i'm always workin, slavin, everryydaaay...

Crap, it's really freaking cold. I awoke to a block of ice covering my window this morning. We had more snow last night that froze in the sizzling 10-degree temperatures today, and it's supposed to drop below zero tonight. I managed to get my laundry done, but after watching the weather report at the laundromat I decided to stay in tonight. Thank goodness it's my night off!

View from outside the living room window

It's been a busy Canada-filled week here in T-town though. Aside from work, on Wednesday I ventured out to buy my ticket for The National Ballet Canada's version of The Nutcracker for my Christmas Eve entertainment. I am quite excited I must say. The only other version of the Nutcracker ballet I have seen was by the York County Ballet at the good ol' WU. It was cute...though I felt really badly when the poor girl slipped on the fake snow during the ice/snow scene and fell into another girl...

Anywho, Wednesday was a glorious day, I managed to wake up at a decent hour which I always enjoy, as you can get so much more accomplished it seems. I left my apartment and it was sunny and warm, so I went and bought my ticket to the ballet as well as a ticket for The Second City Toronto for tomorrow night. I saw the Second City in Chicago almost a year ago and it was a truly hilarious show, so I'm all too excited to go again! Also we randomly have tomorrow night off (though I have to work a double on Wednesday to make up for it, arg). But yes, that's right, two whole days off in a row! Somehow I found myself in another performing arts setting with only Mondays off, hahaha.

Then on my way to the Second City box office, I found myself right in front of the Rogers Centre with sunny skies above, so I decided to hit up the CN Tower while I was there. I got a pretty good view, though I'm sure it would be prettier in the summer with some leaves on the trees or whatnot. So yes, obviously it is very high up and all that. In one of the observation levels there is a glass floor that looks down to the ground below. I have learned that somewhere along the line I have developed a fear of heights. I tried to walk on the glass floor a couple of times but it made me surprisingly uncomfortable when I stepped on it so that was the end of that, haha. Maybe I shouldn't have jumped off that cliff this summer...whoops...

Before the ascent

Look I'm floating!

Harbor

Toronto meets lake ontario

Rogers Centre below

Downtown looking east

When I ventured back outside the sun had not set but had disappeared from downtown, so then of course I was freeeezing. I continued walking all around and eventually ended up at Eaton Centre (a large mall near the Times Square of Toronto) where I could warm up. I found a Johnny Rockets along the way which really made my day. I haven't been to one in quite a long time, since they closed the one in G*vegas many years ago :( but it was delicious as I remember. Then I came home and decided to attempt to cook something. I found a relatively easy recipe for pasta with chickpeas and garlic tomato sauce. In the end it was a huge mess and rather bland, story of my life. Later I tried to add ground turkey, which was another huge mess and after scraping the burnt turkey from the pan it tasted awful as well. Good thing I made a ton of it, so I have been making myself eat it regardless. Better luck next time...arrg.

Snoowww

Exploring the freezing city

Then on Friday I had a shopping date with two girls from work so they could show me some more fun Toronto things. We went to a store called Roots, which reminded me of the Mast General Store in Greenville. It is a purely Canadian-pride kind of store with a rustic feel, so they sell Canada t-shirts, Canadian leather purses, maple syrup, outdoor gear, etc etc. We walked around Eaton Centre doing some Christmas shopping, and ran into another girl who works at the Princess of Wales Theatre down the street. After shopping we went to a Toronto restaurant called Terroni's, a fancy Italian place that has taken residence in an old courthouse. Naturally it is pretty big and most of the architecture is still intact, including a few jail cells in the basement near the washrooms. I had a delicious pizza that was a quarter prosciutto, a quarter eggplant, a quarter mushrooms and a quarter zucchini. YUM.

Outside Terroni's

Holidays come to Yonge Street

The weekend was work as usual, pretty busy, spending today recovering and hiding from the cold. Somewhere in the mix I also saw Black Swan, which I found to be disappointing. Worth watching, but very high-stress and very very bizarre. Also a lot less dance than I anticipated, but whatevs.

Miss and love,

E

he's just a city boy...born and raised in south detroit (michigan!) (by way of montreal!)

Yes, there is only so much Journey one can take.

I really liked "Don't Stop Believin," before I became an usher, but it was confirmed last night at the bar when the band opened with "Don't Stop Belivin' " that I could do without that hearing that song when I'm not working...My coworkers and I melted when they opened with that song. Gah. Last night I went to the Bier Markt, which is a nice bar with a ton of, yes, beer. So obviously it was great. As always I drank too much and stayed up too late, but it was quite worth it to be out on the town with some great people.

