I had no idea what a huge deal a snowflake’s refusal to morph into an Olympic ring could be until the global coverage of the snafu at Friday’s opening. That such a commotion was made about a snowflake seems to be a part of a pattern of negative coverage of sports events in Sochi. I’ve heard all too much about laptops and smartphones being hacked immediately, about spying in hotel rooms, about getting locked into a john without a phone and having to break through the door. The media, it seems, wants to reignite the Cold War. A reporter might have to go to Sochi to cover events there, but she doesn’t have to like it.
I’ve been to Russia and I loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to hop on a plane and travel there again—despite shifting U.S./Russia relations, even though I don’t agree with all of Russia’s policies (just as I don’t agree with all of the U.S. government’s policies), even though some of its enemies apparently endorse terrorism as a means of bringing about change (just as some enemies of the United States do the same).
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
I’ve been to Russia and I will go back. Everyone should be so lucky to experience the vastness and the incredible history of this place and the art of both its past and its present. Don’t be deterred from a trip to Russia by some negative reporting of media at the Olympics. It’s a wondrous place. I found the people I met there to be friendly and helpful. I wasn’t looking for stubborn electronic snowflakes on my visit, but all of the other electronics I used while there functioned just fine.
—Lori Tripoli
Note from the Brawny Sherpa: Russia’s a great place. The Hermitage is a fantastic place to visit. You can get up close to the artwork. Get a little too close, though, and cute little old Russian ladies will scold you.
