Sparkled Beauty

I like Roots. Their logo rocks, and the clothing and accessories always display some kind of Canadian pride as well. It is one of the most famous Canadian brands in active wear and leather goods and a neat souvenir option for anyone visitting Canada. Roots recently promoted a little series on their website where people shared their stories about "What make Canada priceless". Here are a few good extracts for your fun read.

- Top ten reasons:
10. Freedom: to choose who we want to be, and how we want to live without fear.
9. Education: great education system which gives us opportunities to pursue our dreams.
8. Government support: whether it’s health care, pension plan, social assistance, etc., the country takes care of us.
7. Tolerance and compassion: towards people from all walks of life.
6. Strong justice system: ensures justice is brought to the helpless and defenceless ones.
5. Arts and entertainment: to cultivate our mind, heart and soul.
4. Peacemakers and peacekeepers: strive for peace and to bring peace wherever we are.
3. Vast beauty: from coast to coast, Canada has endless and breathtaking gems to discover.
2. Diversity of ethnicity
1. First choice for a new beginning: for lots of new families.

- Priceless Blue Book: Canadians are envied globally for our diplomacy, humanity, cultural diversity, and ideals. Priceless is the emblemized passport that identifies us to the world as Canadians. It is greeted with smiles, admiration and courtesy, and never with disdain, suspicion or hostility.

- French and English: 2 official languages, 2 distinct cultures.

- Maple syrup and Canadian bacon.

- The Rockies

- Friendly people, and important people too
1. Actors (Michael J. Fox, Brendan Fraser & William Shatner)
2. Artists (Robert Bateman, James MacDonald)
3. Athletes (Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr)
4. Business people (Bronfman Family, Jack Warner, Joseph-Armand Bombardier)
5. Directors/producers (James Cameron, Lorne Michaels)
6. Journalists (Peter Jennings, Keith Morrison)
7. Musicians (Bryan Adams, Nickelback, Rush, April Wine, Neil Young)
8. Actresses (Pamela Anderson, Kim Cattrall, Margot Kidder)
9. Comedians (Dan Aykroyd, Jim Carrey, Martin Short)
10. Heroes (Terry Fox & Rick Hansen)

And to sum it up:
PricelessHockey Game in Vancouver - $55
Week at the Calgary Rodeo - $1000
Camping in Saskatchewan - $145
Ice Fishing in the NWT - $400
Whale watching in Nunavut - $150
Football Game in Winnipeg - $60
Blue Jays Game in Toronto - $80
Skiing in Mount Tremblant - $200
Kayak in the Bay of Fundy - $100
See the Icebergs in Newfoundland - $75
A round of Golf in Nova Scotia - $90
Points East Coastal drive in PEI - $65 (gas)
Living in Canada - Priceless.
Source: canada.roots.com

Enough said, but if you ask me, I like Halifax's summer the most. The weather is warm and I can wear skirts, short-sleeved shirts and sandals. They are precious, if you ever exprience our winter. Lots of outdoor activities, especially family-oriented ones.

First, blueberry picking. I always anxious to wait for our favorite farm, Blueberry Acres, to open to go picking (It is open now, btw). Blueberries (high bush) are fun and easy to pick and so wonderful to eat. I always end up with 3-4 big boxes (20lbs each) and stuff up my fridge. I do need a freezer just for these bluberries.

Photo credit: betweenthebushes.ca

Second, camping. I love to sit around the campfire making smores and watching the night sky full of twinkling stars. I find it a great bonding experience for our little family too. We haven't camped this summer at all, as we haven't had a full weekend with good weather. And me (or the bf) has been away for conferences and stuff one or two weekends.

Third, activities on the waterfront. I mentioned the tallships before, and now the Buskers festival which starts tomorrow evening. Simply put, it's a street performance event that includes performers around the world - acrobats, commedians, musicians, dancers, etc.. They are sponsored to fly in for the event but are on their own for other expenses, and therefore rely on tips from viewers/ festival goers - reflects the unique "street performing" nature of the festival, in my opinion. It's gonna be fun for Squirt and her afterschool group to go and see, but it's a noisy time for me, as I work quite near one of the outdoor stages.

Please share your thoughts of what you love living or visitting here, if you have experienced it!