Remembrance Day

No poppy pin. But B'H' that I live in this day and age: I just had to go onto YouTube, and already people throughout Canada have posted video of Canadian memorial ceremonies.

AWESOME.

If you haven't already, there's still time to pause to commemorate all those who sacrificed during wartime for our benefit. We live in freedom due to their efforts, B'H' and bli ayin hara.

Poppy Pin (Cont)

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my reference to observing Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth, Wikipedia happens to have an excellent article on the topic.

Last week I was telling my friend back in Canada that I must really be homesick, because I have yet to get to the Canadian Consulate to buy a poppy pin. And I actually started crying over the fact. You could practically hear her roll her eyes when she told me that she would mail me a pin if she gets a chance. I'm now officially pathetic, lol.

It's good to have friends. Anyhow, if I happen to still be in the States come Memorial Day, it would seem that the VA for Foreign Wars sells poppy pins in May. I should mention that when I called VAF this week regarding buying a pin, I was pleased to learn that the office sells every last pin they are issued in May. Now that's patriotism and respect for those who serve their country and, by extension, the world.

Makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it. :)

Searching

I have been trying to track down a poppy pin this past week. In Canada, you see, Canadians really put their heart and soul into commemorating those who sacrificed during all wars, and from now until November 11, they wear a poppy pin on their left lapel.

I hadn't seen such a pin since I came to the States, so I just assumed that such pins weren't available. After all, the tradition is pretty a legacy of our having been part of the British Empire, and since almost everything in American history is basically an attempt to break from British tradition, I didn't question it.

But then it hit me- if wearing a poppy pin is mainly a Commonwealth thing, then shouldn't the Canadian Consulate have pins? It was worth a try. And sure enough, once I managed to bypass the automated system and get a live person at the Consulate, I was told that they do indeed have the pins.

The Consulate is open from 9-1 Mon to Fri. I mean, those are their REAL hours, despite their claim that they're open to 5. So I'm hoping to make it that far in Manhattan in the coming weeks so that I can purchase a pin.

It would make my grandpa, olev hashalom (who was Glaswegian) proud!

Where Do I Join?

In America, you basically have two viable political parties. If you're conservative, you typically vote Republican and if you're more to the left, you vote Democrat.

Having grown up in a country with at least 7 viable parties and most elections resulting in a minority government, I tended to vote for parties that were more to the centre of the political spectrum. That said, I am currently loving PM Stephen Harper. Yes, he's a Red Tory, but it's his leadership style that I adore. How can you not love a man who manages to remain the Polite Canadian while telling it like it is?

Here's the latest example of that style I'm loving. I think it's high time that I form the Brooklyn chapter of the RHSH (Right Honourable Stephen Harper) fan club.

Summer Reading Literature

When it comes down to it, I have not read many of the works contained on the annual Greatest American Literature lists put out by New York Times et al. While I have read all Hemingway's short stories, the only novel I was able to get through was "Old Man and The Sea". I really tried to get past the first paragraph of "The Sun Also Rises", but I just couldn't. Same goes for John Updike, although I like his short stories, and while I adore Truman Capote, I have yet to read "In Cold Blood". The only American authour I have read every work by is F. Scott Fitzgerald. To my credit, I did manage to get through "Washington Square", but that's because my Secondary 4 professor assigned it. (Considering all the Canadian authours she could have chose, I'm still puzzled by the selection...)

So during my most recent trip to the BPL, I took out "The Sheltering Sky" by Paul Bowles. And unlike some of the other novels I've zipped through this summer, this one is slow going; you know the type- you keep checking to see when the chapter will end. True, I'm only up to Chapter 5, and things did pick up in the last few pages before I put the book down for the night.

I believe the common thread in my difficulty with these writers is the formal tone to their writing. And while other nationalities certainly employ such a tone, somehow the Americans' tone creates a distance that you have to overcome (at least in my case) in order to engage with the characters. Certainly in a novel that deals with disillusionment with society or a similar topic, such a tone is appropriate. Still, it makes the reading experience more cumbersome and mitigates the relaxation factor. Is it worth the effort? Undoubtedly. But it renders such books less suited for a Summer Reading list.

Right now, there's hope that I'll manage to finish the novel, since the setting is currently North Africa, a region that I have always wanted to visit. If and when I do, I'll be sure to let you all know. :)

NA Summit

It seems that America only recognises the importance of its neighbours when it's beneficial to them. The rest of the time, I have to endure the inane Canada-bashing, which is born of either US ignorance or ill-placed patriotism. When I'm feeling kind, I believe it's the former...

