Canada Blooms: The Toronto Flower & Garden Show is happening at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on March 9-13. Discount tickets are available at Sobeys stores across the city.

I’m not much of a greenthumb. Truth be told, I once came close to killing a lucky bamboo plant. No real science there, just add water right. But I’m totally open to glimpsing any sign of spring in any shape, manner or form. This should be a great way to spend an afternoon indoors, especially if its as cold as it is today. I’ll be toting my digital camera to take pictures of pretty, colourful blooms. Who knows I may just find myself a new hobby!

I was walking to the TTC station today and I gave a five dollar bill to the TTC operator and asked for change. I told her to give me 2 toonies and a looney because I had a quarter on me. The lady then reminded me of the new fare - $2.50.

My reaction?

“My ride to a stop 6 blocks away in less than 10 minutes costs more than my medium double double and Chocolate Chip muffin from Tim Hortons!!”

Other reaction that I heard in the station?

“Wow.. that could have bought me 36 timbits and I would still have change at Timmys!!”

“TTC fares are the only thing that has increased right? Is a medium triple triple still $1.41? Hahahha….”

We’re really Canadian, eh? =)

Last month, Shy posted about her increasing frustration with drivers who insist on talking on their cell phones while attempting to drive. That’s road rage waiting to happen! I too have had it up to here with drivers who feel the need to chat it up and who seem to be oblivious to the fact that other cars share the same road. I’ve had to resist the urge to shout out unladylike things to drivers who drive at a turtle’s pace in the PASSING lane, for crying out loud! What is up Toronto drivers?

In a city with perpetual rush hour traffic conditions and high insurance premiums, you would think that there would be a major clamp down on cell phone use on our busy streets. I’ve lived in several major American cities where it is illegal to use a cell phone in your car without a headset. If that bylaw exists here, I don’t see it being observed much.

Um, so who do we write about this?

Last night, my friend mentioned to me, “Shy… at your daughter’s birtday party… the amount of mixed kids totally dominated over the chinese kids.”

I thought about it for awhile, “Really?”

“Yeah. It was kind of cool… Only in Toronto…”

My friends are mainly chinese as I grew up in a heavily populated chinese sector of Toronto. Yet growing up, none of us truly had any qualms about dating outside of our ethnicity.

With Toronto being blessed with so many different race and culture, I must admit that I’ve just gotten use to not really thinking about so many interracial families. Especially in my group of friends where there’s quite a bit of asian-caucasian children.

However, I did wake up this morning, lying in bed, wondering how many other cities in North America are like Toronto in this matter. Surely we are not the only city. I would assume that some of the big cities in Canada have a rising number of interracial mixes.

What about that of the states? New York perhaps? San Francisco?

Huh.

I went to Dora Keogh’s last week with some friends. While waiting for everyone else to arrive, two of us sat there, chatting, and a lady approached us. She said she was not from Toronto, and that her guide book said that Dora’s was like a typical Irish pub, that you have to order your drinks at the bar. My dad is Irish, and I have been to Irish pubs in Ireland and Canada, (and one in Germany LOL) but I did not know about this particular quirk of Irish pubs. I never noticed, because I always order from the bar anyhow; I’m probably too impatient.

That particular night, the snug was packed with happy party people; I had to poke my head into the enclosed area in order to see if my friends had sat down there, and it was packed with a group of friends who I could safely bet were not Irish at all. I felt kind of ethnic, thinking that people were coming to enjoy the Irish pub ambience. From my vantage point, I’m not sure I could define what that ambience is.

As it’s been mentioned in the two previous posts, far be it for me to neglect CMW. My problem as a music nerd is that I haven’t figured out the whole “How to be in multiple places at the same time” dilemma. So here in brief are five reasons that keep me from leaving the house tonight, if only because picking which show to go to would make me insane. I offer them to you because hopefully you’re reading this and looking for something to do.

1. 12am at the Horseshoe local genii the illuminati
2. 12am at Lee’s Japanese garage punk heroes Guitar Wolf
3. 12am at Healey’s it the Psychotic 4. I don’t know much about them but am banking on their apparent similarities to bands like “Faster Pussycat, Black Halos, New York Dolls”
4. 1am at the Elmo (downstairs) its Damon and Naomi. Hey, that’s two thirds of Galaxie 500, can’t go wrong with that!

If that’s not enough you could always check out Optimo. They’re Scottish and even more fantastically they’re named after a Liquid Liquid song(!!!) They’re playing the Supermarket (268 Augusta) tonight for $8

Mmmmmm good music…Argh! All at the same time!!!

Get out there…

Canadian Music Week is here. Going to see The Illuminati and Jersey tonight at the Horseshoe. I believe the cover is $8. Should be a blast. If you can’t make Thursday’s show check out other stars of tomorrow on any of the many CMW stages around the city!

Revolver… I’ve only heard the best about this Toronto upcoming band.

Catch them tomorrow night at Montana’s (upstairs) at 12:30am, located at 145 John Street at Richmond. Their show is part of the Canadian Music Week.

Their CD released a couple of weeks ago and people are already making orders for it at HMV as well as other franchised music chains. I’ve seen their video as well which can be found at their website - www.revolvertv.com.

I haven’t heard them live yet but have been told that their concert at the Phoenix completely blew the crowd away.

Evidently, I have heard the guitar player, Gene Scarpelli, play live in previous performances before he joined up with Revolver.

One word… TALENTED. That’s all that needs to be said.

If you go, say ‘hi’ to Gene for me.

I went to a relatively new restaurant on Queen St. yesterday called EAST! It’s located right across from CityTV and looks almost like Spring Rolls. I used to be a fan of Spring Rolls.. until it started opening up more outlets around the city and the quality of the food started to drop as well. Not a big fan anymore

East! concentrates their food on Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, but the dishes offered are quite different from Spring Rolls. They offer a variety of dim sum and being a big fan of Malaysian food, I was excited to know that they have Malaysian dishes cooked in Belachan! (Shrimp paste!) My friend who was with me had a vietnamese dish with beef and mango, while I had the Malaysian curry laksa. The portions were huge and the taste? Scrumptious! I thought the Malaysian curry Laksa was not very authentic, but it was still tasty nonetheless. We both ordered their Exotic Mango Milkshake and that was DELISH! One of the best milkshakes I’ve had in a while. Their desserts are REALLY good as well. We had their Ice Volcano which were fried lotus paste buns served with mango ice-cream and their Raspberry White Chocolate Creme Brulee. WOW! I would go here just for their desserts!

There are still alot of dishes I have yet to try.. but my first impression is pretty good. We spent a total of $40.00CAD for the meal which I thought, was pretty decent! I would recommend everyone to give EAST! a try and I really hope they don’t start opening chains around Toronto as well!

OK - after griping about the weather here yesterday, I have to give some love back to T.O. When you get a nice overnight snowfall, and it isn’t -30C the next day, there isn’t another city in the world I’d rather be in than T.O.
- the slosh, slosh, slosh sound of people’s boots at King station
- the wheels of the streetcar as it cuts through the slush
- the homeless guy taking in triple earning from passers-by who feel the love
- the delivery guys on bikes, too stubborn to go it by foot, with water all the way up their backs
- the way a crowd of people can move in unison, like a school of fish, as a truck is about to send a spray of water their way from the street
- the old guy shuffling along who is suddenly transformed into an olympic athlete, long-jumping his way from the curb, over the puddle in his path, as he crosses the street
- the fact that the strictly regulated parking at Finch station is a complete free-for-all once snow blankets those crisp yellow lines