Cross-pollination
Part of my charm is that I am a child of my country. Laugh if you will, those that know me (and love me), but I am one of those quintessential Canadians, raised with the concept of Canada, bilingual and bicultural. Not many countries have an equivalent structure; you can count them if you wish. And even as the cries of rebuttal rise from elsewhere, I think the model has served me well.
This evening, Tout Le Monde En Parle welcomes Yvon Deschamps and Judi Richards. Together as a family for more than three decades, he the most popular comedian in Quebec and she a girl from Toronto. Two solitudes, joined at the hip. I wonder how much cross-pollination has taken place in his humour, because neither one seems like “the quiet one”. Neither shows signs of assimilation. Instead, a Gestalt experience.
I’m also a transplant, and despite more than three decades of immersion, I’m still the same person. I just have more ways of saying what I think. Perhaps those that fear learning another language or culture should look a little deeper. The collective riches of more than one culture and language are invaluable and immeasurable. I’ve embraced the very model of bilingualism/biculturalism (my spouse and children), without having to compromise (very much).
Sadly, the second couple of guests this evening, Mario Dumont and wife, present a failed model of two cultures in one country. The political model they espouse is one that would return things to “the way they were”, without any music to ease the pain. I’m listening, with an open mind, but somehow exposure to their song isn’t likely to alter my own political convictions.
