Mehmet and I have not had much time this spring to explore the city. I’m crazy-busy at work, and Mehmet too. We work different shifts, so our time together each day is brief and we don’t generally have a whole day free to go out biking or enjoying parks and festivals like we did last year. No complaints – we’re thankful to be working and making up for 2009 when we were living off savings!

I spend a significant amount of time on the subway and streetcar each week, and as I’m walking from one workplace to another I sometimes snap photos with my phone camera. I love little vignettes or snippets of urban life, and there is no end to interesting things to see, even on the go.

And then I use one of my handy-dandy photo-editing apps on my iPhone to play with the effects. It’s lots of fun, with effects like ’sun-kissed’, ‘hipster’, ‘antique’, ‘grunge’, ‘retro’, etc.

And what a challenge to make ‘artsy’ photos with a phone!

Here are some recent ones:

Bikes with flowers are not that uncommon in our neighbourhood. But a pink bike with flowers is special!

I’ve developed a minor crush on the insides of tulips!

An electricity pole.

There are lots of painted murals in the city. This is the small corner of a huge one near our home.

I take the streetcar home at night several days a week. I enjoy just looking at the city streets – even in the rain!

Of course I like people-watching too. Every person is interesting to me.

Awesome!

Art is everywhere.

A Michael Jackson memorial portrait.

On my walk to work one afternoon. I’ve always loved the juxtaposition of old churches in urban centres.

This gate belongs to a home near ours – it’s made of hockey sticks!

Dundas Square

A Japanese maple down the street.

An 200-year old high school near my work.

Green tea after a yummy Vietnamese dinner of Pho!

Lunch in Chinatown

Most excellent!

How weird did I feel, holding my phone to the floor for this picture…

Night ride home on the 306

I took this picture from the subway just before the doors closed.

This was a group of Israelis, protesting against hundreds of Palestinian/Turkish protestors across the street. The chanting and anger on both sides made me feel so sad.

Walking the station one rainy afternoon

I actually really like the look of ‘wrapped’ buses, even though it’s pretty hard-core in-your-face marketing.

Big grass downtown

International students often remark how surprised they are at the number of homeless people in Toronto.

This was during the Olympics:

The elementary school near our home has lots of these hand-painted fish attached to the school yard fence. An accompanying sign says that each fish represents one student who has made a commitment to help take care of the environment.

The Royal Ontario Museum

Toronto Reference Library – view from the 5th floor

And finally, some houseplant love!

We’ve had a strange winter so far here in Toronto. A couple very cold spells, some quite mild spells, but these days the average is about -5 degrees C. What makes it strange is that we’ve had almost no snow! While so many parts of North America seems to be getting hammered with Snowmageddon and Snowpocalypse, I’m starting to get a bit jealous! I think we’d like at least one big snowfall before spring.

Last weekend, Mehmet and I made our way to Nathan Philips Square to see what was happening with the city’s Winterfest celebrations.

This is the skating rink at the square. Remember when we went to see the Christmas lights in December? That was here.

We decided we should come back one day in the next couple of weeks to do some skating. Mehmet really wants to learn, and me… well maybe I can get over my memories of cold, uncomfortable feet in tight skates… just for once. Seriously, my feet were always cold and pinched when I skated as a kid! And I have small feet!

Still… it looks fun, doesn’t it.

What really drew our attention was these fire pillars! They are part of an art exhibit by a group called The Flaming Lotus Girls. From their website:

The Flaming Lotus Girls are a female-driven, volunteer-based group of artists who have been making kinetic, mechanical fire art since 2000. Our work stands at the intersection of sculpture, kinetics, robotics, pyrotechnics, and electronic technology. We create interactive large-scale fire installations that engage viewers and invite them to become part of the art.

It was such an interesting display! As we stood among the columns (there were two groups of them, with fences around each group), suddenly there was a ‘whooosh’ and one of the pillars would have a rush of fire. Then ‘whoosh!’ ‘whoosh’ … all around us, unpredictable.

Those two buildings are the City Hall.

In the middle of the two groups of pillars stood this large steel sculpture that kids were climbing onto and over. Then we realized that they were pushing some funky-shaped metal buttons. Each button corresponded to one pillar. Push the button, and you see a rush of fire. Fun!

Each pillar was connected to a gas line.

Now these guys are dressed for the weather!

There were some other displays too, with a focus on 1800s Canada. This man builds birch bark canoes with the materials that early pioneers and aboriginal Canadians used, and he had a few on display.

