One side or the other.

A Jamaican woman, in her mid-life, approached us at the Metro Hall park. She started speaking to us, but I couldn't fully understand her because of her strong accent. She was speaking about Baptist Ministers, Gay Pride week, Adam and Eve instead to Adam and Steve. Then she was saying something about how a woman should submit to a man, but that this doesn't give a man the right to abuse a woman. She was telling me that I shouldn't abuse my wife, but that she should still obey me, among other things.

Then she started talking about how I could call a number she'd give me, to confirm that what she was saying was the truth, and not just some homeless crackpot on the street spitting out a bunch of bunk. She wrote this out on a piece of paper, and handed it to me: Rev. W.P. Bauman 416-447-1680.

All of this on a glorious Thursday afternoon, with wonderful sunshine, and a warm temperature.

DB

Street Dancing

On the corner of Queen West and Soho this evening, there was a group of guys dancing on a 10 foot x 10 foot piece of linoleum. It was a typical brown with a grid to make it look like tiles; you've seen it many times in kitchens. They weren't ballroom dancing, or anything like that, but were break-dancing, if that's what it's still called. The linoleum was laid down outside the Black Bull patio.

There was a large crowd on onlookers, many putting money in a large white plastic bucket, and applauding at the various moves. The music came out of a beat up 'ghetto-blaster', that looked like it came from the '80's. The music played from a cassette tape, and had some good funky beats.

A few people, including myself, were taking some candid photographs, and I was able to get a 15 second video clip that turned out well, with people walking past. One man had a video camera, and was taking some extended video footage of the troupe. One of the dancers approached the camera man, and entered into a discussion about what he was filming for. The dancer ended up writing his contact information into the camera man's date book, for what I assume is a future endeavour.

Cars and trucks were driving by, on the busy summer evening, with the sun shining, and the temperature warm. With the music blasting, the drivers were craning their necks, to see what the commotion was all about. A bicycle cop was across the road, also taking in the show.

The Queen streetcar showed up as the crowds were moving on, and a new crowd started to gather. I stepped onto the streetcar, and could hear the music playing, as I went further away.

DB

Margaritaville

As I rode my bike home after work today, I came around the corner at Ontario Place, only to be met by a traffic jam of cars, buses, taxis, limousines, and a crowd of people walking. The parking lots were overflowing, and the cars just kept coming in off of Lakeshore Blvd. It took several minutes to navigate through the people and vehicles.

I noticed people had set up tents, tables and chairs throughout the parking lots, and were drinking and barbequeing. These people must have been there for hours, braving the thunder storms and heavy showers. It had stopped raining, but the sky was still dark, the ground wet, and the lake was covered in fog. You could smell the rain, the heat, the humidity, the worms on the ground.

Further around the corner, I could see Lakeshore Blvd. again, and the traffic was backed up for miles. People were sitting in lawn chairs with drinks that looked like pina coladas or margaritas, and I soon found out that they were most likely margaritas. A few drunk guys, bare chested, were calling out to cars driving by on Lakeshore, for the women to bare their breasts. I don't think that they had any takers.

I was definitely curious to find out who was playing at the Amphitheatre this night, so I asked these bare chested drunks. They said "Jimmy Buffett". It all made sense now. People in their 40's and 50's, acting like teenagers, drinking in the parking lot, waiting to see their youth again.

As I rode the rest of the way home, the lakeside park was deserted, because of the threatening rain, and it was nice to be left in solitude. The grass looked refreshed from the rain, and the trees hung low with the weight of the much needed water on their leaves. The fog over the lake left an eerily calm feeling to the backdrop of the rushour traffic just behind me.

DB

Sunglasses 'R' Us

I was out looking in some shops along Queen West again. I decided to pop in at Sunglass Hut, to see what they have in stock. As soon as I stepped inside, a sales lady latched onto me, and wouldn't let go. Before I could even look at anything, she asked "What type of sunglasses are you looking for?" I told her that I was just looking around, to see what they have in stock.

As I was looking around, she kept coming up to me, saying "Do you want to try those on?" or "Those would look good." or other comments. I tried a few pairs on, and she kept saying "Do you like those?" I said that I didn't know what I wanted, and that I just wanted to look.

Finally I just said that I didn't want to buy any, and left. I do like the stuff that Sunglass Hut sells, because they have fashionable glasses, and at a reasonable price. But every time that I go to one of their stores, I find them to be very pushy, trying to force a sale on you. If I asked for their help, then I'd like their attention. But when I say that I'm just looking at the moment, then I want them to leave me alone.

DB

Kan you hear me?

I had just finished eating a quick lunch, at a diner on Queen St. W. The manager/owner just started going around collecting dirty dishes from the tables, and a grey haired and bearded man walked in, wearing bluejean overalls. He was doing an old trick among panhandlers, handing out business cards that said he couldn't speak or hear, and if you could spare some change.

The manager went and picked up the cards, and handed them back to him, and told him to leave. Once she turned her back, he went right back to handing out the cards. She once again rounded up the cards and ushered him out the door.

She came to pick up my plates, as I stood up to leave, and was telling me that he's been coming there for 15 years, doing the same thing. "He come for 15 years, every day. And just you wait, his wife will be by in half an hour." She went on to say "...and they both can speak, they not deaf and dumb."

She then told me that they lived in the public housing around the corner, collected welfare, and that this was some extra tax free cash that they round up.

As I left the diner, I walked East on Queen St. W., and saw the man walking ahead of me. He came up to a woman, to whom he spoke, and handed her the business cards. She then proceeded back the way that I had just come from, handing out the cards to people on the street. I'm sure that she was on her way back to that diner.

DB

Job Creation

We were out at Subway for lunch, sitting out on their patio. An elderly gentleman was sitting next to us on a bench. It was pretty windy on the street, and one of the plastic bags that the sub came in blew down around his feet.

We were about to go and pick it up, and he lifted his feet to let the bag blow on down the road, and said "Let it go, there are people who will pick it up. It gives them jobs, work to do."

He went on talking about politics, and the economy. After a couple of minutes he stood up to excuse himself, and said "So that's my speech. Today is my 80th birthday, and that was my birthday speech. Thanks for listening."

We wished him a happy birthday, and he was on his way, walking across the street without a care, making cars stop for him.

DB