Although I was much too busy working on my new affiliate blogger training program over the past 17 days to take in much of the Olympics, I did watch enough coverage (opening ceremonies, skating, snowboard cross, grand slaloms, hockey games and the closing ceremonies) to not only be amazed by the stunning athletic feats but to be somewhat shocked by the number of flag-waving Canadians.
Whoa! That is so unlike us.
Yes, we love our country and its people – deeply.
But goodness knows that the best we can usually muster in times of national success is “YAY Canada!” immediately followed by an “I’m Sorry” for having been so forward as to proclaim our pride out loud – lest we offend the sensibilities of those who finished 300’s of a second later (and are still winners in every sense of the word).
And although I’m happy that more of my country folks will be sporting the red & white more proudly now, what really made the whole Vancouver Olympic event truly Canadian for me was the truly “Canadian” portion of show during the closing ceremonies.
They started by mocking the awkward malfunction that delayed the lighting of the indoor cauldron at the opening ceremony. A mime dressed as Mr. Fixit went through the motions of pulling the fourth arm of the massive cauldron from the floor of BC Place so that Catriona Le May Doa finally got her chance a chance to set the mechanical arm ablaze.
Now picture Michael Buble in a Mountie uniform with a typically Canadian backdrop of a log cabin and the Rocky Mountains singing “The Maple Leaf Forever”.
The scene then opened to typically Canadian clichés — giant inflated beavers, flying moose, Mounties, table-hockey players, Voyageur canoes pulled by lumberjacks, and dancing maple leaves.
It was SO Canadian – so self-deprecating and funny that I almost needed Pampers.
I dunno, maybe you have to be Canadian to understand it, but THAT’s what I love best about this country’s people — always on the ready to make fun of ourselves, even on the international stage.
It’s a beautiful thing.
Having said that, I say “YAY Canada” with no apology.
Could not have been written or said better than that. It was all a ‘horrific’ and exciting 28 Feb 2010 ending the games with a hockey match never seen or heard before. wow. I have been a Canadian by Choice since 1988..living in White Rock http://www.tourismwhiterock.com doesn’t make things worse, per se. This is heaven.
Ciao/Johan
ps/ when does your affiliate course start?/ds
Hey Johan,
Thanks… coming from a reporter – the White Rock Reporter, no less – that means a lot! 🙂
Our Affiliate Blogger PRO course is now officially open and the bugs (server overload and crash, etc.) have all been worked out, so now is the best time to join!
Cheers,
Ros
Hi Rosalind, I enjoyed your 3/1/10 post. I don’t know much about Canada except that my mother, who saw only a few places there, loved it and thought it was beautiful. But anyway, as an American from New Jersey, I’d like to join you in saying “YAY Canada” also without apology. New Jersey has some beautiful and fun places but a lot to apologize for, especially politically and they rarely, if ever.
Anyway, I think Affiliate Blogger Pro looks excellent and will be joining tonight. Will there be info about mobile advertising? How do you think mobile advertising will effect email advertising and computer internet marketers? Will it still be as lucrative? I see many gurus saying that affiliate business model is changing to mobile marketing. I can’t see internet affiliate marketing dieing out or down to a trickle, but I’m no expert. What do you think? Penny, Zeke and Tiko
Hi Penny,
Thanks for your comment re the “Party” post and seeing that you are now a full-fledged member of Affiliate Blogger PRO, I will answer the affiliate marketing / mobile related questions on that site. 🙂
Best,
Ros
I just saw your Puppy naming post and commented there … and then saw this post and had to chime in.
Sunday Feb 28th will be one of the most memorable days of my life… and living right dead center of it all (downtown Vancouver, with most of the sporting events just blocks from me in one direction of most of the festivities and attractions blocks from me in the other direction)… I couldn’t help but to take the full 17 days as a vacay and just mingle in the streets, visit the pavilions, enjoy the games with friends in sports pubs, hit on foreigner girls … all while decked out in Canada gear.
But that Sunday, after we not only won the hockey game (argueably the most important event in the Winter Game) but we broke yet another Olympic record… to then see what easily was 100,000 Canadians waving flags and singing Oh Canada on Granville … it was just absolutely inspiring.
Interestingly enough, Monday morning wasn’t the “big day of hang-overs” as many locals expected… instead it was a national “I lost my voice day”.
It was a beautiful day.
Rob Toth