Thursday, September 17, 2009

Scarborough


“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” An old friend from Blackpool, England recited this one-liner with such eloquence in his amusing English accent. That was many years ago. Today, the words still hold true to the message that people see only what they want to see.


When I tell people that I am from Scarborough, most of the time I get unflattering remarks from those who don’t live in this east end of Toronto. They somehow equate Scarborough to  all of the undesirable elements of crime that are unfairly sensationalized by the media.The opposite of the matter is also disappointingly true. The beautiful places of Scarborough that I have captured in photographs are often unrecognizable. And surprisingly enough, there are some people who have lived in Scarborough since their childhood who would still find it difficult to believe that those photographs were indeed shot in their neighbourhood.



I have photographed Scarborough in all four seasons and I am proud to say that some of those photos are posted in the Canadian Geographic Photo Club and are continuously getting pride-boosting comments from fellow photographers in Ontario and other provinces of Canada.


There are many spots in Scarborough worthy of visiting and showing off. From Kingston Road alone, I can name three: Rosetta McLaine Park, Guildwood Park and Highland Creek Village. For lakeside viewing pleasure, the places that come to mind are Scarborough Bluffs, Port Union Waterfront Trail and Rouge Beach Park. And if your “cup of tea” includes winding roads, rolling hills and flowing streams, your mapped out route easily points to Military Trail north of Ellesmere Road, and also to Twyn Rivers, which is off Sheppard Avenue near the Pickering Border.


All of these places have their own beauties that can make any resident of Scarborough feel proud. But the two places that I visit the most are Port Union Waterfront Trail and Rouge Beach Park, mainly because of its proximity from my home and the relaxing sounds of the waves from the lake.


Everyday on my two-hour early morning walk and meditation, I watch the morning drama unfolds. It begins with the seagulls flying low over a group of Canada Geese bathing and gracefully swimming in Lake Ontario. The seemingly quiet performance then suddenly bursts into loud cries from the geese. The noises they make herald the rising of the sun above the horizon on a bright orange backdrop. The interesting behaviour also signals the preparation for their first flight of the day. They flap their wings, make louder noises and then take off together, flying low over the lake. And once they have picked up the momentum, they shoot up in a V-formation with military fashion.


With the bright yellow sun and orange sky, Canada’s finest wings are airborne. The Canada Geese are flying the Nature’s Best Morning Air Show. What a beautiful sight of Scarborough!

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