Oh woeful day

Hey guys,


I'm in the Toronto Reference Library now, typing this up. I only have 13 minutes left though I could just get another 15 after it restarts itself and there isn't anyone waiting.

I was having a pretty awesome day, walking around downtown Toronto with a map that the guy at the festival drew for me for places that I should visit. I was waiting at an intersection pressing a button, waiting for the light to change for like, 5 minutes and I was getting kinda impatient. I know some of the lights in Vancouver are slow but this one was reaaally slow; it was also on a somewhat major street (Queens street) so I don't know why it took so long. Anyway, there were some people across the street, also waiting (though I was the first one there and had been waiting the longest) and I saw they look across the street and make a run for it. There was really only one or two cars coming down the street and it was... not super close but not super far either. Like, you would've made it if you ran (and if the driver didn't speed up). I then started to run across the street too and one of the trucks honked at me but I was pretty much already there.

So I'm walking down the street and this cop car facing my direction, parked on the side of the street, is there, and one of the officers waves me over. He asks me if I was aware I ran across a street with a red light (obviously) and then asked for ID and started writing stuff. I wanted to explain that I didn't know it was that big a deal and that I wasn't even from the area but the guy was saracastic and not friendly (well, to be fair, a guy just ran across the street when he wasn't supposed to, but at the same time, is it really that big of a deal?). Also, I was kinda scared -- after all, it was my first time being stopped by the cops. Ever. I guess I'm just used to it in Vancouver and I hadn't bolted across the street in Toronto prior to this so I didn't think it was that bad. Plus, those other people did it too!

Anyway, long story short, I got a fine for $50. I read on the ticket thing though that I can go to the court and ask for another sentence (jeez, that sounds so serious) or fine or whatever and I don't particularly want to pay the dumb thing so I think I'll do that tomorrow morning, bright and early so that I have time to get to the screening of the programme tomorrow.

Other than this incident, everything else's been good. Really cool shops and streets, and lots to see and do. I like it here. I can see myself living here pretty comfortably (though the thing with the police pisses me off)

Really looking forward to coming home now and sleeping in my bed with my comfy pillows. And hanging out with people I know too, for that matter. I still have to find Ann something... it just so happens I'm going to the dollar store now! How convenient.... :)

See you all soon,



Aaron