WHAT WILL WE DO?!

So, I recently got back from a trip to Toronto, and I thought I would talk a little about my experience there (now that I will not be able to shop).  I had come up with some friends along with my sister (who lives in Toronto).

This past weekend was the first time in Toronto since I have not been allowed to shop!! I couldn't believe it...I was on my way to Toronto and it was JUST the beginning of my "NO SHOPPING DAYS". How can this be happening? If you don't know me, I visit Toronto a lot. I have family there; it is a great excuse to come! Usually, what I end up doing is eat and shop...two things Toronto is very good for. Anyways, this time, I could still eat, but absolutely NO shopping!! 

Funny thing is, one big reason why i love Toronto is so that I can shop! It has all the stores you need. My sister and I have a tradition: We always go downtown and shop! We start at the "Urban Outfitters" near Queen Street (West) and Spadina Avenue, then work our way all the way down Queen Street to the Eaton Centre. We don't take breaks, even for food! Just straight shopping. (In fact, some of my friends tried to come along on our shopping day, and I don't think they could handle it. They were desperate to take breaks and sit down while my sister and I continued on). So, when my sister found out I was starting the challenge of 'Shopaholics on the Sidelines' she thought, "What are we going to do when I visit Toronto each time?! We needed to find something to do!!". 

First day I arrived in Toronto, first place I went was downtown. It made me sad, passing by all those stores and people with shopping bags in their hands. I wanted to shop too! It forced me to find other means of entertainment, and not look at all the materialistic things! We had dinner at "Woo Buffet restaurant & Lounge".  I was expecting a lot more from that place. I was so disappointed and I do not recommend this place to anyone, it was that bad. After dinner, I wanted to see the Harbour Front, since I had never seen it before. I guess going at night didn't really help since I could not actually see much. Although, I did see their gorgeous perfect garden area and saw "Mother Willow" in the center of it all, which was sweet. I was happy! Also saw the largest ship in Canada, I think it was. Then, more disappointment...the 'interesting' wavy/curvy dock by the water. Later, I watched 'The Other Guys' and I just was not feeling that movie. I could barely keep my eyes open, I thought it was boring. I think there was so much disappointment that day because I was always expecting too much from these places. Meh, it was alright.

Second day,  we decided to have brunch downtown at "Eggspectations". I love breakfast food! Then, apparently it was Brazil day, so much was going on in Younge-Dundas Square just outside the Eaton Centre. If I had gone on my usual shopping outing like I normally do, I would have not seen this amazing picture; all the Brazilian colours...and that crazy man who seems extremely upset about something. It made me laugh when I saw I captured his exact emotion at that moment (by accident!).  

bottom right corner..and the green and yellow in the background.

Also, it seems I went downtown (aka the place to shop) every single day I was in town.
Later that day, we needed something to do. So...we went BOWLING! We all have not been in such a long time and our scores clearly proved that! Our goal was to break 100, and we all...FAILED! It's all good though. The main thing is, we had lots of fun failing miserably. It was a  good day, even without all the shopping.

So, on the third day, I had lunch with a friend at "Congee Wong" (actually amazing congee that day, I was really happy about that). Then, headed downtown to visit the Royal Ontario Museum for the first time. I have been wanting go and actually have my own opinion on the the architecture of the building instead of go by what I hear for it or against it, as it can be a very controversial subject to some. "The Crystal": is a flamboyant design; shows that he (U.S. architect Daniel Libeskind) teaches us that beauty comes in many 'guises'; does not contribute to the streetscape; and others believe it is out of keeping with the heritage building. So, there are plenty of opinions on this particular building, as many of you may have heard. It can either be seen as a beautiful sculpture or a awful annoyance seen from the street. If you want to hear my opinion, you can ask me in person as I do not want to go on about this in too much detail.

Anyways, I like to get up close and personal with a building, as I have been trained to do through my studies. It gives me a better sense of how I see the world. This is most definitely a plus to my "no shopping days". I have always wanted to do all the touristy things in Toronto, as I do not get to do much since my visits are always too busy for that kind of thing. Now, I will have time for sightseeing and exploring the city from a different perspective. Visiting the museum definitely distracted me from my want for some shopping!

For the last night in Toronto, I went to "Caffe Demetre" for dessert! All their desserts are amazing. A little hard to manage by yourself, so I would suggest sharing with a friend. Last time I was there, they ran out of strawberries AND bananas! I was so shocked...so this time strawberries and bananas were a MUST for me. I shared a strawberry/banana/oreo cookie waffle with vanilla ice cream...mmm mmm goood! Then, we watched "The Lion King". Best movie ever!

The next day, we were heading out back home (Ottawa!). I could not wait to be back in my own bed/room/home. Toronto definitely was a good time, but it was time to come back home. On our trip back, we stopped in Kingston and had dinner with a few friends. We went to this sushi place called "Arisu" and the server just made it even better. He was just so cheery and smiley!   

I love distractions from shopping! I need more please to last the year though...

Thanks for listening/reading, 
T