April 25, 2011

Easter eggs, Murakami, and other adventures


                                    
Thank you all for your wonderful responses to my Easter post. It warmed my heart to receive so many holiday greetings.

Now, I’ll tell you a couple of stories, all of which happened in a row.

As it happens, last Saturday, just before Easter, I had one of those last-moment realizations that I was missing a key ingredient for my salad. My husband and I decided to take a stroll to the store. It wasn’t such a bad idea, especially since it was one of those days when the sun finally decided to warm up Toronto a little. I really love those moments, right before a holiday, when everyone spills out onto the streets, and there is a feeling of excitement and anticipation hanging in the air.

When we reached the store, my cell phone started to ring. I stayed outside to pick it up while my husband went in. Since I was standing right next to the door, the following events unfolded right before my eyes. I wasn’t just in the front row; I was actually taking part in the spectacle.

A young woman wearing high heels came out of the door. In her hands, there was a box of Easter eggs, and her facial expression stated “Mission accomplished”. Trailing behind the girl was her boyfriend, along with a number of grocery bags. You can probably guess what happened next. The girl took one slightly unbalanced step, and tipped sideways. Almost in slow motion, I see the box of eggs part with her hands and turn upside down. Most of the eggs went splat against the ground, but there were a couple that somehow managed to survive the fall – perhaps the box had softened the impact. Anyways, one egg went rolling in my direction, and, not having the presence of mind to act reasonably, I tried to stop it with my foot, and ended up cracking it. Too bad I had nothing to console the girl with. The moral of the story is – don’t shop for Easter eggs in high heels.

Later on, we visited the bookstore. I wondered whether I’d be able to pick up any books by Haruki Murakami (my daughter’s favourite author) that she doesn’t have. When I asked two of the nearest store clerks about Murakami, they exchanged strange glances. One of them went to check the availability of the books on the computer, while the other went to look in the storage. I wondered why those books were left in the storage instead of the shelves. The clerk explained that lately, someone has been stealing Murakami books from that store – “It’s some kind of an obsession,” he said.

We couldn’t find anything my daughter hasn’t read, and so, with a slight feeling of disappointment, we prepared to return home.

As we left the bookstore and wandered down a couple of blocks, we saw a car come to a screeching halt. The door of the car opened, and we saw a young woman bend down from her seat and puke right on the sidewalk. We barely had the time to step away. We glanced at the driver, tryin to communicate “Too much beer, eh?” and he nodded at us dejectedly.

That was a little too much strangeness for one day. Luckily, our Sunday turned out peaceful and relaxing. I spent it with my family, enjoying lovely weather, Easter treats, and generally lazing around. I hope that all of you had a wonderful time too.






                                                                  






















Oops - someone is completely out of focus!                                                                                   

59 comments:

  1. Bonjour Olga, je me suis promené avec plaisir dans ton blog...!
    Une balade pleine de surprises et de gags !
    Bises

    Hello Olga, I walked with pleasure in your blog ...!
    A walk full of surprises and jokes!
    Hugs

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  2. Hello:
    What an extraordinary sequence of events puntuated your visit to the shops. Sometimes it does really feel as if the whole world has gone completely mad all at once - at least, that is how most days appear to us!

    We so enjoyed looking at your photographs of Toronto life, but thought that, although sunny, the weather seems to be quite cold still.

    Is the handsome ginger cat yours? If so, he is so like one we used to have for 19 years. May we steal him?

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  3. Love your stories. Love your pictures.

    I do love your photography, how you see, what you see.

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  4. Hello Olga, Thanks for visiting my blog and for your words. Your photos are very beautiful. I have to translate text. Sorry for my English.
    A kiss

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  5. What a day, I can't imagine all that happening one after the other. Your photos though are magical. Glad you enjoyed Easter with you family. Diane

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  6. Dieu de mes pères, j' ai cru voir une bernache du Canada ! Olga, j' adore le contraste entre la poésie de tes photos et le côté trash de tes histoires! A Pâques, je vais éviter les oeufs et la bière , merci du conseil!