I really love canoes (and canoeing)!

We also saw some ice sculptures, but they were not very impressive in my opinion. One day we would love to go to the real Winter festivals in Ottawa or Quebec City!

These tipis had storytelling by native Canadians.  We didn’t go in because there was quite a long line-up.

There was also  a demonstration of some favourite games of early Voyageurs. On the log in bottom right of the picture volunteers could try this activity: Two people sit cross-legged on the log, facing each other, then they try to knock each other off using the cloth sacks filled with other soft material.

There were also some tug-of-war demonstrations and audience participation.

Mmmm!!!

This man first poured some hot maple syrup on the plate of snow…

Then as it immediately started to cool down, he rolled it up on a stick.

Another traditional Canadian snack – Beavertails. These are basically fried dough pastries shaped like a beaver tail. I’ve never had one, actually.

There were these little ‘warming stations’ around the square, where people could stand around a fire and warm up. I thought it was quite funny that they were surrounded by Asians. Poor people, it must take a long time for some of them to get accustomed to our winters!

Just before we left, we watched a performance of Aboriginal dancing. The dancing accompanied a narrated story about ‘The Origin of Fire”. We couldn’t see much from where we were – there were lots of others also interested! – but look, now you clearly can see the sculpture with the buttons that controlled the fire.

At strategic parts in the story, the drum beats would get more intense and then suddenly, “WHOOSH”… all the columns exploded in fire.

Too bad there wasn’t more snow to make it feel more wintery. But I guess the cold temperatures helped take care of that. Before we know it, spring will be here, and the warm weather festivals will commence.

One of my favourite memories as a child was weekly trips to the public library.  We came home with an armload of books and my sister and I would read and read. And read. I have to give the public library huge credit for its role in my love for books.

One of the things I missed most about Canada while overseas was public libraries. Books are expensive enough, but try buying them while overseas in non-English speaking countries! I think one of the biggest investments a developing country can make in their people is by creating a public library system. We are very very blessed in Canada!

There are 99 branches in Toronto, and a bookmobile which stops at apartment complexes, shopping centres and community centres around the city.

This is the largest one, and I just love it. I come here at least twice a week – usually to do tutoring. It’s a reference library, so most books cannot be borrowed. When I take the glass elevator up to the fifth floor, I never fail to be thrilled by the view. Millions of books, hundreds of students doing research or studying together, what’s not to love!

The main floor is where lots of tutoring sessions are held, because there’s no rule about quietness here. There’s a general hum of conversation and it’s such a positive environment for learning.  There are lots of language schools nearby, so it’s common to see students studying English. The top floor has dozens of private desks with audio visual equipment for ESL students who would like to use the audio-visual materials the library offers.

This branch has 220 computers (!) available with Internet for public use, as well as a Learning Centre with 40 computers where they hold the classes. There are printing stations and special computers reserved for people with disabilities.

This room has newspapers from all around the world. Next to this room is a huge room with special desks shaped like a big open book, for people to read newspapers.

Study rooms can be booked for free. These are for two people, but there are some for groups as well. That’s my student Olga on the right! We have access to internet, CD/DVD player, and a nice private area to talk. Isn’t it neat?

There are endless surprises in the library system. Here are my favourites:

1. Museum and Arts Pass – Most library branches give out free family passes to the museums and galleries in the city. One pass can be used for two adults and up to five children. This can be a savings of over $50, and is a program designed to make the arts accessible to everyone.

2. Shakespeare for kids – a free six-week program where children explore Shakespeare, learn to act, make puppets, work on costumes and sets, and do a play!

3. Free wireless at every branch.

4. You can borrow a pedometer from the library!

5. Lots of storytimes! Our local branch has ‘adult storytime’ one evening a week, where adults are read to. At Halloween there was ’scary storytime’ and there are also ‘pyjama storytimes’ for kids in addition to all the other baby, toddler and kids programs.

6. Ask a librarian – you can email, call, or even chat with a librarian on their virtual reference desk if you have a question about a specific book or need help with in-depth research.

7. Endless classes and workshops (all free!)

• Web basics, emailing, Microsoft word
• Computing for seniors
• Homework help for teens
• ESL classes
• Teen interest classes like hip-hop, arts and crafts, creative writing…
• Employment preparation classes (resumes, job search, etc)
• Housing help (accommodation search, tenants rights, etc)
• Nutrition classes
• Mad Science workshops
• Learn how to do geneology
• Financial planning
• Small business workshops
• Manga club
• Game nights
• Local history evenings
• Understanding classical music

Oh I have just scratched the surface. But wow, what great services!

