Meet "Toronto Raptors"

I was always impressed by the extreme love of Canadian people for sports, all kind of sports.. and to prove my point, my three cousins were willing to drive for almost 6 hours coming from Ottawa to watch an NBA basketball game where The Raptors Toronto were playing against Hawks Atlanta in Canada Centre, Downtown Toronto.

They got me a ticket as well, and I was very excited to watch my first NBA game live, after growing up watching the glory of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson on TV.

I’m not a basketball expert to talk about the game, but all I can say it was a very tensed one, with the Hawks dominating the first three quarters, and half of the fourth one too.. But the whole game changed the last four minutes where The Raptors managed to change the equation, and surprised their fans by winning the game, those fans who kept cheering and pushing waiting for a miracle, that finally happened at the end.

Two of The Raptors players did a fantastic job, Jonas Valanciunas (17), and Greivis Vasquez (21), and now I’m curious to know more about the team and keep following their games.

I was fascinated by the entertainment aspect at the game, where we stayed more than three hours, 48 minutes of basketball, and the rest for the cheerleaders shows, the promotions and the different entertainment activities to engage the fans and keep them full of energy.. which I felt they were super well done, and the synchronization between the audio, and the visual on the screens and what’s happening on ground created a great ambiance.

And of course, one of the highlights as well, was the return of the Raptor mascot, who made a huge comeback after suffering a devastating achilles injury in October, and he added the level of excitement between the fans who it seems missed him a lot the last few months.

It was a very interesting experience, seeing the support of the fans, of the real fans with their unconditional support for their team and learning how to stay positive no matter what cause things can always change and in this case the taste of victory can be much sweeter.

Meet "The Distillery District"

While my friend Ziad was visiting me from Montreal for few days, he suggested to go for a walk at the Distillery District, Since Ziad used to Live in Toronto and he knows all the good places.

And simply I can say, I loved it.. loved the shops, the restaurants, the bars, the galleries, and the community feel in this pedestrian only village. It feels like you are living in the village right in the middle of the city.

If you’re into art, you will love it here, on top of unique dining and lots of entertainment all year round, where there is something for everyone’s tastes and interests, as the Distillery features more than 70 cultural and entertainment establishments in the restored red brick, Victorian-era buildings of the renowned Gooderham & Worts Whiskey distillery, that once played an important role in the growth and wealth of both the city and the nation.

The distillery began operation at 1837, and the business grew and prospered in the 1850s until the 1914, where the war and prohibition nearly killed the distillery.In 1990 the Distillery closed but found a new life and it was reborn between 2001 and 2003 to quickly become a vital part of the city and one of Canada’s top tourist attractions.

We jumped from one galley to another, we had lots of chocolate at SoMA chocolatemaker, and end it with a nice lunch and few beers at Mill St. brewpub.

If the Distillery District was closer to the subway I would have definitely considered moving there, but in my first winter, and not knowing how cold it can get outside, I preferred to be the closer to the subway, but was happy to have such places in Toronto where I can go, for culture, food and fun.

Meet "tiff | Bell Lightbox"

When you like movies, when you like the cinema, you can't but be super happy for having a place life "tiff | Bell Lightbox" offering less mainstream movies, and bringing culture from around the world.. On top of hosting the great events like the FFW advertising and Marketing week that I attend last month..

I went already for two movies, and will definitely keep going, and I'm so looking forward for the Toronto International Film Festival for more movies and more magical moments.

Meet "Scene"

When you like movies, when u like cinema theatres, the best thing they can offer you is a loyalty card where u can collect points, get offers, discounts, and free movies..

After watching couple of movies in different theatres around Downtown Toronto, a friend of mine recommended to issue a Screen card, especially that I can use it in most of the cinemas, all Cineplex theatres around my place.. and the first time I went to ScotiaBank theatre I filled the form to issue my Scene card and a week after I received it by mail, and since then, my Scene became my new friend, always in my wallet, and helping me collecting points and making my cinema experience even better to escape to the wonderful world of movies.