I remember Expo 67, when we celebrated Canada’s 100th birthday. I was a little kid, and I thought a hundred was ancient. A hundred was even older than my Opa, and he was the oldest person I knew.
Today is Canada’s 139th birthday. I own things that were made before Canada was Canada. I’ve been alive for more than a third of Canada’s life. Canada doesn’t seem so old anymore.
Anyway. Today I went out and watched Canadians being Canadian at the most Canadian of Canadian places: on and about Parliament Hill.
But first I stopped by the War Museum, to see the Maple Leaf Brass Band in which fellow blogger Dave Scrimshaw plays tenor horn. Unfortunately my photography skills were not up to the challenge of shooting a big black band in front of a huge bright window. But the music was fantastic.
This little Canadian was in the crowd, well away from the window:
On to downtown.
First let’s get the obligatory Peace Tower shot over with.
Here are a couple of bands that were playing around the National Arts Centre. I think the first one is BAM and the second one is Pardon My French.
Oh, and I finally figured out how to take video with my camera. By accident. I got some unexpected video of Pardon My French, and it must be real foot-stomping music, because my camera was keeping beat.
Next, on to the Hare Krishnas. I haven’t seen them for awhile. It seems they have a vampire now.
When I was a starving student, a bunch of us went to the weekly Hare Krishna feast. Once. They fed us unidentifiable cold sweet stuff, and made us eat everything on our plates “because it would insult Krishna to waste it.” Afterwards they gave us Krishna cookbooks. The recipe for milk was: “Add one cup of sugar to one quart of milk. Stir.”
Next up, a trip to the Porta-Potties. There they are, lined up against the Parliament Buildings. I can’t imagine the White House allowing such a thing, but this is Canada and in Canada we’re proud we have the right to pee on Parliament Hill.
Canadians like peace too:
Our colours are red and white and our symbol is the inoffensive and peaceful maple leaf:
What celebration of Canada would be complete without an 8-foot-tall woman playing the electric fiddle?
She smiled at me!
My photography today might have been better if I were taller. Or if I had a boyfriend.
Canada, being a polite country, would never claim the whole spotlight, even on her birthday. Congratulations Portugal!
Hey! Glad you enjoyed the music.
And you even got a picture in which it looks like I’m playing my horn. Although given the distracted look on the front row cornets, it was probably a break between pieces and you’ve got me clearing one of my spit valves.
No, you were playing! The problem with photographing the tenor horn player is that when you’re playing, the horn is generally obscuring your face.