Happy Canada Day! Bonne Fête du Canada!

Happy Canada Day! Today Canadians around the globe celebrate Canada’s 142nd birthday. However, unlike other countries that got their independence in a quick and revolutionary manner, Canada took its time in forming itself  (the process lasting from 1867 with the British North American Act until 1982 with the Constitution Act.) Canada Day celebrates the first step of this process, the enactment of the British North American Act which created the confederation of four provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario) known as the Dominion of Canada.

To many it may seem odd to celebrate the day we became a Dominion, after all, we did not achieve full independence until the constitution was patriated in 1982. However, Canada Day is particularly important because the day we became a Dominion was the day Canada forged a national identity. It was many years later that the Canadian Citizenship Act was proclaimed, creating such thing as Canadians, but since July 1st, 1867 those born in the Dominion have always considered themselves loyal to the Great White North.

Today Canadians live around the globe. Many, like myself, were not born in the country but instead have a parent who was. More than once I’ve been told I’m not fully Canadian because I was not born in Canada and more than than once I have proved to know about and love the country much more than many that were born within its borders. Canada Day to me is a day to honour one of my national heritages. To celebrate being a citizen of a country that is welcoming and inclusive, rich in history and traditions, and most importantly to honour the country that has shaped a big part of who I am.  So grab a pint of beer or a nice glass of Ice wine and lets cheer for Canada! Vive la Canada! Long live Canada! Now click here and enjoy a wonderful video of the CBC.

Want to follow us Canucks as we celebrate our national day? Well, click here to view the camera on Parliament Hill and see how Canadians celebrate  in the nation’s capital.

Happy Canada Day! …….. Bonne Fête du Canada!

War Memorial Veterans Building and War Memorial Opera House

This week’s building of the week is actually a pair: the War Memorial Veterans Building  and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California, two of the buildings that form the San Francisco War Memorial and Preforming Arts Centre. The buildings are almost identical twins, located beside each other, and both designed to complement the neighboring City Hall. In classic San Francisco fashion these civic buildings were done in French Renaissance revival (just like City Hall and the Legion of Honour are) with grand granite foundations and stairs, elegant mansard roofs and impressive colonnades. All in all, although beautiful, the buildings do not distinguish themselves, instead they blend into the urban fabric of the Civic Centre to form a cohesive urban landscape. So if it’s not its elegant facade that distinguishes them what exactly makes them special?  The answer lies in a distant past when they were the stage, literally, of a historical event.

On a day like today, 26th of June, but in 1945, the Herbst Theatre, located in the heart of the War Memorial Veterans Building, served as the stage where several dignitaries representing 50 nations signed the United Nations Charter giving birth to this international organization. Although the Veterans Building usually takes all the credit as the place where the United Nations was born, the Charter had been discussed and drafted inside the twin buildings for several weeks and its approval actually occurred a day before, on June 25, in the Opera House.

The relevance of the United Nations is definitely a polemic and highly debated topic in our times.  Its efficiency has decreased as its size has increased and several scandals have reduced the public’s confidence on this organization’s capability to solve the problems humanity is faced with. However, no one can deny the importance of the gesture of international cooperation that its creation was. The Veterans Building and the Opera House, although elegant and impressive, are not buildings that distinguish themselves because of their unique architecture. Instead, they are architecture that is distinguished by its use. Sometimes it is not the form but what happens inside that makes some buildings important, the War Memorial Veterans Building and the War Memorial Opera House are perfect examples of such buildings.

To learn more about these buildings and the United Nation’s history follow these links:

• UN Milestones
• Information of the War Memorial Veterans Building and the War Memorial Opera House
• San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Centre

Fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Before the day is over I want to dedicate a few words to a public holiday celebrated today: the Fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste, also known as the Fête nationale du Québec, a polemic festivity which is only polemic because it is completely misunderstood. The festivity is currently focused on the Quebéc national movement  and celebrating what it means to be Québécois, however it predates the nationalist movement and should not be considered solely a symbol of la belle province.

Still think that the holiday is only for separatists? Well, here are some facts on this day.

• The feast, a celebration of Saint John the Baptist, was brought over to Canada by the French colonists and celebrated for the first time in 1636, predating Québec by several decades. The original festivity was purely religious.

• The political tones of the festivity did not start until 1834, when French Canadians designated the day as a celebration of the Canadiens (French-Canadians). This decision was made after observing the first celebration of St. Patrick’s Day as a day to celebrate the Irish diaspora that same year; why shouldn’t French Canadians do the same?  The festivity was now about celebrating a common heritage among all French-Canadians.

