the first week

A little forewarning: this is going to be a LONG post.

Last time I left of with me arriving at Eva's, and since then I've had 3 days on campus, but only 2 days with classes. I've wandered around downtown both alone and with others, met some cool people, drank some cool beers, and not slept enough.

This time I'll start from (pretty much) the beginning of my time as a Torontian.

Eva gave me a wake-up call at 8 on the first day (Wednesday). I forgot to bring any form of alarm, which wasn't very intelligent considering I have a 9, a 10 and two 11am starts and an hour journey to campus. After having a shower, getting my stuff together and shoving it in my bag (along with the lunch Eva made me :)!) I was ready to leave. Eva drove us to Sheppard-Bathurst where we waited for a bus to Downsview Station.

Now let me interject here: Firstly, most of the streets in Toronto are on a grid, and Sheppard-Bathurst is an intersection. Each "square" in the grid is about a mile in diameter I think. And secondly, the TTC (Transport Transit Commission) has a pretty different system to that of England: Instead of paying or showing a pass on every bus/tube/train, you can get "Transfers" between them, so if you're quick you can get all the way from one side of the city to the other on one fare (no backtracking, quickest route only, no dawdling). I heard you could get "Tokens", little coins that entitle you to one fare, at Subway stations, and the bus from Sheppard-Bathurst was to take us to Downsview Subway station. Somewhere along the line, this information led me to believe that I didn't need to pay on the bus, as I'd pay on the Subway (some kind of reverse-transfer I guess), so basically, I accidentally skipped my first Toronto bus fare :)

The (free) bus took us through the rush hour traffic to Downsview, where we alighted and descended to the Subway. The trains here are much bigger, brighter and overall more welcoming than those of the London Underground. They're air conditioned, too, which is a welcome addition. I've heard they're overheated in the Winter though. Anyway, we traveled South the Yonge-University-Spadina line, one of three (or four?) on the Toronto Subway network. Eva left me at St Clair West, and the rest of my journey to Queen's Park (5 stops) was spent in quiet contemplation.

Another touristy moment for me here (the first was skipping the bus fare): Upon getting out of the train, I walked at snail's pace through the station, taking it all in and making subconscious comparisons to London's Underground. The tiles are bigger here, and the barriers show how trusting the TTC is (just turnstiles). You don't need to use your ticket to get out of the station either which is a nice touch. The buskers are more talented from what I can gather, and most have CDs available to buy if you want to listen to some hobo goodness at home. Apparently they hold auditions so only the best can busk.

Upon emerging from the Subway, I was greeted by a delightful old building to one side, and a massive skyscraper on the other: my first hint that Toronto was going to be a mish-mash of different eras, cultures and atmospheres. I also figured, from what I can tell so far, the that main method of navigation here is orienteering. You need to know your bearings (compass bearings, not just the slang for "where you are"), and look out for street signs that are usually quite high up on lampposts, traffic lights or whatever else is around. This being the case, I walked for quite a while in the complete opposite direction from where I was going until two lovely young ladies saw me looking at my map like a putz, and pointed me in the right direction. Shortly afterward I arrived for the first time at the University of Toronto (UoT) campus, and then a lovely old building wherein the International Students Center (ISC) is located (I wish I knew some architectural eras, so I could elaborate on "old").

I went into the building, and was directed up to the ISC office by the receptionist. Inside, one of the team gave me a rundown of UoT, a couple of forms to fill in, and a bag of stuff to read later. They then sent me to the International Student Exchange Office (ISXO) which is where I'd intended to go originally. Apparently I wasn't the first to get the ISC and ISXO mixed up, which was good. The ISXO was over the road, and as I'd arrived 5 minutes before the staff did, I had a little wander around the building. It was bigger than the Union at Keele, and from what I can tell it was only an office building with a café and a shop. This was going to be interesting.