Wafergate? :p

Despite Canadians being on the liberal side, religion often plays a key role in Canadian life. Taken in that vein, you can appreciate the humour in this article.

I can *so* hear Peter Mansbridge's voice reading this one, LOL. Priceless.

A Canuck's Take on the 4th of July

This year of all years, I was hoping to make it to the fireworks. In my part of Canada, the summer is filled with weeks of fireworks displays set to music, and the whole city converges at the waterfront to get the full effect. Feeling homesick or nostalgic (or both), I was hoping to finally get to see New York's version of a fireworks display.

Alas, predictably, the show started around motzei Shabbos. So, no fireworks for LPC. Plus, because they moved the venue to the west side this year, I didn't even see a glimmer of lights in the sky. I had to take solace in witnessing the umpteen firecrackers set off by the neighbours. They were in fine form, having started barbecuing Friday night. :p So I mentally tipped the remainder of my beer to them, enjoyed what spectacle I could scrounge, and took the Citizenship test on MSN. Astonishingly, in my 10 years in this country, I seem to have absorbed all kinds of American history/civic tidbits without realizing it; I scored over 80%! How'd you like them apples...Not bad for a makeshift American, eh?

I'm thinking today's a good day to be broiling some veggies and skewering some veggie dogs. Here's hoping that this time next year I'll either be back in Canada or at least able to eat meat and properly join the festivities.

Irregardless, here's wishing everyone a fabulous 4th of July weekend!

Happy Canada Day!

I was kind of hoping Canada Day wouldn't be so stressful for me as it has turned out to be. But hey, that's what my 6-pack of beer in the fridge is for, right? I even managed to procure some Labatt Blue, a working-class beer at best, but one that brings back much nostalgia for my youth, circa 1988. Is it too early to start drinking yet? On second thought, WHO CARES???

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Hunting Expedition

Growing up in Canada, everyone had at least a 6-pack of beer in their fridge. It was basically de rigeur, up there with common etiquette, e.g. offering someone a coffee or tea as soon as they entered your house. And you generally socialize over drinks, be it beer, wine, or my favourite as a twenty-something, Canadian whisky.

Yet when I moved to the US, my alcohol consumption came to a slamming halt. The shift was partially due to my moving to the right of the frummie spectrum, but even more so due to the appalling quality of the beverages available. I am no fan of bourbon, vodka is okay but not fabulous according to my taste buds, and well, imported whisky was just plain expensive. As for beer, it was bad enough that all I could find was Miller, Budweiser, or Corona, but it was unfathomable to me that the said beer came in a can, not a bottle. I mean, a can? That's just tacky.

So I've kept my imbibing to some dry wine every once in a while. But the last few weeks I've really been hankering for a beer. Really. The groceries around me though have only offered the usual suspects, with Heineken thrown in for good measure. I decided today to turn things up a notch, and followed the advice of numerous friends to look in the convenience stores around the neighbourhood.

After ambling along for over an hour, I finally found a great spot on Avenue P. Not only did the shop offer mainly imported beer, but the guy also sold a gazillion types of cigarettes, cigars, etc. , aka it was a true beer joint. I even found a new Molson beer. After learning that I could break up a 6-pack if need be, I took my bottle up to the counter. The guy looked at me and said "Only one"? I told him I didn't know if I'd like it. That's when he almost cracked a smile and nodded. He could relate to my sampling. Obviously a beer drinker himself. :)

Since I now had my beer, I figured I needed some type of salty snack. So I bought some type of cheesy crunchie, and home I came. My loot is sitting in the fridge, awaiting the proper moment. All in all, one of the best hours I've spent as of late. There's nothing like discovering more about what's in your neck of the woods, you know?

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper

At a time when President Obama is "walking the fine line" with the Arab world, it makes me so very proud to contrast the President's tactics with those of my fair land's Prime Minister.

Granted, PM Stephen Harper is an evangelical, so his position is pretty knee-jerk. However, taken in light of the pernicious anti-semitism that has dogged Canada since the country's inception, his staunch support of Israel and his blatant stance against anti-semitism is nothing short of remarkable.

