From The Twilight To The Comfort Zone...And Is There Any Difference?

With a weekly private finger-style guitar lesson, a group ukulele lesson and almost daily forays into the bowels of the music building at UofT, you might think my ears would be full of music. On any given day at UofT I can hear oboes, drums, pianos, tubas, classical guitars....but mostly I hear opera singers.

'Me lugs' are not wanting for sonic sustenance, yet what do I consider music to my ears? 25 great meals under $10...that's a tune I could use! My arrival in Toronto coincided with Now newspaper's feature article. I believe that satisfies my definition of karma.

Last night Wendy and I went out for dinner with another couple in Toronto's up and coming neighbourhood of Leslieville. The restaurant was dark and warm, and buzzing with Friday night freedom. Our waitress, in her twenties, I think, was friendly and helpful. The menu was small but appetizing. Dinner items ranged from $10 to $36 with an emphasis on meats, I'd say. My entree of Korean twice fried chicken weighed in at $13. It was tasty and tiny, but a total rip-off in terms of value. As I don't drink, I opted out of a cocktail, though everyone else had one. The cost of a cocktail...$12 to $14. A glass of wine...$11. Absolutely criminal.

I'm excited by the idea of a great meal for under $10, though I don't mind paying more for atmosphere. I do, however, have my limits. Dinner for four last evening cost $152 (post tax, pre tip) My contribution to the tab was $13 plus tax and tip. I'm not suggesting that a game of 'who-can-be-most-Scottish' is healthy, but I will say that dinner for four at $152 plus tip is waaaaayyyyyyy out of my comfort zone.

Ironically we had a dinner table discussion last evening about the popularity of comfort food. To most Torontonians, comfort food means macaroni and cheese, or a nod to the traditional home-style meals of our youth. Comfort food to me is something under $10. My $13 Korean chicken nuggets were not even remotely close to being as delicious as the supper I had the night before....a $5.79 chicken shawarma at our favourite little sans-atmosphere pita place. As I said before, I don't mind paying a premium for atmosphere, but I awoke this morning with a worse-than-normal back from sitting on a miserable wooden chair last evening. Somebody shoot me or, at the very least, pass me a gun.

We pay a high price to live in Toronto, in so many different ways: physically, mentally, spiritually and even financially. Thinking about life when considering these all encompassing parameters, I wonder if I can I live within my comfort zone? Sometimes I feel incredibly stupid, though it's usually in situations that are out of my control. There's no question that, after 40 hours in Toronto, I'm still in 'the Twilight Zone'.

Doodoo doodoo doodoo doodoo doodoo doodoo.