On the Bus

Thursday afternoon, St. Clair West, around 2:30. The sun is hitting the bus on the right side, so the riders have all chosen to sit on the left. A man steps onto the eastbound bus, age 46, Afrocaribbean.
"What's the matter? You white guys all afraid of the sun? Afraid you'll get a tan? I don't need no tan, I got more pigment in my skin than you. You ain't even that white anyway. What are you guys, Italian? And you, I didn't ask you to smile. You're just some kinda immigrant."
"I'm from Africa, South Africa."
"Right on, brother." Punches my fist. "That's why I started with you. You Canadian guys," gestures to the man on his right, "you couldn't take it. You're just Canadian."
Proceeds to talk about his Russian girlfriend of three years, and his abilities to please her. "A girl needs a guy who can give her a good push. Bumbaclaat!"
The bus has ridden off the rails, and proceeds south on Bathurst. I ask the driver to let me off at Davenport. As I leave, the man says:
"Don't call the police! I'm a professional comedian. That'll be $10."

Street Festivals

Sunday afternoon at the Taste of the Danforth. The crowds line up along the souvlaki stands. At the end of the street stands a stage, on which a band plays original songs and medleys of Greek hits. The band, known as Ena k'Ena, features a female vocalist, electric guitarist, keyboardist, bassist and darbouka player. The band leader plays bouzouki, violin, and a triple stringed electric instrument containing a saz, bouzouki and kumbuz that his father built. After the band's set, an MC takes the stage, determined to teach the crowd a few words of Greek: opa, te kanis, ola kala, evkharisto.

After his shtick, a traditional Greek dancing troupe takes the stage. The women are wearing a one piece outfit that goes down to their ankles, and their heads are modestly covered in a headcloth. The men for their part are dressed in white tights, ballerina-type tutus, and shoes with pompoms over the toes. The men mostly dance with each other, while the women clap hands in the background. At one point, the men dance in pairs. They fling their partner into the air, who manages to click his heels together before landing.

After this silliness has ended, Ena k'Ena takes the stage for another set. The toddlers in the audience appear to highly enjoy the performance. Following the set, the MC repeats his shtick verbatim, not forgetting to tell us that Greeks invented the term "OK". I decide to leave. On the way to the subway, I pass snake charmers, donair vendors keeping the beat of their Turkish techno with their meat tongs, and lots of people with peacock weathers.

Later that evening I head to Kensington for some onions. The street has been closed for Pedestrian Sunday. At the top of Augusta, a fierce Scrabble game is taking place, while Orthodox Jewish and black kids spin together in spiral mazes that have been painted onto the street. Further down, Maracatu Nunca Antes is finishing up their set. I spot a friend I hadn't seen in a while, who is mixing drinks out of fruit juice containers and brown paper bags. A djembe ensemble takes the stage, accompanied by the Kensington Horns. They are followed by more of the usual suspects: Samba Elegua, The New Kings. Assorted objects, such as hubcaps and garbage lids, are handed out to the audience for them to bang on. At 9:00, the blackout of 2003 is reenacted, and all the streetlights are turned off. The effect is mitigated somewhat by the lit apartments on either side of the street.

Back in Toronto

Much has changed here while I've been gone. The family of raccoons sqatting in the house next door appears to have moved away. My tomatoes, eggplants and jalapeno peppers have all given fruit, and my mint and parsley are also going strong. The same cannot be said, unfortunately, for my lettuce, spinach and cilantro, which have disappeared from the face of the earth.

Last Sunday I went down to the Harbourfront, which was hosting "Island Soul" as part of Caribana weekend. I saw an r&b group from Rochester, New York, and ran into my favourite Grenadan Orthodox Jew, Camille, who was in town visiting her family. On Wednesday I went to Dufferin Grove Park for the Clay and Paper Theatre production of "Camoes, the One-Eyed Poet from Portugal". The play was complete with giant Portuguese puppets, and live fado music. This afternoon I went on the "Alley Jaunt" around Trinity Bellwoods Park. Different artists were displaying their work in garages in the alleys around the park. The best pieces were "Urban Animal Outfitters" which displayed clothing for the raccoons, squirrels and birds of the city, and "Softcity Upburg", a 3D map of Toronto created out of stuffed cloth.

There is much still to come. This week is the World AIDS Conference, which is taking place here in Toronto. Different international musicians, such as Zimbabwe's Thomas Mapfumo, with be performing in different venues. And of course, the end of the month will bring the sixth edition of the Ashkenaz Festival. The festival, which takes place at the Harbourfront on Labour Day weekend, has more Sephardic artists than ever before: flamenco singer Yasmin Levy, Aaron Bensoussan and the Dafina Orchestra, and the great Algerian pianist Maurice El Medioni.