Toronto blues

Hello all

I just got home from the pub with Jeff (my pal via Rachael) and I got sloshed. He is in transit from Edmonton to Newfoundland and decided to come visit me and another friend of his. I had tons of fun! And Ontario doesnt have liquor tax so its cheaper. An upside to Toronto I guess ...

I'm tired after having done fieldwork in Parkdale all day, an area that shares a lot of characteristics with our Downtown Eastside. It is a fast gentrifying area with an incoming yuppie population that works in the cultural/creative industry (design, music, film, art), creating conflict with current residents as yuppies tend to drive up housing prices. Parkdale, not unlike DTES, is also known for the drug and prostitution scenes, which create NIMBYist conflicts. What I love about this research is that I get paid to do it -- and it is absolutely interesting! I am off to do some more fieldwork sometime in the next few days, but if it gets thunderstormy like it did yesterday, then I'll just work from home. The weather here is so flipping unpredictable: it could be nice and sunny one moment and then windy and thundery the next. It sucks.

I miss Vancouver, especially the various assortments of Granville Island beers and better selection of sushi. I kind of like the gay scene here though. People are generally less snobby. Just last night I met two people (both named Steve; they're friends) while studying in a cafe in what is the equivalent of our West End. Nice people, generally. But I do miss you guys, and Karaoke. Oh, Jeff's friend Rebekka wants to find us a karaoke bar. Yay.