I have found a home

Which means that this is the last weekend at the hostel I've called home for the past month. Having met some awesome people and made some great friends, I'm bidding a fond farewell to the hostel Canadiana.

Not, however before making my mark.

Looky who made it up on the hostel's blog.

The Johnny Cash Project

I received this email a few weeks ago notifying me that my submission to the Johnny Cash project had been successful. So this little doodle here that I scrapped together on a sick day from work will now feature as a screen in the final video for “Aint No Grave”

The project was a great example of crowd sourcing that really worked. To celebrate the release of Mr.Cash's much anticipated posthumous album, director Chris Milk invited the public to contribute to one of the music videos by painting over a chosen frame.

Check out the final and most awesome video here

Toronto So Far

Having been here a month, I have decided to compile a list of things I love about Toronto and things that could do with changing...

Lovin'

The Homeless

If the homeless are any kind of gage of a nations people, it's an indication that Torontatians are a creative bunch. Instead of your usual 'spare change please' I have encountered such solicitations as "Do you know where I could get a chainsaw and a hooker, I'm feeling hungry" or a sign that said "I bet you a buck you'll read this sign." Another favorite was "Smile if you masturbate and spare change if you enjoy it" and whilst walking down Queen a few days back I came across two homeless men that had fashioned a pirate ship out of cardboard complete with their own makeshift pirate costumes.

Safety

Often described as New York run by the Swiss, Toronto can be, at times, a little beige, the upside of this however is it feels incredibly safe. At night public transport such as buses and street cars will stop anywhere that a woman requests on their route. So being of the female variety and someone who likes keeping movement to the minimal, this is a nifty public transport feature I adore.

Kensington Market

A distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Kensington Market retains its charm and wonderful diversity through its eclectic mix of vintage clothing stores, Latin American grocers,fresh produce, great cafes and watering holes. Progressive and laid back, its independent and liberal spirit is echoed in its colourful inhabitants, street festivals and aromatic smells. In other words, as places go, me likey.

Twizzelers

Delicious strings of liquoricey goodness.

Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland is wondrous place. With amusements as far as the eye can see, it's also home to the Behemoth, a hypercoaster that reaches speeds of 124km and has a 75 degree drop of 230 feet. Pure white knuckle stuff.

Lay of the land

Unlike the labyrinth of Dublin's streets that I am accustomed to, Toronto is a proverbial walk in the park, or an easily negotiable walk in the city as the case actually is. Based on the Greek plan or grid plan, with its long straight streets and block system, it's almost impossible to get lost. Which coming from someone who has the sense of direction of half blind troglodyte with vertigo is most excellent.

Seasons

In Ireland the year consists of one long, rainy, grey season, occasionally it gets a little warmer and occasionally it gets a little colder but for the most part it remains one constant greige season of drear. Over here there is a distinct change, at the moment you can almost smell the autumnal breeze as it wheedles its way through Toronto, sending a blitz of leaves scattering in its wake.

Loathin'

Pickles

(Or Gerkins to the folks back home) are awful here. As a massive pickle fan I was initially delighted at the pickle saturation levels over here. They're everywhere and in everything but that's no good when they are just plain weird. They're all slightly sweet, squashy and made of gross.

Tax

Oh is that the price? Excellent! why I just have that exact right amount of cash in my pocket. The same amount as it says on the price tag, which anyone would assume would be the actual price. No, it’s not. Oh there’s another extra charge, a magical charge that seems to be impossible to second guess.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the tipping.

Heritage Napsters.

The funds have run low. So while I arrange my portfolio, try and develop at least the appearance of grace, wit and pose before I start grovelling in agency doorways, I need to get a stop gap job. One of these was a city site seeing tour job, which unfortunately did only last as long as our introductory tour.

I digress.

Point of this little story is not to demonstrate my irresolution but instead to share what I learned from my little tour. And that is, Toronto is kinda utterly devoid of heritage. “And if you look to your left you can see our second oldest bank and to the right you’ll see some road works” In fact, according to this tour, all hell broke lose when someone tried to replace an old tacky sign on a top of sky scrapper in the city, which wasn't even that old to begin with. Good news was, through protests and petitions the sign was saved, which does make you think, if the Irish could have summoned an ounce of the tenacity and passion these folks had for a crappy ole sign, maybe Tara could have been saved.

LCBO

The only way to purchase alcohol in Toronto is through something called the LCBO or its low life cousin The Beer Store. Government controlled, the LCBO makes buying booze quite expensive, and drinking out even more so because bars and restaurants must purchase directly from it rather than going wholesale. All and all I am finding this a financial speed bump to one of my favorite hobbies - inebriation.

A throw back to the anachronistic, prohibition era, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario or LCBO has evolved into an into quite the little cash pig for the Canadian Federal and Ontario Provincial governments. The astonishing thing I find, is not the government control and excess but the acceptance by the people of Ontario of these regulations that are apparently sacrificing local wineries and breweries.

No one jay walks

What's with that? Don't Torontatians know you can shave good couple of seconds off your destination arrival time (and perhaps part of your lower spine if you're unlucky) by simply having a good auld jay walk.

Seasons

Also in the hate section. Apparently in winter it can reach temperatures of minus 20 degrees.

Enough said.

Hello Canada.

Too much fun was had over the past two weeks (hence my absence) and now unfortunately the job hunt must begin.