Barking Space

And the Fun Continues…

It has been a little while but I am back with the next chapter in the ongoing guide to the city in which I live.

In this installment, I will make reference to one of the more colourful characters that frequent the streets of Toronto, as well as a breakdown of the major Ukrainian section of the city.

Toronto is a city of the world. A multi-faceted diamond of culture and diversity. Not only do we have a great number of individual ethnic backgrounds, but we also have a plethora of exceptional people that call the city home…

Zanta

If you’ve ever spent time on our public transit system in T-Dot, then you’ve probably seen a man with no shirt doing pushups while wearing a Santa hat.

That’s right. No shirt. Pushups.

Santa Hat.

His name is Zanta. He is the more muscular, fit version of Santa.

You will see him parading about, in only his jeans, a pair of boots, and his Santa Claus hat. He is an anatomical dynamo, keeping his rock-hard physique by doing an extreme number of pushups ever day.

Indeed, he is a self-proclaimed extreme pushupper, and he will drop and give you twenty in the blink of an eye.

What’s his story? Well, there are many different versions floating about. I have not had the pleasure of speaking with him directly about it. But I know that he loves his daughter, and his quest to make her smile will never end.

Ukrainian

Just west of High Park there is an area of Bloor Street West known as Bloor West Village. It stretches from Kennedy Avenue across to the South Kingsway.

It is an area filled with chic stores and great restaurants.

There are a great number of bakeries and delis that have a Ukrainian flair. One could spend a great many days wandering the streets with an unlimited amount of money and still not try every delicacy that the area has to offer.

At the end of every summer, the Ukrainian Festival takes place.

Bloor Street West is closed to traffic between Runnymede Avenue and Jane Street, making way for various kiosks featuring art and cuisine from the Ukraine.

The intixicating smell of perogies wafts through the air, pulling your body in many different directions. Sausages and other delicious grilled foods sizzle over flame. The sound of mirth is all around you.

There are usually several beer tents offering sudsy bevvies to help quench your thirst, rounding out the experience for your mouth.

Just typing this article will lead to me buying a new keyboard not coated in my own dripping saliva just thinking about my culinary experiences at this festival.

Make sure if you are in Toronto that you time your visit to coincide with the Ukrainian Festival. Your mouth will thank you.

Index

1. Introduction, Italian, Chinese


2. CN Tower, Portuguese


3. TTC, Greek


4. Zanta, Ukrainian

Filed under: Spaces Archive, Toronto Guide | 12 Comments »

We’ve Only Just Begun…

The guide to the city I live in continues…

In this chapter, I will be dealing with another section of town, as well as a small section on how to ride our public transit system.

Toronto is a large city. It’s certainly not as populous as, say, New York, but it’s got its share of people.

If everyone drove cars here, it would be a nightmare. The city follows a loose grid system, and thus is not all that efficient when it comes to moving traffic around.

This is where our public transportation system comes in…

Ride the Rocket (Or, a Quick Breakdown, So to Speak)

There is no need for me to go into too much detail when it comes to the Toronto Transit Commission. If you want to read a bit about the history of the TTC, this page is a great place to start.

I will simply be giving some tips to getting around this fair city.

Before I begin, you might want to open another window and have these maps handy.

The core of the TTC is the subway. It is the backbone of the public transit system. There are four main lines that run through the city. Two of the subway lines basically end up uoutlining downtown (Bloor/Danforth and Yonge/University/Spadina). If you look at the map you will see.

Supporting this spine would be the streetcars. They run along some of the major streets downtown and just outside of downtown. Their point of origin is usually a subway station.

Last, but not least (and definitely most numerous) are the buses. If the subway is the spine, that would make the streetcars the skeleton. Obviously the buses would be the skin.

Er…

Anyway, the buses crisscross the city, allowing for (somewhat) convenient transportation from one area of the city to the other, provided you have the time.

The Better Way (Or What to Do When Riding the TTC)

You will probably notice more courtesy on those trucks in Jamaica that carry a thousand people (riding in, on top of, off the side of, and possibly underneath the vehicle) than you will on a civilized system.

Our public transport system is not primitive. Just the people are.

Here are some helpful tips to keep you sane when on the move…

• When a subway arrives, make sure you stand aside so the people on board can get off. There are times when people are slow to realize it’s their stop. They might be asleep, or perhaps drunk, so they realize at the last second that it is time for them to get off. They usually run into you on their way out as you enter the vehicle, because you’ve usually waited for a reasonable amount of time and have figured that everyone has exited already. They will usually be rude, and will confront you to make themselves feel better. Make sure you don’t kick them in the crotch or punch them in the face, because you can stil go to jail, even though you are in the right. Try and be more subtle. Step on their foot by accident, or step on their laces so they become untied, and will possibly trip later.
• If you are entering a vehicle, try your best to move to the back. It is also acceptible, if you are going to be only going a short way, to stand near an exit. This will facilitate your speedy exit from the vehicle without getting everyone to get out of your way twice. That being said, try to make sure you keep a patch clear so people can get in and out without too much difficulty
• If you see a free seat, take it. WHen you are sitting, that is room for another person to stand. If an elderly, disabled, or pregnant person enters the vehicle, offer them your seat. There are too many young people who don’t respect people, and thus don’t offer them a seat. Come to think of it, there are too many older people who have no respect, too. Do the right thing.
• Don’t stick your face out in front of an oncoming subway to see if you’re fast enough to pull your head aside in time. You are not that fast, and it gets messy.
• You will notice that there may be an announcement over the loudspeakers while riding on the subway. This message will ususally be indicating that there is a problem somewhere. Unfortunately, the person that designed this speaker system is the same person that designed the drive-through speaker system, too. You will not be able to understand what is being said. Feel free to look around at your fellow passengers and make humorous comments about it like did he just say what I think he said? or I wonder if we should get fries with that?
• Almost all bus drivers hate you.
• Closing your eyes to nap on the subway deprives you of one of the best forms of free entertainment ever: people watching.
• If you ride the TTC there is a chance I will write about you on here. Don’t be a prick to me.

Greek

A visit to Toronto would not be complete if you didn’t at least visit Greektown. They even have their own webpage!

Greektown is located along Danforth Avenew between Chester Avenue and Jones Avenue.

This is the largest openly Greek neighbourhood in North America. It is an excellent place to find Greek culture and thus, there are some pretty amazing places to eat.

Certainly you will find various franchises all around the city that have a Greek theme. But the Greek food along the Danforth is to die for. Don’t get me wrong, these franchinses do have good food. However, it’s like saying McDonald’s is the ultimate place to get a hamburger.

When you are in Greektown, you will notice that people are very friendly. They all want to shake your hands and hug you. It is a warm atmosphere.

Make sure, though, that when you introduce yourself to people, you should only ask them for their first name. Trying to pronounce Greek last names will usually lead to a brain hemorrhage.

Seriously, with names like Cosmopolotipolis, Frangalankalopopopolis and Cantseemtofindsnuffalupagus you can see why.

You should also make sure you bring one of your new Greek friends to any restaurant you might want to go to. They will be very helpful in pronouncing some of the food names that you encounter.

Once a year (usually for a weekend) there is an event called Taste of the Danforth. It is an excellent event that has childrens games and other activities. There are usually specials at all the restaurants along the Danforth (not just the Hellenic ones). Over a million people attend this event every year.

Oh! Almost forgot. Mind the flying plates and flaming cheese. It’s a dangerous world out there!

Index

1. Introduction, Italian, Chinese


2. CN Tower, Portuguese


3. TTC, Greek


4. Zanta, Ukrainian

Filed under: Spaces Archive, Toronto Guide | 7 Comments »