• This day also saw the birth of one of the most important tunes in Canadian history. In 1880, during the Congrès national des Canadiens français (National Congress of French Canadians), Canadians heard for the first time O Canada (Oh Canada), the song that would become in 1980 the official National Anthem of Canada (English  lyrics were written in 1906). That’s right, the song of unity among ALL Canadians was born during this day.

So after knowing all this, is it really fair to view this day solely as a celebration of Québec? No, not at all.  The 24th of June is a celebration of the heritage of our country, its French Canadian heritage.  It is a day for Canadiens to remember their past and where they came from and a day for all Canadians to celebrate the rich heritage of our French culture. So next time you hear Oh Canada remember its origin and know that French-Canadians are as proud to be part of our country as any English speaker is.

Batalla de Carabobo – Battle of Carabobo

188 years ago, in the plains of Carabobo, the patriot troops led by The Liberator Simón Bolívar faced the royalist troops under the command of General Miguel de la Torre in the most important battle for the independence of the Great Colombia (a country composed by Venezuela, Colombia, Panamá and Ecuador which broke apart in 1830). After several hours of  bloody battle the Spanish army was crushed and the independence of Venezuela was secured. It took two more years of fighting for the patriots to take control of of all the territory that would become the Republic of Venezuela.

188 years later Venezuelans still commemorate this day and remember those who died for our independence. The 24th of June is the Day of the Battle of Carabobo, a celebration of the battle that gave us independence, but it is also the Day of the Armed Forces, a commemoration of the important and honourable role that the military played throughout the bloody years of the Independence War. Today, the country Bolívar liberated is anything but a free land. An oppressive regime, the presence of foreign troops on our soil, and the continual attempt to rewrite our history have all contributed in making XXIst century Venezuela not a symbol of freedom but of tyranny. However, those of us who know our history know the true foundations of our Republic, a republic built on the ideals of liberty and freedom that led patriot troops to victory in the plains of Carabobo in 1821.

In medias res

From the middle…

That pretty much summarizes what this blog is: a story told from somewhere in the middle. The last few years in my life have been, to say the least, eventful. I’ve  experienced (seen, smelled, tasted, heard and even in some occasions touched) so many new things. I’ve met people from many different backgrounds and discussed polemic issues with individuals who oppose my views. My personal sphere has been touched by such a diverse array of experiences, stories and people that I thought it would be a good idea to start getting some of this knowledge to a more public sphere. That is what this blog will serve as, a platform to communicate what I’ve learned, from the trivial to the holistic, on the many issues I encounter. From people to buildings and from places to politics, and just about anything in between, welcome to my map of the world, mi mappa mundi.

Building of the Week: ‘Iolani Palace

Once a week (hopefully) I will highlight a building (or group of buildings) that I believe have something to teach us. Usually I’ll try to make reference to buildings that I experienced that same week, but that won’t always be possible. In those cases I will highlight one of the many great structures I’ve had the privilege to enjoy. This week the honour goes to: ‘Iolani Palace.

‘Iolani Palace is located in downtown Honolulu, on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. The palace is considered the finest structure of Hawaiian Renaissance and one of the best examples of American Florentine. It is also the only royal palace in the United States of America. Although clearly renaissance revival, with its symmetric facade and use of classical features, it contains certain elements that are typical of the Hawaiiana style such as the extremely thin columns. Although exquisitely beautiful ‘Iolani Palace’s true value is not in its structure but in its function.

The palace is a perfect example of a structure being capable of representing power throughout history, even when the governments have changed. The palace  served as the royal residence for the monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawai’i from 1882, when construction ended, till the overthrow of Queen Lili ‘uokalani and the end of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893.  The palace was so intimately associated with power and government that even with the end of the monarchy it continued its role as a seat of power. It served as the seat of the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and the State of Hawai’i, even though the interior layout was ill suited for these functions (since it used to be a residence). It continued its role as the seat of power until 1969 when a new structure was designed behind the palace grounds to replace its role.

Although no longer a government building ‘Iolani Palace still exudes power. It lies in the political heart of the Hawaiian Islands, surrounded by structures that represent both the power of the past and the present.  Today it serves as a museum, protecting the memory of the ancient kings and queens of this Polynesian kingdom.  Few buildings are a better example of how government architecture can evoke power and law even when the governments that built them no longer exist.

If you wish to know more of ‘Iolani Palace visit its webpage! http://www.iolanipalace.org/