Every month the library system provides a free catalogue with all the activities of the month. And there are always interesting new programs, some based on seasons, holidays, and other campaigns.

Now let me take you to my local branch, about a ten minute walk from our place. This library was renovated recently, and is a beautiful combination of old and new.

This is the second floor in the older part of the building. It’s bright and beautiful!

This is the Teen Zone, with young adult books, DVDs and of course computers.

Now we’re in the new part of the building. It’s bright too, and so beautiful. Along the window there are more of the comfy chairs (you can see them, they’re green) and it’s very easy to just fall asleep in the sun there!

It’s great that there’s a Tim Horton’s across the road too, because guess what! You’re allowed to drink coffee in libraries now! Yay! Books AND coffee? Hello.

Another view of the Teen Zone.

Here you can see the checkout desk below. It’s all computerized! You put your books/DVDs on a pad, and the computer screen immediately shows you the names of them all. You click through the prompts, a slip is printed, and you’re on your way!

This is the magazine area. The comfy chairs have little tables that slide up and across or tuck away. In the evenings these seats are all full of students with laptops!

Internet access is free with a library card (which is free also).

There are study room in this branch as well. This is one of my students ready for her lesson. Look, she bought me a coffee!

There’s a beautiful kids’ area downstairs, with big comfy chairs and cushions, thousands of books, and more. But I didn’t hang out there with my camera.

I go to this branch once or twice a week. When I first got my library card a year ago, I was amazed when they told me I could have ‘up to 50′ books/DVDs out at a time. Fifty!

I have never had that many out, but over the last year, I’ve taken out hundreds of resources. Teaching material, cookbooks, workout DVDs, novels, magazines, lots of stuff! If I am looking for something in particular, I can find it on the library’s internet search system, put in a request, and it’ll be sent to my local branch for pick-up a few days later.

I can’t imagine how much taxpayer money is put into this system, but I think it’s a wonderful investment. Every Toronto citizen has access to books, magazines, newspapers, classes, and all kinds of family programming.

Yay for libraries!

Yesterday one of my students recommended that we go to Nathan Philips Square (City Hall) to help ring in the Christmas season at the Calvalcade of Lights. “It’s tonight – you should go, it’s fun! It makes you enjoy winter!” she said.

And so at the end of my workday, I fought the urge to collapse in our warm apartment.  I successfully convinced my reluctant husband that we should, actually, go out into the cold night and stand for a couple hours while waiting for fireworks. It’s so not Mehmet’s thing, standing around in crowds. But this wasn’t about him. It was about me, and my need to just do something besides work. I needed some photography fodder too!

An off we went.

I’ve been really happy that we haven’t had snow yet. “Don’t you like snow?” everyone asks me. I do! But I know it’s coming, I don’t want to push it.  I really would rather have four months of winter than five. We’ve had such a mild, comfortable November!

It gets dark early these days, though. Wow. This was about 6:45pm. In Malaysia, it got dark early every day too, and it seemed quite strange to me – I associate hot, sunny days with long, light evenings. One of the downsides of living in the tropics is that days are always short.

Anyway, although I dream of the tropics a lot these days, let’s get back to last night.

You can see the people flooding in towards the entrance of the city hall square.

The street was lined with hot dog and sausage carts. It’s such a Toronto tradition!

We made our way through the Fair Trade booth and admired handmade items from around the world.

Once inside the square, we watched the skaters for awhile. Anyone can come and skate here for free – bring your own skates or rent some – it’s a delightful place! The evening’s festivities include the ‘lighting ceremony’, so we’ll come back to this skating rink once it’s all lit up.

See all the people lining the car park overhang there? The whole square was packed! Half a day before this, I didn’t even know about the event, and now that we were here, it seemed all of Toronto was as well!

After waiting for only about 15 minutes of welcomes and announcements from the stage, the whole crowd counted down, and the square was lit up.  You can’t see it in the picture, but as soon as the lights went on, billions of tiny shimmery somethings were released and drifted down around us. Very pretty!

Christmas music, lights, happy families – Olga was right… I was beginning to feel better about winter!

In the background you can see the bright lights and the arches over the skating rink.

Mehmet is always so patient while I wander around taking pictures!

For the next 45 minutes or so, the stage was alive with bands and lights.

