Welcome Back, Odder

On Sunday, I was heading to Toronto for a 3-month stay. I'm not cut out for travelling because, at first glance, this trip was like my numerous jaunts to Hogtown over the last few years. Yet it was different enough that I had trouble sleeping; I might be a wreck for an overseas trip.

Since it was the end of the holidays, the ticket was pricier than usual. I suspected that the bus would be packed so I was surprised that it was only half-full when we departed the St Laurent terminal. The extra space was only temporary: 30 additional passengers got on at the West End stop. My age really hit me when I saw that I was the oldest of the 80 or so people aboard. In Kingston, instead of the usual veggie burrito from Fat Bastard, I opted for the Spicy Chicken special ($9.99) from Mr. Sub. I thought drivers would be clogging up the highway returning from family visits but traffic was light for the entire trip.

Upon arrival at my sublet, I was taken aback that the lock-box did not have the house key. But it turned out my friend was inside finishing up the cleaning. After I saw the place a few weeks ago, I entertained the idea of asking to rent the unit for long-term. But I changed my mind after I explored the studio more thoroughly. First, there wasn't a lot of storage for furnishings, wardrobe, and pantry items. Second, the upper loft was inconvenient since you had to crawl around. Third, all the minimalist appliances and fixtures gave clean Scandi vibe, but seemed a nightmare to upkeep. How would you even fix the toilet tank that was sealed behind the bathroom wall so that only the flush button was visible? Finally, passerby can see through the frosted entrance at night so I had to lower a ceiling-to-floor blind to keep my privacy. Overall, I can see why this became an AirBnB rental instead of a functional apartment. In any case, I will be exploring the local businesses soon enough but for the first night here, I walked to Bloor St. and grabbed a vegetarian platter ($14.99) from Laziza.

I suffered a bad sleep because of shoulder pain last night. It might be because the loft bed has started to sag in the middle. The fold-out queen didn't seem much better this morning. I will try the harder tatami mat tonight though I haven't slept on a firm surface since I left my old apartment. The bathroom also had problems: shallow vanity, leaky shower stall. There was no good place to sit and work but I'll try the chabudai (low Japanese tea table) with some seat cushions.