Don’t agree? How many times have you heard ‘I’ve got a class at Con Hall’, only to hear it be answered with a collective groan?

Bring up ’Med Sci‘ to a Life Sci student, and chances are they will remember the Macleod Auditorium.

Someone says ‘I’m going to be at Robarts‘, and you know that they’re in (literally) for the long run.

Mentions of Hart House brings about tender feelings of good food, a slight fear of gargoyles, and that creepy picture in the basement – at least for me.

All Vic students know Old Vic, and I would venture to guess that they remember it fondly. The rest of us recall it enviously, because it’s not every day we can say that our college is a pink castle.

And you’ve got to admit that the light-up bubble classrooms inside the Pharmacy Building are hella cool.

But I digress.

There are buildings on campus that we can’t help but notice and learn about, simply because we already hear about them all the time. But there are some places that we don’t know about that can be just as interesting. A good chunk of us have discovered little pockets of architectural treasure. Take blogUT photographer Jimmy‘s gorgeous interpretation of Knox College, for example. In the summer, the courtyard is probably one of the few places at U of T where it is peaceful. If you ever go into the Great Hall of Hart House, take the time to look at all the coats of arms on its walls, and the verses linings the banister above. Of course, these are all just landmarks. Notables. Places we may (now) know and (will maybe) frequent.

I don’t think that U of T only has these noticeable notables, though. I mean, when I checked my schedule for this semester, I saw a building code I didn’t recognize: BI. I did a quick search on the U of T Map, and found out that it was named after Federick Banting, best known for his research on insulin with Charles Best (whose namesake building is right beside it). Just like that, I felt this sense of history. I’m going to be walking into history! I bet we all know that we’re stepping into a piece of history the moment we walk into U of T, but to be just two doors down from discoveries of the past? Yeah. That’s pretty awesome. And I bet, with a bit of searching, I’m not the only one who feels that way.

So here is my lesson to you, UTian: Make good use of our online map, not just to find your buildings, but also to learn more about our campus. Even if it doesn’t initially peak your curiosity, it will definitely give you something to think about as you sit in class staring at the wall. Not that I’m saying we do that. Nope. Not at all.

Not that I’m not enjoying my time abroad so far, I am, but sometimes I wish I did a little more research or perhaps got a little more guidance from previous exchange students. One of the most basic things that I am missing desperately is THE SUN! When applying I wasn’t thinking about climate or weather I was too focused on organizing my credits (a very stressful and back and forth process, I might add). But it has come to my attention that I am indeed a sun lover. Not that I’m a cold blooded lizard and would literally die with out the sun, but the 3 hours of sun we got yesterday literally boosted my mood 10x over. And not that Toronto is a sun capital but at least if it is cold we still get some rays at least every other day. In the winter months there is not as much sun but it does seem to shine down more in Toronto than in Swansea. To combat my vitamin D deficiency I have literally booked every weekend with a trip somewhere. I mean that was the plan: to see as much of Europe as humanly possible. Last weekend was Amsterdam and next weekend is London. Mission accomplished. Hopefully the funds can last me this long…

So to all who are thinking of going abroad, think about what may seem to be menial details such as sunlight or warmth or the lack of trees there might be. Your emotions will be forever grateful.

With a great variety of sweet treats to eat and a tour of beautiful Kensington Market, Tasty Tours demonstrates another great example of what makes our city so awesome and quirky. Tasty Tours is truly one of a kind. Using Kensington Market as the focal point of the tour is brilliant. It has a multi-ethnic selection of foods and is such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Tasty Tours was founded and is led by U of T graduate Audrey Ooi: a smart, charismatic, and fun young woman. Her strong entrepreneurial spirit/hard work is what makes her company such a success after only taking off in the summer of 2011. Her tours are engaging and you can definitely learn a thing or two, like the history of candy corn and what makes it special (trust me it’s actually quite interesting, let Audrey tell you). The tour has an informal and relaxed feel. It’s well paced and not rushed. You get to actually experience the city, walk around among the locals, and go into places you probably would never have thought to venture into.  Fortunately for all of us,  Audrey also has plans to further expand her tours to other parts of the city!

