This is courtesy of my friend, Melanie. It will give you insight into how us Canucks abroad felt about the Canadian teams kicking American butt.
So here's the thing. I have never in my life considered myself a huge hockey fan. I mean, yes, I like hockey, but I've never really known who's on what team or all the rules or all the stats. My hockey interest has been pretty low key really. I love to watch live games, I always keep on top of the international events, and I usually watch the NHL playoffs until my teams, the Sens, or the Canadians, (whoever lasts longest), gets killed off. Thus, I don't usually end up watching much of the playoffs. And thus, as far as hockey fans go, especially where I come from, I'm not a very good fan. But not having hockey in Japan has made me go through a highly unexpected hockey withdrawl.
There is no hockey here. The most hockey I've been able to catch here were the last 20 seconds of the Canada - Sweden game. First of all bad hockey, and second of all not nearly enough of it. I can't skim over the hockey updates on the hometeam in the paper, or catch a glimpse of what's up with the game on the news, or even watch it with Japanese announcers as I've done with most other Olympic events. There is no hockey in Japan, and wow I miss it.
As a result, I have done what I can to seek it out. I have read my internet edition of the Citizen everyday since the Olympics have begun and I have cheered at my computer screen at every Canadian medal. But I have cheered most about our hockey wins. And I am so envious of everyone at home who got to sit back and watch both the mens' and womens' games on tv.
Maybe it's because I would have relished the all Canadian atmosphere as we kicked some American ass at our game. Maybe I just want so much to feel something reeking of home. Something not just western, or American, but home, something Canada. The CBC (network), the Keiths (beer), and poutine (French Canadian Dish). Not to mention all those Canadian guys staring at the tv screen with a beer in their hand. Never thought I'd miss that - Never say never, I guess.
I know this guy here, an American. He is a really nice guy and he's been everywhere and met people from everywhere, including a lot of Canadians. He always says the only difference he can really see between Americans and Canadians, is that Canadians are much more political. Which in itself, if you ask me is kind of a big thing. I mean it goes into humour and the way we travel, and compassion and business... But really, screw politics. Isn't it in the way we love our hockey too? Isn't there something about the way we love our hockey, the passion it creates, the unity it builds in us that defines us as distinct from our oh so popular neighbours to the south? I mean yeah, they can play, but do they love it like we do?
I never knew how much I loved hockey until it wasn't there. As strange as it sounds, hockey is kind of a comfort to me. I may not get all the rules, but I get the game. Its checks, its passes, its speed, its goals - they move me. I sit on the edge of my seat and pray to God that we win for reasons I'm not entirely sure of, but I pray anyways. Hell, the closest I've ever come to playing hockey was on a field, in a skirt, and personally, I don't think that counts. So why do I love it so much? I say it's just the Canada in me.
I know it sounds trivial, but we have hockey. It's a symbol of something else, something bigger. I just can't define it, that feeling you get watching the game with a bunch of other Canadians who feel exactly the same way - who just get the game. You don't have to play it to love it. You just have to know it. I miss the game folks. Oh, and I miss the Keith's too.
Congratulations to the Canadian hockey teams! Go Team Canada!
PS. I don't mean to insult any Americans who may read this, but you must understand winning gold is a great thing, but beating America is a victory in its own right. It's like David beating Goliath. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it feels good.
Melanie Foster
Assistant Language Teacher, JET Program
Japan