Olympic Flame makes it's way through Canada...

I have always been a big fan of the Olympics. I don't watch any sports usually, mostly because I never have any idea what is going on, but for whatever reason I find the Olympics the most exciting thing ever. Next year, the Olympics will be in Vancouver, and while I am extremely sad that I am not going, I am extremely happy that they will be held in Canada. I'm looking forward to seeing a sea of Canadian flags at some of the events. And believe you me, I cry like a baby whenever a Canadian athlete wins a gold medal and the national anthem plays. Actually, I tear up whenever I hear the national anthem anywhere. Baseball game, school play...it just happens. I think one of the things I miss most about grade school/high school is getting to hear the national anthem every day. It just makes me really...happy.

Anyway, the Olympic torch is on it's way through Canada, making stops in several communities along the way. One of those stops was right here in St. Kitties.

I did have some issues with some things, like the Olympic t-shirts they were selling coming in plastic bags with MADE IN BANGLADESH written in giant bold letters. But all in all, I can look past these things because it was an event that really brought the community, and by extension, the country together.

Canada is a huge country, and sometimes it is hard to feel connected to your fellow Canadians when they live so far away. It's not like being Belgian or something. Events like the Olympics have the ability to really bring a country together, because we are all cheering for the same thing-for the Canadians to beat the Americans at something; at anything. :)

I liked the way the Olympic Torch Relay was organized, because it was made into a community event in each individual community. The Torch Bearers in St. Catharines were people that have made a significant contribution to this community. The man pictured running with the torch, Mike Accursi, is a local high school teacher and professional lacrosse player. Each person in the Torch Relay got to run with the Olympic Flame for 300 metres before passing it off to the next person. Seriously, how cool would that be?? It was really amazing to watch, so I can't imagine the emotion if you actually got to carry it.





Lighting the Olympic cauldron.





It was basically a sea of red and white and flags. Great to see.



Ice sculpture!



Elusive mittens that were extremely hard to come by! I waited in line for a long time, but when I got to the front they were sold out. Then today my co-worker came in and was like, "they had one pair left at Zellers, I got you some!!" Awesome!!

Bring on the bobsled Vancouver, I can't wait!!

CA-NA-DA

So, I got this email forward the other day that was supposedly about questions people around the world have been asking about Canada, since so many people will be travelling to Vancouver for the 2010 games. (Why am I not going to this?? I irritate myself.) Some of the questions in this email are ridiculous, and I definitely question their validity. I tend to think people, especially people who clearly have access to the internet, would send in any of these questions to an International Tourism Organization. The email never says which International Tourism Organization, and a google search for "International Tourism Organization" brings up nothing.

If this forward is actually valid, I can understand why people ask some of the questions. I don't really expect people to know everything about every country in the world, Lord knows I don't...but at the same time, I have basic knowledge about most areas in the world.

What do you guys think? Do you think these are actually real? The answers are sarcastic replies, but the questions are supposedly real:

Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow?
( England )
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch
them die.

This might be a reasonable question if the person wasn't you know, from England!

Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.

You know what? I can see how this might be a valid question if you don't really know anything about Canada. I mean, it's the same with Australia right? I'm sure people wonder constantly if there are kangaroos hopping around the streets. Kangaroos=Australia, Polar Bears=Canada. Now, never in my life have I actually seen a polar bear in the wild, but then again, I suppose I can see how some people would think they just roam around up here.

Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the Railroad
tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.

This one had to be a joke right? Right? If not, I just, I can't comprehend!! Basic world geography!! Most people in the world know that Vancouver is at one side of Canada, and Toronto is in the middleish? Right? Can you imagine asking a question like this? Google Maps people! Save yourself from embarrassment!

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada? ( Sweden )
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Huh?

Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a
list of them in Toronto , Vancouver , Edmonton and Halifax ? ( England )
A: No, but you'd better bring a few extra furs for trading purposes.

Again, I suppose this can be a valid question. If I'm travelling somewhere, I want to know if I am going to be able to use my debit card. But the question says this person is from England, and that is what boggles my mind.

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada ? ( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe
Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the
hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary. Come naked.

WTF? USA? Some Canadian had to have made up this entire email...

Q: Which direction is North in Canada ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here
and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Again.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada? ( England )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

The question makes sense I suppose. It's not like they asked, "Do they use cutlery in Canada?". Perhaps they bought someone a nice cutlery set and want to know if it is going to make it over the border...who knows right?

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )
A: Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which
is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday
night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races.
Come naked.

hahaha, come on now.

Q: Do you have perfume in Canada ? ( Germany )
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year
round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is
illegal.

This question made me laugh a lot when I first read it. Come on Germany!! Half of my brain is taken up with random German knowledge!

