Markham Real Estate Today with Asif Khan

September 5, 2013 -- Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,569 residential transactions through the TorontoMLS system in August 2013. This represented a 21 per cent increase compared to 6,249 sales in August 2012.

“Sales were up strongly this past August for all major home types compared to last year. Many households have accounted for the added costs brought on by stricter mortgage lending guidelines and have reactivated their search for a home. These households have found that a diversity of affordable ownership options exist throughout the GTA,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Dianne Usher.

The average selling price for August 2013 was $503,094 – up by almost 5.5 per cent compared to the average of $477,170 in August 2012. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark was up by 3.7 per cent over the same period.

“Despite an increase in borrowing costs during the spring and summer, an average priced home in the GTA has remained affordable for a household earning an average income. With this in mind, tight market conditions are expected to promote continued price growth through the remainder of 2013,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

OTTAWA -- The Bank of Canada is holding its main interest rate at one per cent, where it has been since September 2010.

Economists widely expect the central bank to hold its trendsetting rate steady well into next year, so Wednesday's announcement came as no surprise.

"The bank did precisely what was expected of them today: nothing," BMO Capital Markets chief economist Doug Porter said in a note to investors.

"The bottom line is that we are still looking at a very long period of inactivity by the bank, and may well be talking about four years of unchanged rates a year from now."

That wait-and-see approach would appear to suit Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz just fine. He has been on the job since early June and shows no sign of breaking from the monetary policies of his predecessor, Mark Carney, who took up a new post this summer as head of the Bank of England.

"Add it all up and this is a central bank that believes that growth will pick up in 2014 and that will eventually require higher rates, but which is happy to sit on the sidelines and wait for substantial proof such an acceleration is underway before raising rates," CIBC World Markets economist Avery Shenfeld said in an investors' note.

In the explanatory note to Wednesday's announcement, the Bank of Canada said it intends no changes as long as considerable slack remains in the economy, inflation remains muted and household finances continue to improve.

Sluggish exports and business investment have slowed the country's economic growth, the bank said.

"Uncertain global economic conditions appear to be delaying the anticipated rotation of demand in Canada towards exports and investment."

To underscore that point, new figures Wednesday from Statistics Canada showed the country's exports fell to $39.2 billion in July, down 0.6 per cent from the month before.

At the same time, imports grew slightly, to push the country's merchandise trade deficit with the world to $931 million in July from $460 million in June.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada noted the housing sector has been slightly stronger than anticipated, while household credit has continued to slow and mortgage interest rates are higher, the bank added, all of which point to "a continued constructive evolution of household imbalances."

The bank also said the global economy has less momentum than anticipated.

"In Europe, there are early signs of a recovery and Japan's situation remains promising," it said.

"In a number of emerging market economies, financial volatility has increased, adding uncertainty to growth prospects, although China continues to grow at a solid pace."

While commodity prices have been relatively stable, the bank says geopolitical tensions -- which presumably include the bloody conflict in Syria and the continued unrest in Egypt -- are raising the global price of oil.

The bank took a slightly dimmer view than it has previously of short-term economic growth in the United States, said RBC assistant chief economist Dawn Desjardins.

"While today's statement incorporated a slightly less optimistic view of the near-term outlook for U.S. growth and acknowledged that in turn, a firming in Canadian export and business investment was evolving slower than projected, the main thresholds required for the bank to start to reduce the amount of stimulus remained intact," she wrote in an investors' note.

The bank's next rate announcement is scheduled for Oct. 23.

Did you know your home's design can affect your bank account and love life? Try these feng shui tips based on the ancient art of balancing energy.

Attracting Love: Put Furniture Legs on Rugs

"Never put all your furniture against the walls," says Karen Rauch Carter, feng shui consultant and author of Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life. "Furniture should be arranged to support communication, so forget where the walls are. Put at least the front legs of all furniture on the rug — not just around it — and people will sit there and talk."

Attracting Money: Keep the Kitchen Clean

"Your kitchen is directly related to your ability to attract money," says feng shui consultant Suzanne Metzger. Keep your pantry and refrigerator organized and full of fresh food you actually use. To attract more money, keep the stove clean — every burner must work and be used equally. Lastly, remove all clutter from the kitchen table.

