Days 29 and 30: Two Rest Days in Toronto

I’ve been staying at Don’s house for two days now. Not sure how many more days I’ll spend here. It’s nice to be “settled” again now that I’m not biking.

Two days ago, Don and I went to the bike shop again so Thomas, the bike mechanic, can take a look at Don’s old bike. The front derailleur wasn’t working when I looked at it. Thomas didn’t do much work to the bike except he put the front gear to the middle so that it’s easier to ride and charged nothing to Don.

In the afternoon, I decided to take a walk to the nearby Colonel Samuel Smith Park and took some photographs of the Toronto skyline.

When I came back to the house I chatted with Don’s neighbors, Doug and Judy, and two of their friends. It seems like many Canadians actually spend the time to talk to their neighbors, which is very unlike the US. Many of them don’t even lock their doors. I feel Canada is like the United States, but friendlier and kinder, with free healthcare and better social support systems.

Don made burgers again. I had two this time. We chatted more about Canada and Don told me about a Broadway play called Come From Away that I had never heard of before. It’s about a small Canadian town called Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador that hosted 7000+ unexpected passengers on the day of September 11, 2001, when the planes had to divert from US airspace and land in Gander. The town saw its population more than double in one day. The residents of Gander all got together and hosted the foreigners until they were able to leave. It’s a story about Canadian hospitality and friendship. I feel that’s the quintessential friendly nature of most Canadians.

Yesterday, I decided to visit downtown Toronto. I opted not to ride Don’s bike since it’s not mine and I don’t feel comfortable riding it. I took the street car instead, but it was slower and took me an hour and half to get to downtown.

I took some photographs of the Toronto Old City Hall, which is a building that’s built in the Richardsonian style. I also went to the nearby current city hall, which is composed of two semi circular buildings. Then I had a guided tour inside the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and saw the legislators vote on a resolution.

I wanted to go to the Royal Ontario Museum since it has a cool architecture, but like most museums, it’s closed on Mondays. I walked farther north to see Casa Loma and the Spadina Museum before walking back down to Kensington Market district.

I had contacted Ben, the Warmshowers host whom I was supposed to stay with. I felt bad for ditching him to stay with Don. Ben and I met at Pamenar cafe and immediately I felt the friendliness of yet another Canadian. Ben just completed a bicycle tour in Japan. He seemed to be very popular at the cafe since he knew every worker there. He even paid for my tea, and a Jamaican patty that he really wanted me to try.

Ben became my tour guide at Kensington Market, a vibrant neighborhood that reminded me a lot of St. Marks Place and the East Village in New York City. People say that Toronto is like New York, but cleaner. I have to agree. Over half of the people in Toronto are immigrants, which made me feel very comfortable to be in.

Ben and I met two tattooed girls as we were taking a photo by a garden made from a car. One of the girls had beautiful light blue eyes. We later saw them again at another cafe. How serendipitous!

Serendipity is a word that I’ve been using a lot lately. It’s also the name that I gave to my bicycle before I started my trip. I think meeting Don through a car accident was serendipitous. And seeing those girls again was serendipitous. Meeting people on Warmshowers and Couchsurfing is serendipitous. I feel I’ll make many friends on this bike tour.

After visiting Kensington Market, I walked to the base of the CN Tower near the waterfront. I’ve been there before in 2004 so I didn’t feel like going up there again.

It took me a while to get on the street car back to Don’s place since the 508 street car never showed up even though Google Maps kept on saying one is coming. Forty-five minutes later, I ended up getting on a different street car on a different street to get back to Don’s neighborhood.

Just as I was walking on the sidewalk I saw a dying sparrow. I picked it up and hold it in my palm, hoping to save it once I arrive to Don’s. Unfortunately, it died just as I got back to the house.

Don asked me how I got to be so sensitive since the day before I also saved a spider. I think I must have gotten it from my grandma when she was raising me in Beijing.

Don and I talked more on his front porch looking out into the lake. I told him what I thought about life and that we are all gods with a lowercase G. We can choose to create or destroy, like God. Most people choose to be kind while others choose to be cruel. It’s those latter people who need the most help.

I feel Don still doesn’t understand why I’m bicycling around the world because he kept asking me why. My reply to him was “Why not?” He thinks it’s too hard and too lonely. But I said that to eat an elephant you have to use a spoon, so you take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Also meeting new people, such as Warmshowers hosts, makes me less lonely.

Don also saw Joan’s comment from my previous blog post and said that yes he’s the stereotypical, old, white guy with a honey in The Philippines, but he’s not lonely since he has so many friends. I had to confess to Don that I was feeling weird about an 83 years old man dating a much younger girl in a poorer country, but then I thought what if the genders were reversed. If an older lady dated a young Jamaican man I’d be happy for her. Why do I feel disgusted when an older man dates a younger girl in another foreign country. Who am I to judge other people if they are not breaking the law and they are consenting adults? Don told me that he truly loves his girlfriend and he appreciates her so much. I’m happy for both of them.

This morning, I woke up with a new personal record of 3:40 AM. I’m not sure what to do today, but I have been chatting with many of my friends who had learned about my accident. I feel very fortunate to have so many caring friends who replied with texts and phone calls, even some people I had just met a few days ago.

Life! Isn’t it wonderful?

Morning squirrel feeding time

Kra Pao Thad lunch at Nimman Thai Cuisine

Toronto skyline from Colonel Samuel Smith Park

This squirrel has gotten more friendly with me.

Toronto's new street car

Finally had poutine, though it's heavy on the potatoes.

Toronto Old City Hall

Toronto City Hall at Nathan Phillips Square

A war memorial

Winston Churchill statue

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Inside the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Outside Legislative Assembly of Ontario there was a rally.

Gardiner Museum

Royal Ontario Museum

Bata Shoe Museum

Spadina Museum

Casa Loma

The view of downtown Toronto 

Kensington Market bike racks are cool!

Ben and I

A typical store in Kensington Market

Cool murals

First time having a Jamaican patty.

View of Kensington Market from the balcony of Ben's apartment

Statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Chinatown

The CN Tower

Another view of the CN Tower from the base

Poor bird on its last breath