West Toronto is rocking with World Cup soccer fever, especially today in Little Portugal. Portuguese flags line the streets, thumping music booms from every bar, cars honk their horns, kids run around screaming "OLE! Ole, Ole, Ole... OLEEEEE!" All of this was going on as I walked down Dundas street this afternoon, and the game hadn't even started yet! (final score after the game was Portugal 1, Angola 0)
It's a good time in all of Toronto, in fact, as each of the little ethnic neighbourhoods celebrate their home country's teams. This is one of the things that I definitely enjoy about Toronto... all of the neighbourhoods. Little Portugal, Little Italy, Chinatown, Greektown, and my street, Little Poland. (There was even a Polish game today, Poland vs. Equador, though the streets weren't as nutty as Dundas street in Portugal.... prolly cuz most of the Polish people living around here are old... )
So on my sun sunny day, I went for a long walk, and toured through Little Portugal, witnessing all of this action. There was even a fair set up on a usually nondescript grassy park on Dundas street, complete with a pirate ship ride, midway, and two seperate sound stages. The biggest thing at the fair, though, was a 20 ft screen that was showing the game. People stood elbow-to-elbow in front of that TV screen, at least 15 rows deep and double that in width. It was like a free concert but it was actually just people watching TV together. An amazing sight.
Does this ever happen in Vancouver??
2 comments:
Not so much to an extent though each community does have its days though. You'll see kids and adults driving up and down Robson St. in their cars, waving their countries' flags. And I'm sure down Commercial Dr., the Italy games are/will be a big thing. Just don't go down there in a competing team's jersey. It's not the brightest idea.
Did you guys hear? There was a big broken-bottle brawl in Little Portugal right after the game... blood all over the streets and two people went to hospital. Yikes.
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