The ISXO team were helpful, they gave me some more stuff to read, and a "to do" sheet for my first day: I had to collect my T-Card, set up my UTORid, pay for my UHIP, and collect my UHIP policy card. I still had forty minutes or so before my first lecture, so I went to Robart's Library, and to the T-Card office. They took a mugshot and gave me my T-Card two minutes later. I then went to a makeshift computer station to do the UTORid, but unfortunately they were still running Windows 3.1, and I had to leave before it was done to go to my lecture.

Before I arrived in Canada, the ISXO sent a course enrollment sheet to all prospective UoT students, on which we marked the courses we wanted to do. I put two for Music, two for Psychology, and a selection of other ones that looked interesting (Inuit Studies, Beginner's French, Ancient Japanese History etc). Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately during exam period) I was only enrolled on one of the "interesting looking" ones, and it was here I was headed to now: my first lecture at UoT was AST210 - Great Moments in Astronomy. A good understanding of Math(s) and Physics is required for this course, which the Professor deemed me to have (again, I can't tell if this is unfortunate or fortunate!).

I'm going to interject again: The education system in Canada is different to the UK, instead of gradually narrowing down from secondary school to one subject (or maybe two) at university, Canadians (and all North Americans I think) keep their choices broad right through 'til the end. For this reason the classes are made up of people from different years, faculties and colleges. I think it's a better idea really. Only the people who want to do a module are there, rather than people who have to do it to earn "credits" for their degree like home, meaning that everyone seems to be a lot more focused in the lectures. The little fold up "tables" built into the lecture theatre seats are put to good use, and so far the atmosphere in lectures has been a lot more involved than at Keele(!).

After my first lecture, I went back to the building where the ISXO office was and had a look in the bookshop, then sat outside and ate my packed lunch (yum). I had a look at my map to figure out where my next lecture was (MUS202 - Beethoven), and left in what I thought was ample time. I was mistaken. I'd read the map wrong, and thought that the relatively small King's College Circle was the relatively big Queen's Park, meaning I had to hurry when I realised my error. Luckily I was only 10 minutes late, but I still felt a bit daft walking into a packed lecture theatre and trying to find a seat.

Being a diligent and focused student, I returned to Robart's library after the music lecture. I figured I could save some dollars by getting textbooks from the library as and when I needed them, but I failed to take into account the numerous UoT libraries; it turns out the music book I need is a fair distance away in the Scarborough Campus library, and the astronomy book I need is across the campus at the Gerstein Library (I'd been here earlier to find it, and went to the 13th floor of the library (of 14) where it was said to be. When I got to the shelf the book was meant to be on, I found a little notice saying "Sections P through R are in the Gerstein Library" - apparently the system hasn't been updated accordingly yet!).

I mentioned the Scarborough Campus above. UoT is split into three campuses: the Mississauga Campus (UoTM), the St. George Campus, and the Scarborough Campus (UoTSC). The combined size is 70,000 students, with ~10,000 at both UoTM and UoTSC and the remainder (including me) at St. George, so quite a difference from the size and spread of Keele!

By this point in the day, about 5.30pm, I was pooped. I still had jet-lag and it wasn't helped by a late night and early morning after a day of flying, so I went home, had dinner with Eva and Chelsea, and turned in at about 9.30. Luckily for me I have Thursdays completely free, meaning a lay-in was possible. I gleefully took the opportunity and didn't get up till 9.45, which isn't late by normal standards, but was acceptable after 11 hours sleep. I made some cinnamon and raisin toast for breakfast, which was delicious, and headed (directions in hand) to the local library. After a "short" walk through the suburbs I arrived, and was amazed by the size (7 floors) of just one of Toronto's 99 (!) public libraries. I went in, tried to collect a book Eva had reserved for me, but couldn't do so without a membership card, inquired about joining, but couldn't do so without a permanent Toronto address, and then, with all options exhausted, headed to the nearest Subway station, which to my shock was underneath the library.

