One of the highlights of this month for me was, undoubtedly, the opportunity to attend the ATP Rogers Cup tennis tournament held on the campus of the university where I work. I was lucky enough to have tickets for three of the sessions throughout the week. I've never managed to get tickets to Wimbledon yet so to me this was the closest thing and it was pure heaven for me to watch some of my favourite players battling it out.
I was privileged to see the likes of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Monfils all strut their stuff and show how the game should be played. Sadly, my dreams of a Federer v Nadal final didn't materialize and Federer played Murray instead. I was very torn as to who to support in the final but Murray played incredibly well, beating Federer, to become the Rogers Cup champion for the second year in a row.
The humidity of the week made me realize how talented the players are in terms of being able to demonstrate such great athleticism and endurance amid such trying conditions. The downpours experienced during the final were actually welcome relief as the stadium was quite simply one giant steam bath!
The week after, the temperatures dipped. I have theory it was my guests from England bringing the good ole British weather with them, as the temperatures soared again the day after they flew back! My schoolfriend, Jo, her husband, Jules, and two boys, Leo and Seth, came to stay for a few nights on their way to a wedding in Niagara and a week RVing their way around Ontario. It was fantastic to see them and we had a couple of really nice days exploring the city. The boys particularly enjoyed the children's theme park, Centreville, on the island, where Tom Cruise's wife and daughter hung out a couple of days after us. We had a lovely time and Leo appeared thrilled by his ascent up the CN Tower on his last evening.
Summer is just about still here and the many Toronto festivals continue. Buskerfest is an annual festival held in my locality to raise funds for epilepsy awareness, a cause close to my heart, and, since I last attended three years ago, has grown in both scale and quality. This year I was amazed by the fire and aerial acts, in particular.
An incredible act, which wowed the crowd, was a trio of Dutch stiltwalkers from a company called Close Act. Their three giant dinosaurs were a sight to behold and were actually scarily real when I saw them at night coming down a darkened street towards me. I hope they don't give you nightmares!
Well, another month has flown by and with it, another year! This month I turned 38 and had a lovely day celebrating with friends on the Toronto Islands. The islands were actually once a spit of land connected to Toronto itself but in 1858 there was a violent storm which blew a hole in the land and created a gap. Nowadays, the islands provide a break from the city's buzz and fast pace via a short ferry hop. People live on the islands and there are some Victorian houses on Ward's Island. A group of ten of us had a lovely brunch at the Rectory Cafe and then poked around the island nosing at the lovely homes as well as picking wild raspberries along the beaches.
I also treated myself to an evening at the theatre. I love musicals, part of my theatrical heritage, and so was really pleased to get a ticket for Miss Saigon, a show I've seen a number of times. It was playing at the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts, which is a really beautiful, modern theatre in Toronto. I had bought a $60 ticket for a seat up in the Gods. As the show opened, I was rather dismayed because I couldn't hear anything - the sound was awful. I called the usher over and explained the problem. I was somewhat taken aback when she told me that this was a preview and that they were having technical difficulties but as I had a cheap ticket, I should expect this. This riled me as I don't think $60 is particularly cheap for where I was sitting and it was actually the second night of the performance. Nevertheless, a few minutes later the curtain came down and a man appeared on stage to say that they had stopped the show as the soundboard computer had crashed. Twenty minutes later, the curtain rose again and the sound was as it should be. However, a bit later, things went from bad to worse as part of the set fell down. I was quite amused at this point but felt sorry for the cast who were actually putting on a very strong performance. Thank goodness the helicopter that flies in in the second act didn't crash through the stage at least!
Later in the month I had an altogether rather different evening when I went to a place called O.Noir
This is a restaurant based on a concept initiated by Jorge Spielmann, a blind pastor from Switzerland who used to blindfold his guests at dinner when they went to his house so that they could share his eating experience. He later opened a restaurant called Blindekuh (Blind Cow) in order to teach sighted people about blindness and provide blind people with jobs. Toronto has recently acquired a similar restaurant and along with three other friends I had one of the most interesting dining experiences I've ever had.
To begin our evening we entered the restaurant bar area, which was lit, and ordered our food. Shortly thereafter we were introduced to our waiter, Nasir, who was completely blind. Nasir asked us to switch off our mobile phones and then to place our hands on each others' right shoulders as we were led, conga-style, into the dining room. The dining room was completely dark, absolutely pitch black. Nasir helped each of us find our seats and then explained where our cutlery was on the table. There was music playing in the background but you could sense we were, at that point, the only diners in the room. Gradually more people arrived and the noise levels started to increase.
We were the first to be served and although I couldn't see a thing, I smelt the arrival of the bread basket. The fresh, warm dough balls smelt amazing. Buttering the bread, however, proved to be my first challenge. I began to feel quite stressed and was anxious about putting my knife down because I couldn't see how clean the table was. My anxiety hit me when I found myself clutching my knife and fork so hard that I dug my nails into my palm.
