The Eagle is Landing- in a week

My MUM is coming! In one week tomorrow!!

I'm pretty excited- there is so much to do! We are thinking Pioneer Black Creek Village, the Rom, I'm trying to convince to come look at art with me at the AGO (don't think she'll go for it though, but it's David! Degas! Delacroix!!!).

I need to get ready: clean things, maybe buy some food to have in the house, book a zipcar to get to the airport, ummm what else? What other things should I be doing? Put sheets on my bed?

What do you do when your parent(s) are coming to visit? Any good places in the city we should check out? Mum likes a good knit cafe and/or wool shop. We're not very keen on doing the touristy things. Any good day trips one can think of?

And it's SUMMER!

Uhhh ok, I could be a bit late on this post. BUT with the heat wave that's hitting the city as of 3 hours prior to the 1st of September, I call SUMMER SUCKAHS!

Blackberry Pie I made!

 It's been a rather glorious summer, since in all technicalities it's been like a 9 month long summer with perhaps a wee 2 month spring in there. According to weather Canada Toronto as seen HIGHER than average rainfall, but we didn't notice. Know why? Cause the rain here is SMART- it falls at night time. Or it does 1/3 of the month in one day. This is something I can handle. Because the rest of the time, it was glorious, glorious sunshine.

This is where I break into that song "Sunnny days, taking the clouds away..." because while it is summer I am perpetually 6. And this summer was the most indulgent summer I've had since I was a wee pup of oooh 25, when I last had a summer off. That's right, I retired for the summer.

You may, or may not (I would suspect may if you are my wonderful parents who helped me out in such a kind fashion, or their friends who probably had to listen to tales of my ineptness from them) that I have been "underemployed" this past summer. Although, in my mind is there such thing as underemployed? I mean really? I like to take a line from a really racist joke: the only good job is a dead job.

While I'd prefer to say- "currently retired" rather than unemployed, the main thing is I've been a slacker bum this summer. And I really enjoyed it. I mean REALLY. If it's possible to do, summer is the time to do it. The living is cheap and easy.
Bored? Go outside, ride your bike, reorganize your apartment several times, pester friends and relatives online and in person, the possibilities are endless.

Things that I did this summer (in Toronto, I think we've covered the South Pacific summer well enough, it's sooo early 2010) include: perfect some rather fantastic tan lines, open a new bank account with no fees, pay off my BCSL(clearly it wasn't giant), write letters to my Nanny, go to a COTTAGE for the first time (more on that later), go to the CNE for the first time, have backyard bbq's, chill with my super fantastical friends Gwen Styles and Heavy Me, go to the Dentist (seems trivial but it had been far too long), go to a movie in the middle of the day by myself, meet a few new people (most of them crazy), hear my friends band ROCK IT numerous times and eat a corn dog.

I'll be summing up individual excitements such as COTTAGING!!!! and my summer styles in separate posts- which I will get done shortly. I hope!

Travel has been, obviously, kept to a minimum, I think the only time I was out of the city (besides brief excursions to Scarberia and Miserysauga- it's ok I made it back alright) was up to Wasaga Beach. But there are plenty of beaches in and about Toronto that help to satisfy the beach bum in me. Although, I'll give you shout outs west coast- I miss a summer time beach fire on the ocean.

So what's the moral? It's been a fun, restful, sunny, did I mention fun? Summer. But it's closing out and it'll be back to the grind. I think I realized at one point this could be my last hurrah, that years will stretch out in front of me of being overemployed (errr employed at all) where my Summers would be spent sitting wistfully in an office staring out at all those jerkfaces who get to be outside. So this Summer, I WAS that jerkface.

And Summer in Toronto is where it is at, especially if you have a backyard, a big park nearby, a bike that works, and some kick-ass friends to spend time with. So thanks everyone and all for making this Summer so great!

It's a mad mad world

This weekend marks the G20 conference here in Toronto. As highly anticipated as the Olympics in Vancouver with as much controversy. But guess what it's not ending in an all time Canadian Gold Medal/Olympic History win and people hugging police/each other in the streets. This is most definitely a fail.

And let's not blame Toronto- I'm pretty sure not ONE person that lives in this city wanted the G20 here. Who could blame them? These sort of "meetings" (let's face it- glad handing and back slapping of global fat cats) haven't ended well since the "Battle in Seattle".

I believe in social justice, I believe in our right to peaceful assembly and our freedom of speech. It's a basic human right after all. But I didn't get up and march today, instead I stayed home and seethed in anger, with bouts of worry about friends protesting, at the destruction that was laid forth.

