September 2: Back in Toronto

September 2, 2010

Standing in the TIFF ticket line is not exactly creative, I admit, but hopefully the end result is some exposure to art. I really shouldn’t make a habit of spending hours in lines though. The 2 hours in line today (unsuccessful too!) seemed a bigger waste of time than the 9 hours and 50 minutes in line for an iPhone4. I resolve to skip TIFF next year. In the meantime, I’ll have to try again tomorrow.

I've reveled in the dichotomy of my life these past 6 years. I would spend about half my time working in a small town in northern Ontario, going canoeing, hiking or skiing after work. Then after a week or so, I would return to the city to get my theatre and restaurants in. As I wouldn't be back up north for a while, I took an extra bit of time to get some canoeing in. The highlight was spotting the two bald eagles.

The first day back in town always means lots of errands to run and today is no exception. However, I did take time out to have dim sum at Lai Wah Heen. I admit that this is not the usual way of life of a poor artist. As you may suspect, good food will be an integral part of my many experiences this year. I thought that checking out the dim sum at this highly rated restaurant would be a great way to start my year in Toronto. I can’t say that I’m impressed with this restaurant. I’ve been here for dinner in the past and to its sister restaurant, Lai Toh Heen. I wanted to check it out to see if it would be a great place to bring my parents for dim sum during their upcoming visit. The decor is luxurious in a late 20th century kind of way (i.e. brassy shininess) and the service is polished. But besides the higher than usual quality tea that is served, I find the food to be quite bland. I had to ask for soy sauce, which if you have ever seen or read Joy Luck Club, will realize that this is a big insult to the chef. In fact, I’ve never asked for soy sauce in a Chinese restaurant before. However, I need not pine for good quality dim sum for long as I will be in Richmond in a week’s time for some great Cantonese cuisine. Oh--did I say I'm leaving town? After all the plans of staying put in Toronto? I'll tell you more tomorrow.