Monday morning, my final day in Vancouver, saw me heading off with my host to the Vanoc 'Sale of Assets' from both the Olympics and the Paralympics. I was going more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else, although I might have bought a volunteer's uniform if they'd had one, as it would be useful for when I give talks about my experiences. The queue had begun in the early hours of the morning apparently and the day's supply of laptops and TVs were sold out just after we arrived at 9am, which was the official opening time. Apart from these items, it was mainly furniture, tools and small 'household articles' such as toasters, etc. More supplies are added each day which is good, and I guess the variety will increase as more venues are decommissioned and closed down. This is certainly a good way of both recycling goods, thus avoiding waste, and also a good way for the organisers to recoup some of their costs.
Not all items are sold though. A few days after my arrival in Vancouver I read a newspaper article which said that a lot of the items that Team GB bought to equip their offices in Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics were given to a charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged children. This is a good news story that probably deserves wider publicity - not only were the shipping costs saved but people were helped by this action.
After the sale, we went for coffee and a walk in the sunshine at Steveston, a local fishing town, before returning to do my packing. A nice lunch with some distant relatives of my mother who'd been out of town until a few days ago followed, before I was taken to the airport. The time between check-in and departure provided opportunity for reflection on the whole experience.....
Wednesday 24 March 2010
Tuesday 23 March 2010
My last shift
Sunday was my last shift in the Village, and also the last day that the Multi-Faith Centre will be fully staffed. That seemed quite strange as I walked in early this morning. I quickly got on with the first task though, which was to finalise preparation for the advertised 9am morning service, even though both myself and the other chaplain on duty thought it unlikely that anyone would come. This is partly because we knew that at least 3 teams were heading up to Whistler this morning to settle into the Athletes' Village there prior to the Closing Ceremony this evening; and we also knew that a significant number of athletes had gathered in the athletes' lounge until quite late last night to relax and celebrate the fact that competition was over for those involved in Vancouver-based sports. (Alpine events in Whistler also finished yesterday but Nordic skiing events continue until mid-afternoon today.) It turned out that we were right - no-one came in at 9am. However, we did have quite a few people who called into the centre to visit, chat or ask questions, and we gave away quite a few leaflets, books and Bibles to those who asked for them.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.
That 'end of term' feeling
Saturday was the first day of spring according to the local free newspaper I picked up outside the station, and the weather was certainly spring-like as I journeyed to the Athletes' Village.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.
Sunday 21 March 2010
Final Friday
Friday saw the continuation of yesterday's wonderful weather. Just like on day one, a few people could be seen out enjoying the warm weather wearing shorts. From the Athletes' Village, though, snow can still be seen on the mountains north of Vancouver - and there is, of course, plenty of snow where it's needed in Whistler where the Alpine and Nordic skiing events are still continuing.
My shift started earlier than scheduled as I wanted to finish a bit earlier this evening. There seemed to be a few more people around on the streets of the Village today, possibly because competition has ended for quite a few people now, as the round robin phase of the Wheelchair curling is over, and today was a rest day apart from one tie-breaker game. Various conversations and visits filled the day, plus spending some time in the Multi-Faith Centre. One thing that's important at this stage in an event is still to keep focused, even though many people's eyes have begin to turn to packing up, if not actually to returning home. This is just as true for athletes as it is for chaplains and other volunteers and staff. We chaplains need to remember two things at this stage. Firstly, that there may well still be new people to meet and talk to, especially perhaps as athletes begin to reflect on what they have or have not achieved, and whether their aims and expectations have been fulfilled. Secondly we need to make sure that any loose ends are tied, either by us making sure we say proper farewells and finish conversations and contacts appropriately or by us making sure that anyone who wants or needs it can be fixed up with continuing pastoral care, either through continued contact with us or by them being referred to someone nearer their home.
After my shift, I headed off to the Thunderbird Arena to see my first ever ice sledge hockey match. This came about as my hosts had a spare ticket and very generously invited me to join them. It was the bronze medal match, and as tickets for medal matches had sold out a while ago it was a real privilege to be able to go - and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I understood the finer points of the rules, but it certainly is a very fast, exciting and physical game and I had a great evening. Ice sledge hockey follows the same rules as Ice Hockey with a few small modifications. Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip double-ended sicks, one in each hand. At one end is a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, whilst the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck. One can only admire the strength that the players must have to propel themselves across the ice using only their arms and their upper bodies, whilst also needing to be able to pass the relatively small puck around with accuracy. The match was between Canada and Norway, with Norway winning the match and hence the bronze medal. I think it was hard for the Canadian players losing in front of their home crowd after so much expectation had been heaped upon them, but I was impressed with the behaviour of both players and spectators after the event.
My shift started earlier than scheduled as I wanted to finish a bit earlier this evening. There seemed to be a few more people around on the streets of the Village today, possibly because competition has ended for quite a few people now, as the round robin phase of the Wheelchair curling is over, and today was a rest day apart from one tie-breaker game. Various conversations and visits filled the day, plus spending some time in the Multi-Faith Centre. One thing that's important at this stage in an event is still to keep focused, even though many people's eyes have begin to turn to packing up, if not actually to returning home. This is just as true for athletes as it is for chaplains and other volunteers and staff. We chaplains need to remember two things at this stage. Firstly, that there may well still be new people to meet and talk to, especially perhaps as athletes begin to reflect on what they have or have not achieved, and whether their aims and expectations have been fulfilled. Secondly we need to make sure that any loose ends are tied, either by us making sure we say proper farewells and finish conversations and contacts appropriately or by us making sure that anyone who wants or needs it can be fixed up with continuing pastoral care, either through continued contact with us or by them being referred to someone nearer their home.
After my shift, I headed off to the Thunderbird Arena to see my first ever ice sledge hockey match. This came about as my hosts had a spare ticket and very generously invited me to join them. It was the bronze medal match, and as tickets for medal matches had sold out a while ago it was a real privilege to be able to go - and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I understood the finer points of the rules, but it certainly is a very fast, exciting and physical game and I had a great evening. Ice sledge hockey follows the same rules as Ice Hockey with a few small modifications. Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip double-ended sicks, one in each hand. At one end is a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, whilst the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck. One can only admire the strength that the players must have to propel themselves across the ice using only their arms and their upper bodies, whilst also needing to be able to pass the relatively small puck around with accuracy. The match was between Canada and Norway, with Norway winning the match and hence the bronze medal. I think it was hard for the Canadian players losing in front of their home crowd after so much expectation had been heaped upon them, but I was impressed with the behaviour of both players and spectators after the event.
Saturday 20 March 2010
Whistler revisited
Thursday dawned dry, bright and clear, which was great as another chaplain and I were due to head up to Whistler for the day. This would be my second visit but this one was a mixture of work and play - although it was a day off for both of us, part of the reason for going up was to visit the Whistler Athletes' village so that we could compare and contrast it to the Vancouver one, as well as meet with the chaplaincy team up there.
Despite an early start, the glorious weather meant that the journey along the coastal 'sea to sky' route was wonderful - the very brief glimpses of splendour and beauty that I'd seen through the rain and low cloud last Saturday were but a foretaste of the glorious scenery I saw on the same route today - a mix of sea, greenery, mountains, snow, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. What a wonderful start to a day!
