Dance Break!

dancedanceTO from dancedanceTO on Vimeo.

The story goes like this...
I was out for pie with my friends Naseem and Connie. We were sitting around chatting, laughing and eating when the subject of an amazing video that Naseem had made came up. It is an inspired by "Insipred by Iceland" homage and it is fantastic. Someone (not me) suggested we do one for Toronto and we all laughed and said YES! That's the best idea ever. I didn't think they would follow though.
but these friends..
they follow through.

And I am so glad we did it.
We filmed from November through March (taking a very generous break for Christmas) and although most people are in sweaters and mittens I think the city is wonderfully portrayed.
I hope you'll love it too!

Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche -Gladstone Hotel, originally uploaded by girl from finito.

I must admit I found this years Nuit Blanche a little underwhelming.

I don't know if it was the poor use of space or the weariness of traveling across town to get to most of the main exhibits.
Still it is nice to see the streets filled with so many people wandering about at 1 am appreciating art and the city.

Nuit Blanche - Later That Night At The Drive-In - Daniel Lanois, originally uploaded by girl from finito.

the cup!!

the cup!!, originally uploaded by girl from finito.

So it's taken me a while to start this but I wanted to blog a few posts about mom and dad's trip out here to visit me and our family trip around the east coast.
It was amazing! I could not have asked for a better trip.
And really what a better way to start the trip then sightseeing in Toronto. I've not done a lot of touristy things since moving here - and I saved up a few things for when they came.
Top of the list had to be seeing the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Just let me say - WAY more interesting than I thought. There were lots of interactive things and of course - the cup.
way cool.

Caribana Festival... Parade Day

1st sight, originally uploaded by girl from finito.

Caribana - the Caribbean cultural festival is a big thing around these parts. Living in Toronto for almost 4 years now it's a little embarrassing that I have never checked it out. I have heard a few bad things about the parade, it's history of violence and the unruly crowds but Connie and I decided to brave it - just to see what was happening.
It was busy and loud and I got soaked on the way over. The weird thing was for being the huge event the parade route was all but impossible to find online and there was no information on when the parade started and where to go. We just followed the crowd (thankfully connie had arrived earlier and sussed things out). The barricades proved another problem - so high that it was impossible to get a good view of what was happening.
I must admit, I was a little disappointed.
But the colours were cool and fun and I would go again, just with lower expectations and later in the day.

caribana costumes, originally uploaded by girl from finito.

a nice little day

distillery district, originally uploaded by girl from finito.

I was thinking about where I could take my parents when they come to visit me.. a place that was out of the way and reflected the Toronto that I have grown to like (not love.. but like). In this spirit I visited the distillery district with my pals Naseem and Kean. It's a nice place but... well considering the tours are given on segways it was a little pretentious. As Kean described it - it was like Granville Island (except without the great market and the crowds of people bustling around). I think it has the potential to be awesome - but there is a lack of shade on hot days and (I think it's real downfall) the buildings are too far apart to make the place look busy. The area lacks the energy of Granville. Distillery District... Fail. I will not be taking my family to visit you.

In other news fun times!