I am so incredibly blessed to have a plethora of friends who inspire me to do more with my life. Will has been my best friend for the last seven years and he has made those years some of the best I’ve ever had. Not only is he insanely smart, he’s straight-up; ambitious; and has a heart of gold. He is a go-getter who accomplishes everything he puts his mind to and on top of that; he’s handsome and has the best taste in music. Talk about an all-around amazing guy! Here, Will shares some of his favourite Toronto hot spots; what makes him happy; and which person he would love to go to dinner with (hint – the title is their creative expertise at work):
1. Please introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Will I’m a full-time student at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, where I’m doing a double major in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies Co-op.
2. What is the most important thing you have learned in university so far?
So far the most important thing that I’ve learned in university would be to take advantage of what’s available. I’ll be the first to admit, I have a pretty strong tendency to procrastinate and generally not do as well as I can. Before I got to university I could pretty easily get away with things like that, but if I do that here I pay the price pretty soon, be it with my grades or my sanity.
3. Where are your 3 favourite places to go in Toronto? Why?
This is tough. Partly because I’m bad at picking my favourite anything, but also because Toronto has so may great spots. I guess the first place would be just about any ethnic enclave. To me, I see these neighbourhoods as evidence of Canada’s success thus far in implementing multiculturalism, and the way they allow people to integrate into our society (did I mention I’m majoring in political science?). My nerdiness aside, these places are great to go to for just about any reason. They’ve each got their own markets, niche shops, local artisans, and amazing food, each from their own culture and each worth experiencing at least once. My second favourite place, cliché as it may be, is Kensington Market. This is a place you hear a lot about from a lot of people, and luckily a lot of what you hear is true! Just walking down Kensington and Augusta Avenue, you’ll see Tibetan cafés and tapestry shops, restaurants serving 100% local and organic food, or even a weed café; you’ll also get to experience the very laid-back and friendly atmosphere that can be found anywhere in the Market. My third favourite spot in the city is this little Thai restaurant called Salad King (fyi, there’s only two salads on the menu), near Yonge-Dundas Square. Walking up to it it may not look like much, but if you like spicy food, you don’t want to miss it. Salad King allows you to customize any dish with any number of chillies ranging from one (“Nice”) to twenty (“May cause stomach upset”), which is why someone like me, who enjoys bursting into flame, would love this restaurant.
4. When and where are you happiest?
Apparently I’m very easy to please, because I’m usually at my happiest in the morning. I’m almost incessantly optimistic, and that combined with waking up warm and in bed with my boyfriend will have me happy as a clam.
5. If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose?
I would fucking love to have dinner with Junglepussy. Her debut album just came out this summer and it changed my life. Her music is all about black power and women’s sexuality, and I cannot get enough of it. That, plus the fact that everything she does, she does so genuinely and unapologetically, which can be hard to come by.
6. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
This is pretty underwhelming, but my greatest achievement was probably my GPA in first year, as dumb as that is. I only consider this a great achievement because I pulled something off that typically dooms first years (never going to class). That said, go to class. You WILL hate yourself eventually if you don’t.
7. Where would you like to live?
I think Canada is a pretty good fit for me. We still have what seems like millenia until we reach any reasonable levels of acceptance of minorities, but until then I think Canada is doing a decent job. However it also depends who you are and where you are; for that reason I’ll be settling in the city. I’ve spent more than enough time in the countryside to know that’s not the place for me.
8. How would you like to die?
I have absolutely no idea. I’ve thought about this before, but I can never arrive at an answer. Most of the time I just can’t decide because dying is unpleasant and I don’t particularly want to choose. But I also don’t really find it worth the time to think about; I’d rather be appreciating what’s happening now instead of thinking about what it’s going to be like when it’s over.
{a throwback to our high school days}
Sincere thanks go to Will for answering my questions and putting up with me for all this time. If you want to see what Will’s day to day is like, check out his Instagram.
Lost In Reverie 