Toronto in Fall...
The sky was clear and the sun shining it’s golden rays down on Ontario as I flew into the Toronto International Airport Saturday 
morning. Lake Ontario was placid and deep blue, the 
landscape awash in an autumn palate of golds, yellows and reds. Looks like this was a welcome forecast for a quick weekend of wine tasting and hanging out with Ghufran and other Afghan friends/former students. Got off my plane, went through customs, into the rental car place and was off to downtown Toronto Ghufran and his brother Numan’s apartment, my home in Toronto. I enjoy being comfortable with a city and knowing my way around it, that’s how it is with Toronto. Who knew that 2 Septembers ago I would be making so many trips up here for my book and then coming up just to hang out with people.
Saturday was one of those pristine autumn days with that fresh crispness in the air, the lighting that is so special this time of the year, one last breath of nature’s beauty before winter comes and shakes the trees of all their leaves and the palette changes. We got into my bright red rental car and headed down to the Niagara region to taste some of the wines. It was just Ghufran and
I and it was a nice time to catch up, talk about what’s been going on in our lives and what will be happening in the near future. He’s a great young man and it’s always great hanging out with him. He was the first one to call me “Kaka” and it sort of stuck. He’s like a nephew or even a son to me and I enjoy the times we spend together. Over the past two years I’ve gotten to know his famiy back in Afghanistan, helped a little on his mother’s campaign for the Afghan Parliament (she one, maybe thanks to my button making), and always enjoy the time in Toronto with him and his older brother Numan.
I tried many wines from this region last September on my trip in Quebec and, always passing these wineries on my way up or
from Toronto from Buffalo, it was time to stop. Wine tasting isn’t something I can do with many of my former Afghan students since they don’t drink but Ghufran is open minded enough to do a little tasting and enjoy driving through the vineyards. We sample at a few vineyards, Wayne Gretzky’s vineyard was on my list but unfortunately not open. He makes a delicious red! After some tasting, we headed to the charming town of Niagara-on-the –Lake. One of those old towns with lots of charm. We hung out there for a bit, drinking some coffee and walking the streets as the sun set over Ontario. Afterwards we headed to St. Catheirne’s for an Eid party with the recent batch of YES students who made their way to Canada this past spring.
In a basement apartment we gathered, about 9 of us for what I thought was going to be a potluck or dinner. Shakib served us tea and a plate of nuts, dried mulberries and raisins. Given their dire financial situations, I understood that it was not going to be an elaborate meal. It was good to see my former students, catch up on their lives and given them some encouragement and advice when they asked. Their lives are not easy and I got the feeling (as I did earlier when I met them) that they are lost and need direction, so this visit was good for them I think. It is a little sad for me but it is their lives and there is no need to put them down or make them feel bad about their choice. One boy told me he has no winter jacket or boots, which worried me a bit. I told him to check with the shelter he used to live in, Goodwill or Salvation Army for one. Somehow, despite their struggle, they
will make it through high school and on to bigger and better things, inshallah. After a while it was obvious no food was going to appear, so I sent Ghufran and Shakib out for some pizza for everybody. While most of them said they weren’t hungry, I knew they would eat pizza so we got four, which were devoured in minutes. I am always concerned about how nutritious these runaways eat as they try to make $200 last a month. It seems to be mostly a menu of rice and beans, some times spaghetti, but never does it seem to include fresh vegetables or fruit. Pizza wasn’t my first choice but pickings are slim in St. Catherine’s late at night. Plus they probably don’t eat a lot of pizza so why not give them a little happiness.
Sunday was the first day of Eid, the sacrificial one. This is when Muslims slaughter a sheep and share the meat with the poor. It is when everyone must be charitable and do good things for those in need. Numan got Ghufran and I up for a trip to the mosque for Eid prayer. There are many Muslims in Toronto and thus many mosques. Everyone has their own mosque and we went to the Afghani mosque, which was down the street from the Somali mosque and next to a Pizza Hut. I was welcomed in to the mosque and soon was surrounded by people I knew—former students and friends of Numan and Ghufran’s. This was my first time in a mosque for prayer. I’ve always asked my students to show me how they pray and there was always some hesitancy because I wasn’t a Muslim. But this day I was welcomed to come in and pray in the mosque. The imam was making a speech and I chatted with Zabi and Ratib who were sitting next to me. I was a little hesitant at first to be here praying but there was a nice sense of brotherhood and welcome feeling so I relaxed. Praying the world over is pretty much the same, you just do it in different positions. It was a really great experience for me and as the imam recited the prayer from the Quran, I sent my prayers out into the world, for Ghufran and numan, all my students in Canada, in Afghanistan, that peace comes to their country, for my own family and friends. The sun shone on my head through the window as if God was shining down on me and telling me I was doing a good thing. As we knelt and bowed our head to the floor three times, there was a peace in me, as if the world had stopped and for this moment nothing else mattered but my communion with God. As my forehead touched the floor for the final time, I realized that God is one and no one religion can claim a monopoly on him/her/it. There is a final finish of the Muslim prayer where you turn your head to right and then to the left and then it is over. We hugged and shook hands, congratulating each other with Eid and stepped out into the brilliantly, sunny day. As we were leaving the parking lot, shots rang out from the Pizza Hut parking lot and people were running into cars, ducking—chaos. One guy was shot in the leg, put in a car and sped away. It seems like it was some gang rivalry or just plain old rivalry among the Afghans, but put a damper on this blessed of days in the Muslim calendar. We spent the rest of the day eating lunch at Bamyan Kebab (one of my favorite
places to eat in Toronto) and walking along the lake, enjoying the wonderful weather of a golden autumn day. It was nice to stroll along with two friends and not having a care or worry in the world. I shut off the work brain and just let the Sunday afternoon unfold. I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long while and it was nice to forget about my worries for awhile.