Attracting Love: Add Doubles to Every Room

"If you want to start a relationship, don't surround yourself with single imagery", says Laura Benko, feng shui and holistic design expert. "Avoid a single chair in the corner, solitary images in artwork and solo photographs. It's important to create the energy of partnership around you, otherwise you are continually enforcing singularity." Add a second chair to a sitting area, double up on nightstands and surround yourself with pairs of everything.

Attracting Money: Decorate in Red, Purple or Green

"Color has a powerful impact on mood, and red is considered auspicious and powerful. Think of walking the red carpet or wearing a red power tie," explains Laura. Purple and green are also key colors for attracting prosperity but there's a hitch. "If you really can't stand the color green, it won't work for you. But if you do love purple, paint a wall lavender or add a violet throw to your couch. Then tune in to how your space feels. It's not just filling your home with stuff — it's about decorating with mindfulness and enhancing the vibration and power of your own home."

Attracting Love: Add Happy Family Photos

To improve your marriage, display smiling photos of yourself as a couple and your family in the hallways, kitchen or other high-traffic areas, suggests feng shui consultant Ken Lauher. Avoid putting family photos in the master bedroom, which should only include photos of the couple. Design by Cortney and Robert Novogratz.

Attracting Money: Make Your Front Door Inviting

If it's hard to find your front door or it's confusing as to how to get in, it'll be hard for opportunity to make its way into your life as well, explains Karen. Put in an archway or gate to denote the front door if you need to, and make sure the doorbell works. The welcome mat should be bright and fresh. Sweep the steps and sidewalk in front, and add a potted plant to the entryway. Karen's rule of thumb: "If a trick-or-treater can't tell where to go, your front door isn't clear enough."

Attracting Love: Arrange Dining Table in a Circle

When it comes to creating more love, the dining room is the second most important space in a home, the master bedroom being the most important. Arrange the dining table so everyone can see each other, and set out enough chairs for everyone even if the family doesn't eat together every night, says Karen. Symbolically, it's important to include the whole group.

Attracting Money: Lose Clutter, Add Plants and Water

"To bring in more prosperity, it's important to create a vibrant, healthy, inspiring and clutter-free home," explains Laura. "Clutter jams up good energy and leads to procrastination. Bring in vibrant life forces such as plants and flowers, and don't forget to have fresh air circulating. Fountains are important wealth adjustments in feng shui because they stimulate prosperity and energy, and symbolize money."

Attracting Love: Create a Cozy Master Bedroom

Oversized master bedrooms need to be cozier in order to have good relationship feng shui. Start by closing off any adjoining rooms, including a bathroom, office, patio or gym, suggests Karen. If there's no door, install curtains. If you have a sitting area, arrange the chairs toward each other, and downsize with a smaller bed — go from king to queen or queen to double. "When the space gets bigger and bigger, people tend to live further and further apart emotionally."

Attracting Love: Arrange Kids' Beds for Better Harmony

"Feng shui applies to all the occupants in the house," explains Laura. "Children can be even more susceptible to their surrounding energies, so it's very important to make sure their beds are placed in the commanding position. They will feel easily startled and vulnerable if their backs are to the door." Laura also says electronics should never be stored or charged near a child's bed.

Attracting Love: Leave Room for Someone Else

"Single people build rooms for single people," says Karen. "They have one chair, one nightstand and so on. Add another nightstand for your future someone." That goes for the closet too. "Don't fill it up with your stuff — honor the space and carve out a dresser drawer or a shelf that's not yours. You don't need to literally have enough room for two people to live there, just leave room for opportunity."

Attracting Money: Bring In New Opportunities

Sometimes it doesn't take money to make money — just a yard sale. "This is a zero-cost fix," explains Karen. "Take out clutter to increase prosperity; what you don't use, don't love, don't need. Space equals opportunity."

Attracting Money: Add More Fun

If your bedroom is too neat or stuck with a sterile feel, "add something whimsical that makes you smile," suggests Suzanne. It could also be artwork or a photo of a couple laughing together. This can bring positive energy into the room, and in turn, improve the relationship.

Attracting Money: Don't Use Water Symbols

"Drippy faucets are a sign of money going to waste," Karen says. "Whatever the state of your water, your finances mirror those." To increase your bank account, repair broken fountains and remove all stagnant water from your property. "Ever heard the expression, 'I just can't get my head above water'?" Karen asks. It's best not to display water-based artwork or mirrors higher than your nose, which carries the same significance in feng shui. For most of us, that means no mirrors or water scenes above the bed.

