Saturday, July 01, 2006

Happy Canada Day

In the international community, Canada tends to be treated like the nice but neglected family member, especially in comparison to a flashier country like the US.

But when I think of Canada, I think of:

  • nudity and swearing - in Canada, you can see nudity and listen to foul language on your television without censorship. And not just in the middle of the night. We're talking middle of the afternoon or even primetime.
  • liquor - the beer is supposedly stronger in Canada than in the US. That means a rosier outlook on life and in underlit pickup joints across the country.
  • hip adult contemporary - when Americans become adults, they are expected to listen to Jewel, 'soft country', and 'smooth jazz'. Canadian adults can still retain a hip vibe by listening to Broken Social Scene, Metric, Stars, and Arcade Fire. None of these bands are to my taste but they do reek 'grown-up cool'.

Happy 139th Birthday to Canada. Here's hoping that oneday, we become a country that no longer needs to compare itself to its neighbour to have an identity.

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