I wasn't the only one to have an unusual reaction. My friends and I all found we responded in different ways. As a group, we found it very difficult to manage our conversation. We found ourselves shouting and talking over one another (more than usual!) as we couldn't pick up on each others' cues. Silent periods made us feel anxious and we kept having to check in with each other to see if people were still there and were OK.
Our starters arrived and the gentle touch of our waiter on our shoulders told us we were being served. I managed to cut up my portabello mushroom quite well and only flicked it off the plate once. My friends were quite amused I'd even bothered as they all decided to abandon their cutlery and use their hands. I was intrigued by this and realized that manners don't really matter much when no-one can see what you're doing. A contrast to an all-seeing world.
The main course came, carried by a waiter with very sexy aftershave on, and I found myself talking my way through the dish narrating to the others what I was consuming and how much was left on my plate. I was the last to finish and had not resorted to fingers, or licking the plate, as one friend confessed later.
Soon, a group of giggly young women arrived making a lot of noise and screeching. One of my friends found the noise levels over-powering and as the meal progressed got more and more agitated by it. To calm the atmosphere, my other friend starting singing Stevie Wonder (!) tunes. It all had an air of Dunkirk spirit about it.
Not long after, our desserts arrived and the rich chocolate and raspberry flavours tasted exceedingly good. I wonder if had I seen its presentation whether I would have felt the same.
Eventually, my friend had had enough and screamed out into the darkness to tell the gaggle of women to shut up. A verbal tussle ensued and the tension rose. In the darkness, my friend found herself grabbing the forks from the table and throwing them in the direction of the objectionable group. She only declared this later and was really quite shocked by her own actions.
We decided it was time to leave and as we entered the light, guided out by Nasir, we were ourselves blinded by its brightness. A de-brief was required as we all felt we had experienced something quite astounding and emotionally quite draining. I spent some time chatting to one of the waiters who told me that it's very common for people to shout in the dark and that there have been times they've had to escort people out as they've reacted so strongly. All I can say is I think it's something all sighted people should try. The restaurant provides employment for blind people but, perhaps most importantly, education for those who may, at times, take the power of sight for granted.
This month I was also delighted to have some visitors here. My friend Rachel and her chap, Paul, came over for just under a week. Rachel had visited me last time I was here so it was an opportunity for her to show Paul the sights and introduce him to Toronto. We had a super time and although I was working for much of their visit, we got together in the evenings for meals.
We did manage to get a couple of days in where I did my best to show them around. We hired a car, a rather funky red mini, and headed out of town into the Ontario countryside.
About an hour and a half from the city is a small town called St Jacob's. Not a huge tourist attraction itself, St Jacob's is known more for its locals. These are the Mennonites, a Christian sect who believe in simplicity, a bit like the Amish. Around the town, the Mennonite farms with green roofs, and white churches dot the lush pastures. Along the roads, Mennonite families ride in their horse-drawn buggies and speak in their German dialect. The community is very traditional and the dress is almost Victorian in style. Women wear long, flower-print dresses and cover their hair with bonnets. Men wear black trousers, white shirts, braces and a straw hat. We encountered a few local Mennonites riding tractors, serving us in the shops and even riding skateboards so not all modern conveniences have been eschewed. Their curiosity about us seemed to match ours about them. We had a lovely day driving through the countryside buying eggs, beets and flowers from the farms on the way.
In contrast to the calm and greenery of the countryside, the next day we were back in the concrete-jungle of Toronto watching the annual Caribana carnival parade. The sounds, colour and costumes would probably have appeared very shocking to the Mennonites we encountered the day before but we had a great day taking in the party atmosphere. A fitting way to end the month.
This month I 'graduated' from my sailing course although, if I'm really honest, I'm not sure I learned that much more about sailing than I didn't already know (not much!) but it was a fun course. I particularly enjoyed the class about the weather. I now know what mammatocumulus look like at least and know that if I ever see them, I should run in the opposite direction! I've also enjoyed the social side of things and the odd bit of sailing I've done so far has been great. I hope to get out more over the forthcoming months. I spent a very enjoyable evening introducing my former student, Taka, to the yacht club. We were invited to an open house evening jumping on and off different people's boats. This ranged from a basic dinghy to a brand new millionaire-style motor yacht, which was really quite an experience. I also volunteered for the Toronto Area Hospice Regatta. The event raised over $20,000 and I very proudly came away with an ice-box on wheels and two pairs of socks in exchange for my contribution...don't ask!
A number of bizarre things have happened this month but one of the strangest was when I was sitting in my basement office talking to one of my team when I felt a very odd sensation. At first I thought I was having a dizzy spell but then when I saw the look on my colleague's face, I realised it wasn't just me that was feeling the waves moving through the building. What we were experiencing was an earthquake. It's epicentre was just north of Ottawa, hundreds of miles away but the 15-second quake was so strong (5.0) we felt here in Toronto. Eastern Canada is not known for its earthquakes so it was a bit of an unexpected occurrence. Fortunately, it didn't do any major damage other than knock a few leaves off the office plant.
