I was wondering why there was a barge hanging out in the middle of the harbour, but I think I've figured it out: Festival of Fire. At first I had thought that it had something to do with the Toronto Waterfront Festival, but I was expecting the boats for that event to be more like big pirate ships (aaaaarg!!!).
The first fireworks show is tomorrow night, so I think I'll sit on my balcony and enjoy the show from there!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Something's going on
There's about 20-30 people with crazy professional looking cameras loitering around my local coffee shop. You know, those ones with the long lense that you see at major sporting events or for red-carpet paparazzi moments. I wonder what they're all doing?
Sunday, June 27, 2010
27! 28!
The big event is over and people are starting to go home.
I think Mexico just went by because from my bird's eye view, it's the only country that fits the colours that I could make out on the flag attached to the car.
I've also recently seen horse carriers go by, so I guess some of the four-legged friend are done their duty too.
I don't get why there are still motorcades coming into the core though. Isn't it a little late?
Today's walk (in which I did end up getting my much needed groceries) was interesting. It seemed as though police were more willing to approach people to search bags and ask questions. I'm pretty sure I saw undercover cops or at least people in regular clothes with walkie-talkies and ear pieces. I saw what a 'peaceful' protest was and marveled at the difference in police presence and attire at such an event. Media was everywhere and many stores and restaurants were closed. Zara was the only major chain open on that Queen St. West drag (it was nice to shop in the store when it's not overcrowded and messy). Less shops were boarded up than I thought there would be. I expected more distruction. I almost didn't notice the scorched pavement where a cruiser car burned, but overheard another pedestrian tell her friend about it. I took a look and it just looked like an oil stained patch of pavement. I've never seen so many people walking around with fancy looking cameras. I was surprised that not all of the graffiti was removed. It was clear that police were stationed at specific locations.
I learned a lot from the fact that the G20 was here.
I think Mexico just went by because from my bird's eye view, it's the only country that fits the colours that I could make out on the flag attached to the car.
I've also recently seen horse carriers go by, so I guess some of the four-legged friend are done their duty too.
I don't get why there are still motorcades coming into the core though. Isn't it a little late?
Today's walk (in which I did end up getting my much needed groceries) was interesting. It seemed as though police were more willing to approach people to search bags and ask questions. I'm pretty sure I saw undercover cops or at least people in regular clothes with walkie-talkies and ear pieces. I saw what a 'peaceful' protest was and marveled at the difference in police presence and attire at such an event. Media was everywhere and many stores and restaurants were closed. Zara was the only major chain open on that Queen St. West drag (it was nice to shop in the store when it's not overcrowded and messy). Less shops were boarded up than I thought there would be. I expected more distruction. I almost didn't notice the scorched pavement where a cruiser car burned, but overheard another pedestrian tell her friend about it. I took a look and it just looked like an oil stained patch of pavement. I've never seen so many people walking around with fancy looking cameras. I was surprised that not all of the graffiti was removed. It was clear that police were stationed at specific locations.
I learned a lot from the fact that the G20 was here.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
No self control
I went for a walk.
The plan was to hop on the streetcar and/or subway to get a drive by view of things that were happening and see if my brother's neighbourhood was still in tact (I'd read reports that it wasn't) then pick up some much needed fruit in Chinatown, but I didn't end up spending a dime.
When I left, I thought everything was over. I honestly wanted to just take in the aftermath.
I was wrong.
Up to this point, I had just seen police wearing their regular uniforms, holding their helmets and acting quite friendly to me. The street that I was planning on taking was blocked by a line of police with their bicycles. So had I not been diverted, I may have never run into this at Queen St. West and Spadina Ave.:
Cops in riot gear are SCARY. There were probably between 100-200 people in the crowd and at least half of them being people who, like me were trying to get somewhere but somewhat curious as to what was happening. I've never seen anything like it, and now that I've seen it, I don't need to see any more. When I arrived, the protesters were in the middle of the intersection (cars were a little stressed out by this - the megabus was full of passengers plastered to the window watching the action), and police had blocked off Queen St. West (going east). I should have taken a picture of the wall of them. It was terrifying. Protesters were getting a little rowdy, so the police moved forward and blocked off the intersection. The crowd didn't move much
because police seemed to be able to get the rowdy ones to stay out of the intersection. We all just stood at the edge of the intersection and watched (I think someone was taken down by a couple police at the opposite corner) and then the gentleman on the left of the guy with the massive gun came forward and told us (in a threatening, loud and assertive voice) if we didn't leave, we'd all get arrested. We innocent bystanders took the hint and left.
I had to go through some back alleys and side streets to get around Queen St. to continue my walk north on Spadina. Fruit kind of fell off my radar (although I did look and the selection looked pretty crappy, anyway). I went east on Dundas St. , knowing that College St. could be risky. I kept walking and passed through Chinatown which seemed completely out of the loop. It was so surreal that just a block away, something really bad could have happened.
Before I turned north onto University Ave., A convoy of police in vans and a big bus went by. They didn't have any marked vehicles with them, so it was interesting to see how they handled the unsuspecting traffic. It was kind of like a movie where a van stops randomly in the middle of an intersection, cuts off regular traffic, a taxi driver looks confused, a sliding door opens, and a couple massive (it was like he was wearing hockey gear) cops step out, hold their arms out to stop traffic, let the convoy go by, jump back into the van and speed away.
Nearing University and College, the intersection is blocked off. After detouring, I even tried to get to the are from the east side as well. No go. Police are still friendly when advising pedestrians to go somewhere else. "Sir, do you love your dog? Yes? Well, then you should probably walk
him the other way." Cyclists are turned away. It's a no vehicle zone. I look around and University Ave. south is closed off. It's filled with police vans and buses. Medical staff stand outside of their hospitals and watch. The hospitals are on lockdown. I walk past an emergency driveway and see that stations have been set out outdoors. I noticed a triage and decontamination zone. The hot dog vendor gets some business. I think it's interesting how the police make a barrier with their bikes. I see some protesters carrying
a colleague who has a bandana tied around his eyes. Pepper spray? They get help from the EMT. There's a media presence. No one even goes close to the cops. They yell at you to stay back. I see someone get arrested and put into a Court Services truck. I eavesdrop on a reporter asking a lady who saw police spray an older lady. Didn't see it. Can't comment on if her story is biased.
I walk east on College towards Yonge. I've already heard that protesters have come and gone from this area and I want to see the damage. I get very sad. Windows have been broken. Clean up crews are already
on the scene and shops and banks are boarded up. All the way down Yonge, I am appalled at the amount of damage that can been done. Slightly buoyed that not all stores have been targeted, by the time I get to Yonge and Dundas Square it seem like nothing's different. As I watch a street magician bent a metal fork with his mind, I see crews fixing up some damaged shop spaces in the background. I don't completely understand why they targeted some companies but not others.
Heading west on Queen St. West, I'm glad that the Toronto Jazz Festival events at Nathan Philips Square have not been disturbed. Andre Rieu's concert had been canceled.
My brother's building is still in tact, but as I continue westward, I see something in the distance. I guess it shows that I'll never be a protester, but the scene of police on horses (and the four legged creatures were wearing masks to protect their eyes) and riot police made me pause.
It seemed like a similar group of protesters in this intersection and although there were more civilians than police (at least in plain sight), it seemed like a futile mission for the protesters. More media presence, tons of cameras in all shapes and sizes. After a couple protesters sat in
front of the police, the wall of riot police chanted "Move! Move!" as they inched forward and banged their batons on their shields. Their voices reverberated from behind their helmets. Every time they did so, civilians started retreating. Running. After standing back and watching the wall of police change shifts, advance a couple more times, and listened to the protesters shouting and chanting, I was ready to go home.
I was done of the day, and as I said before, done with my curiosity. I snaked my way home, said good evening to some of the police closer to home (and less scarily dressed) and walked along side the security gates that the protesters I think had initially tried to get near. The zone was quiet and empty.
Perhaps they have good reasons to do what they do, but I'm not sure they're going about it in the right way, nor are they being effective in the process.
The rain starts to fall and I'm happy that I'm on my way home. I got some much needed exercise for the day. Almost a good 3 hours of fresh air.
The plan was to hop on the streetcar and/or subway to get a drive by view of things that were happening and see if my brother's neighbourhood was still in tact (I'd read reports that it wasn't) then pick up some much needed fruit in Chinatown, but I didn't end up spending a dime.
When I left, I thought everything was over. I honestly wanted to just take in the aftermath.
I was wrong.
