i have just spent two weeks in canada, prior to my starting university. on arrival, my first impressions of north america were that everything is BIG! the roads are big, the malls are big, and the people, are big!
it is summer here and warmer than i expected with temperatures averaging in the high 20's. everything is in bloom, and it is all very scenic, making it the ideal time to visit.
i stayed with my Iranian relatives whom i hadn't seen in over 10 years, this was the BEST part! they had a great family dynamic, and there was always fun to be had in the household.
toronto
a lot of similarities can be drawn between canada and australia, and this was quite apparent in toronto. toronto is the most multicultural city in the world! although canada's second official language is french it is the 16th most spoken language in toronto, 16th!!
i did the city's main attractions - CN tower, skydome, ferry ride on the harbour, and exploring the rest of downtown. as the geography of toronto is quite flat, the downtown area is spread out making it pleasant to walk. it is a beautiful city with a lot of modern office buildings, and surprisingly large amount of condominiums.
i'm not all that keen on travelling by myself, but one of the advantages is that i can take mad self portraits:
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| CN TOWER |
Zoroastrians
being a Zoroastrian, it is always great travelling the world and checking out the Zoroastrian diaspora in different parts. it seems that wherever you go, there is always an innate link with any parsi worldwide.
there is a large Zoroastrian population in toronto, and relatively large amount of "Irani Zarthosti's". there are two Darbe Mehers, but from what i have heard there seems to be some disunity within the community mainly regarding the decision making for the construction of a new Darbe Meher on existing grounds.
greater toronto
toronto is quite spread out (perhaps due in part to its flatness) with a comprehensive highway network and private vehicles being the main means of travel. one of canada's claims to fame is that it has the longest street in the world - younge street - it is pretty long. there is also a highly efficient subway network serviced by buses, which is quite good.
unlike sydney, there is a consistency in the urban density, radiating from the downtown area, which facilitates many urban centres, reducing the need for travelling long distances.
taxation is quite high, but i think this is justified in the well maintained road network (and of course free health care). some of the highways are like 14 lanes across! downtown you will rarely find any graffiti or litter, and the suburbs are like something out of a movie set with precision manicured lawns and token north-american-looking houses.
ottawa, montreal, quebec city
i took a three-day bus tour to these three cities north-east of toronto. ottawa is canada's capital and i checked out the parliament house and some government buildings.
montreal was a bit seedy.
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| OLYMPIC STADIUM, MONTREAL 1976 |
quebec city was a highlight. it has been the french capital of canada since the 16th century, and is majority french speaking. old quebec is a walled city on the UNESCO world heritage list, and you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a european city, it was that good.
im not sure if it's because the people there were of french descent, or if it was just the french they were speaking, but the girls there were crazy good looking. in any case i am planning a trip to france as a result.
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| A BIG ASS HOTEL, QUEBEC CITY |
walmart
i think walmart epitomises the north american culture. every walmart undoubtedly sells cheap goods, has a mcdonalds, and a sprawling car park out front. shop, eat, drive.
groceries are comparatively a lot cheaper over here. a lot of the retail outlets also sell a huge variety of goods. for example Drug Mart sells cosmetics, drugs, groceries, fresh foods, and household goods all right next to each other in a shitty warehouse-like store. there's no doubt it's convenient, but it didn't sit well with me, i feel it ruins the shopping experience. strip malls are also common, but only marginally better in my opinion.
conclusion
all in all i had a great time in canada, and came to realise that it's not so different to the US. furthermore they don't say "eh" all that often, and they have a weird toilet flushing system with a vortex that spins anticlockwise.
most of all i enjoyed spending time with my relatives. and what i've come to realise (proven once again), is that it's not all about where you travel, but who you travel with.
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