Home Sweet Homo

Leprechaun in latex at the end of this rainbow.

Hi, I’m Anubha Momin. You may remember me from such posts as “Working Undercover: The Art of Sleeping” and “Love in the Time of Web Cameras”. I’ve been back in Toronto for exactly one month, haven’t blogged in over two, and decided not to extend the latter to three. And what a busy few months it has been: I survived the volcanic disASHter while being eaten alive by mosquitoes in Morocco, found out just why Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world, ran a veritable hostel out of my bedroom/glorified closet, and found two little pools of Ayr Bay in London. The plan is to blog more consistently, as I’ve been inspired by my friend Chris’ entry into the blogosphere, though his blogging regime of one post per day is intimidating.

Anyway, here are some photos from this year’s Pride Weekend and Parade in Toronto, which was, as always, a gay old time. Click to enlarge!

Nom Nom Nom: Toronto Eats

Can I just say it? I love eating in Toronto. To be frank, I love eating everywhere, but especially in Toronto (and Paris, and London…). But really, there is something nice about being at home and knowing exactly where to go when you have a craving for something. And in Toronto, you can eat a good version of pretty much anything! Whilst I was home, I did visit quite a few of my favourite restaurants, along with a few new ones. Sadly, I didn’t always take pictures, and I can’t really remember all the places I went. But! I do have pictures from three places, and I can clearly recall my experience at another, so I still have something to say! And please make sure to click the photos. For some reason, the colours just don’t come out right unless you view the full size.

This is Christmas: Toronto Edition

ETA: The colours in some of the pictures posted below are quite off. Please click on the photos to see them in their true form!

Do I still know how to use this thing?!

Sorry for such a huge delay in between posts (not 100% sure who I am apologizing to, but I feel as though I should do it anyway). I’ve been back in London for just over a week and am finally settling in and getting organized. And so, here is a quick post about my time in Toronto!

Toronto in T-Minus 7 Days!

He means home to me.

Just seven days until I hop on a plane and traverse that pond and land in my hometown. I cannot wait to be back at home! I am especially excited because I am bringing my friend Aastha to Toronto with me. Aastha is originally from India and also completing her Masters here in London. I don’t know who is more excited, Aastha because she is going to visit Toronto, or me because I get to show someone how awesome my city is!

Back to Braunwald: Culture Night and Carbon Emissions

Group photo: YES 2009 Culture Night. Photo by Dana Guzman.

It’s been two weeks, two days since I left Braunwald, the kitschy little hotel, and of course, my fellow YES mates. I think there were 38 students representing 25 countries, and it was such a treat to learn about other places and spaces directly from the people who live there. There are 24 countries at the top of my “to visit” list; I just have to find a way to get to every one!

Paris: vélos et escargots

This was not my first time in Paris, but it was my first time on the Chunnel (tunnel under the Channel from London to Paris)! As usual, a nice experience, as train travel in Europe tends to be. It took me just over two hours to arrive in Paris; it took all of ten seconds for me to fall in love all over again.

A Canadian Thanksgiving in London

I’ll post about my French weekend soon, but first let me tell you about the Thanksgiving celebrations at Lillian Penson Hall last night. Canadian Thanksgiving fell on Monday, October 12, while I was in France, so we held our dinner on Tuesday, so yours truly could attend. I am so, so glad my fellow hallmates held out for me.

Our not-so-traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Finding London in London

So remember when I said it hadn’t rained in the over-two-weeks since I arrived in London? I spoke too soon. It rained yesterday, it rained today, and it will rain tomorrow. In a way, it’s been a relief, like everything that is supposed to be, is, you know? The weather was so sparkly and wonderful that I was a bit confused. Where were the grey skies, the dreary days, where was the wetness? I came here to live in London, and to accept London as is, for better or for worse. There is a whole culture surrounding rain here, including a fantastic umbrella store. And I don’t really mind the rain; it’s not like there aren’t 500 million things to do indoors at any time of the day in London.

Brighton-ing My Day

Sign above Brighton Pier.

I visited Brighton yesterday, a coastal city south of London. My travelling buddies and I were met with strong winds and the smell of the sea when we alighted from our bus, but thankfully no rain!* We visited the Brighton Pier and the Royal Pavilion before settling down for a hearty lunch. We were about halfway through our allotted time in Brighton, and I was a little worried about how we would pass another three and a half hours. The answer came as we strolled through the Lanes of Brighton: shopping.

Anublog Post

(Off) Season of Giving on UpbeaT.