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  7. Olga, strange events took place one after another. Yes, sometimes there is such a day! But after these strange sequences, always great pleasure will be waiting!
    I love that cat. He or she ? I had a cat which looked like the cat.Adorable !!
    My favorite is the first photo!
    Have a beautiful day!

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  8. Olga, it really is enough experiences in a single day. The story of the eggs had to be a bit tragicomic. Your photos are great cross-section of the Easter days, when Sun offered a friendly face to all who were outside in ulicícha in nature. Holidays end, and I wish you and the whole family a nice new week. Peter.

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  9. Great pictures. I love the blurry ones too!

    That egg story was so well told. I felt like I was watching by your side!

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  10. Tes photos, comme toujours, sont magnifiques. Elles reflètent bien l'atmosphère d'un dimanche de printemps. Du soleil, mais des vêtements encore chauds. Et de jolies fleurs.
    Quant à tes péripéties, elles sont dignes d'un bon film. Déjà, mon imagination vagabonde...
    Bonne fin de journée, Olga!

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  11. What a strange day! Poor girl with her Easter eggs. I sympathize very much with her because I've tripped on heels myself and broken things I was carrying. Sigh.

    Ewww I hate seeing people throw up! Once I was driving down the street and at a stoplight this woman, who was wearing a business suit and driving a Mercedes, opened her car door and threw up. It was morning, so I was thinking she was either sick or pregnant. Lol.

    I love all these photos! I feel like I was there with you! :)

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  12. Hiya Olga. What an adventurous day you had on your supposedly simple task of buying something for a salad! And doesn't Denis look handsome in those photos, even the last one with a his gigantic yaaawwwwn :) I really enjoyed looking at your photos of Toronto and I hope your weather warms up soon.

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  13. :) I loved reading about your Sunday... It kind of reads like a story you could illustrate in a children's book... :)
    Denis is gorgeous!!
    Have a great week!! XXX

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  14. The first one picture looks really gorgeous...
    Great ambiance trough this beautifull serie !

    Pierre

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  15. wonderful shot, I absolutely love the first one.

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  16. Wonderful photos. Sound like it was an interesting weekend.

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  17. Dear Olga
    Very nice your Easter pictures! I love your photos.
    Have a nice week and best greetings from Switzerland. Yvonne

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  18. Everything looks so nice and relaxing in your photos. Certainly you were not having Easter in high heels yourself :-)

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  19. Kaunis Keväinen kuva-sarja - mielenkiintoisia värikkäitä kuvia.
    Kevät se tulee tännekkin...!

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  20. wowwww that is all kinds of weird!!! so random to steal books like that, too!!
    and yes, i'll definitely show the inside once we get to see it! it's being renovated at the moment :(

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  21. Интересные синхронистичности:)
    Приятно было прогуляться по весеннему Торонто.

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  22. Dear Olga,
    thanks for your dear comment!I do not earn so much praise.
    Your spring impression is fantastic!!!
    Thanks that you showed me, how beautiful the material life is.
    Today cries my heart with bloody tears .
    25 years after Tchernobyl.
    loves greetings
    Megi

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  23. Beautiful pictures, magnificent and varied series. Is favorites are the flowers with these beautiful colors, I love the color .... Greetings

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  24. What a wonderful set of photos with so many vibrant colors! I'm glad you had a great Easter weekend :)
    I couldn't help finding the story of the eggs a bit comic...like you said, don't shop for Easter eggs in high heals!
    Hope you're having a nice day :)

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  25. I meant "heels". Sorry.

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  26. I just love your story about buying eggs in high heels:) such thinks always happen when one is trying to be carefull...

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  27. Your stories are so funny and accompanied by great photos, thanks for brightening a grey day here.

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  28. Hi Jean-Philippe,
    Malheureusement, vrai printemps n'est pas venu de Toronto. Tout le monde attend le moment où il sera chaud et le soleil brillera. Pour le moment, il pleut.

    Hi Nikki Kendall,
    Thanks; dogs are wonderful!

