Too early for Christmas...it's still November!

On Tuesday Peterborough lit up it's lights for the Festival of Trees. With towns everywhere looking all sparkly and decorated, along with the falling snow, it's really starting to look A LOT like Christmas...however it's still November!!!

Festival of Trees

I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of the year but I refuse to buy into the festival spirit until December. I understand towns and cities putting up their Xmas decorations now but on my drive home from work I notice that practically ever house is lit up and all decked out in Christmas apparel. Jeez, even some radio stations have been playing Christmas songs since mid November. For me this is just too early. I understand the Canadian argument of putting up your outside decorations before the snow comes but you don't have to turn them on yet. I am glad to learn my Mum hasn't put her decorations up yet in the UK. Maybe we are a bit more superstitious about these things.
So I urge you to please keep Christmas for December...I'm waiting until the 1st on Saturday.

Country bar virgin

This past weekend I had my first experience of going to a country music bar, and let me tell you it was an experience!
The British rock chick in me dictates that I should loathe country music but after spending so much time in North America you can't help but hum along to country tunes, especially whilst driving down rural roads in the summer. Nevertheless, when a co-worker suggested to join her at The Corral in Oshawa, I was lukewarm about the idea. I was persuaded however, and I am very glad that I was.
On arrival at the bar, I wasn't surprised that it was packed as I heard it was a popular spot but it was interesting to see such a diverse demograph of people there, all with the same purpose of having a good time. And it certainly was a good time with the tunes playing and the drink flowing. I even got dragged onto to the dancefloor to partake in some line dancing! A live band then started to play some classic country tracks and got the crowd even more energized.

I have to admit that I had a GREAT night and even though I'm not a huge country music fan, I will definitely agree to a country bar night every once in a while. The people are fun and the songs are catching.

Here's a country act I really don't mind listening to:

WHO are you!

The Who on their Quadrophenia tour rocked out Scotiabank Place in Ottawa this past Wednesday, and will be playing at the ACC tonight in Toronto. This got me reminiscing about my experience seeing The Who.


Roger Daltrey at Scotiabank Place on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. Photograph by: Ashley Fraser, Ottawa Citizen

It was back in May of 2007 which usually is a nice time of the year in Britain but instead it was a grey, rainy, chilly evening. We were sat in a soccer stadium in the north of England in all I can say not the best of seats to view the stage. Although the conditions and location could have been A LOT better, the band, or the two surviving members, still managed to rock out to the best of their abilities.
Being a huge fan and having a Dad whose teenage years were shaped by The Who's music, getting to see them live myself has always been on my wish list and I am very happy that I have been able to cross that off.

The Who will undoubtedly always be considered one of the best rock n' roll bands of all time, and have and will continue to influence other and future bands. Even Limp Bizkit were impelled to cover their hit 'Behind Blue Eyes'

The only thing good about this cover is the beautiful Halle Berry in the video!

I will leave you with one of my favourite Who tracks. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

My take on Thanksgiving

Today as you all know is Thanksgiving in the USA. As a British person I find the whole holiday both in the USA and Canada very foreign. I often get asked if we celebrate Thanksgiving in Britain. So far I haven't come up with a witty enough answer to this and I'm not sure whether I should accuse my questioner of being ignorant and stupid. Of course we don't celebrate Thanksgiving I usually state and relay some historical facts to them.


"The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth"

I am not denying that to celebrate harvest time with friends and family, or be grateful of the blessings in life is a pointless holiday, on the contrary, what I find hard to digest is the cloud of media hype, sales pitches, marketing tactics and blitz commercialism, urging consumers constantly to buy what is flashed before them. What the States have done through Thanksgiving and Black Friday is total capitalism. I am not here to argue whether this is wrong or right, just to make you more aware of it.

Whilst I'll not be eating turkey today, I will be enjoying the football. After all when in Rome...