Attracting Love: Remove Negative Symbolism

"To decrease stress and arguing in your home, check your surroundings," Laura suggests. "One couple that fought constantly had crisscross swords over their bed, and another couple had guns on their living room wall. Keep photos and artwork pleasing, inspiring and uplifting."

Attracting Money: Set Up a Sophisticated Home Office

"Many people who work from home have a lack of dedicated space for doing business," says Karen. Take yourself and your business seriously if you want to attract new clients and bigger opportunities. Picture a CEO's office, with a large desk facing the door and windows. "You've got to have space for people to come in, sit down and hand you a check. Putting a desk against a wall is a cubicle type position. It's subservient, which is not assuming respect." The amount of space in front of you relates to the amount of opportunities available, so arrange your chair so you have a view.

Attracting Love: Focus On One Another

When it comes to the master bedroom, it's not about the view or TV, explains Karen. "The bedroom is about passion and rejuvenation." To increase intimacy in your home, install heavy, cozy drapes over large windows, remove the TV and never sleep with a laptop, iPhone or other electronics buzzing near your bed. The bedroom should be low-tech and romantic. Avoid pictures and decor featuring anyone other than the people sleeping there — wedding pictures work, but family photos don't. Design by Cortney and Robert Novogratz.

Attracting Love: Add a Splash of Pink

Because it's the color of relationships in feng shui, pink is one of the best colors to decorate a bedroom with, says Ken. Pink represents love, joy, happiness and romance. It doesn't need to be a whole room, even a splash will do. Alternatively, light blue is a positive relationship color.

Attracting Money: Choose Your Favorite Colors

Make sure your home speaks to you, or the feng shui updates won't work. "The biggest feng shui money mistakes people make are choosing adjustments they don't like," explains Laura. "For example, red is considered a lucky color and you might hear that painting your door red will attract wealth. The bottom line is, if you don't like red you will hate coming and going through it every day."

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FREE ADMISSION!

LOCATION:
Markham Civic Centre,
101 Town Centre Blvd. 
(northwest corner of Hwy. 7 & Warden Ave.)

DATE:Saturday, September 7, 2013.

TIME: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This year, the RBC Markham-Milliken Children's Festival is celebrating its 15th year in the heart of Markham at the Civic Centre! It is Ontario's largest annual children's festival that features a wide variety of entertainment, play zones, crafts and other outdoor activities for children aged two to twelve.

The event attracts families from all across Markham. In the past few years, attendance has reached record highs of over 30,000!

The day is FREE to all and includes:

• Entertainment featuring an impressive line-up of children's performers
• An interactive marketplace showcasing family-oriented suppliers of products and services
• Play zones, craft activities, face-painting, hair wrapping and henna art
• Community activities including police safety, fire truck interaction and paramedic demonstration

Purchase a Play-All-Day Pass for only $10 and gain access to additional rides and activities including: a rock climbing wall, petting zoo, mini circuit, mini putt, paddle boats and much more!

The RBC Markham-Milliken Children's Festival is organized by the City of Markham and volunteers. 

Looking for ways to spend the unofficial end of summer around Toronto this Labour Day weekend? Here’s a look at what's open and closed this long weekend, as well as a round up of some of the events happening in the city:

What's open and closed on Labour Day Monday:

Open

• Malls: Eaton Centre Mall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Vaughan Mills Mall from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Square One from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tourist attractions: The Toronto Zoo from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., The Ontario Science Centre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Royal Ontario Museum from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Transit: TTC will be running on a holiday service schedule, GO transit will be running on a Sunday schedule

Closed

• banks
• government offices
• libraries
• LCBO and Beer Stores

Long Weekend Events:

Canadian National Exhibition

Squeeze in a visit to the 

Canadian National Exhibition before it packs up for another year Monday night, and check out some of the CNE's concerts and shows, games, rides, and food.

Admission is $16 for adults and $12 for children and seniors. Kids under the age of four get in for free.

