$400,000 the richer
Ever wondered what it feels like to hold the Olympic torch or lift a bar of gold? Freaking amazing. You can do both for free, just not simultaneously, in Vancouver during the Winter Games, which end Sunday. For me, here’s how the two experiences compared.
Allure factor
Torch: I cheered it on early one morning last year as it passed through my city on its cross-country tour. Even that experience felt like a brush with greatness, far more historic and significant than any celebrity sighting.
Gold: Friends wouldn’t call me a gold-digger or a big fan of bling. I’ve never envisioned myself rolling naked in a heap of $100s, either. But am I mesmerized by Indiana Jones’s glittering discovery of the lost ark? Absolutely.
Torch passes through Nanaimo on its cross-Canada journey
Wait time
Torch: 30 minutes one night in the Canada Pavilion at the Live Downtown Celebration Site.
Gold: 1.5 hours one early afternoon at the Canadian Mint Pavilion.
Physical reaction
Torch: Big eyes, racing heartbeat, exhilarating. Lighter than I expected. A two-handed grip because it felt remarkably empowering and victorious. I lingered in the moment as long as was socially acceptable with a line up of 30 people waiting.
Gold:
Big eyes. Big gasp. I’m nervous. The bar nearly thudded to the table before I adjusted to its weight in my hands. “It’s heavy!!” I love the way the golden light reflects from the bar and makes my face glow. I soak in the beauty and warmth, completely forgetting about the value between my fingers.
Torchbearing pose in the Canada Pavilion
Interesting stats
Torch:
Weight – 3.5 lbs. with fuel, but this one is about 2 lbs.
Value – Check eBay after the Olympics
Contents – Anodized aluminum, stainless steel and a composite compound; fuel is propane and isobutane
Texture – Sleek, smooth, well-balanced
Design – Curved and modern, inspired by the Canadian winter landscape and able to withstand colder temps than any other torch in Olympic history (-40 degrees C)
Manufacturer – Bombardier, the company who brings us planes, trains and Ski/Sea-Doos
Travelogue – At least one of the several thousand produced traveled within 559 miles (900 km) of the North Pole on the cross-Canada relay
Gold:
Weight – 28 lbs. and no way you could toss them as easily as in “The Italian Job”
Value – $400,000
Contents – 99.9% pure gold, the purest there is
Texture – Softer than you’d expect; a fingernail could mark it (I didn’t try with armed guard onlookers)
Design – Standard issue a bit bigger than a brick
Manufacturer – Canadian Mint, which has produced foreign circulation coins for more than 60 countries
Travelogue –This bar is chained loosely to the table and going nowhere.