Up to this point, I had just seen police wearing their regular uniforms, holding their helmets and acting quite friendly to me. The street that I was planning on taking was blocked by a line of police with their bicycles. So had I not been diverted, I may have never run into this at Queen St. West and Spadina Ave.:
Cops in riot gear are SCARY. There were probably between 100-200 people in the crowd and at least half of them being people who, like me were trying to get somewhere but somewhat curious as to what was happening. I've never seen anything like it, and now that I've seen it, I don't need to see any more. When I arrived, the protesters were in the middle of the intersection (cars were a little stressed out by this - the megabus was full of passengers plastered to the window watching the action), and police had blocked off Queen St. West (going east). I should have taken a picture of the wall of them. It was terrifying. Protesters were getting a little rowdy, so the police moved forward and blocked off the intersection. The crowd didn't move much
because police seemed to be able to get the rowdy ones to stay out of the intersection. We all just stood at the edge of the intersection and watched (I think someone was taken down by a couple police at the opposite corner) and then the gentleman on the left of the guy with the massive gun came forward and told us (in a threatening, loud and assertive voice) if we didn't leave, we'd all get arrested. We innocent bystanders took the hint and left.I had to go through some back alleys and side streets to get around Queen St. to continue my walk north on Spadina. Fruit kind of fell off my radar (although I did look and the selection looked pretty crappy, anyway). I went east on Dundas St. , knowing that College St. could be risky. I kept walking and passed through Chinatown which seemed completely out of the loop. It was so surreal that just a block away, something really bad could have happened.
Before I turned north onto University Ave., A convoy of police in vans and a big bus went by. They didn't have any marked vehicles with them, so it was interesting to see how they handled the unsuspecting traffic. It was kind of like a movie where a van stops randomly in the middle of an intersection, cuts off regular traffic, a taxi driver looks confused, a sliding door opens, and a couple massive (it was like he was wearing hockey gear) cops step out, hold their arms out to stop traffic, let the convoy go by, jump back into the van and speed away.
Nearing University and College, the intersection is blocked off. After detouring, I even tried to get to the are from the east side as well. No go. Police are still friendly when advising pedestrians to go somewhere else. "Sir, do you love your dog? Yes? Well, then you should probably walk
him the other way." Cyclists are turned away. It's a no vehicle zone. I look around and University Ave. south is closed off. It's filled with police vans and buses. Medical staff stand outside of their hospitals and watch. The hospitals are on lockdown. I walk past an emergency driveway and see that stations have been set out outdoors. I noticed a triage and decontamination zone. The hot dog vendor gets some business. I think it's interesting how the police make a barrier with their bikes. I see some protesters carrying
a colleague who has a bandana tied around his eyes. Pepper spray? They get help from the EMT. There's a media presence. No one even goes close to the cops. They yell at you to stay back. I see someone get arrested and put into a Court Services truck. I eavesdrop on a reporter asking a lady who saw police spray an older lady. Didn't see it. Can't comment on if her story is biased.I walk east on College towards Yonge. I've already heard that protesters have come and gone from this area and I want to see the damage. I get very sad. Windows have been broken. Clean up crews are already
on the scene and shops and banks are boarded up. All the way down Yonge, I am appalled at the amount of damage that can been done. Slightly buoyed that not all stores have been targeted, by the time I get to Yonge and Dundas Square it seem like nothing's different. As I watch a street magician bent a metal fork with his mind, I see crews fixing up some damaged shop spaces in the background. I don't completely understand why they targeted some companies but not others.Heading west on Queen St. West, I'm glad that the Toronto Jazz Festival events at Nathan Philips Square have not been disturbed. Andre Rieu's concert had been canceled.
My brother's building is still in tact, but as I continue westward, I see something in the distance. I guess it shows that I'll never be a protester, but the scene of police on horses (and the four legged creatures were wearing masks to protect their eyes) and riot police made me pause.
It seemed like a similar group of protesters in this intersection and although there were more civilians than police (at least in plain sight), it seemed like a futile mission for the protesters. More media presence, tons of cameras in all shapes and sizes. After a couple protesters sat in
front of the police, the wall of riot police chanted "Move! Move!" as they inched forward and banged their batons on their shields. Their voices reverberated from behind their helmets. Every time they did so, civilians started retreating. Running. After standing back and watching the wall of police change shifts, advance a couple more times, and listened to the protesters shouting and chanting, I was ready to go home.I was done of the day, and as I said before, done with my curiosity. I snaked my way home, said good evening to some of the police closer to home (and less scarily dressed) and walked along side the security gates that the protesters I think had initially tried to get near. The zone was quiet and empty.
Perhaps they have good reasons to do what they do, but I'm not sure they're going about it in the right way, nor are they being effective in the process.
The rain starts to fall and I'm happy that I'm on my way home. I got some much needed exercise for the day. Almost a good 3 hours of fresh air.
Executive decision
I really wanted to witness a riot. I wanted to see what one is like. Feel the emotion. Observe the movement. Hear the sounds.
I've finally decided that I'm going to let this one pass. There are some things that may be better not experienced.
It's fascinating how we're wired in that I, as a person who doesn't want to be a participant of a riot in any way shape or form, desperately wanted to be there.
I am following the action on-line.
And it's more interesting that I would have been more prone to going if someone else had asked me to join them as a spectator.
The mob mentality. Curiousity.
I can't help but think back the BBC educational series about kids growing up and the changes in their brain. How in the teenaged years there's a chemical imbalance that contributes to teens being more daring and making silly decisions.
I'm past that age, but the urge is still there.
Maybe I'll go later on when it's all over. See? I still come up with thoughts of wanting to get in there.
I should put a movie in and go offline.
Finally: 89!
I've finally decided that I'm going to let this one pass. There are some things that may be better not experienced.
It's fascinating how we're wired in that I, as a person who doesn't want to be a participant of a riot in any way shape or form, desperately wanted to be there.
I am following the action on-line.
And it's more interesting that I would have been more prone to going if someone else had asked me to join them as a spectator.
The mob mentality. Curiousity.
I can't help but think back the BBC educational series about kids growing up and the changes in their brain. How in the teenaged years there's a chemical imbalance that contributes to teens being more daring and making silly decisions.
I'm past that age, but the urge is still there.
Maybe I'll go later on when it's all over. See? I still come up with thoughts of wanting to get in there.
I should put a movie in and go offline.
Finally: 89!
B-I-N-G-O
46! (Or something like that. I've forgotten because I'm caught up in following the riots)
25! (Someone important was part of that in there I think because there was a limo with a little flag like in the movies)
25! (Someone important was part of that in there I think because there was a limo with a little flag like in the movies)
Choppers everywhere!!!
A whole bunch of them zoomed by. And so close to my building! I was in too much awe (read: too slow) to take a picture. That's my next goal. To take a good picture of a chopper. But really, if I had been able to get my act together, I would have gotten great (although, it's too bad that it's a foggy day) shots. They were so close, I felt like I could have reached out to touch them!
I noticed that they always travel in pairs. There's got to be a reason for that. This is so exciting.
I also got to do a little plane-spotting of my own. I'm lucky enough to watch the Porter planes of a regular basis, but this beast of a plane (which may just be a regular sized plane, but I'm so used to the mini's taking off from the Island Airport), well, looked like a beast. I wonder what they are carting around in there? And that's the black boat-y thing that I saw before. I hope more choppers come by soon. It's exciting! (I said that already.)
There are tons of people hanging out on their balconies watching the view as well. I'm not the only one who thinks this is cool, you know.
I noticed that they always travel in pairs. There's got to be a reason for that. This is so exciting.
I also got to do a little plane-spotting of my own. I'm lucky enough to watch the Porter planes of a regular basis, but this beast of a plane (which may just be a regular sized plane, but I'm so used to the mini's taking off from the Island Airport), well, looked like a beast. I wonder what they are carting around in there? And that's the black boat-y thing that I saw before. I hope more choppers come by soon. It's exciting! (I said that already.)There are tons of people hanging out on their balconies watching the view as well. I'm not the only one who thinks this is cool, you know.
Seen, heard, thought...(G20 edition)
Seen: A very empty St. Lawrence Market. The North Market was particularly sad with less than half the vendors present.
Heard: "I'm disgusted with what Canada has become" (Man on his cell phone in the North Market).
Thought: I should buy myself some Koslik's mustard and Guyere cheese and call it a day.
Seen: Cops taking pictures of each other standing beside the fences.
Thought: Couches are expensive!!!
Seen: BINGO!
Seen: Special G20 license plates on cars.
