Summer in Toronto
Door: Webmaster
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Hanneke
20 Juli 2006 | Canada, Toronto
When I first applied for the research programme I really regretted the fact that I was going to miss another summer in the Netherlands. Last summer was not really a summer as it rained all the time- but that was in a way a good thing as I had to work very hard to finish my thesis anyway. And the summer before I was in Kenya- well, it was winter over there, but what a winter! But another summer abroad would mean that I would have to miss the fun things of a summer in the Netherlands again: sailing, festivals and evenings outside in my garden.
Luckily Toronto is a great city!
According to UNESCO it is the most multicultural city in the world and although I have not been to so many cities in the world, I am starting to believe it is true. We are unfortunately not living in downtown Toronto, but our decent little suburb is already pretty multicultural. The Italians are in the majority I think, but that is not so surprising as the estimates on the number of Italians in Toronto ranges from 500,000 to 800,000. So you can imagine the party after the world cup!
Our Italian neighbour is sharing his cherries with us, and soon the tomatoes will be ripe. And our Indian neighbour knocked on the door today to bring us a cucumber. So we are already very well integrated- or everybody is waiting for the pears and apples in our garden to be ripe... ;) In the meantime we are enjoying the raspberries from our garden that are doing really well after we removed all the weeds that were growing around them. And Maartje and I have discovered the gathers’-gene from our fathers: we occasionally go for a walk around at night to eat some raspberries from the next-door neighbours that do not seem to remember them or find a place where they have other berries that are just left hanging there.
The good thing about the multicultural city is that you can walk around in different neighbourhoods and enjoy the things they sell in the shops and the restaurants, but also the many different festivals: the Italian festival, the Afro Fest, the Salsa/Latin festival, this weekend Caribana and the Harbourfront Festival: Ritmo e Color: Focus Mexico. And there is more to come! So I think we will surely enjoy ourselves here!
Hopefully we will also be able to go sailing here. Last Saturday we went to the Toronto Islands for a nice day on the beach. It was great! We went to the smallest island- leaving the Hare Krishna festival on the other boat. And there were so many beautiful sailing boats! So we are planning to make some new friends who have a sailing permit, or maybe just pay for a tour. And Maartje and I have already planned a NOHA-sailing trip in Zeeland in September!
Of course we also have to work. We are still struggling with the research, as things remain unclear and the guidelines keep being changed. But at least our supervisor arrived last week and we are working on things. I am sure it will work out in the end! And there are some more good distractions on the way: the wedding (can’t say anything about it here, but you feel free to send me an email about it ) - so shopping for a dress etcetera! - and my camping holiday with Martijn!
Ciao,
Hanneke
Ps For those of you going on a holiday that are unable to find the proper address:
36 Candlewood Crescent
North York, Ontario
M3J1G8
Canada
Luckily Toronto is a great city!
According to UNESCO it is the most multicultural city in the world and although I have not been to so many cities in the world, I am starting to believe it is true. We are unfortunately not living in downtown Toronto, but our decent little suburb is already pretty multicultural. The Italians are in the majority I think, but that is not so surprising as the estimates on the number of Italians in Toronto ranges from 500,000 to 800,000. So you can imagine the party after the world cup!
Our Italian neighbour is sharing his cherries with us, and soon the tomatoes will be ripe. And our Indian neighbour knocked on the door today to bring us a cucumber. So we are already very well integrated- or everybody is waiting for the pears and apples in our garden to be ripe... ;) In the meantime we are enjoying the raspberries from our garden that are doing really well after we removed all the weeds that were growing around them. And Maartje and I have discovered the gathers’-gene from our fathers: we occasionally go for a walk around at night to eat some raspberries from the next-door neighbours that do not seem to remember them or find a place where they have other berries that are just left hanging there.
The good thing about the multicultural city is that you can walk around in different neighbourhoods and enjoy the things they sell in the shops and the restaurants, but also the many different festivals: the Italian festival, the Afro Fest, the Salsa/Latin festival, this weekend Caribana and the Harbourfront Festival: Ritmo e Color: Focus Mexico. And there is more to come! So I think we will surely enjoy ourselves here!
Hopefully we will also be able to go sailing here. Last Saturday we went to the Toronto Islands for a nice day on the beach. It was great! We went to the smallest island- leaving the Hare Krishna festival on the other boat. And there were so many beautiful sailing boats! So we are planning to make some new friends who have a sailing permit, or maybe just pay for a tour. And Maartje and I have already planned a NOHA-sailing trip in Zeeland in September!
Of course we also have to work. We are still struggling with the research, as things remain unclear and the guidelines keep being changed. But at least our supervisor arrived last week and we are working on things. I am sure it will work out in the end! And there are some more good distractions on the way: the wedding (can’t say anything about it here, but you feel free to send me an email about it ) - so shopping for a dress etcetera! - and my camping holiday with Martijn!
Ciao,
Hanneke
Ps For those of you going on a holiday that are unable to find the proper address:
36 Candlewood Crescent
North York, Ontario
M3J1G8
Canada
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20 Juli 2006 - 01:56
Maartje:
Hee.. huisgenootje, jaaaa! ik ben de eerste hihi, nog nacht natuurlijk in Nl. Maar toch!
Nu nog wachten op appels en peren...
xoxo maartje
-
20 Juli 2006 - 06:54
Rita:
misschien kunnen wij ons akantieadres nog veranderen?overleg het even met je ouders!!!
fijn dat het goed met je gaat....je klinkt tevreden in je mail.
liefs en veel plezier.
rita -
20 Juli 2006 - 10:06
Aart Jan:
Go jagers-verzamelaars!!!! -
20 Juli 2006 - 10:26
Aart Jan:
Go jagers-verzamelaars!!!! -
20 Juli 2006 - 17:02
Roelof:
Heya, goed te lezen dat het daar ook prima vertoeven is. Hier geen buren met vers fruit, maar de Turk om de hoek hier in Den Haag heeft ook genoeg lekkers om te koken ;) Geniet van de zomer daar en tot de volgende keer -
26 Juli 2006 - 02:28
Hanneke:
@Rita: ik heb het echt geprobeerd hoor!! Maar ik ben bang dat de Biod niet zo ver gaat.. ;)
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