There are some subtle differences between the Olympic media centres in Whistler and Vancouver. The biggest difference is size. Let me attempt to give you an illustration of what I mean.

Imagine the Whistler Media Centre to be the size of Gary Coleman. That would, by comparison, make the Vancouver Media Centre the size of a 5,000-foot tall Gary Coleman (* comparison may not be to scale, or useful in any way). Bottom line: It’s enormous.

It has a huge food court, dominated by McDonald’s. It has its own Olympic merchandise shop and bank and postal outlet. But I came upon the biggest and most important difference while wandering around on the second level, up where the press conferences are held.

There, off the beaten path, I came across a sign and a room that have no equivalent at the Whistler Media Centre.

Yep, free massages for members of the press. With candles and soothing music and pretty ladies and everything. It’s going to be difficult to claim hardship pay after this. (Liveblogging will commence shortly and feature an unusually large number of references to the pan flute. No, that’s not a euphemism.)

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Liveblog of My Olympic Massage

11:13 – 11:27 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

11:27 – ? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.