Thought: What happened to the 90min waiting time to get onto the Gardiner from Spadina Ave. that they were talking about? This weekend would actually be a GREAT time to drive downtown. Same with the TTC.
Seen: Police riding around on ATVs.
Thought: It's a ghost town.
Seen: A black hovercrafty-thingy with passengers all in black and looking mighty intimidating zooming by the harbourfront.
Seen: Explosive Removal Unit and Contamination Unit trucks driving away from the security zone. Hope everything's okay! (Maybe they're done for the day now that Obama's in the building)
Thought: Crappy weather would make protest watching no fun?
Heard: "I'm disgusted with what Canada has become" (Man on his cell phone in the North Market).
Thought: I should buy myself some Koslik's mustard and Guyere cheese and call it a day.
Seen: Cops taking pictures of each other standing beside the fences.
Thought: Couches are expensive!!!
Seen: BINGO!
Seen: Special G20 license plates on cars.
Thought: What happened to the 90min waiting time to get onto the Gardiner from Spadina Ave. that they were talking about? This weekend would actually be a GREAT time to drive downtown. Same with the TTC.
Seen: Police riding around on ATVs.
Thought: It's a ghost town.
Seen: A black hovercrafty-thingy with passengers all in black and looking mighty intimidating zooming by the harbourfront.
Seen: Explosive Removal Unit and Contamination Unit trucks driving away from the security zone. Hope everything's okay! (Maybe they're done for the day now that Obama's in the building)
Thought: Crappy weather would make protest watching no fun?
Motorcade in the morning!
Motorcade of 28 vehicles coming across the Gardiner, north on Spadina, then east on Bremner. It included 3 greyhound buses, just a couple motorcycles, and was mostly dark cube van looking cars. I'm going to guess that the passengers of the motorcade were coppers.
I'm going to the market now. Hopefully it won't be too deserted. I hear clubland was pretty quiet last night.
I'm going to the market now. Hopefully it won't be too deserted. I hear clubland was pretty quiet last night.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The excitement! (G20 - duh)
About 20 minutes ago, I noticed that the Gardiner had no traffic going eastbound. Ooooh...convoy?!? I saw a lone car drive by and then a couple motorcycles. Maybe I was getting my hopes up for nothing. It could be a traffic accident, afterall.
Nope. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Convoy!!!
Okay okay, I'm sure you're not terribly impressed, but it was still cool to see. I wonder who was in those cars?
It was over in mere seconds of course, but I feel like I was part of history or something. Stop rolling your eyes at me, I'm having a great time learning! That's right, I said learning. For example, I didn't know that some of the cars would be numbered. Does this mean that there were decoy cars? It's like a movie. The helicopters are circling, talking about who's in what number of a car, and when something crazy happens, they break off and they follow whatever number. Action packed chase sequence!!!
Oh yeah, and then soon after they went by, cars started appearing on the Gardiner. Just like that. No more convoys for the next little while. I wonder how they block off the area and what happens to traffic that wants to use the area? Can they wait it out?
At the same time, I noticed that there was a mini-protest at the end of the block on Spadina. I'd seen a couple of them on my way home from my walk this afternoon, but didn't really pay attention to their cause. Something Chinese I imagine with the Chinese flags they carried and signs written in Chinese. My balcony didn't give me a clear line of sight to the group, so I don't exactly know how many of them their were, but I was more confused as to why they chose this particular intersection. A couple minutes after the convoy passed, I saw a different (and mini) convoy (maybe a car or two and off course a team of coppers) drive up Spadina. How do protesters know these things?
I'm tempted to go to the core and see the super protest in action, but I'm pretty happy hanging out on my balcony to get some reading done. More convoys, please!
Update 1: Just learned something else. I should start calling them motorcades instead of convoys.
Update 2: I'm reading the Toronto Star's G20 blog. I know I'm incredibly naive and have too positive of an outlook on things, but I'm glad I'm not at that protest right now. Part of me wants to be there to see what it's like, but part of me is sad that stuff like this happens. No, I don't think that all of the decisions that world leaders make are the right now, but I don't like to acknowledge the conflicts that we have in the world. There are too many people out there that deal with the stuff, I want to be part of the group that tries to look at the good in everything.
Nope. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Convoy!!!
Okay okay, I'm sure you're not terribly impressed, but it was still cool to see. I wonder who was in those cars?
It was over in mere seconds of course, but I feel like I was part of history or something. Stop rolling your eyes at me, I'm having a great time learning! That's right, I said learning. For example, I didn't know that some of the cars would be numbered. Does this mean that there were decoy cars? It's like a movie. The helicopters are circling, talking about who's in what number of a car, and when something crazy happens, they break off and they follow whatever number. Action packed chase sequence!!! Oh yeah, and then soon after they went by, cars started appearing on the Gardiner. Just like that. No more convoys for the next little while. I wonder how they block off the area and what happens to traffic that wants to use the area? Can they wait it out?
At the same time, I noticed that there was a mini-protest at the end of the block on Spadina. I'd seen a couple of them on my way home from my walk this afternoon, but didn't really pay attention to their cause. Something Chinese I imagine with the Chinese flags they carried and signs written in Chinese. My balcony didn't give me a clear line of sight to the group, so I don't exactly know how many of them their were, but I was more confused as to why they chose this particular intersection. A couple minutes after the convoy passed, I saw a different (and mini) convoy (maybe a car or two and off course a team of coppers) drive up Spadina. How do protesters know these things?
I'm tempted to go to the core and see the super protest in action, but I'm pretty happy hanging out on my balcony to get some reading done. More convoys, please!
Update 1: Just learned something else. I should start calling them motorcades instead of convoys.
Update 2: I'm reading the Toronto Star's G20 blog. I know I'm incredibly naive and have too positive of an outlook on things, but I'm glad I'm not at that protest right now. Part of me wants to be there to see what it's like, but part of me is sad that stuff like this happens. No, I don't think that all of the decisions that world leaders make are the right now, but I don't like to acknowledge the conflicts that we have in the world. There are too many people out there that deal with the stuff, I want to be part of the group that tries to look at the good in everything.
Again, G20
It's a ghost town in the downtown core today, and another great day for wandering the streets to take in more G20 amazingness. A couple gates have been closed, but I nothing was really closed off quite yet. I don't really understand why some things shut down Thursday and Friday, because based on what I've seen, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary in the city. Except for the huge police presence and big fences. I walked to the Eaton Centre, figuring it might be a little bit emptier than usual. It was. Fantastic. I loitered in the electronics section of the department stores to watch some of the Fifa World Cup. I wasn't the only one. Crappy thing was that everyone was showing the Chile-Spain game. I know why they're getting first billing over the Switzerland-Honduras game, but I would have wanted to see just one in the fifty TVs showing the game that I cared more about. As I stood and watched the game, I had a feeling of dread that Spain was in the lead. I try not to think ill of anyone, but I really want the Swiss to advance to the next round...so, you know.
Anyway, I'm wondering if the city will be any different this weekend. I hope I catch at least one convoy. My view has to be good for something, afterall.
Anyway, I'm wondering if the city will be any different this weekend. I hope I catch at least one convoy. My view has to be good for something, afterall.
So many pretty colours
How could you not want a pair of car shoes after seeing this picture? I'm sure that it's mostly the Italian men that buy the bright colours. I don't know how they know how to make it look so good. I won't be greedy. I just want one pair. But then, if the Tod's are really as comfortable as everyone says, the sky's the limit. Okay, so I am greedy.
- picture courtesy of GQ and Tommy Ton
Thursday, June 24, 2010
More G20 related notes
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm excited that we're hosting the G20:
- They tell me to work from home, so I decide to go to the ballet and watch a corps de ballet get his big break! I've never gone to a weekday matinee, so although it makes complete sense, I was a little bit thrown off when it was me and a bunch of pensioners. Rex Harrington gave a great Ballet Talk and the all debuting cast was impressive. McGee Maddox looked a little shaky to start, but eased into his character quite nicely. Brett van Sickle seemed to be quite good in his role although I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to pull out his gloves from his sleeve fast enough (they got stuck somehow) to slap McGee in the face in time to the music. Bridgett Zehr is still amazing. Of course Heather Ogden is good, but she wasn't making a lasting impression until the final scene. Ummm, I kinda had tears in my eyes.
- How fancy schmancy am I? I now live in a gated community.
- I love playing the license plate game, but with the police and which city/force they're from. Of course there are tons of cops representing the Toronto Police, but I've also spotted contingents from Niagara, York, Edmonton, Hamilton, and Halton, among others. Oh yes, can't forget the dear RCMP, although those folk could be from almost anywhere.
