I said “make people happy,” not “make people considerate of others”—you may get stepped on by a grandma who suddenly spotted a particularly nice tulip inconveniently located behind you.

Funny how Canadians typically value their personal space and look offended if you pass them on an otherwise empty sidewalk but seem to lack the ability to navigate through crowds gracefully. Granted, spatial awareness is a skill developed through practice and there isn’t much practice to be had in Canada where on average, about 4.35 people share one square kilometre.

For once, it was crowded at the Commissioners Park around Dow’s Lake and Queen Elizabeth Driveway last Sunday—it was kind of sunny, kind of warm, and it was Mother’s Day, so basically a no-brainer destination for families eager to see the tulips in bloom.

I wasn’t exactly excited when Feng suggested we meet at the Canadian Tulip Festival. It is a big event in Ottawa but I’ve been taking pictures of tulips almost every year for the past twenty years, and nothing really changes. My most memorable Tulip Festival experience was probably the pandemic one. It’s… you know, flowers, lots of them, kindly sent by the Dutch Royal Family and the people of the Netherlands ever since Dutch Princess Juliana and her family fled World War II and stayed in Ottawa until 1945.

But just like every Sunday, we had nowhere to go and nothing to do except work, so I sighed and told Feng I’d meet him at Dow’s Lake. First, he had to pick up Mark at my in-laws.

I mean, I do understand why it’s exciting to go see tulips in bloom. I run away from winter but most Canadians don’t, so spring is something to celebrate. I spent many winters in Canada. I remember what a relief it is to see some colours.

People often picture Canada as a country home to stunning scenery, fascinating wildlife and ultimate winter experiences but the truth is, most of us live in sterile suburbia, and skating on a lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains or dogsledding through forests isn’t exactly the typical way people go through the winter months. Starting your car when it’s -40 °C, shovelling the driveway or constantly watching The Weather Network to plan for the next snowstorm are often the biggest winter adventures you will get.

And now, this year’s winter is over, everybody says it wasn’t that bad, nobody wants to get through that again in a few months, but whatever, it’s time to take pictures of flowers.

You know what, I caught myself smiling.

These colourful flowers made me happy too.