Shirin Delsooz

My Life Adventures and Thoughts

White Squirrel Sighting in Montreal!

This shot clearly proves that this white squirrel is in Parc Lafontaine, Montreal because you can see Théâtre de Verdure in the background.

With only a few rare sightings in Toronto, and other North American cities, I am proud to say that they also make Montreal their home!

This is big news since white squirrels aren’t known for being here! I saw this white squirrel in Parc Lafontaine one summer night and took as many pictures of it as I could with my cellphone. The images are not the best quality, but if you squint, you can clearly see its white glow and furry little tail. And you can also clearly see that it is in Parc Lafontaine because Théâtre de Verdure is in the background. I was not able to tell if it was white or an albino. It’s time to let the public know! I am going to write to the media and see if they buy the story! Readers, I will let you know what happens.

Another look at the white squirrel in Montreal. I took as many shots as I could!

 

Iranian Water Fight 2011

Iranian Water FIght, Sunnybrook Park, Toronto

Who: Me, partner in crime, and many teenagers.

What: Iranian Water Fight 2011.

When: Saturday, August 13, 2011.

Where: Sunnybrook Park, Toronto.

Why: Because it’s fun! And for some, its also a political response to the water fight ban in Iran.

Loosely organized on Facebook with more than 450 RSVP’s, this event was sure to be grand. I like being part of viral movements that have meaning, and the weather was perfect!

There was a water fight in Iran recently that got many people arrested and made the news. It wasn’t far from different in Toronto. The Toronto police crashed the water fight because there was no permit and they threatened to make arrests. The group dispersed but later on re-congregated by the river. The police didn’t come back.

Highlights: Me and my partner in crime emptied our water bottle on an unsuspecting dude taking a break from the water fight. It was a pretty cheap move to gang up on one person, but funny at the same time! What’s cheaper is that we ran away as fast as we could. But promised to return next year, with maybe a few more to add to the gang!

Then Officer Ahmed crashed the party.

Homelessness in the Suburbs

Suburban Homelessness

A homeless woman soliciting cars at the red light by Yorkdale Mall, in the suburbs of Toronto.

Homeless Suburbanite Man

Her partner soliciting cars on the other side of the street. His sign says he is hungry.

As I was walking towards one of Toronto’s snazziest malls in the suburbs, I couldn’t help but notice a couple on the intersection stopping cars for money. Their signs that read “HOMELESS” and “HUNGRY” were written very legibly on good quality paper. They undoubtedly looked more well groomed than the stereotypical homeless guy.  But at the same time their looks indicated despair.

Not everyone down on their luck is a toothless haggard.

The couple made me think of the many who are well educated and hardworking but somehow still fell through the cracks of the system. There can’t possibly be jobs for everyone. We don’t hear about those people because not everyone who is homeless necessarily begs for money.

The couple also made me think of poverty in relation to location. Homelessness isn’t a phenomena that only occurs in downtown. You can lose your job in a factory in the suburbs, inner burbs and rural areas.

Of course, there is more factors that come into play on the issues of homelessness. These were just some thoughts that occurred to me as I passed by them.

Homelessness is a very complex issue, and merits very complex answers.

Regardless, when I asked the couple if I could take their picture (shown above), they were very thrilled. This may be because this was the first time in a while anyone had any interest in them…

The Adventures of Bessarion Station

I remember a guy who was irritated with Bessarion Station. According to him, it’s the most useless station to have been built. No one is ever there. Today as I was passing by it, I noticed the lights were dimmed. It might be because the TTC figured that it was a waste of money to keep an empty space void of people to be fully lit.

I took this picture of the platform at Bessarion during rush hour on my way to Ikea.

Bessarion isn’t totally useless though. It will be soon a convenient station for many new inhabitants of the condo being built nearby and other development projects in the neighbourhood.

Bessarion station is the closest station to an Ikea in Toronto. But it’s still a bit of a pain to walk there, especially if you are carrying a whole lot of new furniture.   Though there is a shuttle bus service that drives shoppers to the subway entrance of Leslie, but it didn’t occur to me at the time. It’s not really advertised for some reason.

Anyway, as you walk towards Ikea, there is a sign that directs pedestrian to a special entrance… Unfortunately, as I came to learn, that entrance is closed. It took some walking, but I eventually got inside.