No Time To Fry

On Friday, I headed to the movie theatres at Blair and Ogilvie to see the latest James Bond flick. I haven't seen any of Daniel Craig's Bond movies but it wasn't hard to intuit some of the backstories. It was reasonably enjoyable but there were 2 sticking points for me. First, most plots do tend to fall apart once you give them some thought. But this one seem to be more about wiping the slate clean for the next Bond incarnation as opposed to giving characters plausible motivations and organic development. Second, the bittersweet ending for Craig's Bond was a typical patriarchical/male fantasy which doesn't really correspond to positive experience for real-life people.

The movie played just before lunch so afterward I made my way to Gloucester Centre for a quick bite in the food court. The heydays of this mall were long-gone and if it weren't for its two anchor tenants, Walmart and Loblaws, it would be even sadder inside. But then the other Ottawa alternative, car-friendly strip malls, wasn't better. I opted for a Bagan, a "family-style" Indian spot, and chose the palak paneer ($9.95).

I was surprised that they fired up the burners but it made sense. Prepared food sitting under heat lamps go to waste if you don't have enough customers. It reminded me of unassuming but delicious Vatica, a vegan Indian location near my old workplace. The lunch was good though not as tasty as the latter. Vatica also offered a better deal. A one-option lunch would be under $7 there and for $10, you would get 3-choices plus fresh naan (it was $15.95 here).

This solidified some thoughts I've been having between Ottawa and Toronto. Namely, the cost-of-living was actually lower in the big city. From groceries and eating out, to transportation cost whether car or transit, everything was cheaper in the Big Smoke. The major advantage of Ottawa, cheaper real estate, wasn't true for everyone. A long-time resident may pay sub-1K rent, but a 1 bedroom in Ottawa will cost you around $1400. That may be a bargain compared to Toronto's $1700-2000 range. But in Toronto you have choices. Basement apartments, roommates, somewhere further away from a subway line or a downtown neighbourhood (or all three), you can find ways to bring your rental expenses down to $600-900 a month. A quick look at Craigslist posts for Ottawa and you'll realize no such options exist.

So paradoxically, if you are strapped for cash or living on a lower income, you'd be better off heading to the big city. The hard part is getting that first toehold if you don't know anyone. I haven't even touched on the larger number of job opportunities. This view may sound pollyannaish given the tent encampments that have sprung up in Toronto's parks, ravines, and underpasses (and the billion-dollar backlog of Toronto Public Housing). But even these homeless scenarios demonstrate that people feel they are better off living in Hogtown.