The Whistler Paralympic Athletes' Village is larger than Vancouver's, and nestles in the shadow of tree-lined and snow-topped mountains. The residential buildings are built in a traditional local style, but apart from them and a couple of other buildings, everything else is housed in temporary tented structures. Not that you'd know they were tents when inside them, as they are large and very strong. Someone said that the one housing the polyclinic designed and built along the same lines as those which house large medical facilities used by the armed forces in places such as Afghanistan etc. The Multi-Faith Centre is smaller and more compact than the Vancouver one, but is housed within a 'Residents' Centre' which means that it is in a building naturally visited by athletes, unlike the Vancouver one; so both pluses and minuses there. In addition to catching up with Carolyn, it was good to meet most members of the chaplaincy team there, including a chaplain whom I first met and worked with in Berlin last year. I felt like I already knew them as we've seen each other's names on the rota and have been praying for each other, but it was good to meet in the flesh.
After this visit, we headed into Whistler itself, and took the opportunity to go up Whistler Mountain in a gondola - the scale of the mountains can be envisaged by the fact that this journey was a full 15 minutes long. We then took a trip across the valley to the top of Blackcomb Mountain on the Peak2Peak gondola. This is a 2.75mile journey which includes the world's longest unsupported span of 1.88miles! It is also the highest lift of its kind in the world at 436 metres above the valley floor. A third world record is claimed by it being the longest continuous lift system on the globe. These facts, plus the grandeur of the mountains and spectacular surrounding scenery and the glorious weather mean that superlatives abound - reinforced by the fact that we made the return journey in a glass-bottomed gondola! Awesome is one word used to describe it all - it certainly very loudly speaks of a wonderful Creator God.
One 'side effect' of the fact that those of us connected with the Paralympics tend to spend the whole time with our accreditation pass hanging around our necks, was that in the queue for and on the Peak2Peak we were able to speak at some length about the work of the Multi-Faith Centre with the 'Chef de Mission' [leader of the delegation] and members of one of the national ski teams competing here, as well as a few other people we encountered. Sadly, I wasn't so bold when I later saw Lord Sebastian Coe standing in the centre of Whistler.....
Despite an early start, the glorious weather meant that the journey along the coastal 'sea to sky' route was wonderful - the very brief glimpses of splendour and beauty that I'd seen through the rain and low cloud last Saturday were but a foretaste of the glorious scenery I saw on the same route today - a mix of sea, greenery, mountains, snow, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. What a wonderful start to a day!
The Whistler Paralympic Athletes' Village is larger than Vancouver's, and nestles in the shadow of tree-lined and snow-topped mountains. The residential buildings are built in a traditional local style, but apart from them and a couple of other buildings, everything else is housed in temporary tented structures. Not that you'd know they were tents when inside them, as they are large and very strong. Someone said that the one housing the polyclinic designed and built along the same lines as those which house large medical facilities used by the armed forces in places such as Afghanistan etc. The Multi-Faith Centre is smaller and more compact than the Vancouver one, but is housed within a 'Residents' Centre' which means that it is in a building naturally visited by athletes, unlike the Vancouver one; so both pluses and minuses there. In addition to catching up with Carolyn, it was good to meet most members of the chaplaincy team there, including a chaplain whom I first met and worked with in Berlin last year. I felt like I already knew them as we've seen each other's names on the rota and have been praying for each other, but it was good to meet in the flesh.
After this visit, we headed into Whistler itself, and took the opportunity to go up Whistler Mountain in a gondola - the scale of the mountains can be envisaged by the fact that this journey was a full 15 minutes long. We then took a trip across the valley to the top of Blackcomb Mountain on the Peak2Peak gondola. This is a 2.75mile journey which includes the world's longest unsupported span of 1.88miles! It is also the highest lift of its kind in the world at 436 metres above the valley floor. A third world record is claimed by it being the longest continuous lift system on the globe. These facts, plus the grandeur of the mountains and spectacular surrounding scenery and the glorious weather mean that superlatives abound - reinforced by the fact that we made the return journey in a glass-bottomed gondola! Awesome is one word used to describe it all - it certainly very loudly speaks of a wonderful Creator God.
One 'side effect' of the fact that those of us connected with the Paralympics tend to spend the whole time with our accreditation pass hanging around our necks, was that in the queue for and on the Peak2Peak we were able to speak at some length about the work of the Multi-Faith Centre with the 'Chef de Mission' [leader of the delegation] and members of one of the national ski teams competing here, as well as a few other people we encountered. Sadly, I wasn't so bold when I later saw Lord Sebastian Coe standing in the centre of Whistler.....
Friday 19 March 2010
First Nations
Wednesday was a long day for me in the Athletes' Village due to various shift swaps amongst the chaplaincy team. I remained in the centre for 2 chunks of the day to be a presence and to greet anyone who called by, but I also got out and about visiting around the Village. This took me to the Polyclinic as usual, to the Paralympic GB base, and to a couple of other places I've been visiting where people hang out. The Multi-Faith Centre was visited by various people today, mostly individuals but also a group of Buddhists including 2 monks in their saffron robes who came to hold a ceremony.
Another feature of today for me was notification of the publication of two web-based articles about my role within the work of the chaplaincy. One arose from my interview a few days ago with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday programme, and the other arose from a 'chance' meeting at last week's Torch Relay with a lady who blogs for the Daily Telegraph under the name of 'Ice Maiden'. Both provide a different dimension to the work I've been doing here so, if you'd like to read them, here's both links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8569000/8569685.stm
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/expat/lucyhyslop/10138112/forget-physical-lets-get-spiritual/
One of the visits I did today was to the small exhibition in the Athletes' Village by the 'Four Host First Nations' so that I could learn more about them. Mention has been made of these peoples early on in my time here, on the days of the Village Inauguration and the Torch Relay. First Nations are one of the 3 distinct group of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The others are the Inuit and the Metis. The Olympic and Paralympic organisers have been keen to involve 4 of the First Nations as partners, because the Games are being held on their traditional and shared traditional territories - those of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Taleil-Waututh nations. These nations have co-existed as neighbours for centuries, and have used and occupied the lands and waters of their traditional territories for as long as they can remember. Across Canada, there are around 756,700 First Nations people living in more than 630 communities, as well as in rural and urban areas. They are incredibly diverse with more than 50 nations and languages. Many are young, and the Games organisers have been keen to honour the role of the Four Host First Nations, as well as to make sure that they share in the legacy of the Games.
Another feature of today for me was notification of the publication of two web-based articles about my role within the work of the chaplaincy. One arose from my interview a few days ago with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday programme, and the other arose from a 'chance' meeting at last week's Torch Relay with a lady who blogs for the Daily Telegraph under the name of 'Ice Maiden'. Both provide a different dimension to the work I've been doing here so, if you'd like to read them, here's both links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8569000/8569685.stm
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/expat/lucyhyslop/10138112/forget-physical-lets-get-spiritual/
One of the visits I did today was to the small exhibition in the Athletes' Village by the 'Four Host First Nations' so that I could learn more about them. Mention has been made of these peoples early on in my time here, on the days of the Village Inauguration and the Torch Relay. First Nations are one of the 3 distinct group of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The others are the Inuit and the Metis. The Olympic and Paralympic organisers have been keen to involve 4 of the First Nations as partners, because the Games are being held on their traditional and shared traditional territories - those of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Taleil-Waututh nations. These nations have co-existed as neighbours for centuries, and have used and occupied the lands and waters of their traditional territories for as long as they can remember. Across Canada, there are around 756,700 First Nations people living in more than 630 communities, as well as in rural and urban areas. They are incredibly diverse with more than 50 nations and languages. Many are young, and the Games organisers have been keen to honour the role of the Four Host First Nations, as well as to make sure that they share in the legacy of the Games.