I took a train to Union Station, where I spent a while trying to find the exit, and emerged to a sprinkling of skyscrapers and condos. Union Station is relatively famous I think, and if it isn't, it deserves to be. It's a huge building, beautifully designed and seemingly incredibly useful: from what I can tell it offers train and bus services to most of Canada and parts of America. Outside I saw my first Toronto hot dog vendor, and decided to give him my custom. The hot dog stalls are great, they have boxes around the sides with olives, relish, chilli, onions, sauerkraut, pickle, bacon bits and a couple of other things that slip my mind right now, as well as bottles of mustard (Dijon or honey), ketchup and mayonnaise. All this, not to mention the bun and well (or at least adequately) cooked tube of processed meat is only $2.50 (or $3 nearer the city center). That's about £1.50 (or £1.80 nearer the city center). I loaded mine up with everything, then found a place where I could eat it safely and without it bursting and sending complementary condiments all over the place.

Thirsty seconds later, full of hot dog and in good spirits, I was ready for my first stroll around Downtown. And what a good stroll it was! I headed first for the CN Tower, which dominates the skyline from most vantage points in Toronto, including where I was standing right now. It was huge. Seriously. Pictures in guidebooks or seeing it on TV can't do it any justice, and I was overwhelmed to see just how big it was. I found and sat on a bench at the base, and watched the elevator whizz up and down a couple of times (114 storeys in 58 seconds) before continuing on my way. My next stop was the harbour front, which turned out to be more lovely than I imagined. The water was a clear blue, the sky was clear and blue, there was a cool breeze blowing, and the views were amazing. I walked East past a few boats and buildings, made a note to come back here another day and walk West as well, and sat for a while in the Harbour Square Gardens.

As you may have figured, I didn't have an itinerary for the day. I was just walking to wherever looked interesting and close on my guidebook map. For this reason, I ended up walking North along Bay Street, through the financial center (lots of skyscrapers) and past the old and new City Halls. The old one is now a courthouse, and the once controversial new one serves the City Hall function. I went in, collected some coupons and vouchers from the tourist information desk, then got lost in some corridors that it looked as if I shouldn't be in. I bailed from the nearest emergency exit, and walked briskly East to the Eaton Center, Toronto's biggest shopping mall (I think).

Shopping wasn't on my mind at the moment, so I cut through the Eaton Center to the PATH system, a 27 mile long system of underground walkways through Toronto (I think). Although it was quite empty at the moment, it proves vital in Winter when sometimes the weather gets so cold that your skin can freeze if left uncovered for too long. I thought I'd get to grips with it early, but despite the supposed simplicity of the system (follow the "T" north, the "H" east, the "P" south and the "A" west), I still managed to get lost (again), and was to be saved this time by a jolly fellow with a speech impediment. I followed his directions, and somehow managed to get lost again (!). Losing heart, I emerged from an exit in the same building I walked past thirty minutes ago, just before Old City Hall. Feeling like a putz once more, I headed for the relatively familiar UoT campus with the intention of doing some reading at the library.

There's no point reciting what happened in the library in detail. I got a book, read it, returned it and left within an hour, then headed to Museum Station (North of Queen's Park) and caught the Subway home. Eva was going to Yorkdale Mall, so I tagged along and had a look around the Canadian equivalent of Bluewater / Lakeside. Most of the shops were pretty much the same as home. A couple were exactly the same, so I had a look in those to comfort myself, and a couple I didn't recognise at all, so I had a look in those too. Then with a few minutes to spare before the designated meeting time I headed to the food court and sat reading my guidebook for a bit, before meeting Eva and heading to "Price Chopper". Price Chopper is one of Toronto's grocery stores, along with "Shopper's Drugmart", "Walmart" and a few others. I did a basic shop, looked in mild awe at the foreign products, and met Eva outside to go home (where I went to bed).