morning. Lake Ontario was placid and deep blue, the 
landscape awash in an autumn palate of golds, yellows and reds. Looks like this was a welcome forecast for a quick weekend of wine tasting and hanging out with Ghufran and other Afghan friends/former students. Got off my plane, went through customs, into the rental car place and was off to downtown Toronto Ghufran and his brother Numan’s apartment, my home in Toronto. I enjoy being comfortable with a city and knowing my way around it, that’s how it is with Toronto. Who knew that 2 Septembers ago I would be making so many trips up here for my book and then coming up just to hang out with people. Saturday was one of those pristine autumn days with that fresh crispness in the air, the lighting that is so special this time of the year, one last breath of nature’s beauty before winter comes and shakes the trees of all their leaves and the palette changes. We got into my bright red rental car and headed down to the Niagara region to taste some of the wines. It was just Ghufran and
I and it was a nice time to catch up, talk about what’s been going on in our lives and what will be happening in the near future. He’s a great young man and it’s always great hanging out with him. He was the first one to call me “Kaka” and it sort of stuck. He’s like a nephew or even a son to me and I enjoy the times we spend together. Over the past two years I’ve gotten to know his famiy back in Afghanistan, helped a little on his mother’s campaign for the Afghan Parliament (she one, maybe thanks to my button making), and always enjoy the time in Toronto with him and his older brother Numan.I tried many wines from this region last September on my trip in Quebec and, always passing these wineries on my way up or
from Toronto from Buffalo, it was time to stop. Wine tasting isn’t something I can do with many of my former Afghan students since they don’t drink but Ghufran is open minded enough to do a little tasting and enjoy driving through the vineyards. We sample at a few vineyards, Wayne Gretzky’s vineyard was on my list but unfortunately not open. He makes a delicious red! After some tasting, we headed to the charming town of Niagara-on-the –Lake. One of those old towns with lots of charm. We hung out there for a bit, drinking some coffee and walking the streets as the sun set over Ontario. Afterwards we headed to St. Catheirne’s for an Eid party with the recent batch of YES students who made their way to Canada this past spring.In a basement apartment we gathered, about 9 of us for what I thought was going to be a potluck or dinner. Shakib served us tea and a plate of nuts, dried mulberries and raisins. Given their dire financial situations, I understood that it was not going to be an elaborate meal. It was good to see my former students, catch up on their lives and given them some encouragement and advice when they asked. Their lives are not easy and I got the feeling (as I did earlier when I met them) that they are lost and need direction, so this visit was good for them I think. It is a little sad for me but it is their lives and there is no need to put them down or make them feel bad about their choice. One boy told me he has no winter jacket or boots, which worried me a bit. I told him to check with the shelter he used to live in, Goodwill or Salvation Army for one. Somehow, despite their struggle, they
will make it through high school and on to bigger and better things, inshallah. After a while it was obvious no food was going to appear, so I sent Ghufran and Shakib out for some pizza for everybody. While most of them said they weren’t hungry, I knew they would eat pizza so we got four, which were devoured in minutes. I am always concerned about how nutritious these runaways eat as they try to make $200 last a month. It seems to be mostly a menu of rice and beans, some times spaghetti, but never does it seem to include fresh vegetables or fruit. Pizza wasn’t my first choice but pickings are slim in St. Catherine’s late at night. Plus they probably don’t eat a lot of pizza so why not give them a little happiness. Sunday was the first day of Eid, the sacrificial one. This is when Muslims slaughter a sheep and share the meat with the poor. It is when everyone must be charitable and do good things for those in need. Numan got Ghufran and I up for a trip to the mosque for Eid prayer. There are many Muslims in Toronto and thus many mosques. Everyone has their own mosque and we went to the Afghani mosque, which was down the street from the Somali mosque and next to a Pizza Hut. I was welcomed in to the mosque and soon was surrounded by people I knew—former students and friends of Numan and Ghufran’s. This was my first time in a mosque for prayer. I’ve always asked my students to show me how they pray and there was always some hesitancy because I wasn’t a Muslim. But this day I was welcomed to come in and pray in the mosque. The imam was making a speech and I chatted with Zabi and Ratib who were sitting next to me. I was a little hesitant at first to be here praying but there was a nice sense of brotherhood and welcome feeling so I relaxed. Praying the world over is pretty much the same, you just do it in different positions. It was a really great experience for me and as the imam recited the prayer from the Quran, I sent my prayers out into the world, for Ghufran and numan, all my students in Canada, in Afghanistan, that peace comes to their country, for my own family and friends. The sun shone on my head through the window as if God was shining down on me and telling me I was doing a good thing. As we knelt and bowed our head to the floor three times, there was a peace in me, as if the world had stopped and for this moment nothing else mattered but my communion with God. As my forehead touched the floor for the final time, I realized that God is one and no one religion can claim a monopoly on him/her/it. There is a final finish of the Muslim prayer where you turn your head to right and then to the left and then it is over. We hugged and shook hands, congratulating each other with Eid and stepped out into the brilliantly, sunny day. As we were leaving the parking lot, shots rang out from the Pizza Hut parking lot and people were running into cars, ducking—chaos. One guy was shot in the leg, put in a car and sped away. It seems like it was some gang rivalry or just plain old rivalry among the Afghans, but put a damper on this blessed of days in the Muslim calendar. We spent the rest of the day eating lunch at Bamyan Kebab (one of my favorite
places to eat in Toronto) and walking along the lake, enjoying the wonderful weather of a golden autumn day. It was nice to stroll along with two friends and not having a care or worry in the world. I shut off the work brain and just let the Sunday afternoon unfold. I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long while and it was nice to forget about my worries for awhile.
posted by Tom T at 1:14 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home