There is a dissident group of douchey f*cks who come protest at large events like this to incite chaos. I'm not naming them on purpose because they don't deserve one iota of air time. Today, there was a 10 thousand strong protest in Toronto against SO many issues- and this is the time, the world leaders are here, they should be made to listen.

My friend and her daughter wore shirts that said "we will NOT shut the fuck up"- loosely this is a comment on Stephen Harper's refusal to give aid to developing countries that allow legal abortion. Last I checked, I'm a woman- Stephan Harper is a man- he can NEVER be raped and forced to carry the child of something so horrific as rape, what gives him the right? And to say that is how our whole country feels? (and anyone that wants to challenge this statement- we ALL know someone who has been the victim of rape- imagine if they had to have a child of it?)


I agree with these protests, the PEACEFUL protests, that did happen. But we all knew what was going to happen- the carnage and wreckage, the taunting of the police until they broke. The world leaders knew this, but they didn't really care. Frankly a more suitable protest would have been for all of us to chip in $5 and pay off their staff at the various hotels and conference centres to stop working/not show up. THAT would have thrown things into disarray far more than ten thousand people marching.

Since Seattle there has been precedent of destroying things to "damn the man". I was on the subway today and heard some terrible little youngins talking about - going to protest. What did they say- what was their spiel? They wanted to get "TO THE WALL, man" like this WHOLE thing is just some terrible Pink Floyd spin off. Here they are trying to damn the man in their Dickies cargoes and Doc Marten boots and who, I am very very sure, will be hitting up a McDonalds to satisfy their hunger on their way home.

I must be getting old because the hypocrisy of youth makes me want to punch them in the face.

And what bothers me is that these people don't have any idea, I don't even have any real idea about the G20, so I stayed away, because I can't protest something I don't totally understand.

But let's think on this- the people destroying American Apparel (and while it outfits hipsters and should be burned/the guy who owns it is a lech/pedophile) thinking it's "big business" don't have any idea that the owner of American Apparel fights in his own way against illegal immigrant laws in California that are meant to keep Hispanic people down.

People throwing bricks at a Starbucks, while I agree- their coffee is pretty bad (unless you are in Australia and then it's kind of a North American manna)-they were a SMALL business, who were able to thrive and rise to the top.

And did anyone think about all the people who are being called right now saying, "don't come into work", or "sorry you don't have a job anymore" because their work place is destroyed? While you think you are "hurting" the big wigs of these corporations- all you are doing is hurting the struggling masses and forcing them into the social system because you destroyed their workplace so now they can't make rent.

So again the acts of a few will screw over the many- so THANK YOU anarchists, you just diverted money from social programs to the police in a city that most of you don't live in or care about. Are you sure you aren't working for them? 

And THANK YOU G20, because you knew this would happen, and you let it happen- why is that? Because here we spend so much time talking about the protest to really understand what is happening behind closed doors. Your tactics are despicable.

I feel hurt; as a citizen of this city that I LOVE, that represents so much of what can be good in the world and it could be treated so disrespectfully by both the big and little guy.

Violence is NEVER the answer, if you have to resort to it- you are a small small person.

*UPDATE*

This is the Globe and Mail's link to the full statement released by the G20. READ IT, this is what we need to be protesting and holding them accountable for. http://tgam.ca/8BV

And thank you to the Globe and Mail and CBC for reporting on what is going on and keeping sensationalist journalism to a minimum.  

The Examined Life

It's an interesting thing being single and living alone. I've been at it for a few years now. Just tonight as I was compulsively tidying up the kitchen and marveling at the way I placed my pear for morning (just to the left of my Hokusai poster- I like asymmetry) I started to wonder if it is good for humans to live alone.

I'm not sure I could live with a flatmate anymore, I'm selfish about my privacy(which reminds me of my favourite Tom Waits song-Better Off Without A Wife) and in Toronto it costs probably about the same as what I'm paying, or more to live in a swish place with a flatmate. (And I use the term flatmate because it's more appropriate- we share a flat/apartment/rooms, not a room) I could conceivably and would be probably pretty happy to live with someone again. heh- but I might need to learn how not to be the one date wonder first.

But living alone, it's a delicious ode to solitude. Everything has a place and everything in its place. Now that I'm spending most of my waking life in the apartment, it's becoming highly organized. I scoffed at my brother when he told me he vacuums every night, but am I that far behind? Tonight after placing my pear- just so- I also took out a coffee mug and placed it riiiight where it needed to be for first thing in the morning.

I know in myself I have a tendency towards a bit of compulsiveness, is living alone an environment where this can thrive? Will I become more and more set in my ways and more and more neurotic the longer I co-habitate with just me?