- Apparently, John St., between Wellington and Front is horsey central.
- Everyone I'd chatted with seems so friendly. And they don't laugh in my face when I ask them naive questions like: Do you carry tasers? (Yes) or What do you have in those packs around your thighs? (Gas masks)
- The Roundhouse Park is quite nice. The Roundhouse is a beautiful building and I wish I could go back in time to see what the area was like when it was still working.
- People actually line-up to get into Jays games. I didn't think that many people attended. I guess there really aren't that many compared to the number of seats that are in the stadium. I wonder if the scalpers make any money.
- I like seeing the special TTC buses carting around coppers.
I do have a paper I need to write, so maybe I'll actually get started on it tomorrow, but I feel like I'm learning a lot from walking around the area. I'm lucky that I don't live in a city/country that has riots or wars on a regular basis, so these teachable moments are very valuable to me.
- They tell me to work from home, so I decide to go to the ballet and watch a corps de ballet get his big break! I've never gone to a weekday matinee, so although it makes complete sense, I was a little bit thrown off when it was me and a bunch of pensioners. Rex Harrington gave a great Ballet Talk and the all debuting cast was impressive. McGee Maddox looked a little shaky to start, but eased into his character quite nicely. Brett van Sickle seemed to be quite good in his role although I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to pull out his gloves from his sleeve fast enough (they got stuck somehow) to slap McGee in the face in time to the music. Bridgett Zehr is still amazing. Of course Heather Ogden is good, but she wasn't making a lasting impression until the final scene. Ummm, I kinda had tears in my eyes.
- How fancy schmancy am I? I now live in a gated community.
- I love playing the license plate game, but with the police and which city/force they're from. Of course there are tons of cops representing the Toronto Police, but I've also spotted contingents from Niagara, York, Edmonton, Hamilton, and Halton, among others. Oh yes, can't forget the dear RCMP, although those folk could be from almost anywhere.
- Apparently, John St., between Wellington and Front is horsey central.- Everyone I'd chatted with seems so friendly. And they don't laugh in my face when I ask them naive questions like: Do you carry tasers? (Yes) or What do you have in those packs around your thighs? (Gas masks)
- The Roundhouse Park is quite nice. The Roundhouse is a beautiful building and I wish I could go back in time to see what the area was like when it was still working.- People actually line-up to get into Jays games. I didn't think that many people attended. I guess there really aren't that many compared to the number of seats that are in the stadium. I wonder if the scalpers make any money.
- I like seeing the special TTC buses carting around coppers.
I do have a paper I need to write, so maybe I'll actually get started on it tomorrow, but I feel like I'm learning a lot from walking around the area. I'm lucky that I don't live in a city/country that has riots or wars on a regular basis, so these teachable moments are very valuable to me.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Alberta (March 17-21, 2010)
Ever since returning back to Canada, my travel bug has not left me. I have been lucky to go on a couple trips, but it never seems enough. I'm embarassed to say that I haven't even traveled around Canada very much, so I was thrilled to have the chance to travel to Alberta to have a reunion of sorts and attend a wedding of some very dear friends.
I spent a couple days in Calgary before going out to Lake Louise for the wedding. I'm not sure what I was expecting from the city, but it was less exciting than I had hoped. I think had I had a vehicle or more time to venture out of the city, I would have gotten a better vibe from the city. I especially would have liked to visit Canada Olympic Park and the Royal Tyrell Museum. I also happened to go in between seasons, as I couldn't even visit Heritage Park.
I did visit the Calgary Tower because I love a good view. It was nice to get my bearings and understand that the city is a place where Calgarians work and then see way in the distance all of the great areas where they
would go out to play. As a fan of the winter Olympics, I was happiest spotting as many 1988 Olympic venues as I could. I was supremely jealous of the kiddies that were skating on the outdoor rink in the Olympic Plaza.
Obviously, I have to go back to attend the Stampede. I don't completely understand what happens, but I'm sure that I would love it.
I was happy to have the chance to go to the Calgary Zoo. I looooove animals.
One of the elephant's had a cap on his tusk. I'd never seen that before. Apparently they capped it so that he wouldn't break it.
After a couple days in Calgary and enjoying being on a much needed vacation, we drove out to Lake Louise. It was a lovely drive. It hadn't crossed my mind that I missed the sight of mountains, but during that drive, I got a little homesick for Switzerland. Homesick, yet excited that soon I would be back in the mountains and hopefully having a chance to go on the slopes. This trip was also my first time in a National Park. I don't even think that I've been in a Provincial Park before. How embarassing. After detouring through British Columbia (ooops), we arrived to Lake Louise. Un-real. I mean, seriously:
Excited didn't even describe it. And the massive outdoor rink? Heaven. It took me awhile to realize that the entire surface was a frozen over lake. For real. This was crazy-town.
This trip provided another first. High tea. And at the Fairmont of all places. The bar has been set quite high. The view wasn't bad either. This was the vacation that I was desperately needing and I was loving every moment.
It was a lovely service with yummy snacks. I could have eaten scones all afternoon. Kindly, our waiter (from the UK, I would quickly find out that almost everyone in the area was an ex-pat taking advantage of the mountainous terrain) let me test out a couple different teas. I can't wait to go for afternoon tea again.
We drove back a bit to Banff. The main drag was Zermatt-esque, or Whistler-esque. The streets were just a little bit wider, but it's that architecture which reminds me of mountain towns. In Banff, we
went up the gondola to look around (ahem, site of my dramatic accident) and then headed to the hot springs before dinner. I can't believe that it's been three years since seeing views like this on a regular basis.
Over the next couple of days, sandwiching the wedding, we discovered Lake Louise. Although I ended up with a bum ankle, the trip was a dream. I have to go back to get my real skating
session on the lake (I could do backspins, but that was about it). I would also bring more sensible shoes to go hiking (I haven't worn sneakers for over a year now). I wonder if they have ice climbing? I was happy to have the chance to get into the mountains and one some skis again. It was a much
needed release and sense of freedom. (Notice the two pictures from opposite ends - looking towards the slopes and looking from the slopes.)
I need to head out east at some point. I've been thinking about lobster recently. Some east coast lobster. Canada's great.
I spent a couple days in Calgary before going out to Lake Louise for the wedding. I'm not sure what I was expecting from the city, but it was less exciting than I had hoped. I think had I had a vehicle or more time to venture out of the city, I would have gotten a better vibe from the city. I especially would have liked to visit Canada Olympic Park and the Royal Tyrell Museum. I also happened to go in between seasons, as I couldn't even visit Heritage Park.
I did visit the Calgary Tower because I love a good view. It was nice to get my bearings and understand that the city is a place where Calgarians work and then see way in the distance all of the great areas where they
would go out to play. As a fan of the winter Olympics, I was happiest spotting as many 1988 Olympic venues as I could. I was supremely jealous of the kiddies that were skating on the outdoor rink in the Olympic Plaza. 
Obviously, I have to go back to attend the Stampede. I don't completely understand what happens, but I'm sure that I would love it.
I was happy to have the chance to go to the Calgary Zoo. I looooove animals.
One of the elephant's had a cap on his tusk. I'd never seen that before. Apparently they capped it so that he wouldn't break it.
After a couple days in Calgary and enjoying being on a much needed vacation, we drove out to Lake Louise. It was a lovely drive. It hadn't crossed my mind that I missed the sight of mountains, but during that drive, I got a little homesick for Switzerland. Homesick, yet excited that soon I would be back in the mountains and hopefully having a chance to go on the slopes. This trip was also my first time in a National Park. I don't even think that I've been in a Provincial Park before. How embarassing. After detouring through British Columbia (ooops), we arrived to Lake Louise. Un-real. I mean, seriously:
Excited didn't even describe it. And the massive outdoor rink? Heaven. It took me awhile to realize that the entire surface was a frozen over lake. For real. This was crazy-town.
This trip provided another first. High tea. And at the Fairmont of all places. The bar has been set quite high. The view wasn't bad either. This was the vacation that I was desperately needing and I was loving every moment.
It was a lovely service with yummy snacks. I could have eaten scones all afternoon. Kindly, our waiter (from the UK, I would quickly find out that almost everyone in the area was an ex-pat taking advantage of the mountainous terrain) let me test out a couple different teas. I can't wait to go for afternoon tea again.
We drove back a bit to Banff. The main drag was Zermatt-esque, or Whistler-esque. The streets were just a little bit wider, but it's that architecture which reminds me of mountain towns. In Banff, we
went up the gondola to look around (ahem, site of my dramatic accident) and then headed to the hot springs before dinner. I can't believe that it's been three years since seeing views like this on a regular basis.