Thursday 18 March 2010
Unbeaten
Tuesday began much more slowly than most days as I wasn't due into the Village for a full shift. So after my slow start, I set off for a long walk in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, which is near where I'm staying, and then out onto the coast road. I took in a nature trail and a brief visit to the Botanical Gardens on the way, before dropping down onto a beach. My plan to continue my walk around the headland on the beach was thwarted by large rocks and some uncertainty about tides, and so I had to climb back up the same 488 steps to the coast road (yes, I did count them!). I was later told that I could have got round the headland without fear of tides even though it can be a bit of a scramble in places - oh well..... It was good to spend time amongst the greenery of the forest listening to birds, frogs and all sorts of other noises, and also to sit on a bench on the beach simply staring out at the ocean, before heading back on the bus into the bustle of the city part of Vancouver.
I arrived at the Athletes' Village mid-afternoon, in time for a Bible study, prayer, and reflection time with the coordinator of the Multi-Faith Centres and other chaplains, followed later by some visiting around village and some admin.
In the evening there was a movie premier in 'The Living Room' as the athletes lounge here is called. This is a central venue where drinks are available (non-alcoholic as in all Olympic and Paralympic villages), plus all sorts of computer games, more active games like pool etc, and loads of spaces to chill out, play games, watch TV, listen to music, and just relax. Some of the chaplains spend time in here during the evenings when it is most used just hanging around, building relationships and talking with athletes. As I've done so many early shifts, I haven't been doing this, and so tonight was a chance to do just that as well as watch the movie.
The movie in question was "Unbeaten". This is a documentary film which follows a group of 31 athletes as they compete in what is said to be the world's longest and toughest wheelchair race - a gruelling 430 kilometres (268 miles) from Fairbanks to Anchorage in Alaska. They compete in either wheelchairs or arm-cycles, and are all people (male and female) who've been injured in shootings, falls and vehicle accidents. It is an amazing movie and very eye-opening. Watch it if you can, especially if you want to get a powerful insight into a world that many of us don't have direct personal experience of.
I arrived at the Athletes' Village mid-afternoon, in time for a Bible study, prayer, and reflection time with the coordinator of the Multi-Faith Centres and other chaplains, followed later by some visiting around village and some admin.
In the evening there was a movie premier in 'The Living Room' as the athletes lounge here is called. This is a central venue where drinks are available (non-alcoholic as in all Olympic and Paralympic villages), plus all sorts of computer games, more active games like pool etc, and loads of spaces to chill out, play games, watch TV, listen to music, and just relax. Some of the chaplains spend time in here during the evenings when it is most used just hanging around, building relationships and talking with athletes. As I've done so many early shifts, I haven't been doing this, and so tonight was a chance to do just that as well as watch the movie.
The movie in question was "Unbeaten". This is a documentary film which follows a group of 31 athletes as they compete in what is said to be the world's longest and toughest wheelchair race - a gruelling 430 kilometres (268 miles) from Fairbanks to Anchorage in Alaska. They compete in either wheelchairs or arm-cycles, and are all people (male and female) who've been injured in shootings, falls and vehicle accidents. It is an amazing movie and very eye-opening. Watch it if you can, especially if you want to get a powerful insight into a world that many of us don't have direct personal experience of.
Wednesday 17 March 2010
The Multi-Faith Centre
Monday morning saw me back on duty, and back at the bus stop in the pouring rain as I headed into the Athletes' Village for another early shift. The routine once there was much the same as usual, a combination of being in the Multi-Faith Centre in case anyone called by, and of being out and about visiting around the Village, and talking to people wherever they might be. Today was actually a busy day in the Multi-Faith Centre and I think we had the most visitors we've had in one day. These included
Sadly, we're at the end of a very long corridor which might put some people off, but it has been decorated with pictures and hangings to make it less stark. At the end of the corridor, we have a comfortable foyer with easy chairs, a television, tea & coffee making facilities, and a table with computer etc for our administrator - he shares with the chaplains the role of greeting visitors. Chaplains often sit here when they're in the Centre, and if anyone just wants a chat rather than a confidential conversation this is a nice place for it to happen. Leading off the foyer we have several other rooms. There is a small prayer room, often used by the Hindus and Buddhists but available for other faiths too; a larger prayer room, mostly used by the Christians for larger gatherings and for Roman Catholic Mass, but also available to other faiths if they need a large room (eg for Muslim Friday prayers); a Muslim Prayer Room for men; a smaller prayer room which was used as the Muslim Prayer Room for women during the Olympics, but is now also used as a smaller prayer room for whichever faith wants to use it; a nicely furnished room to be used as a counselling room or for any confidential conversations; and an office-type room, which can also be used for private conversations with people who call in; a storeroom; and two toilets. The design of the Centre provides both challenge and opportunity - a challenge to have such multi-use rooms and provide spaces for all major faiths whilst still enabling each to keep their own integrity, and an opportunity to demonstrate practical interfaith cooperation. Several people have commented that it'd be good if more of the world could cooperate as we do here.....
- a person who'd been to a Prayer and Bible Study session earlier on in the Paralympics who wanted to talk again (she later came back again to attend the evening Bible Study and Prayer session led by one of the other chaplains);
- people involved in another future major event who wanted to familiarise themselves with they might do about 'Religious Services Provision' when planning their event (people from London 2012 and Sochi 2014 have already been round);
- someone who is a lay pastor of his church alongside his Monday to Friday job who wanted to make contact;
- someone who wanted us to pray for his work colleague;
- an athlete who wanted to share something and ask for prayer;
- people we'd visited in various places who came to see what our place was like
Sadly, we're at the end of a very long corridor which might put some people off, but it has been decorated with pictures and hangings to make it less stark. At the end of the corridor, we have a comfortable foyer with easy chairs, a television, tea & coffee making facilities, and a table with computer etc for our administrator - he shares with the chaplains the role of greeting visitors. Chaplains often sit here when they're in the Centre, and if anyone just wants a chat rather than a confidential conversation this is a nice place for it to happen. Leading off the foyer we have several other rooms. There is a small prayer room, often used by the Hindus and Buddhists but available for other faiths too; a larger prayer room, mostly used by the Christians for larger gatherings and for Roman Catholic Mass, but also available to other faiths if they need a large room (eg for Muslim Friday prayers); a Muslim Prayer Room for men; a smaller prayer room which was used as the Muslim Prayer Room for women during the Olympics, but is now also used as a smaller prayer room for whichever faith wants to use it; a nicely furnished room to be used as a counselling room or for any confidential conversations; and an office-type room, which can also be used for private conversations with people who call in; a storeroom; and two toilets. The design of the Centre provides both challenge and opportunity - a challenge to have such multi-use rooms and provide spaces for all major faiths whilst still enabling each to keep their own integrity, and an opportunity to demonstrate practical interfaith cooperation. Several people have commented that it'd be good if more of the world could cooperate as we do here.....
