wanted to do it. People, they liked it, did not like. So, it was a couple of months of auditions before they settled on their professionals.
YTFiles: I also wanted to talk a little bit about your background and where you are coming from. Your family moved to the United States from Russia when you were 17 years old. How was your transition like? Did you have to find ways to fit in?
Trebunskaya: Absolutely. I mean I came [to the United States] right after high school. And obviously, you have all your friends in high school ... When I first came, I came to New York, which is a huge city and was totally overwhelming. And, I was a little lost for maybe the first year. I did not quite know if I fit in and what to do. But then I just really decided to turn professional and make dancing my career. And at this moment, I finally had purpose and everything since then was pretty clear.
YTFiles: So, at this point in your life, do you consider yourself Russian, American, or maybe a combination of both?
Trebunskaya: I am definitely a mutant. I mean, Russia will always be a very big part of my life. I visit a lot. I go back at least once a year. I visit my family. My Dad and all his family are still there. My Mom is in US. And, I am married now to an American, so his family is part of my family. So, I just feel like I could never go back to Russia. Like that would be absolutely painful for me. But, I have to go at least once a year and submerge myself into the culture, and the food and theatre, the language, and all of that. And then I come back home, which I consider California my home now, and I am with my husband doing my "American thing," as I call it...
YTFiles: And, so when you go back to Russia to visit, do people recognize you on the streets?
Trebunskaya: Well, they have their own "Dancing With The Stars" in Russia. I think when I go back to Russia, I am pretty normal. I don’t even consider myself to be a tourist, because I know my way around Moscow and my hometown. You know, I am just a normal person.
YTFiles: Well, you know, I have seen your name across Russian headlines. People are talking about you ... So, your name is definitely out there.
Trebunskaya: Maybe because of Evan, and because of his win in Vancouver. Maybe that is why.
YTFiles: I think you are a big part of it too.
Trebunskaya: Well, that is funny...
YTFiles: You are obviously an amazing dancer. Many people say that Russians are just naturally good at ballroom dancing. From your experience, do you think it is Russian nature or nurture that is really the reason why...
Trebunskaya: Russia is a big country, so we have a lot of talent. Also, it is so much in the culture: the ballet and gymnastics, and folk dance, and figure skating. It is so much part of Russian culture. And the way people look at it in Russia ... ballroom dancing ... is considered a sport ...I started when I was six. And, I started competing since I was seven. It was always more of a sport than just a form of art. I think that kind of mentality makes a lot of great dancers, or athletes, come out of Russia.
YTFiles: We have talked about your transition, and being very successful and you obviously enjoy what you do. So my question is -- are you living the American dream right now?
Trebunskaya: I pretty much am. I would never in a million years when I was, you know, ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old, I would never imagine myself being in America, dancing with an [Olympic] gold medalist, and I absolutely admire figure skating. And that is again coming from being Russian, and Olympic Games for us is like a religion. And, being on the most successful TV show in whole of USA, definitely I feel a little bit like a Cinderella sometimes.
Remembering Olympic Vancouver: Local Photographer Jeremy Lim Brings Back Olympic Memories In Colours2010 (Look For Russian Trikolor!)
It is one of those simple, yet brilliant ideas that you just wish you thought of yourself -- take an Olympic city, crazy fans, endless energy, the world coming together and immortalize it all in amazing photography.
Jeremy Lim, Colours2010.com
Jeremy Lim, Vancouver photographer and freelancer, did just that. He is behind Colours2010 - Celebrating The World In Vancouver, a photo project that had Lim spending nights walking the streets of Vancouver during the Games in search of photography gold -- sincere emotions on the faces of people from 33 different countries cheering for their colours.
I love the distinct Canadian-ness of this project though. From the red Olympic mittens that Jeremy is wearing in his project cover photo, to the little Canadian flag sticking out from his backpack, to the very Canadian spelling of "colours," the Canadiana is oozing rampant here.
"I'll remember the people I met - the handshakes, the hugs," says Jeremy on his site. "The jubilation after every victory. The dance parties. The awkward costumes. The comoradery and all the surprises. And I was there, to capture every last minute of it."
I second every word of that as I look back at my own Olympic experience.
And, for a little Russian twist, here are photos of the Russian fans that Jeremy let me re-post on my blog ... See you in Sochi?
**All photo copyright belongs to Jeremy Lim.