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!

Haunted House DIY

Braiiiiiins! Today I woke up as a real zombie, I felt the cold coming over the last two days, today it hit with full force. I have a drugstore just 50 metres away, when I can get myself to leave the bed, I will see what they offer for anti-zombie-medication. Some more pumpkin impressions for you while I try to get better. Braiiiins! Sorry, did I say that?

While we still have health care

I laughed so hard, I cried: Ad at "Dangerous Dan's Diner" on Queen St East (Riverdale)

I art Toronto ♥

Today I was visiting the exhibition "Chagall and the Russian Avant-Garde" in the Art Gallery of Ontario. And because I have a press card, I got in there for free. 25 Dollars, SAVED! I could have done a happy dance on the spot, but decided against it. I never thought I would get away with it, because it didn't work in London a couple of years ago (the press card not the happy dance)

Cheers, Canada!

It can't get any more canadian from this part :) I will drink to that, but it took a while to figure things out. Buying alcohol is not very easy in Toronto. Canadian/Ontario law seems to be even stricter than the US. You can't buy any alcohol in grocery stores or convenience stores. You get beer at "the beer store", which looks pretty much like a pharmacy, but well, you see the difference. Also, it has no beer boxes or bottles in it. There is a desk (where you will line up to be served) and a lot of signs telling you the prices of premium, imported or whatever-is-on-sale-brand beer. When its your turn, you will go to the shop assistant (you can drop empties as well) and tell exactly what you want. You can choose from a single bottle to what seemed like several boxes. During this whole process you actually feel like a somewhat methadone-patient. I guess, thats the purpose. It's alright for me, because teenager should not get wasted all the time and really nobody should. You can only buy wine and booze at a LCBO store (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I have seen exactly one LCBO store during my entire journey, but I wasn't really looking for one, so they might be more common. Ok, enough with all the laws and awes. Because I am in Canada I ordered "Canadian"!I am not really an expert on beer, but thats not too good. It should be labeled "sparkling", there is too much gas in it. Well, I will stay sober and silly just like that.
Cheers, however!

Moving on

Sorry for posting so late, but I had to move today :) Ricky was already gone, so no teary farewell, but I am a still a little sad, because I had the (at least from my point of view) most amazing gift for him. A Volkswagen for all his pens and markers. 100 % made in Germany, I bought it at "Werkhaus" which is located in the Modulor-building in Berlin Kreuzberg. They do have a lot of great stuff there, all made out of recycled papers. Just a hint if you are already looking for christmas gifts. Ricky and I communicated a lot over his computer, because I was mostly gone over the day and he had to work. He left the funniest messages, a picture behind the cut.

Living la vida local

If you live like a local, you have to do your laundry like a local as well. There are a lot of laundromats in this area, because having a washer/dryer at home is not the standard equipment. When you live in a condo, there is usually an own laundromat for the people living in the apartments/building. In Rickys little house there is simply no space for it. But luckily there is "Papas Laundry" just around the corner at Queens. A little pricey (3$ to wash, 25 cents for 4 minutes using the dryer), but close. And you get the single-dose pack of tide at every convenience store of your choice.

I just want to come clean with everybody, interested?

I am in glove!

Canadians do love shopping. I try not to become too canadian at that part, but I couldn't resist buying a pair of these gloves, which I wanted since the Winter Olympics 2010, but they were sold out all over the country. My host (Ricky, you should know him by now), told me that everyone went totally crazy about them and Canadians really got into the spirit of the Olympic Games. So Canada got a "Wintermärchen" :) Did anyone not see the hockey-finale USA vs. Canada? Just the memory gives me goosebumps. Go watch it on youtube!

Beach, baby!

The beach, also known as "the beaches", is a lovely neighbourhood, a seaside resort which has retained the charm of the days, when it has been a summer hideaway (at about 1900) for the Toronto population. It has a three kilometer boardwalk at the waterfront of Lake Ontario, which I was happy to walk all the way. Doing a hell lot of walking recently, but that's the only chance to avoid becoming obese in no time. (Oh, do I love pumpkin muffins!)

Walk with me, click

OMG

I can't believe it, is this actually THE sun? Hooray. Because somebody will go to THE beach today (thats a suburb, no swimming, I promise. Lake Ontario here I come)

The apple fairy

If this whole journalism thing is not working out for me, I will open the first caramel apple store in Berlin.

More deadly sins behind the cut...

Riverside rocks!

Shortbread! Welcome to Mary McLeods: once you step in, you are hooked! It smells fantastic, the cookies are delicious and did I mention the neat decoration? My english is not good enough to describe it. This little shop is a cookie wonderland (639 Queen St. East)
Riverside is the area where I am staying right now, I will show you some of my favourite places (yet, there are more to come for sure)

I got the Blues

Yesterday I went to see a football game. Because the pro-season is already over I went to see the Varsity Blues, Torontos university team. That was really awesome, regarding I have absolutely no clue about football. The Blues mascot, of course, a squirrel! Or something like that. What I thought even more amusing: the commentator did actually commercials like "Don't forget students can save 10 percent on this and that or "pizza pizza, Toronto varsity blues only real pizza". Hilarious. And something publishers in Germany might consider as well, they always thanked the audience for supporting their advertisers. That made it actually bearable. Subtext: "Thank you for supporting our advertisers, yeah we are annoyed ourselfs, but hey, pizza pizza is paying for our chearleaders pom poms".

mi casa es tu casa

"I have been walking to casa loma"
WALKING?
"Yes, it only took me 2 hours to get there"*

*coffee break included

So, no kidding, I love walking instead of taking the streetcar/subway, it's the greatest way to explore a new city. Ok, I didn't really expect it to take two freakin' hours, but well, estimating distance has never been one of my strong points.

Freud is watching

A lot of people ask me how I am doing and I really can't say, but this foto kind of pictures it.
And it looks like the couch is eating me :)

mirror, mirror

Purchase of the day: Hair dryer. You always forget something. But it was only 14,99 $, bargain. And yeah, I am wearing glasses now, trying to get over my insane vanity. And because something with my retina changed over the last five years, at least my optician told me, and thats caused by wearing contacts too often. I don't want to go blind, so glasses make a comeback this year. And yeah, that's my room. The host is an artist and there are a lot of very cool paintings in the house, very colorful, not that I mind :) I have a favourite, I will ask him, if I can blog a picture of it.

Epics

Epic is a word I read a lot today, "epic sale", "epic guaranty", so I will show you my
personal choice of epics from today. I am, again, very tired, therefore I will keep it short.
By the way, this is the epic little house I told you about yesterday