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!