In the meantime, people mingled, and everyone was waiting for the fireworks.

It guess it would have looked gorgeous with snow!

We wandered back to the ice rink.

So pretty, isn’t it! It’s not normally packed like this throughout the winter… this was just opening night.

A highlight, of course, was the huge Christmas tree in the square. That’s the city hall there – those two crescent-shaped buildings.

And then, shortly after 8pm… the fireworks started!

It only took a minute or so before the buildings were almost hidden by the smoke!

For me, the best part was that the whole thing was set to beautiful classical music.

There were lots and lots of cheers.  Everyone seemed to love the show.

When it was all done, Mehmet exclaimed that they were the best he’d ever seen.

I think that even though there were none of the massive fireworks that I love, it was really the environment (buildings, Christmas tree, etc) combined with the music that made it so memorable. PLUS, we didn’t have to wait 4 hours like on Canada day. The fireworks started just an hour and a half after we arrived.

Good times! Okay, winter, I guess I”m okay with you coming.

And as always, once we got out there, Mehmet was glad we went.  Besides, he likes to make me happy.

Happy wife, happy life! is what they say.

I’ve lived in several types of climates, and all of them had their own advantages. My favourite was perhaps Brisbane (Australia), which is located in a sub-tropical climate. This means it has four seasons, but winter is short, with temperatures like our autumn. Just enough to pull out the cozy clothes for a few months!

Living near the equator in Malaysia brought sunny, hot humid days – EVERY day. No end. But actually, it was fun in some ways – we were never cold, and the culture definitely reflected the sunny climate. I didn’t have to wear socks or jackets for two years! And e could go swimming in our condo’s pool any day of the year!

Other places I lived had four distinct seasons, much like Canada, though never a winter as harsh or long.

But I’ve never been anywhere with an autumn as magnificent as Canada.

Japan was good, it has to be said, with its beautiful brilliant red Japanese maples on the mountainsides.

But the trees here are just so huge and magnificent!

Oaks and maple, mmmm…

These are all pictures from a bike ride I took through Toronto’s High Park a few days ago.

Last year we came straight from the tropics into the Canadian winter. But this year, we sure are blessed to be ushered into autumn with this spectacular autumn!

I walk through this intersection almost every day.  This is the corner of Avenue Road and Bloor Street, here in downtown Toronto. I never tire of this sight:

You’ve been in this neighbourhood with me already. As I’m taking this photo, behind me is… the Mothership! Here, let me do a 180.

And to the right of me is the bikerack!

Are you all oriented now?

Okay, turn back to the church.

I wonder if the people who walk through this intersection even notice the church anymore. The business people, students, tourists.

“The church is being swallowed up by modern culture.”

“No, no, the church is steadfast and God is present even in the midst of the busy-ness of our hectic lives.”

What’s your take?

Just like with The Mothership, I love the juxtaposition of old architecture coupled with new.

This church is called ‘Church of the Redeemer’. It’s an Anglican church and their first worship service was held in 1871.Wouldn’t you just love to see what the neighbourhood looked like back then?

What?! You would?

Yay! Because look:

from a postcard on wikimedia.org

That was circa 1901. Wow, eh?

These days, there’s a sign in front of the church, and they put quotes on the sign, for passers-by to take note. I’m not sure why they never quote from the Bible, but of course that’s not to say the quotes are not of value. One of my favourites that I’ve seen on their signboard:

Don’t waste time bothering whether you love your neighbour. Act as if you did.  – C.S. Lewis

In Toronto we have so many opportunities every day to love our neighbour. Today I was given the chance to do so. See the red taxicab in the picture above? Right behind it is a hot dog cart with a striped roof. See it?

This afternoon I was rushing through this intersection from the language school to a private lesson at the Metro Library. I had my earphones in and was listening to music while at the same time checking my email on my phone. I heard this yelling through the music and got distracted. I saw this unkempt, middle-aged man pacing back and forth at the corner, yelling to people in general and basically to the whole intersection, “I want a hotdog!! Will anyone buy me a HOTDOG?!” I noticed people watching him and wanting to buy one – you can tell in the way they linger – but people are shy about it. So I went up to him and said, “Okay, I’ll buy you one.”

“Thank you, Miss”, he said, and we made our way over to the cart. I ordered a hot dog for him (at that cart in the photo).

“Can I have a drink too,” he asked, as he eyed the array of pop cans in front of the grill.

“Of course,” I replied, kind of impatiently. My mind was on the student who might be waiting for me.

