A Night with Alberta
On a cold winter Saturday night, a wind whips across Washington Square into the canyons of Manhattan. Near New York University’s main dormitory is a small jazz club. The large tinted front windows at street level and the subdued lighting might make a visitor think of an abandoned storefront. However, this small place is where magic can happen. The Cookery is a portal between the present and the past.
Entering the club, the host finds my new wife and me a seat. This is both polite and practical for the fresh snow renders the newest patrons blind at first. Once seated at the postage stamped sized tables, the eyes begin to adjust. The cold weather and the premium for space has made it very cramped. Fur coats, down parkas, wool trench coats and the occasional sweatshirt battle for space between chairs. The jazz lovers here run the gamut of New York’s elite to the students of NYU, with all stops in between. Businessmen in two-piece double-breasted business suits sit next to students in neat flannel shirts and jeans.
The bodies of the lucky front row patrons shield the stage area from the arctic blast from the door. The stage area lies vacant. An acoustic bass, upright piano and a set of speakers stand as sentinels guarding the stage area. The lighting bathing these silent talismans seems more appropriate to a museum than that of a performance. As we all wait for the music to begin, the room fills with that subdued buzz of countless private conversations. My wife and I order a seemingly appropriate micro-brewed beer, Brooklyn Beer. The mild bitterness and light sparkle of the beer fits the time just right. The beers come in two bottles, each with a complimentary tall glass.
The beer and glasses produ...
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...hint of a sweet wine. To my pleasant surprise, I find the coffee is a Martini. A sip of the tea reveals Brandy, orange and lemon. The tea is a Sidecar.
We sip our contraband beverages as the singer segues into a blues song that is beyond her years. She sings it though with a feeling that only familiarity should provide. The song finishes, and the band takes a break. I take a last sip of my beer as the tobacco aroma seems to fade from my nostrils. I am asked what I would like for my next drink. I open my eyes. The table is again small. Alberta is walking by me to get back to her stairs. I change my drink to a Martini and my wife’s drink to a Sidecar. Somehow, I know it is best to have a drink from the correct era. Alberta stops when she hears my order. She looks at me and says, “I thought I saw you with us. We’ll be back in ten minutes sonny. I’ll see you there.”
Kate's family had rented out a ballroom in a neighborhood country club, and we intended to dance the night away. As I approached the scene, disco lights streamed through the large windows and ran all over the lawn. Music enveloped the parking lot as my adrenaline began to elevate. I sauntered in, waving to my friend...
Canada my Canada by Tomson Highway describes Canada in a very descriptive way. The majestic mountains are like a protective wall for the Great Plains. The blue water with the diverse marine life and the Forests that provide air for a big part of North America.
Quebec’s social identity and defining characteristics contradict and conflict with those of rest of Canada. Since the genesis of our country, the political, social disagreements, and tensions between Quebec and the rest of Canada have been unavoidable. Utilizing Hiller’s key contradictions in the analysis of a Canadian society, we will compare and contrast the nature of the societal identity in Quebec compared to that of rest of Canada, emphasising on the major differences and tensions between the province and the rest of the country.
On the evening of Monday, October 28th, 2002, this great woman visited the faculty, staff, students and guests at Rutgers University. To enter the little gymnasium on College Avenue, where the event would be held and would eventually house nearly 2,000 people, everyone needed a ticket, a ticket that I did not have because they had sold out so quickly. Nevertheless, I was determined to be there. So I adorned myself in the appropriate attire, left my apartment, and at 6:45 found myself on College Avenue in a line that spanned from the doors of the gym all the way to Au Bon Pain. No one seemed to care that it was 30° outside that night. Up and down the line you could hear snippets of conversations resonating excitement and anticipation of the night’s event. For some who had seen Dr. Angelou in the past it would be an added treat, but for me it would be a first. I was going through ideas of things to say to the doorperson so they would let me in without a ticket.
Canada: The Quiet Revolution in Quebec The English-French relations have not always been easy. Each is always arguing and accusing the other of wrong doings. All this hatred and differences started in the past, and this Quiet revolution, right after a new Liberal government led by Jean Lesage came in 1960. Thus was the beginning of the Quiet Revolution.
Furthermore, the issues of representation in the House of Commons are even more evident in terms of the alienation of certain provinces. Western Canada has experienced political alienation due to the dominance and influence of Ontario and Quebec over policy-making as both provinces contain the founding Cultures of Canada (Miljan, 2012, p. 53) Also, the fact that Ontario and Quebec make up more than 60 percent of Canada’s population attracts policymakers to those provinces while marginalizing the interests of westerners (Miljan, 2012, p. 53). Thus, policymakers will favor Ontario and Quebec as these provinces harbor the most ridings as well as the bigger electors’ base. In fact, Western Canada is also underrepresented in both the House of Commons and the Senate when compared to the Maritime provinces as the Maritime provinces are overrepresented compared to their population. Also, many western Canadians are turned off by the federal government as they have been alienated from major political action and discussion due to low representation (Canada and the World Backgrounder, 2002). In other words, Ottawa does not address the needs and hopes of Western Canada
Throughout the history of Canada the indigenous population of the country have been voiceless. They have been both suppressed and oppressed by the Federal and various Provincial governments within Canada. Many organizations tried to provide a voice for the native population but failed in their attempt. These organizations eventually merged together to become what is now known as The Assembly of First Nations. The Assembly of First Nations gives voice to the issues and problems facing the different components of the aboriginal community in Canada.
