Week Five

Before I start, thanks for all the comments on the scate dog walking... see the latest! And no you won't ever see me on a skateboard... scared!

Oh... and the five week city workers strike finished a few days ago. Still smelly rubbish lining streets and filling designated parks etc. Relief though as the weather heats up because...Summer is here!

THINGS ON BALCONIES - take your choice, two giant painted moose or two guys sneaking out their window to play guitar above the African shop below. Toronto can channel the spirit of California that I couldn't find in California!

THINGS GROWING IN CARS - see the number plate...

BEAUTIFUL TORONTO

Green, green greener after all the rain... and more of those beautiful streets and houses.. oh and getting around in a Hippo, tourism here on Lake Ontario... Hippo goes on the road when it needs to... and talking of carrying things... Peter always ends up carrying my bag as well as his (note the HAT!)

PETER AND LINDY on the day out... Peter getting ready for his first album cover (not really) and me standing in front of the 'in' in Dufferin subway station as I'm really a duffer most of the time!



But top news for the week was seeing Lang Lang and Herbie rip up the keyboards with an unnamed orchestra... with two massive grand pianos as their dueting playground. We were in cheapish seats but still had OK sound and views... Rhapsodie in Blue, such a fabulous Gershwin masterpiece, was the obvious highlight that was one of the most exciting things I've ever seen/heard... rest was interesting too, especially Lang Lang's incomparable delicate touch on the keys though I see the newspaper reviewer panned it.

Click here for utube version from the Brit Awards but while it is worth seeing it can't compare with being there... also if I might, the Toronto orchestra (made up for the night and not the TSO apparently) so much better than the orchestra for this recording. Am I starting to sound Canadian!!!!?? My photo below taken without flash...

Next I hear that Leonard Cohen is still intending to do some north american gigs so I'm gonna make sure I don't miss out as I did in Brisbane.

Bad news is I found a coffee better than ours yesterday at an interesting place here called the Distillery (artsy area using an old whiskey distillery). Good news is I got in touch with my barista teacher in Brisbane at Di Bella. For those who want lessons from me, and you're in Brisbane, forget the grasshopper, go to the source at Di Bella!

And finally we have a place to live for two months... still awaiting that pesky apartment above the restaurant... and yes still waiting for the liquor licence! I think this new apartment, which is in the eves really, or third floor on top of a renovated house around 100 years old is still online. If you wanna see try here!

Love til next time

Lindy

Week Four

Probably Toronto's most interesting buildings... so far for me anyway! Though to be honest the really beautiful buildings here are houses and smaller university, business and religious buildings... but those next time!

1) Art Gallery of Ontario

2) Ontario College of Art & Design

3) CN Tower

Well today, it feels like summer in Toronto, finally after two solid weeks of rain, cloud and thunder storms. I feel happy to be wearing a sun dress, sandles and sunglasses... like home I guess!

This week about finding a place to live... but nothing yet has finalised... as is life no doubt we will find the right place just at the last moment. We are still both not so secretly keen on living above the restaurant but we are not in control of when the owner/builder will get it ready and then we can't be sure if we'll like it or will be able to afford it!

In the meantime... I am excited to be going to hear Lang Lang, the amazing Chinese pianist with Herbie Hancock (who needs no introduction) next Wednesday night... playing Rhapsodie in Blue by Gershwin as part of the show... I have been looking forward to hearing/seeing Lang Lang since seeing an amazing doco on him a few years ago. This a very good part of being in Toronto!

My coffee getting better as the weeks pass and still haven't had a better one in a coffee shop here.... gone are the days of me having a no caffeine diet inpsired by Golden Door Health Retreat!

Prices for food seem amazingly good to me... but guess you say, what about the exchange rate? For whatever it is now... click here. But still I've been amazed... I know I talked about this in week one but thought you might like some details...

• 6 ripe mangoes for $5 (not quite Bowen but flavour good)
• 10 Tahitian limes for $1 (yes Zannie, this is pretty good!)
• 1.98 lb (nearly a kilo for the young ones) lychees for $1.96
• 2 lb bananas for $1.30
• 2 large pawpaws for $5.00
• 2 lb red cherries for $3.00
• 1 shoulder pork for $2.98 (we got three meals out of that!)
• 2 fresh yellow fin fish for $4.98

Admittedly this is China Town and I'm with the best damn food shopper this side of Hawaii... but it is a pleasure and a saving which I am enjoying given I don't work these days. I also remind Peter that most of this excellent fruit is probably coming from poor South American farmers... he agrees... sad truth I guess they rather sell to us than not. This right?

