Waiting for Spring Like...

Spring is such a tease, especially in Ontario. Once Daylight Savings Time hits and the light pours in until 7 pm, you just assume that the temperature outside is going to match. But you can't judge a book by its cover... and you can't judge the weather by what it looks like through a window (unless your view out the window looks like the below – then you can definitely judge. Hard). 

And even when the sunshine lines up to the plus teen temperatures for a few days, there will inevitably always be that one. last. snow storm.

Case in point – this day just a couple of weeks ago. March 31st, to be exact. Just one day away from April, and a glorious snow storm came down over Barrie, where my parents live.

Ai Wei Wei's "Unbroken" Exhibit

Hi, it's your art-gallery and museum-obsessed gal here, back with an exhibit that you seriously can't miss while it's here in Toronto. Evidenced by the onslaught of people who showed up for it, I'd say that most of the city knows about it by now. But hey – in case you didn't, or in case you don't want to wait 2+ hours in line, here's the low down.

Ai Wei Wei was born in China in 1957, and has since become one of the world's most relevant artists and renowned activists. His art has become a platform for criticizing human rights injustices, both in his home country of China and around the world. He skyrocketed to fame when he photographed himself dropping a 2000-year-old Han Dynasty Urn. Created quite the stir with that one.

The Gardiner Museum is focused on ceramics and pottery, which is why this exhibit, "Unbroken", features this particular medium from the body of Ai Wei Wei's work. The other exhibits in the museum are worth checking out, too, especially when you're waiting in line to get into the Ai Wei Wei exhibit.

Leslieville, Revisited 3 Years Later

Toronto is changing. Growing. Sleepy streets are becoming bustling thoroughfares. Coffee shops, boutiques, and condos are popping up at impressive rates. There's arguments on both sides as to whether this is a good or bad thing (not getting into that here). But one thing we can all agree on – additional foot/car/bus traffic is a big boost to local businesses.

Three years ago, I wrote about my first impressions of Leslieville. It hasn't changed dramatically since then, but it's changed (for the better, in my opinion). It's becoming more noticed. "Cooler". Toronto's hype train isn't just riding in the west end anymore. And I, for one, am thankful that this strip of Queen East is finally getting more traction. 

What brought me to Leslieville this time around was a casual Polish restaurant run by a mother daughter duo called Hastings Snack Bar. So, who better to bring along than my own Polish mother for a sweet little lunch date.