City Slackers

Early Sunday morning, I did one of the joys (for me) of big city living: going to the local laundromat. Oscar's was clean during my first stay and it hasn't changed except for the cost ($6.50 for a small load and 32 minutes of drying). It was full of older, Asian folks which was a reminder than Chinatown East and its residents once extended from Broadview to Greenwood. I was surprised at the crowd until I noticed a hand-written sign with a 5:30 opening time, much earlier than the 7 am info provided by Google. That's great news for next time.

Not being the only one doing laundry meant that I did interact with some people. An older man spoke to me in our mother tongue. It turned out he has lived in this area for more than 40 years and he dropped some lore: Asian businesses once existed as far as Coxwell. It was only later that South Asian stores arrived to create Little India. If true, then Chinatown East was almost twice as long as the main one on Spadina. Nowadays, it and Little India have shrunk dramatically and losing out to gentrification.

When I heard he had kids in university, I switched from the "uncle" honorific to "brother". He flattered me by claiming with a straight face that I looked no more than 35. He sympathized at being treated as an elder but asserted that I was still young enough to get married. As for himself, a work accident two years ago has him considering retirement. He was currently on WSIB after surgery and physical therapy. But with a pension after 40 years with car parts manufacturer Magna, it was time to call it a day.

Around lunchtime, I went back out to visit one of the last remaining Chinese take-out looking for a deal like South Pacific. But Yummy House was closed on Sunday. The hip restaurants were opened but in spite of gentrification, the only business that wasn't empty was local coffee shop Dineen. Perhaps everyone who hadn't left for cottage country was at the Leslieville Farmer's Market in Greenwood Park. There was an extensive number of vendors, far more than the one at Dufferin Grove or even Trinity Bellwoods. I wondered about the turnover rate though because despite being packed, only the food sellers had any traffic. Most everyone else (organic farms, artisanal products from dips to oil to wine, and so on) just stood around.

I didn't buy anything there but I did get byriani rice ($10) from Samosa and Chaat. Later on, I went to Kohinoor Foods to get a case of Alphonso mangos ($50) from India. This was 2.5 times the price of your typical Mexican mango but then I haven't had them since before the pandemic. Last time at this sublet, I had left just before mango season so couldn't procure some for my grandmother and my mom.

Quiet on the Eastern Front

It was nippy early on Saturday but donning a light jacket was sufficient for my early morning jog. Several things made outdoor runs more enjoyable in Toronto: less cars even on a thoroughfare like Gerrard and they travelled at lower speed; variety of visual changes from small buildings and storefronts on main streets and eclectic homes on side ones; woodpecker hammering away at an electrical pole (don't insects infest only living trees?) along a trail that ran alongside the train tracks; McDonald's delivery sitting untouched in front of Left Field Brewery on Wagstaff Dr (a gentrified alleyway) - order time of 1:47 am meant that this was either the wrong address or someone didn't wait.

For lunch, I ventured to Huy Ky for a bao ($3.50) and a banh mi ($6.00). Again, deviating from my usual vegetarian order resulted in a slightly disappointing meal. Two things this time: the cha ca (a Vietnamese fish-cake) lacked dill that usually gives it a strong, distinctive flavour. Second, since the patty was stored in the fridge and had to be microwaved, that made it too stringy. Fresh from a deep-fryer would have been ideal.

I had several plans for the evening. I would go to Fresca for the best pizza slice in the city. Then it was around the corner to Dina's Tavern for 2 acts. Headliner Paste channeled 90s alt-rock and was releasing a 4-song EP. To be honest, that seemed underwhelming to have only 1 recording in the 4 years since they graduated "Class of 2022". Megan Aversa (Velvet Beach) was also part this band but she wasn't the lead singer. Math-rock quintet High Tea sounded more interesting. Lately, microtonal duo Angine de Poitrine went viral on Youtube and was now selling out shows. So an evening listening to some cerebral wankery might yield some gems.

But I ended up staying in. The distance from the East End to more happening downtown or West End areas discourage travel. Also, somehow the quieter vibe (the streets were mostly empty all day) sink into your psyche and you turn into a homebody. I will have to resist this urge while I am at this sublet.

Survivor: Late Stage Edition

In the last few weeks, my workload wasn't just never-ending deadline but also interviews. A single job posting for my team yielded 800 applications. The ability to work remotely might have opened it up to all of North America but it was also indicative of the current work market. It was depressing interviewing people who were mostly in the same boat: laid off and looking for work since January. Superficially, they were all qualified and perhaps even more so than me and especially my co-workers. Also, I have only seen a fraction of the applications so I don't even know what automated gauntlet rejected the rest.

Speaking of trial by fire, a co-worker has been promoted to Team Lead. They did so on an informal basis for about a month last year but couldn't quite hack it. So we got a new manager hire who lasted all of 2 months. A few interviews for a replacement didn't go anywhere so now they had a second kick at the can. I don't know the amount of salary bump, but they were now in meetings until lunch before doing any "real work". It was sink or swim this time round since the company announcement has gone out.

So I wasn't surprised to find out on Friday that they had worked late into the previous evening hammering out a quick and dirty solution for a customer. I spent the morning helping them test before the client meeting. I also sympathized silently during our own meeting since the dysfunctional team dynamics hasn't changed since last year.

For dinner, I visited the 3rd best "pie slinger" in the city: Pizza Pide. I ordered the assorted ($16.49) and watched the passer-bys while waiting for my meal. I overheard the proprietor talking to a customer and got some history. Pide hadn't changed owner like I thought because the current one took over from their uncle about 10 years ago. The business was 30 years old so it was middle-aged when I first visited. I didn't love my selection this time round though a meat-lover might have enjoyed the variety: ground beef, chicken, lamb, and Turkish sausage. I liked the two ends best with spinach and especially the sharp feta cheese. The bland mozzarella that was used for the rest of the pide didn't compare. So I will stick to my usual veggie order.

A Few Doors Down

There seemed to be no end to work madness since March. I wanted to pull the plug on the whole thing because by any standard, my nest egg should be sufficient even with early retirement. On the other hand, the second half of my retention bonus arrived last week. But this lucre was pro-rated so it would be clawed back if I leave before next May.

For lunch, I wanted some adobo chicken from Teako. I was surprised that the servers weren't the owners but even more so to find out they only served tea now. They had stopped making food, at least until the summer (supposedly), because business was slow. This did not bode well for the store. So I made my way to the Greenwood intersection for Gerrard Sushi. Unlike ibet Sushi (or its spiritual ancestor Mazz Sushi), they did not play easy-listening jazz but pop. Specifically, smooth covers of songs both old (REM's Losing My Religion) and new (Olivia Dean's So Easy To Fall In Love). I was on the fence about their sushi lunch ($15.95). Good: the fish wasn't bland like Hana Sushi. Bad: the nigiri was on the small size but more egregiously, the nori for the salmon maki was tough to chew. I have never had subpar seaweed until now.

After work, I went to Coxwell because Food Basics did not cover all the basics. Little India looked a little run-down with numerous empty storefronts and development signs. This was a neighbourhood either in decline or about to undergo rapid gentrification. Some businesses had just moved to smaller digs: Udupi Palace was now at Regency Restaurant, The Famous Indian Cuisine moved across the street to replace Karma's Kitchen. But stalwarts like New Family Diner were permanently closed. The Dollarama and No Frills at Coxwell had larger selection, though the latter did not compare to the location at Dufferin Mall, and I was able to finish off my household checklist.