Rumours of my demise have not, as one might expect, been greatly underrated

In fact, they are accurate; I am still very much alive. And, as you might expect, I am still very much interested in updating this blog.

Unfortunately, the last month-plus has been, uh, basically, very busy. I will not go into any 19 Duncan St. details, but rest assured that:

1. I am having a blast; and
2. Toronto is indeed a vast, lonely place for those of us without preexisting Toronto networks.

Aside from my impending disconnection from society and disinterest in other human beings, the big smoke has turned out to be quite — *gasp* — livable and accommodating. A few reasons... one, I have done my best to avoid the TTC and simply walk everywhere I need to go. This has worked well except for those times when the thermometre has fallen below -25. Thankfully, they be sparse. Two, I am not in much danger of falling victim to an accidental run-over, either. The aggressiveness of Toronto's traffic is fairly 'lame' by European or even Montreal standards, and strangers will stop to pick up something I've dropped, or apologize if they bump into me in a crowded line. As one of my coworkers put it, "it may be Toronto, but this is still Canada."

Three, I can also safely report that, as of my arrival, winter in Toronto has become a very real, cold, Canadian thing, snow and ice and all.

As I presumed, things here are more expensive here than in Halifax. Well, a few things that concern me. Beer, coffee, and groceries are more-or-less the same, maybe a bit more expensive. But rent, 'nightlife,' and the ubiquitous 'cultural activity' are far enough outside of my skeleton budget that most of the benefits of the big city are bereft of me: the symphony ($35-$100+), the museum ($30+), non-China Town restaurants ($30 for a cheap one), and drinking out more than once or twice a week ($30+ for a few; $60+ to get drunk, at least, depending on how much I've eaten).

(To some extent I presume that these things can be found on the cheap in one nook or cranny or another — for those in the know. I am not, as a foreigner to this city, in the know.)

Still, wandering is totally free pastime, and Toronto's great melange of sights passes time rather quickly. I live adjacent to Bloor St., Chinatown, and U of T, and I'm not far from Kensington Market. The best of Queen St. W is about 30 minutes away on foot. Er, shopping. I can even walk to the St. Lawrence Market without feeling overly displaced. Best of all, I have a brilliant if slight view of the CN tower from my front door!

(Sorry, Toronto readers — as dumb as it may sound, I can't help but admit that seeing the CN Tower at various times of the day still makes my heart rate jump a little.)

More updates to come...

Onward and upward,
再见.