Over the next couple of days, sandwiching the wedding, we discovered Lake Louise. Although I ended up with a bum ankle, the trip was a dream. I have to go back to get my real skating
session on the lake (I could do backspins, but that was about it). I would also bring more sensible shoes to go hiking (I haven't worn sneakers for over a year now). I wonder if they have ice climbing? I was happy to have the chance to get into the mountains and one some skis again. It was a much 
needed release and sense of freedom. (Notice the two pictures from opposite ends - looking towards the slopes and looking from the slopes.) I need to head out east at some point. I've been thinking about lobster recently. Some east coast lobster. Canada's great.
LuminaTO, Part 3 (Finale)
This past Saturday, I attended my final LuminaTO event, the 1000 Tastes of Toronto. I had gone to the event last year, so my expectations were high. Too high, apparently.
This year was a disappointment.
First of all, the event was held in a different space, which I admit, did bode well for having other events happening at the same time, but I love the waterfront and anything that seems boardwalk-y is fantastic.
Secondly, the food was blah. There was only a handful of fancy-schmancy restauranteurs that set up shop this year, so it didn't have the cool factor that I loved about last year. I'm not entirely sure if the organizers have a goal of having festival-goers get to sample dishes from slick locations that they may not usually get to dine at, or if it's just a chance for vendors to get some publicity. I do admit that there was a nice selection of ethnic food to represent the cultural diversity of Toronto, but I don't need a LuminaTO event for that. I'm probably growing out of their intended demographic (I'll make parallels to Summerlicious/Winterlicious).
The event did give me the opportunity to re-try an oyster on the half shell. Courtesy of Rodney's Oyster House, they aren't as bad as I remember. I'm open to having a couple more in the future.
There's also a chance that I just happened to go to the event at the wrong time. Some of the booths worked in shifts and in talking to someone else that went earlier in the day, I'd missed out on a couple stand-out dishes.
Oh well. It was nice to get out and take in another event in the city. I'll probably go next year as well, but be prepared to be disappointed and dine elsewhere.
This year was a disappointment.
First of all, the event was held in a different space, which I admit, did bode well for having other events happening at the same time, but I love the waterfront and anything that seems boardwalk-y is fantastic.
Secondly, the food was blah. There was only a handful of fancy-schmancy restauranteurs that set up shop this year, so it didn't have the cool factor that I loved about last year. I'm not entirely sure if the organizers have a goal of having festival-goers get to sample dishes from slick locations that they may not usually get to dine at, or if it's just a chance for vendors to get some publicity. I do admit that there was a nice selection of ethnic food to represent the cultural diversity of Toronto, but I don't need a LuminaTO event for that. I'm probably growing out of their intended demographic (I'll make parallels to Summerlicious/Winterlicious).
The event did give me the opportunity to re-try an oyster on the half shell. Courtesy of Rodney's Oyster House, they aren't as bad as I remember. I'm open to having a couple more in the future.
There's also a chance that I just happened to go to the event at the wrong time. Some of the booths worked in shifts and in talking to someone else that went earlier in the day, I'd missed out on a couple stand-out dishes.
Oh well. It was nice to get out and take in another event in the city. I'll probably go next year as well, but be prepared to be disappointed and dine elsewhere.
Earthquake!!!
Wow, that was the craziest tremor that I've ever felt. And it lasted awhile too. Since we don't get many in Canada, ever time I feel a tremor, I'm always doubtful of whether or not it's a tremor or maybe I'm just loosing my mind.
Thank goodness the internet was invented so that I can check more reliable sources.
The rickety old building that I'm in sometimes shake when the subway goes by. Eleven floors up, I can hear the subway, but usually can't feel anything. Next door, someone was playing really loud music that was grating on my nerves (it's usually a quiet floor), so when everything started to shake, I thought they were doing something crazy as the walls are paper thin and with this building, you never know if jumping around in one room will make the entire place shake.
I honestly thought I was imagining things and then I realized that the blinds on the windows were shaking so violently that there must have been something up.
Too bad there wasn't anyone else in the office to confirm that yes, we had in fact noticed that the room was shaking. When you don't experience much in the way of earthquakes, it's easy to doubt your instincts. You know, come to think of it, I've never been in the same room as someone else when I've felt a tremor.
Thank goodness the internet was invented so that I can check more reliable sources.
The rickety old building that I'm in sometimes shake when the subway goes by. Eleven floors up, I can hear the subway, but usually can't feel anything. Next door, someone was playing really loud music that was grating on my nerves (it's usually a quiet floor), so when everything started to shake, I thought they were doing something crazy as the walls are paper thin and with this building, you never know if jumping around in one room will make the entire place shake.
I honestly thought I was imagining things and then I realized that the blinds on the windows were shaking so violently that there must have been something up.
Too bad there wasn't anyone else in the office to confirm that yes, we had in fact noticed that the room was shaking. When you don't experience much in the way of earthquakes, it's easy to doubt your instincts. You know, come to think of it, I've never been in the same room as someone else when I've felt a tremor.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
More G20 silliness
Some buildings in my neighbourhood have boarded up their windows, I assume, in preparation for the havoc that will apparently happen during the G20. Even better is that they've painted the wood to match the building. Camouflage or aesthetics?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
A mark against TED
While looking for things to do this weekend, I came across a TED-like conference called ideaCity. Interesting line-up of presenters, including a young lass who was a TED speaker. I thought I'd written about her talk wondering how she'd handle growing up, but I can't seem to find the post. Anyway, $3000+ for a ticket? Hoooooooly. Elitist, much? The site says that $3000 is a steal compared to TED which charge ~$7000. I don't know if I agree with charging so much for a conference. I suppose they need to charge something to run the event, and pay for the great speakers, but I would think that there would be enough sponsorship and call me naive, but I would hope that it would be enough of an honour to be asked to speak that you wouldn't want to be paid for it. I mean, it's supposed to bring together great minds to inspire change...
Oh, so apparently, TED addresses this. I'm still not completely sure I like the answer.
Oh, so apparently, TED addresses this. I'm still not completely sure I like the answer.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
LuminaTO, Part 2
This afternoon, I returned to the NFB to watch (Un)Veiled: Muslim Women Talk About Hijab. The film was only 36 minutes and clearly much too short to get into any depth on the topic. In the documentary, we met a handful of women living in the United Arab Emirates, but originally from different countries. There was a Canadian, a couple Americans, a Swiss, a Brit, an Egyptian, a Saudi and one woman from the UAE. All of the woman said they had Muslim backgrounds, although many stated that they didn't practice their faith. Some of the women wore a hijab, while others didn't. In 36 minutes, I think I learned a little bit more about what the Qur'an says about women, but based on the person who was doing the explaining and how she expressed her views, I don't know if there was any bias in her explanation. All of the women raised some interesting and of course, conflicting issues, however I see the reasoning behind each of the sentiments an can understand why the hijab raises many discussions. I'm not sure to whom I would turn to for an authentic lens on the issue, because I think everyone has a bias in some way. I don't mean bias to be negative by any means, but culture is a very broad scope which has so many variables enacting on it.
I'm not really sure what to say about the documentary. It think it would be great to have a conversation about the topic (I wonder if teachers will use this film as a teaching tool in the classroom) but I think such a discussion need to be conducted in an open-minded space where participants feel safe to really examine the issues without having to worry about offending anyone.
If anyone is up for it, let me know. And see if you can get a copy of the documentary as I'd be interested to share reactions.
I'm not really sure what to say about the documentary. It think it would be great to have a conversation about the topic (I wonder if teachers will use this film as a teaching tool in the classroom) but I think such a discussion need to be conducted in an open-minded space where participants feel safe to really examine the issues without having to worry about offending anyone.
If anyone is up for it, let me know. And see if you can get a copy of the documentary as I'd be interested to share reactions.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Goooooooooooal!
The World Cup has already started and I haven't watched a single game. The difference in time zone is really bumming me out. I got to watch games of the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 Euro Cup live and absolutely surrounded by some serious fans. I can't call myself a football fanatic, but I do enjoy getting caught up in the moment. I could get my act together and head to a local bar/pub to catch a game, but if I'm honest, I like sitting or standing outdoors and watching the game on temporary big screens. While I can watch other sports - well, figure skating - alone, football is a more convivial sport. Again, the time zone doesn't bode well for this dilemma. I really hope that I can catch at least one game of the cup. Maybe I'll get more involved once the group round is done. I clearly don't know enough to root for one team. I'll probably just root for whichever team whomever I'm watching the game with is rooting for.