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Learning from each other
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Canada changed its clocks to daylight saving time, so we all lost an hour's sleep. However, as I'd swapped shifts to help another chaplain who wanted to work today rather than next weekend, Sunday became another day off for me, and so I didn't have such an early start as I might have done. This meant I could attend church in the morning with my host family. They go to a Community Church in the Pentecostal tradition, and so the service was quite different both to my church at home and to the one I attended last Sunday. I enjoyed it though and, amongst other things, was especially impressed by the ministry of welcome. My hosts had gone on ahead as they had responsibilities in church, and so I walked to church and arrived alone. I was greeted very warmly and sensitively, and then invited to share in tea or coffee plus cake before the service began. Although I slightly missed the pattern of a set liturgy, it was good to sing some of the same worship songs as we do at St Michael's, West Andover. Besides some fresh aspects to the ministry of welcome, there were also several other ideas that I wish to take back to the UK with me; as there are from last week's service at a very different church; as there are from some of the conversations I've had with other chaplains. This is part of the joy of belonging to a worldwide church: there are things that we can learn from each other and apply and adapt to our own context.
In the afternoon, we went into the centre of Vancouver and visited a couple of the exhibition pavilions set up for the Paralympics. The queues for a couple of others were much too long to join - the wait in the queue for one attraction was said to be 4 hours but this was short compared to the 8 hours that I was told was the case sometimes during the Olympics!! One sadness connected to these exhibitions is that there are far fewer of them for the Paralympics than for the Olympics. Whilst I realise that there is a smaller number of both athletes and spectators, plus acknowledge the financial implications of them all staying open for both events, I do wonder what some of the Paralympians thought when they arrived to find so many things already being dismantled. With this and other factors in mind, it was interesting to hear the debate in the Vancouver media last week as to whether the Paralympics should perhaps precede the Olympics or even run concurrently..... The numbers of athletes would almost certainly be too big for a Summer Olympics and Paralympics to run concurrently, but this is certainly an interesting issue to ponder - balancing the positives that each event could give to the other with the loss of more narrowly defined and specific focus for each event.
In the afternoon, we went into the centre of Vancouver and visited a couple of the exhibition pavilions set up for the Paralympics. The queues for a couple of others were much too long to join - the wait in the queue for one attraction was said to be 4 hours but this was short compared to the 8 hours that I was told was the case sometimes during the Olympics!! One sadness connected to these exhibitions is that there are far fewer of them for the Paralympics than for the Olympics. Whilst I realise that there is a smaller number of both athletes and spectators, plus acknowledge the financial implications of them all staying open for both events, I do wonder what some of the Paralympians thought when they arrived to find so many things already being dismantled. With this and other factors in mind, it was interesting to hear the debate in the Vancouver media last week as to whether the Paralympics should perhaps precede the Olympics or even run concurrently..... The numbers of athletes would almost certainly be too big for a Summer Olympics and Paralympics to run concurrently, but this is certainly an interesting issue to ponder - balancing the positives that each event could give to the other with the loss of more narrowly defined and specific focus for each event.
Monday 15 March 2010
Whistler
After a long and tiring Friday, it was good that Saturday was my next day off. My host family were going skiing in Whistler, and had invited me to go with them, and I was pleased to be able to accept. The journey up the coast wasn't as picturesque as it could have been due to rain and low cloud, but I did get glimpses of the beauty and splendour of the 'sea to sky' route as it's known.
On arrival in Whistler, my host family went off skiing whilst I headed into the village to meet Carolyn. It was good to catch up with her after a week, and to hear how the chaplaincy is going in the Athletes' Village in Whistler. This is where all the snow-based Paralympians and their support staff are located. As there are more teams and athletes here, it is busier than the Vancouver Village, and a good number of athletes have dropped into the Whistler Multi-Faith Centre, even though attendances at Prayer and Bible Study sessions haven't yet been that great. It was also interesting to note that some things which seem to work well in Vancouver don't work so well in Whistler - which just goes to show that chaplaincy, and indeed all Christian ministry, needs to take account of its context in order best to fulfil its aim.
After Carolyn left to begin her shift at 2pm, I explored Whistler itself, including the Aboriginal (First Nations) Centre and the Austria House. The latter was built on sustainable and energy efficient principles and after the Paralympics will become part of the legacy to the Whistler community. During the Games, it is home to the Austrian Paralympic Committee, and as part of that it offers tasters of Austrian food and hospitality. To do this it is staffed by a lecturer and group of tourism students from Austria and, as such, is an example of how the Games can also provide all sorts of opportunities outside of sport. I also enjoyed a longish walk around one of the cross-country ski trails. Although there is a lot of good snow in and around Whistler, especially at higher altitudes, the cross-country ski trails have closed a few weeks early due to the warm weather last month.
After my host family returned from their skiing, we ate together before going to the medal ceremonies for the day's snow events. At these Paralympics, as with the preceding Olympics, these ceremonies are conducted in the evening to enable more people to attend them. We also visited an exhibition highlighting some of the developments and innovations that have taken place in Paralympic sport over the years, before returning to Vancouver in time for me to conduct a live telephone interview with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday morning programme - it was really strange speaking on a Sunday morning programme whilst it was still Saturday here.....
On arrival in Whistler, my host family went off skiing whilst I headed into the village to meet Carolyn. It was good to catch up with her after a week, and to hear how the chaplaincy is going in the Athletes' Village in Whistler. This is where all the snow-based Paralympians and their support staff are located. As there are more teams and athletes here, it is busier than the Vancouver Village, and a good number of athletes have dropped into the Whistler Multi-Faith Centre, even though attendances at Prayer and Bible Study sessions haven't yet been that great. It was also interesting to note that some things which seem to work well in Vancouver don't work so well in Whistler - which just goes to show that chaplaincy, and indeed all Christian ministry, needs to take account of its context in order best to fulfil its aim.
After Carolyn left to begin her shift at 2pm, I explored Whistler itself, including the Aboriginal (First Nations) Centre and the Austria House. The latter was built on sustainable and energy efficient principles and after the Paralympics will become part of the legacy to the Whistler community. During the Games, it is home to the Austrian Paralympic Committee, and as part of that it offers tasters of Austrian food and hospitality. To do this it is staffed by a lecturer and group of tourism students from Austria and, as such, is an example of how the Games can also provide all sorts of opportunities outside of sport. I also enjoyed a longish walk around one of the cross-country ski trails. Although there is a lot of good snow in and around Whistler, especially at higher altitudes, the cross-country ski trails have closed a few weeks early due to the warm weather last month.
After my host family returned from their skiing, we ate together before going to the medal ceremonies for the day's snow events. At these Paralympics, as with the preceding Olympics, these ceremonies are conducted in the evening to enable more people to attend them. We also visited an exhibition highlighting some of the developments and innovations that have taken place in Paralympic sport over the years, before returning to Vancouver in time for me to conduct a live telephone interview with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday morning programme - it was really strange speaking on a Sunday morning programme whilst it was still Saturday here.....
Sunday 14 March 2010
Opening Ceremony Day
Instead of snow, it was rain that greeted me on Friday as I walked to catch the bus into the Village for another early shift. Despite the weather, there did seem to be more people around in the Village, though, perhaps because Opening Ceremony Day has finally arrived, and so the Tenth Paralympic Winter Games are about to begin.
The shift started as usual with some admin and preparation, followed by an expectant wait to see if anyone would come for the 9am Bible Study, but they didn't. A visit to the Polyclinic followed. However, before that visit there was a telephone called which drastically changed the shape of the day.