“Where are you going after this?” he asked.

“Yonge and Bloor,” I told him.

He thought for a moment, then asked boldly, “When you walk past Starbucks, can you buy me a yogurt parfait?”

Hahahaha! I said, “No, sorry… not today.” I paid for his hot dog, wished him a good day, and went on my way.

Like a friend of mine said on Facebook, “You just gotta LOVE that he knows that if you don’t ask, you sure as shootin’ never get.”

A few years ago, the Mothership landed in Toronto. She landed on Bloor Street right across from where I have been teaching part-time the last 6 months or so.

See… this is the view from the building’s lobby.

The first time I went into the teacher’s room, I was amazed by the view. I mean, it’s pretty funky.

Okay, so it can’t compare to the view from the roof of Dad’s house…

Or the view from our apartment in Kuala Lumpur… (sigh)…

But really, from the classrooms at the front of the building and the teacher’s room, this is what we see. I love it!

The mothership landed in the years when I was out of the country – so I was quite surprised to walk down Bloor Street last February and see it!

The teachers say it was a nightmare while construction went on… it took much longer than estimated (surprise!) and of course it was a disturbance for classes.

And reactions to the building of it was mixed, as are reactions today. Like most modern buildings, people generally love it or hate it. I’m betting the person driving this car probably hates it. Or maybe not. I happen to love the green car and the building.

Glass, steel, lines and angles… unique design, intriguing structure… there’s just so much to like!

Add a few tourists to the image and the lines just ‘pop’.

I love walking past it. Especially when the sky is blue! And one must look up to truly appreciate the enormity and beauty.

Seriously, isn’t it beautiful?

But the most fascinating part of this building is the juxtaposition of old and new. See… the new part of the building is attached to the old part!

The original building is about 75 years old… that’s ancient in Canadian years.

It’s pretty too, isn’t it! And as always… look up!

It’s the Royal Ontario Museum (The ‘ROM’).

Yep, the mothership is part of the ROM, our natural history museum. Right now the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display, and I’ve been meaning to go…

It’s been many years since I’ve been to this museum, but there are great things to be seen! Mummies – real ones! And dinosaur skeletons – real ones! I really need to spend a day there with Mehmet soon.

See the brown building on the far left of the picture? That’s where the language school is… where I took the ‘view’  pictures.

Here I’m standing at the corner where I get out of the subway. And you can see the walk to my workplace. On the right of me is the University of Toronto’s varsity field… it’s fun to watch the students practice and compete.

It’s a great neighbourhood to work in!

And by the way… that should be me on the scooter here. I want one so bad! I’m a scooter girl at heart.

A green Vespa… one day.

As we all know, it’s been a rather un-summery type of summer here in Ontario. So having a day on the water to celebrate the sun,  the lake and city views – well, it was perfect!

My brother and his wife

Cynthia's brother and his wife

Cynthia's sister and her husband

Cynthia's sister

A friend of the family

Well, we are definitely taking advantage of our unemployment this nice weather! It’s absolutely divine here these days. Clear skies, lots and lots of sun, and comfortable temperatures. Lovin’ it!

Today we biked down to the waterfront (Lake Ontario).  There has been an ongoing Waterfront Restoration project along the lake and the St. Lawrence River, and now the trails extend 900km! That’s longer than some countries! (coughcoughNETHERLANDScoughcough). It runs from Niagara Falls to Quebec.

This is Sunnyside beach, just south of High Park. It took us about 15 minutes to bike here from home.

Then we biked west. This is called the Etobicoke section of the trail.

There are lots paths and branch-offs, but we kept going along the water. Before long, we were at a pretty scenic spot where we sat and had our picnic lunch. See that long white building behind the sailboat? That’s the beach where we were sitting at about 30 minutes earlier.

This section of trail is the ‘Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat’.

Some boardwalks through wetlands by the Humber River.

We even saw a beautiful white heron.

Now we turn into a piece of land jutting into the lake.

And look! Tomorrow the Toronto International Air Show begins, and all day today the Blue Angels – Hornets from the US Navy – were getting the city excited. We had great views! And ohhhh, the sound!

There was a private little shady beach here, and we were alone most of the time. It’s hard to believe we were just a bikeride from downtown!

As we biked back, the performances continued.

Oh yessss!

It’s impossible to begin describing the thunder and goosebumps, so I won’t.

Anyway, Monday we’re going to the Air Show, so maybe I’ll get some better photos then.