As you're probably aware Toronto recently experienced another event that may have more major global impact. The city played host to the 2010 G20 summit. What is usually a peaceful and friendly place turned into a what felt like a war-zone for a few days. It was saddening to see the city streets I love being fenced in and riot police on every corner. 14,000 police were brought in at a cost of well over a billion dollars and military helicopters with soldiers carrying machine guns hanging onto the sides buzzed overhead. I live a couple of blocks from the area that was 'locked down' and am also not far from the former film studio that was used as a police dispatch and detention centre. Consequently, the flow of buses along my street containing riot police or detainees was fairly constant over the few days of the summit.
As I headed to work on the first day of the G20, the downtown area was pretty much a ghost town with boarded up shops and donut-eating police practically the only thing to be seen. Most businesses and banks had shipped their workers out to other offices away from the centre and many educational institutions had shut down. My ride to work was quieter than usual, eerily quiet even. Later in the day, the first reports of 'police activity' started to filter through as I received transport system alerts on my phone. Motorcades started to arrive in the city and the peaceful marches that had been going on all week continued.
Saturday, however, things changed and the event took on a very different tone. I knew there were peaceful marches planned heading south from the area around the Provincial Parliament Building towards the convention centre but apart from the helicopters overhead, all seemed relatively quiet. However, as I emerged onto the street late in the afternoon I saw palls of black smoke and flames rising between the office buildings and hotels on King Street. Police cars blocked the road and the frenzy of onlookers, including myself, were snapping pictures and trying to find out what was going on. I have to admit it all looked very frightening and it was actually a relief to hear that it was 'only' abandoned police cars that had been set on fire and some windows smashed.
Sadly, the peaceful protests had turned more violent. It appears a small group of violent activists using the 'Black Bloc' technique had infiltrated the demonstration and, once dressed in their all black disguises, had wreaked havoc in the downtown core before melting away by discarding their black clothes and blending into the crowds. Others appeared to literally go underground entering the sewer system and emerging hours later. I have no issue with peaceful protest and support many of the ideals of those demonstrating but I don't like the way the 'Black Blocs' operate. Violence of the sort they undertook in Toronto is not necessary and, in so doing, they managed to obscure all the messages the peaceful demonstrators were trying to get across by shifting media attention. There were rumours that the abandoned police cars were left as 'bait cars' by the police as they played their game of cat and mouse with those bent on violence.
Many innocent people were caught up in the situation as the police took an increasingly aggressive stance using pepper spray, muzzle guns, tear gas, menacing behaviour and mass arrests as their tools. The tension in the city was palpable. Laws had been passed in secret to give the police special powers during the G20 and almost a thousand people were arrested, more than ever before in Canadian history at a single event. Detainees were reportedly held in cages with open-door toilets at the movie studio and many complaints have been made about wrongful arrest, the lack of water and inadequate medical attention given to people. Most of those arrested were released without charge within 24 hours. Many people are asking questions of those in power. Certainly, the videos here show a very unpretty picture of what happened from both points of view.
I am just relieved it's all over now but can't help wondering how many more mothers and children might have been helped had the billion dollars spent on policing the summit been re-directed towards them.
The following week I was pleased to encounter the more friendly-side of policing and officialdom when I visited the nation's capital, Ottawa, for Canada Day. We missed seeing the Queen but enjoyed a celebratory concert and excellent fireworks display on Parliament Hill. I particularly enjoyed hearing the Bare Naked Ladies, a popular Canadian band, who you can hear playing in the background of my photo montage below. There was a great party atmosphere the whole weekend.
I'd driven up with three friends and we had a great time exploring the excellent museums and galleries as well as taking in the government buildings and watery setting. We also caught up with a friend from my China days, Fair, for a delicious Vietnamese lunch followed by a traditional Canadian desert, Beaver Tails (donuts that are flat and shaped like...beaver tails). It was a nice break away and we were blessed with fantastic weather. Not a cloud in the sky! Well, certainly not the angry, evil clouds anyway!
Well, this month it seems Leeds has come to Toronto. Firstly, an old schoolfriend, Chris, has been in town and it's been lovely catching up with him over the last month. He's been house-sitting for another friend of mine and using the time to research a novel, which is partly set in Toronto, that he's writing. He brought another friend from home, Jon, and the good weather with him. Summer appears to now be here with warmth, sunshine and a dollop of humidity.
My second visitor from the homeland was a former colleague from my University of Leeds days...which ones I hear a few people ask?! Jude was here on her first visit to Canada and stayed for just over a week with a few days in Quebec City half way through her stay. She seemed to discover much that I love about Toronto and Canada during her few days 'on the loose' whilst I was at work. She made good use of my bicycle to peddle her way around the city and across the harbour via the ferry to the Toronto Islands.