• Article: Stephen Harper and the CJC (Canadian Jewish Council)
• Article: Stephen Harper and New Legislation
  

And my all-time favourite:

Dead Serious Matters

Today there was a pro-Israel protest in Manhattan. While we can all ascertain from reading headlines that most of the media is not on Israel's side- nor has it historically been- I find it glaringly obvious that this morning's protest is not yet covered in the media. In this day and age, such an omission is telling.

The sad fact is that I find the whole Israel-Gaza ordeal frightening. It is but a glimpse into how the Arabs, when given "autonomy" choose to act, namely group and scheme for one sole purpose: to eradicate Israel. Yet equally frightening, in my mind, are the headlines about the calls to target "high-level" Jews.

I have mentioned previously that growing up in Canada, I faced constant, open anti-semitism. While I chose to not dwell on it, the reality is that my father, olev hashalom, stressed that while I am Canadian, I am always foremost a Jew, i.e., when push comes to shove, don't expect Canadians to rally on your behalf. During my recent visit home, I encountered a dismaying development. The metro near our home has become the local hangout where dozens of Arab youth congregate in throngs. Since I was already well-aware that my neighbourhood had become overrun with this most recent wave of "immigrants/refugees", I found the volume of young people, all hormonal and generally unpleasant in that way that only groups of teenagers can be, unsettling.

I figured no reason to worry about things for the time being, since I was only in town for a few days and, B'H' and bli ayin hara, my mother is a few districts away, thereby saved from having to deal with this development exact on her infrequent visits home. On my second trip home on the metro however, the reality of the situation became a bit more personal. The protocol when using the escalators in the metro is that those who want to walk up the steps go on the left; those who stand are on the right. As I was tired, I decided to stand on the right, and ensured that I was standing all the way over, because many people are in a rush and I didn't want to impede anyone's progress.

A youth of about "bar mitzvah" age came up the my left and deliberately bashed - hard- into my elbow, then proceeded to block the left line by standing there and glared at me the whole way up. I look at him for a moment and thought, "Dude, you're so not worth my time. You want to 'win' the stare contest, go right ahead". So I just shook my head, and went my merry way. Did I have to navigate through dozens of Arabs to get out the station, because they were blocking the entrance/exit, i.e., inside and outside? But of course.

My point here is that obviously my metro saga is as much a product of teenager behaviour as Arab anti-semitism. But it would be naive to only consider the incident as a reflection of the former. And so, while as much as American Jews like to think that they are safer in America than Israel, Europe, or basically any other country in the world, I beg to differ. Anti-semitism is anti-semitism, and it is just as insidious in this country as anywhere else. To think otherwise and to act otherwise is downright dangerous, and does a disservice to yiddin everywhere.

So as much as my heart is breaking over what is happening in Israel, and much as I'm all for defending Israel because it is the only land that is unequivocally for the Jews if you will, I am equally worried about our safety here at home. With my father's words of wisdom ever present in my mind, we need to cultivate an awareness that as much as America "protects" the Jews, we need to protect ourselves. And that starts with our mindset.

That is why, in addition for davening for all Jews in Israel to be kept safe, especially the youth who are currently fighting on the front lines in the IDF, I am davening for Hashem to bestow his mercy and protection on Jews everywhere. Indeed, we all need Hashem's help in staying safe, wherever we are, in this pre-Mosiach world.

Notes on the Trip Up

Since the details of my trip home are already fading (sniff), I figure I had better start recording them before my old brain sputters them all out to make way for other stuff.

After much contemplation, I decided to travel by train. Yes, the train ride would be in the double digits in terms of hours, but the relative comfort (human sized seats! aisles you can walk! bathrooms that are almost tolerable!) would enable me to arrive somewhat intact. The takeoff/landing of a plane and/or turbulence, or the constant lurching and hairpin turns/movements of the bus just didn't seem like a logical choice for someone with mid-section issues. Amtrak it was!

Having never travelled on Amtrak, only on Via Rail back in Canada (which is, by-the-by, extremely clean and spacious), I was a bit leery as to what was awaiting me. But Penn Station was much better than expected, and I arrived with just enough time to retrieve my tickets and be processed for Canada before getting into the long line to board.

Upon boarding I was pleased to see the general layout, and found myself a spot to nestle in. Hashem then threw me a mitzvah, in the form of a single mother and her cute-as-a-button daughter, who were unable to find seats together. Since I was the only one currently on my side of the aisle, I offered my seats and switched to the open seat behind then next to a young woman. It was a nice way to begin the trip.