And for those interested in the trail, click on the picture and scroll down the website for an interactive map like this one, where you can click on each city.

Who said city life is all steel and concrete?

The weather was gorgeous, and we enjoyed a picnic by the water.

As a matter of fact, not only was it perfect weather, look at the forecast. Does it get any better?

And all those flowers which were just starting to blossom the last time we were here, are in their end-of-summer glory now.

There are lots of pretty flowerbeds on the island.

I think a lot of people come to the island without a plan to go to the beach, but when they see it, they can’t resist just enjoying the sand and sun for awhile.

Our footprints:

The festival season is almost finished here in Toronto, and we’ve been lucky to make it to quite a few. This past weekend we enjoyed the BuskerFest, where street performers from around the world are hosted in front of St. Lawrence Market for three days. It’s the 10th anniversary of BuskerFest, and over the years they have raised almost 1 million dollars for Epilepsy Research.

This married couple was from Australia. They were funny and entertaining, but I must admit juggling seems like such a cliche act for street performers.

Of course, juggling fire while standing on your husband’s shoulders is a different story.

Not to mention while standing on your wife’s shoulders.

They were definitely a good act for us to start with.

There were all kinds of little activities for kids – face-painting, bouncy castle jumping, and even a good ol’ spin on an acrobat’s swing.

There were tons of people! Each time you left one act, another one was sure to have just started 50 metres down the street. Of course getting a spot where you could see what was happening, that was another story. Me, I just snuck in through the people and sat at the front with the kids.

This man was from Portugal. He didn’t speak at all (just grunted and squawked a bit) and boy did he have the crowd smiling through his whole act. He was truly creative and entertaining.

Of course spectators love it when the crowd is involved, and this performer used a small group of audience members for his whole performance. They were shy but played along, and it made for a great show.

Some of the acts we couldn’t see because of the crowds, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get peeks from a distance!

Chalk art!

But for us, the highlight was this group of breakdancers from the Bronx, New York.

They had it all – incredible talent, non-stop action, and such an ability to woo the crowd!

Good times!

I love people-watching, and one of the best times to do that is when they are completely engrossed in something.

Happy people.

Intrigued people.

Fascinated.

And the setting was definitely beautiful too.

Next weekend… The Hot and Spicy Food Festival at Harbourfront Centre… and then, yeah, I think we’ll be all festival’d out.

Over a million people attend the parade and the parade route is lined with spectators. This was before the beginning, as floats and masqueraders were preparing to enter the route.

MJ sighting!

Yay, the Brazilians!

It was about 3 years ago when I first became acquainted with Iranian people and culture. Now, when I think of Iranians, I think of my classes in Malaysia, like this one where about 30% of my students were young international students from Iran.

I think of students like these three below – fun-loving, energetic, charming and warm.

I think of our friends Zoe and her Iranian boyfriend Hadi (also in above picture).

I think of our friend Claire and her Iranian husband Orod.

I think of my student Faranaz (in the white shirt and tie, below), who prepared an Iranian dinner with his Iranian friends for a bunch of us; he was so proud to introduce us to his food and welcome us into his apartment.

I think of the Iranian immigrants that I teach here in Canada. Like Nargees, a dentist who is hoping to practice dentistry here in Toronto. Or Mashid, who is a teacher and needs to upgrade her English so she can teach here in Canada.

I think of all the Iranian Christians that attended the same church as me in Istanbul.

Today was ‘Global Day of Action for Iran’ and while Mehmet went off to his soccer practice, I decided to head to Queen’s Park to show support for Iranian Canadians and their hunger for freedoms and an end to corruption in their homeland.

There are so many issues I feel strongly about… and human rights is one of them, of course. Mehmet and I watched a series of documentaries on the Spanish Inquisition last week, and for days I couldn’t shake the sad feeling;  while people were burned at the stake and burned in vats of oil for holding beliefs that the Roman Catholic Church deemed heretical, the statistics were filed away secretly so nobody but the Vatican knew just how many had been tortured and killed.

Who stands up for those whose freedoms are taken away? When people are seeking peace, freedom and democracy, it’s so easy to express our empathy as we watch their struggle on the evening news, then we turn off the lights and go to bed.

I’m hugely guilty of this. If I really want to support the cause of freedom and protest the use of torture, why do I not support these people more visibly?

So yesterday I did.

There were thousands of Iranians and their supporters gathered on the grounds of Queen’s Park.  In one way, it was sombre – these are sad days in Iran. In another sense there was a feeling of hope, determination and unity.

