366 PICTURES – THE UNSEEN – DAY 17
It was my first day in the USA in 2012 and I was searching for a photograph that would ‘landmark’ my arrival there. This seemed like the perfect shot, even if it was a bit overtly ‘God Bless America.’ I liked the retro feel to the shot, the painted flag, and the horizontal lines.
I spotted this ‘Old Glory‘ on the side of someones garage in the town of Danvers, just north of Boston, in the USA. The United States flag is pretty photogenic due to its widespread use throughout the States, and indeed the world. Finding a good shot of it would, I thought, be a good way of showing my transition from Canada to the USA.
I like the way people love their flag in the USA. I wish that people flew the Union flag more back in the UK, our flag is every bit as good as the stars and stripes, and maybe even better in some ways.
‘Old Glory‘ isn’t my favorite flag though. That title would have to go to Wales I think. I like that flag because it’s got a dragon on it, and that’s just cool. But the Canadian flag would come close too I think.
The shot I used on this day showed pumpkins sitting on a fence not all that far from where this photograph was taken. The early evening golden sun and autumnal colors made that a far better choice I think, but I liked this shot enough to shoot it the next day too. However, the next day I went into Boston and used a shot from the city instead.
So do you have a favorite flag? Is it the flag of your country, or do you find yourself feeling a little envious of another nations flag?
Wrote the following comment on Feb 19, 2013 at 6:34 pm
I’m not sure about Flag Envy, although there are some pretty colourfulones out there.
National Anthem Envy however is another matter!
Wrote the following comment on Feb 21, 2013 at 11:02 am
Ah yes. The British nat anth is SOOOO BAD!!! I like the Italian one, far more jolly. How about you?
Wrote the following comment on Feb 21, 2013 at 8:13 pm
As much as you like the Welsh flag, the anthem always gives me goose bumps at the rousing chorus. I’m ashamed to say after living there for 15 years I never mastered the pronunciation of it.
Wrote the following comment on Feb 22, 2013 at 1:02 pm
I don’t think I have ever heard the Welsh NA. But then, I couldn’t sing your the Brit NA passed God save the Queen.
To be fair, our NA is rubbish. I mean I couldn’t give a stuff about the Queen really. Yeah sure, I hope she’s ok, but that doesn’t sound rousing at all. “I hope the Queens OK, Having a jolly day, I hope she okay.”
I think Jerusalem is better, aside the fact that it mentions Jerusalem.
Maybe its time for an update. Something contemporary, that speaks of the Britain we know today. We could talk about the rolling not yet developed countryside, the little box housing estates and out of town shopping centres, the weather, the chavs and CCTV, the BBC and something about binge drinking too.
“We’re proud to be British, healthy and strong,
We conquered the world before it went wrong,
We’ve got the NHS and the BBC too,
We’re fat and we’re drunk and we’re glad we’re not you.”
Chorus
We’re British, we’re British, we’re ruled by the Queen,
We’re British, we’re British, you know where we’ve been.
We travel the world, we sail ’till sunk,
We are the British, we’re British, and we’re probably drunk.”
That’s a start.
Wrote the following comment on Feb 25, 2013 at 6:13 am
this could be fun, making up alternative anthems. For someone so positive, you’re terribly negative about your Motherland.
How about.
We’re proud to be American, loud & brash
If you as much as look at us wrong, we’ll shoot your ass
We believe in making money and letting poor people die
We like to drop exploding things from the sky
Chorus
We’re American, we’re American, we love fast food & guns
We’re American, we’re American, our ignorance often stuns
We travel the world telling everyone what to do
We are the Americans, disagree with us and you’re in the poo.