Toronto ♥

O Canada

Getting a little teary eyed sitting at Toronto Pearson, farewell Canada! Flight to New York LaGuardia as scheduled. Well, I haven't expected anything less from Air Canada. My favourite quote about Toronto by the way: "Toronto is a kind of New York, operated by the Swiss" (Peter Ustinov). And now I am heading off to New York operated by the New Yorkers. Any recommendations? I have been there 2008, so I've seen the classics. Argh, and I tend to be the rain fairy, because every city I visit, its starts to rain the very day. My host Sarah just emailed me, where to go and hang out, in case I will be around early, because it's raining cats and dogs. Didn't see that coming on weather.com.

Mumford and Sons "The Cave" live in Toronto

So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say
Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be

And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

School girls skirts*

Really, that's a respectable length for a school-uniform skirt? But I like the stockings and especially the Birkenstock (two girls on the left side) to mess up the look. A little research: They are going to an independent girls school (Branksome Hall). That's probably why nobody cares about the actual over-the-knee-attitude. And if we thereto trust wikipedia information, they are all brainy overachievers by status. "Generally, all graduates proceed to university, many with scholarships"

*Say that ten times fast

Knowing him? Knowing who?

I ran into a film shooting yesterday. This is not unusual, because there are many TV-production companies based in Toronto and you can see cameras, actors (and sometimes hords of costumized people) on a regular basis in the neighbourhood. As there was quite a crowd gathering, I was curious to know, what was going on. They were filming a scene for the TV drama series "The Firm" in front of one of the many office buildings/ condos at Bloor St east. "The Firm" is a sequel to the John Grisham novel and the film version of 1993. It will be aired in 2012.



Action.... (and actors!)

Legendaryness* (captured on camera)

It was legen-wait-for-it-dary! Mumford and Sons are known to be an amazing live band. But this was beyond amazing! Oh my goodness, I want to show you the video, but it will take the whole night for only one youtube-upload. Freaking HD!!!

*The term-inator says: Yes, it's a word!

Sigh no more

I got a ticket at kijiji.ca, picked it up this morning at the Tim Hortons at Bloor/Sherbourne. It felt kind of like a spy swap, but Carol turned out to be a really nice woman at my Moms age, she bought the ticket for her daughter or something. I paid the exact amount she actually once paid for it, which is beyond fair. She said, she didn't want the ticket sitting around at home. Now it will hopefully have a great time with ME ;)

Birdie!

Okay, this is a little stupid, but it's just so canadian and I think it's sweet.
If the traffic lights for pedestrians turn green, there is usually a sound for the visually impaired. In Toronto it sounds like a little chirping bird. I recorded it, it's just a very short audio-sample, because I failed to do a better one on youtube. (The picture is Honest Ed's shopping mall at Bloor St West/ Bathurst St., another thrilling story to come soon)

re-cycle

What Torontonians really like (recently): riding a bike and going green. First thing is mastered with the BIXI stations, Toronto's public bike system. Second is met by several stores that trade only local/regional products and the waste separation of the city, which can be described as a "garbage role model" to the world. Really, it's been taken seriously. Toronto is the greenest city I know when it comes to evironmental issues. It's so green, they wouldn't allow mushroom clouds on a label of a beer bottle (True story, more about that another time)
Watch out, there is a puddle, would you please jump...

Grab The Grid!

All you need to know about what is going on in Toronto: "The Grid", a weekly newspaper full of reviews, columns, events and the latest chitchat in the city. It's free! You can get it all over town, mostly at boxes nearby subway or streetcar stations.

And look what I found this morning!

My new favourite band is in concert in Toronto at the Air Cananda Center. I finally get to go (because hockey matches are sold out in advance and prices for remaining seats are absurd). Hooray!

