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Hockey Gold!
Feb. 28th, 2010 03:54 pmI don't follow hockey, unlike most of my countrymen. I only care about whether we win, because I feel bad for the boys on the Canada team having so much pressure on them. Personally, I don't know how anyone can do anything under that amount of pressure.
But I LOVE WHEN WE WIN...and it has nothing to do with national pride: I simply love how the entire country erupts in noise all at once.
I didn't even have to watch the game this afternoon. I sat at my computer doing my work as usual...I knew when we scored, because I could hear the cheers from the bars two blocks away - the noise would set a neighbourhood dog or two to barking in response. And when we won...
..it was an eruption of noise and I found myself smiling immediately. Car horns and "Woo!"s everywhere. It's now a constant noise of celebration that I know will continue for HOURS after the fact.
If you think this is a special case because I'm living in Vancouver, think again. When we won gold in 2002, it was the same. I was in small-town Ontario then, and listening to the game on the radio in the car. The minute that buzzer sounded, the road was awash with noise. We parked and went to a restaurant for dinner, and there were people running Canadian flags down the street - there were impromptu parades of people in red and white, cheering loudly as though it was THEM that had won gold.
So, no, I don't normally care about hockey - but I love how happy it makes everyone. I love how Canada is this odd place, where it doesn't matter if you are from Bangladesh, Berlin, Beijing, or Bobcaygeon, we all find ourselves biting our nails and watching the game every 4 years like we're one giant family and it's our own brothers and sons on the ice.
Even as we speak, there is someone on the street outside my apartment who actually has a moose-call! Hahaha...lord, I love this country.
In the words of my eldest sister: "And now, back to our regularly scheduled humble modesty."
But I LOVE WHEN WE WIN...and it has nothing to do with national pride: I simply love how the entire country erupts in noise all at once.
I didn't even have to watch the game this afternoon. I sat at my computer doing my work as usual...I knew when we scored, because I could hear the cheers from the bars two blocks away - the noise would set a neighbourhood dog or two to barking in response. And when we won...
..it was an eruption of noise and I found myself smiling immediately. Car horns and "Woo!"s everywhere. It's now a constant noise of celebration that I know will continue for HOURS after the fact.
If you think this is a special case because I'm living in Vancouver, think again. When we won gold in 2002, it was the same. I was in small-town Ontario then, and listening to the game on the radio in the car. The minute that buzzer sounded, the road was awash with noise. We parked and went to a restaurant for dinner, and there were people running Canadian flags down the street - there were impromptu parades of people in red and white, cheering loudly as though it was THEM that had won gold.
So, no, I don't normally care about hockey - but I love how happy it makes everyone. I love how Canada is this odd place, where it doesn't matter if you are from Bangladesh, Berlin, Beijing, or Bobcaygeon, we all find ourselves biting our nails and watching the game every 4 years like we're one giant family and it's our own brothers and sons on the ice.
Even as we speak, there is someone on the street outside my apartment who actually has a moose-call! Hahaha...lord, I love this country.
In the words of my eldest sister: "And now, back to our regularly scheduled humble modesty."
