Thursday, September 4, 2008

These are a Few of my Favourite Things...

Collage, September 1, 2008:

Little Portugal:




(The flag shot is special for Miss Cavendish...)

Architecture Porn:




Drama Queen:


Queen West:



(That's the needle of the CN Tower in the distance...)

Yes, this guy is naked, walking down the street in broad daylight... (And no, I've never seen anything like this.):


18 comments:

  1. That's one heck of a fashion statement in that last shot.

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  2. I have nothing but fond memories of Toronto from a family trip AGES ago. You make me want to go back. Like tomorrow.

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  3. Oh I never knew that Toronto has a Little Portugal. That's interesting, and I wonder how it comes that there is a wide population of Portuguese in Toronto.

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  4. What a great series of photos, particularly that skinny little house, isn't it sweet? As for naked guy, I wonder what happened between putting on a shirt and leaving the house - it must have been a hell of a distraction!

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  5. Yech to that naked guy.

    Hooray to everything else. I am moving to your town, and into your house. I loved every photo.

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  6. Dr. M - Ain't it!?

    CC: Secretly, it's my second favourite kind :-)

    Sal: Come visit. We can shop and eat lots of yummy food!

    F: There is a really large Portuguese community in downtown TO. Just did a little research and, apparently, there are about 13,000 who live in Little Portugal. Of course, TO is extremely diverse so, within that same neighbourhood, there are representatives of (I imagine) practically every nation on the planet. There is particularly a big African and Asian population in Little Portugal. (We also have a Chinatown, Koreatown, Greektown, Little Italy, Little India and many other great cultural communities - all within 5 miles!)

    Cybill: He was obviously not all there and probably homeless. And these idiot frat boys (standing on a roof of one of the storetops, no less) were teasing him in a way I didn't feel was very kind. Not that he really noticed them. PS - I only included this photo because you cannot see his face. (I was concerned about being exploitative.) But I do think it's an amazing kind of thing to come across - and worthy as creative fodder without revealing identity.

    E: I have to disclose that none of the architecture was my house. Though I'd take any of those houses, were they offered. I bet they have renovated bathrooms.

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  7. @k-line: Thanks for the research, it's pretty common to me that in almost every big city in USA or Canda there are certain areas such as Chinatown, Little Italy etc but this was the first time for me to hear something like Little Portugal. That's the reason why I asked. Isn't it fun to live in a melting pot? I like this feeling a lot - to discover different cultures, get in touch with different culture. But still sometimes I do have the feeling that finding the balance between keeping your own culture and get involve with your "new" country is not as easy as it should. Sometimes I have the feeling that a certain number of immigrants like to hang around with their "own people". Understandable to a certain point, but I hope it doesn't develope into partitioning-off.

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  8. I miss Melting pots. Living next door to the real europe, no one ever sees a need to recreate a homeland. And our chinese community has only been her 10 years.
    that poor homeless guy. I hope someone brave took care of him when he went around the next corner. (I would have been too freaked out) I wonder what he was imagining when he got half dressed?
    cool city K
    xx

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  9. You go from architecture porn to actual porn.

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  10. Apparently there is a large Portuguese population near K-town too?

    Also, I thought Canada was a "mosiac" and the US was a melting pot.. :)

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  11. Toronto looks like Melbourne...minus the naked homeless guy (your likely to see that sort of thing in Sydney)

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  12. F: I love living in a melting pot. I actually live in the most culturally diverse 5 mile radius in the entire world (no joke). In my neighbourhood, I see all colours and cultures. The food is awesome, the festivals lively (though I admit I hate street noise caused by lively festivals), the language exotic. It is a great thing. I don't actually find a lot of self-imposed segregation. Most people can communicate quite well, even when English is not a first (or second) language. Intriguingly, what I notice when I travel (be it as close as Quebec City or to North Carolina where my parents live) I am always struck by how similar everyone seems and looks. I always find that really weird.

    Hammie: I feel for that guy. I didn't know what to do so I was grateful he was walking so fast I couldn't have caught up. I was with Scott and my daughter and she was, on the one hand, intrigued and scandalized and, on the other, really concerned that he was unhinged and without people to care about how he wandered around. So it was quite a sobering lunch conversation.

    Y: That comment is hilarious! Yeah, Little Portugal kind of abuts Koreatown. Do you know the best health food store in the city is in Koreatown (near the Baskin & Robbins at Christie and Bloor)? It has the best selection and amazing prices on everything. It blew my mother away and she's a total Health Food Store Snob.

    IM: I so want to go to Melbourne. Ever since I've started reading all my Aus blogs (stay tuned for a special Aus edition tomorrow, in which you have a special mention), I am so intrigued by your excellent cities. I hear Melbourne is so incredibly fashionable!

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  13. Ha! Thanks for the flag!!

    I'm still not wired, so every blog view, every comment takes at least three tries of about five minutes each, hence my absence. And fugetaboud posting.

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  14. How interesting, never heard about Litlle Portugal... I wonder why...

    Love Drama Queen ;)

    Very nice pictures, lol for the half naked guy.

    Thanks for your compliments.

    xox

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  15. I once saw a totally naked dude trying to dig up a tree with his bare hands in NYC.

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  16. City of my birth! It all looks so lovely, except for the totally naked dude - he looks kind of scary.

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  17. No worries Miss C. Just wanted to know we're thinking of you!

    Wendy: Very bizarre, but I imagine such craziness from those New Yorkers :-) Was it in a totally busy area?

    Thanks Seeker. Your sister doesn't live far from Little Portugal. You were probably there and didn't realize it!

    Skye: You didn't mention you were born here. How intriguing. Do you remember TO at all?

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