Oh but I had a rare, positive moment today at work when I did not hate children. During intermission on first balcony, these little girls came up to me reluctantly saying "you ask her, no youu, I don't want to! etc" So I leaned down (also reluctantly) to say "can I help you guys?" They asked very politely if they could pick up the colorful flyers that the character Regina throws into the audience during "We're Not Gonna Take It." I gave them directions and they scurried off to the orchestra section below. They returned smiling, and stopped to say thank you and to offer me some of the flyers they brought back. It was actually cute.

Also I had a very disturbing conversation with one of my coworkers today about food. She is from Ireland and mentioned she was having a hard time adjusting to Canadian food. She didn't understand why bread lasted so long and tasted like it was so full of sugar and chemicals (I immediately thought about the bread in my fridge that eat over about two weeks...oo). The cheese, milk, everything seemed to be loaded with preservatives she said. In Ireland apparently bread and milk go bad very quickly and everything is locally grown and fresh. Why is it so expensive, she asked, to get natural, healthy food here? In Ireland natural is the standard. She has lived in the US and commented that it was much worse, (as I imagine). Anywho, it disturbed me to hear her perspective. I have a general knowledge that I should stick to whole wheat flours that aren't sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, or to buy the peanut butter without hydrogenated oil, but I wouldn't guess that someone could taste the chemicals or that, yeah, bread probably shouldn't last two weeks...it freaks me out on a small scale but also on a larger scale, what else is in our food that we don't know about or choose to ignore? Ugh, I really need to cook more. And maybe start a garden. Oh and a couple of my own cows could be useful...

Hmm, anyway, I'm on cloud nine with Toronto this week. I really love this city. There is so much to do, so clean, I'm feeling very in my element here. Plus, I never have to endanger those around me by driving...hahahaha. It has been a good week here and I'm not sure I want to leave...(If anyone wants to sponsor me to stay here or marry me that would be just fabulous - ps gay marriage is legal...) It's just missing everyone I love back home :(  Of course, in February I will probably be ready to tear my eyes out from the cold...oh but I hate it when creepers hit on you on the subway: today I was completely zoned out with my headphones in until I felt a tap on my leg. A nice older, balding guy apparently wanted my attention to ask, "Are you from Regina?" (Regina is a town in Saskatchewan...) followed by "Are you single?" In a very creepy voice. The nerve. Though it was pretty silly.

With that, I leave you with more...pictures! (sorry most of them are blurry, but there's only so much one can do with a cell phone in the dark...)

New City Hall decked out for the holidays

Oh heeey Christmas - where did you come from??

ice rink in Nathan Phillips Square.
I was supposed to be skating at the time but we were rained out :(

Yes, a poutine-er-ry! All different kinds of Poutine. Too Canadian for words.
Quite good though.

Ice rink with Old City Hall behind.

More lights and clock tower from Old City Hall behind.

Late,

me

i'm gonna harden my heart, i'm gonna swallow my tears...

Today I feel quite accomplished. I was heading to work on King Street and someone stopped me to ask how to get the Rogers Centre and I was able to give them directions, instead of just saying "um no maybe you can give ME some directions" for once! Oh, the little things...

On the other hand, it snowed yesterday. Ok so maybe it was just a little bit and melted quickly, but I was kind of hoping it would hold out until late December...but no. It was pretty chilly Friday and I woke up to a white blanket covering the city on Saturday. Oh well, Thanksgiving hath past and snow hath fallen, so I'll just use that as an excuse to start listening to Christmas music!

I also spent my first Thanksgiving away from home on Thursday. It was slightly depressing. Not just that I was away from home, but I had no other Thanksgiving dinners to crash or anyone to invite to my Thanksgiving For One. (Canadians have their own Thanksgiving in October, and would not be amused by my exotic American Holiday...). It was a cold gray day, and as when I got onto the streetcar to head to the store to get my Thanksgiving-in-a-Box, the streetcar driver and a crazy old man got into a screaming match and were quickly joined by a few others who felt they should be heard as well. So that was fun. I did manage to Skype with the fam for a couple of hours which was just lovely, and I felt like I was partially there. I sincerely missed the homemade goodness of my mother, godmother, sister and brother-in-law though, as opposed to my pre-made apple tart, potatoes, chicken and kraft macaroni-and-cheese. Oh, and then I went to work. But this was a good thing to keep me from sitting at home eating by myself, haha. A coworker even told me Happy Thanksgiving as we were leaving, which made me very happy. It was a good day to reflect on things I am thankful for, especially how well things are going in Canada after somewhat randomly picking up and moving my life here for the next few months :)

Speaking of work, I think it's going to my head: the other day I saw some girls taking pictures in the subway station and my first instinct was to run over and tell them "Sorry guys there is NO photography in the house." Then I had to remind myself I wasn't in the theatre and outside the Royal Alex auditorium people can take pictures if they like...derr.