Canadian International Air Show

A Labour Day weekend classic, the CNE features the Canadian International Air Show on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The show is included with the cost of admission to the Ex and features aerial stunts from the CF-18 Hornet, Trojan Horsemen and the Snowbirds, but those heading to the waterfront near the Ex may be able to catch a glimpse of the action without having to pay. 

Unifest

Celebrate the launch of the new union Unifor – which combines the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions --during a free music festival at Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday.

Unifest will see the bands Stars, Les Colocs, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Sister Says and DJ Hedspin hit the downtown stage. The free show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Hot & Spicy Food Festival

The 16th annual Hot & Spicy Food festival takes over Harbourfront Centre this weekend. Visitors to the festival can expect to see music and dance performances, an international Iron Chef Competition featuring chefs from Mexico, Hawaii and Ecuador and sample some fiery foodstuffs.

The free festival begins Friday and runs through the weekend. 

Hispanic Fiesta

Mel Lastman Square in North York is hosting the 32nd Hispanic Fiesta. Watch dance performances, listen to musical groups and taste some treats from a number of different Spanish speaking countries including Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Nicaragua.

The festival starts Friday night at 7 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Artfest

The Distillery Historic District is hosting the seventh annual Artfest this weekend, featuring paintings, photography, sculptures and fine crafts from some of Canada's top artists.

The free festival will also have live musical performances. ArtFest starts Friday and runs through the long weekend from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Woofjocks

Watch the Woofjocks, a group of professional dog trainers and their talented pups, when they perform a series of amazing tricks and feats at the PawsWay Centre at Toronto’s harbourfront.

Running Saturday through Monday, the Woofjocks will be doing daily demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the show is free.

Farmers' markets

Check out one of the city's many farmers' markets to take advantage of the last of the summer harvest.

The St. Lawrence Market will be open Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. A separate farmers’ market open across the street from the main building on Saturday morning from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday the antiques market will be open from dawn to 5 p.m.

Here are a few of the other farmers' markets taking place over the weekend:

• The Sherway Farmers' Market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Sherway Gardens Mall
• The Junction Farmers' Market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Green P Lot at 385 Pacific Ave.
• The Weston Village Farmers' Market runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the TPA parking lot at 14 John Street
• The Withrow Park Farmers' Market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Withrow Park
• The Evergreen Brick Works Farmers' Market runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Evergreen Brick Works
• The Leslieville Farmers' Market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Jonathan Ashbridge Park

Fireworks

Canada's Wonderland is putting on a fireworks display on Sunday, featuring 6,000 explosions and custom fireworks. The show starts at 10 p.m., weather permitting, and is included with the price of admission.

Niagara Falls

Make a day of it at Niagara Falls, with performances by buskers and an evening fireworks display.

The city will be hosting its second annual Buskerfest, with over 50 performances from buskers from around the world. The festival runs Friday to Sunday along Queen Street.

While in town, you can also catch fireworks at Niagara Falls. Watch the skies light up over the falls from Queen Victoria Park on Friday and Sunday starting at 10 p.m.

Admission to Buskerfest and the fireworks display is free.

Love it or loathe it, back to school is almost here. And to make it easier on everyone, it’s best to start some prep now to avoid a rough transition. Here are a few quick tasks to tackle for smooth September sailing, courtesy of psychologist, parenting expert and author Sara Dimerman. 

	Perfect Playdate: 3 Weeks to Go If camp, vacations or other programming has kept your buds away from their buds, make an effort to schedule a playdate or two, allowing them all to reconnect.
	Get Sticky with It: 2 Weeks to Go  Put 14 sticky notes on your child's wall, numbered one to 14. Each day leading up to the beginning of school, remove the sticky note corresponding to the number of days to go. This visual reminder of the countdown helps kids prepare for school by bringing closure to their summer holidays.
	The Rhythm of the Night: 1 Week to Go It’s tough—but start to adjust back to school bedtime and wake-up times. Get them into bed 10 or 15 minutes earlier each night and up earlier as well. It’s better to have a drowsy August morning than the first week of school.

Some people speak of a “runner’s high”—an intoxicating feeling derived from going the distance and pushing your limits. And then there are those for whom exercise is a chore, an item to be checked off a to-do list.

Matthew Hayes, DO, of Duke Primary Care Waverly Place believes everyone can—and must—exercise, and that there’s some kind of exercise out there for everybody and every body. He takes exercise so seriously that he gives each of his patients a prescription for it.

