Sunday, November 25, 2012

Newfoundland quilt

Here are close up photos of some intricate designs and needle work of scenes on a quilt capturing the essence of the Newfoundland. Each scene is framed by the deep green of the Newfoundland tartan.

If you were to design a quilt to represent your province or country, what images would you choose to fill the 12 to 16 squares?

Campfire

Fishing

Humpback whale

Lobster

Moose

Newfoundland dog: They are actually quite big, fluffy and cute in real life.

Pitcher plant, the Newfoundland flower emblem.
The leaves of this flower is like a pitcher and fills up with water to attract insects.
The insects are the primary source of nutrients for this plant.   

Polar bear, most likely up north in Labrador. 

The Atlantic puffins, best spotted south of St John's at Witless Bay.

Purity syrup and cookies, the Newfoundland household staple. 

Seal.

Wash basin

Winter log cabin

Religion

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Gander I: Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest & Silent Witness Memorial

Tout le monde me raconte qu’il n’a pas grande chose à faire à Gander sauf d’aller à leur centre d’achat et leur Walmart. J’avoue que j’ai fait plusieurs achats malgré mon aversion au magasinage, car j’ai découvert qu’avec certaines choses, on peut que les acheter dans les grands magasins. Cependant, j’ai découvert aussi d’autre chose que le magasinage à Gander; j’ai trouvé un bijou chez les sentiers Thomas Howe et Silent Witness Memorial.


Lac Gander
Au parc, nous avons rencontré un couple qui nous a fait montrer comment faire approcher les geais gris à manger à partir de nos mains et même de nos bouches! Apparemment, les geais gris ne sont pas timides. Ils font confiance facilement aux humains et nourrissent directement de nos mains. C’était très amusant de nourrir les geais, mais encore plus merveilleux était la sensation quand le geai m’approchait pour prendre le cajou de ma bouche. Le couple nous a enseigné de mettre une noix entre nos lèves légèrement,  de tourner nos visages vers le ciel et d’attendre tranquillement.  Tout est tranquille, tout est calme, et tout d’un coup, dans un temps plus rapide qu’un cligne d’œil, je sentais des plumes qui effleurent mon visage et quelque chose dure et pointue, sûrement des griffes et le bec du geai.  

Un beau geai gris.





Silent Witness Memorial a été construit pour souvenir les 256 américains qui sont mortes d’un accident d’avion en 1985. Gander est une ville importante pour les vols d’avion vers l’Europe à cause de sa location géographique laquelle est  la plus est et près d’Europe sur le continent. Ces passagers quittaient Gander pour aller à Cairo, Égypte sur une opération de paix. Cet accident est le plus grand de son type sur le sol canadien. 

Un soldat américan non armé tient les mains de deux enfants.



Happy discovery at the grocery store

Guess, what? I was so excited when I found a package of dried chow mein at the grocery store (Springdale, NL). I was really excited to try it, because the label of the package says the product is imported from Burnaby, BC, which means there is a high chance it will taste like authentic chow mein noodles. Although, the best chow mein noodles are the fresh kinds.


My homemade chow mein with stir fried veggies and bok choy on the side.
Unfortunately, the noodles puffed up, and was again no where near the original chow mein noodles.

I just came back from eating at a very authentic Chinese restaurant called "Noodles" here in Charlottetown, PE and am really excited to learn that there is a ethnic grocery store here where I can stock up before I leave.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Remembrance Day reflection with music from Newfoundlander Terry Kelly paying tribute to the fallen


Today is Remembrance Day. A couple of days ago, my mind was on anything but remembering about the significance of the day when I was thinking to this year’s Remembrance Day. I remembering thinking, "too bad the stores will probably be closed this Sunday". I have a 5h wait in Halifax before my connection flight to Charlottetown - there is a Mountain Equipment Co-op in Halifax. Now in with time to kill at the airport, I finally reflect on this day. My boarding pass which reads 11:10 am also serves as a reminder of the 11th hour to come. I wonder if the Stanfield airport will do something to acknowledge this day.

Terry Kelly, a popular country singer from St-John’s, Newfoundland wrote a song about needing to remember those who served in the war for the “peace” we are privileged with. The song is titled “A Pittance of Time” and here is the description from his official website explaining the motivation for his song.

“On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the stores PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.
Terry was impressed with the stores leadership role in adopting the Legions two minutes of silence initiative. He felt that the stores contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.
When eleven o’clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the two minutes of silence to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.
Terry’s anger towards the father for trying to engage the stores clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was channelled into a beautiful piece of work called, A Pittance of Time.”

The official video clip and lyrics to this song are below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo&feature=share&list=PL5BC94E21F6EF3DB8
  
A Pittance of Time
Written by: Terry Kelly
Published by :Jefter Publishing

They fought and some died for their homeland
They fought and some died now it’s our land
Look at his little child, there’s no fear in her eyes
Could he not show respect for other dads who have died?

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over
In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died.
It’s a pittance of time

God forgive me for wanting to strike him
Give me strength so as not to be like him
My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips
My throat wants to bawl out, my tongue barely resists

But two minutes I will bide
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over
In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died.
It’s a pittance of time

Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home
They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own
There’s a price to be paid if you go, if you stay
Freedom is fought for and won in numerous ways

Take two minutes would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls all over
May we never forget our young become vets
At the end of the line it’s a pittance of time

It takes courage to fight in your own war
It takes courage to fight someone else’s war
Our peacekeepers tell of their own living hell
They bring hope to foreign lands that the hatemongers can’t kill.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who go over
In peacetime our best still don battle dress
And lay their lives on the line.
It’s a pittance of time

In Peace may they rest, lest we forget why they died.
Take a pittance of time



As I ponder more into my reflection, I realized despite having just attended a Remembrance Day assembly this Friday in school, and despite all the years of Remembrance Day assemblies and ceremonies, I don’t have a profound notion of what war and peace means.

Truthfully, I don’t have a strong nor profound impression of Remembrance Day other than constantly losing my poppy, the poem “In Flanders Field” and the solitary sound of the trumpet or bugle from the “Last Post” and “The Rouse”. It was only today when I went on Wiki did I learn more about these two pieces of music.  These two pieces were tunes used in the British Commonwealth military, the “Last Post” to signal the end of the day and “The Rouse” to arouse the solider and get them ready for a new day after waking. The bugle is the original instrument used in the army instead of a trumpet, as it is one of the simplest of the brass instruments and it has no values. I did not know that a “First Post” is played to mark the beginning of the inspection of the fallen to verify that all of those out in the field are indeed dead and not unconscious or in a coma. “Last Post” was to close the military day to indicate that the post has been verified. The “Last Post” also serves to signal to those who were still out on the field wounded or separated that the fighting was done for the day, and to guide them the way to safety if they followed the tune. At night vigil ceremonies, the “Last Post” is used to start the period of silence for the slain to let them rest and not be mutilated, despoiled (by the enemy), or dragged off (by scavengers) during the night. The playing of “The Rouse” in ceremonies symbolize a new day, a future with hope.

Here is a Remembrance day clip with both the “Last Post” and “The Rouse” with a moment of silence.