The late Stompin' Tom Connors would likely have approved of any Canada Day celebration, even one on the far side of the Earth.
My Canada Day started in the usual manner. I woke up a little late, it being a day off. I made myself breakfast – coffee and a croissant. I ate while reading a newspaper (yes, people still do that). I went for a swim in a pool under palm trees as a tropical breeze wafted over the water. Then there was time for a spot of lunch before showering, shaving and dressing up for a bash being hosted by not one, but two Canadian ambassadors at a Jakarta hotel.
Actually, on most Canada Days my only “usual” activities are getting up late and eating breakfast while reading a newspaper. Embassy bashes have never been common features of my life, but this was, after all, Canada Day in Indonesia. It made sense to seek out the most Canadian territory around.
That, oddly enough, turned out not to be the embassy itself – which has merely occupied a suite of offices on the sixth floor of the disturbingly named World Trade Center since a previous prime minister moved it out of its own building a few years ago – but the nearly new, five-star Fairmont Hotel. This is where the embassy seems to hold most of its semi-public functions – at least its Canada Day parties. It’s where the Jakarta embassy celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday two years ago, serving food and entertainment on a large rooftop patio. That year, despite it being a highly noteworthy anniversary of Confederation, the event actually took place some days after July 1 because the birthday happened to fall within the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which many of Indonesia’s 260 million people observe. Although after the sun goes down Muslims feast to their stomach’s content, celebrations or entertainments that are not of a religious nature (especially if they involve alcohol) are generally avoided, out of respect.
This year, since Ramadan ended long before Canada Day, Canadian expats in Indonesia were free to celebrate it on July 1 without guilt. The embassy’s bash this year was not held outside on the roof, but in the Fairmont’s grand ballroom – likely a wise choice considering the large number of people crammed into the space.
However, perhaps because this was a Canadian event, despite the press of bodies everyone was suitably polite. There was no jostling for position, no elbows in guts, no cutting of queues: as Canadian as anyone could hope. True, the artificial maple trees set around the ballroom looked exactly what they were – fake – but the Canadian beer and Canadian wine were real enough and much appreciated by the guests. The food was authentically Canadian, too, although notched a bit higher up-market than usual. The tiny apple pies, butter tarts and Nanaimo bars were extra sweet, rich and chocolaty and they were all adorned with small edible Canadian flags. The pumpkin soup, salmon chowder and tarte au viande (among other dishes) were also ultra-flavorful, given some special and probably secret flourishes by the embassy’s chefs. About the only thing that could not be made better in a surprisingly subtle way was the ever-popular poutine – the Quebecois combination of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. How does one improve on perfection?
Of course, since the party was a diplomatic function, speeches preceded the feast – MC’ed by the resident Canadian celebrity: prolific actor Mike Lewis, named Cosmopolitan Magazine’s sexiest man in 2004 and 2005, and still clearly a selfie favorite of many of the female guests. His role was a simple one: to introduce the Canadian ambassadors and Indonesian ministers. Their roles were a bit more difficult: to keep the attention of the hungry crowd long enough to deliver a few important messages about Canada’s history and future and its relations with the up-and-coming Indonesia.
Peter MacArthur, ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, who will be finishing his three-year stint in September, spoke of environmental issues and Canada’s bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. Diedrah Kelly, envoy to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, spoke (with audio-visual aids) of cultural exchanges and the rich value of multilateralism. The government ministers, as was their wont at such events, delivered a few facts and figures to illustrate the state of bilateral trade relations.
Afterwards, Ambassador Kelly expressed her hope that her AV aids helped enliven what she suspected was a dry speech. She need not have worried. In this era, when the United States is being led and is leading others into xenophobic isolationism, all forward-thinking people welcome a reminder of the overwhelming benefit of all of the world’s diverse nations coming together for a common cause. Perhaps Canada, a country as multicultural as they come, is still among the best for delivering such an important message, especially on Canada Day. After 152 years, the country knows something about holding together, despite the odds against it.
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