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I have been busy busy working on a body of work for an exhibition called Open Eyes Toronto. The opening night for the show is TONIGHT!! Excited!!! I am doing this group show with a few friends from school and other artists/photographers in the city exploring different perspectives on Toronto. For my contribution, I did a Public Drawing Survey, involving people to draw their interpretations on the CN as it reflected their idea of the city. Some very interesting results...

The show is running from August 16th to the 22nd at the Gladstone Hotel. We are having a discussion session on Saturday August 20th about issues affecting our city, and teaming up with Bruce Mau's office to do this. Should be great!

For more information, please check out our website: www.openeyestoronto.com.

J1 - highways.

Driving and shooting, drive and shoot, drive-by shooting?

Highways. Ever-connected, forever-reaching and full of uncertainty. I like it. I wonder how long I could go  Happy New Year! Here's to a fresh start, new adventures and a whole lot more fun. Yeeee!

The 401. Cambridge to Toronto, 2010.

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November generally consisted of: making an upsetting decision to stay in Toronto, apartment hunting, helping design my mom's shop, freelancing at Levitt Goodman Architects for a competition, starting full time work at Giannone Petricone, being in a 1m radius of Bjarke Ingels, tasting Copenhagen again, feeling like a real adult at a gala at the ROM, and...proceeding to buy shoes after my first paycheque. Aha! Being paid for the first time in over a year feels pretty good, I'd say.

I had to make a quick decision to take a job in Toronto after my old office in Honolulu couldn't guarantee me a job for the year. The weekend in Montreal was tough having this on my mind, and I was constantly thinking about the uneasy prospect of being away from Mark (and Hawai'i) for another year. I still don't know if I made the right decision, but hopefully things will turn out for the better.

It's been nice to be able to spend so much time downtown and get to know the city again. I've been sampling the local coffee shops in my area, and I have to tell you that the cappuccino at SENSE APPEAL (Spadina/Adelaide) is definitely the best one I've had in the city thus far. You don't get it until you've been here. THOR (Bathurst/Niagara) and LITTLE NICKY'S (Queen/Peter) come at very close seconds. The ginger cookie at Little Nicky's is absolutely perfect. Thanks AJ! Photos from BlogTO.

The festivities and activities round up for the month --

x Apartment hunting
x Strange (and long) days at work
x Long-haul subway rides
x Morning dew
x Giana Factory @ the Drake
x ROM Gala
x Brunch @ Henhouse
x Cool Copenhagen @ the Drake
x Dufferin matter
x Flower shop biznazz
x More apartments
x Grandpa's birthday dinner
x King Street gallery hop

(First studio apartment I saw. Looks gorgeous in photos, but smelled so rotten in real life.)

Oh, and it snowed today. Whee! Toronto, November 2010.

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I went for a nice little ride today while the sun was still out. Finally! The bike is totally smooth and co-operative, but the straps will take some getting used to. I'm most likely going to change out the grip tape, and a few tweaks on the brakes. I can't really fuss with it too much now, but maybe in the future. This little guy is still waiting to be taken downtown...next week, I hope. I still need to buy a new lock, and it seems that Kryptonites are going for more than what they were selling for over 2 years ago. For the SAME model! I don't understand it. Plus, with the HST added, I will essentially be paying for another bike off craigslist for the cost of a lock. Ridiculous. I understand the safety that comes with a Kryptonite versus any other generic lock, but I am just shocked by how much they're going for here. Maybe it's an indication of the market here in Toronto. I bought a small Kryptonite lock in New York for $70. And that was already on the more expensive side. And like I said, that was over 2 years ago. So I guess Toronto has a lot of catching up to do...

The bike is most likely made after the 1980s, when all Miyata bikes had their names written in full rather than numerically. The higher the number, the more elite it was. The range began at Ninety. Thus, mine is a low-end touring bike. But I'm very happy with it! My bike in Hawai'i is also a Miyata, but a One Hundred model and bright periwinkle. Beautiful colour. This red one is Miyata No. 3 for me! I think I will name it Charlie. Seems appropriate.

My bike in Honolulu, minus the kickstand:

This frame is actually way too large for me, so the seat has to go all the way down. I'm fit more for a 54cm frame, and I'm quite sure this is a 57cm one. It took a lot of getting used to, and I had to change the location of the brake levers because they were just located in the wrong place...the drop bars are a little too aggressive for my riding habits. As much as I would love to provoke ignorant drivers, keeping a head on my shoulders is more important. There are few extremely useful bike lanes in Honolulu that I'm aware of, and their idea of a bike lane on a busy street is putting up a sign that says "Share the Road." However, these streets are barely flanked with curbs. So where do we go? Cyclists must essentially ride more aggressively to assert their spot on the road. While many might think that Hawai'i must be bike haven, riding on the local streets in town is not that fun when there is a lot of traffic, or buses charging around you. Toronto is not the only city that needs a better policy on bike lanes.