This October, I was fortunate to have taken part in a special Halloween Tour. Normally, tours are held either Sundays at 11 am and alternate Fridays at 5 pm. Tours start at Butterfly Bakery right in Chinatown and then we gradually make our way in Kensington Market, which is really close by. On the Halloween Tour we got to try (in no particular order) special “Pan de Muerto” (Bread of the Dead) at Pancho’s Bakery, cute (yes cute) cupcakes at Miss Cora’s Kitchen, home-made truffles at Chocolate Addict, and some organic marshmallows and yummy Jelly Bellys at Blue Banana. My goodness it was awesome.

Christmas is coming up soon so I’d be sure to catch the Christmas Tour special this year! For more information, sign up for the mailing list to receive emails on exclusive giveaways and specials on the website here. You can also find more information on the Facebook page here.

Photo Credit goes to Audrey Ooi

Is life here grand?

The city is grand. Living here for the year is certainly not like an extended vacation, though: your mindset is completely different when you know that you’ll be here for a year as a student, and the experience is exciting in a completely different way. However, no matter your purpose in the city, Saturdays are Saturdays (most of the time), and Paris is Paris.  I am in love with this city. I’m in love with its pastries, its unrefrigerated milk, its monuments, its sunsets, its students, its vibrancy, its streets,  its hidden spots, its markets, its evenings, its everythings.

In short, yep, life here is grand!

I was telling my friend earlier that there is something magical about this city at night. You don’t always see it - sometimes you’re having a conversation, or lost, or studying, or whatever. But once in a while, you look up and something very strange happens.

It happened once when picnicking with a few classmates under lamplight on Paris’ Catholic Association’s building’s steps. It happened once while I was waiting for 3 friends one night at the City Hall… the moon formed part of a perfect backdrop for the beautifully illuminated Hotel de Ville square as I watched people wandering, looking, living. I suddenly felt like a part of something very beautiful.

I also feel like the first few weeks in any new place are hilarious. Everything is new and foreign and head-tilt-worthy. Here are a few of those everythings and other thoughts that made me laugh (or just head-tilt):

• A man sleeping on his motorcycle in the middle of the road with his feet up and his hands behind his head. Good on you, sir.
• Guys working at the local supermarket rolling around on roller blades to be more efficient grocery-helpers. (Carrefour, no lie!)
• Why are French kids so cute? Maybe it’s just the idea of a little kid squealing so effortlessly in a foreign language that you’ve spent decades trying to master. Also, it’s definitely got to do with the fact that they are impeccably dressed. I am going to buy clothes for my children here. Adorable.

Laughed at this girl making faces at her brother on the carousel. Note: ribbons in hair, friend's jean jacket, and the HORSE BAG.

Unrelated, but I think one of the cars might have flown off the carousel. Then again, this is a normal size for French cars.

• Gangsters in Gare du Nord (a Paris neighbourhood) are so funny. They wear their pants conveniently below their bum, like gangsters anywhere. However, their pants are all European-style, so they are very tight everywhere else. It’s a very funny look – I can’t shake the thought that their bums are popping out of their pants. Uh oh.
• Conformity is quite a thing here, at least much more than it is in Canada. It’s so much more common for a phrase starting with ‘the French tend to..’ (wear black, be stressed, kiss twice when they meet you, be borderline anorexic, smoke) to ring true than ‘Canadians tend to..’ I suppose that’s obvious when you think about how multicultural Toronto is and the sheer number of cultures all the people come from. But it also seems like more than just that — regardless of where you’re from, there are certain  mannerisms that are so common to Parisians. Having been brought up in T-Dot, I find this amusing.
• People in this city are generally not mean. Some people are incredibly, incredibly kind, and I don’t mean them as anomalies. It’s just that the French way of interacting is different from ours sometimes.
• Pedicures are a must in Paris… and good luck with open-toed shoes! The city is lovely but the streets are so, so dusty, and sometimes dirty.
• Boys here have lovely hair. Sometimes my own hair feels plain in comparison!

But the two things that I find the most interesting about Paris are the food and the French educational system. Look out for my next post, where I’ll say more about those.

Take care! Bisous

xx
Raha

Raha is an economics and philosophy undergraduate at the University of Toronto . She’s spending her third year abroad, studying in Paris. She can be reached at raha.francis@utoronto.ca.

