gold

After the Canadian men's curling team won the gold medal yesterday, I really enjoyed the coverage.

Who wasn't moved watching Brad Gushue's mom, kept from Torino by cancer treatments, celebrate at home with family and neighbours? It was great seeing a livingroom full of people sipping champagne as Gushue called her from the rink. And the scenes from around Newfoundland - kids being let out of school early, pubs packed, the province virtually shutting down to watch the game - reminded me of New England when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. Isn't it great how you can feel so happy for people you don't even know?

Before the gold-medal game, CBC noted some disappointed men's hockey fans had come over to watch curling. One of them said into the microphone, "At least we can get some medal on the ice." I guess the women's hockey gold medal doesn't count. Grrr.

The frequent TV ads for Newfoundland and Labrador tourism are very effective: they're really making me want to go. The land looks so beautiful - on the ads, at least, it looks like Ireland. I want to see all of Canada, but Newfoundland has just moved up on The List.

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