Old Man Dance Party

A great Thursday night just past. My fabulous friends Aaron and Dev had their launch party for their socially active clothing line, aujCollections. The clothing line is based around the notion of perpetuating the "old boys club" for young men, and the theme of the party was aptly named the Old Man Dance Party. Located at Social on Queen West, the party consisted of many beautiful people, plenty of free alcohol, and oodles of press types and cameras. Auj had created a scene at the front of the bar to look like a club, complete with persian carpets, brandy, overstuffed leather chairs, a gunrack, etc etc. They'd hired some old men and some models who inhabited the space, smoking pipes, playing golf into a rocks glass, and using the old typewriter. It was all very civilized.

The goal of the event was to welcome the collection to Toronto, and to create the final scene in the reality show featuring Aaron and Dev that will air on Star TV in who knows how many months. For me, it's all very exciting because I get to watch these two very young guys (20 and 22) get increasingly successful, and occasionally drag me along with them! As well, the fact that each item of clothing that they sell comes with a code, which can be used to get mentorship for becoming active in the community, makes me interested in these guys even more! I urge you to check out their site.

oops adventure

I'm into how Toronto makes you feel like a perpetual tourist. Just when you think that you know the City like the back of your hand, you find yourself on a bike on a large street you didn't even know existed. And then fast decline and an incline, you're in a bit of urban wilderness that seems so foreign. For a second you realize that you're on a derelict city bike, in quasi- mountain bike conditions. You worry about your breaks. After a brief frisbee stop, you're ready for civilization as you know it again. On the way back into your "comfort zone" you pass markers- a bridge that makes you feel like you're in the city again (your heart quickens), a one-of-a-kind department store that signals your 'hood, and finally, as the rain starts, you're riding comfortably the wrong way down a one way street and into your driveway.

the CITY

The city is a great place to be at the moment. The temperature has risen to a nice baking heat, conducive to patios and beaches. Friends are returning from various ends of the world and keeping me busy with social engagements. Yesterday a friend and I stumbled upon a street festival in Little Italy in honour of the World Cup game against the US. Each terrace was packed, and all the 'free-stuffers' were out in full force. The old Italian choir was out, in their green vests and Canadian flag ties; all the women had big flowers in their dyed graying hair. I had to drag myself away in order to get to work, but I arrived there to the rehersals for the Much Music Video Awards taking place across the street. We heard a bunch of bands, including Fallout Boy, and some Canadian Idols. The 'allstars' won't come out until Sunday evening. I don't know if I'll see the show- the Stanley Cup will probably trump Much for my attention.

As this weekend comes to an end (beach volleyball this afternoon), the plans for next week shape up: Ella's birthday, doctor's appointment, Holland versus Argentina, and PRIDE. If summer has just started, I've certainly started as I mean to go on.

oh, Chinatown!

My spacial proximity to Chinatown has many benefits and delights, including readily available cheap produce, an abundace of milk crates for creating fashionable furniture, and the presence of co-passengers on the streetcar, laden down with plastic bags with exotic scripts and strange smells. But today, the concept of a "city within a city" has been taken to a new level. All day there has been a tremendous comotion outside our house. While the comotion is usually due to either drunken students, or recently released patients from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health across the street, today it centres around a huge pile of dirt. Presumably, this dirt was placed there by municipal workers in preparation for the spring gardening they'll be doing at the park across the way starting Monday morning. I'm affraid, however, that they will have to start a new pile afresh, come Monday, as there has been a steady stream of Chinese ladies from the neighbourhood poaching the goods! They come with carts, waggons, buckets, spades, garbage bags, and (occasionally) husbands to supervise, and in little more than three hours, the pile is down to half what it was. Every once in a while I'll hear the screech of car tires and a house-wife type will be out there, in her kakhis and sweater-around-the-neck, filling the back of the SUV with precious, precious sod.

