Chinese Lantern Festival--in Chinatown! Toronto!

4:45 p.m. Sept 26---

People in Toronto live together like grooves in a record.
There are more than 240 ethnic origins in the city. As promised in my Sept. 28 Sun-Times Travel column, here are most of them (courtesy of Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population). Its fascinating just to type this out.

It also explains why I found so many great independent record stores in Toronto, especially in the Queen West district: the new Rotate This, 801 Queen West (www.rotate.com) where I bought Cuban and calypso vinyl and Soundscapes, 572 College St. (416) 537-1620 which has tons of alt rock and vintage Canadian pop. I forked over $20 for a Poppy Family compilation. (Which way you going Billy?) I also stumbled into Cloud 9, 372 A Queen Street W. which is kind of a head shop and kind of a music store where I scored a 1975 Bob Dylan at Maple Leaf Garden CD.
So, get your pencils and scorecards ready:

Future Sun-Times reporters (L to R) Madeline Asebrook, Ashley Thomas and Zayil Cuaya

5 p.m. Sept. 25----

With the current climate inside and outside a newspaper it is hard to buck up and be optimistic in front of a group of journalism students at a major university. But that is what I did Wednesday afternoon when I landed in the front row of Patty Lamberti's "Feature and Opinion Writing" class at Loyola University in Chicago.

I hope I inspired the students half as much as they inspired me.
When I asked the class how many read a daily newspaper, nearly 80 per cent raised their hand. And while they have more media options (Blogs, fanzines, podcasts, YouTube) than I had growing up in journalism, most of them were loyal to print. They get it.........

8:38 p.m. Sept. 23----
Now that I have had a henna I understand why it is mostly a chick thing.
Hennas are temporary. Women are prone to changing their mind.
A henna requires detailed attention, like applying makeup.
Noted Chicago henna artist Tejal Mehta told me to put vaseline or olive oil over my arm length henna before I took a shower the morning after she henna-ed me. I didn't bother. I thought my henna was already a lost cause.
Here is Tejal at work:

Between 11 and 11:30 a.m. Monday she carefully applied my Cubs henna at the cheery tin-roofed Under the Wire art boutique in Pilsen. Between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Monday I was picking at the henna while watching Bill Clinton on "Late Night With David Letterman." Midsummer is my favorite time of year. The dried up henna paste reminded me of peeling skin after spending a few days in sunny Section 242 at Wrigley Field.
I soon became bored and went to bed........