Earlier on in the week, one of the other chaplains has heard that there was a shortage of volunteers for the Opening Ceremony, so he, myself and a third chaplain said we'd be willing to help. But we heard nothing. Not long after the beginning of my shift a few phone calls were made and received, ending with a request that the 3 volunteer chaplains be at the stadium for a briefing by 1130am. Apparently, we were to be 'people managers' as "presumably that's what chaplains do a lot of the time".
The short notice was fine for me as it's only a 20minute walk from the Village to the Stadium, and one of the other chaplains wasn't too far away; but the third chaplain was still at home on the edge of Vancouver, so she had quite a dash. Our administrator ably held the fort in the Multi-Faith Centre to ensure cover there. At the briefing, we learned that we would each lead a team of at least 10 other volunteers undertaking various roles in connection with getting spectators into and out of the stadium. However, that plan was shelved when it was realised that we don't wear volunteer uniforms [See: 8th March - Accreditation and all that]; and instead we were assigned to the 'Fast Response Team'. After a familiarisation tour of the stadium, we were given a radio and stationed at the Information Booth to help them with whatever they needed whilst listening out for calls for help and action that might be needed elsewhere. Then the challenges followed......
I got our first call which was "We need you and your team to block off a gents washroom so that the public can't use it. It needs doing but we don't have the resources to do it, make it happen"!! Apart from the incongruity of asking a woman to work in/around a gents' toilet, this was an interesting task, to say the least. It felt a bit like one of those TV programmes where contestants are given apparently impossible tasks. But within 15 minutes myself and one of the other chaplains had sourced barrier posts, tape with 'Danger' written on it, sticky tape, marker pens, paper, and enough French vocabulary to be able to write a sign in both English and French, and the gents toilets were effectively sealed off!! Don't ask exactly how we acquired everything, but it was pleasing to see that our self-made barricade was still in place when we walked past at the end of the evening some 6 hours later.
After this, our tasks were mainly answering people's questions, directing them to places, and taking wheelchairs to collect members of the public from their arrival point and take them to their seats, and vice verse after the ceremony. We were also privileged to be told to take time off and watch the Opening Ceremony. Our duties meant that we missed the first and last 15 minutes, and we watched from some of the few vacant seats very high up in the stadium, but it was a fantastic experience.
Our role in the stadium made for a long day (I'd left my hosts at 7am and didn't get back until 11:45pm) but it was a good one. As well as the privilege of being present at the Opening Ceremony, I felt humbled by some of those I pushed in wheelchairs, was irritated by some of the public who made unjust demands on volunteers, and had a whole lot of new experiences doing something so different from my usual role. Some may question what this had to do with sports chaplaincy, but it was very practical Christian service, not just to the general public, but also to those volunteers we worked alongside. Our hope is that this spoke as much of God as what we normally try and do.
The shift started as usual with some admin and preparation, followed by an expectant wait to see if anyone would come for the 9am Bible Study, but they didn't. A visit to the Polyclinic followed. However, before that visit there was a telephone called which drastically changed the shape of the day.
Earlier on in the week, one of the other chaplains has heard that there was a shortage of volunteers for the Opening Ceremony, so he, myself and a third chaplain said we'd be willing to help. But we heard nothing. Not long after the beginning of my shift a few phone calls were made and received, ending with a request that the 3 volunteer chaplains be at the stadium for a briefing by 1130am. Apparently, we were to be 'people managers' as "presumably that's what chaplains do a lot of the time".
The short notice was fine for me as it's only a 20minute walk from the Village to the Stadium, and one of the other chaplains wasn't too far away; but the third chaplain was still at home on the edge of Vancouver, so she had quite a dash. Our administrator ably held the fort in the Multi-Faith Centre to ensure cover there. At the briefing, we learned that we would each lead a team of at least 10 other volunteers undertaking various roles in connection with getting spectators into and out of the stadium. However, that plan was shelved when it was realised that we don't wear volunteer uniforms [See: 8th March - Accreditation and all that]; and instead we were assigned to the 'Fast Response Team'. After a familiarisation tour of the stadium, we were given a radio and stationed at the Information Booth to help them with whatever they needed whilst listening out for calls for help and action that might be needed elsewhere. Then the challenges followed......
I got our first call which was "We need you and your team to block off a gents washroom so that the public can't use it. It needs doing but we don't have the resources to do it, make it happen"!! Apart from the incongruity of asking a woman to work in/around a gents' toilet, this was an interesting task, to say the least. It felt a bit like one of those TV programmes where contestants are given apparently impossible tasks. But within 15 minutes myself and one of the other chaplains had sourced barrier posts, tape with 'Danger' written on it, sticky tape, marker pens, paper, and enough French vocabulary to be able to write a sign in both English and French, and the gents toilets were effectively sealed off!! Don't ask exactly how we acquired everything, but it was pleasing to see that our self-made barricade was still in place when we walked past at the end of the evening some 6 hours later.
After this, our tasks were mainly answering people's questions, directing them to places, and taking wheelchairs to collect members of the public from their arrival point and take them to their seats, and vice verse after the ceremony. We were also privileged to be told to take time off and watch the Opening Ceremony. Our duties meant that we missed the first and last 15 minutes, and we watched from some of the few vacant seats very high up in the stadium, but it was a fantastic experience.
Our role in the stadium made for a long day (I'd left my hosts at 7am and didn't get back until 11:45pm) but it was a good one. As well as the privilege of being present at the Opening Ceremony, I felt humbled by some of those I pushed in wheelchairs, was irritated by some of the public who made unjust demands on volunteers, and had a whole lot of new experiences doing something so different from my usual role. Some may question what this had to do with sports chaplaincy, but it was very practical Christian service, not just to the general public, but also to those volunteers we worked alongside. Our hope is that this spoke as much of God as what we normally try and do.
Saturday 13 March 2010
Let it snow.....
I awoke on Thursday to a fairly thick carpet of snow that had fallen during the night. Although forecasted by some, it was a surprise to many. However, it didn't last long thanks to the freezing rain that was falling by the time I arrived at the Village. By mid-morning, the snow had gone and the sun was trying to break through the thick clouds that shrouded the mountains to the north of Vancouver.
What has become my daily routine in the Village wasn't disrupted by the weather, although there did seem to be far fewer people out and about. This might have been due to the weather but also might have been down to it being the last full day of pre-competition training for most athletes in the Vancouver Village. I know that some (if not all) of the curling teams were due to train on the ice at the competition venue today rather than the other rinks they've been using until now.
As usual my day included the 9am Bible Study and Prayer session (although once again no-one came); some time manning the Multi-Faith Centre; some general visiting around the Village; some admin; a visit to the Polyclinic; and a time or prayer and sharing with the other chaplains and our administrator. Having been invited to do so, I also paid another visit to Paralympic GB, taking with me a birthday card signed by all of us in the Multi-Faith Centre today for someone whose birthday it was. When far away from home, things such as birthdays can feel quite strange, so it was good to help this person mark a special day.
Just as I as about to leave, two team assistants from another team called into the Multi-Faith Centre to see what facilities and services we had to offer. It was good to be able to show them around, and then share in discussion with them and the other chaplains as to how best we could serve their team.
What has become my daily routine in the Village wasn't disrupted by the weather, although there did seem to be far fewer people out and about. This might have been due to the weather but also might have been down to it being the last full day of pre-competition training for most athletes in the Vancouver Village. I know that some (if not all) of the curling teams were due to train on the ice at the competition venue today rather than the other rinks they've been using until now.
