EDIT: Should read 'memorable moments' not 'memory moments'.
Had my oath today!! I barely slept last night. lol
The ceremony was beautiful and Minister Alexander was present. He said the new rule (4 out of 6 yrs to qualify for citizenship) will come into effect next summer. I must say he looks so charming in person. lol I got a photo with him.
First was registration. There is a 3-digit number (e.g. 020) on the oath notice, next to the location address. They follow this numbering for registration and to receive your certificate. After registration, there was an informal discussion in groups of about 8 to discuss '
memorable moments' when you first came to Canada, what it means to be Canadian, etc. Afterwards, one person from each group came up and shared with the others. We also got Tim Hortons gift cards.
Next was comments from the Judge and Minister Alexander, then the oath. After that, we got our certificates. We were also given a flag, maple leaf pin and a Cultural Access Pass (valid for 1 year). There is also a discount through Via Rail.
Later was the cutting of the cake and photos. There were 50 new citizens from 20 countries. I also learnt today that it's disrepectful to drop the Canadian flag on the ground.
Something surprised me - native-born citizens were just as happy. One thing that was repeated a lot was how proud they were that we chose Canada out of all the other countries. It was really nice to hear and to see it, because this is something that's not always possible to notice or feel in your daily life.
If you have any friends that are native-born citizens, please invite them to your oath ceremony if possible. Majority of them don't know what really goes on but would love to experience it. My friends were very happy that I invited them, otherwise they won't get a chance to see it again.
Wish everyone the best of luck with the rest of the process. I'll still be around so feel free to ask questions, etc. Good evening!
ouch
