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Kung Fu: The Legend Continues |
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Today would be an adventure for me, one that I had not experienced in a long time. I got up, having slept much better since I was able to get a strong decongestant for my sinuses. Even though I slept, it wasn't as long as I would have liked. I had gone to bed after 2:00 am, but I was ready and willing to go to Chinatown despite it. Nothing was going to stop me from visiting Chinatown today. Maria from Sweden lent me her transit map of Toronto so I could find my way. I was going to look at it at breakfast, but forgot about it. Maria had picked it up and I looked at it back in the room. She pulled out a larger map and along with the transit map I was able to map out my path. Two thirds of my journey would be walking while one third would be taking the subway.
It was quite easy. All I had to do was walk from the hotel to the main street (The East Mall Rd). Then I take a left at the next main street (Bloor), then walk up to another street (Aukland) that would lead me right to the Kipling Subway, which happens to be the last subway stop for that particular line. So began my walking tour of the area and my journey to Chinatown. Along the way I took some photos of my journey.
Looking back along The East Mall Road, you can see the Valhalla in the distance with its tower.
Valhalla
Walking along Bloor a two-posted sign caught my attention. These signs indicate the upcoming street. In the States, along major streets and roads, especially in the Northern Virginia area, you will find large green signs that will designate the next street that is coming up. In the following photo you can see in the background a tall red and white post. That denotes a bus stop location.
Two Posted Sign
As I entered the Subway station, I realized I needed to buy tokens. I had not used tokens for years. Usually I am using a metro pass card or even simply money for the transit station. So, I bought my tokens (two of them), and headed for the train. I was lucky that I did not have to wait. The train was sitting right there at the station. It was going to be a good day for a ride.
The ride to Chinatown felt long, perhaps because of my anticipation and because I had not checked how many stops it was to reach Spadina Station. I passed several interesting names along the way; Runnymeade, Jane, Royal Crown. They were certainly British sounding names. The stations themselves were not very colorful, but each had their own designated color, just so there was enough differences between them so you know you had arrived at a different station. The Spadina Station was done in simple black and off white
Spadina
To get to Chinatown from the Spadina Station you had to walk through the University section of town. I am certain that this place would be bustling with students in the fall. Made me think of the University of DC and even Georgetown University, both inner city colleges. Would be interesting to see if there were any location shots in this area.
I walked down Spadina and took a few interesting photos along the way. One place that caught my eye was this beautiful old house, obviously looking like it had been built during Richard Sonian's day, an architect who build using heavy stone. His signature pieces were his rounded stone arches and what appears to be a parapet to the side of the entrance.
House
Turns out it is the office building for the City Mission. I would not be surprised if it was also on the historical registry.
Another interesting sight was this huge boulder sitting in front of an elementary school.
The boulder
Inscription Close-up - it's fascinating to read.
As I came to the very edge of Chinatown, I found the Silver Dollar. It was one of the places that was on the list. My group did not come up this far during the tour. We had only gone as far as Caine's Kwoon.
The Silver Dollar
The Silver Dollar is still an active working club. I can also see that this part of town certainly would be a place where Jack Wong would have hung out. This part of Chinatown isn't exactly what I would call a nice neighborhood. There was also a soup kitchen near here and a hotel with questionable clientele.
I came upon Caine's kwoon and thought it was a perfect opportunity to get a close up shot since the street wasn't crowded and the shops that now occupy it were closed. This was Sunday morning after all and people were at worship services, either in church or at the Buddhist temple.
Caine's Kwoon
Now that would be an interesting location to find. Where was the Buddhist Temple that they used when the Dalai Lama came to Chinatown in the episode "Pheonix?" There are so many locations that you could find. You could have a week-long event where you could take three days just to tour the city and find all the locations that were used that were not studio shots.
I continued on my way and I was beginning to feel as if there was a stone in my sandal, but there was none. I took my left sandal off and found the reason. My sandal had become cracked and worn. In fact the crack was clear across the sole and had cut all the way through it. Before I was going to do what I came for, I had to buy myself a new pair of shoes. It took me a while to find a shoe store. When I did, I had to wait, but I was able to buy a new pair of sandals. They were not exactly what I was looking for, but at least I would not be limping home when the time came.
After getting my new sandals, I set out to accomplish two tasks, one to buy a hat for Helen that she had seen when we were down in Chinatown from the tour, and to find one of the herbal shops that Caine went to and buy some herbs. Of course I should have realized that the shop would no longer be there, after finding the address on Dundas (465), but I found one across the street. I went there and picked up my favorite ginseng tea (a large box containing ten smaller boxes, each containing ten packets of tea). Back home the same size box would have cost me a lot more. I also picked up some astragalus root that I use in herbal remedies. I can then say that I had been to Chinatown and bought some herbs there, just like Caine would have done.
Afterward, I started to walk back. I first took a coupe of pictures of the streets because they were now a little more crowded than they had been when I first arrived.
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Chinatown |
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My next task was to find lunch. I walked back north up Spadina, past Caine's kwoon and stopped at the Happy 7 restaurant. I ordered a spring roll, some hot and sour soup, and a bowl of rice. When my lunch came, I was surprised at how large the bowl was plus how different the soup looked. The color was orange red and had more of a sour taste than hot. There was shrimp in the soup. I suspect it was more of a coastal recipe because of the shrimp. The soup was excellent and I ate my fill, though I could not finish it. By this time, the heat outside had sapped my appetite a bit, but I needed something to eat to carry me back home. It was going to be a long walk, and I was carrying a few packages.
The Dragon
After paying for lunch I took a photo of the wonderful dragon that graced the back glass panel. It was time to head back to the Valhalla. I wistfully thought about the places that Peter and Caine may have had lunch in, or any of the other places in Chinatown. This could have been one of those places. It would have been nice to have found the outdoor café where Caine and the Ancient would have sat.
My walk back to the Spadini station was filled with the music of KF: TLC and the voices of that time. I really hated to leave Chinatown behind. I hope that I would one day come back again. And perhaps when I do, WB might be filming the reunion movie or even a new series.
On the way home, near the University, I came across this unusual sign. It would be my last photo of the area. I am certain it is for the pub and restaurant that graces it's name. I had not seen such a name since I had been to Britain back in 1982. Someday I hope to get back there as well.
F & F
My day and adventure was slowly coming to an end, but I still had to get on the train. It would be an opportunity to write this entry. There was still the walk back to Valhalla. That would be just a walk in the park.
The day, however, wasn't over. As I road on the train, I was able to check the time, and I knew I might get back to the hotel at around 3:30. When I did walk into my hotel room, the clock read 3:33. Talk about timing. I was back home and quite alone at the moment. No one else was back from their day trips. I thought about taking a shower, but lay down instead. I took a nap for about an hour. By that time Maria from Sweden had returned. She also was going to take a nap. She also announced to me that I had given her my cold because she had a runny nose. It was not my intention, so I helped her out by giving her some of my decongestant and a few other things.
The evening would prove to be a very interesting one since it was also our last night.
Continues with Episode
4 - Evening with Friends
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2004.
This personal account cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict
permission from the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.