Thursday, 25 December 2008
5 December 2008
On the TTC. I got on the TTC at St. Clair Station, heading north. As I had just finished a choir rehearsal, I pulled out my music to review what we've done. An old Chinese man of about 80 years or older sat diagonally across from me with a big suitcase beside him. He had pointy ears and wore very round plastic glasses. He is either not well off or of the mentality that anything can be fixed because the sides of his glasses were held together by clear tape. He was wearing a dark raincoat with the words "raincoat" in Chinese written on the back.
He asked me in English: "Chinese?" I nodded, thinking that he was lost and needed help. His Mandarin accent was extremely heavy and I thought at first he was asking me about my music. I opened the score for him, pointed at the text, and said: "Latin." Obviously that was the wrong answer because he shook his head and continued talking. Finally I realized he was telling me to go to some Chinese dance performance. I think he tried to get me to buy tickets from him but I politely declined and said that January will be a busy month for me.
He then pulls out a small, yellow-orange book from his suitcase. He opens it to the front page, where there was a photo of a rather normal-looking man in a dark suit. But the photo itself looked odd, as in the too-many-flowers-in-the-background propaganda kind of odd. He continues talking. He then flips to the 2nd page of the book where there were many Buddhist symbols. My ears, working hard to strip away his heavy accent, think he's talking about heaven and hell. And yes indeedy, he was talking about heaven and hell because he then tried to get me to join the Falun Gong.
4 December 2008
Queen Street, Toronto. Mother showing daughter the wonders of the Bay's Christmas window.
Thursday, 20 November 2008
20 November 2008
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
17 November 2008
The Path. Extended Hallowe'en or some sort of dress-up day at school? Father pushes boy and sister in buggy. Boy holds large fuzzy rattle and girl holds teddy bear. Boy wears a dark eyepatch and a black tricorne with a white skull emblazoned on the front. Girl holds her tricorne in her hand. Neither seems particularly keen to be decked out like this.
13 November 2008
Spraypainted on the sidewalk, Queen Street. For the Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 16.
Finch Station. While commuters are hurrying off to work, the pigeons chuckle.
11 November 2008
On the TTC: "It is better to find those things out in a book than in the alleyways of Vancouver." [beat]
3 November 2008
Downtown Toronto. Two giant cardboard boxes. Someone's house.
31 October 2008
Bayview Village. Donald Duck costumed kid carrying a Donald Duck doll!
17 October 2008
Downtown Toronto. Elderly couple. Woman in big blue overcoat. Man, hunched, wearing paperboy cap. Staring at the arches of the Brookfield (BCE) Place while businessmen in somber suits scurry along Bay Street.
14 October 2008
Downtown Toronto. Homeless man sleeping with a blue blanket on a mattress on the sidewalk in front of a posh restaurant during morning rush hour.
10 October 2008
On the TTC. Man reading "Ways to control the growth of algae."
On the TTC. Is he interested in her magazine or her plunging neckline?
At a dimsum restaurant. Man stands erect, wearing poufy leather pants, a royal purple velvet blazer, and a golden "100%" pin, waiting for a table.
At a dimsum restaurant. Man stands erect, wearing poufy leather pants, a royal purple velvet blazer, and a golden "100%" pin, waiting for a table.
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