'Twas Canada Day yesterday and I felt a swell of pride. I seem to have developed a worrying amount of pride in my country--worrying because it's just so uncanadian. I find myself uttering the most annoying interjections along the lines of "did you know she's Canadian?" or "a Canadian invented that" etc. Feel ire at the fact that many here think Leonard Cohen is American. Moreover, was particularly put out when it was assumed Anne of Green Gables was the tale of a spunky redheaded orphan on the US East Coast. Harumph.

I am torn. Borders. Guarded borders. Military borders. Cultural borders. Grab what you can and run with it. Claim Cohen, claim L.M., claim Stephen Lewis: maybe you'll shine by association. On the other hand, our cultural exports create much goodwill. Artists are, of course, excellent ambassadors, however unwitting. If our government back home would only buck up and bolster the arts. Otherwise I may have less and less creative folk to boast about, regardless of how annoying I may well be in the doing :)

Speaking of international opinion of Canada, the seal hunt is much criticized here in Holland. Pete gets periodically mauled by his colleagues over the issue (not a dangerous as being mauled by mosquitoes, however). I confess that of all the issues I followed and was frustrated by back home, I never really gave its protesters more than a passing sympathetic nod. It took me moving here to consider the debate with any real attention. The Governor General's seal heart debacle up north and the ensuing commentary brought the issue into closer focus. I was arrested by the musings of a British friend who declared he felt vaguely uncomfortable with the fact that the G.G. is, in title at least, the Queen's representative as head of state in Canada.

I had returned to Canada a few weeks after it occurred and found the media coverage of the issue differed hugely on either side of the pond. With so much news worldwide to cover, I suppose the European media can be forgiven for an overgeneralized caricature of the event and the people involved. Still, there are complexities that are summarily dismissed by this kind of reporting. But, like any good Canadian, I shall not complain overmuch.