Also, I still remember watching Zidane head-butt Materazzi. It was crazy.
Also, I still remember watching Zidane head-butt Materazzi. It was crazy.
So pretty
Swoony, swoon, swoon. Why oh why is this bag only available online? I don't really feel comfortable purchasing such a lovely item online. I would rather have the experience to see an item in a shop, chat with a sales person about the item and proudly walk out of the store with it. I've never bought any apparel online. It's just too risky in my opinion. I don't trust guessing sizing. I know that bags are a little bit of different story, but I'd still rather not. I remember swearing a long time ago that I would never make any kind of purchase online and at the time, it was because I was scared that my credit card number would get lost in cyber-space and someone would end up spending a gazillion dollars on it, but that idea went down the drain pretty quickly when I found out that almost no one books flights and hotels on the telephone anymore. I did purchase a bag online once and that didn't quite work out. I had ordered one of Anya Hindmarch's I'm Not a Plastic Bag bags, but it got lost in the mail. (Boo. I would have loved to have that bag.) In the end, I don't think that it was the company's fault, but that experience may have coloured my judgement of purchasing valuable (and I don't mean price-wise) items online. I feel like I might be contradicting myself a little bit. Anyway, the point is that the bag is beautiful and as much as I would love the bag and think that it would go perfectly with my monochromatic wardrobe, I probably won't end up getting it, ONLY because I'd have to purchase it online. Perfect style, perfect size, perfect colour...at least in my mind. Too bad I couldn't see it in person to confirm.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
LuminaTO, Part 1
LuminaTO has started here in the city. This arts festival has a bunch of events that you have to pay for, but most of the events that I'll probably try to go to are free. It's great that that there are all of these free events to make outings more accessible. I hope that lots of people take advantage of it! I need to do a little bit more research into what other free events are available year round. I tend to run out of ideas when I feel like doing something different on a budget. I did want to take advantage of this free outing, but I'm frustrated to say that something is wrong at their end because there was no follow through and I never got to participate in the experience.
So my first day of LuminaTO involved one and smidge events:
The first was a free screening of the documentary of the making of Leonard Bernstein's 1984 recording of West Side Story. The screening was held at the National Film Board in a small screening room. The theatre was not full, however, a film like this would attract a very limited audience. What a shame, because the film was fantastic. Commissioned by Deutsche Grammophon, there were German subtitles, the documentary gave the audience a front row seat in the recording studio with Bernstein. This recording featured some rockstars including Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Tatiyana Troyanos, and Kurt Ollmann. I can't express how much I love West Side Story. I wanted to sing along, get up and dance, but at the same time was riveted to my seat and enjoying the show. I liked the interviews with the performers and the conductor and watching them at work in the studio was so special. I'm sure it was no coincidence that the National Ballet has a run of their West Side Story Suite going on at the same time. As much as I love West Wide Story, I couldn't bring myself to watch the NBoC's version because I don't think that the dancers will be able to make the dancing, ummm, dirty enough. I doubt that these classically trained dancers will be able to neglect their training. Anyway, the point is, the documentary was lovely.
On my way to dinner, I passed by Yonge-Dundas Square that hosted another free event. There was a big line waiting to get into the L'Oreal tent, lots of people milling about the Square and taking in the different components of the event. I didn't get a chance to stay long, but I sort of wish I had. Apparently it was an amazing night of salsa.
So my first day of LuminaTO involved one and smidge events:
The first was a free screening of the documentary of the making of Leonard Bernstein's 1984 recording of West Side Story. The screening was held at the National Film Board in a small screening room. The theatre was not full, however, a film like this would attract a very limited audience. What a shame, because the film was fantastic. Commissioned by Deutsche Grammophon, there were German subtitles, the documentary gave the audience a front row seat in the recording studio with Bernstein. This recording featured some rockstars including Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Tatiyana Troyanos, and Kurt Ollmann. I can't express how much I love West Side Story. I wanted to sing along, get up and dance, but at the same time was riveted to my seat and enjoying the show. I liked the interviews with the performers and the conductor and watching them at work in the studio was so special. I'm sure it was no coincidence that the National Ballet has a run of their West Side Story Suite going on at the same time. As much as I love West Wide Story, I couldn't bring myself to watch the NBoC's version because I don't think that the dancers will be able to make the dancing, ummm, dirty enough. I doubt that these classically trained dancers will be able to neglect their training. Anyway, the point is, the documentary was lovely.
On my way to dinner, I passed by Yonge-Dundas Square that hosted another free event. There was a big line waiting to get into the L'Oreal tent, lots of people milling about the Square and taking in the different components of the event. I didn't get a chance to stay long, but I sort of wish I had. Apparently it was an amazing night of salsa.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Silly G20
So I have to work from home from June 24-27. How annoying. I probably won't get called into work for one of my other gigs because I think the timing doesn't really allow for any work in my department regardless of the G20.
So I think I'm going to be bored, bored, bored.
Well, that's not true. I could use the opportunity to hole up and really get a lot accomplished, but chances of that happening are slim. I'm not disciplined enough and I would probably get cabin fever anyway.
I could take a vacation and try to rent out my place like others are apparently doing. It's very tempting to have someone pay for a couple months of my mortgage payments for me, but I'm not business-mind savvy enough to act on it. I also don't want to be too far away, because I want to see with my own eyes just how big a deal this G20 thing really is.
Maybe I shouldn't be complaining about this forced three day vacation (in the city). I hope the weather will be nice.
So I think I'm going to be bored, bored, bored.
Well, that's not true. I could use the opportunity to hole up and really get a lot accomplished, but chances of that happening are slim. I'm not disciplined enough and I would probably get cabin fever anyway.
I could take a vacation and try to rent out my place like others are apparently doing. It's very tempting to have someone pay for a couple months of my mortgage payments for me, but I'm not business-mind savvy enough to act on it. I also don't want to be too far away, because I want to see with my own eyes just how big a deal this G20 thing really is.
Maybe I shouldn't be complaining about this forced three day vacation (in the city). I hope the weather will be nice.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
It's started...
Of course, media and other outlets have been building up the hype about the G20, but it wasn't until the removal of the garbage cans in my area that I really felt like I would somehow be effected by the shenanigans. I, unlike many other people that I know, am looking forward to being in the thick of things and was disappointed that I don't need a swipey-card to get into the zone where I live. I know of people who are jumping ship and going out of town for the weekend, and I've gotten an e-mail from one of my employers suggesting that if we've got vacation time stored up, to take them when the party is in town. Even the dance studio that I go to is canceling classes for the week.
I still can't imagine what it's going to be like at the end of the month and hope that I'll be able to plant myself on the balcony of someone who looks into the chaos (assuming that there actually will be any). I love a good riot.
This morning, I saw my first in-your-face 'protest' of sorts. There was some large-scale graffiti on the streetcar shelter. A little sibling version of the message was sprayed on a nearby barrier. It wasn't offensive (to me), but it was large enough that I noticed. I wonder how diligent they'll be about trying to remove anything that's not supposed to be there. I guess from here on in, I'm going to notice more stuff in my hood.
That would be a great week to do some serious plane-spotting.
I still can't imagine what it's going to be like at the end of the month and hope that I'll be able to plant myself on the balcony of someone who looks into the chaos (assuming that there actually will be any). I love a good riot.
This morning, I saw my first in-your-face 'protest' of sorts. There was some large-scale graffiti on the streetcar shelter. A little sibling version of the message was sprayed on a nearby barrier. It wasn't offensive (to me), but it was large enough that I noticed. I wonder how diligent they'll be about trying to remove anything that's not supposed to be there. I guess from here on in, I'm going to notice more stuff in my hood.
That would be a great week to do some serious plane-spotting.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Montreal (May 27-31st, 2010)
Although I was in Montreal for non-tourist reasons, I did get a chance to enjoy the city and some of the many things that it has to offer. Not surprisingly, it involved shopping, eating, walking (my legs were aching from the hills and I was already nursing a two days later soreness), and metro-ing (I find it strange that there isn't a chime before the doors close. Also, I realized that on acceleration there's a 1, 4, 8 triad that gets produced). The weather was lovely. I wore skirts and tanktops for the entire trip, which was a nice change from the chilly weather that we got the last time we were there.
I was really happy to have an opportunity to practice my French, which is slowly becoming a little bit more of a chore to keep up with. I'm glad that my comprehension skills are still quite good, but the processing time that takes place before I can string a good sentence together bothers me. I should probably go to Quebec more often if only to practice my French. I think it's a good skill to have in my back pocket. It often surprises people when I pull it out, and I'm hoping that it will be an advantage to have in my future.
