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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Caribana!... PART 1

This is just a brief overview of my trip and some photos. 

(Bear with me, my camera is crappy. I'm seriously about to add an "About Me" page with a PayPal Donate button.)

A whole lot of shit went down though, I lost a friend, but gained two more.  I was also in a MAGIC show. 

I also learned that age might not be as big a factor in dating as I once thought... Basically way too much for one post. I don't want to give you an information overload!

So, my trip to Toronto was freakin' AH-MAZ-ING.  I had no idea what the Canadians were working with up there.  I mean I could completely live there. Except that they don't have Chipotle...major FAIL!

I went for Caribana, which is a cultural festival...the biggest one ever! 1.5 million visitors annually, mostly from the West Indies.  I do not have any sort of background in the West Indies, but my friend's (well, now my EX-friend...why?... that's another post!) family is from St. Lucia.
 
When the bus arrived into the city, I was amazed...everything is glass.  The condos they have downtown were called the ICE condos.  Who wouldn't want to live somewhere called ICE?

Our hotel was swank as hell.  When I went to check in, there were about 30 men standing around of all shapes and sizes. My first thought was, "This is going to be a GREAT weekend!" 

After I wiped the slobber off my face and handed my credit card over to officially check in, we went upstairs to the room.  Full kitchen, 42" flat screen TV that swiveled, big comfy king size bed and  pull-out couch.  I wanted to move in!


Saturday was the actual day of Caribana, and it went on for SEVEN hours.  Me and my friend ended up jumping IN the parade and dancing for hours.  Nobody said anything, we just went from one float to the next.  I may not talk like an islander, but I can shake my ass with the best of them!

All sweaty and tired, we made our way to the beer tents... although we were carrying around a bottle of Moet. (Hey, it's vacaaation!) We ate roasted corn and drank and had the BEST time.

We then went back to the hotel to get dressed for a night out.  We went to Dundas Square, where I was in a magic show and stayed out until 4 in the morning. We woke up Sunday to a breakfast of French Toast, scrambled eggs, and home fries! Yum!

Monday morning, I was not ready to leave!  I love Toronto...the diversity and how laid back everyone was.  I can't wait to go back!

I also learned some things about Canada on this trip:

1. Canadians and all other places outside of the US, think Americans are funny...they are not laughing WITH us, they are most definitely laughing AT us.

2. Instead of "Eclipse" gum, they have "Excel" gum...I completely thought it was a cheap knock-off and actually got into an argument with someone over it. "Excel" really IS the Canadian version of "Eclipse"...go fuckin figure?  That person felt the name "Eclipse" for gum was just plain stupid.

3. There are Sushi restaurants on EVERY freakin' corner in Toronto. More sushi restaurants than McDonald's.  I love Sushi, but damn, too many options, no reccomendations and Sushi is nothing to mess with...eat bad Sushi, pay consequences later!

4. In America, you're lucky if a cab stops for you; in Canada, they practically attack you when you're walking down the street.  It doesn't even have to LOOK like you want a cab and their yelling at you! Ironically, every single time I asked a cab driver how to get somewhere, they gave me the wrong directions... (Things that make you go hmmm...)

5. Canadian money is annoying.  I can't stand change and I am ALWAYS trying to get rid of it.  Not only do they have pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, but they have $1 and $2 as coins...WTF?  I like having the option to NOT carry a silver dollar.  So here I am, looking like a complete asshole, trying to figure out the difference between my $1, $2, and 25 cent COINS while intoxicated. 

AND when I went to trade in my Canadian money at my bank in the US, they wouldn't take my Bob Damned coins, so now I have like $15.00 in Canadian coins...

More Pictures:





Next Toronto vacation installment: Chicks Before Dicks! Stay Tuned...

Toodles Biatches!

17 comments:

TJ Lubrano said...

Fun times! Sorry to hear you lost a friend tho, but you gained two! Oooh prepare for when you come to Europe please, here we also have a lot of coins hehehe. Can't wait to read the rest! Have a nice day!!

Ciaoo Xxxx

Jazz Stanton said...

Hey TJ,
Ugh...more coins :-(. I would still visit you though!...LOL.

crpitt said...

Coins in the UK too! Lots of them :)

Also I think we call that chewy (gum) 'Extra', it has the same packaging.

Emma Murty said...

Sounds like a cool trip and Claire is right that gum is called Extra over here. I love Toronto I've been a couple of times great atmosphere but yeah never ask a cabbie there for directions, lol.

Unknown said...

A festival, booze, funky money and half naked women sounds like a fun trip, lol, I'm warming to the idea of visiting Toronto myself now.

Anonymous said...

Ohh loved the post. I'd like to officially dub you an honorary islander after that :p I want to move to Canada to pursue my Masters there, and I definitely wanna take part in Caribana now :)

TJ Lubrano said...

Oh cool! Would love to meet you one day ^_^! I shall help you with the coins of course ;)

Jazz Stanton said...

@Claire...I hate the coins, what's up with that...and we have Extra too...lol.

@Emma...I can't understand why they would tell us the wrong way...LOL! so rude!

@AGC...Yeah, Emma's not having that...

@BOO...I'm making it a trip every year now...I wouldn't miss it. You have to come next year SO FUN!

timethief said...

I'm so glad you had a great time at Caribana, and "yes" we do laugh at Americans - we can't resist because they are SOOOOOOOOOOO full of themselves. However, when they start up with the patriotic flag waving bit we are no longer laughing. We are contemplating ramming a flag pole or two up their ---- noses.

And, if you think Toronto is a cool city then I have news for you - Vancouver is utterly fabulous! Go west next time and experience the other part of Canada where you can ski on a mountain top and swim in the ocean all on the same day. Vancouver is by far more a more cosmopolitan and international city than Toronto is. Also the weather is much, much better. ;)

nothingprofound said...

Glad you had such a good time. Caribana is a blast, and Toronto is a fantastic city.

Jazz Stanton said...

@Ti Ti... I would have never gone to Toronto, but for Caribana...but I will def look into Vancouver...thanks!

@NP...did you go this year?

Deray said...

Looks like you had fun chica!

BTW in Mexico we have 10c, 20c, 50, 1 peso, 2 pesos, 5 pesos, 10 pesos, 20 pesos, 50 pesos and 100 pesos in coins! :-p

Jazz Stanton said...

@ Deray...Oh yeah, screw that. In Mexico, I would be WAY to f**ked up on Tequila to decipher that mess!

Leigh said...

Good pictures! Sounds like you had a great time indeed. My favorite is you joining in on the dancing in the parade. Wohoo!

PrincessBeks said...

yea piccies look amazing!! festivals are the best, my last post was about my first festival.
your hotel room sounds lush :)
and you really need to enlighten on the lost one friends and made 2 lol, i am intrieged he he

Jazz Stanton said...

@Jess...yes the parade was SO fun!

@Princess...Oh, I plan on enlightening you, I just didn't want to give it all away in the beginning!

Anonymous said...

Even though your friend was not a friend (ex friend now) you were about to view the beautiful sights and you learned a lesson from all of this. Next time you go on a trip with a friend do a background check on her. I want to go to see the Buildings and the place of Ice. A lesson learned.....what an experience

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