Proud to be Canadian
Posted on March 3, 2010 with 1 commentOMG! I am proud to be CANADIAN.
Since I stated writing my weekly blog I’ve found my self looking for things to write about throughout the week. I’m always jotting down notes into my phone of funny misshapes or cool things I think might be fun to write about. The same was the case for this week...
The overwhelming energy I encountered these past two weeks in Vancouver during the Olympics has blown my mind. So I decided that this week I would take video footage of all the craziness that I have seen, of all the crowds I’ve walked through, and of all the random bursts of our national anthem “OH CANADA.” This idea changed in a solid moment in time on Sunday afternoon. Let me explain.
The streets in downtown Vancouver (especially Granville and Robson Street) have been ridiculous. Ridiculously good! With every passing day these streets got busier and busier, and the people in them got friendlier and friendlier. Buskers, artists, temporary shops all along the way to keep the millions in tow happy! Shoulder to shoulder walking traffic only. From what I experienced there were no problems except for the idiot protestors who decided to smash windows and create havoc on the first day. All I experienced and I think all most people experienced was an amazing collaboration of families, adults, teenagers, seniors all wrapped together in one setting... all randomly high-fiving, cheering for their nation, hugging, and having a grand old time.
Sunday at 12:15pm marked the last event of the 2010 Olympic; Canada vs. US(eh) men’s hockey. Life couldn’t get better than this. I arrived at DOOLINS PUB on the corner of Granville Street and Nelson at 830am. Just shy of four hours before the puck would drop. You might think I was crazy for getting up so early, but I was actually one of the late risers on this magical day. The four blocks I had to walk from the sky train to DOOLINS PUB at 815am was something that out of a movie. For the past 17 days these streets I now walked on had been so packed that carrying my guitar had become quite the challenge... but on this Sunday at 8:15am I was walking the streets alone. (Well actually my “number 1” Regan Bosch was carrying my cds, banner and note book) But when I say alone I mean the streets were empty. However, the sidewalks the would lead to any pub or restaurant or any business with a television inside of it had a line up. The sidewalks were filled with people wearing their Canadian jerseys or anything red.
When I arrived at Doolins there was already a line up of probably 120people at 830am. The pub didn’t open until 1030am. By 915am there was probably close to 300 people waiting in line to get inside. And let me tell you they were a happy bunch doing the wav and cheering and singing our anthem. I was blown away. The streets empty, the sidewalks full. Everyone waiting patiently for what they would hope would be Canadian gold. 1030am arrives, the pub opens... the beers start pouring. You can feel the excitement. You can feel the pride... and you can hear the roars of hecklers anytime someone bearing the “red white and blue” would walk by or enter.
So alas, I leave you now with what moment in my life truly made me proud to be CANADIAN. All week I’ve been recording moments of the crazy fun madness of the Olympics. All week I’ve been thinking up ways to document it and make a sweet video for all of you to experience what I have... But after CANADA scored the overtime winner in the gold medal game... All I could think about was just showing this four minute clip I took off of my iphone off. This four minute clip sums up what my whole Olympic experience was like. This four minute clip was only four minutes of about 45 mins straight after we won gold. These four minutes sums up why I am PROUD to be CANADIAN
Please enjoy! Take in the magic! And if you’re proud to be CANADIAN please leave a comment!
see you next monday!