Volume 8, Issue No. 20
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail.com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@aol.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . .
Our latest as of Sunday, November 8, 2026
~ For one born and raised in the tropics where the season varies from dry to rainy all year round, it's fascinating to experience Fall, Winter and Spring in North America, in particular in Toronto, Canada. Currently we're in the middle of Fall (or Autumn). Its magic shows in trees and plants shredding their green plumage which turns into hues of gold, orange, purple, red, and yellow. That's where the enchantment begins.
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PERSONAL FASCINATION WITH FALL
Autumn: Nature's Charm
We Witness Every Year
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor
Filipino Web Magazine and Filipino Web Channel
"Four seasons fill the measure of the year; there are four seasons in the minds of men." - John Keats
TORONTO - As someone born in the tropics, nothing is more fascinating than witnessing Summer slide into Fall, and with it, the weather transformation nature portrays in the changing colours of Autumn.
The enchantment remains in my psyche since 2010, my first time in the True North, after nearly two decades in Southern California where the four seasons are observed in the calendar rather than seen and felt as they are here in Toronto.
Where I lived there, specifically in San Diego, the navy town bordering Tijuana, Mexico, Summer's like an endless spectacle all year round, except on occasions when the water and wind in the Pacific merged to form a storm and blow its way inland.
I planed into Toronto in the opening weeks of Winter. The moment I stepped out of Pearson Airport, the weather had rendered my clothes ineffectual in the bone-chilling cold. I was shivering initially until my body temperature had acclimatized.
Winter was something new for me. As were Fall and Spring. It's Summer that I'd been used to in the Philippines and later in California. Here now, experiencing the Summer solstice is like being home again and more.
Of the four seasons of the past 16 years, Fall is hands down my favourite. It has a magical effect on me. To visualize change and experience it as it occurs in the varying hues of green leaves turning brown, gold, red, purple, and yellow is something divine. (Related video:
Fall (or Autumn) officially began in Canada in the last week of September and will last until December. That means we're in the middle of this glorious season. With that in mind, I packed my cameras and headed for Guildwood Parkway in Scarborough to catch the changing colours.
Over the years, my most awaited season is Fall. So it didn't bother me that it took an hour-and-half, one way, to reach the park by train and bus from where I was situated in North York.
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The scenery along the way aboard the Line 5 train to Kennedy station was just pleasing to the eyes mainly because of the patches of fall colours here and there. To get an unobstructed view of the rail line, I made sure I sat on the left side window on the way to and back.
The three-hour commute was pure and simple delight, inexpensive but time consuming. I thought the train ride was as much recreative as staying in the park enjoying a blissful afternoon.
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At the park, I appreciated carrying intelligent conversations with a group of easygoing Chinese tourists dressed up and celebrating Halloween. That was quite a productive way of spending time away from the many tiresome gimmickries in the Filipino community. Their perspective enhanced understanding in this multicultural city.
That Sunday (Nov. 1) afternoon was bathed with the sun, neutralizing the cold wind that hustled the leaves from trees in the midst of shredding their green plumage. Nature was at work, and I, and the people in the park, stood witness to the transition.
To me, Fall is the perfect metaphor for our reality. The cycle of life goes on and on. In Autumn, we're wedged between the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of existence.
In the Fall, we exit Summer to prepare for Winter. We bitterly accede, accepting how nature rules, and welcome Spring. (Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved).
