East Coast: Halifax (Days 10 and 11) and the Return (Days 12 and 13)

Continued from Day 9

Note: This post was slated to be published last year (yes, last year!). For whatever reason, it was missed. Now, as we are stuck in our homes during the Covid19 pandemic, I was reminiscing about a fantastic trip to Canada's East Coast last year, and realized I hadn't posted about Halifax.

Halifax is home to Dalhousie University. It is a small campus, very beautiful, neat and tidy. For some reason, when I visit cities, I like to visit their famous university campuses. Dalhousie is also one of the first universities in Canada I had applied to, and got admitted to, though I never attended as I eventually chose University of Toronto. So, in a way, it was seeing a "what-if-alternate-situation" scenario!

Halifax and Dartmouth are twice cities, separated by a body of water that empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The Halifax Harbourfront is a great place to sit and relax, and watch the big ships come and go.

Tired of seafood all through the trip? Well, we weren't, but when we discovered this fantastic Turkish halal eatery, why not get some meat? :-)

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a must-see attraction when you are in Halifax, primarily because it houses some relics from the most famous sunken ship of all - the Titanic. This museum is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts.

A special permanent exhibit explores the sinking of the Titanic with an emphasis on Nova Scotia's connection to recovering the bodies of Titanic victims.

The museum has the world's foremost collection of wooden artifacts from Titanic, including one of the few surviving deck chairs.

In the exhibition on the Halifax Explosion, there were fully detailed models on how the city looked a hundred years ago.

Citadel Hill (Fort George), also known as the Halifax Citadel, is another National Historic Site and you can enter with your national park pass. It offers good viewpoints to look at the city.

Halifax was a lovely city, full of greenery and parks. I don't know how it was in winter, but it is lovely during a hot summer's day.

Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. Now, when you visit the harbourfront you can see "Theodore" still sailing there.

The last night on our East Coast trip (before we start to head back), we once again tried some halal Turkish.

The Long Return

It was now time to return home. The long drive would take two days. On the first day, we would have to make the big journey to Quebec City.

Fuel up before the drive

Crossing into New Brunswick

Irving gas stations - this was a common sight in the East Coast

Leaving Quebec City early the next morning

Finally, after so many days, you see on the sign "Toronto"

About to enter into Ontario

Finally, after 14 days, we were home! 5,731 km , lots of great seafood, adventures, memories - this was one epic road trip.

Reflections of Bakri Eid (or Eid ul Adha)

It used to be growing up that Eid ul Adha was often the bigger Eid. Going to the cow market, choosing your cow or goat, then bringing it home and caring for it. And then, on Eid day, watch - a little sad but also a little awed - as four men wrestle with the ropes and bring the cow down, before the throat is slit and the cow is sacrificed. And if it's a goat, one or two is enough to kill the goat. Skinning of the animal was done next, followed by cutting up of the meat.

Soon you are busy helping the adults sort the meat into three piles. One for yourself. One for the friends and relatives. One for the poor. Although it is not mandatory to donate or give the meat - you can keep everything for yourself, most people do donate.

Growing up, this Eid taught me many lessons. First, it taught me that where food comes from. The burger or hot dog is not magically there, it is there because a life was taken to feed me. So don't waste food, especially meat. Second, it taught me that while human life is preferred over animal life (the animal is killed to feed us), it also means we have to be responsible and to take care of our environment. Kill the animal in a humane manner. And finally, it is about sacrifice. We are taking care of the animal for a week before we kill it. You do grow attached to it. And then you have to sacrifice of what is dear to you. This is a recurring theme of life.

Once I was in Canada, suddenly Eid ul Fitr became the "bigger" Eid. It was suddenly hard to fast in Canada when everyone else is eating. While Ramadan here is fun in its own way, especially the night prayers, Eid ul Fitr becomes the day you rejoin the "normal" Canadians in eating and drinking. Whereas for Eid ul Adha, you just order a Qurbani from the butcher, and then go on Day 1 or 2 of the Eid to simply pick up your meat. It's Eid, delivered.

I was fine with it, but what about the kids? What would they know about our rich history of Eid ul Adha? For this reason, last year I took my older son to the farm on day 2 of Eid. Day 2 is always far, far less busy than Eid day itself (you can sacrifice on any of the three days). We picked a fat goat. After petting it and taking pictures with it, the goat was taken by the butcher to the slaughter place. I told my son about the history of Eid, of Ibrahim (pbuh) and why we do what we do. I thought the concept might be difficult, but kids have remarkable tendency to process religion. We do what we can.

This year we are giving Qurbani again, but not here. I also plan to ask my sons to take a little of the Eidi they get, and donate a part to the poor. Let them feel the pinch of sacrifice. This is how I try, little as I can, to build the traditions.

How do you build your Eid traditions? What are your Eid memories? Do share.