Where: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (at Osgoode Subway)
When: Tuesday-Saturday (26-30) at 7:30PM
Tickets: $35 if you’re under 30 and join <30 DanCap; $40-65 regular admission.
More information: See the Next to Normal website

The best show in town this week, and possibly even this summer, is the 2009 Tony award-winning musical, Next to Normal, playing at the Four Seasons Centre, the last stop on its North American tour. Next to Normal tells the story of Diana Goodman (played by Alice Ripley in a Tony award-winning performance), a woman with bipolar disorder, and her family as they struggle to cope with the strains from her condition. Diana’s husband, Dan (Asa Somers), sticks with her, trying his best to help her cope with her condition, still clinging to the image of the woman he first met in his early twenties but that may no longer exist, deluding himself that everything is fine. Their daughter, Natalie (Emma Hunton), is a straight-A straight-edged student, who eventually hits breaking point, after starting up a sweet and optimistic romance with her supportive stoner classmate.

Toronto is a city full of history and interesting stories. So, to both longtime residents of our lovely city and newcomers that have come to study at U of T, did you know that:

• Front Street got its name because that’s where the waterfront used to be. The shoreline got moved down to Queen’s Quay because we filled the inner harbour for industrial development purposes.

• Yorkville wasn’t always the posh, high-end neighbourhood it is now. In fact, it used to be the place for hippies to hang out. A lot of artists got their start in Yorkville, and the first line in Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” (‘They paved paradise and put up a parking lot’) refers to a spot in Yorkville. That particular parking lot has since been transformed into the Village of Yorkville Park (the ‘park’ with the giant artificial rocks).

• The King Edward Hotel at King and Yonge is supposedly the most haunted building in Toronto, since it was built on a hanging yard.

• In the past, you could discern a person’s social class by the way they said, ‘Spadina’. If someone said ‘Spa-dee-nah’, they were of the upper class, while people of the lower class said, ‘Spa-die-nah’. Since there were more people in the lower class than the upper class, the latter pronunciation is the one used today.

• When the ROM’s crystal was in its final stages of construction, staff members signed one of the beams that forms the structure, immortalizing themselves forever within the museum. And yes, Daniel Libeskind designed the crystal on a napkin which is now in one of a ROM’s storage facility.

• The glass facade of the AGO is supposed to looked like a tipped canoe. Why Frank Gehry chose such an inauspicious symbol is beyond me.
• Chinatown used to be a little bit east of where it is now. Streets like Elizabeth Street and Chestnut Street used to be part of Chinatown. The Lee Benevolent Association at Dundas and Chestnut is a vestige of Chinatown’s previous location.
• Even though it’s one of the official languages of Canada, French is only the 12th most spoken language in Toronto.
• The Distillery District features some of most well-preserved examples of Victorian industrial architecture in North America.
• The CN Tower no longer holds the record for being the highest free-standing building in the world, but it still holds the record for having the world’s highest wine cellar.

Feel free to add these tidbits to your Repository of Completely Useless Information (aka ROCUI, which is a lot more fun than ROSI).

(Pictured above, Mixed Berry Pavlova from Pangaea Restaurant – a dessert from their 2008 Summerlicious menu.)

Food is a passion of mine. Every time I see a restaurant that looks interesting, I note the location in my head so that I may visit it with some friends at a later date. As a result, a food festival like Summerlicious (and its winter counterpart, Winterlicious) is a godsend.

So what is Summerlicious?

Summerlicious is an event in which restaurants in Toronto (often high-end restaurants where bills would amount to $50+) offer a prix fixe menu for lunch and/or dinner. The restaurants usually offer 3 course meals ranging from $15 – $25 for lunch and $25 – $35 for dinner.

When does Summerlicious start and end?

Summerlicious starts on July 8th and ends on July 24th. However, restaurants are already taking reservations so make sure to call in early!

Which restaurants are participating in Summerlicious?

The full list of restaurants, along with their menus, can be found here. There is a wide variety of restaurants representing the diverse food cultures of the world.

Do I have to make a reservation?

Yes, you must make a reservation with the restaurant if you wish to dine. Also, make sure that you notify the restaurant as you make your reservation that you will be dining with their Summerlicious menu. Since reservations for participating restaurants began a few days ago, certain popular restaurants (such as Canoe) may already be fully booked for Summerlicious.