Aand that brings me to  this week's Best Excuse to Take Photos in House: "But I wanted to take a blue Avatar picture!" I saw this guy taking pictures of his wife/lady friend with a blue tint, and when I told them they weren't allowed to take pictures she literally said, "but I'm trying to take a blue Avatar picture." Well guys you can take your very important "Blue Avatar Photo" in the lobby...I'm sure it will be just as...um...blue.

21st Century Thanksgiving

Little Thanksgiving for One :(

I feel like I had other things to mention, but I can't recall them just yet, so for now I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend and survived Black Friday!

 Ciao & cheers!

ME

oh I must have been a dreamer...I must have been someone else..

OOOH SHERRY! I'm in love! HOOOLD ON! HOOLD on! 

Are you enjoying all of my 80's flashbacks yet? You know you love it.

I got a break from Rock of Ages last night though to work at the Princess of Wales Theatre for their annual benefit It's Always Something. It's a night of comedy to raise money for Gilda's Club, a charity founded for Gilda Radner that provides support for families and friends of cancer patients. 

Monday is actually my only day off, but I need money and extra hours = extra money = less poor me. It was a looong night, I clocked in at 6 and clocked out at 12:45, but totally worth it. I got to wear a tux for the first time and got paid watch Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, Colin Mochrie, Brian Sherwood and Russell Peters, among others. Highlights for me included Russell Peters laying into the idiot mayor Rob Ford and a group of four women called Women Fully Clothed, out of Second City I believe. They did a skit where they could not recall any details from any important news stories except that everything related to dying polar bears, but when they started talking about celebrity news they could recall every detail of Courtney Cox's life, so true!! I will have to get used to this tux business though, as it is the usual uniform for the Royal Alex and after the rock show is over we will go back to wearing them...I'm not particularly excited. 

My first time in a tux. Quite strange. That is my colleague Larisa in the background looking oh-so-amused ;)

I am also proud to announce I have established a habit of taking reusable bags to the store. This has long been a cause I believe in, as plastic bags are incredibly wasteful and costly, etc etc...however being as on top of things as I am (and by that I mean incredibly scatterbrained) I rarely remembered to actually A) take cloth bags from my house into my car and B) take cloth bags from my car into the store. Seriously too much, guys, like, for real. Anyway, luckily for me I get charged in Toronto for not remembering to save the earth and all that. So, at the prospect of paying 10 - 65 cents per bag I now remember to take cloth bags. Trust me, if this charging for bags has helped me change my habits, it is an effective system (also, newsflash: I'm cheap). 

More on how Toronto is very green, the city picks up our compost. Yes, Canadian tax dollars pay for their peace-of-mind-free-healthcare and for the city to keep your food scraps out of a hole in your backyard. Quite convenient. We put everything biodegradable in a little bin and every week a truck comes and picks it up for us! Trash and recycling get picked up every other week. There are also recycling bins next to every trashcan. Every one. They make it too easy.

Speaking of healthcare, just for the record I have not heard a single Canadian complain about their government-run healthcare. On the other hand, they think we're crazy for having to pay. How stressed we must be, they say, to never know what will happen to you if you get sick. No shit. Yes, they can choose their own doctor and specialists. No, there are NO co-pays. And no, they don't have to worry if they get cancer that their insurance company will drop them without warning and leave them to die. Must. be. nice. 

So anyway sometimes I'm all "Canada get with the times" but other times I'm all "US get with the times." In other words, if I were queen of the world, everyone would be ahead of their time! Ha...ha.

I tried Poutine last week as well - french fries covered in cheese and gravy. Appetizing, eh? Yes, it was pretty good. Tastes just like cheese fries from Applebee's or whatnot. Definitely good for the beer munchies. 

My room is almost put together! I have never been happier to have a proper bed to sleep in. Pictures to come soon when I get everything put away. Also not looking forward to my first Thanksgiving without the fam. I will instead be working :(  I'm planning to go to the store for some pre-made turkey and mac'n cheese and all that though. Look out for more on that and possibly a whiney post on Thursday. 

And...a couple more random pictures for your viewing...pleasure?

RESPECT my authoritay.

Enjoying a lovely potluck before the Sunday evening show. I love my coworkers!