Between study group, debate, and chess tournaments there wasn’t much of a social scene around Winchester University in Omaha, Nebraska. The school year at this college was year round, but the students were given a 30 day summer vacation in July. The majority of the students went back home to visit their families during this time. But as juniors at the University Charles, Fredrick, and Stanley, all childhood buddies, decided it was time for a change and that they needed a little more spice in their life. Realizing that they were almost twenty-one and had never breached their comfort zone, they knew a road trip was in store.
In every walk of life, people seek refuge from the judgmental perception of their contemporaries. Thus, many people live in secrecy. For them, secrecy is an absolute necessity in dodging undesired scrutiny and maintaining normalcy in public. When it comes to gender and the expression of it, lines are often blurred. While some hide, others brazenly parade their sexuality in public and their alternative perspectives on gender roles. In “The Bowery as Haven and Spectacle” from Gay New York, by George Chauncey, explores the emergence of the Bowery “fairy” bars, and how they became a sanctuary for the queer and working-class of New York City. He discusses in great length the tension that arises between the middle-class and working-class, the bars as a spectacle and a place to be entertained, the solicitation of sex work, and the makings of gay culture in the bar scene. The lines of gender were blurred when men took up cross dressing and the mannerisms normally associated with women. On the other hand, Merril Mushroom, writer of "How to Engage in Courting Rituals 1950's Butch-Style in the Bar", complies a laundry list of rules for butch lesbians on methods of attracting other women. Here, females cross gender boundaries and take on masculine personas. With this said, both pieces show the development of alternative gender identities. However, this switch in gender roles seldom occur outside the bar scene. Despite the semi-public gender blurring, those who identify with this lifestyle still feel the need to express themselves in an environment most accommodating to their blatant disregard of gender norms. The aforementioned pieces answer questions in regards to why one must live in secrecy, and how this secrecy gives way to the developme...
acquired by Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris of 1763. The mass majority of
Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, making it the most recent province to became part of the country. Some historians argue that the delay is diffcult to understand, since Newfoundland had the chance to enter into Canada in 1867. This paper explores why Newfoundland did not join Confederation in 1867 and remained an independent political entitiy. In was not in their best interest given the overarching political debacle which unfolded between the colony’s Conservatives and Liberals. The decision to remain an independent political entitiy or join the federal govenrment was hindered by opposing poltical views. Despite having two men, known today as the Fathers of Confederation, at the Quebec Conference who supported the idea of union, Newfoundland itself did not. A general election to decide the fate of the colony resulted in ongoing dissatisfaction with the idea of joining the new dominion. The question of higher taxation and terrifies that would hinder the success of the colony was a risk people were not yet ready to take. Most of Newfoundland’s core industries began to suffer and fall apart, while the colonies government continued to disagree, despite a concerted effort made by Canadian officials to have them join the larger nation.
Canada has had a long and storied history especially in the 20th century. A key part of this history is Canada’s road to autonomy. The first step on this road is Canada’s role in fighting and ending World War I. The second step is Canadian involvement in the United Nations’ early days to the mid 1950’s. The last step on the road to autonomy is the Constitution Act, 1982. These three moments in time form the backbone of Canada’s road to autonomy.
The culture of Canada refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that are a representative of Canada and Canadians throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced by American culture because of a shared language, proximity, television and migration between the two countries. Overtime, Canadian-American relations have helped develop Canada’s identity during the years 1945-1982; thus introducing changing social norms , media and entertainment. In support of this, due to the United States being approximately 9.25 times larger in population and having the dominant cultural and economic influence it played a vital role in establishing Canada’s identity. With Canada being its neighbour, naturally, the United States would influence their way of life upon Canada. In other words,
I glanced around the dimly lit dining room of our neighborhood Jack-In-The-Box at the collection of adolescent girls and boys gossiping about their absent friends, urban families enjoying their weekly treat of chicken fingers with exotic dipping sauces, and a teenage employee attempting to grasp a carpet sweeper with her fry-greased hands. As each of their gazes wandered the room curiously observing the quaint surroundings, their eyes conveniently skipped over the socially unacceptable figure in the corner, but I saw him clearly.
Walking into the theatre, handing my ticket to the ticket lady, I watched as workers scurried about trying to make sure everything was perfect for the upcoming concert. Chrome edged boxes were stacked in a couple of corners with the occasional person grabbing something instrumental out of one. In the adjacent corner of the building there were Jars of Clay souvenirs. There were posters, CD's, clothing, key chains, and lots of other visually appealing items on the tables.