One of the food stops on the trip was La Banquise. I like poutine. I really do. For some reason, I had it in my head that this place had gourmet poutines and even after I was told that it more of a post-bar snack kind of place I was a little shocked with the plates that were placed on our table. We decided to try two different poutines:
The first was the Poutine Elvis. With ground beef, peppers and sauteed mushrooms. I found the beef gravy to be a little dense, but the mushrooms helped to lighten it a bit. In general, I didn't think that there were enough curds in the poutine. The curds were nice and squeaky, but hidden under the mound of ground beef.
The second poutine that we got was the Poutine Galvaude with turkey and peas. I thought it would be a throwback to the TV dinners that I loved to eat growing up, except that the potatoes were in a different
form. I thought the gravy on this poutine was much better suited to poutines, but felt as though there was much too much turkey on the plate. It felt like I was eating a turkey dinner with a sprinkling of gravy, peas, curds and fries, whereas I think I would rather a poutine be potatoes first, with toppings of curds, gravy, peas and turkey. In essence, I love poutine for the original components of what poutine is, and the extras should be literally, extras.
The trip happened to coincide with free museum day, so we took a trip to the Montreal Science Centre. It was wonderful. It was so busy that we only got a chance to see two of the exhibitions. While waiting in line for the first one, we met AIBO. It was cuuuuuuuuute! It was very lifelike and I loved how it reacted to the different sensors on its body and was able to interact with its toys and the young visitors who crowded around it. I would have loved to abduct it to see just how much it could do, but obviously that wasn't possible. I'm not sure if the Science Centre organizes timed admissions on regular days, but on this particular day, they have massive line-ups to enter each exhibition and allowed a certain number of patrons in for a 30-45 minute visiting period. It seemed well organized, and although it took awhile to get in, the process seemed fair and you knew what you were getting into. In the long waiting gaps, we made ourselves comfortable on the hard, concrete floor. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The first exhibit that was visited was Science 26 which is probably what I think of as the model Science Centre exhibit. Lots of hands on activities combined with learning. It was in this exhibit that I confirmed that I'm good at letting my mind go completely blank and realize that reading in French spurned high levels of brain activity. I also made giant bubbles, which could have been bigger had I not been wearing such a poofy, but pretty skirt. We also visited the combined temporary exhibits about Sex (which was quite detailed and could have been a nice replacement to sex ed. class) and Glass (which was a disappointment).
So I didn't have tons of free time, but I did manage to get out to Atwater Market. The parking lot was transformed into a lush flower market. I would have had a field day if I had a garden to decorate. I want to get a couple indoor plants for my place and make my balcony a lot more presentable, but it'll take a little bit of time before I get around to it. I haven't had nearly as many fresh cut flowers in my place as I have imagined I would. I kind of neglected the transition period that I would have after moving in.
A side note: Montrealalers don't wear lululemon. Although there are a couple stores in the city and I'm sure that they do quite well, I did not see anyone wearing lulu during the entire trip. How wonderful. I have recently promised myself that I will not wear lulu unless I am going to/from dance class or any other sort of physical activity. I just don't think that lulu is appropriate everyday wear, and although I understand how comfortable their stuff is, I am sticking to the no-lulu rule.
Nothing else blog worthy that I can think of right now. Except for a Cirque show.
It was nice to get out of the city for awhile. I think I need a vacation. Or at least some sort of break. I know that my schedule isn't that intense as it stands, but it's constant. Of course I'm still plagued with the travel bug. I think I might have a little bit of a break at the end of the month? Well, now I'm rambling. I must be getting tired.
I was really happy to have an opportunity to practice my French, which is slowly becoming a little bit more of a chore to keep up with. I'm glad that my comprehension skills are still quite good, but the processing time that takes place before I can string a good sentence together bothers me. I should probably go to Quebec more often if only to practice my French. I think it's a good skill to have in my back pocket. It often surprises people when I pull it out, and I'm hoping that it will be an advantage to have in my future.
One of the food stops on the trip was La Banquise. I like poutine. I really do. For some reason, I had it in my head that this place had gourmet poutines and even after I was told that it more of a post-bar snack kind of place I was a little shocked with the plates that were placed on our table. We decided to try two different poutines:
The first was the Poutine Elvis. With ground beef, peppers and sauteed mushrooms. I found the beef gravy to be a little dense, but the mushrooms helped to lighten it a bit. In general, I didn't think that there were enough curds in the poutine. The curds were nice and squeaky, but hidden under the mound of ground beef.The second poutine that we got was the Poutine Galvaude with turkey and peas. I thought it would be a throwback to the TV dinners that I loved to eat growing up, except that the potatoes were in a different
form. I thought the gravy on this poutine was much better suited to poutines, but felt as though there was much too much turkey on the plate. It felt like I was eating a turkey dinner with a sprinkling of gravy, peas, curds and fries, whereas I think I would rather a poutine be potatoes first, with toppings of curds, gravy, peas and turkey. In essence, I love poutine for the original components of what poutine is, and the extras should be literally, extras.The trip happened to coincide with free museum day, so we took a trip to the Montreal Science Centre. It was wonderful. It was so busy that we only got a chance to see two of the exhibitions. While waiting in line for the first one, we met AIBO. It was cuuuuuuuuute! It was very lifelike and I loved how it reacted to the different sensors on its body and was able to interact with its toys and the young visitors who crowded around it. I would have loved to abduct it to see just how much it could do, but obviously that wasn't possible. I'm not sure if the Science Centre organizes timed admissions on regular days, but on this particular day, they have massive line-ups to enter each exhibition and allowed a certain number of patrons in for a 30-45 minute visiting period. It seemed well organized, and although it took awhile to get in, the process seemed fair and you knew what you were getting into. In the long waiting gaps, we made ourselves comfortable on the hard, concrete floor. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The first exhibit that was visited was Science 26 which is probably what I think of as the model Science Centre exhibit. Lots of hands on activities combined with learning. It was in this exhibit that I confirmed that I'm good at letting my mind go completely blank and realize that reading in French spurned high levels of brain activity. I also made giant bubbles, which could have been bigger had I not been wearing such a poofy, but pretty skirt. We also visited the combined temporary exhibits about Sex (which was quite detailed and could have been a nice replacement to sex ed. class) and Glass (which was a disappointment).
So I didn't have tons of free time, but I did manage to get out to Atwater Market. The parking lot was transformed into a lush flower market. I would have had a field day if I had a garden to decorate. I want to get a couple indoor plants for my place and make my balcony a lot more presentable, but it'll take a little bit of time before I get around to it. I haven't had nearly as many fresh cut flowers in my place as I have imagined I would. I kind of neglected the transition period that I would have after moving in.
A side note: Montrealalers don't wear lululemon. Although there are a couple stores in the city and I'm sure that they do quite well, I did not see anyone wearing lulu during the entire trip. How wonderful. I have recently promised myself that I will not wear lulu unless I am going to/from dance class or any other sort of physical activity. I just don't think that lulu is appropriate everyday wear, and although I understand how comfortable their stuff is, I am sticking to the no-lulu rule.
Nothing else blog worthy that I can think of right now. Except for a Cirque show.
It was nice to get out of the city for awhile. I think I need a vacation. Or at least some sort of break. I know that my schedule isn't that intense as it stands, but it's constant. Of course I'm still plagued with the travel bug. I think I might have a little bit of a break at the end of the month? Well, now I'm rambling. I must be getting tired.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Totem
Totem is Cirque du Soleil's new touring show. It's playing in Montreal and Quebec City before jumping ship and going to Europe for a run. I'm not sure if it'll be coming to Toronto, but it doesn't matter, I got a chance to see it in Montreal!Is with all Cirque shows that I've seen, I was not not disappointed. This chow didn't seem to have an overarching storyline, which I thought took away from the show. There were definitely obvious themes tying the acts together, but I like a good narrative to tie things together.
I was impressed with the diversity of acts that this show had. On top of some of the classic cirque acts, there were some acts that I'd never seen before. The classics included things like Russian bars (one of my favorites), rings (featuring the most muscular woman I've ever seen), foot juggling, duo trapeze (I thought these artists portrayed their characters the best. Great feeling and chemistry.), and unicyclists balancing bowls. Of course the clowns helped join the acts, and usually I think they are one of the highlights of the show. I was disappointed with this set. Perhaps it was the audience that didn't react appropriately, but I just didn't feel as though they were as effective as I have seen them be in previous shows.
