This past summer, my best friend gave me a Chicken Soup for the Soul book entitled O Canada. Not only it's an awesome gift because first of all, I love reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but also I get to know a little more of the Canadian culture. I'm currently reading it and so far, I learn that people don't know everything about Canada. Canadians don't live in igloos. Not all Canadians know how to play hockey.
If you're one of those people who lacks of knowledge about Canadians, here's a thing you should at least know. Canada is a multicultural country, and people here share and enjoy various cultures and experiences that merge to become one whole new identity-Canadians. Teamwork and support is one value Canadians treasure, and it is included in this proud sport, ice hockey.
This evening, I volunteered with SHARE Family and Community Services to help out with donations. At the same time, there was a hockey match between the Tri Cities team (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody) and the Victoria team (I think it's the name, I saw the first name on the front of the opposing team's jerseys). Before the match began, I helped manage a booth outside with donations while people came by to pick up freshly-cooked patties in hamburgers. The stalls were located a few feet away from the Poirer Sports Complex. The air was frosty cold and the night sky was curtained by a blanket of fog. It was a good thing I had my waterproof ski jacket on even though it made me look like an obese penguin.
Half an hour or so before the match, four girls from the Tri-Cities team came by with a box of SHARE bear dolls. They helped us selling them for those who didn't have a teddy bear to toss during the match. We had these teddy bear to be sold for the food bank which SHARE was in charge of. I was touched and surprised by how generous they were to come by to help us to encourage more people to donate. As the number of passers-by dropped down to zero, I helped the SHARE worker, Jake to move the things in the booth back into his truck and went into the ice rink. At the same time, the weather was impressed with joy spread by the donations given by the people that rain slowly subsided.
Not only was I happy to watch my first ever ice hockey match, but I was also reminded by it as a big part of Canadian culture. Ice hockey is a big talk around me ever since I first heard the word Canucks. "It's like soccer." Jake told me. I thought I was supposed to sit at the table and to help people who are curious of SHARE. But instead, I was facing at the ice rink below me and my eyes were immediately glued to the flat, round, black disc. It was sliding all over the ice surface. I watched as the two teams aimed their hockey sticks at the disc. They were like wolves, chasing after their preys. They went crashing against each other and the transparent walls, pushing opponents out of their ways to reach for their bait. Some were even about to tear each other's guts out until the referee stopped them before a fight began to build up.
The atmosphere rose into a mixture of anticipation and intensity like walking on a tightrope. It wasn't only the bitter cold of the arena that made all eyes focus on the match, the hope for the home team to win a goal was turned into prayers for most of the spectators. It was the third round that caused the tightrope to become a platform. I was texting my mother while suddenly a noisy crescendo of cheering broke the silence. I automatically looked up from my phone and stared at the ice ring. Jake who sat beside me let out a loud "Whoo!". Sure enough, the Tri-Cities team scored one point. Finally, a number other than zero! Seriously, before this, none of the teams scored a point!
The white field was then coloured with a storm of teddy bears flying from the seats. It was surprisingly heartwarming. The teddy bears that were tossed to the ice were to be donated to charity; now that's a fun way to a cause. "I don't know why they do that but the teddy bears that are thrown onto the ice get dirty easily." Jake said. A question rang in my head::Could this be a Canadian tradition?" I don't seem to have heard or seen or read Canadians throwing teddy bears in a big match between Canucks and an opposing team. But anyway, I think this is a practice they do to celebrate the team's victory even with just one goal.
I wished I could stay back to watch the rest of the game, but I went back at around 8pm to catch up the season finale of The Amazing Race season 26. Even though I only got to watch half of the event, I realized that I had experienced a real hockey match, something Canadians are proud to call themselves Canadians. I've read a couple of hockey stories from the Chicken Soup for the Soul book tonight and therefore, to conclude this day, I'm happy that I'm here to indulge in the land of poutine, maple leaves, and hockey matches.
