CALGARY CANADA 2016 - 1 - CALGARY

After 7-8 years of hiatus, I am back in Canada. The first day of my first visit to Calgary. I woke up at 3:30 am to catch my 5:30 flight and I am exhausted. Yet, this may be the only half day I may have to explore Calgary a bit. I know I'd like to go to Glenbow Museum. If I can see Calgary and its surroundings from the Calgary tower at sunset, that may be pleasant, too. Downtown Calgary is easy to navigate on foot, in a week I will learn that not so, by car. Fortunately, until the end of the World Child Abuse Conference that brought me here in the first place, I will be a pedestrian, and I am very happy about that.


Part of Calgary from the Calgary Tower

Glenbow museum, Telus Convention Center, and Mariott Hotel are one big conglomerate spreading on both sides of Stevens Avenue pedestrian mall. I am drawn to the photography exhibit of Edward Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks. With Roosevelt's support, J.P. Morgan provided funding equivalent to $35 million in today's dollars. This allowed Curtis to document the Native American culture by telling the story of a dying race. Although Curtis lost his family and pretty much everything he owned in the process, this 30-year effort from 1900 to 1930 led to more than 40,000 negatives with a focus on the great tribes of the West; Arizona, New Mexico and the Plains states. Much of his work

documented striking portraits of individuals who are mostly from the Navajo, Sioux, Hopi and Acoma bands. However, he also documented these first peoples' dwellings and their life styles. Among the thousands of photographs, the most memorable 100 were selected to be displayed at Glenbow at this time.

One of the greatest Indian warriors in American history of invading native lands: Chief Joseph Nez Perce 1903
 

Chiefs of the old, young warriors, beautiful brides, children, old wise women are spread on the walls, all in black and white. Apparently, his photography became the single most valuable chronicle for indigenous cultures in North America. The rest of the museum is a testimony for the various details of first peoples' lives from their tipis, culture around tipi life, to humorous objects they depended on. Their lives depended on survival and the fittest prevailed, hence warrior cultures. No wonder, in the USA at least, Native American tribes have a disproportionately high number of  war veterans. If only they had known the difference between today's wars and their past ones dictated by the needs of survival. The entire museum displays their wars with one another as well as those with the European invaders. The museum is worth a 2-3 hour visit if not longer.
 

One of my most favorite pictures by Edward Curtis: Tsawatenok girl, the innocence on her face is unmistakable.
 

The tower is as I expected. For once, it is nice to see the city and its vicinity from up above. It is interesting to observe how the kids, the young people, and elderly alike enjoy the place in their own unique way. The planning is exquisite regarding keeping the visitor excitement at its top. Right across from the elevator doors is a glass platform that allows view of the city right underneath one's feet. Even for those with no altitude sickness, it is somewhat scary. Everybody walks onto the glass platform with an eerie suppressed whisper-like scream.  After all, everything we see under our feet is 626 feet below. What if the glass breaks, how much weight does it carry?

The 9th Avenue below the glass floor of the deck on Calgary Tower, not recommended for those with altitude sickness!

All of a sudden I realize that there is no obese person among the visitors. Is it because half of us is Asian, mostly Japanese? Or is it possible that Canadian laws regulate how much sugar is pumped into its citizens' stomach much better than its southern neighbor? This will become more and more apparent as the days go by. For a change it is such a refreshing feeling not to be surrounded with one third of the population being poisoned by extreme amounts of calories... As soon as I walk into US land, I will realize how distinctly higher the rate of obesity is in the USA compared to Canada. Sunset is disappointing since the sun disappears behind thick layers of clouds too early, leaving no trace of her colors for us to enjoy. Time to go back to my hotel to take a nap before finding a restaurant for dinner.

 

Beautiful rainbow from the Tower: This paid off for the trip up...

My nap turns out to be a two-hour rejuvenating absence from external stimuli. I wake up revived and ready to search for food. Serendipity takes me to Pho daddy, a modest Vietnamese restaurant on 13th Avenue and 4th Street SE. It was started by a Lebanese restaurant owner, and is run by a multitude of nationalities. I will continue learning how international Canadian urban population is through the next week. It is amazing and very similar to Iowa City, which makes me feel very much at home. Yet, I have to consider that Calgary is also the fastest growing large city of Canada. I wonder if there are university towns in Canada and what their mix is like.

My most favorite of all the sunset/sunrise paintings at Glenbow

Danielle, my cook and server is from Toronto and the sweetest person I met at a restaurant for a long time. I will gradually observe that servers in Calgary and Banff area are genuinely interested in their clients. Pretty much everywhere we go, we will have very lovely conversations with each one of our servers. My first encounter with a waitress wins her a full passing score of 100! Interestingly enough all waiters and waitresses in Canada will turn out to be temporary in this business planning to go to school for this or that. Danielle is planning to study restaurant management and culinary sciences.

Danielle the server at the Lebanese owned Vietnamese Pho restaurant in Calgary.

She walks me through all the steps of putting together my pho soup. She first warms up the rice noodles in hot water. After moving them into a white bowl, she adds green onions, chopped green herbs, hot sauce to taste, and lots of basil. Then comes the raw thinly sliced beef. Finally their special broth, cooked with multiple ingredients all day long is slowly added over the layer of meat, which is instantly cooked with hot, boiling juice. A few slices of lime squeezed into the soup makes it a simple but delicious meal. I hope I can come back here one more time...

Another spectacular painting depicting First People's life in Canada


The decree of my first 12 hours in Calgary: Canada you are a good land with good people. This is the first time I am visiting you by myself. Let's see what you will unfold for me. I'd like to get to know you better this time after several brief visits of the past. I hope my initial impressions are proven to be true as I dive deeper into your panorama...
 

A contemporary chief from Calgary region, who will be our company throughout the conference I will attend.