A First Nations drum and dance group performs outside the Robson Square ice rink.

Stay calm.  Take a deep breath.  What you’re experiencing is perfectly normal.  There’s even a name for it: Olympic burnout.

Though it’s only Day 5 of Vancouver’s 2010 Games, I’ve seen a lot of cases already.    Symptoms vary.  Sometimes cowbells aren’t rung with quite the same spirit.  In other cases, Quatchi’s antics no longer bring a smile.   Sufferers have even reported losing track of Canada’s medal count.

Robson Square offers the perfect combination of fun, free, spontaneous events to cure Olympic burnout.

And, of course, it’s all perfectly understandable.  The Olympics – billed as the international party par excellance – haven’t been all fun and games.  Tickets, in some cases, have been hard to come by.  Formidable lines await outside the city’s official celebration sites.   And getting inside the Holland Heineken House has proven an Olympian struggle.

Fortunately, there’s a safe and failproof antidote to Olympic burnout:  Get over to Robson Square, fast.

The vibrant heart of Vancouver’s downtown also turns out to be the true heart of Olympic action in the city.  There are no fences around Robson Square.  No security checkpoints to pass through.  No lines to gain admittance.  Just walk right in.

Expectant crowds await Quatchi's arrival for the afternoon ice show at the Robson Square rink.

Push your way through the big, motley crowds milling around the intersection of Robson and Hornby Streets.  Space is tight.  You’re going to get jostled a bit.   The first thing you’ll want do is check out the pinheads.  These hardcore collectors – who buy and trade commemorative pins from Games past and present – have set up an ad hoc trading post outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.  Ask the big Czech guy to show you the rare NBC Vancouver 2010 pin that he traded half his collection to get.  It’s a beauty.

Commemorative Olympic pins are traded in Robson Square - You might even find a 1976 Montreal collector's item.

By now, the antidote should be starting to sink in.  Take a look around.  Soak it all up.  The vendors selling hot dogs and smokies.  The scalpers flashing tickets to long sold-out events.  The surreal sight of bodies hurtling through the air above Robson Square on the special Olympic zipline that starts high above the law courts.

Now head down the steps to the Robson Square ice rink.  Everything’s free here – don’t worry.  This afternoon, a group of First Nations dancers from Prince George was performing on the main stage, inviting audience members to join in for dances from the Bear Clan and the Frog Clan.  Meanwhile, out on the rink itself, Olympic mascot Miga was readying for her big afternoon ice show with Quatchi and Sumi.  The perimeter of the rink was packed solid with kids (and quite a few adults) waiting for a glimpse of Olympic royalty in the big fuzzy suits.

The Yinke Dene Traditional Drummers, Singers and Dancers came all the way from Prince George, B.C.

Are you feeling it yet?  By now the Olympic spirit should be slowly, steadily building.  If it’s not, stay a while longer.  Robson Square always does the trick.  It’s unscripted.  It’s a bit chaotic.  But you can really feel the energy and excitement as Vancouver and the rest of the world come together.  And I’ve only just scratched the surface.

Remy Scalza – www.remyscalza.com