For the first time (in recent memory that is) I actually felt patriotic. It's not that I've never been proud of being Canadian and I'm not a self-hating Canadian, I just never really FELT Canadian. Or FELT happy about it; no warm fuzzies. But today, that all changed. Roar of the Rings: 2009 Curling Trials. I saw the Women's Draw this afternoon. It was really cool (no pun intended) and inspiring. I should be a curler. A Champ. Picture this: clear ice sheets with the announcer coming out to get the party started. Then pipers enter as leaders of the pack; all 8 teams follow and the crowds of many cheer and applaud. Then an almost deliberately planned silence falls amongst the Coliseum. Not forced, we're just polite like that. The national anthem begins. Everyone sings loud and proud, even the parts en francais. Another part that makes us who we are. Bilingual. Bountiful. As the afternoon games carry on, the Coliseum's level of support and rivalry intensifies. You could feel it in your bones, so much so that it gave you goosebumps. I went with my friend Stephen and we each were cheering for different teams on different sheets. His team was ranked top, but lost by one point. My team won. Victory! Yet they have a few rounds to go in the semi finals in order to see who is going to the Winter Olympics this year. Hahaha, I saw a man with a foam hat in the shape of a curling rock. Very hip. A good day all around. How was yours? Eventful I pray. Funny how a few hours in the presence of athletes and their sport (one of which I never really gave a passing thought to) could change my perspective and give me a renewed sense of being. Yes it's cold outside, but I'll march into it knowing that I, amongst many others, were born to handle it with ease. Gotta get some long johns. ASAP. G
oing to the Roar made me think of one of my favorite movies: Men With Brooms. Nothing but Canadiana throughout. Curling (of course, now you understand the segway), big comfy Cosby knit sweaters, The Tragically Hip, and Paul Gross: a hunk by nature and a devastatingly true Canadian to the core. Side note of a Gross recommendation: Due South. Just watch it. Nothing beats The Hip. Nothing. Not even the man in the foam hat. Another film I saw a number of years ago is also entirely Canadian in content and phenomenally refreshing: Souvenir of Canada. Based on the book of the same name by Douglas Coupland. You can watch a few trailers
here. Go out and venture into your local TV entertainment retail outlet, whichever it may be (I choose HMV to start) and
purchase this amazing film. You will thoroughly enjoy it. Let me give you a little taste: you see modern lit interpretations of Native totem poles that are found across this great land, dual headed geese that stand at random and some that grow on the walls. Knits, quilts, tuques, and maple syrup. Can't forget that. It all sounds delicious. What dreams are made of, right? Want to go to a dreamland? Visit the Rockies. You won't see or wish to be anywhere more beautiful. A gigantic playground for the mind, body, and soul. Come play! And don't forget to try our syrup. Breathe.
For the first time (in recent memory that is) I actually felt patriotic. It's not that I've never been proud of being Canadian and I'm not a self-hating Canadian, I just never really FELT Canadian. Or FELT happy about it; no warm fuzzies. But today, that all changed. Roar of the Rings: 2009 Curling Trials. I saw the Women's Draw this afternoon. It was really cool (no pun intended) and inspiring. I should be a curler. A Champ. Picture this: clear ice sheets with the announcer coming out to get the party started. Then pipers enter as leaders of the pack; all 8 teams follow and the crowds of many cheer and applaud. Then an almost deliberately planned silence falls amongst the Coliseum. Not forced, we're just polite like that. The national anthem begins. Everyone sings loud and proud, even the parts en francais. Another part that makes us who we are. Bilingual. Bountiful. As the afternoon games carry on, the Coliseum's level of support and rivalry intensifies. You could feel it in your bones, so much so that it gave you goosebumps. I went with my friend Stephen and we each were cheering for different teams on different sheets. His team was ranked top, but lost by one point. My team won. Victory! Yet they have a few rounds to go in the semi finals in order to see who is going to the Winter Olympics this year. Hahaha, I saw a man with a foam hat in the shape of a curling rock. Very hip. A good day all around. How was yours? Eventful I pray. Funny how a few hours in the presence of athletes and their sport (one of which I never really gave a passing thought to) could change my perspective and give me a renewed sense of being. Yes it's cold outside, but I'll march into it knowing that I, amongst many others, were born to handle it with ease. Gotta get some long johns. ASAP. G
oing to the Roar made me think of one of my favorite movies: Men With Brooms. Nothing but Canadiana throughout. Curling (of course, now you understand the segway), big comfy Cosby knit sweaters, The Tragically Hip, and Paul Gross: a hunk by nature and a devastatingly true Canadian to the core. Side note of a Gross recommendation: Due South. Just watch it. Nothing beats The Hip. Nothing. Not even the man in the foam hat. Another film I saw a number of years ago is also entirely Canadian in content and phenomenally refreshing: Souvenir of Canada. Based on the book of the same name by Douglas Coupland. You can watch a few trailers here. Go out and venture into your local TV entertainment retail outlet, whichever it may be (I choose HMV to start) and
purchase this amazing film. You will thoroughly enjoy it. Let me give you a little taste: you see modern lit interpretations of Native totem poles that are found across this great land, dual headed geese that stand at random and some that grow on the walls. Knits, quilts, tuques, and maple syrup. Can't forget that. It all sounds delicious. What dreams are made of, right? Want to go to a dreamland? Visit the Rockies. You won't see or wish to be anywhere more beautiful. A gigantic playground for the mind, body, and soul. Come play! And don't forget to try our syrup. Breathe.
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