Finally no trip to China Town complete without a nip into the Hong Kong Island Bakery for hot Chinese buns (yes yes my prediliction haha) which I had discovered when living in HK in 2005. Oh yummm...

Thought you... well those of you who haven't already had enough of Peter and dogs... might enjoy a small snippet from our walk this week.

Week Three

Random images from the week just past...

1. Daisies in the back lane
2. Out to dinner
3. Peter and his beloved dog, Toby, acting as pillow

4. Peter and other love bird

Before I start apologies for many dog references and the usual Peter photos... I am still in their world. Not really created much of my own yet... but I will!

This week has been a week of solitude and connections! Solitude because I have realised I only have one friend in Toronto! Was chatting to a nice woman at the dog park early in the week and had to stop myself from saying.... "Will you be my friend?" This would have been said with some feeling too... but fortunately I restrained myself!

Connections because I'm getting a few things happening...

• I have my mobile phone working on 1 647 9855 133 (It works for some and not others though I haven't sorted out why or why not yet... any clues?)
• I have my blog as you know...and you are voting (thanks to those who are answering how I wanted you to - and Peter seems to be wearing his hat now!)


• I have linked up with the only other 'Lindy Drew' on the web... she is a photographer from Pheonix Arizona and has a blog way more extensive than mine.... have a look! I hope she will be my photography mentor, though I think she's only 30 years old. We have already hatched a possible plan to meet in November... (Lindy emailed me that she was so named after her parents had cheesecake at one of Lindy's cafes in NYC... must have been good!)


• And finally and most memorably, connecting with a skunk.

I had often wondered as a kid what skunks actually smelled like as they were often protrayed on north american kids cartoons etc. Well... wish I didn't know. I would describe it as something between burnt rubber, rotting vegetation and dog poo... that enough? I didn't actually connect with it, but taking dogs for walk in the dark, obviously too late for skunk avoidance, Toby came across one near the garbage and before we knew it he'd been sprayed.

We had to walk up to the 'drugstore' to buy peroxide and baking soda to mix with detergent and water to wash both dogs several times. The most amusing thing was that we didn't realise how badly we smelt... but everyone in the store was waving their hands in front of their faces and making grimaces... they were blaming two street guys unfairly and stereotypically until we realised what was going on and confessed that it was us.

Before we washed the dogs outside in the rain we had to change clothes and put on white ones in case the peroxide burnt white holes in them... and when finished washing and drying dogs had to wash all our clothes, the white clothes and the towels for drying the dogs and then the kitchen floor. We have had to throw out their collars, the mat that was outside the door, and anything disposable that they came into contact with. Since then we keep having to wash every day... shoes, door frame, cement, wooden bench outside and still the smell pervades. You can smell it through the vents into the house and through upstairs windows. Still have to wash my hair every day as it seems to find a way to seep into every fibre. Caron reckons I don't need a visa now as I've been initiated into Nth American society... would love to try that straight faced on immigration guards.

Dogs looking miserable but super clean after several washings in the middle of a rainy night!

Well this week as also been a week of Tour de France. Peter is hooked and over the weeks I have gotten into it as well. Nice to be able to wake up to watch rather than staying late at night as in Australia for any European sport. Fabulous to watch beautiful France and finally Paris today.

Just to finish up this is a flower shop near the restaurant (still no license) and Peter's house which we're staying in for two weeks while Liz is on holiday. Tomorrow we go out to view some rental properties for the next five or six months. Nothing found yet... eek!

'til next time
love

Lindy

Week Two 11 to 18 July

Well, the second week is moving along fast... and seems it's been a week of multicultural festivals. Given the short summer here and the high level of cultures mixing in Toronto, there a couple of multicultural events each weekend, not to mention lots of arts, comedy, music ... Saturday was Salsa on St Clair (a street party within dog walking distance of Peter's house) and on Sunday I was out for a walk and unexpectedly ran into AfroFest... a HUGE number of African Canadians and a few others out enjoying music, food, stalls etc. Photos don't do either of these events justice but ... I did get parental (and child!) permssion for these gorgeous images below...