“I prescribe specific ways to exercise— running, lifting, tennis, and more— based on what my patients like to do,” he says. “I make recommendations on frequency and duration of exercise based on the patient’s current fitness level. I then discuss intensity using target heart rate or how much exertion you feel. It can get fairly scientific in a high-level someone just starting out.”

Hayes tells his patients that exercise is essential to good health and that making time for exercise has to be among the things you consider non-negotiable. You have to buy groceries. You have to pay bills. You also have to exercise—even if you have to trick yourself into doing it.

Sneaking exercise into the day is something anyone can do, Hayes says. “Take the stairs, park farther away than you need to, walk to lunch. Try 10 minutes of core exercise and pushups to start the day or a 15-minute walk over your lunch break. It adds up.”

If you have kids, get them into the game, too. “Encourage kids to play outside, like we did growing up,” Hayes says. “Limit their screen time to less than two hours a day, and set a good example by being active yourself.”

Hayes recommends you start somewhere. A little exercise is, after all, better than none. But he says the current recommendation from the medical community is to exercise four to five days each week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.

The obvious exercise for the most committed couch potato is walking. “If you are not disabled, then you can walk for exercise,” Hayes says. Beginners could start with a 20-minute walk three days a week. The goal of each walk should be to break a sweat.

And just to drive the point home a little more, Hayes includes a quote from former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop on his prescriptions: “Exercise is the most effective medicine known to man.” 

Get it any way you can.

You Multitask at Everything Else— Why Not Exercise?

• Do stretching exercises while you’re waiting for lunch to heat in the microwave.

• Lunge a little as you wheel your grocery cart down the aisle.

• Get up from your desk and walk a lap around the office, the building, or the block.

Dr. Matthew Hayes' Sneaky Ways To Put Exercise Into Your Day

1. Walk to any destination  that’s less than a quarter-mile away. It will take longer to drive and park, anyway.
2. Walk your dog 30 minutes a day or more. All dogs need structured exercise. (Humans do, too.)
3. Take the stairs if you’re going up one or two floors. Do you really want to be that person who takes the elevator up one floor?
4. Start your day with 10 minutes of core training or calisthenics, such as pushups or crunches. Or do a few minutes of a yoga DVD. You will have done more exercise before breakfast than most Americans do all day!
5. Join a gym that has child care. The kids can have fun while you work out.

The leaves may be changing and drunken freshmen may be stumbling around the streets again, but summer isn’t officially over until September 22. Instead of whinging about the inevitable end of the warm weather, make full use of the remaining lazy, hazy days with our list of 16 things to watch, eat, do, see and buy before it’s time to break out the scarves and jackets.

1. Go to Sugar Beach. The Claude Cormier–designed park is the newest addition to Toronto’s ongoing waterfront rejuvenation project, with quartz-speckled sand, pink umbrellas and grassy knolls. The beach is nestled between the slick Corus Entertainment building and the Redpath Sugar Factory, and the Muskoka chairs are a good vantage point from which to contemplate Toronto’s past and present or work on a late-summer tan. Jarvis slip, lower Jarvis St. and Queens Quay E.

2. Taste killer sorbet. The Drake Hotel’s ice cream and T-shirt shop, Scoops and Tees, will lose the ice cream come October. Go on a sweltering day and order the refreshing lemon–olive oil sorbet. 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042.

Sugar Beach opened this August

3. Worm your way up to the Thompson rooftop. Sure, the 18th-floor patio is reserved for hotel guests and VIPs with access cards, but where there’s a will, there’s a cute doorman to sweet talk. We recommend going on a weeknight, when revellers aren’t jostling for a poolside perch. 550 Wellington St. W., 416-640-7778.

4. Watch The Last Exorcism at the 5 Drive-In in Oakville, where you can cringe and cower in the privacy of an air-conditioned sedan.2332 9th Line, Oakville, 905-257-8272.

5. Eat at Enoteca Sociale. With its house-made pastas, laid-back attitude and pedigree (chef Rocco Agostino also heads up the kitchen at Pizzeria Libretto), the new Dundas Street West wine bar will be just as appealing in the fall. But we suggest going before the leaves drop: the small patio is shaded by leafy trees, making dinnertime lighting nicely dappled. Order the casarecce pasta with eggplant, heirloom cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata. 1288 Dundas St. W., 416-534-1200.