In a more serious note, I like how this event fits in to my post-colonial studies mind frame. WHat? It's just dirt. No, wait. In my political science course last semester, we talked about various ways in which citizens revolt against authoritarian post colonial states, from revolution to what is known as "quiet encroachment of the ordinary". In this form of revolt, individuals undermine the state through a variety of (primarily urban) actions, such as tapping the power grid. While it's simplist to understand today's dirt theft through a purely pragmatic lense- why buy dirt when you can get it from the sidewalk for free?- I like to think of it in more political terms. Despite our government's highly "developed" nature, we, as Canadian Citizens, still reject the notion of complete complicity to the State, and choose instead to express our non-compliance through simple acts of soil appropriation.

Une petite space

I have just aquired a new apartment. Hurrah! Enough waiting for rent from others, enough unmatching perspectives on "clean" and "tidy". As much as I love love love my roommates, and have had wonderful habitation experiences since leaving Victoria, I've been waiting for this moment of solohabitation for what feels like EVER.

So, the details. It is tiny. Ity bity. And it's across the street from where i live now, so move in time is expected to be a full fifteen to twenty minutes. Faster if I have the help of current roommates and current boyf. Then it will be three minutes or less. It is a square, and I can basically cook breakfast while still in bed, but it has two big windows and a fire escape. And there's a huge tree outside one of the windows that will be beautiful in the summer.

Hurrah for my new space! Only two or three weeks until you can find me in it.

share-ation

When I hear, do or see something nice, or lovely, or beautiful, my immediate reaction is to want to share it. The difficulty is how exactly to get the person who I'm sharing my excitement with to acutally share the excitement. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that I often get very excited (to the point of chills) about things I can't quite put my finger on. Last night I got excited about an inpromptu private art show in my room when the combination of the tree outside my window and the fire truck with its lights flashing across the road projected a perfect, if decidedly abstract, video instilation on my wall. In my mind the "artist" was attempting to illustrate the seemingly seamless co-existance of man-made and natural objects that combine to make a city larger than the sum of its parts. Or today, when reading Focus in the Saturday Globe, I got all tingly about members of the Chinese diaspora in Canada returning to China to pursue a new/old life. How do I try to get you to feel those tingles if I have no idea what they were about? Yet, I desperatly want you to. I think that somewhere deep down, I want someone to be lucky enough to experience life as I do.

Home?

OH! So happy to be back in the city. It's so busy and there's a million things I could do. So far I've amused myself by riding my bike to the CPAR office to pick up some stuff for the interview on Friday, on bloor near dundas west. I'd never been in that neighbourhoodand it's so nice to ride to! On my way back i went through little italy, then china town (to look for work shoes and buy vegitables) and finally up to Robarts library where I am now. I'm getting all my admin stuff done before I go to swim practice at 6 and then to meet Jen andElla for beers because she's leaving tomorrow.

I've only been back a moment but already I'm in love with the city again and everything's in full swing. I mailed the letter and chequeto the government today to start to find my birth mother, which shouldbe another interesting part of the summer.

Hurrah for unlimited things to do (even if they aren't involving mountains or oceans), and what seems like unlimited time to do them in.

Smells like BC

In Victoria once again. This happens more than I predicted when I left for Toronto two years ago. Every time I come back there's a different emotion. This time I feel more at peace with the whole deal- I'm not trying to viciously reject my roots as much as I once did. But everything is sort of hazily and eerily familiar: I keep thinking that I"m going to run into someone I know, and that I won't recognize them, yet everyone I come across looks sort of familiar. It smells and smiles like Victoria, and the flowers and wind and water are beautiful. It would be so easy to slump into HOME LIFE, but I'm determined to take advantage of all the good things that I use to brag about the West. So, tomorrow if it's nice I'm booting it down to the beach in my spanking new bikini after a coffee and some italian pastries with my father. I am happy to be back in a large part because I am so happy in Toronto- you'd think it'd be the other way round.

If you're from Victoria, you may as well give me a call.

