Toronto
Staying at Tristan's place near little India in Toronto, Ontario, has been a welcome respite from hostels and tedious bus trips. We've been hanging out, drinking coffee and watching old Sonic Youth videos.
Tristan's packing for his voyage to eastern Europe so I spent yesterday strolling through the down area and waterfront. Toronto is not as immediately captivating as Montreal for the tourist. Tristan insists that it's an awesome place to live and after glancing at the telephone-book like weekly street press I can see what he means. There's tonnes going on here. Also, the city is a real melting pot of cultures unlike mono-French Montreal. Toronto is the economic powerhouse of Canada and a very significant Nth American centre. Lonely Planet tells me that 50% of the US population is within a day's drive of Toronto(!).
Negotiating the concrete jungle was mildly depressing yesterday, although a certain 'essence' reminds that that I'm still in Canada. I don't feel as on edge as I was in London, NY or LA where I felt like fleeing to an ashram after a couple of days! Still, I'm quite jealous of Mutsumi, my travelling companion in the Martimes who is still hiking around northern Quebec. All I've got ahead of me for the next couple of weeks is more big cities. Oh well, that was my plan and I'm sticking with it.
My most serious vice is starting to overwhelm me - books (nobody calls me Mr Excitement). Cool book stores draw me in like neocons to an SUV and I'm still loading up with tommes that are a crushing weight on my slender shoulders when I strap on my pack. Tristan and I went to this big literary festival at Toronto's Queens' Park on Sunday. Tristan's just finished his training in librarianship so it looks like he may become my 'dealer' one day. I've told him to not be surpirsed if I show up to his place of work one day, disshevelled, 5 day growth, needing my 'hit'...His housemate Mickey has a big pile of books by the Beat writers. It's probably dangerous for a homeless, overeducated boy to start reading Bukowski...nah!
Last night I got to meet members of 'The Dears' who are currently the biggest indie band in Canada. These guys are huge - on the cover of NME in Britain, handpicked by Morrisey to tour with him etc. I rolled out of bet this morning and saw them being interviewed on MTV. Mickey is a musician and has been friends with them for awhile. They're playing Toronto tonight. I didn't really chat with any of them but just nursed a beer silently while Mickey was given a crash course in dos and don't on tour.
MG
On the Ipod: Sonic Youth 'Rather Ripped'
Tristan's packing for his voyage to eastern Europe so I spent yesterday strolling through the down area and waterfront. Toronto is not as immediately captivating as Montreal for the tourist. Tristan insists that it's an awesome place to live and after glancing at the telephone-book like weekly street press I can see what he means. There's tonnes going on here. Also, the city is a real melting pot of cultures unlike mono-French Montreal. Toronto is the economic powerhouse of Canada and a very significant Nth American centre. Lonely Planet tells me that 50% of the US population is within a day's drive of Toronto(!).
Negotiating the concrete jungle was mildly depressing yesterday, although a certain 'essence' reminds that that I'm still in Canada. I don't feel as on edge as I was in London, NY or LA where I felt like fleeing to an ashram after a couple of days! Still, I'm quite jealous of Mutsumi, my travelling companion in the Martimes who is still hiking around northern Quebec. All I've got ahead of me for the next couple of weeks is more big cities. Oh well, that was my plan and I'm sticking with it.
My most serious vice is starting to overwhelm me - books (nobody calls me Mr Excitement). Cool book stores draw me in like neocons to an SUV and I'm still loading up with tommes that are a crushing weight on my slender shoulders when I strap on my pack. Tristan and I went to this big literary festival at Toronto's Queens' Park on Sunday. Tristan's just finished his training in librarianship so it looks like he may become my 'dealer' one day. I've told him to not be surpirsed if I show up to his place of work one day, disshevelled, 5 day growth, needing my 'hit'...His housemate Mickey has a big pile of books by the Beat writers. It's probably dangerous for a homeless, overeducated boy to start reading Bukowski...nah!
Last night I got to meet members of 'The Dears' who are currently the biggest indie band in Canada. These guys are huge - on the cover of NME in Britain, handpicked by Morrisey to tour with him etc. I rolled out of bet this morning and saw them being interviewed on MTV. Mickey is a musician and has been friends with them for awhile. They're playing Toronto tonight. I didn't really chat with any of them but just nursed a beer silently while Mickey was given a crash course in dos and don't on tour.
MG
On the Ipod: Sonic Youth 'Rather Ripped'
posted by Matt G at 9:09 AM
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