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Five Restaurants where you should get Mac and Cheese in Toronto
Mac and cheese is a great comfort food to indulge in once in a while. With the cold winter months upon us, it’s a great dish to warm you up. There are many restaurants in Toronto that have created a delicious spin on the traditional dish. Here are five restaurants from around the city that have great mac and cheese: Williams Landing (Liberty Village) Lobster Mac and Cheese This restaurant, in the heart of Liberty Village, has great food and drinks, but the mac and cheese is one of their best dishes. This is a great appetizer to share between a couple of people, but after tasting it, you may…
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Review: Modern Gladiators Dominate the World’s Oldest Horse Race in Palio
Winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, Cosima Spender’s documentary Palio profiles the Palio di Siena. The Palio is the world’s oldest horse race that takes place in July and August every year in Siena, Italy. For over 800 years, spectators have packed the Piazza del Compo to witness the parades of medieval revelry and the infamous 90 seconds where horses furiously race around the square for both pride and glory. The film also offers a never before seen look at the legendary, modern jockeys (fantini) that have redefined the race. But in Siena, the Palio is so much more than just a horse race. To…
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Bell Let’s Talk
Bell Let’s Talk is admittedly the most well-known campaign to assist with mental health awareness. In the spirit of encouraging conversation, I sat down with Ashley Posluns and Ethan Lipson to discuss the details you may not already know about. What do you know about Bell Let’s Talk? Ashley: This campaign is now in its sixth year of supporting mental health initiatives in Canada. On a specified day in January, any text message sent and local or long distance phone call made by Bell cellular service customers’ results in 5 cents being donated to many large and small mental health organizations. Non-Bell customers can still participate by tweeting with the hashtag #BellLetsTalk or…
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9 Books Every Bibliophile Should Read
Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein Simply the name of this book is enough to send any 3rd or 4th year student into wailing despair. Tender Buttons is a nonsensical masterpiece that delves into the very meaning of what words can and cannot be. Don’t let this text scare you away, though you might want to prepare for battle before reading. 1984 by George Orwell We all know this one; many of us read it in high school. 1984 is a classic, and one that should be given its yearly dues. Reading this book again at a critical turning point in ones life (like, say, the first year of university) is…
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Do We Look Like Plastic to You?
I’m no stranger to the ideal image of the female body set by mainstream media and projected –in part– by the presentation of mannequins in retail stores. When I walk through stores such as Garage, Aritzia, or Urban Outfitters I’m quick to note that none of the displayed mannequins are a direct representation of the female body, nor are these representations wholly accurate. I am well aware that these mannequins are built in a stylized way, meant to advertise articles of clothing in the most appealing manner. I think that this is where the problem lies, in the shape and style of this manufactured body that dictates what looks good…
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8 Ways to Set Goals and Stay Motivated
Every new year, we use our resolutions to admit to the world ways in which we want to better ourselves. For a lot of us, it’s about being healthier, wealthier, and wiser. But, by the time we’ve gotten all of the turkey and wine out of our system, our resolutions have begun to waver and fade. Here are some tips to bolster your determination without burning yourself out: 1. Think of it as a Challenge A “goal” is an ideal image that floats above our heads, nice and neat like a finished painting. For all its positive connotations, thinking of a resolution as a goal can disconnect it from the…
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9 Ways to Make a Stranger’s Day in the City
Downtown Toronto is consistently a busy, bustling place. If you take a walk through the city, day after day you will see innumerable places and faces. It may be easy to simply walk straight by the chaos, and mind your own business. Many times, I find myself with my earphones in, and tunnel vision on to get to where I’m going. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that each passing person and place, no matter what city you’re in, has a story. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel more connected in some way? Of course, it’s not the easiest task to stop, ask, and get to know these stories…
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Saying Goodbye to a Pet
How do you know when it’s time to say goodbye to a pet? How do you know if your family pet is ready to die? Can you ever really know? And, most importantly, how do you bring yourself to make the decision that the time has come to let them go? This last question, more than any other, will cause any owner to hold back from putting their pet down. When our pet is suffering from an illness, our first impulse is to do whatever we can to help. Thankfully, advances in modern medicine mean that there are many treatments available that can assist or completely rid pets of their…
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Warmth on a Winter’s Weekend
I know you; you’re sitting in front of your computer, wrapping misery in a blanket, and you’ve opened this article to scoff at my list of ideas to keep your heart warm through another Canadian winter. You don’t like that snow has seized our streets, patios have shut their doors, and Mr. Frost has personally ensured that you will not be at a restful temperature while outdoors for the next three months. So you might as well read this and enlighten your winter more than your wistful waiting ever could. I’m sitting at a coffee shop—outside the window to my left, the snow falls modestly—in the foreground is my computer,…
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5 Books about Mental Illness
Mental illness is something that affects many people, either directly or through someone they know. The Canadian Mental Health Association states that 20% of Canadians will experience mental illness personally. With schizophrenia and bipolar disorder each affecting 1% of the population, anxiety disorders affecting 5%, and depression affecting 8% of the adult population and 17% of the youth population (aged 12 to 19), mental illnesses are getting more attention. This fact is shown in the amount of novels published about various mental illnesses. Though there are many books you can read that will give you some perspective on what it may be like to live with a mental illness, these…