I’ve had conversations with Iranian students, whole groups of them, who were born after the 1979 Revolution.  They are hungry for an Iran that reflects the freedoms of Iran’s past. What a history that country has, so rich in literature, art and music.

I was delighted to see the much-loved CBC music broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi speaking to the crowd. He talked about being embarassed of his Iranian heritage while he was growing up, because of the negative stereotypes associated with anyone from ‘that part of the world’. There are about 50,000 Iranians in Toronto now though, and I’m happy that our city is ‘growing up’ and learning more and more about other cultures that make up our city.

After the rally and before the march, the crowd waved off 21 bikers who were headed to the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa to carry the petition and the message that Iranians in Canada were looking for transparency and freedom in their homeland.

When I told Mehmet earlier this week that I was thinking about going, he said, “I don’t want you to get in trouble with the police though…”

He still is learning that here in Canada, if you stage a peaceful demonstration, even if it is against a foreign government, the police will help you. They will close streets and escort you. This is something that is so foreign to him.

As I walked around Queen’s Park Legislative Buildings, waiting for the march to begin, I came across this statue that symbolizes the long road towards democracy and freedom. How ironic and poignant.

And so, the group gathered to prepare their march down University Avenue. The police biked ahead to clear the road and escort the procession.

I sat on the sidelines and watched them go by. Women, men, teens, children. Young and old.

Sometimes they chanted, “Peace! Peace!”
Sometimes “Freedom! Freedom!”
Sometimes nothing.

You know, although I love the multi-culturalism of  Canada (especially Toronto), there are times I envy those who are part of a cultural community with whom they can identify so closely. Food, language, customs, family… they have so much in common.  One of the comments I hear repeatedly from my international students here is that they don’t feel we have a sense of community or family like they do in their countries. This is true… we are so independent, so determined to go our own way, we all have such varying backgrounds and values.

Anyway, it’s quite moving to see such a large group of people who want something good and are unified and determined in their journey to get their message across.

I didn’t learn anything new, and I didn’t actually march with them, because I wanted to think, observe and take pictures. In cities around the world, Iranians were gathering and rallying just like in Toronto.

I left with a heightened sense of support for their struggle, and a renewed appreciation for my freedoms and rights as a Canadian.

Can we think of any good reasons why we should not raise our voices in support of an Iran that longs for freedom?

Is there any justification for not at least trying to be aware of major events and as they unfold around the world?

Shall we encourage the world to pressure Iran for change, or shall we choose to sit back and wait till we can watch them get bombed on the evening news?  Politically, Iran is one of the few non-Arab powers that can play such an important role in influencing politics and relations in the Middle East.

But to me, the most important reason to support civilians seeking peace, freedom of speech and life anywhere, is because they are humans, God’s creations. It’s our duty.

For me, it took names-with-faces (my students) to make the situation in Iran real to me.  I know there are dozens and dozens of other issues around the world, other atrocities and injustices. It makes me feel helpless, but also makes me want to help and make a difference somehow. It makes me ponder the insignificance of our short life on this earth in the Big Picture. It makes me wonder about God’s plan. And it makes me pray for changes in hearts and minds.

Yep, there’s so much to think about.

Well, Canada’s birthday this year held special significance for Mehmet and me. It’s our first year here together! I can’t say our first six months have been as fulfilling or exciting as I’d hoped for. There are lots of things we experience that makes me cringe because I know Mehmet is thinking, “This shouldn’t be happening in Canada – how can they say Canada is the best country in the world?” Less than mediocre assistance from immigration services in study/job support from immigration services, poor customer service (again and again and again), garbage workers on strike, regular news on massive job losses – can’t blame a guy for getting a bit discouraged.

So yesterday we got ourselves a good solid dose of Canadian pride and celebration.

We hopped on our bikes and headed first to Queen’s Park (where the Legislative Assembly of Ontario meets). Despite the rain forecast, the skies were gorgeous all day!

Lots of people were out, and there was a great atmosphere. Immigrants from 22 different countries were sworn in as citizens, and a lovely speech was made by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. I got all choked up thinking that in 2.5 years Mehmet will be welcomed as a citizen too.

There were bands and dancing on the stage all afternoon – Scottish, Greek, Latin, Caribbean, all kinds! We noticed all the different nationalities of the people wandering around with their small flags and big smiles.

