Whoever makes friends online would either be anti-social or are just acquaintances where there is a high percentage you will never meet. Not me. I go out of my way to meet these same friends in person that I have known for years virtually, not knowing if they are who they are. Case in point is Jamie from London (UK not Canada). We have known each other from the Second Life days when the Fire Island community was still around. We met online as happenstance, and became good friends online. As we all parted ways, there was an ever slimming chance that I would ever get the opportunity to meet these people, let alone hear their voices ever again.
And in comes Jamie, the ever quiet computer geek from the UK who loves trance, house, and any track greater than 80 bpm. I had the honour and opportunity to meet him and his good friend Will, on a quick yet epic journey around Toronto (actually mostly just downtown). Their journey started in Halifax where they toured some of Canada's oldest history such as the Citadel, and some of the coffee shops. Soon after that they took the overnight trip on VIA Rail to Montreal where they stayed for several days and toured the Bio-dome and Old Montreal. After a quick stint in "La Belle Province", they took the train to Toronto.
Both arrived Wednesday evening and met both of them Thursday afternoon. Meeting someone that you know online for the first time is always an awkward moment. As I ran up the stairs to the grand foyer of the station, I looked around quickly only to see him in front of me. With the glare of the sun in the background, I saw his familiar face, and smiled. We both recognized each other, and I quickly walked over to him. After calling his name we both hugged tightly as if we were long lost friends. There is that split second where there is some hesitation but that is gone when the other person has the same feeling. Will, Jamie's travel partner and good friend, was just as personable and delightful.
This trip was Jamie's second time in Toronto, and Will's first. What became an interesting observation is that both, as tourists, love the city. They find the people so polite and well-behaved, the city skyline dynamic and unique from any European city, and the wilderness so close to the city core. Despite the tiring nature of the summer construction season, they were more intrigued and curious to know why the city has ripped up Queen's Quay to nothing more than an asphalt mess.
What I learned from them was that as a resident, you only see the day-to-day issues and problems that you face in the city you live in. However, tourists see what is more superficial and on the surface. They see the as it is, from the lens of a tourist. A passerby. They have a particular role to play because they are the ones who put everything under the microscope, from the city's vibrancy, to its cleanliness, to its "wow" factor, and to its stimulation of the five senses. They are the victim of the city's vices and the ability of the city to keep them safe. They are the marketing tools the city relies on, the ambassadors to tell their friends how awesome Toronto is back home. They breathe the same air and eat the same food as us for only a brief period of time. They are Torontonians for only a few days before they depart on their next adventure.
As much as us Torontonians complain about anything but the kitchen sink, we are in fact fortunate to have such a mecca of kitschy tourist traps. Both Jamie and Will love the people in this city, the vibrancy of downtown, the urban versus wilderness (Toronto Islands), the water versus land, the ethnic food versus North American food. Let's be reflective, recognize, and remember, that we have a truly world city that Londoners prefer to call home.
This trip was Jamie's second time in Toronto, and Will's first. What became an interesting observation is that both, as tourists, love the city. They find the people so polite and well-behaved, the city skyline dynamic and unique from any European city, and the wilderness so close to the city core. Despite the tiring nature of the summer construction season, they were more intrigued and curious to know why the city has ripped up Queen's Quay to nothing more than an asphalt mess.
What I learned from them was that as a resident, you only see the day-to-day issues and problems that you face in the city you live in. However, tourists see what is more superficial and on the surface. They see the as it is, from the lens of a tourist. A passerby. They have a particular role to play because they are the ones who put everything under the microscope, from the city's vibrancy, to its cleanliness, to its "wow" factor, and to its stimulation of the five senses. They are the victim of the city's vices and the ability of the city to keep them safe. They are the marketing tools the city relies on, the ambassadors to tell their friends how awesome Toronto is back home. They breathe the same air and eat the same food as us for only a brief period of time. They are Torontonians for only a few days before they depart on their next adventure.
As much as us Torontonians complain about anything but the kitchen sink, we are in fact fortunate to have such a mecca of kitschy tourist traps. Both Jamie and Will love the people in this city, the vibrancy of downtown, the urban versus wilderness (Toronto Islands), the water versus land, the ethnic food versus North American food. Let's be reflective, recognize, and remember, that we have a truly world city that Londoners prefer to call home.
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