Spah-dina

The summer has begun. It's been a crazy transition from school to no school...no school for 1.5 years! I finished my last exam on Friday, and then went straight into party mode. The whole evening was great, with dinner, drinks, good people, and then the bar. I went to bed late and woke early for work, and of course the day was complete crap, but for some reason I like a good hangover once in a while. It lets me know I'm alive! I got home after work and spent the evening PACKING everything I own (which, when organized, fits into a space of one meter by two meters) before the house invaders (new tenants) arrived the next morning. By 12am I was about to lose it- exam (no sleep), party (no sleep), work (no sleep), packing (no sleep)= anger and irrationality. In a serendipitous turn of events, I managed to use the house invaders van to get my stuff to my new place, and so quicker than I thought I have a new home. It's a great location (close to everything), and the interior is pretty good too. Since the move I've had a couple of two to four hour naps in between dropping friends off at the airport, goodbye breakfasts, lunches, dinners and drinks. It's finished today, and I started my "real" summer life about two hours ago. If start as you mean to go on applies, I'm excited and ready for this summer!

Mini Break

It had been so long since I'd hung out with parents...not only mine but anyone's in general. Also, I felt ridiculous when I tallied the sheer number of nights spent in my own bed since moving into this house. So I went home with Jen this weekend for a Cambridge Minibreak. My easter weekend had been diverse already, with a gallery opening, a punk show, breakie with the girls, a long downtown walk, a night at the races, and work, and the theme of diverse fun continued in the small Ontario town. I felt a little like I was in Victoria again. We parked about a block from the club, there was no line up, we could arrive in our tshirts, there were no girls in miniskirts and stillettos...none of the Toronto clubbing difficulties, like hikes to and from the club, fashion obsession (to the point of ignoring the FUN of going out). Anyway. Night one was great. The next day was even more like good old Vic because there was little to do, and so we ended up at a coffee shop, going for a run, playing some frisbee, taking pics, and dropping in on friends around the town. Very different from my life in Toronto where I can usually always think of something to do, to the detriment of my random visits to friends and physical play time. But that love has been rekindled. The highlights, of course, included portuguese shrimp, kissed lips, Jen 24/7, tequilla, B-52s, turkey dinner, fish cakes, the Newfies and seeing what Jen's life was before me...

It seems very appropriate that this quasi-spastic blog just sort of trickles out. Perhaps I will work more on content next time???

Kate

Wereld Stad

A novelty: a day completely free of responsibility. As a student, this rarely happens as in the subconscious there's always this sense of the next paper, the upcoming exam. But, today I've shed these preoccupations for the sake of our saviour. Nix that. For the sake of myself. Really, it started last night with a gallery opening followed by a punk show (choosing an outfit to match both: trying), and a greasy breakfast this morning featuring past and future travel stories with four girlfriends. Up next is a walk through China Town, Queen St (Fashion District), Downtown, to my current favourite neighbourhood around the St. Lawrence Market for Starbucks and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. And what's really nice is that what comes after that is open to discussion!

Happy Easter.

Pour Devrai: Toronto

Oh! What a wonderful city! Since Matthieu and I seemed to be the only ones not getting out of Toronto for reading week, we decided to do everything we hadn't in Toronto to date (and some of our favourite things that we've done a million times). We had indian buffet in Little India, went to the children's theatre, checked out St Lawrence Market (if you love a deli...), window shopping on Queen Street, baking muffins, coffee on King Street, triple feature movies until early morning, Gerstien study sessions, Roxy Blu, breakfast, and planning our futures. It doesn't look like much on virtual paper, but it filled our week and was wonderful! WONDERFUL. I can't even describe it...perhaps I should just get to the moral of the story: if you build it, life will come. And friends will make it glow.

Picking Favourites

Terribly social all of a sudden. Who knew it was so easy? There's always something to do. Could it be that I've finally found my place in Toronto, only to be leaving it in the next month or four? Alas, the problem with moving about is that you have too many terrific friends in so many places, and lack the ability to maintain daily interaction with them. Sarah said to me the other day that it was amazing because most of her favourite people were in the same city all at once and that had never happened before. I can't imagine that ever happening! It would have to be a mixture of Holland, BC, Toronto, and France. And perhaps a little London and Tanzinia thrown in. But, instead of analysis and planning, I should be content with the status quo, and the fact that so far this semester, every day has been filled with something wonderful.

