2011 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo: July 1-8, 2011

I find it very odd, actually. I hear on a weekly basis that "there's nothing exciting to do in Halifax," or that someone wished they lived in Montreal where things were more exciting. Nothing exciting to do? Once a year the largest indoor show in the world, consisting of a cast and crew of over 17 000 people, comes to Halifax for an entire week.

Despite this, I have met numerous people who have lived in Halifax for years but have never managed to travel downtown to see this world-class exhibition - the second largest military Tattoo festival in the world. Not EP Dave though, I said last year that I would come back every single year, and today I'm happy to say I have still kept that promise.

This year, the organizers made a fair number of changes. The theme seemed to be a musical one, instead of a Navy centred show (last year was the 100th Anniversary of the Canada Navy), and the show was shortened half an hour to be more accommodating to any children in the audience (it was still over 2 and a half hours).

One of my favourite events - the military obstacle race - was back again though, thankfully. This year teams from the air force, army, and navy took turns competing against each other for bragging rights, and a trophy of some kind the name of which I've long since forgotten.

(Remember to plug your ears during the explosion parts. Oh, what's that? You watched the video before you read this warning? Oh well, look on the bright side: next time it won't matter because you'll be deaf.)

In the interest of saving upload room, I made a few highlight videos this year to give you a taste of what you missed. They are by no means to be considered a comprehensive collection of all the performances, nor should you read too much into my inclusion or exclusion of any performances or performers. I basically only took a few videos, because my arm would have dropped off otherwise and I would have run out of room on my tiny camera, and then I edited them together crudely. Please don't feel slighted if I didn't mention you or your favourite group.

This first video features some of the more artistic components of the Tattoo. You'll see the Acadien dance troupe, La Baie en Joie, with Maggie and Cassie Macdonald from Halifax, Gym Wheel from Germany, Rullest Precision Roller Skating Team from Estonia (sorry about the quick title on this one), and Garde Rupublicaine Motorcycle Team from France.

The Macdonald sisters are actually world renowned musicians and dancers in their own right, and I'm pleased to say Maggie Macdonald personally taught me how to Cape Breton step dance back in January.

Also, one of the members of the Estonian roller skate team told me after the show that this was their first ever exhibition performance. Before this year's Tattoo they had only performed in competitions.

This second highlight video features highlights from some of the more acrobatic and gymnastic performances at the Tattoo. There were many great teams in attendance, but I chose two of my favourite: Talentholdet from Denmark, and Henriette and Carla Hochdorfer with guest, Dominik Lange, from Germany.

And of course, for those of you who just can't get enough bagpipes, there was the fantastic as always, finale march.

(Talentholdet messes around after the show and I sneak some photos in with the stars. The girl on my right is 15 years old. She's been training since she was 1. The next time you say, "I wish I could do back flips like her," be prepared to dedicate 14 years of your life to the cause. There's no such thing as an overnight success.)

(The Hochdorfer sisters and Dominik looked lonely so I came over to raise their spirits. See how awed and honoured they are to have me on their bicycle? That's how generous I am. I'm always willing to rub my butt on other people's things.)

(Unfortunately the girl being lifted up fell down and broke her leg after that picture was taken, so I had to fill in as the newest member of Rullest. It's a good thing I look good in a skirt.)

(I wish we had these things in school growing up... I can't see any reason why I shouldn't have been allowed to roll around on this. I bet my mother could, though. Then again she also didn't want me playing with sharp knives either.)

(Nobody gets away from the long arm of the Dave.)

Canada Day 2011: July 1, 2011

After a very rainy May and June, the weather couldn't have been more beautiful for July 1st. The sun was out, and of course so was EP Dave for the annual Canada Day Parade.

Halifax loves having parades. Unfortunately it seems as though every parade features the same floats. What I love about the Canada Day Parade, is that it doubles as the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Parade as well, and that means new acts every time.

The Tattoo is a half-circus, half-military marching band/drill team exhibition that runs annually. Every year the performers walk the parade route before winding up inside the Metro Centre for the start of the first show.