I was able to show her some of the city's sights and, given that she is a former teacher, particularly enjoyed taking her for brunch at a cafe called School complete with chalkboards and an apple on the table for teacher. During the week she was here Toronto threw open many of its normally closed-to-the-public buildings as part of a city-wide event called Doors Open. We were able to gain access to a few architectural gems and see parts of buildings that have been closed off for many years. One particular highlight was the ballroom at the King Edward Hotel, which has been closed and untouched since the 1920s. The King Eddy, as it's known locally, has hosted guests such as Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, John and Yoko...oh, and I saw David Beckham there a couple of years ago!
We also saw the stunning Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. These theatres make up the only operating double-decker theatre complex in the world, which has been restored to its original vaudeville days splendour. Finally, we strolled the new green roof at City Hall, which has been designed in order to provide a model for other public buildings.
Another highlight of Jude's stay was that we were able to take part in the Commodore's Sailpast, the official start to the 2010 season at 'my' sailing club, the National Yacht Club. We arrived dressed, as instructed, in our nautical attire, white trousers and blue tops hoping to hitch a ride as crew on a boat. When we asked an organizer if he knew of anyone looking for a boat he asked me what kind of boat I'd like...next thing I knew an announcement goes out over the loud-speaker system asking if anyone with a "big" and "expensive" yacht needs crew. Well, we certainly got what we asked for and spent a superb afternoon on board a beauty of a boat called Cadenza in great company. The conditions were perfect and it was good fun if a little hair-raising at times trying to ensure we didn't crash into the rest of the fleet as we all tacked back and forth waiting to get in the line to sailpast the commodore as he gave our boat his salute.
I'd had another great day on the water a week before for Victoria Day and am really enjoying being outside on Lake Ontario whilst mucking about on other people's (very big and very expensive yet very beautiful) boats [tip: turn your speakers on]:
In addition to taking in Toronto's architecture and aqua, I've also been enjoying the art (see what I did there?) I spent a lovely day taking in a variety of artists who were participating in the Riverdale Art Walk and particularly loved the work of Jon Muldoon, a photographer with a penchant for storm drains.
I love Toronto in the summer as it seems to come alive with festivals and outdoor events. Perhaps the biggest thing to hit Toronto this summer, however, is going to be the G20 summit later this month. Living as close as I do to the venue, I'm starting to get quite concerned about how this event is going to impact on those of us who live in the locality. Huge swathes of the downtown core are to be closed (see the blue area of the map below). Bus shelters, benches and bins have already been removed, fencing is going up and my former workplace, the University of Toronto, has declared it's shutting down completely due to the protest zone being at its core. This action is forcing students, including international students, to have classes cancelled and to move to residential accommodation elsewhere. In order to get to work I will need to use the subway which goes under the no-go zone and the designated protest area. We have been advised to 'expect delays'. I suspect it may be quite a challenging journey. Much of the harbour will be closed and they've been sweeping it for weeks turning up bodies encased in concrete in the process. Weddings which were due to be held on the islands have had to be cancelled, postponed or re-located. The total costs of hosting this event are now running into the hundreds of millions and that's before the costs of re-locating the French delegation are factored in. The staff at the French-owned Novotel, where they were booked into, are going on strike.
Whilst I accept world leaders need to talk, I question the need to move their entourages and their wake around the world's city centres and whether the money could be better spent since it seems most of the decisions are made beforehand and it's really just a good photo op. Surely the technology exists for them to just hold a big tele-conference? Or if they do have to meet in person, why can't they do it at the UN HQ, where the infrastructure already exists to host such diplomatic shin-digs? I'd even opt for a cruise liner in the middle of the ocean. I may sound somewhat NIMBY-ish but I would have thought that, by now, the world leaders may have twigged the impact these events have on communities, the economy and fuelling violence when hosted in a metropolis, wherever that might be. These events, with their disruption, riots, gun-toting security officers, tear gas and sound canons, do not exactly engender the same community spirit as the staging of the Olympics or World Cup. That's just my opinion, but, then...I wonder if the politicians that represent me are actually paying attention?? Rant over!
Well, this past month seems to have flown by with lots of "busy-ness" and changes.
I guess the big news is that I've changed jobs...again! Having been working on casual contracts for the past few months, I've now secured a longer contract doing a year-long maternity cover. The job takes me out of teaching and I will most probably be globe-trotting once more as my new role is as Marketing & Administration Manager for York University English Language Institute (YUELI). For those of you Brits who might be slightly confused, there is a York University in Toronto which has nothing to do with the University of York, where I've also worked. York University is the third largest university in Canada with over 50,000 students and is located in the north of Toronto on its own campus. As I live right in the downtown core, it takes me about an hour to get there with three transport changes but so far I've coped in my bleary-eyed state.
