2006 Olympics The official theme of these games is “Passion Lives Here.” It is plastered on everything from the aforementioned banners to the ice hockey rink. As far as I’m concerned “Passion Doesn’t Live Here!!!” because the people here seemingly could care less about the Olympics in the first place. I’m sure NBC has given Torino the glitz and glamour shots that other Olympic cities have gotten in the past. And yes, the flight in was lined with spectacular views of the French and Italian Alps. But the Olympics seem to have taken a back seat here to other more important things to the people of Torino; Carnivale starts in just a few days in Venice. Next week is also apparently “fashion week” in Milan. Throw in the fact that the soccer (Italy’s National Sport) season is in full swing and ski jumping just doesn’t seem like a big deal to the locals. The city’s proximity to the mountain ranges doesn’t help things. Four years ago it was possible to go to a morning event in the mountains of Park City, Utah and make it back to Salt Lake City in time for an early evening hockey game. But here it is actually easier (or less complex) to get to Milan or Venice than the curling venue. Those romantic canals seem more intriguing by the hour... especially when the official mode of transportation here is the FIAT. Things aren’t all bad here. The food has been nothing short of spectacular. As one of my colleagues said, “The worst you can find is an average meal.” And after sipping on some of best hot chocolate in the history of humanity at a local café, I wondered: “Why does my local Dunkin Donuts use boiling water instead of real milk...or better yet, why do they use the powder instead of melting the chocolate in front of me.” Speaking of Dunkin Donuts, have you seen the medals? The local organizing committee claims that it was based after the many open plazas (piazzas) here in Torino. I personally believe the guy who designed the thing was a relative of Fred the Baker. The abundance of good food makes me thankful that the public transportation is less than adequate. It is fairly easy to walk around (just avoid the speeding cars) this city and by doing so I am going to avoid the Post-Olympic bulge that some of my colleagues are bound to encounter. Though while in Italy…shouldn’t eating be an Olympic sport? And what would Italy be without talking about the language -- of which I can only remember a few phrases despite sleeping through a few years of classes. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve never really mastered a language until you are able to flirt successfully using it. Something I should obviously be working on instead of writing this... so Ciao! Jake Duhaime is a contibuting columnist to Atomic Sports Media covering the Olympics in Torino, Italy. He can be reached at jake.duhaime@atomicsportsmedia.com. © Copyright by Atomic Sports Media, Inc. |