Representing the Acadiens, Le Baie en Joie are present at nearly every big event in Halifax. Rightfully so though, since they're a world-class dance troupe in their own right, as well as being home grown Nova Scotians (perhaps begrudgingly for them?). And yes, you are right astute reader. I am in exactly the same spot on Spring Garden Road I always stand for parades.

From New Zealand, the incredible all-female Lochiel Drill Team. They are 30-time New Zealand Champions, and you can see from this picture that they even walk down the street in unison.

At about this time I switched over to the other side of the street so that the sun was behind me. There's actually a BellAliant store behind this mega-jeep, and I originally had my hopes up that the military had finally received all my angry e-mails and was coming to destroy Bell. Alas, that was not the case...

Some English traditions die hard...

Champion German stunt cyclist, Domink Lange, has been doing tricks on his bicycle for so long now he's forgotten how to ride it normally. He was joined in the parade/Tattoo by two other German stunt cyclists - Carla and Henriette Hochdorfer. Needless to say their combination of acrobatics AND bicycles was a winning one in my eyes.

Germany has by far the largest non-Canadian contingent every year it seems. If they aren't sending over cyclists or trampoline acts, they can always be counted on to have top-calibre step-drill teams or marching bands in attendance.

Showing us a new way to get around town, the Gym Wheel team from Germany brought their incredible collection of hoops and human wheels. I shudder to think about how they got those through airport security. I have trouble getting a roll of toothpaste on the plane.

When the "horse play" was all over, a more serious float came along. This newly wed couple rented a wagon to pull them through the streets. What a special day for them, but I'm not so sure about the bride's face. The poor girl has a face like a cow.

Of course, what would Canada Day be without fireworks? Halifax loves its fireworks and will think up any excuse to fire them off.

There were whizzy ones...

And fizzy ones...

And smoking ones...

And great big finale ones.

It's interesting too, because it seems easy to take fireworks for granted when your city shoots them off about five times a year. I was talking with one of the young performers from the Tattoo a few days later, and she told me that she was amazed at how big and long the fireworks show was. She came from a small town in Denmark that only let off a few firecrackers once a year on New Years Day.

If I learned anything, I learned today that it's important to get out and talk to people because it helps put everything in a better perspective when you can see things from a different point of view. Stay tuned for more EP Dave-style cultural enlightenment.

Quarterly Review #1, Part 2: July 2010

July started off with a bang, with my epic Canada Day adventure followed by the largest indoor show in the world, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. The Tattoo, in case you missed the post, contains marching bands and other performers from around the world, in a 3.5 hourperformstraveganza that is most likely better than anything you've ever seen in your life (if you've seen Cirque du Soleil you're excused from that last generalization).

As everyone will have no doubt noticed by now there are a lot of monuments and statues around Halifax. In July I started featuring them in the new HRM Monument series. My favourite monument of July, although it had a close challenger in the SS Mont-Blanc Anchor Shaftmonument, was Le Grand Derangement located on the Waterfront. While the deportations and the Halifax Explosion were both tragic events, I feel the forced removal of thousands of Acadiancitizens has had the most lasting social effects on the people of Nova Scotia today. Even as I write this there are Acadians living in Nova Scotia with the effects of that decision by the British - the America of its time - affecting their daily lives.

At the Canada Day celebrations I ran into what appears to be everyone in Halifax's favourite person, Alexa McDonough. She invited me to attend the peace conference she was organizing, and later extended an opportunity for me to get into more sessions for free by volunteering.

While attending the conference I met my favourite Interesting Person of July, LoganMacgillivray. Logan, as you probably remember, is the twelve year old boy (possibly thirteen now) who organized the transport of two 40 foot shipping containers full of sporting goods and school supplies to needy children in Sierra Leone. He is currently overseeing the construction of a community education and recreation centre in Sierra Leone, when he's not busy practising to be an NBA basketball star. Logan, I'm proud to say, is also a friend of the blog.

Of course, no review of July would be complete without mention of my first EP Bike Trip toCrystal Crescent Beach. HG Wells once said, "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race." I could not agree more, and so it was with great pride that I completed this journey and earned, in my own mind, the honour of being able to call myself a cyclist. Incidentally, the post for this trip is by far my most popular blog post to date, with 72 page visits -more than 3 times the views of my next most popular post.