    Hi Jane and Lance,
    It's still really cold in our city. There is no sign of improvement :( The cat is ours; I would never give him up :)

    Hi Rick,
    I'm glad you liked my sequence of photos. I hope I didn't bore you. There are still no signs of spring :(

    Hi Carmela,
    Thank you very much. Come again! Don't hesitate to write in Spanish.

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  29. Hi Diane,
    Technically speaking, it didn't just happen in one day, but in the same hour-and-a-half period that it took us to go shopping.

    Hi Sergio,
    Thank you; I'm glad you liked the first photo. I have to confess I love it too :)

    Hi orfeenix,
    C'est ma position dans la vie - il n'y a aucune une telle chose que la beauté complète ou l'absence complète de beauté. C'est un mélange. Je suis content que vous aimez mon sens de l'humour tordu.

    Hi snowwhite,
    My cat is a he; his name is Denis. I made a post about getting him. I'm glad you enjoyed the first photo; it's actually my favourite one of these.

    Hi Peter,
    It's quite a tragic-comic situation, for those who observed. For those who participated, it's more of the former :)

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  30. Hi Lydia,
    It wasn't easy to work out a good description of this situation; I asked my daughter for some help :)

    Hi Richard,
    Vous ne pouvez pas imaginer froids au froid et pluvieux, il est ici. Ces quelques jours ensoleillés ont été un véritable cadeau. Je suis content que vous avez aimé mes photos.

    Hi Jennifer Fabulous,
    I feel sympathy for both the girls :( In the first case, even in the presence of her boyfriend, no one could save her eggs. In the second case, there was clearly a lot of beer (sorry about too much information) and not much food. I'm glad you liked my photos.

    Hi Dolly,
    Denis doesn't enjoy being my model, and so it's a luxury to be able to capture a good photo of him. I'm glad you enjoyed my photos. I don't believe that spring will ever come :(

    Hi Lena,
    My daughter is convinced that, as soon as I leave the apartment, strange things start to happen :)

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  31. Hi Monica,
    Thank you for your visit and your compliment.

    Hi Pierre,
    Thank you very much!

    Hi Krunal,
    I like that one too :) Thank you.

    Hi Randy,
    It sure was interesting. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I'm also glad I'm not the girl in the heels ;)

    Hi Yvonne,
    Despite the fact that spring has forgotten about Toronto, we had two rarely beautiful days. Today, it is raining. Thank you for your comment.

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  32. Hi Pet,
    All my high heels are for special occasions. Those include art exhibitions and opera. Not so much grocery shopping :)

    Hi Eko,
    Se epätavallinen vuosi - olemme yhä odottaa keväällä, joka on unohtanut Toronto.

    Hi Krystal,
    I'm also astounded by that fact; stealing those books. We asked if there are any other authors who keep getting stolen, and they say it's only Murakami. Isn't it strange?

    Hi tattina,
    В этом году весна очень необычыная. Мы её всё никак не дождемся :)

    Hi Megi,
    Thank you for your kind words about my photos. I remember vividly the time when it happened in Tchernobyl. How shocked we were and how confused.

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  33. Hi Leovi,
    It`s always great to look through your photos; such an abundance of colour and shades. We share a passion for colours :)

    Hi M@risa,
    The situation is certainly closer to tragedy. I still feel embarrassed for myself for trying to stop the egg with my foot.

    Hi Ola,
    It's absolutely true; the more you try to be careful, the greater the chance you'll do something clumsy.

    Hi Lindy,
    Although the story is somewhat tragic, I think that it's so catchy that hopefully everyone will laugh about it later, even the girls.

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  34. What tales you tell. of course I love the dog pictures, Penny would be at home in Toronto.

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  35. I always have a cup of tea while I read blogs in the morning and yours is always one of my favorites to read because of your stories. LOVE the photos of the flowers and fruits! The first photo is also a favorite of mine :)


    Thank you for your lovely comment, now I know that Llamas are jealous animals. (That explains the stares we were getting from him!)

