I looked up and I saw 10 flags.  They were colorful and big and I couldn’t reach them.  I was sitting in some comfy chairs in a BIG arena with my friends S, p, e, a, and K.  Mommie and ista had gotten some free tickets from a hockey friend to see a World Jr. game in Ottawa.  What a treat!  The tickets were free and the parking was $15 – so, instead, we walked from a few streets away in the brrrrr cold evening.  But, inside, everything was warm and fuzzy.  Surprisingly to me, it wasn’t very crowded, but the fans in the stands were passionate about their hockey and the teams they were supporting.  Lots of them with jerseys, scarves, hats, and flags of their team.  The music reached a fever pitch as the zamboni and then the referees took the ice, and then the players, circling and shooting blazing bullets.  Shortly after, a scratchy LP played two national anthems that I didn’t recognize, because neither was O Canada!  But, I sang anyways, squirmed and took my hat off.  I asked mommie, late into the first period, why they didn’t sing O Canada, and she giggled. I wasn’t sure why, so I kept watching trumpet man.  He came down the stairs and played music while the players took a break.  He would only play for a few seconds but he was fun, and very loud.  Most of the game was quiet, but in the second, suddenly there were alot of goals, especially from one team – the other team wasn’t doing as well, but they sure tried hard.  They looked as tired as me and tota were after a public skate with mommie and ista last week.  In the third period I was hungry after all that energy watching, and scored some popcorn – ista took me to the potty, which also had a detour to the concession stands.  Lucky me, and I even shared a few kernels with my friends.  The game was a bit of a rout, ending 7 – 1.  In my eyes, it was one of the fastest games I had ever seen.  Latvia vs. Kahzakstan in regulation, little did I know the difference, it was an experience to remember!  One day, maybe I’d play for the flag on my jersey….