Postcard from Canada – Last post from a year’s exchange
Marguerite
meets Lt Governor Norman Kwong
Along the lines of ‘How big is too big?’ comes my next question, ‘How cold is too cold?’ Probably when the ski hill closes, the weather is minus 24 but with the wind chill factor makes it minus 32 and thirty seconds with the car door open is long enough to turn your ears white! The boys brought leaflets home about ‘frost-nip’ which is a prelude to frostbite and as it was officially printed, I am assuming it was not just for the benefit of the silly Aussies! It was fitting as just the day before, Geordie had been on a PD day – you know when all the slacko teachers have a booze up and the poor children miss out on a valuable day of education? Anyway he nipped out to build an inukshuk (Indian signpost usually made of stones but he was going to rip up the timber around the garden in honour of the Aussies who would be arriving the next day) IN HIS PJs!!!!! – as you do, door slammed shut, no-one inside and no key! Ever the sensible child (!?) he realised it was minus 41 with the wind chill and went to a neighbour who was fortunately at home and asked her to ring his big brother at school who had a key. She kindly drove him around, got the key and thus no vital extremities were lost – this time!
Saturday was also a very special day as all we Aussie exchange teachers were presented to His Honour, Lt Governor Norman Kwong at Government House here in the capital of Alberta, Edmonton. Thus it was rather fitting that the weather should be so un-Australian on this, our last official engagement. Indeed we now feel that we can hold our heads up at last as having experienced a ‘real’ winter. Prior to this unseasonably cold fall weather – yes, it isn’t even winter yet! - Canadians would tell us that we hadn’t seen a real winter (thanks to global warming, last winter was very mild.) Now, however, the Canadians are complaining about the cold and we, the warm-blooded Aussies have lived through it with them! We have had a real exchange! From what we hear our exchangee living through 38 degrees with 9% humidity, 100kph winds and the threat of bush fires, was doing likewise.
To get back to our ambassadorial duties, working in multicultural NorQuest College, I have met His Honour, Mr Kwong twice now, once at an anti-racism day and once at our festivities for Canada Day. He is an exceptional man, third generation Chinese and although slight in stature, he played first grade CFL professionally for many years and is a hugely popular, real man of the people. He also has a wicked sense of humour and is ready to ad lib his prepared speech and play to his audience’s particular needs. As required, I rang Government House to RSVP and quipped ‘Business dress – now would that be ball gown and tiara?’ Mary, the lady in charge of receptions replied that a ball gown would not be appropriate but she would love me to wear my tiara as then she would know exactly who I was. The great day comes and we arrived at the splendidly restored Government House, dressed as always here in winter in over-pants, waterproof boots, down jackets, neck warmers (invaluable pulled up over your nose & ears) scarves, gloves and hats – just as well I cancelled the $100 trip to the hairdresser! We were directed to the cloakroom where we proceeded to strip away all the layers to reveal our finery. We’d had ten out of town Aussies staying with us and 5 of them were still shopping on the morning of the presentation, although possibly this was more to do with the fact that most of us have shopped exclusively in thrift shops since we arrived than any attempt to one-up each other! Two of our younger females took it one step further and arranged for a one hour ‘make-over’ at some up market department store – they kindly included me in this until I found out that I would need to spend $100 on products afterwards! Come on, I mean would there be a $100 difference?? Think how much Intensive Care you can buy for $100!
Back to Government House… I had slipped aforementioned tiara bought previously for $2, into my handbag – you can see that this year has been one of incredibly professional rigor, can’t you? – and put it on, intending to wear it to the ‘greeting room’, show Mary and remove it immediately. However when Mary saw me, she threw her arms around me and gave me a big kiss – very demonstrative for conservative Canadians - then whisked me off to be presented first in line to His Honour as ‘the Aussie who wore her tiara especially for you’! He was his usual relaxed self, complimented me on my ‘silver’ tiara and insisted I keep it on for the duration! That in turn, led to my fellow Aussies curtseying and the Spanish, German, Japanese and Chinese invitees walking around with airs of complete bemusement – funny folk, these English speakers!
One of our number followed His Honour’s speech and gave a very moving talk with lots of Aussie references about our collective twelve months in Canada and at the end Mr Kwong sought me out to tell me that he couldn’t speak French so he would need lessons from me if he was ever to visit Australia and understand anyone. Do you think there is a job in there for me then? Wearing my tiara and drinking wine every day for a living?
Given that official receptions are not our normal style of afternoon get-togethers, tiara not withstanding, I had assumed we’d get cucumber sandwiches and weak tea as the refreshments mentioned on our engraved invitation. So the copious amounts of wine, fabulous finger food and my husband's favourite, unlimited variety and quantity of wonderful cheesecake ensured that we were still there until ‘chucking out’ time whereupon we repaired to a local hostelry followed by takeaway Chinese chez nous for 40 odd Aussies – God bless the Chinese is what I say!
The tiara will get another airing on Saturday when we are off to the NorQuest Christmas Ball which signals the end of the year …. and what a year it was!
Marguerite