Missing at the Olympics opener...

[ronstew]

Although there is a Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver, you really could not say that there is a Scottish community here. The vast majority of people with last names like Stewart will identify themselves as Canadian.

And to say that there is a Chinese community is an oversimplification. Likewise for the Indian (from India) community, etc, etc.

The city really is multicultural, but the sons and daughters of immigrants tend to adopt most aspects of the Vancouver culture. It is common for these people to continue with their grandparents' religion, but to know only the English language.

Also, remember that the Canadian government is a major sponsor of these games, so the opening ceremonies had to be pan-Canadian.

[MrShoe]

The Fiddling portion with the plaid was intended to be a representation of the Eastern Coastal Canadians, specifically influence by George Street in St Johns, Newfoundland. From what I know Traditional Newfoundland folk music is Celtic/sea side shanty based to include fiddle, bodhrán, tin whistle, and squeeze box(which can give a sound not unlike pipes)

Below is information I found on the Newfoundland Heritage site www.heritage.nf.ca

"Scottish involvement with Newfoundland and Labrador dates back to the early 17th century, when English colonizers established a handful of year-round settlements on the island, but were largely unsuccessful in attracting settlers from that area. Scotland later established trade links with Newfoundland and Labrador in the early 18th century, after it joined with England in 1707 to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain. However, it was not until the 19th century that Scottish migrants settled at Newfoundland and Labrador in significant numbers. The 1857 Census (the first to enumerate Scots) recorded 416 Scottish-born people living on the island, the precise number of Scots who emigrated to Newfoundland and Labrador during the 19th century is unknown, due in large part to incomplete or vague census records, parish records, and other data. Although vastly outnumbered by settlers of English and Irish descent, Scottish immigrants were often among the most influential members of society and contributed much to the development of Newfoundland and Labrador's politics, economy, and culture.


"It was a substantial migration, peaking in the 1770's and 1780's when more than 100 ships and 5,000 men cleared Irish ports for the fishery. The exodus from Ulster to America excepted, it was the most substantial movement of Irish across the Atlantic in the 18th century. 1836 the government in St. John's commissioned a census that exceeded in its detail anything recorded to that time. More than 400 settlements were listed. The Irish, and their offspring, composed half the total population. Close to three-quarters of them lived in St. John's and its near hinterland, from Renews to Carbonear. There were probably more Catholic Irish concentrated in this relatively restricted stretch of shore than in any comparable Canadian space.In Newfoundland they created a distinctive subculture through the 18th century that is still evident"

"Chinese, Lebanese, Jewish, and immigrants of other ethnicities also arrived at Newfoundland and Labrador during the 19th century, but in significantly smaller numbers than those from the British Isles."

[Dixiecat]

I know we're getting even further off-topic, but since we've ventured into Scots in Newfoundland, I'll just point out that Newfoundland is the only Canadian province without a Scotdance organization. For comparison, Yukon and the Northwest Territories each have Scotdance representation.

Oh, and George St. rocks!

[Bob C]

Pipers have been piping in the curling teams. That's worth something!

[Lallans]

Pipers have been piping in the curling teams. That's worth something!

Yes! That's the bone I was looking for! Honour is preserved, thank you for pointing that out.

[Mark Keeney]

I enjoyed the opening ceremonies. You can't do everything or we would still be watching it.

[ronstew]

I enjoyed the opening ceremonies. You can't do everything or we would still be watching it.

Worse: The more stuff they jam in there, the more likely we are to tune out.

BTW - Lots of words in the press about there not being enough French in the ceremony.

By the way, Mark, the US audience got an edited-down version. The entrance of the athletes is essential, but not very exciting when it is not your country. It lasted about 55 minutes.

[MrShoe]

The LIVE broadcast in the USA was not edited. However, the one I recorded that can on later was edited, badly too. They left out some REALLY good parts. I don't think anyone is saying that they need to make the performance LONGER, just incorporated pipes. After the fiddles played for a while the pipes could have joined them for a while. That was a long segment.

It was a fantastic preference only made mediocre when edited and rebroadcast by NBC later.

[Lallans]

More Olympic pipes showed up on Global National News last night! This was in a feature story about an area high school who started up a marching 'drum line' just to perform around Vancouver during the Games. Apparently they only practiced briefly but are a huge hit with the crowds. For that I would mostly credit their kid on the bagpipes, who does a fantastic pipes rendition of Rolling Thunder (the fiddle tune) while the others are banging away. Anyway, as long as the Scots are getting our Canadian presence known out there amongst the people, that's what counts.

PS: Since the other thread was banished and banned, I won't even mention the huge Canadian hockey victory over the Russians.

[Jack Daw]

So much for keeping the Olympic games apolitical. It just can't be done.