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.”
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.
The BC is located in Bethesda, near Washington and can be described as a high-class entertainment nightclub. The concept of the club is to offer food and beverages accompanied by blues and jazz music, which is played by artists from all over the US. According to the limited amount of seats, the guests are able to experience the artists’ performance in a sonorous and exclusive environment. The club is opened from Wednesdays to Fridays and has a different act on almost every of these days in order to offer something for every taste of music. Furthermore, BC offers the possibility to book the club for corporate events. This service has earned a lot of positive feedback trough known companies such as Morgan Stanley or the Bethesda Magazine (BC, Special Events Brochure). Concerning these observations, one can conclude that BC rather attracts classiness seeking guests, especially ones, who are not returning to often. This makes BC a special place, which vastly distinguishes itself from an ordinary pub. This distinction is further supported by the considerable prices for tickets, which vary between 10$ and 40$.
That summer he sweated from the humidity which in 1940 everyone in Brooklyn sweated from; then he sweated from the hot ovens at Carlo Amato’s pastry shop in Bensonhurst four or five nights a week; then he sweated from the hot ovens at a pastry shop Downtown every day of the week except on Sunday, when he usually slept until noon. From Downtown, Giovanni Vitale came home at the end of the workday on the BMT subway to his wife, Lisa, to their three kids Anna, Steve, and Johnny. After dinner they would all listen to the Philco. Then Giovanni and the eldest kid, Johnny, eleven, walked three long blocks and two short blocks, past the old people who fanned themselves on the stoops, to Carlo’s shop on Seventeenth Avenue (4).
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.
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.
People had a lot of money to spend after the war, new fashion trends were popping up in every corner of the United States, and the nightlife became the center for social life. When the outlawing of alcohol started, the nightlife died but only for a short time. Many jazz clubs known as speakeasies kept the nightlife going and soon enough everybody was trying to get into one. What made these clubs grow so much in popularity was that it was a social place where people were able to both buy alcohol and dance. Both men and women alike were in the same crowded room and there was socializing, flirting, and dancing between the two sexes. Clubs during the 1920’s had played a major role in taking down the wall that separated men and women.”For the first time, women went out to drink too and occupied the same dark small, dark spaces as
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,
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
The recent Olympic Winter Games has brought out the true spirit of Canada in us all. Never has the nation seen such displays of en-masse patriotism as we rallied together in support of our athletes. This is the true spirit of Canada, often tucked behind a blank facade, invisible to the world. As Canadians toil silently in support of the world, we remind ourselves that the greater good is good for us as well. Canada’s strong foreign aid policy is just an example of how we truly are a good neighbour.
Canada became increasingly autonomous throughout the 1920's and 1930's. Being established officially as a nation apart from Britain certainly helped, but there were more than just official pieces of paper at play. The negotiation of the Halibut treaty was a large push towards become an autonomous nation from Britain. The final push were the seats Canada was given at various significant events.
Canada’s identity comes in many shapes and forms. Multiculturalism has been adopted and is at the forefront of Canadian identity. Following the Second World War, Canada’s multiculturalism policies became more acceptable and even successful in, not only accepting, but inviting multiple ethnic cultures in. In contrast to other countries, multiculturalism adaptation works for the Canadian culture. Canadian policies on multiculturalism have shifted over the past few decades; policies are now implemented for integration, not discrimination.
When you associate anything with New York City it is usually the extraordinary buildings that pierce the sky or the congested sidewalks with people desperate to shop in the famous stores in which celebrities dwell. Even with my short visit there I found myself lost within the Big Apple. The voices of the never-ending attractions call out and envelop you in their awe. The streets are filled with an atmosphere that is like a young child on a shopping spree in a candy store. Although your feet swelter from the continuous walking, you find yourself pressing on with the yearning to discover the 'New York Experience'.
Who I am today and my story all started to form from the day I sat on a plane to the Great White North back on September 16, 2001. My family’s journey to Canada was a rough trip. We were all alone in a new world ready to start all over, with no language skills fitted for the place or a place to stay. Back then it was only; baby me at the age of two, my bigger brother David who was just turning six and my two lovable parents. However, we made it, moving to Toronto, Ontario. We all managed to find our places in the world until we got suggested to move due to legal reasons a place called Saskatchewan, they told us Saskatoon would be a good place due to it being small and friendly, so we did as we were told. Saskatoon turned out to be just as good
Friday afternoon Mike Webster called me out of the blue and simply implored that I accompany him at Blue Lounge’s happy hour. I obliged, for I had no plans for that night, not for lack of alternatives, but for a recent lack of enthusiasm for the usual frivolity of LA’s nightlife. Mike sounded so determined over the phone, which was wholly unlike the Mike I knew from University, that I simply had to take his invitation seriously.