Mighty Beaver!

Yesterday was Canada Day.** I can count on one hand the number of Canadians I've met visiting the U.S. All of those said Canadians were related to me. So it came as a shock when I arrived at the UN-Vienna to find out that everyone here is Canadian. Everyone.

In the spirit of North American solidarity, I celebrated Canada Day yesterday with a group of charming, hockey-loving, poutine-eating Canadians. Although we lacked fireworks and Canadian beer, we did have a Canadian flag to parade around the bar. We also ate some Mexican food so as not to forget about our south-of-the-border friends.

**Even though I grew up an hour and a half from the border, I had no idea there was such a thing as "Canada Day." Shameful, really. For 26 years, I've missed out on a holiday devoted to celebrating hockey, Molson Ice, Shania, and socialized health care.

But things are going to change from now on. Canada Day falls on July 1st, just a mere three days before Independence Day. Why not create a mandatory long weekend to celebrate the fact that our two countries share the longest common border in the world?