Toronto may not have the sun, but it does have this!

Casa Coimbra - the corner store where they let me
pay later when I forget my wallet.

I recently got back from six weeks in California. Yes, it is amazing to have family and a job that takes me to a nice, sunny climate in the winter months. But I'm happy to be back in Toronto, even in spite of the snow and below 0F temps.

It hit me as we stood at the streetcar stop, in the cold, after midnight: One of the reasons I love Toronto so much is that here, more than any other place I've lived, is made vibrant and exciting by its many international communities.

I'm not sure if that's super clearly stated, so let me share some examples.

1. Across from the streetcar stop last night was a Portuguese night club. The dance floor and the sidewalk outside were packed! Portuguese music blasted louder whenever the door was opened to let out people whose bodies were so warm from dancing that they seemingly didn't feel the freezing temperatures. It reminded me so much of the dance clubs in Chile. I wish I knew someone who could take me there.
2. Our friend is in the greatest olive store in the western world (that might be exaggerating but just barely) when another man walks up to the counter. The shopkeeper starts speaking to the man in another language and he looks very confused. "Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you spoke Serbian," the shopkeeper explains. 
3. A recent dinner party included people from several countries. I know for sure that there were people from Ireland, Australia, Canada (both Vancouver and northern Montreal), US, and Korea. All this diversity, and variety of experiences, led to some great discussions.
4. I ran to our corner store yesterday to get some sugar. The owners are Portuguese and yesterday, poor guy, the shopkeeper was getting his ear talked off by an older man who was there for his weekly shopping. I didn't understand any of the conversation but I gathered that the older man was complaining about life in general, in a "kids these days" kind of manner. I loved watching the body language of the conversation. And I loved that there was a place for this guy to share his opinions in his native language.

I'm not exactly sure why all these stories make me so happy. I think it's because I've always been fascinated by how things work in different cultures and here I get to taste so many different experiences without having to travel. Very cool.