What if I’m a vegetarian?

Many participating restaurants offer vegetarian options and, after scouring a lot of menus, I can confirm that there are a few restaurants that offer vegan and gluten-free dishes on their menu.

Bon appetit!

After a short hiatus in March, the Canadian Opera Company returns with three new productions: La Cenerentola (Cinderella), Ariadne auf Naxos and Orfeo ed Eurydice. I will be reviewing all three of them over the course of the next few weeks. The first of the operas to start its run is Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola, which is an operatic version of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella.

Overall, the COC presents a whimsical production that is sure to draw out a few laughs during the entire performance. The libretto (or lyrics) is clever and humourous and the music, lively and energetic. A special mention goes to the orchestra who played a captivating overture – a delightful piece of music to listen to but I felt that the energy of the piece would have been better conveyed if there was some sort of action on stage. Another special mention belongs to the leading lady, Elizabeth DeShong, who played a vocally enchanting Angelina (Cinderella). There were many times where I felt that her arias were much too short and I wished that they could go on forever.

Clorinda and Tisbe, played by Ileana Montabetti and Rihab Chaieb respectively were well cast as the comical and yet snotty evil stepsisters. Lawrence Brownlee played Prince Ramiro and although he was absolutely enchanting in arias that involved wooing and love, I felt that he was a little weak when playing the role of an authoritative monarch. In one part when he sings on how he is absolutely furious and determined to find the mysterious girl with whom he is in love with, my friend commented, “He was probably the least threatening prince I’ve ever seen.” Perhaps the power behind Brownlee’s voice will reveal itself eventually but in the meantime, I would really like to see him sing in a role with more lyrical arias. Sadly, I also felt that the other male cast members – Cinderella’s stepfather, Don Magnifico, the prince’s valet, Dandini and the prince’s tutor, Alidoro – sounded similar and were a bit forgettable once their songs were over.

Overall, the production showed much promise to be entertaining but a lot of the directing and mise-en-scene left much to be desired. The costumes were whimsical and delightful but the set for most of the opera looked like a strange, modified discotheque complete with colour-changing lights. All that was missing was a disco-ball. Despite the strange disco-themed set, the lighting of the set made everything – even the “palace” – look dreary, which felt awkward when juxtaposed with Rossini’s bright and energetic music. A few sets – namely the mirror that appears in Act II and the carriage – were visually appealing and the use of shadow puppets and a tiny carriage shown in the scene where the prince was scouring the country for his beloved – absolutely comical.

The actors who played rats, who were always present on stage to move props or to provide comic entertainment were so much fun, however, there were times when they distracted from the overall story. For example, when Cinderella sings her gorgeous final aria on her absolute jubilation for marrying the prince, I was completely and utterly distracted by the action going on on stage right, where Cinderella’s stepfather and stepsisters were trying to shoo a rat away. It was wonderfully entertaining, but I felt it was an inappropriate distraction during an aria that should have commanded your full attention.

As for the plot of the opera, the first act felt very slow and even though the second act picks up, the ensemble in which the characters express their confusion on the various acts of role-switching in the story slowed everything down and the repetitive movements integrated with the song became a tad boring two minutes in.

All in all, my judgment on the opera may be a little harsh, especially since La Cenerentola had the misfortune of coming after what I felt was one of the COC’s most well-rounded productions, Nixon in China. Nonetheless, I felt that the opera, despite having its entertaining and beautiful moments, had its fair share of faults and lacked cohesion.

In any case, La Cenerentola is running from April 23rd to May 25th at the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts. For people running on a student budget, rush tickets are $20 and are available starting at 11 AM the day of the performance. All rush tickets seats are in the 5th ring. If you are under the age of 30, you are eligible for Opera for a New Age tickets, which cost $22 and will get you seats in the 5th or 3rd ring.

For more information on La Cenerentola and the Canadian Opera Company, click here.

Thanks for reading! I will be reviewing Ariadne auf Naxos next week.

A screenshot from Young People F*cking.

We all know that U of T’s a good place to go if you want to learn things like History and Math, but what about the IMPORTANT things? … like Biology, if you get my drift.

