Fall

Horses at Sunnybrook Riding School. I discovered this place in one of my biking adventures.
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Fall in Canada officially started on the last week of September. This time of the year, the sun rises at around 6:30am (as opposed to 5:30am during the summer) and sets at 6:30pm. As the days get deeper into the season, they become shorter. This morning (October 9, 2007), I woke up at 7am and it was still dark. Probably because we were expecting rain. It was also like that the other year: most days it was overcast making the surrounding a bit gloomy. A friend once commented that a lot of people become depressed around this time of the year. Small wonder; apart from the changing colors of the leaves, everything else looks less cheerful.

Stables at Sunnybrook Riding School.
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I’m already missing summer. Gone were the afternoons of bike riding. I abandoned bike riding weeks ago, when the temperature started to drop. I couldn’t stand temperatures below 20 degrees, especially when the wind is blowing at my face, and I am under the shadow of thick maple leaves in the park. Even if I worked up a sweat, I’d be cold in 5 seconds once I stopped to rest my legs.

Not wanting to stay idle in my room during my free time, I went back to reading books. I always thank God for Toronto libraries. They have all the reading materials a bored person like me is looking for: magazines about entertainment, photography, lifestyle; books: mystery, romance, classics. I’ve recently read two books by Shakespeare, would you believe? The Comedy of Errors and the Merry Wives of Windsor. I found them funny and delightful, that is, after struggling to read each line at least twice to fully understand what it means! And now I’m into Measure for Measure, interspersed with less serious romance novels. (After this book, I promised to treat myself to a book by John Eldredge, who has become one of my favourite authors. Or maybe a book by Max Lucado).

Trent University. Peterborough, ON
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But, I don’t plan on spending the entire season cooped up in my bedroom reading books. I discovered that Toronto has a lot to offer even in the fall! Just recently, I went with Rebecca, a new friend (a Canadian born in Papua New Guinea, so she feels more like a native PNG than a Canadian) to the Toronto International Film Festival. We saw the gala premiere of the Lebanese movie, Caramel, at the beautiful Roy Thomson Hall. I discovered that Tories (or Torontonians) watch almost anything. Even foreign films were patronized. The tickets were a bit pricey, and Rebecca and I had to wait in line for 20 minutes, but I had a great time. Rebecca took me to Toronto's Walk of Fame (Toronto's version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame) afterwards, which is just a few steps from the Roy Thompson Hall.

Head of the Trent: Rowing Competition.
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I also signed up for the Toronto Outdoor Club. Rebecca told me about it and, a few weeks after signing up, I attend my first TOC event. It was on September 29: the Head of the Trent, a rowing competition. The event was held at Trent University in Peterborough, an hour drive from Toronto. It was my first time to see Peterborough, and what I’ve seen so far impressed me. The leaves were starting to change at the time so I was treated to a spectacular view along the way, especially along the canal that traversed through the city. I heard from Elena, a fellow TOC member who has a thick Russian accent (she moved to Canada nine years ago), that Peterborough is a popular place for retirees. The almost empty streets and beautiful scenery do summon a person looking for a quiet life.

I think these guys are the university's official mascot.
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The competition was until 7pm, but we didn’t stay to finish it. I totally enjoyed it, though, as this was my first time to watch such a race. I cheered for every team and envied the team members' strength as they glided on the water in their thin boats, rowing in unison to the encouragement and direction of the little coxswain.

On Monday, I took a new friend around downtown Toronto as our way of celebrating Thanksgiving Day. The second Monday of October is Canada’s Thanksgiving Day, which means, we didn’t have to go to work. Since the malls and shops were closed for the day, Richel and I decided to go to downtown Toronto. Apart from her one day tour around Eaton Centre, she hasn't been to any part of downtown Toronto. She doesn't know what it looks like since she took the subway going to Eaton. So, she needed to see the actual downtown, walk the streets and see the sights for herself.

At Trent University Library... looking for a washroom :)
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Our first stop was the CN Tower. Along the way we saw the Metro Toronto Convention Center, Air Canada Center home of the Toronto Raptors (basketball team) and Maple Leafs (hockey team), and Rogers Centre (home of the Toronto Blue Jays - baseball team).

After marveling at the height of the CN Tower, while licking vanilla ice cream, we headed to the Harbourfront. (By the way, CN Tower was recently demoted to second tallest building in the world – Dubai’s tower beat Canada’s by a few metres. A headline in one of the papers about the new building read, “We’re 2^nd and we don’t care”. I agree. CN Tower is still number one in the “most beautiful tower” category… for me, that is.) As it was an unusually warm Thanksgiving Day, people flocked to the Harbourfront to catch some rays. Some people were literally lying on the boardwalk looking ridiculous, while my friend and I were trying to hide from the sun, equally looking ridiculous! Sometimes I find people’s differences amusing.

With Ana, new lakwatsa pal. Noong nagsabog siguro ang Diyos ng kati sa paa, tulog lahat at pareho kaming gising ni Ana... at nakapagkape pa kaya inde makatulog!!! Ayon, nasalo namin lahat ng kati sa paa.
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I took pity on Richel (she was wearing high soled sandals!) and took her to our last stop: Nathan Philips Square, the Old City Hall and the new City Hall. Nothing much to say about these places, except that Nathan Philips Square is a very memorable spot for me. I remember sitting on one of the benches there, watching the pigeons scattered around the place, while waiting for my first Canadian job interview. I was into my second month in Canada and I felt the pressure of finding a job ASAP. I submitted my resume to this agency in downtown and they asked me to come for interview and some computer tests that day. I felt so small when I emerged from the subway station; tall buildings surrounded me. I had a map, but I had no idea which way was north, south, east or west. And the people who walked past me looked very professional, well educated, and intimidating. They wore suits, and everyone seemed to be in a big rush. They all knew where they were going whereas I… well… I was lost. Somehow, I located the building where the interview will take place, but I was an hour and a half early. So I took a short walk and reached Nathan Philips Square. I remember being in the heart of downtown Toronto, feeling alone, scared, anxious about the interview… and wanting to cry. But, that was more than a year ago. Thinking about that time, I couldn’t help but smile. I can go into the heart of downtown now without a map and never lose my way.

The race is on! Hehehe... I cheered for both teams.
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My lakwatsas are far from over. Next event is a 5-hour hike at Sherman Falls on October 20. I’m already looking forward to it as I imagine the leaves in the trees are at their prettiest.

…to be continued…