hmm... as the resident torontonian expert i feel i should comment, but what to say? i've never been to a game at the skydome nor have i been on the CN tower... however, i have been exactly where that last picture was taken, on toronto island [it actually looks like it was taken on ward's island]... that's a good piece of toronto right there - for $5 you get a ferry ride across and there are NO CARS [woo hoo!] lots of greenery for smoking greens, and no one has ever minded when me and my crackhead goon friends bring a system over there to pump out some tunes.
as for a merger... i have one word for you - HA. like that'll ever happen. most canadians have a strong distaste for certain american problems and i don't see them being reconciled any time soon. the #1 difference will be gun control of course - we tend to think that no one needs a gun for defense or whatever reason... the moment you start arming the populace is when people start killing each other, or so it would seem. we have no reason to fear violent crime up here - toronto's streets are ridiculously safe as long as you follow a few precautions that fall under 'common sense' [such as: don't go to regent park at night!]. another big issue is prohibition... we know it doesnt work. if canada were somewhere else on the globe we'd already have it legalized... but our drug laws are dependant on YOUR policies and procedures because of the world's largest [mostly] unguarded border lies between us
i mean, most of your weed probably comes from BC anyway but it could be a lot worse [in the eyes of your gov't] or better [in the red eyes of your nation's stoners]. canadian travellers often remark of incidences where they are treated like shit by foreigners until they make it clear that they're not american!
i believe one of the tricks american backpackers use is to sew a canadian flag patch on to a visible portion of the gear? there's a reason for that
yah our national character is part cowardice and part courtesy, a wimpy mixture. but whatever my rambling diatribe may touch upon, one thing is for certain: though not being very patriotic, canadians are happy to be defined by being NOT american!
now maybe this sounds uppity... in which case i'd have to say our gov't is run by a geriatric gang of corrupt officials with no souls... and how the gov't treats (or treated) our natives is inexcuseable. toronto the city is run by a complete buffoon, mel lastman, an ex-furniture salesdude. he's too old, too out of touch, and too much of a sappy show-off to amount to any kind of capable leader of canada's largest metropolis. if its not his perpetual gaffes in minor municipal politics its the scandals that are constantly erupting - always with amusing results. not so long ago everyone found out that rich boy mel has a bunch of illegitamite kids, that he didn't know biker gangs dealt drugs and participated in crime (this happened REAL recent - he went to welcome the biker gangs to the city.. idiot), and oh his wife ran off with a fireman, ha. anyhow he should have resigned... its really too bad no one takes democracy seriously in this city... last election, it was the usual. vote for the kindly old gentleman with the rubber face... ah well. guy i voted for came in second... might as well have been last since mel got 80%+ of the vote. boooo-urns.
the eaton center sucks. avoid that cess pool. i work right next to it and... ugh. people move slow, they act like dumb beasts of burden, shopping all the way... there are good places in toronto to visit but i generally despise most of the city. its growing completely out of control with no respect for the future reprecussions. i hope i'm out of north america in 10 years, so they can merge with whoever the hell they want, haha.
anyway if you're still with me now we'll get down to the useful information
my fave restaurant in the city - authentic mexican cuisine. you can find it on bathurst st. just north of bloor and south of davenport. its on the east side of the street and is called 'dos amigos'... excellent marguiritas and tasty fare - not texmex slop but actual fine mexican food. kensington is also a great place... a real mixture of things. officially its a market, but also a vintage clothes sector, and there are all kinds of weird and wacky stores in the various corners of its sprawl. kensington can be found just to the west of the main "chinatown" here which is at spadina/dundas. parallel with spadina and just a bit to the west is kensington ave, the main street that cuts through the market area. check it out for cheap produce and wholesome fresh baked goods and that kind of thing. very seedy and worldly too
there's a good restaurant at the north end of kensington as well - la palette.. very fine french cuisine though it is a bit pricey. the best thing? extensive 3 page specialty beer menu. wowza...
i'll blah later maybe...