Happy Tuesday!

ME

and i've give up hope for the afternoon soaps...and a bottle of cold brew

In order to avoid coming up with clever titles, i think I will just stick with the lyrics from Rock of Ages that are constantly running through my head. Non-stop. I have been told this will eventually cease, I'm not sure if I believe it...but I am updating this to procrastinate cleaning my room to make room for MY BED that will be arriving this week. AH! I AM SO EXCITED TO NOT SLEEP ON THE FLOOR! ahem.

Today at the theatre I had a couple of older ladies sit in my "section" who asked me if they could take a photo. (Note: don't ask ushers if you can take photos. Just take them. Then we will come tell you not to but you still got a photo...). Anyway they were kind enough to ask but of course I said no. Then they called me back over a second time and begged to let them take a photo because it was their "girls weekend" and they "had been handcuffed, stuck in the belly of a whale and having a generally wild time" and I guess this was really important to them. First this was really TMI for me and second that is not going to convince me to break the rules even though you are being Thelma and Louise for the weekend...

Also I was informed tonight that as an employee of an arts center I get free entry into most big museums in Toronto and free rides to the top of the CN tower  - AND in some places my I can bring guests for free or for 1/2 price so ooobviously YOU SHOULD COME VISIT ME and we will do fun things for cheap. This probably excites me more than getting benefits (5 more months to go!). Though it was brought to my attention today that the males I work with have been discussing my southern heritage in their locker room. Apparently because I am from SC I eat squirrels  and have black slaves because that's the only way black people can come into white neighborhoods or something...highly amusing. I told them to stop watching so much Beverly Hillbillies.

I love my job.

Say You Don't Me...or Recognize My Face...

The title has little to do with anything, except I just got home from work and that is the 80s song that is stuck in my head at the moment...gaaah.

Anyway, happy Remembrance Day! Like some other countries, many Canadians wear poppies on their left side to commemorate the veterans. A few weeks before today you can find veterans on the street and in the subway station selling felt poppies. Because I didn't bother to take my own photo from the thousands I encountered this month, here is a nice photographic example I stole from Google Images instead:

In other news, today I had a coworker ask me (seriously, I believe) if races were still segregated in the South. More specifically, he wanted to know if places had bathrooms for blacks and whites and if someone could be turned away from a business if he/she was black. My response: "um, no." His response: "yeah but someone told me black people could get turned away from like, a general store in a really rural area" Well, this could be true in some places but I can't comment for sure because I've never witnessed it. However, I have never actually been inside the Dixie Outpost ("The South's largest confederate store").

Anyone from SC care to elaborate or stories to share? I have a limited perspective on the subject of racist rural general stores myself...

late,

me

Oh, Canada

Things Every Torontonian Will Say to You When You Say You're from South Carolina:

#4: Have you been to Myrtle Beach?!

#3: "So do you like Bush? Let me rant about how he ruined everything…"

(I know we only met 30 seconds ago but let's get to the point)

#2: "It's warmer down there, eh? You're in for a shock come winter…"

(So I've heard…and heard…)

and by far #1: "but you don't have an accent!"

(Sorry, my bad, I'm actually from New York…Actually I had no idea the Southern Accent was so renowned. Thank you, Gone With the Wind)

and…for your enjoyment:

Things Canadians Really Do Say:

- Eh

- Pop

- Cheers

- Aboot (okay maybe not that extreme but close)

- Bush ruined everything and Obama is God

Okay and maybe that last one was an exaggeration. But really, I was here when everything happened and I understand how the world feels about Bush and Americans, and generally I agree, so if I do agree do we really have to keep talking about it, over and over and over...

By the way, Toronto just elected it's new mayor, Mr. Rob Ford. I'm not really sure how this happened, as he is the male equivalent to Sarah Palin, so basically really intelligent guy and rather conservative. His platform includes something about a gravy train that keeps coming up without substance and that people who ride bikes deserve to be run over because they put themselves in danger. He also heartily believes in coaching football above all, including pre-scheduled interviews with important news organizations...cool.

Also, I know saying "pop" isn't exclusively Canadian, but I have not heard the word "soda" since I've been here. Do people in the midwest, let's say, use pop and soda or just pop? While I should probably devote my mental energy to other things, it is one of those words that annoys me and I can't really say why, except it sounds like something from Leave it to Beaver. "Golly Beave, let's go have a pop at the soda shop!"

In other news I had someone tell me recently I didn't look Canadian because I have the body of a gymnast? Do I practice gymnastics still? he asked. I find this hilarious for two reasons - one, I didn't think there was a Canadian "look" and two I believe my body is far far from what a gymnast's would be…haha. Silly silly.

cheers!

