Proud to be Canadian

The flag-waving, red, white, and maple leaf craze is at an end. I must admit that the past two weeks have been exhilarating - a record number of gold medals, great standings for all our athletes, and intense Canadian pride. The Olympics gave everyone an outlet for their patriotism, and for the first time, Canada showed the world what it was made of.

The Opening Ceremony started things off with a bang, perfectly outlining our history. While some people may have thought that it was not representative of Canadian culture, I believe it showed our true nature. Canada has no distinctive culture, partly because we are so multicultural. We are a nation made up of different religions, traditions, and people -therefore our history IS what makes Canada unique.

The games themselves astonished most. Canada made it on top, winning a record of 14 gold medals. Of course, our athletes did more than just win gold. Canada came close to the podium on a number of occasion, whether it was by .004 seconds or due to a nasty fall.

The closing ceremonies were absolutely fantastic -or at least I thought. Canada was risky. They put on a show that demonstrated all the 'typical Canadian' stereotypes. I know a lot of people who argued that some people may not understand the joke,and others thought it was simply embarrassing. Personally, I thought it was hilarious. Flying moose, giant beavers, oversized RCMP officers and hockey players, all tied in with dancing maple leafs. Comedians and Canadian figures joked about Canadian culture. The humour was undeniable, and the special effects amazing!

Before the Olympics had started, newspapers worldwide bashed the Canadian 'Own the Podium' program, a program dedicated to increasing out athlete's abilities. It was repeatedly stated that we were showing anti-Canadian values-which apparently revolve around having inferiority complexes, small-town values, and passivity. Check out this article written by myself at The Fulcrum newspaper as a response to a specific article written by The New York Times: http://www.thefulcrum.ca/articles/27837

I hope that even thought the Olympics are done, Canadians will hold on to that spirit. Why can't we be loud and obnoxious every once in a while? Canadian doesn't have to mean quiet! Come on Canada, scream and shout: I AM CANADIAN, AND PROUD OF IT!!