Wanderings

We begin our journey of moving on. But in our busy lifestyles of living a directional life – towards our schools, our degrees, and our goals – I took this Thursday to wander across Toronto.

It is a beautiful day today. I'm writing this at the Toronto Music Garden – a truly wonderful blessing for our city. The paths twist, curl, and dance across the garden and flowery landscape. If there's any place to be lost, there's nothing better than being lost in music (hmmm… so ideally either here or on the fifth floor stacks of the TRL).

More and more people gather here; about five times more people than when I first sat down, at this nice lawn awaiting a short but anticipated solo cello performance. The sun is still up, but soon, it will set across the Toronto skyline.

I listen around. I "unplugged' my earphones quite a while ago. I don't want to miss out on any part of the experience of the music garden. All around I hear murmuring; the cellist has just started her warm-ups. Twice I've heard the zooms of the airplanes touching down at the Island airport; often I hear the streetcars moving about. The dog to my right occasionally barks, and every five minutes or so I hear cheers sounding not too far away. UT Frosh students, my guess. Another reminder that we are moving on. And yet, I allow myself to wander.

Early this afternoon, I left my house. I took the Huntingwood bus. I remember a time before the Huntingwood bus was in service. 15 minutes later, I was on the Sheppard subway. That's not so old either. 18 years in Toronto – so many events have happened – visiting the CBC museum this afternoon surely showed that. World events, famous people – coming and going. This is paralleled on a personal level; friends and relatives, who have made their mark on Toronto, but later moved on. I guess now it's my turn.

I got off the Sheppard line, transferred, and soon enough, my head was back above the ground. At Mel Lastman Square, there was a Farmer's market. I bought a colourful basket of plums. The place brought memories of Taiwanese festivals that had taken place there; the busy Yonge Street serving as a main artery of Toronto life, my church just a few kilometers to the North. The clock chimes startle me and inform me that the clock doesn't stop.

At 2:46 on Day 246 I meet a friend at the gate of 5050 Yonge Street. It is the TDSB building. Oh the years spent in this "education" "system" – but I give my bow taps to Timberbank, North Bridlewood, Tyrrell, and Mac – speaking of bow taps, the concert is about to begin.

Wow that was amazing – a beautiful six movement cello suite played by Winona Zelenka, principle cellist of the TSO, presenting the series of "Bach at Dusk". 40 minutes after I left off the last paragraph, people are now leaving. People come and people go.

After I left the TDSB – we headed downtown. We visited the CBC museum, as I mentioned earlier, but more or less wandered across Toronto. It was a great departure from my email/detail self, and a joy to just walk around; the highlight being this vibrant city that I will miss, and an engaging conversation. We parted ways at the Eaton centre, and there I soon found myself in a bookstore =P. Naturally.

I left about a quarter hour later, carrying a copy of Darwin's Origin of Species. A beautiful illustrated hardcover edition – for less than two and a half hours worth of work at the zoo! It reminds of the knowledge that is out there in the world, the knowledge for us to find, to discover. "The World is our Classroom", I say – and every day I learn how true that is.

We are moving ahead, moving towards new heights, and many of us take different paths. Though it now seems divergent, roads may soon by convergent; a species becomes a population, with more talent, variety, and colour; roads intertwine, and that's where we'll meet again.

I'm heading back home, writing in my faithful Moleskine notebook (thanks again, Doris). Walking back from the music garden, I decided that buying a basket of plums early in the afternoon, followed by a large heavy hardcover book, and lugging them across Toronto was not the smartest thing to do.

The sun sets over in the West. I will be heading there in less than 48 hours. Hamilton's not that far, of course, but I will grow to love it as I already love Mac (BigMac that is, and I still love little mac) – and the Artscis are awesome!; but today, I continue to wander across Toronto.

I near the Rogers Centre. The Yankees are at Toronto today – though I have lost faith in the jays, and now with Wang entrenched with injuries, I don't care for the Yankees much either – but the game and the smell of hotdogs remind of games watched as a kid. The Yankees also remind me of trips to New York, to the States; it is a small world, but also so immense, filled always with places to go, things to see.

I pass by the CN Tower. It looks pretty in the sunset, and commanding in our skyline. I will visit it tomorrow (hmmm when will I pack?). But today has been a wonderful day. I will keep this day, this city, this world, in mind – as I continue to wander into the world ahead. I want to say wander aimlessly, but we've gotta be realistic, eh?