a day at the seaside.

Of course since we are in Toronto it isn't actually the seaside but the lakeside, yet Lake Ontario is kind of big so you could be forgiven for getting confused. And what a lovely day to wander along the waterfront...a little cold still for an ice-cream and certainly too cold for a swim, but even so it was the beach, and I love the beach. Sand and water and seagulls and fresh air...it just makes me happy. Admittedly, it had nothing on our beaches (as I have told every Canadian I have met 'you guys have the mountains, we have the beaches') but after almost 6 months of winter, a day at the seaside, with sunshine, was amazing.



But also, tonight is my last night at 167 Wallace Avenue. A little sad, I must admit. I love the fact that this neighbourhood, with all its crazy and bizarre people of every ethnicity, interesting stores and really cheap food, was the first real place I lived out of home...despite everybody telling me how 'sketchy' it is. I'm going to miss living a stone's throw from awesome cafes and the colourful people I saw everyday....I mean, a street where you can see a woman practicing hula-hoop in her frontyard on your way home is worth all the late night police sirens, for sure.
No more wandering to the fruit market for my morning apple, or to the local bakery for a Portuguese custard tart for only 95cents, or down to my favourite cafe for waffles, a coffee and some awesome beats. Goodbye. I had fun.

another rainy day.

Another rainy day in Toronto; the perfect weather to stare wistfully out at from the comfort of your bedroom window whilst you lie in your pyjamas and dream of lovely, sunshiny summer days. Add some toast with peanut butter and a few episodes of Friends and it's the perfect wintry Sunday.
This is the sort of weather that encourages complete laziness and it being Sunday, that's about as much as my body can muster. It's always reassuring when the weather matches your energy level so completely...there is nothing worse than wanting to crawl under your quilt and put a pillow over your head while the sun shines through the window, a slight breeze rustles the curtains and you can hear sounds of a barbecue at your next door neighbours house. Those occasions harbour a feeling of disgust that you are hiding inside when it's such a beautiful day and to drive it away you force yourself out of the house for a wander around the garden, stay outside for five seconds and race back to your bedroom. There is no enjoyment in those days....they are wracked with guilt and vague suspicions that you might not be getting as much out of life as you should be.
Fortunately for me, today the weather is so wonderfully crappy that the only way to appreciate it is through a bedroom window, so even if I was feeling up to the task of actually walking around, there is no way I'd want to go outside.
So now I am just going to go back to enjoying my guilt-free, rainy Sunday with all the laziness it deserves. Perhaps a cup of tea and a nap....

museum visit.

So yesterday I succumbed to one of my first quintissential touristic activities in Toronto- the museum trip. I will admit to gasping with indignation at the admission fee (small town girl that I am, I was boasting all the way to the cashier that 'in Adelaide, our museum is free') but I paid up and entered The Royal Ontario Museum.
Three floors of museumy fun...my short attention span baulked at the amount of time I would have to spend here in order to get my money's worth. But after looking at the 'indigineous people' section (I always go here first, out of a sense of duty or something) I found one of my favourite sections, where I met my new friend...

I call him Franz. And yes, I like the stuffed animal section, I am not ashamed of it. Then off on a mission to find the Egyptian section...on the way I stumbled upon a corridoor of rooms demonstrating the lifestyles of the rich folk, all the way from the early 1500's up to the 19th century. There were parlour rooms and gilted furniture galore. I also learnt why, back in the day, those folks didn't wash...apparently they believed their skin was extremely delicate and to wash it could cause incredible damage. Huh, who knew?

Another exciting find was this poster, displayed in the Oceania section:

Exciting right? I thought so, that's why I took a photo before continuing on my way. Then bingo! My real favourite section, full of mummies, make up and animal gods. Satisfaction. And with that, I decided I had had my fill of looking at really old stuff and headed back out into the sunshine.

jordan's first blog.

So here I am in Toronto still, after gloriously quitting my job and showering my boss with all the reasons he made working there similar to slamming your fingers repeatedly in the car door, wondering how I should fill my remaining days. Slightly broke and well aware that I have another 6 months of travel in which no money making will be taking place, I consider my options. My question 'so, what free things are there to do here in Toronto?' is met with snorts of laughter and looks of pity...the overall reaction 'haha, yeah goodluck.' So nothing, apparently.
After ten days of unemployment in a Toronto winter, my life has taken on similar qualities to that of a uni student...but without the studying. So in essence, complete and utter laziness. Rising at midday, breakfast for lunch, lunch for dinner. Today as my room mate watched me prepare toast and tea at 12.30 in the afternoon, she wondered out loud what time I eat lunch. I told her 5ish...you know, obviously...crazy girl.
But now, thanks to blogger.com, I have a mildly productive activity to fill a portion of my day with in order to convince myself that I am not a total waste of air. Yay!