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I’d been to Toronto once before, during high school when my mom attended the American Psychiatric Association conference there. Yeah, I know, the AMERICAN psychiatric association having it’s conference in CANADA. All I remember is getting bored, going up the CN Tower twice, and the weird anti-pyschiatry protests ourside of her office.

This trip to Toronto – well, it was completely different.

I felt like I’d left the recession, and jumped into the future.

Toronto seemed vibrant, prosperous, and diverse. But unlike California, where the diversity can be an illusion in a sea of ethnic cliques, Toronto had a different vibe.

In California, the three of us – two Indians, and a black guy, would have stood out. The five backbenchers together – two indians, an Arab, an Asian, and a black guy – were unheard of. Come on, San Francisco. I never see any groups that diverse walking around.

Toronto? While visiting Varun’s cousin, we saw a car accident. Standing outside the two cars, was a rainbow of white, Asian, black, and latino.  We saw interacial couples of all types – more than the white guy/asian girl conundrum in California. Toronto is truly cosmopolitan and far more mixed than any American city I’ve ever been to.

We were there from Monday until Sunday, a progressively growing cornucopia of nightlife, fun, and drinking. And plently of daytime activities as well. Steam Whistle Brewery (picture above), a baseball game at the Skydome, Chinatown, Niagara Falls, a visit to the suburbs, and thourough exploration of many of Toronto’s eclectic neighborhoods.

It was a fun – and exhausting – diversion, and a great experience. Want to see more photos? Check out my Flickr photostream below!