Day One: Freedom

My first day post-exams: delightful, mixed with occassional bouts of stress due to the overwhelming feeling that there was something that I was supposed to be doing. Hope that this feeling will become less frequent as the christmas vacation progresses. In general, this freaks me out, because the level of stress I felt this semester is out of line.

Today:
-Woke up late (10am)
-Cleaned the house a bit
-Welcomed friend Kate who spent the semester in England
-Looked at photos and was filled in a bit
-Spent three hours traversing urbania with Kate in tow: Yorkville, Downtown, Zara, Capezio, the Munk Centre for International Studies, UofT, Red Room, China Town, The Annex, Honest Eds and back through Greektown and home again.
-Decorated the house with tacky Honest Eds and Chinatown decorations while watching Love Actually (freaked out on the couch a couple of times thinking I was supposed to be doing something.)
-Mel joined: Kraft dinner and Wolf Blass, followed by Shrek two and a small amount of arts and crafts.

And so begins my vacation.

Yo

I think that fall is my favourite season. I always go in for transition, although I tend not to deal with it very well. Fall is one of those times that catches up (or slows down) to fit my state of mind. I feel like a cozy and solitary but on the go person most of the time, and fall is that time of year. You bundle up to go out, but still go out. Everything feels so alive, and the weather is perfect for my favourite new look: old man chic. Thank you value village for your trench coats and wool pants. Anyway, I must go and enjoy my season. Peace.

No-Value Mart

So, I've done it before and I'll do it again. This blog is part Kate, part comparative food shopping/vending exploits. Perhaps that is me?

I went to the local Valu-Mart today, and as usual the entire experience was ridiculous. Perhaps my supermarket perceptions are warped because of my tremendous epicerie experiences in Montreal (see previous posts for details), but I don't think so. There was one time when there was a two per customer limit on toilet paper, and the couple infront of me was trying to buy six packages. I stepped in and offered to buy the third pair, so they handed me the money and I gave it to the cashier. Instead of a simple, "sorry, you can't do that", I got a verbal melodrama on how she was going to lose her job because of us and bla bla bla. Another crucial factor in the Valu-Mart's ridiculous masquerade as somewhere I'd really like to spend the 6oclock dash for tonight's dinner is the fact that they hire hairnetted old women to restock the shelves instead of delightful young men (think Thrifties Produce Boys....hawt.) Also, they're having a phase now of selling President's Choice credit cards. It's always the same guy, but he asks me to sign up every time, both on my way in and way out.

But, today, it was probably the most practical disappointment I've experienced at No-Valu Mart. I went in for three items: (knowing full well that I'd end up with more) soft tortillas, yogurt and milk. First, they have no whole wheat tortillas. Fine, okay, they can only get a limited amount each day to ensure that they don't have surplus because they won't be able to sell it anymore because it's not fresh. Okay. Second, yogurt. The store didn't have any plain skim yogurt. None. Not even the expensive brand. And I was there at the time of day when everyone does their shopping, on a weekday! Milk I had no trouble with but then came the extra items. Popcorn. I seriously went up and down every possible isle looking for it...except obviously the frozen food section where it would not have been. Wrong. There it was, right next to the door to the back, next to the halibut nuggets and lean cuisine. It's not the first time I've had trouble finding stuff there. I went for nacho chips, and there weren't any. Ridiculous, no? Okay, today I found where they are hidden...in the mexican food isle, nowhere near the chips and pop!

AAAAArrrrgggg! All I ask for is for a well organized grocery store, with reasonable prices and friendly faces. Will every shopping trip be a hike out of my neigbourhood or a battle with nonexistant logic and unhappy staff? Shoot me now.

Ah Ha!

I am online again. Hurrahrific.

