Ohhhh yeah.

Canada day was yesterday. Ooops.

I obviously KNEW it was yesterday. I had a short day at work, everyone's Facebook status' had something about "Yay Canada, You rule Canada, Let me have your babies Canada" but....it was kind of....blah?

I think the first main problem, is the fact that for the past, oh I dunno, 3 or so years, it's fallen on very inopportune weekdays. Like last year was a Wednesday. Joyous? This year, Thursday. Whoopie? Even if drinking oneself stupid WAS a good way to celebrate our nation, it's hard to cut loose and enjoy when you know that calling in with the excuse of "Uhhhh, I'm.....sick. (Aka, still drunk.)" is probably not going to go over well, and every boss around knows exactly WHY you're sick, and trust me, isn't buying it.

Second, on a more personal note, I love Canada. Seems like a weird start to this sentence, but hold on, I'm getting to it. I love Canada. I really don't think there's many other places I would want to live, except maybe somewhere in Europe. BUT (here it is) I don't actually ASSOCIATE with being Canadian.

It's not that I have anything against being Canadian, it's just not what comes to mind when someone asks me what I am (though of course, I usually respond first off with something stupid like "A pigeon, can't you tell?). I was raised in an extremely European valued household, with both of my parents only the first generation of my family to be born here in Canada. Most people would say, "Well then you're Canadian, so shut up."

But when I see some of my friends who ARE Canadian, like who have been here for years and years and years and years, all the way back to the first cavemen who had brains large enough to adapt to the cold weather and the bears over here...I do see a difference. In values, in actions, and especially in hugs.

For example: My European relatives? Even the 98 year olds, hug you kind of like you're in a wrestling match and the prize is something they want really really badly and they plan on winning by squeezing you so hard, your head pops off like a dandelion when you jump them at people. Hugging is like a full contact sport, and you better be steady on your feet, because if they take you down? They're probably getting up faster than you do. My Canadian-since-the-beginning-of-time older people I know? Do the touch-shoulders-ass-stuck-out-way-away-to-avoid-body-contact-three-awkward-back-pats-then-flee-to-the-farthest-corner-of-the-room.

I know I'm over generalizing a bit, my family is loud and pushy anyway and some people just think others are germ-infested mungus-monsters who don't deserve being poked with a broom let alone hugged. But it's just my own experience. And, I still root for Canada. I still love Canada and it's freedoms, and it's geography and abundance of fresh water. I'm just more inclined to tell people I'm European first. That's all.

So happy one day belated birthday Canada. Me and my German/Polish heritage love you.