I LOVE T.O.!

So I’m back in Toronto now, after having worked in England for about two years. It feels both amazing and weird to be back! It’s been a blast seeing family and friends again, and I can’t help but notice a lot of changes here in the GTA. For one thing, just how many skyscrapers have been built since 2009 in Toronto?! The city is FULL of them. Especially in the central part of Mississauga, my hometown. And, the number of Asian Guy/White Girl couples have massively increased tenfold. What happened?! No, don’t tell me, I don’t care. Interracial love FTW!

As enthused I am about the changes here in my city, it’s not what I come back for. When you’ve traveled a lot around Europe in the past two years, novelty is something given to you repeatedly on a platter. New sights, new customs, new friends. Enough already. When I’m back home, I don’t want newness. I want familiarity. I want to do, see, think and feel things, accustomed things, that I can’t do/see/think/feel anywhere else. I want to feel… at HOME.

Even though I terribly miss living in London, I’ve missed living here, more. So, as a former Londoner, I now share with you a list of the things I’ve missed MOST about my beautiful city, Toronto.

1. Affordability.
Having a regular bowl of pho in London used to cost me £7 ($10CAD). A sushi bento box is on average £14 ($22CAD). Commuting to work would cost me £160 a month ($246CAD… how I miss my old monthly $109 TTC metropass!), and, a simple wash, cut and style at our Supercuts would cost £40 ($61CAD). Crazy, isn’t it? That dreaded pound really taught me to curve my spending habits in London. But, the downside was that whenever I visited Toronto, I’d be throwing around my pounds like nobody’s business. New clothes at Forever 21? I want. Steak? Lobster? On me. Drinks at a club? Don’t worry, I got this.

2. Evening & late-night conveniences.
Stores, banks, and other services close much earlier in London. Banks at 5 PM, stores at usually 7 or 8, if not sooner. During my first year, I was living in Ealing, a part of London which could be considered the equivalent of suburban Mississauga, and it was frustrating having shops close at 6 on weekdays! Toronto, however, never ceased to fulfill my needs 24/7. Before I left, I could easily do my banking or shopping anytime after work. One time, I had the missing key to my condo replaced by a locksmith right away at midnight. Oh, and late night deliveries? No such thing in London. But here, if I want that pizza or Chinese takeout delivered to me at a ridiculously late time, I could get it, no prob. Toronto, you excessively spoil my need for instant gratification, and I love you for that.

3. Transportation.
Our TTC is also wonderfully convenient. In London, the Tube (the subway) would close at around 12:30 AM, 1 AM at the latest, making it more difficult to have a late night social life. If you didn’t care and wanted to party late anyway, then good luck getting back home at a predictable time. Cabs are near impossible to get if you don’t have their number on hand on your cell, and their night buses don’t come as often. (Our infamous “Vomit Comet” 97 bus along Yonge Street no longer seemed as repulsive the night my roommate and I were stranded in central London, waiting what seemed like forever for a night bus to get back home.) Toronto allowed me to be as spontaneous and unplanned as I wanted to be during my clubbing days long ago, and I could take the subway, the streetcar, or a cab, home at any time I pleased.

4. Multiculturalism.
In my last article, I briefly mentioned that although London is listed as one of the most multicultural cities in the world, the Chinese population stands only at 1.5%. With the exception of South Asians at 13%, all the other Asian minorities are about the same at 2%. Combined. This means that in London, when you set foot on the Tube, your Asianness will seem more apparent, because there’s less of you. And, there’s nothing more refreshing for an Asian to come back to Toronto and easily blend within the beautifully mixed salad of cultures and backgrounds.

5. All-you-can-eat Asian cuisine.
Not including Chinese food, all-you-can-eat delicacies like sushi and Korean BBQ are a rarity in London. There are a few sushi places, but not very many. I’ve only been to one, and had such a bad experience (unfresh salmon sashimi and bad service) that I never went back. And, the limited Korean population & popularity of their food have prevented the KBBQ we all know, love, and pig out on, from becoming even remotely in-demand in London.

And, last but not least….

6. Poutine.
It’s a simple recipe, right? Fries, gravy, and cheese curds. But, the latter is unfortunately unavailable in London. Since moving there, I’ve learned to make it with regular grated cheese, but c’mon. C’MON. You and I both know that it’s not the same.

*******************************

So the next time you’re out having a good time in Toronto, indulging in ANY of these, you better be thankful. We are lucky to have lived or be living in this awesome city, with such conveniences available to us for the taking.

I love you, Toronto!

What do YOU love most about Toronto? Share!

Related Posts