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[personal profile] danlansdowne
After my lone class of the day, I decided to go on another trip to the Royal Ontario Museum. I saw the Book of the Dead exhibit and the Egyptian galleries, but precious little else because it was almost closing time when we got there last week. Plus, post-secondary students get in free on Tuesdays. You can't argue with that!

Getting there was an interesting experience. I was on the subway, and just after pulling out of Ossington a commotion broke out farther down the car. A rather large (to put it diplomatically) woman with a lot of bags--possibly all her worldly goods) sat down next to some guy, who didn't take too kindly to her backpack being in his lap. He complained, to which she replied, in an almost parrot-like voice, "It's barely touching you." He still wasn't thrilled, and must have tried to push it off because she suddenly screeched "DON'T PUSH ME!"

She got quite distressed, a bit more than was really necessary--something tells me she wasn't all there. One of them, I'm guessing the guy, pressed the emergency alarm button. Someone came along after the train pulled into Christie to assist; she got onto the platform and was looking up and down. I didn't stick around because the alarm was a high-pitched squealing that was piercing my eardrums. I got onto the platform and went up to the next car. I could still hear her yelling from there. After a few minutes, the train got underway again.

I only looked at a few permanent galleries when I got to the ROM. This was partly because I only had two and a half hours until closure and partly because one floor is blocked off in the middle until Saturday, when the new "Schad Gallery of Biodiversity" opens. When one of their media and marketing guys came to my class last semester, he played us some of the videos they're using to market it. This is the main one:



He also showed us a neat video of an underwater camera recording as a kingfisher swooped down and caught an unsuspecting fish right above the camera; unfortunately, because of copyright (they didn't own the video) they couldn't use it for promotions. They have some neat ones on their YouTube page, though.

On my way home I rode in the lead car the whole way, right at the front to get the driver's eye view. Surprisingly, he had the cab door open and I could see inside. Snapped a blurry photo of it with my BlackBerry camera as well.

Finally, this evening I got to watch as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 5-1. I'm not a huge sports fan, but when the Jays are concerned I'll make an exception. At the end of last season, they were fourth (out of five) in the American League East. They had a very bad season, that began to reverse when they rehired an old manager. That investment has paid off; they're now top in the whole American League!!! Probably the best transition I've ever seen. If only the Maple Leafs could match them.

Now for dishes and some internship work to the sound of three-week-old episodes of Coronation Street. I've fallen so far behind in that show because it's been pre-empted by the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thank God the CBC puts them online.

Date: 2009-05-13 03:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ccdesan.livejournal.com
Sounds like a lovely day.

I feel sorry for folks like your unstable bag-lady (for want of a better term.) They often are miserable and their illness makes them unable or unwilling to get the help which is available to them.

Wish I could see those exhibits.

Date: 2009-05-13 03:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dhlawrence.livejournal.com
It can't be easy for her. I'm not a medical expert, but judging by her size and body shape, she wasn't wilfully obese, and that always seems to follow mental problems. It's a wonder anyone affected like that lasts as long as they do.

Don't rule out seeing the exhibits; the Schad Gallery is a permanent exhibit, so it's not likely to change. Some of their galleries are the same as they were before the expansion took place about five years ago, and are unlikely to change in the near future. If the Ponys that Be decide to hold Ponycon 6 in Toronto, you'll have the chance.

For the Book of the Dead exhibit, it's not quite the same, but they have a video online to give you a sense of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnO3XsDFHe8&feature=channel_page

Date: 2009-05-13 01:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deckardcanine.livejournal.com
Say, why isn't it "Maple Leaves"?

Date: 2009-05-13 02:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dhlawrence.livejournal.com
Allegedly, it's because they're named after the Maple Leaf Regiment from the First World War; however, there was a minor-league baseball team by the same name that had been in operation since the 1890s, so the real answer is rather unclear. (There are two or three other reasons for it besides!)

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