Toronto :: Canada
The Oddities.
Places: Toronto
Coolest thing I did: The worlds largest plate of nachos (the staggering "Kings Crown" at a place called Sneaky Dees (that should make you happy, Bradbury).
Coolest thing I didn´t know: Steve Nash (this years NBA mvp) is actually a Canadian.
As you can probably tell by this point I've become a bit of a fan of Canada in general since my arrival here. I think much of this is due to the lack of culture shock between here and home, allowing me the extra time to get down to the serious business of liking the place. Even if there is probably more in common with the US than with the other Commonwealth outposts (though you'll never get the locals to admit to THAT) it's still all pretty familiar. However, some things are just plain odd.
Try, for example, the extrodinary cheapness of all foodstuff except for cheese. While they are pretty much giving away the red meat that once held all that diary for free, cheese is like 3 times more expensive. God knows why (no one can explain this, I guess because no one thinks cheese is expensive).
It's hard to compare just how much better the beer is here than the hog urine that passes for amber liquid south of the border (and I dont mean in Mexico) yet its pretty much a spirits country. It'd expect in the US that no one in their right mind would drink their "beer" unless held at gun point by Islamic militants of some kind but why on earth do practially 5% of the population only drink the wonderful nectar here? I'd say that I'm just showing my alcoholic roots but having seen the kids throwing back vodka and rum on Saturday nights menas I have no real guesses at this one.
I live in the middle of one of the more interesting ethnic mixes around town I feel. We spent Saturday walking down Roncesvalles Avenue, a street thats so Polish you start thinking you can pronounce the letters W, C & Z without any vowels. Pubs displaying signs for Zwelic beer and a 10 foot bronze statue of the late Pope JP2 could be in downtown Warsaw. The Polish sausage you can buy here is beyond good. Just to let you know, there are bbqs set up all down the street on Saturday afternoon and you can try before you buy for a couple of bucks. Or try the Portugese cafes all down College Street where the old men stand out on the footpaths out front (you cant smoke inside like they would have done in Oporto or Lisbon) and argue passionatly about God knows what (but most likely something unimportant like politics, or something life and death like football). You get just the most interesting street life any sunny afternoon. Yet, all I get from the blokes in the office that I'm living in the sticks when I should be living in one of those souless Condos that seem to be self replicating down on the waterfront. Bizzare attitude if you ask me.
I like the people I've met here so far, but the number of Canadians I'd consider myself on first name basis is probably under 10 in number. I'm finding it a bit harder to meet the natives in their own country than I am meeting nearly everyone else here. I guess if I think back to all the foreign travellers I managed to meet at home in Sydney could also match this number I guess it's only fair. Still, I'm sure it was easier in London. I guess its still early days.
I love the sport here, but its hard for the people here to get into it too much at the moment. With perennial losers for a basketball and baseball team, I think they are missing the Ice Hockey royalty that is the Maple Leaves. With the lockout still in effect and the fans having to sate themselves on the world championships (which dosent even make the front page of the sports section) you can tell people really dont have their heart in it. We watched the Raptors get pretty much ripped to peices by the Celtics in the last game of the season and there wasnt a whole lot of love for the local boys in the stands. I think there were far more emerald green jerseys and the crowd seemed to boo louder when there was a Torontian at the free throw line. I hope there is Hockey next year. I've given up hope of seeing a live game here (season tickets are already selling out, even though there is no real decision if the pickets will come down next October) but not seeing live hockey here would be like missing live Rugby or Cricket at home. Almost a crime.