Spring is finally on its way and today was a balmy 7°C for our walk around the Olympic Harbour in the sunshine.  The ice in the Lake is breaking up and revealing beautiful turquoises and patterns.  It was so nice to be outside without being bundled up in heavy layers and thick jackets.

Which brings me on to another of my "noticing different things about Canada".  People here wear sweatshirts and jackets which proclaim "CANADA" in bold letters.  This is never done in the UK!  The only people in the UK who wear clothing with slogans proclaiming "LONDON" or "ENGLAND" or any other part of the country are tourists (or, in the case of "England", football fans).  When I lived in London I wouldn't have been seen dead in a T-shirt or sweatshirt that said "Leicester Square" or "London" or somesuch - it would have sent the message that I was not a local.  When we went to Newfoundland a couple of years ago I bought a fleece jacket that had a discreet "Newfoundland" insignia on the front and I find that when I wear it people stop me, with a big smile, and ask if that's where I'm from.  The first time it happened I was horrified!  My Britishness leapt into play and I thought "Good grief, if that is where I was from I wouldn't own such a thing!".

But there seems to be no such feeling here.  There's none of that self-effacing, underplaying oneself, head down stay in the background don't let anyone know who you are or where you're from syndrome.  I am from "CANADA", it's on my jacket dammit and I'm proud of it.  And that's the way it should be.

***dial-up alert*** I think these photos are large, so if you click on them be prepared to wait!