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its
name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. ( USA )
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the
brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by
spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

"Big horse with horns"=best description of a moose ever.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

You know what, I can give you this one USA! The English/French thing would probably be confusing to someone who doesn't live here.

Real? Fake? Mixture?

Happy Thanksgiving Tomorrow to all you Americans! Enjoy the holiday and all the yummy, yummy food!!

Favourite Commercials of All Time

I have recently just begun to discover the greatness that is youtube...why have I never truly realized before just how much you can find on there? Wow. For years now I have been saying to myself, "Megan, wouldn't it be nice if you could get the entire set of 'A Part of Our Heritage' commercials on DVD?", because how great were those?

KA-NA-TA. Dr. Penfield, I smell burnt toast!! Every single one of these commercials is completely ingrained in my brain. Johnson sir, Molly Johnson!

So many on YouTube

Oh Canada, I love ya.

Oh Canada...my home and native land....

Being Canadian. It's an odd thing. It's a great thing, but it's an odd thing. Due mostly, as the majority of Canadians know, to our country's proximity to the US of A. I think the way a lot of Canadians think of themselves, is as "not American". If anybody ever mistakes a Canadian for an American, it's a huge insult. "Ummm no, I'm Canadian. Geez!". I do it to, I"ll admit it. I don't know why I do it, cause really, I love America, and there is not really any Americans I know personally that I dislike. I suppose part of being Canadian is that...we are not American. I"m going to go out on a limb and say George Bush has been the main contributor to this "god no, I'm not American" attitude. Just a guess. We'll see what happens once they get President Obama.


Canada Day. It always gives me a good opportunity to reflect on just how much I love my beautiful country. I think about it fairly often, but when I consider how great it really and truly is here, then I realize I probably don't think it enough.


Canada has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world, hands down. Anybody who has done any sort of travelling around it cannot dispute that fact. We gots it all! I say it all the time, "it's so gorgeous here!", and I am often met with a look of indifference or a scoff. I always just wanna shout, "look around you!! Why can't you see!". I guess for some people, they are so used to it that it doesn't faze them anymore. They stop noticing. Sucks to be them. I know I know. haha, what a dumb song that was. I just wish people could love and appreciate it more, because who knows how long the beauty will last for. Not the song, the place we live!


I guess maybe everyone loves their country for different reasons. My one friend loves Canada because, as she says, "you can smoke pot anywhere and people don't care". Which...okay. I suppose the underlying reasoning in that statement is that, she loves Canada for the freedoms we are afforded here. Ain't nothing wrong with freedom! Who doesn't like freedom? People die for it. The freedom to live our lives the way we personally choose to live them is a huuuuuge freedom, that so many people in the world can't fathom. Here, if my friend wants to smoke a joint while she's sitting in a park, she (probably) won't be bothered...if one of my best friends wants to marry his boyfriend, that's cool! If I want to walk around town wearing a tube top and short shorts, letting my skin be exposed to the world, that's fine too (not that that would EVER happen)...but I'm just saying.


Last July, I was in Ottawa for Canada Day:



It was pretty freaking great. Despite the fact that everybody was convinced the government was slowly trying to get us used to the idea of "being American" (see red, white and BLUE sign above), it was a pretty amazing time. I think every Canadian should experience Canada Day on Parliament Hill if possible! Canadians from all over the country coming together in the nation's capital to celebrate and say, "god, I love this country!". God. I love this country, my country.

Every time I hear the National anthem, I cry. It overwhelms me with pride and gratitude. I feel like such a dork every time my eyes well up, but no matter where I am, standing at a ball game, or watching the Olympics on television, if "Oh Canada" plays, the eyes start to tear and I break out into a huge dorky grin. If there is one part of high school I miss, it's getting to hear the national anthem every day.

I don't own any of those, "Canadian Girls Kick Ass" shirts, or have a "Canada Rocks!" hat, or even a maple leaf tattooed on my ass. All those things seem false and cliche, and they don't seem to quite grasp just why I love this place so much. I find the "I AM CANADIAN" commercials funny, endearing and even somewhat true, but they don't quite capture it either. I suppose that is probably because they were advertisements for beer. I could take or leave beer, and therefore it has little connection to my Canada.

Canada is beautiful.
Canada is free
Canada fills me with pride and I am thankful to live here.

Yeah, I love this country for all these reasons. But, that's still not the heart of it.

I love Canada because it is my home. It's that simple. It is my home, with it's coloured money, extra "u's", with the beavers the red and the white, the snow, it's hugeness, it's easy goingness, it's igloos and Eskimos and mounties, and whatever else the world thinks we have here. It's mountains, it's lakes, it's forests, it's cities, it's country roads that sometimes seem to wind along forever, it's people. I can't imagine home being anywhere else, and that is why I love Canada so very very much.