As usual my day included the 9am Bible Study and Prayer session (although once again no-one came); some time manning the Multi-Faith Centre; some general visiting around the Village; some admin; a visit to the Polyclinic; and a time or prayer and sharing with the other chaplains and our administrator. Having been invited to do so, I also paid another visit to Paralympic GB, taking with me a birthday card signed by all of us in the Multi-Faith Centre today for someone whose birthday it was. When far away from home, things such as birthdays can feel quite strange, so it was good to help this person mark a special day.
Just as I as about to leave, two team assistants from another team called into the Multi-Faith Centre to see what facilities and services we had to offer. It was good to be able to show them around, and then share in discussion with them and the other chaplains as to how best we could serve their team.
Friday 12 March 2010
Paralympic Torch Relay reaches Vancouver
Wednesday was officially a day off for me, and I was pleased that it coincided with the Paralympic Torch Relay's arrival in Vancouver. This torch relay is different from the Olympic one in that it is not a continuous relay but is more community based. It started in Ottawa on 3rd March with a ceremony that involved torchbearers representing each of Canada's provinces and territories. Unlike the Olympic flame, the Paralympic flame has no 'ancestral home'. On each day of the 2010 relay, the flame is lit by representatives of the First Nation on whose territory the celebration is taking place. Today the flame was lit by elders of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and its first stop in Vancouver was a local community park.
Although the Paralympic Torch Relay lacks the history and continuity of the Olympic version, it felt like a great celebration of triumph over adversity and the role that sport can play in this. There were 22 torchbearers who took it in turns to run, walk or be pushed around a 400m circuit of the park. People with a wide variety of disabilities were included, and each had a different story to tell. It was also a community celebration, where disabled and able-bodied people, young and old, mingled together in a relaxed and happy way that I have rarely experienced before. I ended up talking with several people during the event, both local people from the community and also disabled athletes who'd come to join in the celebration from slightly further afield, including a Paralympic Gold medallist from Atlanta in 1996 who was so pleased that the Paralympics had come to her city.
After this uplifting celebration of the human spirit, I headed into the centre of Vancouver. Here, among other things, I visited the Olympic and Paralympic countdown clocks (the former having already counted down to zero), and the Olympic Cauldron on the waterfront near Canada Place. This, of course, is currently unlit but a burning flame will soon be shining out from it again, once the Opening Ceremony for this Paralympic Games has taken place.
Although the Paralympic Torch Relay lacks the history and continuity of the Olympic version, it felt like a great celebration of triumph over adversity and the role that sport can play in this. There were 22 torchbearers who took it in turns to run, walk or be pushed around a 400m circuit of the park. People with a wide variety of disabilities were included, and each had a different story to tell. It was also a community celebration, where disabled and able-bodied people, young and old, mingled together in a relaxed and happy way that I have rarely experienced before. I ended up talking with several people during the event, both local people from the community and also disabled athletes who'd come to join in the celebration from slightly further afield, including a Paralympic Gold medallist from Atlanta in 1996 who was so pleased that the Paralympics had come to her city.
After this uplifting celebration of the human spirit, I headed into the centre of Vancouver. Here, among other things, I visited the Olympic and Paralympic countdown clocks (the former having already counted down to zero), and the Olympic Cauldron on the waterfront near Canada Place. This, of course, is currently unlit but a burning flame will soon be shining out from it again, once the Opening Ceremony for this Paralympic Games has taken place.
Thursday 11 March 2010
Settling into a daily routine
Another early start on Tuesday, as I was on the early shift once more. (It seems that I've mostly been allocated this 8am-3pm one.) Once again, I got a lift and so was at the Multi-Faith Centre before 7:30am. My first task was to prepare my Bible Study notes for the 9am prayer and Bible study session. I opted for Psalm 23, and worked on comparisons between the roles of shepherds and coaches/mentors. But the study remains unused for now as no-one came at 9am, so I enjoyed a 'quiet time' on my own with some Christian music playing in the background.
Later in the morning, I visited around the Village. Having introduced myself and the Multi-Faith Centre to the GB team office yesterday, I did the same at the Japanese team office today. Loughborough University, where I'm Visiting Sports Chaplain, has a special relationship with the Japanese Olympic Committee, meaning that during the run-up to 2012 Japanese athletes use the sports facilities on campus when training or competing in Europe. As a result of this, I've been familiarising myself with Japanese culture, especially their religious culture, and so it seemed natural for me to make contact with them here.
This was followed by my daily visit to the Polyclinic; lunch; the chaplains' prayer and sharing session; and some admin - the beginnings of a daily routine being set.
Soon after 3pm, I headed back to my hosts, walking more of the journey than 'usual' as it was a nice day, albeit colder than it has been. It was also earlier than I've been so far, and it was good that I was back in time today to be able to share an evening meal with the family for the first time.
Later in the morning, I visited around the Village. Having introduced myself and the Multi-Faith Centre to the GB team office yesterday, I did the same at the Japanese team office today. Loughborough University, where I'm Visiting Sports Chaplain, has a special relationship with the Japanese Olympic Committee, meaning that during the run-up to 2012 Japanese athletes use the sports facilities on campus when training or competing in Europe. As a result of this, I've been familiarising myself with Japanese culture, especially their religious culture, and so it seemed natural for me to make contact with them here.
This was followed by my daily visit to the Polyclinic; lunch; the chaplains' prayer and sharing session; and some admin - the beginnings of a daily routine being set.
Soon after 3pm, I headed back to my hosts, walking more of the journey than 'usual' as it was a nice day, albeit colder than it has been. It was also earlier than I've been so far, and it was good that I was back in time today to be able to share an evening meal with the family for the first time.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
The Village is Inaugurated
An early start was needed on Monday as I was on the shift that starts at 8am. I was about to leave the house to catch the 7am bus when my host, who was also just leaving the house, said he'd give me a lift as the Village is on his journey to work. This was really kind and meant that I got to the Village much earlier and with a smoother, quicker journey.
The first hour or so was spent manning the Multi-Faith Centre, and doing some final preparations for the morning Bible-study and prayer time. This takes place at 9am each day and is the responsibility of the chaplain on the first shift. It was great when someone turned up, and I enjoyed sharing this time with her - although the way our discussion went meant that I used hardly any of what I'd prepared!
Then I manned the Centre until the second chaplain came in at 11am. Soon afterwards, I went visiting in the Village, during which I called in at the office of Paralympic GB to introduce both myself and the Multi-Faith Centre and what it offers. It was good to meet some of the people there, not just team members but also the team assistants. Each team has one or more team assistants allocated to it to be their first point of contact for questions etc. This is just one of the many jobs done by volunteers. After lunch, and the chaplains' prayer and sharing session, I made my daily visit to the Polyclinic. I also visited the adjacent fitness centre and mobility aid repair centre.
Due to conversations I had, I didn't manage to finish my shift until 4pm; but then walked into downtown Vancouver for a few hours off before returning to the Village around 6:30pm ready for the Village Inauguration Ceremony. Usually each team is welcomed into both an Olympic and a Paralympic Village with a short ceremony ending with their National Anthem being played. In this dual site Paralympics, these ceremonies are happening at Whistler, so the Inauguration Ceremony was designed to take the place of these by welcoming all the athletes together. There were speeches, the introduction of the 2 honorary co-mayors of the Village, and some music from representatives of the Four Host First Nations. (There will be more about these peoples in another day's entry). Another chaplain and I went on to the athletes' lounge for the post inauguration 'party' for a short while, before heading home at the end of a long but worthwhile day.
