#also this persons art is so wonderful its like weed in a pride parade

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without the many many colors on top undercut

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[duo-log]

What is the city but the people?

“This is the longest I have lived in any city since college and most cities grew on me over time, but I can assure you, I will never fall in love with this city,” She said. “I concur, but I want to ask why, ” He said. “Because this city is flat. It weirdly lacks depth, that something innate that lends you the feeling of belonging is missing. Do you know what I mean?” She said.

That was I, four years ago on my way back from a weekend getaway in Montreal, a city I fell in love with because of its cobbled streets, the old city, the french men of course, and the cute welcoming cafe houses. I wondered why Toronto could not be more like Montreal. I recollect feeling the same way after visiting Quebec City, Vancouver, and even Ottawa. I disliked Toronto for the concrete jungle it was. It is actually. Until a couple of months back, when one morning as the train was pulling into the Union station on my morning commute to work and I passed the familiar sights, I smiled as it dawned on me that the familiarity felt comforting. I looked around me in the train, and I found an amalgamation of colour and nationality sitting side by side, some chatting with each other while some others busy on their phones and some like me were lost in thought but everybody seemed alright to share the space with the stranger next to them. I came to this city back in 2010, and the only person I knew in this city was my soon-to-be roommate whom I met in Mumbai for an hour. Since then, I met people at school, at work, at Regional clubs who then became friends and introduced me to their friends and the circle expanded. Then came the kid and her caretakers, her fellow classmates and their parents and before I realized, this city filled up with more friends than I ever had in one city. It is true when they say, ‘home is where heart is’ and if there is one thing Toronto knows quite well, it is to steal your heart without you ever finding out. Cheesy, I know but true nevertheless.

The city that at first seems like a wannabe, utterly bare and made of concrete, is in fact quite colourful and vibrant like a dancing peacock as it slowly and steadily reveals itself to you. It has this quirky pockets of culture that when discovered will leave you amazed and yearning to discover more. The Greek festival on the Danforth which shuts down a major intersection to traffic allowing roadside stalls and jazz bands to entertain the crowd into the wee hours of the morning or the weed-themed celebration for the marijuana lovers of the city famously known as ‘420’ or the ‘Canniversary’ which is an all day smoke out event in the city square and believe me when I say, nothing left me more surprised than the open display of weed and people smoking while holding on to placards saying ‘I love the Herb’ except of course the ‘Pride Parade’, where the city’s major artery is blocked for a whole day as the LGBTQ community of Toronto walks in pride and the city cheers them on. There are many cities in the world much beautiful and rich in culture and architecture than Toronto but the freedom of choice that Torontonians experience irrespective of the colour of the skin, religion, ethnicity and, nationality is what sets this city apart.

On my last birthday, we reserved a table at a Lebanese restaurant in the greater Toronto area. It was well rated for its food, and so off we went to satiate three hungry tummies. When we arrived and walked down the lane at the end of which was the restaurant, I felt as if I was transported into a quaint little European town. The lane was a cobbled street with tiny twinkling lights decorating the little square and melodious instrumental filling the air along with tinkling glasses, laughter and the aroma of delicious food. I stood there awestruck and looked around the little magical bubble I got sucked into, and I forgot all about Montreal and Quebec City. That experience also made me realize something else. When we visit a city, we focus on everything pretty and fancy about it, and we plan the visit when the place is supposed to look its best. Niagara Falls in the summer, Quebec City in June, every place in India in the winter, London during Christmas and so on but when we reside in a city, we see its ugly underbelly, the slushy streets two days after the beautiful Christmas evening passed and the barren trees before the summer bloom arrived. It is the allure of a mistress who only ever shows up dolled up, adorned and ready as opposed to a wife who doesn’t have an option but reveal her best and her ugly. Perfection is beautiful and easy to admire; it is, however, the familiarity of the flaws that softens the heart and comforts. Only when I lived long enough in the concrete jungle, did I find the quirky little shops in the hidden alcove behind the embassy or the divine fish and chips shop that is so narrow that it is almost invisible like 12 Grimmauld Place or that cozy coffee shop on Queen street that reminded me of ‘Central Perk’.

Toronto is scattered with contemporary art that I will agree is not always easy on the eyes. Modern art has never been my cup of tea, but even less alluring are the statues of cows grazing and dogs walking or a pile up of cars and large skeletons of griffin-like beasts. It is starkly different than the thought provoking sculptures I see in a few other cities that I visited and loved. Why am I contrasting it to other cities? Even within this very city, you will find the old world architectural beauty and structures that will remind you of the Great Hall of Hogwarts in all its majesty and splendour. This very contrast is a mirror to this city’s true nature, the adventurous, welcoming and free spirit it imbibes and offers. There are beautiful dedications written by great writers to cities they found close to their hearts and although each of those were masterpieces in their own way, there is one aspect common -- a city is a hollow husk without the people in it and while some cities are described as soulful, and some vivacious, Toronto is comforting; like eating ‘khichuri’ on a rainy day or biting into a slice of dark chocolate when the stress builds up, or a sip of chilled beer on a summer evening. You will not realize when it wiggles its way into your heart but it does and before you realize the inbuilt compass in your body anchors to the CN tower and instead of finding which way is north, you start mapping your journey banking on the south.

As usual, you can read the other part of this Duolog(ue) here.