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the costumes, music and set design. Having a front row seat really allows you to examine the costumes and make-up that the performers have...it's absolutely incredible. I'm glad that the musician got a couple acts front and center, especially highlighting the creativity that the cirque is known for with a mad scientist inspired act which to me, was one of the highlights of the show (more about that later). The set changes were seamless as per usual and I liked how part of the stage magically became so many different purposes, including a motorboat!
As mentioned, there were a couple acts that I'd never seen before. Usually the clowns don't have acts outside of their 'clown' thingy, but the clowns in Totem seemed to have special acts as well. The most impressive was the one that turned into the mad scientist thingy. The musicians used giant test tubes and beakers to create different sounds and rhythms to accompany a clown that turned into a juggler. At first, I thought it was going to be one of those jugglers that bounced balls on the floor kind of like the ones that play songs on keyboards by bouncing the balls on the keys, but then it became this crazy ball tossing/swirling thingy while he stood inside a giant Erlenmeyer flask. All I could think about the whole time was conic sections. And then the black lights were turned on, the balls started flashing different colours and it was a fabulously psychedelic show.
One of the other 'new' acts that the audience seemed to really enjoy was a roller skating duo. I can understand the appeal of such an act, but it was not new to me. I had seen similar performances with duos on figure skates. The pair did a variation of a headbanger, took ideas from ropes acts...I just wasn't as impressed as I could have been had I not seen many of the tricks in a colder environment.
Although not particularly original, I also liked the high bar act. I usually like the gymnastic-type of acts, so this one was right up my alley. A trampoline magically appeared in the stage which only added to my amazement. The timing and synchronicity of the artists always astounds me.
Not completely original, there was a balancing act that was also quite impressive. I think of Cirque shows as often having acts that I'd seen previously, but taken to the next level. This particular act was no exception.
I feel like I'm forgetting to mention another stand-out act, but I can't even use the show's website to help me out. Cirque hasn't added all of the details of the show on the site yet.
The finale, as per usual, intricately got all of the artists onstage in a dance number. The visual effects of the show allowed the artists to enter the stage in a creative way.
The show was also the first one that I attended that gave a standing ovation. Now, it was a great show, but if the other ones that I'd attended didn't give as high of a reception, I'm wondering why this one did. Maybe it's a Quebec thing? I've been annoyed with how easily audiences give standing ovations these days, at operas, ballets, symphonies and many other types of shows. I'm not saying that the calibre of shows it lacking, I just don't know if all of the shows that I've witnessed ovations for are completely deserving. I just don't think that many of the shows have gone above and beyond the quality that I expect from the companies to warrant such ovations. Anyway, I'm not trying to take anything away from Cirque...just making a general comment.
While it was a great show, it was not the best show that I've ever seen. Regardless, if you have the chance to see the show, I would definitely recommend it!
Friday, June 04, 2010
Rube Goldberg machines
Back in the early 90s, I attended Science Outreach's summer camp and loved every moment of it. Part of our adventures included making a Rube Goldberg machine that would get toothpaste out of its tube. My group's machine failed.
Goldberg machines are wicked cool. As such, this is a great TED talk. I'm not sure why I'd never seen the music video before. Probably because I live under a rock.
Which can't be entirely true, because I have seen this equally amazing video.
Goldberg machines are wicked cool. As such, this is a great TED talk. I'm not sure why I'd never seen the music video before. Probably because I live under a rock.
Which can't be entirely true, because I have seen this equally amazing video.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Top Chef Masters 2
Su-sur! Su-sur! Su-sur!
I'm really enjoying watching this show.
I also feel like the most recent episode had a kind of rigged result, but since it's for charity, I'm okay with that.
P.S. Newest Toronto concept in June 2010...wa-hoo!
I'm really enjoying watching this show.
I also feel like the most recent episode had a kind of rigged result, but since it's for charity, I'm okay with that.
P.S. Newest Toronto concept in June 2010...wa-hoo!
Settled on a book
After searching high and low, in various cities, and basically giving up hope that I would find that elusive perfect notebook, I have made a purchase.
I did end up settling for an A4 sized book, because those Europeans just know how to make paper products that much nicer. I had been eyeing the Semikolon notebooks for awhile, in fact, my last hunt for a beautiful book also ended with a Semikolon. Their stuff is smashing.
I'm going to have to trim the sides of the pages that I want to paste into my book, but I guess it will be worth it. It really is the notebook of my dreams, except for that A4 glitch. I tried so hard to find an 8.5x11 beauty, but it's pretty much impossible.
I think I'm going to transfer all of my thoughts and dreams that I've been accumulating on random scrap paper here and there into the book this weekend. Woohoo!
I did end up settling for an A4 sized book, because those Europeans just know how to make paper products that much nicer. I had been eyeing the Semikolon notebooks for awhile, in fact, my last hunt for a beautiful book also ended with a Semikolon. Their stuff is smashing.
I'm going to have to trim the sides of the pages that I want to paste into my book, but I guess it will be worth it. It really is the notebook of my dreams, except for that A4 glitch. I tried so hard to find an 8.5x11 beauty, but it's pretty much impossible.
I think I'm going to transfer all of my thoughts and dreams that I've been accumulating on random scrap paper here and there into the book this weekend. Woohoo!
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
It's like a freaky sci-fi movie
While waiting for an appointment today, I scanned a newspaper and saw a picture that kind of scared the be-jebus out of me. I can't seem to find the exact picture from today's paper, but here's an online story from a couple days ago from the same newspaper. I have never heard of, nor seen a picture of a sinkhole before. That's not entirely true. Maybe I've seen pictures of sinkholes before, without realizing what they were. This one in Guatemala, well, I've definitely never seen anything like this before. I feel like seeing a picture like this might give some kids nightmares. It's a gigantic hole in the ground for goodness sakes. It's pretty creepy looking.
Fastest survey ever!
I just got off the phone with the fastest Ipsos Reid survey ever. I used to never engage in telemarketer/telesurveyer sorts of things in the past, but I'm more compassionate towards this industry and more often than not, follow through with their request to complete their surveys.
Tonight's was the fastest survey ever. After answering two questions for demographics, I was asked five yes/no questions and that was it!
Tonight's was the fastest survey ever. After answering two questions for demographics, I was asked five yes/no questions and that was it!
Flairing in my hood
There are two girls who seem to practice flairing in the courtyard in front of the building where I live. In the bars that I've been to, I haven't seen anyone flair, but it's definitely something that I would be pretty impressed with. I wonder if they are practicing for a particular reason. Either way, it's pretty cool.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Oh, I get it now
Last week, I pondered the missing garbage bins in my neighbourhood. There are clear and blue garbage/recycling bags tied to the hydro poles instead. Very classy.
A couple months ago, the City of Toronto had changed their garbage bins (for the record, I like the old ones better, but that's only because I think the push pedal on the new ones will break sooner than expected) and I witnessed changes in the garbage bin landscape in the area. It was fun to watch them remove and replace the bins, and put up caution tape for the gap in the metal barrier on the streetcar stands.
That miscalculation or change in bin dimension still baffles me.
Anyway, so I thought that the recent missing bins was a sign that my pessimistic outlook on the lifespan of the bins was coming true. Not so. It's that darn G20 thingy that keep popping up in the news. Apparently garbage bins are a safety risk.
A couple months ago, the City of Toronto had changed their garbage bins (for the record, I like the old ones better, but that's only because I think the push pedal on the new ones will break sooner than expected) and I witnessed changes in the garbage bin landscape in the area. It was fun to watch them remove and replace the bins, and put up caution tape for the gap in the metal barrier on the streetcar stands.
That miscalculation or change in bin dimension still baffles me.
Anyway, so I thought that the recent missing bins was a sign that my pessimistic outlook on the lifespan of the bins was coming true. Not so. It's that darn G20 thingy that keep popping up in the news. Apparently garbage bins are a safety risk.
It's June
It seems I've lost track of what the date is. I deliberately changed my calendar this morning to May 31st and took a moment to reflect whether or not I needed to change my metropass.
It is only now, at 2.05pm, after seeing the date on the PC computer screen at school and checking a couple other sources (just to make sure) that I realize that I've been wrong.
So, either the streetcar driver is also in a time warp or he was just being nice on this first day of June.
Also, the June metropass is the slickest one yet. It's mostly black.
It is only now, at 2.05pm, after seeing the date on the PC computer screen at school and checking a couple other sources (just to make sure) that I realize that I've been wrong.
So, either the streetcar driver is also in a time warp or he was just being nice on this first day of June.
Also, the June metropass is the slickest one yet. It's mostly black.
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