As well as being excited by the prospect of taking on a management role and travelling to far off places now and again, I can't wait for mid-August to come round. The reason for this is that as a staff member, I get discounted tickets for the ATP Roger's Cup men's tennis tournament, which is hosted on the campus. So, finally, I might get to see Mr Federer, Mr Nadal, Mr Roddick and Mr Murray play in the flesh.
Sport has been on my mind quite a bit this month as I've been trying to take advantage of the better weather. I bought myself a rather splendid bicycle, which I'm very proud of. It's a Dutch-made, second-hand bike and I got a great deal. I've since been seen navigating the potholes but have to say I think I'll be sticking to the flat-lands of the lakeshore area as the traffic in the city centre gave me the jelly-wobbles! No accidents yet though and my multi-coloured helmet has already drawn compliments from other cyclists...I like to think I'm leading the pack in accessorizing if nothing else.
In addition to taking to my two wheels, I've also taken to the water. I've joined a sailing club and so hope to get out on the wet stuff quite a bit over the summer months. I was a bit intimidated by the idea of being member of the National Yacht Club at first, especially when I read all the club rules. These include the regulation that hats are not permitted in the restaurant and that members must also wear clothing! I've already received an invite from the commodore for his annual salute to the fleet. However, having actually been down to the club, I think I can safely predict that behind the supposed formailities, it's probably going to be one big drunken fest after a very pleasant afternoon messing around in boats.
My sailing adventures will be on Lake Ontario and most weeknights they hold races around the islands. I'm not sure how competitive I am but it sounds like fun and, so as long as they don't mind having a ditzy blonde on board, I'm happy to crew if it gets me out on the water. Sometimes there are longer races across the lake as far as the Niagara region and although I haven't sailed that far yet, I did visit Niagara-on-the-Lake this month.
I should point out that Niagara (of the falls) and Niagara-on-the-Lake are not one and the same. Although close by, they are completely different in character. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a very pretty, quaint town with a real European feel to the place. Niagara, in contrast, is loud, brash and full of neon as well as a heck of a lot of water and tourists! I was invited to join a bus trip organised by some students who were in training to be tour guides. They arranged a great day out at very reasonable cost ($20) and provided excellent commentary en route. Of course, I particularly liked the 'refreshment' stops which were at two of the Ontario-region wineries. I'm not a huge fan of Canadian wine, particularly the very sweet ice wine, but can always be persuaded to sample if nudged (ever so slightly).
As well as doing a bit of sightseeing this month, I've been doing a bit more volunteering in my spare time. Sadly, my new job now prevents me from helping out at the Food Bank but I have put in a few hours there and also as an usher for the HotDocs Festival. HotDocs is an international festival of documentaries held every year here in Toronto. Whilst popular with industry-types, it's also a hit with the locals and sees huge audiences attending over the ten days. I really enjoyed it and as well as being part of the event, managed to see quite a few interesting documentaries. These included documentaries about waitresses around the world and the comedienne Joan Rivers. However, it was perhaps the documentary When I Rise that touched me most.
This film was about the American opera diva, Barbara Smith Conrad. Conrad was one of the first black students to be admitted to the University of Texas in the 1950s. Her singing talent was spotted and she was cast in the female romantic role role of Dido opposite a white male. This caused controversy and fuelled a racist backlash from the state legislature who placed pressure on the university to cancel the performance. Conrad was forced to go into hiding for a while due to death threats but her cause was taken up by the African-American singer, actor and activist, Harry Belafonte. He personally called her and invited her to meet him up in New York where he offered to finance her career as a singer. Initially, she declined his offer as she wanted to graduate but, after returning to the University of Texas and eventually graduating, she took him up on his offer and was trained intensively in languages and singing in New York before going on to become a global operatic sensation. It's an amazing story and the film charted her career but also more recent events when formal apologies and recognition of her achievements were issued by both the University of Texas and the state legislature. It was a real honour for me to meet this special lady in person. She was so gracious and elegant. I was also impressed she took the time to personally thank us volunteers at the end of the screening. Funnily enough, Barbara and I share a connection, her father and my grandfather shared the same name: Conrad Smith.
Finally, this month has also seen me welcome my first visitor. Chris, an old school friend, who actually recommended I come to Toronto in the first place as he had spent a year here previously, arrived to stay with me before going on to house-sit for a month for a friend. It's been lovely to see a familiar face from Leeds in my new home, especially one bearing Walker's Cheese 'n' Onion crisps!
New and (not quite) exclusive!! Chocolate Moose now has merchandise for all you avid followers of the blog. At $23, you can now purchase Chocolate Moose vest tops, nightshirts and pyjama bottoms as modelled (by me!) in the photo. Actually, I can't claim they are anything to do with the blog but I spotted the range in a local shop and couldn't resist the purchase as a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour. Of course, if anyone is seriously interested, I'd be happy to purchase on your behalf...maybe I could embroider the blog address on there??
