Canada Day

With no festival in the nearby park or parade down main street or fireworks and BBQ, I have to celebrate Canada Day myself. Sure, I could have dragged U to a bar in Shibuya for a Canadian beer and music party, but I decided to do things my way.

I bought sausages and eggs and "American cherries" at the grocery store last night, and was going to make a special Canada Day brunch this morning... until I realized I had forgotten we were out of maple syrup. How could I do a Canada Day brunch without maple syrup?

(In the spirit of full disclosure I must admit I don't actually like syrup of any sort on my pancakes. U does but I find it too sweet, especially with the sweetness of Japanese pancake mix. I usually mix the mix with plain yoghurt and an egg instead of milk or water and I find it much less sweet and amazingly fluffy and good, but still not on need of syrup. I do, however, put syrup in my sausages, a habit that some British friends labelled as quintessentially Canadian, and some Canadian friends have called odd, but my Japanese brownies LOVED when I taught it to them at camp one year.)

So I as I was contemplating the disappointment and possible passport-revoking that would follow from a Canada Day brunch without syrup, U offered to make a supermarket run. Thirty minutes later a plate of golden sausages and two plates of fluffy golden pancakes were on the table, along with Canadian maple syrup and two glasses of Canadian Dry soda water that were U's attempt at adding to the festivities.

As we ate we discussed the War of 1812, the royalty and Canada, how maple syrup is made (my uncle makes the BEST SYRUP in his very own backyard... yummmmm!), and the first prime minister of Canada. No fireworks, and the sausages were not maple smoked breakfast sausages, but not a bad way to celebrate the 145th birthday of my country.

Happy Canada Day!