My mum is here visiting in Toronto. It's great to spend time with her, as it's been a while, but more than that too: this is the first time she's come to visit me at my house. Prior to this, she's never seen the way I live when I'm not at home in BC. For the past year, I've had a whole life- friends, routines, habitat- that she's never seen before. I'm glad that now when I chat to her on the phone, she'll know what I"m talking about. She'll know the comute to school, but that it's worth it not to live in Scarborough. She'll know who Sarah is when I tell her it's her birthday. She'll know where I'm sitting when I tell her I'm emailing her from the library.

It's always strange to have a past life and a present one overlap. Jess is in town from Montreal...there's overlap there too. I guess I should perhaps categorize less?

I'm back.

Love Kate

Woodbine and Danforth

In my new house in Toronto. Wow. Toronto isn't Montreal, and I can't really deal. But, at the same time, it's good to be here, and I'm having fun in our new house. I got my metro pass and I feel a bit more mobile, but it's nothing like turning a corner and buying beer at the dep. Forgive me for comparing, dear Toronto. I can't help it!

I'm strict into my getting ready for school regime: getting up by 9 each day, not drinking coffee, sleeping by 11 and getting things done. A bit different than the summer no?

I'm in limbo right now, without furniture, without plates...it was different in res because at least one had a bed and a dresser! Thankfully, Ella is moving in on Thursday and bestowing upon me a magnificent futon! The rest must be gleaned from trips to Honest Ed's and Ikea (which my dad claims is not meeting its former standards.)

And so, such is life...a hodge podge of to do and finished and what next.

What next?

Jentastic

While there are many fabulous people in my life, the one that needs recognition at this time is Jennifer "Fantastic" Fawcette. Oh! I wish that Village Photo hadn't gone all capitalist on our asses, or I would include a photo here. Alas, I will have to try and write a thousand words in place. The theme of the relationship between Jen and I during the second half of this year has been cohabitation. We bonded over music, western heartbreakers, red shoes, too much bloddy enthusiasm, and delight in short haircuts during September, October, November and December, and ultimately decided that we were destined to be roommates. Since then Jen has done all the stressing and effort exertion in order to make a compromise of my dreams and her dreams (which tend to be similar), and now Ella and Marit's dreams as well, a reality. And, mutha fucka, (mootah?)...she did it.

Next year, thanks to my darling darling fabulous fabulous Jennanigans, I will be living in a four bedroom house, next door to the subway station, in a fabulous little community, close enough to both school and downtown, paying only $420 a month. This palace of ours has inside laundry! big rooms! stained glass! hardwood floors! a kitchen big enough for a couch! a porch! a laundry line! My list could go on and on.

And in the face of such a triumph, Jen shows up at my house with a thank you card for me??? Yes, I love you, hon, but really that card should be for you.

So, without further ado, I'd like to say my mega thank you to this wonderful woman that happened into my life, and kicked things up a notch, without causing any unwanted havoc (is it possible to take me by storm without causing a storm?). I LOVE YOU JEN!

(slash, I'll write 307 words about her. Less than a third of a picture, but with Jen, the average person wouldn't be able to handle anymore)

Spare some change for a wicker ottoman from Ikea?

Lama and Taxes

I feel triumphant, grown up and ready for a summer of increased independence. Last night, I did my taxes. I don't know anyone else that did their own taxes, apart from my darling parents, and that makes me delightedly self satisfied. Not that I'm surprised, but I don't have to pay them anything either!!! I think the satisfaction comes from the fact that everyone dreads doing their taxes, spends the day on it, and is toast at the end of it. Helps that I don't have any dependents, a spouse, or benefits. It's just nice to know that I can do it, and that I'll be able to do it myself for the rest of my life now.

I went to see the Dalai Lama the other day, and it was wonderful to see him. It was interesting, not because what he was saying was particularily profound or new, but because it was him that was saying it. In addition, the dynamic of the crowd at the event (in the skydome) was drastically different than the one that was present at the Blue Jays home opener that I went to a couple of weeks ago. Of course, it was an extremely positive speech, and it left me feeling calm, rejuvinated and in a more adequate position to handle life, and development.

It's interesting that calm and rejuvination, and ability to handle life, are quite consistently the things I seek to get out of experiences. Of course there's also adventure, good stories to tell, and happiness.