//day 4// Ottawa

Day 4

July 1, 2015

It was a every hectic and busy day.

We got to sleep in till 7:30, because we didn't need to get down to the the noon show till 10:30. After we got through the crowds and through the securit
y, we sat and waited in the VIP section. In the time that we waited Minister Shelley Glover came and talked to us winners. She was very happy to talk to some fellow Manitobans!

It had rained the night before and was a pretty cloudy and dark all day. Some people were saying that the the fireworks had been canceled!

It started raining half way through the noon show.  Luckily the VIPs got free rain ponchos!

The Prime Minister spoke and the the Governor General spoke. Afterwards the Prime Minister and his family, the Governor General and his wife walked in-between the VIP sections on a red carpet shaking hands. 

I was towards the end taking pictures, I was thinking even if I didn't talk to the Prime Minister, I got pretty close!!! Right after this picture He turned to me and reached in-between two guys I was standing behind and shook my hand and asked me how I was doing!!!!! Ahhh! Right after some of my friends just look at me they were like 'Did you.... did he.... did that just..... WHAT!'

Jennifer Jones was a MC so us girl winners took a picture with her, unfortunately I didn't take that picture.

After that was all done it was 2:00 pm and free time and a down pour!!!! So we ran through the rain back to the hotel, changed, ate lunch/supper and went to the War Museum, because there was free admission!

Then we ran back to the hotel to meet the group at 5:45 to go to the VIP section for the evening show.    The evening show was really amazing in one aspect and completely sickening in another. The work that went into it was amazing, but the song artists and and dancing were just vulgar, and honestly if I had had no obligation to stay, I probably would have left.

The fireworks began as soon as the last note was played by the band and we still had to make our way around parliament to see them! So what fireworks we did see was about as impressive as Portage's!! but none the less it was still an amazing experience!!

Then we had to get back to the hotel. As we came back around parliament all we saw was a red and white stampede. We all looked at each other held hands and braced ourselves for the walk back. Quite honestly I was a bit scared. I hate shopping because of the crowds, never mind this crazy,  half drunk mob! As the police officer let us out of VIP into the mob I honestly prayed for protection, and that Jesus would keep us together. We got off parliament and were swept into the street with the crowd.

As we made our way through broken glass, squashed beer cans and people,  I began to think through if Canada was really that different then any other country, morally I mean. I don't now of one country where people don't get drunk, where people aren't murdered and the law isn't broken. I do believe that Canada is a much safer place, but really all across the world we are a sinful and fallen people, no matter were you are from. And as drunk men want us to give them high-fives, ambulances, firetrucks and police were going every which way, and people seemed to not have a care int the world I was reminded of my small town, not that it is like that, but how much I love being around family and friends that are like minded, that love me and whom I love back.

Signing off,

Regan