Face painting for the kids…

Craft tables, colouring murals, Polka Dot Door presentations, train rides, bouncy castles, Mounties on stilts… a great place for families!

Bike jumps:

And a 21-gun salute. BOOM!!! 3 guns, lots of soldiers, and explosions that made our bones rattle.

It’s so hard in Toronto to know which people are tourists and which are citizens – that’s one beauty of having such a mix of cultures! Everywhere there were people posing in front of statues, fountains, buildings, with soldiers, police officers, and each other. (The statue below is of John A. MacDonald, our first Prime Minister.)

After a hot dog on the grass (Canadian grass is SO soft and lush!), we biked down to… the waterfront! Yay, my favourite – the lake. That’s Centre Island in the back behind the sailboat.

This is my first time to Harbourfront Centre since we’ve come to Toronto, and I remembered again why I used to come so often. It’s everything you love about waterfront weekend: sunshine, water, boats, buskers, a beautiful boardwalk, live music… ahhhh!

They currently have a series of 80 photos on display. It’s called ‘RESPECT – A Photo Odyssey celebrating Canada’s Boreal Forest‘.  I love when art, nature and architecture can be so beautifully combined like this in an urban setting.

I am a sucker for buskers; I enjoy observing their creativity, wit, social skills and talent.

The free canoe rides were very popular.

Back to beautiful urban architecture – I fell in love with this bridge. It was so new that it still smelled like freshly cut wood.

Now, have a closer look. As you cross the bridge you need to swerve and walk to the right of the low barrier. Why a barrier?

Because it’s reserved for those who want to climb and slide! Is this possible? I heard others around me wonder aloud, “Is it meant for that?”

The part where the kids were sliding down was surprisingly smooth (and no doubt will get smoother over time) but had a rough strip along the edge (like sandpaper). You can see the line.

How would you interpret this symbol – (a) Be careful, it’s slippery! or (b) Hey, have fun sliding down!

It’s still a mystery.

We moved on, to another entertainment area. Here there was more dancing and singing, surrounded by craft and ‘world market’ booths as well as food stalls.

These dancers from East Turkmenistan were absolutely delightful and got huge appreciation from the crowd.

They opened the stage and invited anyone who wanted to join them to come up and dance.

It was fun, but my mind was still on, well… the bridge.

Next, Iraqi dancing! Again, the public were invited to join in.

One reason Canada is such a great country is because of its openness and complimentary mix of cultures. We really got that message yesterday:

Scottish dancing…

A band from Ecuador…

Turkmeni dancing…

Iraqi dancing…

Colombian drumming tips…

Afghani foods…

Everywhere we went, we got the sense that Canada is really enhanced by the inclusion and contributions of so many cultures.

It was a great day.

And just what we needed.

Toronto really is quite green. There are trees everywhere! Large trees. I love it.  A few days ago I was on the 13th floor at the University of Toronto, which is downtown, and this was the view from the office. Pretty nice, isn’t it!

Down the street from us is one of Toronto’s many many parks. If you look at the map, this one is actually quite small compared to most of the others, but it’s still a great oasis for the community.

In Osaka and Istanbul I often thought how very much the people there would love some big parks like this scattered throughout the cities. Ah, but so many Canadians take it all for granted. It’s such a luxury! We are blessed.

On Sunday there was a community picnic, and Mehmet and I attended. I’d say about 200 people turned up in all.

The meals were cooked on the premises by volunteers. There was lots of yummy food! Lamb pie, veggie lasagna, lentil salad, tossed salad, soup, bread, cookies… all homemade!

Every Thursday there is a small farmers’ market at the park, and community volunteers also bake and sell bread in brick ovens. They used the same brick ovens to cook the food on Sunday.

No disposable dishes, even!

After dinner, there were theatre performances!

There were four different acting groups, from throughout Canada.

Family-friendly, fun acting.

After the first two performances – dessert! Homemade brownies with ice-cream or homemade ice-cream sandwich! Win-win, baby.

Each acting group performed in a different area of the park. These two characters entertained and informed in between plays, and led the whole audience to the next location. When we arrived, there were already blankets laid out for us to sit on, and the ’stages’ were prepared with props, music equipment, etc. It was all so well-organized!

Some funny stuff!

These three were by far my favourite. Ohhh, if I only could have taken them home!

By the time we got to the last play, it was starting to get darker (around 9pm). What a great atmosphere!

It felt like a movie set.

Definitely a great way to spend a Sunday evening. It’s really neat to feel this sense of community in the big, big city!