Will and Kate’s visit to Calgary and Canada has finished, now let me reflect on the memories that make me feel #happy/#cool, #sad, and #fail (in the sense that it could have been done better, much better).
My royals #happy/#cool memories
First of all, I want to say I had a great time seeing Will and Kate, a couple that is deeply in love, in Canada. I want to wish them all the happiness in the world. At the same time, I am not a “monarchist” as I stated here in G&M, and I am still impressed by Will’s character: “his ethics, his work as a coast guard rescuer and the couple’s request for charitable donations instead of wedding gifts“.
It was really #cool for the couple to spend their first moments in Canada at the National War Memorial, paying respect to our fallen soliders, retired soliders, and soliders on active duties.
And on Canada Day, it was thrilling and #cool to see them attend a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. And seeing them had some fun on Canada Day at the Parliament Hill shows (afternoon, where they couldn’t see much of the stage (yikes), and may more so in the evening when they could actually see the stage much better).
Believe it or not, my 3+ hours lineup, reporting (with video clips) experiences to get our wristbands were one of the most positive experiences in all these. I got to see Calgarians/Canadians trying to have some fun together.
Here are some official Canadian Heritage official footage where they were much closer than we ever were. (note: it also highlights my problem of people who lined up over-night in the beginning of the line but did not get the blue wristbands as they should.)
By the way, University of Calgary put together this cool video to show Will & Kate’s visit to Ward of the 21st Century (W21C).
In addition to the cool U of C video, here are some nice footage from Canadian Heritage.
I won’t list and comment on all of their other activities, but I want to single out the way their Slave Lake visit was handled, it was superb. I think Will and Kate really care, and I also think they are well served by their close advisors.
By the way, I’ve saved a few #happy memories to share after my #sad memories, you will understand the “why” later.
(note: For my fellow Canadians that think Will and Kate’s visit to Canada wasted our tax dollars, I will write another article to deal with the money side of the monarchy business entitled “Will you hire them as your king and queen?” Stay tune.)
My royals #sad memories
My #sad memories are personal. You may feel differently. You see, even my better half doesn’t share the same impression as she was with me most of the time (except when I lined up for hours for the wristband and when I was reporting at the line up to the purple wristband area).
My #sad and painful memories happened yesterday afternoon at the beginning of the lineup into the purple wristband area. I don’t have the full story so I won’t try judge who are “right” and who are “wrong” but simply stay what and how I feel. It was #sad and painful for me to see my fellow Calgarians/Canadians screaming, yelling, and being extremely rude to each other at the start of the lineup. Again, I don’t have the full story, but I saw and interviewed a girl who went to see the royals with her family at the beginning of the lineup. In fact, I saw and interviewed her the morning before and I knew she and her family camped overnight to get wristbands to see Will & Kate. Anyway, when a few of her family members (2-3) joined them on the line at the beginning, they were being yelled at by different people and a rude shouting match began.
Unfortunately for me, seeing a fun thing being turned into a shouting match just made me felt very sad. Seeing Will & Kate was supposed to be fun. It really wasn’t worth it to chew off each others’ heads in order to do it. We, Calgarians and Canadians, are much nicer than what I saw yesterday.
As a reporter, I filmed the shouting match and the rude exchanges and even interviewed the girl crying and explaining what happened. But I drew the line and didn’t interview the people who screamed at the girl as I didn’t want to make the matter worst. Of course, my claim to want to give a “balanced report” could give me an excuse to interview but I must say I see myself as a Calgarian and Canadian first and “reporter with a heart” second.
In the happy occasion, I couldn’t force myself to potentially turn the situation worst. You see, I couldn’t even get myself to re-watch the video of the horribly rude exchange and the girl crying. Let alone post the video on YouTube. I refused to be lured by this “exclusive” report and forgot that my stories are suppose to bring light/insight to an issue. A story that potentially makes everyone look bad is not an insightful story in my book.
By writing about this, I hope readers of this story will remember to be a bit nicer to each others. While Calgarians/Canadians can be as mean/rude/uncourteous as other people, I am old school and would prefer we being nicer.
My saved up royals #happy/#cool memories
After witnessing/reporting on the above verbal fight, it really soured my mood. So I took the initiative to report on something positive and happy so I sought out people with beautiful flower for Will & Kate in the lineup and took their pictures. See all the flower pictures here posted on Flickr.
Special thanks to the above two ladies who talked to me right after the unfortunate incident and cheered me up a little by posing with their beautiful flowers. Thanks.
My royals #fail memories
There were two types of wristbands to see Will and Kate at BMO Centre. The blue wristbands get you MUCH MUCH closer to see Will & Kate and actually watch a show/demo with them up close.
There were thousands of purple wristbands (the ones I got) and we were much further away and too far to see any of the demos or Will and Kate after they got off the horse-drawn carriage.
To me, I came in late (arrived at 5:50am on the morning at Max Bell, see my video report) with hundreds of people lining in front of me. So I was happy to get the purple wristbands.
BUT there was absolutely NO EXCUSE for people who stayed overnight at the Max Bell centre and lined up at the beginning of the line to not be given the blue wristbands! Absolutely ZERO excuse. The people who camped overnight were dedicated and, in our supposedly “fair Canadian system”, they should have been given the wristbands to access the better location! Plain and simple. Which part of the word “fair” did the organizer NOT understand?
From what I gathered, people in the front part of the Max Bell lineup were not explained of this key difference. And many people, including the two ladies that lined up 14 hours ahead at the first two spots DID NOT get the blue wristbands!
Seriously, what the f*ck went on? Was it fair that they weren’t told? Why weren’t they told of the better options? Actually, why were they simply be given the better blue wristbands?
The organizers, the people who knew exactly where the demos happened and where Will and Kate would be, etc should at least instruct the Max Bell team what to do!
The way the blue wristbands were handed out was a total and complete mess!
An absolute #fail of the first order! I really feel sorry for people who camped overnight and should have received the better blue wristbands ahead of people who lined up later.
Holding someone responsible so they can do their jobs better next time
Who handled the Max Bell blue wristbands hand out?
Was it City of Calgary, thus making Mayor Nenshi ultimately responsible? Or was it the government of Canada, thus making Prime Minister Harper ultimately responsible? Someone need to answer for this mishandling.
I don’t want anyone fired but I do want them to do a much much better job next time!
*******
Have a read & check out video clips in my “Will & Kate in Canada Special” report series,
* “Part 8 – Will you hire brand Will and brand Kate as your king and queen?”
* “Part 7 – My royals #happy/#cool #sad #fail memories (blue vs purple wristbands)”
* “Part 6 – Photos of Beautiful Flowers for the Royals“
* “Part 5 – Photos of Royals in Calgary Stampede“
* “Part 4 – My Video reports from Royal Tour Calgary overnight wristbands lineup at Max Bell“
* “Part 3 – My Priceless 2011 Royal Tour Purple Wristbands are NOT for sale“
* “Part 2 – Jian Ghomeshi opening Q essay against Royals coverage overload“
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Kempton - ideas Revolutionary 
A couple hundred people also lined up at the the University of Calgary to catch a glimpse of the couple. People lined up for hours in the blistering sun, hoping the Royals would do a walk by or if lucky, stop and chat with some people. (They always do this).
The royals arrived and left, the crowd got a wave (from 100 feet away) and thats it.
May,
I read about it and saw a photo of the people waiting at UC too. A wave and a quick look is better than nothing I guess. :)
re the blue wristbands not given to people in the beginning of the Max Bell line, that was just plain mishandling. No excuse if you asked me.