All in the all, the trip up was memorable. First, it must be said how beautiful upstate New York is. I witnessed, among other things, a deer scampering across a half-frozen pond, and dozens of men out individually on frozen lakes ice-fishing. There is something particularly breathtaking about the scenery in winter: the frozen water with the brown tundra, amidst snow-covered mountains with pines adding a bit of colour to the scene. Just beautiful.

A note to other parents: the young daughter (I guess she was around 4 or so) was named London of all things. Call me sexist, but I view London as a boy's name, and Brooklyn as a woman's name. I mean, it has Lyn and Brook in it, two girls names. Whatever. In any case, she was incredibly well-behaved, and keep quiet most of the trip while she drew pictures and waited to speak to her mother in between her mother's frequent cell phone calls. In this day and age, it was nice to see a well-behaved, sweet child.

When I arrived at my fair city, I was able to catch the metro right at the train station and marvelled at how clean the system still is. Not only clean mind you- they have screens above the platform running the news and intermittently flashing the number of minutes/seconds until the next train arrives in either direction. Perhaps most incredibly, all stations had personnel to assist you, and when I asked how much I had to add onto my old ticket from my last visit, the woman allowed me to enter without adding fare. And, unlike my beloved F train, the train takes under a minute to go between stops. The end result? I was at my family's home in 15 minutes. What do you say to that, NY MTA???

That's enough reminiscing for now, lest I break out into cries of "I miss my Mommy!". And I do. Anyhow, more on the recent trip to come.

Things that Make You Go Hmmmm

Surprise, surprise.

I got a call from the OD's office today. They claimed that they couldn't make out my voice mail (naturally), but once I explained that I had found the doctor to be withholding medical information, he got right on the phone. As in, two seconds later.

All business now, he claimed that this was the first he had heard that I had a complaint. So I explained that I had found his prior suggestion that I just stick a trial pair of contacts in and see how I feel to be an unsatisfactory response to my question about whether the diameter of the given lens would probably suit my eye. I reminded him that while I could understand he wanted to make sales, that I had been upfront when I had called the three times prior to the appointment that I only wanted an exam and a prescription.

B'H', he volunteered that the lens should probably fit my eye sufficiently, and if I wanted him to take a look at my eye while I am wearing a trial pair, he will make sure to charge me a "reasonable" amount. Given the designer eye wear he carries in his shop, I believe this his idea of reasonable and my idea of reasonable are quite far apart price-wise. But I am happy to report that in the end, I got the confirmation I had be seeking.

On a totally unrelated topic, for those Americans out there, remember that everything is relative. Everyone and their dog lately is bemoaning the fact that in Saudi Arabia, gas is a pittance, i.e., costs cents a gallon, versus here. Well, I will have you know that in Canada, gas is sold by the litre, and for those of you who never learned the metric system, a gallon is equivalent to 3.7854 litres. That being said, the going rate for a litre of gas at Canadian pumps is currently hanging around the $1.28 mark. In short, each gallon of gas is topping $4.85. Perhaps now you all may understand why Canadians love compact cars; gas has historically been more expensive in Canada than in America. So, no more complaining, people!

Bonne Fête du Canada!

So here I am in Brooklyn on Canada Day. In a show of national pride (and solidarity with my fellow ex-pats), I am sharing just a few tidbits about my fair and native land.

• Population: 34 million. A nation that has always promoted immigration, Canada's population includes persons from more than 200 countries of origin. For the past 25 years, Canada has taken in more immigrants than either America or Australia.
  
• Land Mass: 10 million square kilometres (4 million square miles)- the second largest on earth after Russia. This area is divided into 10 provinces and three territories:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut Territory
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon Territory

• Capital: Ottawa, located in the province of Ontario.
  
• Motto: A mare usque ad mare, which is based on Perek Ayin Beit (72) in Tehillim.
• Symbol: The Beaver. Early Canadian commerce was reliant on the fur trade, with the beaver pelt as the trade's primary commodity.
• Emblem: Maple Leaf. Maple products have remained staple exports throughout the country's history.
  
• Colours: Red and White. As a colony of both France and England, Canada adopted the national colours of those countries.
• Flag: The red maple leaf on a white background flanked by two red bars is recognizable internationally. Americans might be interested to note that there is no pledging allegiance to the flag in Canada, although no individual is prohibited from doing so if they wish.
• Languages: English and French dialects. The accents for both are distinct, and the vocabulary includes many Canadianisms, E.g. chesterfield, tuque, depanneur. Many Canadians are trilingual, speaking the language of their family's country of origin in addition to English and French.
  