When you live alone, a sense of order rings out over everything you do- to others it can look like total chaos, but it's a well orchestrated dance of one.

But if you live with others, or even a pet there are aspects of your universe that you cannot control. There is a modicum of spontaneity enforced upon you. And this of course lends itself to being flexible and adaptable in the face of change and circumstance.

It's not easy being alone, you have a lot of time on your hands. Time with which to think, and think over and think over again. It's a magnifying glass on your life. The petri dish that is your apartment is under the microscope.  And sometimes I feel that if I make my apartment perfect enough, then the rest of my life will be perfect too. Except there are outside circumstances outside of my apartment, things beyond my control which contribute to the non-perfectness of life.

Sometimes I wish little gnomes would come in and a)make shoes in the night (I mean come on, shoes! in the night? I need shoe gnomes-we allll do.) and b) move that pear to under the middle of the poster, just so I'll have to deal with a bit of a unexpected circumstance and keep me flexible.

Melbournia!

At the beginning of my third month in Australia, Pili, Deb, Tara and I went to Melbourne for the weekend.

I'd heard great things about this city from the crew, so I was really excited to check it out! Deb and I flew out at the same time on Friday, so we met (extremely early- to our mutal delight) at Central Station to catch the train to the airport.

Once through customs we celebrated with some tapas and a glass of wine- what a great way to beging the weekend. The flight itself is about and hour and half long- possibly shorter. And you cross into another state, New South Wales housing Sydney (and the beach where they shoot Neighbours!!), Melbourne being housed further south in Victoria. ( Does anyone else find it disturbingly odd that Syndey/Sidney and Victoria keep following me around?)

Once in Melbourne, we waited for Pili and Tara to arrive and then headed to our apartment/hotel on Bourke St. It's what they would call a serviced apartment, or for us not in the know- a hotel room with a kitchen. Pili found it online and the price was great, the location excellent and the service wonderful. It was a two bedroom, with a sitting area, kitchen and spacious bathroom- (with a GIANT tub!)- very nice stuff!

We got ready and headed out to a quick bite and then off to the main reason we were in town- to see the show that Deb had helped curate through her media curation business www.newmediacuration.com it was a really interesting installation, made all the more fun with the flowing champagne!

Melbourne is a really beautiful city, one of the features that I very much enjoyed are the little alleys packed chockablock full of nifty shops and restaurants. We occasioned onto one alleyway and had a delicious breakfast even though we were all a bit worse for wear from the night before!

We then headed to Chapel Street for some exciting shopping, this is Pili's favourite place to shop and I can see why, a lot of small shops and independent or small designers, you are always sure to find something unique. By the time we got there we were all hungry again and made our way to a cafee for a quick lunch- or so we thought.

Just as we were finishing our lunch- a storm broke out. Melbourne has a reputation for wild weather and this did not disappoint. At one point I thought I saw snow, but it was hail, and a lot of it. The the rain started in earnest, to the point of flooding the streets and into the restaurant. I've never really witnessed flash flooding before, it is a bit scary and I was happy we were inside, even if our seats ended up getting flooded on to.

Not to be deterred by ridiculous weather we sallyed forth and hit the shops. Those that were open, that is- due to the storm most shops were out of power and/or flooded. I did managed to pick up a pair of lacoste flats for the amazing price of $10. I have bargin mojo- I get it from my mum. AND they are such a bright happy yellow. I've worn them out once when I know it's not going to rain AT ALL.

A bit dejected about the lack of shopping we were able to get in, we headed back to the hotel for a rest and then out on the town for another night of semi-debauchery.

We went to a club we weren't able to get into the night before, and Pili and I shook our booty until it could not shake anymore. Or until it cried out for McDonald's (fun fact: you just don't GET ketchup in Australia, all condiments have to be requested and paid for)

Next day we headed out to an aread of town I can't at all remember the name of. I really like it though! Tara seemed quite familiar with it- I think she may have a propensity towards Melbournian men (and hey- with anyone that comes from a city that has the word Bourne in it- could they be that horrible?)

I ended up in Melbourne for an extra day due to inclement weather- and that kind of sucked. But it was also very nice to spend time in a city by myself. I'm becoming more and more an "on my own" type person. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. I think, in my mind I hold out for -the ONE- that I will be eternally happy to spend every(somewhat) waking moment with and travel the world. But part of me worries, am I TOO independent? Can anyone give me as good a conversation as I give myself?

It's my hood

Last night I was feeling a bit bored. So I texted (I'm not a big "caller") one of my neighbours/friends that I hadn't seen since I got back and we arranged to meet for Pho up in the Junction. We had a great time getting caught up and with a bit of dawdling outside and promises to go out dancing (and I WILL hold you to that!) she scooted off and I began walking home.