The first hour or so was spent manning the Multi-Faith Centre, and doing some final preparations for the morning Bible-study and prayer time. This takes place at 9am each day and is the responsibility of the chaplain on the first shift. It was great when someone turned up, and I enjoyed sharing this time with her - although the way our discussion went meant that I used hardly any of what I'd prepared!
Then I manned the Centre until the second chaplain came in at 11am. Soon afterwards, I went visiting in the Village, during which I called in at the office of Paralympic GB to introduce both myself and the Multi-Faith Centre and what it offers. It was good to meet some of the people there, not just team members but also the team assistants. Each team has one or more team assistants allocated to it to be their first point of contact for questions etc. This is just one of the many jobs done by volunteers. After lunch, and the chaplains' prayer and sharing session, I made my daily visit to the Polyclinic. I also visited the adjacent fitness centre and mobility aid repair centre.
Due to conversations I had, I didn't manage to finish my shift until 4pm; but then walked into downtown Vancouver for a few hours off before returning to the Village around 6:30pm ready for the Village Inauguration Ceremony. Usually each team is welcomed into both an Olympic and a Paralympic Village with a short ceremony ending with their National Anthem being played. In this dual site Paralympics, these ceremonies are happening at Whistler, so the Inauguration Ceremony was designed to take the place of these by welcoming all the athletes together. There were speeches, the introduction of the 2 honorary co-mayors of the Village, and some music from representatives of the Four Host First Nations. (There will be more about these peoples in another day's entry). Another chaplain and I went on to the athletes' lounge for the post inauguration 'party' for a short while, before heading home at the end of a long but worthwhile day.
First full shift
Sunday saw another bright day dawn but the weather was much cooler - and later on in the day there was a lot of rain. Locals said this would probably fall as snow in the mountains, which would no doubt be appreciated by local skiers and snow-boarders alike. Thinking of the Paralympics, there are no snow-boarding events in the programme (as yet), but there are a variety of alpine and nordic skiing events.
Although my shift wasn't due to start until 11am, I left my hosts relatively early so that I could be sure of the transport getting me there on time. I have to get a bus, then the subway (underground train), followed by a 10-15 minute walk in order to get to the Village. It was about an hour's journey altogether, as the public transport worked well together.
This shift began with me spending some time chatting and getting to know the American chaplain who'd been on duty since 8am. I then manned the Multi-Faith Centre whilst he went out visiting in the Village and had lunch - we had no administrator on duty until early afternoon and it's important that there's someone in the Centre at all times it's open, so that they're there to respond if anyone calls in or telephones. The third chaplain came on duty at 2pm, and the 3 of us spent time sharing updates about the concerns and happenings of the day so far, and praying together.
Afterwards, I visited the Polyclinic within the Village. This is a small and compact 'hospital' but one with full facilities including emergency room, MRI and CAT scanner, X-ray and ultrasound imaging, pharmacy, physical therapy department, and various specialities including ENT, dentistry, ophthalmology and orthopaedics to name but a few. The Polyclinic is also host to the anti-doping facilities. One thing it doesn't have is beds - if athletes need overnight care they are transferred to a local hospital. I was told that the Polyclinic in Whistler also has a fully-equipped operating theatre as local hospitals are further away from there. (Apparently this is in a tent-like building similar to those used by the military in places such as Afghanistan.) I was given a guided tour of the Polyclinic, and will visit it once a day whilst on shift, and have a similar role there to a hospital chaplain at home.
Towards the end of my shift, it began to feel strange to have had a Sunday without either going to church, or leading/attending a service in the Village. An internet search revealed one Anglican church with an evening service at 6:30. So, at the end of my shift at 6pm, the Roman Catholic priest who'd come into the Village to lead Mass was kind enough to give me a lift to the church, which thankfully wasn't too far from a bus route to get me back to my hosts afterwards.
Although my shift wasn't due to start until 11am, I left my hosts relatively early so that I could be sure of the transport getting me there on time. I have to get a bus, then the subway (underground train), followed by a 10-15 minute walk in order to get to the Village. It was about an hour's journey altogether, as the public transport worked well together.
This shift began with me spending some time chatting and getting to know the American chaplain who'd been on duty since 8am. I then manned the Multi-Faith Centre whilst he went out visiting in the Village and had lunch - we had no administrator on duty until early afternoon and it's important that there's someone in the Centre at all times it's open, so that they're there to respond if anyone calls in or telephones. The third chaplain came on duty at 2pm, and the 3 of us spent time sharing updates about the concerns and happenings of the day so far, and praying together.
Afterwards, I visited the Polyclinic within the Village. This is a small and compact 'hospital' but one with full facilities including emergency room, MRI and CAT scanner, X-ray and ultrasound imaging, pharmacy, physical therapy department, and various specialities including ENT, dentistry, ophthalmology and orthopaedics to name but a few. The Polyclinic is also host to the anti-doping facilities. One thing it doesn't have is beds - if athletes need overnight care they are transferred to a local hospital. I was told that the Polyclinic in Whistler also has a fully-equipped operating theatre as local hospitals are further away from there. (Apparently this is in a tent-like building similar to those used by the military in places such as Afghanistan.) I was given a guided tour of the Polyclinic, and will visit it once a day whilst on shift, and have a similar role there to a hospital chaplain at home.
Towards the end of my shift, it began to feel strange to have had a Sunday without either going to church, or leading/attending a service in the Village. An internet search revealed one Anglican church with an evening service at 6:30. So, at the end of my shift at 6pm, the Roman Catholic priest who'd come into the Village to lead Mass was kind enough to give me a lift to the church, which thankfully wasn't too far from a bus route to get me back to my hosts afterwards.
Monday 8 March 2010
Accreditation and all that
Saturday dawned, another bright, warm and sunny day. After packing our suitcases again, mid-morning saw us being driven into Vancouver to the Accreditation Centre. Very small queues meant the process was quick and we emerged fairly speedily with our accreditations hung around our necks - but without uniforms. In these Games, although technically all chaplains are volunteers in that we're both unpaid and self-funded, we've been classed by the organisers as 'specialists' and therefore volunteer uniforms aren't deemed appropriate. This provokes an interesting debate between those chaplains who want to look like they belong by wearing the same uniform as everyone else, and those chaplains who feel our dress needs to be distinctive so that people know we're different and have a very different role to everyone else. Clergy have faced this debate in various ways over the years, with different denominations and ministers taking different approaches......
After accreditation, we were taken into the Vancouver Athletes' Village for the first time. It is certainly very different from the one in Athens in 2004, my only other experience so far. Whereas that was almost an 'out-of-town' venue, this one is very much in the centre of it all. Situated on the edge of False Creek, downtown Vancouver can be seen all around, with the mountains visible beyond to the north. The athletes are staying in what will become desirable (and no doubt expensive!) condominiums, whilst some other buildings will become community centres, restaurants or offices. The Village is much smaller now than it was a week ago - as there are fewer athletes in the Paralympics than the Olympics some of the residential blocks are now 'hidden' behind a fence. The Multi-Faith Centre, where chaplains are based, had a central location during the Olympics but because of the division of the Village now finds itself almost on the edge.
Mid-afternoon we had our orientation. As well as a walk around the Village, this included a meeting with the other Vancouver-based chaplains to begin to get to know each other and also discuss how we would work, as well as a time of prayer. Early evening saw me being taken to my second and 'permanent' hosts to settle in there prior to doing my first shift in the Village the next day; whilst Carolyn was driven to Whistler as she will be based in the Village there.
