So, after my lovely gastronomic experience at The TWH Social Bar & Bistro, I sat around further in the afternoon for that court case there in Kitchener.  Annnnnnd, only to have things get backed up, and the case to be put over until the end of June.  C’est la vie.  Such is the justice system sometimes.

But, I made the best of my day by cruising into downtown Toronto this afternoon, into Chinatown, and loading up on this…

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Just awesome how far I was able to get $125 to go.  Four dozen “long life”-design teacups, lots of cooking utensils, some very gorgeous looking exotic wood chopsticks (a darkened bamboo perhaps?), and a few other much-needed cooking items – all for the Sociedad Lung Kong in Havana.

Again doing a bit of co-ordinating with Tom mainly (and hopefully with Nino’s help to translate for my sorry ass when I meet him and others down in Havana at the end of the month), I was able to pick up this stuff at a great little trading-company store in Chinatown.  Man, Tom surely once again steered me right – I went in there with my list, and this little 4-foot-nothing Chinese octogenarian hauled my huge ass around the store in a whirlwind, helping me grab the items in a flurry.  At one moment she was in my shadow, the next she disappeared and zipped to an upper-floor storeroom to grab me the four-dozen teacups once I picked out what I thought would be best.

It’ll be a decently hefty load to stash away into my luggage for the trip.  And while its a fairly decent deal, in my mind, for the amount of stuff I got for a lowly $125, I know it’ll bring immense joy to the Lung Kong ladies and gents, and be tenfold its value to them in long-term usage.

Therein lies the true value of today’s trip.

And hey – I capped it all off with a lovely sea bass super and flan finale at a certain favorite Mambo Lounge…

‘Twas a very good day indeed.

Cheers all.