The past few weeks have been quite busy as Toronto leaps into spring. The weather has been warming up considerably and there have been record-breaking highs. To be honest, this winter has been so mild - the mildest since 1948, or something like that. It's brought everyone out of hibernation. I've had a few fun nights out. These included attending a St Patrick's Day party complete with Irish stew, Baileys cheesecake and shamrock shakes. St Patrick's is a much bigger celebration here in North America it seems! I also had a great night out at the theatre seeing a show called Blind Date. The whole thing was improvised and played out a date between the single professional actress and a male member of the audience who, unwittingly, was selected to take part at the start of the show. It was really very funny and clever seeing how they both responded to each other and yet managed to keep their 'date' going for two hours to the point where they were married and she gave birth!
Another highlight was an Icelandic dinner at The Drake Hotel which I was invited to and where we dined on reindeer (sorry Rudolph!) and drank Blueberry Geyser cocktails. My drink didn't stop bubbling!
My first term at the University of Toronto has now come to an end but we are straight back in to another one so I took the opportunity to get away over the long Easter weekend. My friend Janet and I headed south of the border on a one-hour flight with the very snazzy Porter airlines from the Toronto Island Airport to Chicago. We arrived easily enough and transferred to our hotel from Midway Airport via the famous El train. I was very excited as this featured heavily in my favourite TV programme: ER. Our hotel, the Palmer House Hilton, was ideally located and had the most amazing lobby. You could just imagine the Chicago mobsters enjoying a night out there.
Architecture was really the theme of our trip and Chicago certainly has plenty of amazing buildings and structures, both inside and out, to show off. We were helped in our interpretation of these buildings by tour guides from the Chicago Architecture Foundation and a boat tour we took. Here is just a sample (tip: turn on your speakers):
Other highlights included seeing a great play at the famous Steppenwolf Theatre which has John Malkovich, Joan Allen and Gary Sinese among its ensemble cast. We also went to Buddy Guy's Legends blues club and ate at Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, a well-known Route 66 eatery. I also enjoyed trying Chicago-style pizza at Gino's East Pizzeria and going Spanish at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.
However, being the sad celeb-obsessed type that I am, one of my absolute highlights was going to the Harpo Studios where they film the Oprah Winfrey Show. Try as we might, they wouldn't let us in and our efforts to stalk Oprah at the Stage Door also failed. However, we made up for these disappointments by sitting in the same chair as Oprah used to sit in at the Oprah Store. I may have purchased a few items but managed to resist the 'pre-worn by Oprah' designer gear hanging in Oprah's closet. That Giorgio Armani top for $35 nearly came home with me, but didn't...not that I'm regretting it now...much!
Yet more excitement was still to come as we eventually managed to track down the precise location of Barack and Michelle Obama's Chicago home. After a bit of super-sleuthing, we found the house in the Kenwood area of the city and snapped a few pictures without getting arrested. I was most impressed that I saw President Obama's basketball hoop! So, on that note, here is my parting gift to you...my Obama in Chicago trail map!
Obama in Chicago Trail
Start at 5046 S Greenwood Ave (Obama's home). It's on the corner of E Hyde Park Boulevard. Walk toward the university and a popular Obama eating place at Medici (1327 E 57th St) where staff wear 'Obama Eats Here' t-shirts. Continue south as you wander through the university perhaps checking out the Rockefellar chapel or Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. Cross the grassy Midway Plaisance and just to the west of Woodlawn Avenue you'll find the University of Chicago Law School, where Obama worked, at 1111 E 60th St.
I've entitled this post 'WinterCity' but, to be honest, it feels as though winter has hardly hit Toronto this year. I even ditched my winter coat yesterday and spent the whole day wandering around in the sunshine with my spring mac and no gloves on. The harsh Canadian winter has only really been evident on a few occasions and I've only had to resort to wearing my rather un-sexy pair of long-johns on a couple of days when temperatures plummeted to -25. Most disappointingly, there have been no major snow storms and we've only experienced a sprinkling of the white stuff. I actually think Europe and Washington appear to have had our quota of snow this year.
As those of you who have been watching the Winter Olympics will know, the lack of snow has also been an issue on the west coast where they've had to 'make' snow in order to keep the Vancouver Games on track. Canada has gone Olympics crazy and it's hard to watch anything other than sport on TV at the moment. There is a huge swell of national pride and every time a Canadian wins a gold medal, the CN Tower, which I can see from my apartment, changes to a gold colour. All the shops are full of Olympic-themed memorabilia. Tim Hortons coffee shop has even come up with a Team Canada doughnut!
THE most sought-after Olympic item, however, is a pair of 2010 Winter Olympics mittens. People have been queueing up around the block of the Hudson's Bay Company department store to get their paws on a pair. They've now sold out completely across Canada and are being auctioned off on eBay for ridiculous sums. Even Oprah Winfrey had trouble getting hold of a pair. There's quite a lot of mitten-envy going on here at the moment!