• Sports: Lacrosse and Hockey. Hockey was officially legislated as the national winter sport in the 1990s; Lacrosse remains the national summer sport.
  
• Anthem: O Canada. As befitting a bilingual country, the anthem can be sung in English or French. The standard practice in some provinces is to sing half of the anthem in French, half in English. You will note that Canada, unlike America, has no qualms about mentioning country and G-d in the same breath:

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

• Constitution: Peace, Order, and Good Government. Canada's constitution consists of several documents, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. One important distinction between the Canadian and American constitutions is that the American constitution focusses on the rights and freedoms of individuals, whereas the Canadian constitution stresses the need to balance the rights and freedoms accorded the individual with the needs of the community at large. In other words, the greater social good is always the focal point, versus the wants and needs of individual citizens.
• Political System: Parliamentary. The parliament consists of the Monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons. Queen Elizabeth II currently acts as the monarch, and is represented at the federal level by the Governor General and and at the provincial level by each province's Lieutenant General.
  

Finally, why is today called Canada Day? On July 1, 1867, the Province of Canada was divided into two provinces, Quebec and Ontario, and joined together into a federation with the colonies (British) of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The day was referred to as Dominion Day until 1982, when Canada was granted its own constitution, thereby removing the British Parliament's ability to legislate for Canada. As mentioned above, the Queen still retains legal power in Canada, and acts as its figurehead.

Vive le Canada!

Emigrant versus Immigrant

Home sickness. It's an all-encompassing feeling sometimes. And, at my stage of life, it is an odd feeling to have, because I associate it with young girls and boys who are at camp, or away at yeshiva/seminary, or otherwise not in their normal element.

But I suppose that's the point. When you are from a different country, you always sense that tie to where you are from. Perhaps immigrants to America possess that sensibility to a lesser degree due to the cultural emphasis here on "being an American", i.e. the melting pot approach.

In contrast, back in Canada, immigrants identify themselves as Canadian, but live the culture of whence they came in parallel to life in Canada. They live amongst others from their given nation, eat their national dishes, speak their national language at home, and label themselves ___-Canadian (e.g. Chinese-Canadian, German-Canadian, Turkish-Canadian, etc.). There is consequently no conflict in their sense of self, i.e. they live in Canada, and savour all that Canada offers them, but still consider themselves predominantly of their native land. That is what it means to Be Canadian: to be both simultaneously, and to celebrate each other's differences.

My husband came to America just at school age. He has, in other words, spent all but a handful of years in his life here in New York. Yet he vehemently insists on referring to himself as Israeli, despite being overwhelmingly American. I mean, you should just hear him say particular words; not an ounce of Israeli in that pronunciation (e.g. idea = i-deer, horror= hawrur, etc.). I understand the mental/verbal emphasis however, since it stems from an attempt to retain a connection, which fades more with each year, to the land where he was born.

My husband and I are at different points in the process, but our sentiment is the same. I desperately long for "home" even though I am at an age where home is basically wherever I find myself. My father is gone, my mother is in a home, and while my older brother maintains the house of my teen years for the day when my mother is finally able to return there, I am in principle without a physical residence in Canada. Yet my emotional self-definition remains solely Canadian, my mindset solely Canadian, my every memory- even of my years in the US- is filtered through my Canadian-ism.

At this juncture in my adulthood, I doubt that I will ever switch over to an easy sense of myself as an American, or even of myself as a resident of the United States. Rather, despite my American passport, I see my future self continuing to define myself as a "foreigner" for perpetuity.

We all make choices in our lives. I chose to move to the United States for work, and while I wrestle with surprisingly large set of cultural differences between Canada and the US, I do appreciate the positive aspects of living in the United States. But I need to also give credence to the fact that while my physical/spiritual self enjoys the opportunities here, my emotional self will continue to feel a sometimes overwhelming sense of loss and displacement. Maybe the International Bureau of the Canadian government has me registered as a non-resident of Canada, and maybe I am currently without a Canadian passport, but I assure you: my heart and mind rests there.

To all of you who are from somewhere else and now live in America, I salute your continued efforts to define a life here that is meaningful and fulfilling. It is a constant, yet necessary process.