What a great ride!  I just shared the front car of the Canada Line with six of Coke’s representatives.  Splendid in their Santa-red jackets – that wonderful clear red that just happens to be my favourite colour – they were wonderful spokespeople for their company and its culture.  Indeed, it made me reflect that their company’s global employee roster probably outnumbers the population of several nations.

Together, they were a mini-United Nations, gathered from around the globe – two from Eastern Canada, one from Houston, Texas, two from Europe and another from Australia. They were marketing managers, product development supervisors, a truck driver, a product design specialist – an engaging assortment of interesting people, looking forward to their responsibilities over the next three weeks.

It was my pleasure to be the ambassador here, the one on her ‘home turf’ who could say “Welcome” and “Enjoy your stay”.  We are so lucky, I think, to have so many chances to make new acquaintances and share smiles along the way.  In the lottery of life, being born a Canadian has to rank high on the ‘winning ticket’ list.  In this case, it came with a fun experience……and my very first Olympic pin!   The “Red Birds” have landed; who knew that would happen today?