john bishop images | photography | vancouver, bc

dancing in the streets – vancouver’s first flash mob

  2010, flashmob, olympics, vancouver

on the west coast of canada, nestled between coast mountain range and the american border is vancouver, british columbia – my home since 1953. vancouver is hosting the 2010 winter olympics. the winter of 2010 (if we can call it that) we’ve had a very strong el niño year, resulting in the warmest january on record … warmer than most march’s.

the “wet coasts” parade of rain, known affectionately here as the “pineapple express” can send us months of warm and gray rain filled days, giving this region the appropriate distinction as one of the richest rainforests in the world.  this lotusland, my vancouver, is the most beautiful city i know.

so when i got wind of vancouver’s first flash mob, i signed up right away.  this city has some amazing heart and bright courage and i can think of no better or compelling way to demonstrate that than a flash mob – a seemingly spontaneous eruption of fun music and dance – it makes people laugh and stand back in open and wondered surprise or join in, swept up in the positive energy around them. this “random act of fun” reminds me how truly amazing people can be when they put their hearts and mind into something!

within days of signing on, the event went viral and quickly disappeared underground to prevent media and vanoc finding out about this special first for my beautiful city. vanoc, the vancouver 2010 olympic organizing body, has been seen by many as being a bully and of being unreasonable. with one week to go, at this time all i can say is, “we’ve spent the money – let’s enjoy the party!” we’ll deal with the hangover (i.e. debt and other legacies) when everyone else has gone home. in the meantime, let us be gracious hosts and show the world you can have some real fun in this lotusland – come join the celebration!

updates as i hear of them!
namaste
;-j