Toronto has been celebrating winter (or lack of it!) by hosting a number of different festivals and it's been a great excuse to get out and about. There's been a food festival on called Winterlicious with great deals at some excellent restaurants and I've enjoyed sampling these with friends. I've also enjoyed seeing the fire and ice sculptures which have been placed around the city. One of the best things I saw was an aerial acrobatic show presented outdoors in the main city square by Compagnie Les Passagers. The show was called Cosmogonia and involved the performers dancing in front of a video screen whilst dangling at the end of a rope. Here's my compilation of photographs which I took as I watched:
Socially, things have been pretty busy. I was invited to a couple of fun parties this month, a Spanish-themed tapas party, where much Cava was consumed, and an anti-Valentine's Day bash, where we were ironically served heart-shaped pasta! I've also joined various MeetUp groups so have been getting out and about around the city a fair bit. So far, I've been out for brunch at the Art Gallery of Ontario with its new Frank Gehry extension, had a tour of the Steam Whistle Brewery and also learned about how to make the perfect cup of coffee at the Merchants of Green Coffee. I've met some lovely people and learnt a lot on the way!
I've also started to volunteer at a Food Bank this month. Food Banks distribute food donations to those who fall below the poverty line here in Canada. Along with a couple of my friends, I spend a morning a week checking recipients in on the computer and calculating their allowances at a local distribution centre. It's interesting and something I plan to continue doing as long as my work schedule allows.
Work continues to be going well and I can't believe we're mid-way through this session already. As I'm doing full-time teaching hours, I've automatically been made a member of the union and so am now, officially, a 'Woman of Steel' as, somewhat bizarrely for a group of teachers, the union that represents us is the United Steelworkers. The motto of the female members is "There's nothing stronger than a Woman of Steel" - so please take note!
I think I've been taking my new 'label' a bit too seriously this month as I've been seen up a ladder with various power tools and steel screws in my hands quite a lot. The results have met with with varying degrees of success but my apartment is now feeling much more homely with curtains and pictures all in place. I've got a Brit-themed bedroom to boot! I'm still working on the blinds but it's pretty much there and is just awaiting the arrival of my first visitors. Bookings are now open!
Well...here we go...another year, another country, another blog! Welcome to ChocolateMoose!
For those of you who don't know, I'm now living in Canada and, somewhat shockingly, planning to 'settle' here...at least for a while! Basically, I liked it so much the first time, I decided to come back and, in their stupidity/wisdom (depending on your point of view!), the Canadian authorities chose to look favourably on me and granted me Permanent Residency status. So...for those of you who missed out on my Moose and Maple Syrup blog , which captured my first Canadian adventure, or have simply filed my tales about my previous stay here under 'yet more ramblings about one of her many trips', here's a quick recap before I begin my next 'tome' [Tip: turn your speakers on!]:
So...to begin this tale. It starts in a snowy land far, far away known as England. Chaos had hit the small island nation as it struggled to cope with a few inches of snowfall. Normally sane and rational people were sent into a spin. The phone calls and text messages started at 4:30am (!) and one friend managed to clock up a total of twelve concerned texts from the time I awoke until the time I boarded my plane. I may sound like I'm complaining but I was actually very touched by all the calls, cards, gifts and lovely farewells I received prior to my departure. I feel very lucky to have been able to catch up with so many people over the festive period and, for those of you I didn't manage to see/speak to, I hope we will meet again soon.
Anyway, life seemed to be running at warp speed prior to my departure with so many things to do, places to be and people to see that in some ways to actually have reached 'departure day' in one piece felt like something of an achievement. My dear parents had changed their holiday plans and insisted on taking me to Manchester Airport...complete with snow shovels, flasks of coffee and blankets thrown in the back. Funnily enough, the worst part of the journey was actually getting out of Roundhay! As soon as we were through Leeds and on the motorway, the journey was relatively smooth. We arrived at Manchester Airport in good time. After a wait, I checked in and said a quick prayer of thanks to the luggage gods, who seem to have been on my side rather a lot of late, as I wasn't charged for any of my excess baggage. Who says budget airlines are cheapskates? Praise be to Thomas Cook Airlines!
Manchester Airport was at gridlock with flights cancelled and hardly any staff on duty due to the snow. This was in addition to extra security procedures being in place. However, after saying my farewells to mum and dad, I eventually got through to the departure lounge only to find we were delayed due to the runway closure. After an hour, we were allowed to board. Unfortunately, we then sat there for another three and a half hours. I was lucky on two counts. Firstly, the passengers sitting next to me decided to upgrade thus vacating two seats and, secondly, as I had some company. My former boss from the University of Leeds, Rosemary, and her partner, David, were on the same flight. Rosemary and David spend part of their year in Canada where David's home is located on the shore of Lake Ontario. I was lucky enough to visit them there in 2007 for a glorious summer weekend break.
