Toronto

You don’t see many angry young men here. Maybe it’s the Toronto culture. Friendly, calm, relaxed, cheerful. Strangers start up conversations with you.
I had thought that there was no poverty, but there are a few homeless people here, people lying on the sidewalks, panhandlers. Still, it’s not so bad as in U.S. cities.
And it isn’t a homogenous population by any means. Very mixed. Rich and poor—but mostly middle class, I guess. Small houses, small cars.
Seeing a foreign country is startling. An Esso station. A clothing store named FCUK. Newspapers that play up any stories with the whiff of a Canadian connection. A 10% premium if you pay the subway ticket taker in dollars. What exactly does that mean?
I took a bus-boat today, seeing Toronto by land and sea. Pretty informative, as well as fun.
Why did I find a hotel through Expedia? Nice but fairly expensive ($70 a night). I should have googled motel6 and found a cheap motel in the downtown area. I’m way out near the goddamn airport – in my search to find a somewhat inexpensive hotel.
Lot of concerts beginning in the fall. Museums, varied restaurants, lots to do. A good place to retire? After all, who the hell would set off a dirty bomb in Toronto?