It was kind of hard to think of yesterday as Remembrance today. Sure, it is called Veteran's Day in the US and is a memorial holiday second to that of Memorial Day, but I didn't feel th wonder that I did living back in Canada. I didn't wear a poppy. I missed seeing the old guys selling them in stores, the scouts or cadets standing outside Zehrs with their boxes asking for donations. I didn't hear "In Flanders Fields", instead I listened to a proclomation by the re-elected POTUS George W. Bush which mentioned the word "terror" more than half a dozen times. I want a poppy. Do you remember the poppy wreaths we made in elementary? All the kids would get a paper poppy that we would colour, we'd put them in a circle and we'd see them at the Remembrance ceremonies? Mind you the colour scheme of a poppy is quite simple- red with a green center but there was always the one guy who did it yellow and orange or something. I was always upset because I never got a good "poppy red" pencil crayon- i got the weird scarlet shades.

I always liked the playing of taps, the proud singing of our national anthem, and the recitation of McCrae's poem. But what we do is nothing compared to Europe. Everyday in France they commemorate war veterans and the sacrifices they made in the pursuit of peace. Our ceremonies pale in comparison, but they are appreciated. I remember Pawnee giving his father's war stuff and biographical info that I used in my Cdn. History Artifacts project. My great-grandfather was a decorated hero as he captured the church at Paschendale. I remember the Newfies, those wonderful Newfies, who died at la Somme. There are reasons I like history, and moments wher man;s humanity and inhumanity collide and its humanity perseveres in the most needed hour is one of them.

In Memorium:

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.



We continued talking about weddings in HR today, and Mrs. L said that our Governor is trying to re-establish "Covenant Vows" in Arkansas. This means that it will be much harder to get a divorce and the process will take up to two years. What about people in abusive marriages? Or people who cna't stand each other anymore? His reasoning is that if you make it harder to get out of marriage, people will work harder at preserving their marriages. I just think that there will be an increase in adultery. And this is coming from a state who overwhelmingly voted that marriage is only between a man and a woman. I think 11 states in total, so far, have voted for this defenition of marriage. In History today we were talking about the Mexican War, how the US acquired Mexico and how the gold rush started. 95% of people who went to California looking for gold were men. 95%. And they all went to San Francisco. Charlie said "Well, that explains it" and I didn't get it while the rest of the class laughed. Turns out San Francisco has a v. large gay population. Could it have been born out of the gold rush? I'd like to see that as a historian's doctoral thesis.

Miyuki is coming over for dinner tomorrow and for the night. She says that she is happy she is coming over because her host house is boring. I just hope that I can be somewhat entertaining so she doesn't get a bad opinion of Canadians. Even if I am living in the States.

Got a letter from U of T today confirming my application and to choose my colleges. They also said I have to take an ACT (which I already have) and three SAT IIs or APs. And this comes from only living one year in the States. Yuck. i take my AP US History in May, so that means i just have to take 2 SAT IIs. I just don't know which ones. When I am in TO in two weeks I shall be visiting the admissosn office so I can talk to a real person instead of getting a form letter saying that I need to call or visit. Ugh.

And I realized today that my gay friends living in the BIBLE BELT have been in more relationships than me. This is sad. I have been single for almost 18 years and Susan;'s 13 year old son is "dating". I feel like a mutant. maybe I'll grow up to be like Joan Rovers- loud, obnoxious, and addicted to plastic surgery. Or I'll date much younger men when I'm old and gray.

Either way, at least I'll be on E!