O is for the Olympics

The Olympics have ended. With a big finale as Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal for Canada. There were so many highlights about these games that I would like to address including Alexander Bilideau doing his amazing first jump in moguls, such an amazing feat would have been absolutely impossible for someone like me, who, in spite of my fearlessness can't jump over a little jump without falling and never trying it again, to do. Another highlight was in the men's' 1500m speed skating event when this Russian guy called Ivan Scobrev got on the ice. On the T.V. you could see what the pace line was to beat the time, if you were skating beyond that line, you would be in first place, which Ivan was. Way beyond that line in fact. He was huffing and puffing and seemed as though he was going to fall behind but he didn't. When he crossed the finish line he threw off his hood, looked up at the screen showing his time, and the most magnificent face of the whole Olympic Winter Games was visible for the world to see. It was a mixture between shock, joy and relief that melted on to his open mouthed expression. It is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Unfortunately for him, Mark Tuitert was next and got another gold for Holland (YEAH!!!), the guy that he was against (Havard Bokko) got bronze, and Shani Davis got silver. I felt sad for the Russian guy.

With all the highlights there were lowlights as well. Very sad lowlights. The whole 16 million people in the Netherlands were watching as Sven Kramer was making the Olympic record in the 5km speed skating race. I was clapping and cheering my heart out until the commentator said,

Wait, there seems to be a problem. It seems to be that Sven Kramer of The Netherlands has been disqualified for incorrect lane changing.'

That's about when my dad called from India to tell us that it was three o'clock in the morning there in India and that Sven Kramer actually did get disqualified. It was quite horrible. Imagine how Sven might feel. I can tell you, its anything but good. Oh well, it was just an Olympic gold medal right?

Another thing about the Olympics was the mistakes. I asked one of my teachers and she said that there was absolutely wrong just a few minor misshaps. In the eyes of the rest of the world however, things like a tower not rising at the opening ceremonies was an event of shame upon Canada. What was particularly interesting was that with the first race of the speed skating event, the zambonies spilled hot water everywhere and caused an hour delay. You have my teacher saying that it was great how it was fixed in only an hour, and you also have Erben Wennemars commentating on the dutch radio saying how shameful it must be for Canada to be in this position and a bunch of other stuff. Nationalism, something I will never understand.

I do think though that this was a wonderful Olympics that was very exciting to watch and I enjoyed it very much. Especially the Norwegian men's' curling pants.

Life Lesson: The Olympics only come four times a year. Don't mess up.

G is for Gravel Pit

West Montrose, the little village with a population too small to put on Wikipedia, has a problem. The gravel pit makers have decided that money will be spilling into their doors by building a gravel pit in the West Montrose area. As you might imagine there are quite a few problems with this proposition.



Firstly, they are planning to build this evil gravel farm right next to a Mennonite school. The school a room with a homemade ice rink and a minny baseball diamond. the children walk to school every day on the road. Imagine a beautiful Jigs Hollow road, a road with corn fields on either side, it's as if you can see the world just drop down at the end of the corn field, bulldozed and replaced by tall ugly mountains of grey rubble. Horrible loud beeping sounds coming through the wall as the teacher is yelling as loud as she can so that the children can here what she's saying. Would you like to be in that position? The worst part about it is that the gravel pit making people never even spoke to anyone living there if they were okay with it. They just wrote a letter to the council and started making their plans.

Another problem is all the tourists. Who would want to go somewhere where all you can see is a mountain of grey rubble. Where the blend of green grass and blue river and that marvellous covered bridge leaves you lift your foot off the gas pedal of your car and stare at the beauty until you finally realize that five minutes have gone by and you have to get to where you're going is gone. All gone.

It ruins everything. From the fact that the covered bridge is called the kissing bridge to the fact of those poor Mennonite students. Who would want to wake up every morning to the sound of trucks beeping as they load up the gravel from that life-takingly ugly pit. Could you please shake those dollar signs out of your eyes and listen to the cries of us West Montrosenites. We don't want our lives distorted by your bulldozers of doom so leave us in peace.

Life Lesson: Consult everyone involved before making any radical decisions.

B is for Brushing Your Teeth

As you might have noticed while reading my blog, you might have figured out that I am a very strange child. Very strange indeed. I like things that nobody else does in this world. I even look forward to dentist appointments. You see, I haven't ever had a problem with my teeth. I also really like the hygenist who I've had for as long as I can remember.

Why would you not brush your teeth? It's such an easy thing to do and yet half of the worlds' population doesn't do it. It's the difference between having people cringe whenever your talking to close to them and people telling you to smile more often because it looks so nice.

One of the people I'm adrressing in this post is a friend of mine named Marina. She's a wonderful person and one of my best freinds, but she never brushes her teeth (she does but not very often). As a result, her teeth are constantly yellow along the top of her teeth. I've told her many times that she should brush her teeth at least once a day, instead of once every three days like she does but she just won't listen. And when she does, she says she just can't be bothered. Also as a result of not brushing her teeth, she is constantly at the dentist getting another filling.

Fillings hurt. So do drills, x-rays, and other nasty things that the dentist puts in your mouth. Brush your teeth twice a day and you will be free of nasty dentist appointments and you'll actually look forward to them. Dentists are not here in this wrold because they want to drill holes in your mouth or because they want to torture you with putting your mouth in the most uncomfertable position you can think of. They are here to help you smile without feeling embarrassed. They are your friends.

Life lesson:
Doctors are your friends when you brush your teeth twice a day.