Oh, and did I mention how disappointed I am about Rob Ford winning the election? I hope those that voted for him kick themselves later down the road when they realize their meager savings on the Vehicle Registration Tax actually went to Ford's hilariously unrealistic plan for the TTC aka KFC BUCKET FUND aka NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. I can tell you that I am distracted and angered by the grease on his face, and the fact that I couldn't look into his eyes when he spoke during his election win. How can I respect someone like that? You know, at least Mel Lastman had a more likable personality.

Okay, all stupid comments aside, how can I possibly respect someone who clearly doesn't ride a bike in Toronto to work but can decisively comment that bike lanes are superfluous; and is also the same person who holds the idea of owning your vehicle more precious that preserving the environment? His "stop the gravy train" mantra really is not about Toronto's future, or even about how to use money more wisely. The counter-intuitive idea that spending money can lead to better results doesn't always resonate with tax payers, and I am well aware that David Miller did not necessarily try his best to prevent taxes from rising. But...then what? What vision does he have for a new way of living? Expanding the TTC is not a realistic solution, and getting rid of streetcars will kill a part of Toronto's identity. Does he really think he knows Toronto that well? How many times has he even been to Chinatown, or Kensington, or any of the lower income housing projects? Or even Finch Station? The other North Korea? Does he even know that exists? Does he even know what it's like to take the TTC, every single day? Does he know that it is possible to commute by bicycle 12 months of the year if you wanted to? Probably not. And even if he did, he doesn't seem to have cared to do the research as to how existing infrastructure can be re-purposed and integrated into corridors of higher efficiency that can accommodate all commuters. Is owning your vehicle a human right? Ford seems to think so. There is room for a solution, there always is. I will write a post soon on bicycle commuting and why Ford should suck it. Honolulu should really look at him as a prime example of ignorance and refusal to foresee imminent lifestyle changes to protect the health of our city. We will be watching you, Ford. Every stupid, ignorant, racist thing you say will be broadcast for everyone to hear. Game over.

Now I feel like I just ruined this post.

Leaves are just so nice in the fall. These were taken just around my block. Toronto, October 2010.

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The last several days has been eventful, from getting a new bike to finally graduating from architecture school (yes!). My mom's flower store is still underway, and I have been helping her for the last two weeks managing tradespeople, giving her time to be a florist for and not worry about everything at once. That's taken up quite a bit of my time in Toronto since I got back from Hawai'i, and it's been busy to juggle that, my own personal work, and also attend to my grandparents. But I have made time to see old friends, and that has definitely been a good change from moving around city to city and missing everyone in between.

I'm slowly integrating myself into a groove of managing my own design work, and I am very excited to see the final results. My, er, "website" has been less of a site, and more of a download page since I bought the domain four years ago. This is something I am very determined to change, immediately. My graphic sense has changed and grown considerably since 2006, and I am extremely eager to finish my site for good. Or, at least let it remain unchanged for more than four months ;) A sneak peek for the opening page:

Aside from design work and mild project management, I have also been meeting up with friends a lot. I'm making the rounds slowly...sorry if I'm not moving fast enough! One thing that has been doubly nice about this is also getting to go to new restaurants and bars that I hadn't been to before. It's been a really long time since I felt like I lived in Toronto, and I'm just so, so happy to be able to re-discover the city again. There is a part of me that is ignited when I see how many people are biking now, and how many new and hip joints are popping up. Toronto is expanding its markets and filling those fine niches, that's for sure. A good thing, all round. There is potential here to grow as a designer (in all trades), and as we are a relatively young city, we possess a diversity and opportunity for change that is unmatched in other global city such as New York or London. You could say that Toronto is large enough to keep the masses content with the number of different venues, but it's also small enough that it's maybe at most 3 degrees of separation in the art/design/architecture circle. And yes, it's a circle. Possibly an incestuous one. Joking. Hmm, no, not really.

Went to Guu for the first time. Sake + Asahi followed by 8 shots of soju at another bar (pictured...this was night #2). I kept losing at the drinking games. Never again!

A night out with the architecture kids. Kensington Kensington Kensington.

Toronto is also gifted with a plethora of textures. Urban textures. Leafy textures. I like it.

I also met Celine for lunch at Swan the other day, and had an excellent curry squash soup. We both agreed that Swan had the BEST french toast. Ever. So, if you're wondering where you should go for brunch next, Swan would be a perfect choice! Celine has been up to no good by being an amazing photographer in her spare time (among other amazing, amazing things) and she will be shooting her own weddings next year! Check out her blog. It's always a great place to go if you're looking for some inspiration :)

Exciting, also! I also graduated today, which means I can officially close that undergraduate chapter of my life. It's been a long time coming, so I'm very happy it came and went without too much fuss. Although it seemed to rain the entire day...pathetic fallacy? Perhaps. I didn't trip, shook my hands correctly, and got the diploma in good speed. Too many flashes went off today, but it was worth it.

Just a few of my favourite people :)

Other equally exciting news! I also just bought a bike off craigslist. It's a bright red Miyata to add to my collection. Rides super smooth, and is dying to get a test through downtown Toronto. SOON! Photos to come. More Toronto tidbits too. Yum. Until then, I'll be thinking of a good Halloween costume...

Thinking of new ideas. Painting the town, Honolulu. O'ahu, October 2010.