We're Live!

January 29 and the Village is Live!
I waited for the 5:36 a.m. bus in the village with three women, new volunteers all, who were so excited to start their volunteer time. they compared themselves to kids waiting for the school bus, all wearing new clothes (their volunteer uniforms). Their excitement was catching, and that is a good thing at that hour of the day.

Security is operating as it will in Games time. We pass through airport-like screening, hop on a workforce bus, go through another (!) screening, get our meal ticket, and off to work we go.

The system for breaks and food is not quite worked out yet. If you start at 6, you are given a break at 8:30, but that is before they put out the snacks. And woe be unto you if you try to sneak a muffin. Those are breakfast only items. Lunch is a full meal at 11:30. However, they didn't open up a second line until there was a line of 20 people standing there. When you are only given 30 minutes for the lunch break and ten is spent in line, it goes by very quickly.

Our call center is working great. And the big excitement today: our first team has moved in!!
I was part of the duo that got all the room keys sorted for Team Canada. Our Canadian supervisor and manager were the ones who actually worked one on one with the National Olympic Committee (NOC). I'm hoping I can be around when TeamUSA moves in!

There are two Retail stores on site. Rumor had it they have items that are only available there, and not online or in the Olympic Store in the Whistler village. And that is correct! I couldn't help myself and purchased a shirt with the Whistler Olympic Village logo on it.