Eventually, the flight took off and was smooth all the way. I was quite tickled when we landed on a completed snow-covered runway...snow landings are fairly normal in Canada. I was also quite amused when the first thing I saw as I looked out of the plane window was a Tim Hortons' sign. For those of you who don't know, Tim Hortons is a Canadian institution and a source of cheap (note, I do not say, finely-brewed) coffee, disgustingly carb-laden doughnuts and ridiculously long, but rapidly dealt with, queues.
I was amazed at how quickly I skipped through immigration (five minutes) but less impressed by the hour-long wait for our baggage, particularly as a friend was waiting for me in the arrivals lounge. Eventually, my rather heavy suitcase arrived and following a spot of paperwork-generation, I was finally allowed through where I was met by Peter. He had kindly ventured out late in the evening to collect me and take me to my temporary abode. My first couple of weeks here were spent staying at my friend, Janet's, place. It was so lovely to be in familiar surroundings. I had house-sat for a month for Janet in 2007. She was away the first week so I'd set myself a mission to try and sort myself out with a job and more permanent place to stay as quickly as possible so that I didn't outstay my welcome.
I'm pleased to say I was lucky on both fronts. I started working just over a week ago and have secured myself full-time teaching work on the Academic English Program at the University of Toronto for this term. This is where I worked previously and it has been really great to return to teach somewhere I know with many familiar faces.
I moved in to my new apartment the day before I started work. It's located right in the heart of the city in an area known as Old Town. Basically, this is because it's where the city of Toronto first developed. It's not far from where I lived before and is slap bang between the fabulous St Lawrence Market and one of my favourite areas of the city, the Distillery District. The apartment has been newly renovated and I'm so excited by the fact it has a walk-in wardrobe as well as a view of the CN Tower!! I've spent the last couple of weekends on a spending spree as I needed to buy furniture and household 'stuff'. My interior design advisors (i.e. Peter and Janet) have not exactly helped me limit by budget by persuading me that I really should get what I like and not what 'will do'. Nevertheless, despite feeling like I've been hemorrhaging money, I'm very pleased with the result - it's a mix of IKEA and retro (read: second-hand) style. In addition, I now have the biggest bed I've ever slept in. It's so high that even my feet can't touch the ground!!
In addition to being busy with job and house-hunting, catching up with friends, moving and starting work, I've also begun studying part-time. I'm continuing to (hopefully) develop my writing skills and am taking another module leading to the Journalism Certificate I started working towards when I was here last. Then, I studied Travel Writing. Now, I'm attempting to learn more about the Fundamentals of Reporting. In essence, this means I have to learn a lot of rules and techniques that a reporter should know, and 'create' news articles. It's challenging and I'm finding the analysis of the Canadian press quite helpful in terms of both my own cultural and language awareness. I can't say I see news reporting as a career option but it's food for thought and an interesting field to learn more about.
So...so far, so good. To be honest, after what was a rather unsettled time last year, in many ways, I'm looking forward to easing in to life here and gradually finding my feet within a stable yet energizing environment. Watch this space!
One of the highlights of this month for me was, undoubtedly, the opportunity to attend the ATP Rogers Cup tennis tournament held on the campus of the university where I work. I was lucky enough to have tickets for three of the sessions throughout the week. I've never managed to get tickets to Wimbledon yet so to me this was the closest thing and it was pure heaven for me to watch some of my favourite players battling it out.
I was privileged to see the likes of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Monfils all strut their stuff and show how the game should be played. Sadly, my dreams of a Federer v Nadal final didn't materialize and Federer played Murray instead. I was very torn as to who to support in the final but Murray played incredibly well, beating Federer, to become the Rogers Cup champion for the second year in a row.
The week after, the temperatures dipped. I have theory it was my guests from England bringing the good ole British weather with them, as the temperatures soared again the day after they flew back! My schoolfriend, Jo, her husband, Jules, and two boys, Leo and Seth, came to stay for a few nights on their way to a wedding in Niagara and a week RVing their way around Ontario. It was fantastic to see them and we had a couple of really nice days exploring the city. The boys particularly enjoyed the children's theme park, Centreville, on the island, where Tom Cruise's wife and daughter hung out a couple of days after us. We had a lovely time and Leo appeared thrilled by his ascent up the CN Tower on his last evening.
Summer is just about still here and the many Toronto festivals continue. Buskerfest is an annual festival held in my locality to raise funds for epilepsy awareness, a cause close to my heart, and, since I last attended three years ago, has grown in both scale and quality. This year I was amazed by the fire and aerial acts, in particular.
An incredible act, which wowed the crowd, was a trio of Dutch stiltwalkers from a company called Close Act. Their three giant dinosaurs were a sight to behold and were actually scarily real when I saw them at night coming down a darkened street towards me. I hope they don't give you nightmares!
