I saw the USA baseball team play at the Pan-Am Games in Ajax, a loss to the Dominicans. In the evening it was on to the basketball venue, the USA women's basketball team beat the Brazilians. The basketball venue is the former Maple Leafs hockey arena, known as Maple Leaf Gardens. This name is still present on the façade, which I liked seeing. The arena is blocks from where I am staying, and is now a facility owned by Ryerson University.
Early this morning I was woke up by swearing outside, as my room faces the street. There was 2 police cars, and the officers spoke to a few people. I couldn't find the internet cafe that the front desk told me about, it appears to be a Thai food place now. The front desk told me of another place, it is father away, and I passed by the U. of Toronto to get there. I ran short of time trying to do everything I wanted to do, as I needed to get the train to Ajax to see the baseball action. I did have breakfast in the dining hall before I ventured out, nice that this meal is part of the room charge. I saw a man and his young son at the table I was sitting at. He asked me to take my hat off, and I did. They were in town for a karate tournament, and are from Guyana, a nation he told me won its independence from Great Britain in 1966. I had heard of Jamaica winning it in 1962.
The US team played the lead-off game of the day, starting at 12noon, and I didn't make it in time for the start of the game. The train left from Union Station and took about 40 minutes to get out to the Ajax station. Then it was a shuttle bus to get to the venue. The game was in the 3rd inning when I got there, and the US lost 6-4. The Dominicans had 2 home runs in one inning to go ahead. I got a hot dog and some water, then an ice cream sandwich. I started watching the second game, it was Cuba against Nicaragua. But after a few innings I noticed it was too hard to take pictures as my camera wasn't working properly. The screen had lines on it and was rolling between games when I wanted a photo of the porta-potties. It still took pictures, but they weren't good in most cases as I couldn't aim it. I called from one of the porta-potties to get a ticket for the women's basketball game in the evening. I went to the venue in person in the morning and was told the 2-game session was sold out but tickets would be made available about 30 minutes before the session started. The US team played the second game. This gave me more time to get back into Toronto for the game. Somebody opened the door and swore at me, I had forgot to lock it. So then I locked it and continued the call. Then of course it was a shuttle back to the Ajax station, and the train to union station. I like riding for free on the trains due to the Pan-Am games ticket for the day.
When I got back to Toronto I found a place serving pizza as I was walking back to the hotel, and somebody on the street was talking in French before then. C'est vrai, oui. I knew this meant it's real, yes. I knew that much from French in high school anyway. Near Union Station I saw a copy of the Mona Lisa as sidewalk art, it was one of my pictures for the day. The hotel told me there was a Best Buy store a few blocks away. A comparable model camera was available but no exchange possible, as it was different countries. I needed one that worked as I wanted pictures from the basketball game I would be attending. I liked getting plenty of pictures inside, as there were many archival photos from when it was the Maple Leafs arena. One was of hockey player Tim Horton, same name as the donut shops. It was where I dropped the new camera and some of my change, so I wasted no time after it on getting a drink. It was Minute Maid apple juice in a bottle. For a while I sat next to a Brazilian woman at this game behind one of the baskets, close to Brazil's bench. She eventually moved, after I took a photo of her on her camera phone. later on she wanted one while she was holding a Brazilian flag, but I didn't take that one. I was pleased to find out the US coach is Lisa Bluder, who is also the basketball coach at the U. of Iowa, where I graduated from. The US team beat Brazil 75-69, and led for most of the game. Songs I heard at the baseball venue included Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, Rocking in the Free World by Neil Young (albeit an instrumental one) and it was funny to hear it during Cuba's game. I probably also heard a Taylor Swift song somewhere.
Early this morning I was woke up by swearing outside, as my room faces the street. There was 2 police cars, and the officers spoke to a few people. I couldn't find the internet cafe that the front desk told me about, it appears to be a Thai food place now. The front desk told me of another place, it is father away, and I passed by the U. of Toronto to get there. I ran short of time trying to do everything I wanted to do, as I needed to get the train to Ajax to see the baseball action. I did have breakfast in the dining hall before I ventured out, nice that this meal is part of the room charge. I saw a man and his young son at the table I was sitting at. He asked me to take my hat off, and I did. They were in town for a karate tournament, and are from Guyana, a nation he told me won its independence from Great Britain in 1966. I had heard of Jamaica winning it in 1962.
The US team played the lead-off game of the day, starting at 12noon, and I didn't make it in time for the start of the game. The train left from Union Station and took about 40 minutes to get out to the Ajax station. Then it was a shuttle bus to get to the venue. The game was in the 3rd inning when I got there, and the US lost 6-4. The Dominicans had 2 home runs in one inning to go ahead. I got a hot dog and some water, then an ice cream sandwich. I started watching the second game, it was Cuba against Nicaragua. But after a few innings I noticed it was too hard to take pictures as my camera wasn't working properly. The screen had lines on it and was rolling between games when I wanted a photo of the porta-potties. It still took pictures, but they weren't good in most cases as I couldn't aim it. I called from one of the porta-potties to get a ticket for the women's basketball game in the evening. I went to the venue in person in the morning and was told the 2-game session was sold out but tickets would be made available about 30 minutes before the session started. The US team played the second game. This gave me more time to get back into Toronto for the game. Somebody opened the door and swore at me, I had forgot to lock it. So then I locked it and continued the call. Then of course it was a shuttle back to the Ajax station, and the train to union station. I like riding for free on the trains due to the Pan-Am games ticket for the day.
When I got back to Toronto I found a place serving pizza as I was walking back to the hotel, and somebody on the street was talking in French before then. C'est vrai, oui. I knew this meant it's real, yes. I knew that much from French in high school anyway. Near Union Station I saw a copy of the Mona Lisa as sidewalk art, it was one of my pictures for the day. The hotel told me there was a Best Buy store a few blocks away. A comparable model camera was available but no exchange possible, as it was different countries. I needed one that worked as I wanted pictures from the basketball game I would be attending. I liked getting plenty of pictures inside, as there were many archival photos from when it was the Maple Leafs arena. One was of hockey player Tim Horton, same name as the donut shops. It was where I dropped the new camera and some of my change, so I wasted no time after it on getting a drink. It was Minute Maid apple juice in a bottle. For a while I sat next to a Brazilian woman at this game behind one of the baskets, close to Brazil's bench. She eventually moved, after I took a photo of her on her camera phone. later on she wanted one while she was holding a Brazilian flag, but I didn't take that one. I was pleased to find out the US coach is Lisa Bluder, who is also the basketball coach at the U. of Iowa, where I graduated from. The US team beat Brazil 75-69, and led for most of the game. Songs I heard at the baseball venue included Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, Rocking in the Free World by Neil Young (albeit an instrumental one) and it was funny to hear it during Cuba's game. I probably also heard a Taylor Swift song somewhere.
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