- el

My First Month Pretending to Be Canadian

Hmm...where to start on the past month? I suppose we could go week by week? Dates may not be 100% accurate, but you get the idea...

Week 1: Enjoy fun roadtrip north with Sara and Caitlin, visit the Jason and eat eggs with his roommates, discover where the Ohio River is, and that Niagara Falls would have been better from the Canadian side. Arrive in Toronto, explore the city, find a cellphone for myself, meet up with Lizzy, find the all-important contra dance, blow up air mattress, etc...woot. Then friends leave and and I feel very alone in this place. Major anxiety sets in about this life choice. Couldn't wait to leave home...then just wanted to go home. How ironic? After a slightly rough start, I settle into my new place with two roommates I have only talked to online and realize I lucked out and my living situation should be fine. Put in for a couple of jobs that I really wanted involving design or 9-5 schedule, but don't hear much back.

We found the Ohio River!

...and the Toronto Contra Dance. First things first, guys.

Weeks 2-3: Realize money is needed and highly-desired jobs requiring thoughtful cover letters will have to wait. Begin to pound pavement searching for "work" instead. Spend day after day running around in heels trying to figure out where the hell I am at all times. Not so fun. Anxiety persists. After hand-delivering countless resumes, get a few calls back and very surprisingly land a job with a fine home goods store. Also get called for interview for ushering position with a theater downtown, and an interview for a lovely design job downtown as well. Realize job-searching actually helps me learn my way around and decide if I can figure out Toronto's transit system, it must be very easy to use....then Dale comes to visit from Detroit and Lizzy and I enjoy a night out with "The Event" near downtown and as always I enjoy spending time with people from the Pillow. Return to contra dance again and talk to some great people. Meet up with a dancer for a driving tour of Toronto and a home-cooked meal at her house with lovely conversation and baked apple crisp. She shows me her "contra dance medal" for completing a special week of dancing including a dance all-nighter. I am ecstatic to learn there is such a thing. 

Week 4: Have costume party at my apartment (also called the Duff House) for Halloween with tons of yummy food and board games. Decide not to be obnoxious and dress as Gary Coleman around a bunch of people I don't know, so I go as Tinkerbell instead. This also proves to be the more economic option as my roommate had the perfect little green dress. Have fun volunteering at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival where I sell tickets and watch some funny groups and nabbed a free t-shirt. I do love t-shirts. Decide fine home furnishings and wearing only neutral colors to work isn't quite my thing, and quit a job for the first time (without the moving/graduating excuse). Land full-time ushering position instead and sign my life away (including contra...no bueno) to work nights and weekends at theater downtown. Have a down day, including major meltdown because I cannot buy the pants I need to go to work. Hit new low and breakdown in the mall. Many old ladies come to me and tell me that no boy is worth my tears. They are cute. Among other things, later that day I step in cat poo in my room and decide I hate life. 

Going into Week 5, I have worked a few shifts at the theater, met some cool people, and decided I do not hate life. Also developing a love for 80s rock that I'm sure will be replaced with hate in a couple of weeks. I am working show called Rock of Ages that is a cross between a rock concert and musical theater and is all 80s glam rock, all the time, 8 shows a week...but I get paid to work in a beautiful old theater telling people not to take pictures and that, as fun as it may seem, real lighters are a fire hazard in a building that is 103 years old...so I have few complaints as of yet.

Where I work - nbd.  (photo found here)

Whew...so there you go, the past month in a nutshell. Stay tuned, Things Canadians Really Do Say and Things Every Single Torontonian Asks After You Tell Them You're From South Carolina will be coming up later!

Ciao y'all.

Obligatory Welcome Post

Hi kids, and welcome to my blog. Yes, the title is a reference to the Alan Jackson song, "Little Bitty." Now, I am not a huge Alan Jackson fan, but "Little Bitty" as well as "Chatahoochee" do have a special place in my heart...

Anywho, if you missed the memo, I up and moved to Toronto, Ontario Canada a month ago (in my dear friend Caitlin's Honda Civic, also with the help of my other dear friend Sara) to pursue arts marketing/design opportunities and to take advantage of the opportunity to move about about while I am still young and springy.

Now that I am settled and employed and have a better idea of how the transit system works, I can spare some energy to updating the world on my life. Tre exciting. Here you can follow my highs, lows, fails, wins, achievements and setbacks as I navigate this diverse and exciting city!

Cheers!

Might as well share...might as well smile...life goes on for a little bitty while...