Late summer

Another lovely day that was forecast to be very warm but was actually very comfortable.  The little dictator had a marvellous time sniffing things and enjoying the breeze.  He walked up to a man and was all excited to see him, but it was a complete stranger!  He and I chatted for a moment, and then I went on with my walk.  I’ve been limping a bit due to a pain in my leg — it appears to be muscular; it’s not in my ankle joint, but in the area just above it.  I can’t put my full weight on my leg, which means that I’ve had to pull out my cane again… 😢. My back still feels like I’ve ripped something, and I’m quickly tired.  But, as I’ve mentioned, my appointment is on Tuesday, so it may very well be a case of anticipatory nerves acting up!  Don continues to improve, and had a healthy appetite today.  I’m very happy about that, as you well know!

The joys of living downtown… I like the fact that I can walk down the street and hear 5 or 6 different languages as I pass groups of people, (or I can sit and people watch with the same effect).  It gives me a little rush to hear that mixture, although I also feel a bit sad that I don’t speak all those languages.  I’ve read of people who speak 10 or more languages, and I envy that ability.  Just imagine how wonderful it would be to speak to anyone in their native language when you first meet them!  It’s such a welcoming thing to do — to greet someone in a familiar tongue.  Then you’d also be able to fully appreciate various points of view, as each language and culture has its own approach to life.  I’ve read that some Asian languages don’t distinguish between past, present and future, so it relies on context to know when something happened.  And other languages are tonal, so depending on the intonation you have several meanings to a word.  (There’s an example used when you’re learning Mandarin which beautifully illustrates that point.)  Or in written communication where (for instance) vowels are omitted so the same word can have multiple spellings depending on what vowels are used.  There’s a long list of really fascinating items that open up with learning languages.  In school, though, I remember mostly learning grammar rules instead of speaking, so while I could read Spanish or French, I was extremely shy to speak either one… until I got here and had to learn French for my job.

The other fun thing about downtown living, and the diverse communities that are here, is that you could be introduced to whole new worlds of foods.  It’s lovely to be able to try authentic dishes from distant countries in your own home.  Although everyone I’ve spoken to will say that the dishes have been adapted to Western tastes, so the spice levels might be less than a home cook would use, or the dishes might be “ordinary” meals dressed up to be fancy.  I know that roti, which is very common in Trinidad, (and which is more available in Toronto) is often served here more elaborately than it would be at home, where it’s unusual to have roti served along rice-and-peas.  

Then there’s the music; you really do need to appreciate the variety of music which can be played, so you’re not just listening to a repeat of the “Top 10” or “All 80s” hits on a loop.  Which brings me to what inspired tonight’s post… Someone in my neighbourhood has been playing the bagpipes for about an hour now.  They’re quite good at it, so I’m not complaining.  But it’s nice to have these private concerts while sitting on my balcony!  Add to the sounds of assorted music festivals, and the view of the “Big Top” from Cirque du Soleil which isn’t too far away, and you’ll understand why I like living downtown.  There are compensations for the traffic and crowding and lack of back yards.  Ideally, I’d love to be able to walk through a door and find myself at home in Trinidad, or with my sister in southern Ontario, or with my friends in Europe or in the US or basically anywhere I want to be without having to go through airport security, sit in a tight airline seat and deal with all that congestion!  More dreams of impossibilities!

I’m going to enjoy the rest of the concert with a small dog who wants to curl up on my lap and then I’ll be off to bed.  Good night all, sweet dreams!