The bar at Parts and Labour

6. Order a French 75 at Parts and Labour. The cocktail—gin, prosecco, lemon and simple syrup—is the ideal thirst-quenching drink for balmy September evenings: equal parts fizzy, tart and sweet. Plus, a bar stool provides the best view of the restaurant’s hot clientele and an opportunity to chat up Constantines drummer Doug MacGregor behind the counter. 1566 Queen St. W., 416-588-7750.

7. Hear The Wall. During the course of Roger Waters’ full performance of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, a 35-foot barrier will be constructed (and ultimately knocked down) between himself and the audience. There are three dates for the show (September 15, 16 and 18) at the Air Canada Centre. 416-870-8000.

8. Get lost in the foreboding cedar hedge maze on Centre Island. The dark, overgrown paths can be scary for kids, but it’s frustrating fun for adults.

Dufferin Grove's corn is delicious

9. Buy corn. This year’s late-summer crop of sweet Ontario corn at the Dufferin Grove farmers’ market is possibly the best we’ve eaten.Thursdays 3–7. 875 Dufferin St.

10. See Best Coast. Technically, the band’s September 25 Lee’s Palace concert date is in the fall, but listening to the indie surf-rock California trio is sure to extend the summertime buzz.

11. Swim at Sunnyside. The lakeside public pool has been closed most of the summer because of flood damage, but it reopened last week for the final weeks of the season. Weather permitting, Sunnyside will be open until two weeks after Labour Day, but brace for cooler-than-usual waters: save for a small propane unit, the heaters remain inoperable after the flood. Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Parkside Dr., 416-392-7929.

Marben's decadent ice cream sandwich

12. Sneak into a TIFF party. There’s more free booze and celeb sightings to be had in Toronto during the film festival (September 9 to 19) than at any other time of the year. Plus, it’s not that hard to get past the velvet rope. Sidle up to the doorman, talk on your cellphone and look bored. Wear something low-cut or bring a date who will.

13. Hunt for the city’s best burger. We’ll point you in the right direction: the thick John’s Burger (made of braised short rib) at Marben comes on a just-baked bun with aged cheddar and Branston pickle. For a full-on coronary, finish the meal off with the decadent chocolate ice cream sandwich. 488 Wellington St. W., 416-979-1990.

14. Watch Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The Michael Cera summer blockbuster hasn’t exactly broken box-office records, but it’s a cute flick with enough Toronto references to keep people averse to comic book adaptations entertained. May we recommend our Scott Pilgrim drinking game?

15. Fire up the barbecue. Before outdoor grilling becomes a task for the most devoted toque-wearing carnivore, try making a batch of finger-licking pork ribs from Union chef Teo Paul’s recipe. 

16. Shop at Vaughan Mills. Until the end of September, the humongous shopping centre runs a free shuttle that leaves twice daily from Union Station. All the better to save pennies for purchases at Holt Renfrew Last Call. vaughanmills.shopping.ca.

You don't have to travel the globe to decorate like you've been on a journey

You want your décor to reflect your good taste, worldly sensibilities and appreciation for the extraordinary, but if you haven't traveled more than 500 miles from the city stamped on your birth certificate, creating that big Bwana vibe can be a challenge.

Just because you haven't toured the Punjab, it doesn't mean you're condemned to the provinces when it comes to creating décor that embraces all the wanderlust in your heart. An armchair traveler is as surely the beneficiary of a spectacular Alaskan sunset as the poor mosquito-bitten guy who actually shelled out his hard-earned cash for the real deal. TV, movies and the Internet bring the world's wonders to our longing eyeballs -- lazy devils that we are.

Let's indulge in a little excursion through decorating territory filled with global panache. If you've ever wanted a few colorful stamps on your steamer trunk, this one's for you.

10: Weapons of Classy Destruction

You may not be able to decorate your walls with fierce animal heads from past safaris, but you can adorn that pale drywall with a few fiendishly clever weapons. A hand carved Maori spear or Aboriginal boomerang will give you that dangerous air women love and men respect. Although you should keep your firearms in a locked cabinet, no one ever said you couldn't hang that slingshot in a place of honor the neighborhood squirrels will whisper about in awe and reverence.