After accreditation, we were taken into the Vancouver Athletes' Village for the first time. It is certainly very different from the one in Athens in 2004, my only other experience so far. Whereas that was almost an 'out-of-town' venue, this one is very much in the centre of it all. Situated on the edge of False Creek, downtown Vancouver can be seen all around, with the mountains visible beyond to the north. The athletes are staying in what will become desirable (and no doubt expensive!) condominiums, whilst some other buildings will become community centres, restaurants or offices. The Village is much smaller now than it was a week ago - as there are fewer athletes in the Paralympics than the Olympics some of the residential blocks are now 'hidden' behind a fence. The Multi-Faith Centre, where chaplains are based, had a central location during the Olympics but because of the division of the Village now finds itself almost on the edge.
Mid-afternoon we had our orientation. As well as a walk around the Village, this included a meeting with the other Vancouver-based chaplains to begin to get to know each other and also discuss how we would work, as well as a time of prayer. Early evening saw me being taken to my second and 'permanent' hosts to settle in there prior to doing my first shift in the Village the next day; whilst Carolyn was driven to Whistler as she will be based in the Village there.
Sunday 7 March 2010
Smooth travel & safe arrival
Well, all the transport connections worked - the first Wilts & Dorset bus of the day passed our house according to schedule, and got me in good time to the bus-stop for the National Express coach, which in turn got me to Heathrow early for check-in and to meet Carolyn, a friend and colleague from London who is the only other UK chaplain at the Paralympics. The flight was smooth and the 10 hours passed amazingly quickly, partly because I slept for quite a bit of it. Although sad not to read a word of the book especially bought for the flight, I'm thankful for the sleep as I guess that's partly what has helped me avoid jet-lag almost entirely.
On arrival, our first host was there to meet us. Instead of taking us directly to her home, she drove us to White Rock, a lovely seaside town, where we enjoyed ice-cream and a walk along the prom and the pier in glorious albeit unseasonal sunshine. It certainly helped our bodies not to realise that according to them it was past 1am in the morning! After some grocery shopping, we arrived at her home in Surrey - a part of Greater Vancouver. I think if we had gone straight there, it would have been a struggle to stay awake, so it was a brilliant idea on her part.
Friday had been built in as a day to combat jet-lag before beginning work, and Carolyn and I were able to enjoy an almost 3 hour walk in a local nature reserve, again in glorious sunshine. It seemed strange to be here for the Winter Paralympics but to see several people strolling around in shorts! Apparently this is Vancouver's warmest winter since records began..... Accompanying our host on another brief shopping trip, plus watching a DVD in the evening, completed a relaxing day, which ended with Carolyn and I both feeling keen to begin the work which we have travelled here to do.
On arrival, our first host was there to meet us. Instead of taking us directly to her home, she drove us to White Rock, a lovely seaside town, where we enjoyed ice-cream and a walk along the prom and the pier in glorious albeit unseasonal sunshine. It certainly helped our bodies not to realise that according to them it was past 1am in the morning! After some grocery shopping, we arrived at her home in Surrey - a part of Greater Vancouver. I think if we had gone straight there, it would have been a struggle to stay awake, so it was a brilliant idea on her part.
Friday had been built in as a day to combat jet-lag before beginning work, and Carolyn and I were able to enjoy an almost 3 hour walk in a local nature reserve, again in glorious sunshine. It seemed strange to be here for the Winter Paralympics but to see several people strolling around in shorts! Apparently this is Vancouver's warmest winter since records began..... Accompanying our host on another brief shopping trip, plus watching a DVD in the evening, completed a relaxing day, which ended with Carolyn and I both feeling keen to begin the work which we have travelled here to do.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Ready to Journey?
Well, that's it, the packing's done and the travelling is about to begin. It was quite hard to know what to take - so tempting to take lots of heavy winter clothes, but having seen from the coverage of the Olympics that both Vancouver and Whistler are experiencing milder conditions than usual that may not be the most helpful approach. Not knowing the set-up that we'll be working in also adds to the uncertainty - how much will chaplains be outside? how much at indoor venues? how much in the faith centres? - although having been told that I'll be based in Vancouver rather than Whistler did help a bit with some of the decisions about what to take and what to leave behind.
It was great this morning, at our Ministry Team Cell Group, to be prayed for and commissioned by my parish and team colleagues for the work I'm going to do at the Paralympics, and to be sent out with their, as well as God's, blessing. There was also another glimpse of the worldwide nature of the church, as we also prayed for someone else soon to fly to India to do some Christian work there.
Later in the morning, I did a radio interview at Andover Sound, our local radio station, for broadcasting tomorrow as I begin my travels. Strange to think that almost as soon as I return from Canada, I have to go back there to record the 'Sunday Thought' for Easter Day as my turn on the rota will have come round again. The Christian story carries us with it throughout the year, and invites us to journey in a different kind of way.....
It was great this morning, at our Ministry Team Cell Group, to be prayed for and commissioned by my parish and team colleagues for the work I'm going to do at the Paralympics, and to be sent out with their, as well as God's, blessing. There was also another glimpse of the worldwide nature of the church, as we also prayed for someone else soon to fly to India to do some Christian work there.
Later in the morning, I did a radio interview at Andover Sound, our local radio station, for broadcasting tomorrow as I begin my travels. Strange to think that almost as soon as I return from Canada, I have to go back there to record the 'Sunday Thought' for Easter Day as my turn on the rota will have come round again. The Christian story carries us with it throughout the year, and invites us to journey in a different kind of way.....
Monday 1 March 2010
The Countdown Begins.....
The Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games has now taken place in Vancouver - but as one set of athletes and support staff begin their journey home, another set will be preparing to arrive for the Paralympics which begin on 12 March. Although many people's eyes will now turn away from Vancouver, it is important to remember this fresh body of athletes and their final preparations. People in and around Vancouver will also be experiencing changes as Olympic 'decorations' come down to be replaced by Paralympic ones.
My final preparations are also under way, although there seems to be a lot of work to do here still before I leave, in connection both with my work in the parish and at Loughborough University. I must admit to it feeling slightly strange at St Michael's West Andover yesterday when I was finishing leading the service, to think that the next time I do something similar will be in a very different context and with an international group of people - a glimpse perhaps of the reality of belonging to a worldwide church.....
As part of my preparations, it's been good to watch some of the TV coverage of the Olympics to begin to familiarise myself with locations and venues, as well as to become more acquainted with various winter sports disciplines - although, of course, Paralympians do not participate in all the Olympic disciplines. It was also good to spend a week's holiday in February cross-country skiing in Finland - where it was colder and we had more snow than there was at the Olympic venues.
My final preparations are also under way, although there seems to be a lot of work to do here still before I leave, in connection both with my work in the parish and at Loughborough University. I must admit to it feeling slightly strange at St Michael's West Andover yesterday when I was finishing leading the service, to think that the next time I do something similar will be in a very different context and with an international group of people - a glimpse perhaps of the reality of belonging to a worldwide church.....
As part of my preparations, it's been good to watch some of the TV coverage of the Olympics to begin to familiarise myself with locations and venues, as well as to become more acquainted with various winter sports disciplines - although, of course, Paralympians do not participate in all the Olympic disciplines. It was also good to spend a week's holiday in February cross-country skiing in Finland - where it was colder and we had more snow than there was at the Olympic venues.
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