Category Archives: Toronto life

Sakura blossoms

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I really like spring in Canada. That doesn’t even begin to cover it. I freaking love spring in Canada, and it’s never more beautiful then after a grueling and long winter. I will grin and embrace all of my seasonal allergies, because summer in eastern Canada is just that amazing. And May is the icing on the cake, trust me. Bring on short skirts, sandals, playoff hockey, and watching everything come back to life. Observe the bounce in everyone’s step. Watch as couples form. The best part of spring are the dogs. Seriously. Have you watched a dog frolic outside, preferably with other dogs? No? Why the heck not? Turn off your computer RIGHT THIS SECOND and go find a dog to play with. I’ll wait. Continue reading →

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That time I disappeared from the Internet for a year…

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It dawned on me this week that I haven’t updated in a very, very long time. So long, in fact, that I got the domain name renewal reminder email this week, and I shamefully realized I probably haven’t updated this blog since the last time I renewed my domain. Shameful. Continue reading →

Sometimes I wonder if the world’s so small…

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I took a walk yesterday, into the sprawl. An exercise in clearing my head. A chance to relish autumn’s fleeting colours, and feel the crunch of leaves under my shoes. A recent assessment of what I like to do when I travel left me realizing that I don’t take enough day hikes when I’m at home, and it’s something I’m trying to change. A few years ago in Montreal, I hung out a bit with the Montreal Psychogeographic Society and had a lot of fun.

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Exploring the Don Valley bike network

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The Don River is a slow moving river that marks the edge of Toronto’s original boundaries, and separates the inner city neighbourhoods from the inner suburbs. When I first came to visit apartments, we rode the subway, and it rattled across the tracks as we crossed high above the Don Valley, the subway briefly emerging from the subterranean tunnels. The 20th century brought heavy pollution to this waterway, as 31 separate sewage treatment facilities were built along the river. Over 20 places in the valley and adjacent ravines were used as landfills for garbage and industrial refuse.

Sounds like a lovely place, doesn’t it? Continue reading →

That time I spent Christmas in a hostel…

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It’s really not a huge secret. I’m not a huge fan of Christmas. To say that the holiday spirit is lost on me is kind of an understatement. I tolerate the holidays, I go through some awkward outsider’s version of the motions, but I don’t really carry with me the same kind of sentimental attachment most people have with this time of year. Continue reading →

What is that smell?

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I realized this week, with absolute horror, that I no longer notice the distinctive sewage and garbage smell that I have long associated with Toronto. I realized it this week when I got a whiff of that enticing aroma.

I’m not sure when I stopped noticing that smell. I’m certain that Toronto did not magically plug in some Febreeze noticeables and become a charming place to live. This can only mean one thing: I’m getting used to living here.

It is a positively shocking revelation.

Home?

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I thought that relocating to a new city would have me posting a lot more. It’s sort of like travelling, only it’s not a foreign country, I speak the language, I’ve been here before, and I don’t have rose-coloured glasses. OK, so it’s not really like travelling, except that I was getting lost on my way to work for the first few days, and there are a lot of restaurants for me to slowly discover. Continue reading →