Have you gotten bored with your routine sex life? Do you find yourself wondering ‘how the heck does anybody use that as a sex toy?!’ whenever you see a cucumber?

Don’t deny it.

Well, it’s a good thing for you that Sexual Awareness Week just so happens to be this week! From March 7th – March 10th, U of T’s Sexual Education Centre (SEC) is going to be hosting a series of fun, informative (and sexy!) events.

Set yourself as ‘attending’ on Facebook!

Here’s a quick breakdown of all of the events:

When: Monday, March 7th, 7-9PM
What: Porn and Cookies
Description: Watch porn and eat delicious baked goods. You probably would have spent the night alone in your dorm room doing this anyway, so why not head over to Sussex and have other people to keep you company?
Where: The SEC Office (21 Sussex Ave., Sixth Floor)
For More Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155504657839785

When: Tuesday, March 8th,  8PM-1AM
What: SEC Does Fat Tuesday
Description: We all know the REAL reason people celebrate Mardi Gras. Now, WHO’S GONNA BRING THE BEADS?! Compete in the Sex Ed Showdown, stock up on safer sex supplies, and win some cool prizes. Also, it’s Toonie Tuesday, so make sure you’re there before 9.
Where: Einstein Cafe & Pub (229 College St.)
For More Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158232917565482

When: Wednesday, March 9th,  7-9PM
What: Re:lationships
Description: Relationships: fun, scary, good, bad… but, most of all, CONFUSING. What makes a good relationship? Whether you have no partner, one partner, or more than one partner, this workshop will teach you all about good, healthy relationships and answer any questions you may have.
Where: Sidney Smith, Room 1086
For More Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204788889536635

When: Thursday, March 10th,  4-7PM
What: (S)express Yourself
Description: There will be an interactive art exhibit, dramatic readings of erotic fanfics (Harry and Snape, anyone?) and some DIY projects. Oh yeah, and, for those of you who are hungry for more lovin’, there will be pizza. Pizza will never cheat on/leave you.
Where: The SEC Office (21 Sussex Ave., Sixth Floor)
For More Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156990367692814

When: Thursday, March 10th,  7-9PM
What: Kink It Up a Notch
Description: Feet. BBW. Furries. Explore your wild side at some of the fetish booths that are going to be set up and check out the live BDSM demonstrations. Don’t forget to take your leather and whip out, because you’re allowed (and encouraged) to dress up for this event!
Where: The SEC Office (21 Sussex Ave., Sixth Floor)
For More Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190626187643666

Remember, you can stop by the SEC office anytime to pick up free condoms and get some information about safe sex – play all you want, but make sure you stay safe.

May your week be fun, freaky, and informative!

City Hall

The experience of living in Toronto is not complete until you’ve skated at least once at Nathan Phillips Square. The lights at City Hall turn on at 6:00PM and it’s absolutely beautiful. I suggest going during a weekday and non-peak hours because the rink can get pretty crowded. As in really, really crowded. Skates can be rented for $10 for 2 hours. You will need a piece of government issued I.D. (such as a driver’s license) so that the skate rentals can ensure that you will return their skates.

Harbourfront Centre

The Natrel Pond at Harbourfront turns into an ice skating rink in the winter. There are skate rentals and adult rentals are $7. A driver’s licence, credit card, passport, birth certificate or citizenship card is required to rent skates and/or helmets.

Toronto Parks

If there’s a park nearby with an outdoor rink, you can skate there for most of the winter! The downside is that there probably aren’t any skate rentals and they’re open for specific hours for free skating (other time is set aside for hockey) but these rinks tend to be less crowded. For their hours of operation, search for your local park at the Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation site.

Evergreen Brick Works

The final renovations for Evergreen Brickworks have been completed and the winter has come, so they have opened their skating trail. This is probably one of the newest outdoor rinks in the city and it sounds absolutely fantastic. There are no skate rentals but the rink is extremely environmentally friendly: heat from the refrigeration system warms the Café building next door! Isn’t that cool!? Click here for hours of operation and more information.

Varsity Arena

Varsity Arena on campus (you might have written an exam here before) is an Olympic-sized rink that will be open to the public once term restarts on January 3rd and it will remain open until April 8th. The rink is open for recreational skating in the times listed here.

Happy skating!