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  36. Gorgeous photos make up for the strangeness of the day!

    It still looks pretty cold, though!

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  37. Very nice pictures! I like the last one, of the cat. :)

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  38. The first one is spectacular!
    and those flowers, the sun .... and the stories you tell us, is always a delight to come here!
    Thanks for this trip Olga,
    a big hug,
    Elena

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  39. There are days like that, aren't there - one weird thing after another in a bizarre series of individual stories

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  40. This is a great post Olga.... Full of good text and great colour. Always a pleasure to visit here.!

    -Trevor

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  41. Preciosa fotos me encanta la primera entre otras, he visto mucho color, y un blog cuidado.
    besos.

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  42. What a delight it was to be here with you now... pretty pictures! The flowers are my favorite! How much color! How life!
    A beautiful week for you.
    Big hug.

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  43. Strange happenings indeed!
    Love your pictures. They really make me sense and smell Toronto even though I'm thousands of miles away in the UK.

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  44. what a day!! Sometimes is like strange people gather in one place, isnt'it? At the shop where I previously worked we had 'crazy people days', when it looked like only strange people could get in...

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  45. Oh my goodness, that swan-photo and the one with Canadian goose are gorgeous! They appeal to my Finnish melancholy very well! :)

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  46. I love the first photo! The others are great too :D

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  47. Olga, thank you very much for your visit and your kind comment.

    I like these pictures, particularly the first, the girl with the bike... is fantastic.

    See you soon Olga.

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  48. Thanks for visiting my nature blog. You also have some pretty cool photos here!

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  49. Hi lilylovekin,
    High Park, where I took the photos, has a special trail for dogs. Penny would be pleased :)

    Hi Brenda,
    That is a huge compliment. And a great encouragement. In this sequence of photos, there are no fruits - what you have taken for fruits is actually rather strange flowers. They have the beautiful name of Calceolaria, and they look like berries.

    Hi Talli,
    In reality, it was quite chilly. Plus, add the rain. I want sunshine!

    Hi Martina,
    I just can't take a proper photo of him. He is always spinning around; you just can sit him down and get him to pose.

    Hi Andressa,
    I will let him know :)

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  50. Hi Elena,
    The impression is rather deceitful - it's really cold and rainy. I just managed to catch a couple of nice moments. Thank you for your compliment.

    Hi Sarah,
    Hopefully, evens like that won't happen before my eyes too frequently. It really calms me down to repeat the phrase "Just one of those days".

    Hi Trevor,
    Some people consider Toronto a dull city. For example, my daughter does :)

    Hi Julia,
    Créeme, es todavía muy frío en Toronto. El muelle real, no ha aparecido todavía. Realmente te lo pierdas: (Gracias por el cumplido.

    Hi teca,
    These were flowers for Easter. I couldn't take my eyes off of them; I just buzzed around them like a bee :)

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  51. Hi Gail,
    Thank you for being my follower. I'm glad you enjoyed my Toronto photos. Everything on these photos came from High Park, which is a place I'm a little obsessed with :)

    Hi bobbi,
    How wonderful your strange days in the bookstore are! These things really happen; can you believe it?

    Hi Susanna,
    I'm so glad that you introduced me to the concept of Finnish melancholy. We have the same thing in Russian, it's called "toska" :)

    Hi Mariiana,
    Thank you very much. I think the first photos is the prima donna :)

    Hi José Luis,
    The pleasure is mine :) I'm glad you visit my blog, and enjoy my photos.

    Hi Duncan D. Horne,
    Thank you for being my follower. I really treasure blogs around the world about nature and various beautiful surroundings.

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  52. Lovely your works..

    Thank you for your visit.

    Greetings.
    Saga, Japan.
    ruma

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  53. I feel relaxed by your beautiful photos. It is really good that I can watch it in my Japanese room. The power of internet... Please keep posting(^^)

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  54. lol….well at least your day wasn’t boring!

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  55. Beautiful secuence!!
    I Love it!!!!
    :)

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