On my way home through the slightly cool air I saw people out walking their dogs, strolling down the sidewalk, biking in the bikelanes, and a group of kids playing late night basketball in one of the schools.

I cannot think of one instance I have ever felt unsafe in Toronto, "The City of Neighbourhoods" even in my darkest moments of despair I can always think about where I live and it puts a smile on my face.

So let me tell you about where I live.

I live directly in between Bloor West Village and "The Junction" (the area between Runnymede and Keele on Dundas West). The street I live on in a semi-main artery cross town, but it's quiet enough that I can lay in bed at night and listen to the wind or the rain, or the stillness of the stars burning in the sky.

On my corner there is an organic butcher, a chinese restaurant, 2 corner stores, an organic pizza shop, a greasy spoon, a hardware store, a weird small church, a wine maker shop, a laundromat, an eyeglass shop, and a few other private businesses. For the amount of business this is a quiet corner. When you look down the street in the summer, you can't see for leafy trees covering the street.

I never understood why we needed so many convenience stores (when I moved here there were 3- 1 has since closed down) but I quickly realized, you only walk as far as your own corner. Terribly convenient.

Ten minutes in either direction (north or south) are the Village and Junction, with a greater variety of shops and services.

This is a neighbourhood where people walk by you on the street and say hello, they smile at you. If you are struggling with something, they will help you. It's safe, I've been known to leave my bike out- unlocked- with no repercussions.  People gather on their front porches and in their backyards.

I've never grown up with a sense of community or neighbourhood until I moved here. People know my name, they look out for me. They know what I like to have on my hamburger and how I take my coffee. In turn I try to frequent their businesses and tell others about what great services they provide. We look out for each other. It's how I imagine living in a small town would be, but better.

When I was younger and couldn't sleep my Dad and I used to go for neighbourhood walks at night- the thing with moving out to the country is that people are VERY interested in their privacy and deeply suspicious of those who appear too friendly. Living in a big city with limited private space (and don't get me wrong, I have way more than most people where I live) has taught me about what it means to be a good neighbour.

Being a good neighbour means minding your own business, but being aware enough of others to be of service. If I didn't hear the girl upstairs for a day, I would go up and knock and make sure she's ok. I know she would do the same for me as well. It's about anonimity and security all wrapped up together.

It's what I think heaven is like. The more I spent time in this neighbourhood, the more connections I make, the happier I am. I'm living in the greatest city in Canada and I can sit in the silence of my backyard gazing up at the trees and it feel the quiet around me.

It's lovely and I recommend it.

Spring Time

Let's take a break from talking about Sydney shall we? Because of my laziness/tiredness when I was there I didn't post anything so now I have to do catch up.

But I am here, in Toronto, now- where Spring is happening.

The weather since I have been back has been really quite wonderful. There have been a few days of rain, but not that many. On the whole it's been sunny blue skies and crispy temperatures.

I first moved to Toronto in January, it was very cold and snowy. Delightful, really. And Spring came in March that year. My next year, Spring came much later- May, and I realized that the advent of the New Year, in the rest of Canada, does not mean that Spring is around the corner. Spring generally sets in on Vancouver Island, towards the end of January, so New Year is sort of like the end of Winter. But for the rest of Canada New Year signals the beginning of the deep freeze, the dark days of Winter that loom ahead. It's a lot to get your mind around.

And Spring, well that can come slowly, as it is doing this year, or it can come quickly, like last year. Spring started around the 2nd week of May- and by the end of May it was full on Summer. You could be out walking one day and notice that there wasn't a trace of Spring anywhere, no leaves budding on trees, no pussy willows whistling in the breeze- just barren winter landscape. And then- and I kid you not- three days later the trees were almost fully leafy and tulips were up it is unbelievable.  And then the heat kicked in.

Spring this year is hanging out on the regular, at a medium pace. So when you go for walks- as I have been doing these past few days, you can see the beginnings of the leaves on the trees- there are these beautiful yellow bush thingys that I really should learn the name of because I like them quite a bit. But they had so much colour to the streets. I don't think I'm above suggesting them to my landlord for the front, or perhaps out the back where I can see them from my living room window.

On my walk today, the birds were out- I saw some large Hawks or Eagles, a very yellow bird, a very red bird and some birds that COULD be bluejays- I'm not sure since I've never seen one. Clearly I need a book on birds. 

And the sky! I have very rarely seen a bluer sky than I do here, it's such a beautiful contrast to the red brick houses.

Ahh Spring! A time of hope, new beginning, the promise of the heat and headiness of Summer.