Relaxing in Toronto

Toronto is the largest city in Canada, with the longest steet in the world (Young Street) and one of the highest concentrations of shops in the world as well. You really notice this when shopping!

Whats weird is the urban street design. Here the camera and cloths shops mingle easily with the porn supplies and strip clubs. People don't seem to have a problem purchasing their GAP supplies next door to the joint where men are going in to watch 'dozens of women, 100% naked guaranteed'!!! How very very weird indeed!

But still walking down this long long street one does see life in a modern Canadian city. Beggers are surprisingly common and look the same as back home albeit with Canadian accents and those Monty like red jumpers that we all associated with Canada on instead!

Have to admit since the weekend I have done remarkably little here in this city aside from relaxing and watching TV. On Monday night I cooked, no attempted to cook, spagetti bolongaise for Kev and his uncle. We sat around the table and chatted for some time about business, Canada and a range of odds and ends as Jerry (Kev's uncle) had his mate Mark over.

Afterwards headed out to the Halloween parade down the main gay street in th city. It was, I admit, a surreal experience. Here in Canada they like to celebrate, especially Halloween. Back home our idea of celebrating Halloween is putting a horror movie on TV and the occasional nutcase running down the street in some crazy outfit he had made himself, rather poorly I must add. Whereas here they go the full hog! Pretty much everyone out over the weekend was dressed up for the occasion.

What was weird was the manner of the costumes on at the gay street. You had the traditional horror costumes but then you had sailors, storm troopers, bubble people and of course drag queens, and lots of them I must add! It was surreal, like it was an excuse for the gay community to dress up AGAIN for the upteenth time this year! But the spirit of the occasion was great, with everyone having fun, the streets rammed full of people and everyone being very friendly. Even the police joined in and fun, and no they wern't people dressed up as policeman!!!