Friday was my second day of lectures, and my first 10am start. I left at 9am, and quickly realised that I was going to be late. Accepting this, and the fact that there was nothing I could do, I sat back and enjoyed the journey to campus (a quick note: I paid my fare properly today with one of the tokens that I'd picked up on Wednesday afternoon). I arrived about twenty minutes late to my lecture, which was scheduled to last three hours (!). Thankfully it finished early, giving me time to go East to Church Street and claim my free truffle. I didn't realise Church Street and the surrounding area was the gay district until I started seeing rainbow flags everywhere (that's another great thing about Toronto: all the different areas have distinguishing ornamentation on the lampposts. So far I've seen dragons and rainbow flags). I pressed on to the Adam and Eve chocolatier, where I bought an iced latte (it was cheap and I'm crap with coffee) and chose my free (tiny) truffle. In retrospect it probably wasn't worth the walk, but I guess it was good to see another of Toronto's neighbourhoods!

The ISXO Orientation session was scheduled for 4pm, and it was about 3.30 when I bought my latte. So I headed back to campus, and into the Medical Sciences building. The orientation was good, Marc Arnold (the incoming students officer) gave us a rundown of life in Toronto, how to adjust to the culture, and what to do. It was mainly geared at non-Western cultures I think, so some of the stuff was a bit arbituary (what a thumbs up means, for example). We also had to stand up and introduce ourselves to everyone else, which was fun (terrifying). I listened to the introductions, and in the break I went to introduce myself to a few people in more detail. Most of them were British (and Irish!): it's easier to talk to people from home, at least at the start.

After the orientation I headed with James (a fellow Brit) to Hart House, where there was to be an International Students welcome buffet. It took us a while to find it (we found a swimming pool, a pool table, a restaurant and a vegetable garden beforehand), but we still managed to be early which was good. People started arriving, and the smell of the food started wafting out of the room and getting everybody excited. There was some general chit-chat while we wrote out name labels for ourselves, then the doors were thrown open and everyone swarmed the buffet table.

I must say, it was one of the most impressive buffets I've ever seen. There were enormous piles of fruit, veg, crisps, cheese, meat, snacks, breads and puddings. Some things I'd never seen at a buffet before (figs, mango, asparagus stalks etc), whereas some were commonplace (breadsticks, cheese and pineapple sticks), but it was all delicious. I loaded myself up with food and punch, then went to introduce myself to a few more people, including a Japanese girl, an Australian guy, an Irish guy, a couple of Israelis and a group of British people. It was a great atmosphere, and it was great to meet some people! I stayed 'til just before the end, then headed off with aforementioned British (and Irish!) people with the intention of drinking beer on a porch.

The LCBO was our first stop. I don't know what it stands for, but basically alcohol in Canada can only be sold in government-run outlets (I think), and the LCBO is the biggest of these. They all shut before 11pm, with the majority shutting at 10 or even 9, which means drinking has to be planned here unlike England where it can be spontaneous. The selection of alcohol is good because of their standing, so we grabbed a few packs of beer and headed back to one of the people's houses to sit on the porch.

Conversation went from initial thoughts of Canada, to how the house was probably haunted, to Big Fat Burritos, to weed, to plans for later that evening, and various other things along the way. We planned to go to Yonge-Dundas and see a film for TIFF (the Toronto International Film Festival), but we left too late and ended up going to a bar in Kensington Market. Kensington Market reminds me a bit of Camden; it's full of independent shops, arty places and hippy-esque stuff, and so it was good to walk around. The bar we went to had a patio, and we sat outside with beer and food until about 12. I headed home 'cause I wasn't sure what time the last buses were, and everyone else went to play Rock Band.

So basically, the first few days have been amazing. I'm guessing it will continue to be amazing as well, I'm just figuring out what to do, when to do it, and finding my feet socially. I'll continue to update this, and it'd be great if people read it! Leave a comment to if you so desire.