ZINES and Editor-in-Pants

Woke up to sunshine and a blue sky (actually a "first" in Toronto). I thought the day couldn't get any better, until I arrived at the "Canzine". And yes, that is the CN Tower in the background, which I refuse to visit, because a) it is ugly and b) it is 553 metres high (you can go up to 346 metres). And I am not into heights. I wouldn't visit the Eiffel Tower if I was in Paris. Back to the Canzine, ... if you would follow me, please

The typewriter orchestra

Type your heart out! I have been visiting the "Canzine" today, an event hosted by "broken pencil", a magazine of zine culture and independent arts. If you don't happen to know what zines (← click) are, wikipedia can explain it so much better (because I am new to the zine scene myself). Especially I want to note the typewriter orchestra. A new type of music (haha). Could this be any more fun? See me typing like there is no tomorrow after the jump. You might as well...

Zombie me

One of the (many) photographers (freelance/press) took this picture with my camera. That's probably why it turned out so well. Want to see the zombie me?

A lot of heart (and brains too)

There was a couple, who got married before the Toronto Zombie Walk at the meeting point/ zombie fair in Trinity Bellwoods Park. An odd way to say "I do", but it actually made sense, because the couple met at a horror convention and fell in love while working together on the project "Toronto Zombie Walk". And while all dead things must come to an end, why not a happy one: About 7000 zombie-friends witnessed their matrimonial bliss. Want to see the newly deads and costumes, costumes, costumes? (Warning: not for the faint-hearted)

scarface

This morning in full costume and make-up, but without the certain amount of blood, that was generously donated and applied by the Zombie-Walk-Team. This was the funniest event ever, I took zillions of photos. I got a lot of compliments, especially for my forehead scar and the teeth (which are Avatar-teeth as the assistant at the Halloween-shop told me. I have never seen the movie, I just thought, those are really, really scary teeth) Well, I made two kids cry in the streetcar, which was actually a little awkward, because I had to get there somehow and most people in Toronto know about the Zombie Walk, it is kind of an institution, but the little ones, they were unfortunately uninformed. Smiling at them made it even worse. To my surprise there were a lot of kids at the Zombie Walk itself. I will sort and upload the pictures, which might take a minute or two and then I will give you the creeps. Beware!

Gory, gory, hallelujah

She is back, she is hungry and she is not staying 6 feet under any longer!
I am gonna be such a smokin' hot zombie, you will say "to die for" :)

Chinatown

Finally made it through Chinatown (not eating did the trick). Well, it's mostly shops, vegetables, fruits, ginseng, meat, stuff I don't recognize at all, clothes, restaurants and did I mention the Hello-Kitty-overkill? It wasn't really my thing.

Did you just see a ghost?

A little sneak peek of my costume, which I will wear tomorrow, as Toronto takes a bow to the undead with the famous "Toronto Zombie Walk". With the zombie registration number #5429 I will gladly participate in that pre-halloween spectacle. For those of you, who are not afraid, you can see the scary crowd at torontozombiewalk.ca. And of course I will take some pictures of the spook. But be warned, because this is for sure: There will be blood and I will haunt the shit out of you... *evil laugh*

Horton hears a "who?"

"Tim Hortons" is everywhere. You can't go anywhere in Toronto without facing the bright red sign of the coffee-shop. I asked myself frequently, who is this guy? As I found out, he played hockey for the Maple Leafs, then opened the eponymous chain in 1964. He is dead already, but he must have died a rich man. Today you can get bagels, donuts, sandwiches, soups and stuff like that too. The shops are (mostly) open 24/7. There is one in walking distance, where I got a french vanilla capuccino in "large" this morning (and they mean LARGE) for 1,90, which is 1,40 Euro. Try getting a coffee at starbucks for that price. And they know their business, they got famous for selling the cut out middle pieces of donuts as "Tim Bits". What actually happens to the hole-pieces from Bagels? Can one turn that into capital as well? I am still thinking about it... ("Hole-Bread", "Hole in one", "Bread Bit"... I already have a name for it, that's a start!)

She must be sick or something... Pictures

Squirrel is late for the bus...


Because I feel sick and tired and bored of watching just another episode of Greys,
the following entry contains a lot of left-overs. Pictures are totally random, there is no connection and there is no story. So no booing!