a mess of a journey through brampton's underground art scene

woke up to the sound of rain on the pavement today which is probably why i’m still in bed typing this at 2 a.m. the weather here is this relentless drizzle at 6 degrees celsius and i half expect a puddle to start singing lullabies outside my window. if you get bored cities are just a short drive away but honestly who has the energy for that right now? i’m more of a ‘stay indoors and paint the walls’ kind of vibe today.

so i checked the weather app and it’s this clammy 6.39 degrees with 94% humidity which honestly makes me want to wear a parka made of wool and existential dread. the local forecast says it’ll stay like this all week which is fine because i’ve been meaning to finish that graffiti project in the alley behind the old bookstore. i heard that somewhere someone spilled paint and it turned into this weird neon green mess and now the rats are nibbling at it. probably a myth but whatever.

i tried to ask a neighbor about it but they just pointed at the sky and said something about pressure being 1025 hpa which i guess means it’s gonna rain harder tomorrow. my impression is they’re either a retired physics teacher or a drunk who can’t find their phone. either way they didn’t help. i also overheard someone at the bus stop saying the fish and chips at harold’s bar is so good it’ll make you question your life choices. which is fine because i’m already questioning my life choices.

now let’s talk about the ground level pressure here which is 1013 hpa. does that matter? probably not. but it’s cooler than the sea level which is 1025 hpa. makes no sense. i tried to ask a barista about it and they just handed me a cup of coffee that tasted like regret. interesting.

overheard a group of tourists saying something about brampton being underrated. i told them to check out the alley murals which are literally screaming for attention. the problem is everyone’s either taking photos or ignoring them. one guy walked by and said ‘that’s cool but i’d rather look at my instagram.’ which is like saying ‘i’d rather eat a brick than this sandwich.’

i took some photos of the alley which you can see below. one of them is a woman jumping over a high jump in front of a crowd which somehow got stuck in my mind. another is a man writing on a book which i think is metaphorical but i’m too tired to unpack it. also there’s this pond in a park with a bridge over it which looks peaceful but i bet if you looked closer it’s full of existentialists crying into the water.

here’s the map if you’re actually considering going there which you probably aren’t.

i also randomly added some unsplash images because who doesn’t love a good aesthetic disaster. first up is a pond in a park with a bridge over it because infrastructure is overrated. second is a woman jumping over a high jump in front of a crowd because drama sells. third is a man writing on a book because art is about mystery.

i should mention the humidity is basically a sauna outside which is why i’m indoors typing this instead of wandering around. if you do go out wear a raincoat and a backup plan. like a sandwich. or a dagger. maybe both.

the real inside scoop is that someone told me the local market has this weird herb called ‘grinding angel’ which supposedly makes you see colors differently. i’m considering it but also kind of scared. another local warned me that the park at sunset is haunted by lost children. i didn’t ask for details but i’m 70% sure it’s a dad joking about his untidy kid. still, i’m packing a flashlight just in case.

links you might find useful: tripadvisor for the market reviews yelp if you need drunk advice and the local arts council page which is 90% outdated info. but hey at least it’s not a corporate site.

in conclusion this place is a mess of possibilities and weather systems. if you like chaos and slightly damp socks you might wanna check it out. don’t forget to bring a poncho. or a therapist. maybe both.

p.s. the coffee here is 6.61 degrees hot. metaphorically. or literally. who knows.

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