It did get me thinking about festivals and their benefits (for those of us in the multicultural sector) and how little real cultural interchange often actually happens at these events... and in fact how it can further emphasise stereotyping of cutural groups. Ghassan Hage talks about long term project based interaction... and I think he's right but be good to get the popular festivals more profoundly interactive somehow....

Enjoying the streets, houses and gardens in the city here. So different to Brisbane. Have to say it took me a few days to get my eye in but here's a few photos I took on a sunny Monday afternoon walking from the hotel to Ici restaurant.

These trees are going to be beautiful come the autumn season though one of my challenges is to work out when that is... apparently it changes depending on a range of weather variables... which doesn't make it easy to be sure my sister Lainey who is visiting especially to see the leaves (and me!) will actually see them at their best.

On my new career I have graduated at Ici to frying and washing dishes!!! And have to show off a good cup of coffee.... Wonder what next....

And finally two cuties... Oscar stealing both dog baskets (after he had snaffled a pair of my undies from my washing bag and...

why I think Peter should wear hats!

Well that is the week I think. I'm over the crosswords (I saw I put cross words last time!) and into the news. Toronto is in the midst of a long city workers strike which means that no garbage is being collected, amongst other things. While they are managing for it not to be stinky mostly.... it is still a lot of mess around. Hopefully for workers and residents... and the Council... it will be sorted soon.

Finally for those who are asking about Mr Boots... he's apparently fine in his new home in Auchenflower and is making friends with the dog Abbie but NOT with the tom cat next door.

love

Lindy

Oh, people have been asking about the city worker strike on here. Always seems to be strikes on in Canada when I'm here and they go on for weeks and weeks and really do impact on people. It seems a long time since I remember strikes of this length in Australia... Rubbish is probably the most obvious outcome and it is making the city look and smell less than fresh. The parks also are not mown so they look meadowlike and that's not such a bad thing. I think also you don't get parking fines but I'll check on that one with Peter!

Week One 3 to 10 July 09

Days have been filled with getting to know Peter’s world… first, the new catering and restaurant business Peter’s co opening with French Chef, Jean Pierre (JP), and local chef Jennifer. Ici can’t be opened until they get a liquor license (mum would be happy about!) which is proving difficult with some resistance in the community.

To see the Toronto Star article go to http://www.thestar.com/living/article/659117

In the meantime there’s lots of catering jobs for JP and Co and I’ve been part of a few (cutting, chopping, pealing, wrapping of course!). Best part was for a French lingerie showand ... got to see the gorgeous models parade the latest French lingerie with over 400 other eagerlings.

It was in the Artscape Wychwood Barns (like Powerhouse in Brisbane) that has just opened in street where Peter has lived for long time. Saw the summer time glitterati of Toronto and with all the clothes I brought in my three bags I still couldn’t pull together a decent outfit because half my clothes at the hotel and half at Peter’s house… had to wear Jeans and my MBTs, Tommy!

My Barista Course has proved its use and I’m making coffees at the restaurant for anyone who’ll let me experiment on them.… Perfectly foamed milk still a challenge! Thanks Des for the wherewithall!

Toby, Peter’s dog, is an Australian Shepherd (not that we have them in Australia) who loves to play fetch with ball or stick. Oscar is a Chinese Crested Powder Puff which doesn’t give a good picture of his high energy affectionate raggle taggle self. I have a feeling I’ll be lots of doggy walking over the next weeks which at least is some exercise.

Not a night that I’ve slept past 3 or 4am… Peter, fortunately a great sleeper, isn’t disturbed while I read up about Toronto, scrutinize maps, finish novels (thanks Wendy for The Boy in Striped Pyjamas) and wait eagerly for sounds of the daily paper’s arrival outside the hotel room door... most anticipated is the cross word… still not into the Sudoku at all Lainey… and the news in that order!

End of week one? Wondering what I’m doing here in this so different world but determined to get independent enough to make it work...

Missing home, family and friends and very happy to get any news (she writes hopefully!). Very relieved to hear that Mr Boots has a new home and finally now not teary every time I think of him (thanks Caron for getting it finalized) and happy to know that LGAQ has found someone to fill my position…!

Paper has arrived so time to go!!