HRM Point of Interest #15: Harbour Hopper Tour

When I was in Toronto this summer I had planned to go an amphibious vehicle tour but I ran out of time; naturally then, it was a pleasant surprise when I found out Halifax also had a similar tour. Unfortunately though, while I now had the time, I did not have the money. Thankfully a friend of mine from my church, and a fellow EPDTN reader, offered to treat me to a ride on the Harbour Hopper this last Sunday, and I'm delighted to say that I had a blast.

The Harbour Hopper's website claims that it is the most popular tour in Halifax. I'm not surprised, as it is the only tour which allows you to go on land and water. That said, you'll never hear me say that the Harbour Hopper is the most comfortable tour in Halifax....

The Harbour Hopper Tour "bus" is a actually a refitted Vietnam War-era Lark V. The Lark V was an amphibious transport vehicle designed to carry up to five-tons worth of troops from the supply ships anchored off land into the military bases in the jungles of Vietnam, often over 1.5 miles away. Each Lark V/Harbour Hopper weighs 19 000 lbs, has no suspension, and sounds like two dump trucks trying to win a "make the most noise" competition. None of that matters though, when you get to splash into the Harbour.

The tour goes past all of the standard Halifax points of interest, many of which I've mentioned before on this blog, like Spring Garden Road, the Citadel, and the Grand Parade, but it's the lively and informative commentary by the guides that really makes the trip fun.

I sat at the back of the Hopper, near the engine (engines?) and so could barely hear, but despite all the racket I can say it was easily one of the most exciting things I've done in Halifax since attending the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo: July 2, 2010

First staged in 1979, the military tattoo in Halifax was renamed the Nova Scotia International Tattoo in 1984. In 2006, on the occasion of her 80th birthday, the Queen Mother, who had opened the original show, changed the name again to the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

The Tattoo features over 2 000 international military and civilian performers from Belgium, America, Britain, Estonia, Germany, France, Holland, and of course Canada. It is also watched annually by roughly 60 000 people, and because of this it is billed as "the largest indoor show in the world", and "Canada's best kept secret". While I haven't fact checked those claims, what is not debatable is the fact that the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is easily the most entertaining 3.5 hour spectacle I have ever seen. It was worth every penny of the $45 I spent to attend, and I would do it again in a heart beat next year, and every year after that I live in Halifax. Take a look at some of the videos below to get just a taste of what I experienced for the entire evening, and then book your flights to Halifax next year for the 2011 Tattoo.

(Since this is a military tattoo, let's start with the most precise drill team in the world - the German Drill Team of the 6th Company.)

(The Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland. Do I really need to tell you that they're amazing? Just watch the video.)

(My favourite group of the whole Tattoo, back by popular demand, The Flying Grandpas of Hamburg, Germany, attempt to perform a carefully choreographed trampoline routine. They need a bit more work.)

(The Flying Grandpas get better.)

(Third time's the charm for The Flying Grandpas.)

(The Paris Police gymnastics team from France show us how it's done...)

(...And then they blow our minds.)

(The most moving rendition of O Canada ever performed. Are you feeling proud to be Canadian yet?)

(The final exit after the Grand Finale. I feel like standing up and cheering again, even when I watch this at home.)

After the show, I was able to get some pictures taken with the stars on the floor. The performers were more gracious than you can possibly imagine, especially when you consider they had just been marching/jumping/cycling around for 3.5 hours, and it was then nearly midnight. I'd like to thank them all again for taking the time to talk with me and pose for my pictures.

(Posing with one of the dancers from the Acadian dance team, La Baie en Joie.)

(Posing with members of the US Marine Corps Marching Band.)

(An important looking member of the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.)

(Posing with members of the Band of the Ceremonial Guard.)

(Posing with a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in his ceremonial dress uniform. I think you could fit two of me inside his massive barrel chest, yet there still was not room to contain the friendliness that exploded from every pore of his body whenever he greeted a new fan.)

(Her Majesty The Queen couldn't attend, but we still had The King.)

(These members of the German Drill Team of the 6th Company stood like this for a good half-hour after the show. They are never caught out of position... ever.)

(A member of the world renowned Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland and the world's smallest bicycle.)

(Me "riding" the world's smallest bicycle, with a member of the Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland.)