Our goodbye cake from the ‘rents!
This month marks my first year in Toronno, and what a super-fast and crazy year it’s been! My partner landed his dream job at a big games studio in the city, and I just came along for the ride. When we were saying our farewells to people back home, it crossed my mind that we actually did zero research into Toronto– or what to expect– so the night before we watched a couple of YouTube videos of a pointy tower thing (CN tower I believe it’s officially called), practiced our ‘oh ehhhs’ and hoped for the best.
Solid confirmation that we were, in fact, in Toronto!
A year has passed, and although the accent barrier is still a bit of a problem (accent barrier is like a language barrier, but it’s your accent that’s the problem), Toronto has been very inspiring for me. I’m not sure if it’s the city that I have to thank for that, or the fact that I’m forced to find new and exciting things to do to pass the time. Either way, it’s given me the opportunity to explore new interests and hobbies that I never thought I’d do back home.
I didn’t have much trouble settling into the city. We were in the very fortunate position of having a whole team of people look after the details for us, from getting our work permits in place, to setting up our Presto Cards. My story would probably be a lot more chaotic if it weren’t for them (thanks Ubisoft).
I doubt you want to read about how work permits work, but if you’d like to know what a non-resident thinks of your beloved city then keep reading…
You can eat anything
I’ve never been afraid to try new food, but I didn’t realize that there are more flavours than greasy, deep fried fish and chips (fries, sorry, I’ll never change), and haggis… or greasy deep fried haggis and chips. Since moving here I’ve tried FatSO recommended Mediterranean, Thai, Greek and sushi restaurants. Although, I am disappointed at the lack of Scottish cuisine around here given how most people are ‘half Scottish’.
Japango- head to our fatSO blog to read my review!
Scottish people are cheap
It’s not news that people from the UK love a bargain. But since moving here, my concept of money has just gone out the window. Clothes, tourist stuff, HST (why isn’t it included in the price?!), haircuts, the price of real estate (treading on thin ice with that one). Oh, how I miss the days of a 90p cup of tea from Greggs or getting a last-minute outfit from Primark for less than $20.
Your TTC is bad, but not thaaaat bad…
Yes, there are delays at peak hour. Yes, there are construction problems. Yes, it’s very easy to trespass on the tracks for some reason. But have you ever seen a map of the Glasgow subway? Take a look. Glasgow is built very similarly to Toronto in a grid, yet we have a circular subway line (?) and no streetcars. So, if you want to get around Glasgow city be prepared to walk– or get on a really sketchy bus that is always late and has a few too many characters who you may not want to make eye contact with…
Winter wasn’t that bad
I was terrified for winter, terrified! -20°C? Absolutely not, I was ready to call it a day and head back to bed when I saw it on the forecast. But I got myself a good coat (apparently my $20 Forever 21 mac wouldn’t be good enough), thick socks and was pleasantly surprised by the cold temperatures. As the Norwegians say, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”.
Summer was hot
Nobody warned me about how hot your summers are. If there’s one thing Scottish people aren’t used to, it’s sun.
There’s more to life than the pub
Especially in summer! With all the food festivals, sporting events, and markets throughout the city, I’ve loved every minute of exploring Toronto. And so did my mum and mother-in-law when they came to visit:
These are just a few learnings from my first year… The next thing on our Canada to-do list is to see more of the country once we’ve got our Permanent Residency in place. That’s right Sohail, you won’t get rid of me any time soon!
Trying beavertails and poutine!
Niagara Falls Tours