9: Biological Oddities and Other Tasteless Baubles

Thank the gods of common sense that elephant-foot wastebaskets have been outlawed, but there are still plenty of other tasteless critter-based baubles and biological oddities you can seed your bookshelves with. A shrunken head -- even if it is of the faux variety -- will have late-night guests gasping with delight as they look for a little bedtime reading material. There's nothing like a stuffed porcupine or steer skull to let folks know you've been around the block a few times -- too many.

8: Outlandish Themes That Miraculously Work Anyway

A date palm mural in your dining room or the constellation of Taurus painted on your ceiling (in glow in the dark paint) will add that man-of-the-world look to your rooms. Stencil a bull elephant on your bedroom wall -- we dare you. If that's too earthy, give your kitchen a little Tuscan charm with faux grapes, faux stone and faux wrought iron -- or create a built-in bistro in your breakfast nook with a striped awning complete with an espresso maker and a blackboard menu. Viola! Like magic, you too can experience La Rive Gauche, or the wonders of an evening in Tuscany under a canopy of stars.

7: Modes of Transportation -- Indiana Jones Meets Agatha Christie

6: Maps of the Unreal World

Don't you love old maps? With the admonition, "There Be Giants," printed on the parts no one has explored yet, maps make the perfect decorating theme for world travelers (and world traveler wannabees). They capture the mystery of exploration. Don't think small when you're considering map décor, either. Go big. Those puny wallpaper-border maps are an insult. They make our big blue marble look like a discarded orange peel. Take a wall -- take two walls, and freehand a huge world map your kids can really investigate. Block print exotic names like Timbuktu, Katmandu and Xanadu (wait a minute; that last one isn't real!) large enough to inspire questions and daydreams.

5: Seafaring Inspiration Above and Below the Waves

Sponge Bob will have nothing to complain about when you use coastal motifs to transform your family room into a windswept section of beach or a replica of the ocean floor. Turn your bathroom into a sunken treasure cave, and enjoy Neptune's throne in splendor. Bring Jacques Cousteau's explorations to your dining room, and experience your own version of the bends when your in-laws come to dinner. The vast, deep ocean is filled with wonder and menace. 

4: Unavoidable Clichés and How to Exploit Them

A leather trunk, an atlas that spins, African masks, lacquered cabinets encrusted with semi-precious gems, and specimen cases filled with mounted butterflies are all clichés that announce that someone steeped in worldly tradition and possessed of arcane knowledge lives here. You can turn your back on brass accents, boldly patterned textiles and grasses woven into everything from brooms to baby beds, but why not revel in all things rare and far-flung? Install mosquito netting around your bed. That gauzy stuff can be an aphrodisiac as well as a vermin repellent. Walk on the wild side with faux tusk-handled steak knives and a zebra-hide ottoman. At first it may seem too Tarzan, but after a while, it'll grow on you.

3: A Journey in Pictures

You won't be using an elephant gun on your African safari to bag the big one (photos are legal and much more PC these days), and you won't be able to bring a chunk of Stonehenge back from Britain as a souvenir, either. You can still keep a pretty impressive visual record of your travels, though.

Pictures capture the flavor of a locale, and they're easy to use in your décor, too. You can go with a simple and inexpensive electronic photo frame, or arrange individual matted and framed photos into a dynamic collage of your travels. Even if you're a lousy photographer, it's not a problem. Buy professional prints of picturesque locales you've visited (or want to visit). The exposures will be perfect, and no one's elbow will accidentally make its way into the shot.

2: Handcrafted by the Overworked and Exhausted

Handcrafted souvenirs are a must when you journey to foreign climbs, but thanks to stores that now cater to worldly design, you can get a well-heeled, seasoned traveler home makeover without ever leaving the city limits. Sometimes, quality can be an issue, as can pesky things like warranties and care instructions. Enjoy the lavish fabrics and exotic textures, but inspect items carefully before you buy.

1: One of a Kind -- and It's a Good Thing, Too

If you have an imported stained glass fireplace screen replete with cabochon butterflies, it might be just the thing to perk up your bland living room. Add flanking 5-foot candelabras and you've wandered into the Vincent Price zone. Unusual home furnishings are like flattery: a little can be delightful, too much is almost always obnoxious.