little hometown to a big ol city: December 2010

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

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...)