TORONTO GIRL CHRONICLES

I am struggling to write this post because I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose everything you have in an instant. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Tuesday’s magnitude- 7 earthquake has killed an estimated 50,000 people (the population of a small town) and injured about one third of the population. Devastating to say the least.
I guess the up-side to this story, and this is what revives my hope in the human race, is the way people have come together to help this nation in need. Just this morning the first of several Canadian Federal Government aid planes landed and this morning I heard in the news that the Harper government will match whatever Canadians donate to registered charities. So if you feel a tug in your heart here are some of the charities you can donate to:

The perfect job. Myth or reality? I'm still struggling to find the answer, but I can tell you this: I've had my fair share of not so dreamy jobs. I guess its all part of growing up and learning what you can put up with and what is just plain unacceptable. These "imperfect" jobs teach us about ourselves, our strengths and if you just hang in there that might be that stepping stone to the next best thing. This makes it totally worth it.

In the mean time if you are looking for that perfect job I've found this link. In today's market you have to keep yourself relevant, one step above everyone else. What is your edge? what makes you special? what makes you different? Find it, learn it and develop it. Use it to find your dream job! Good luck.

"Remember this: There is a place for you in this evolving economy, but only if you think smarter and act differently than in the past. "

4 ways to change up your 2010 job search

I've never really been a fan of taking pills, I've always been a bit suspicious of how the pharmaceutical industry offers a cure for something and at the same time gives you something else. Anxiety? take a pill and it will give you diarrhea or a heart attack. It just doesn't make sense to me.
I'm not going to lie. A couple of years ago when I had a surgery Tynelol 3 saved me from a lot of pain, but still, I hesitate whenever I am faced with the choice of taking a pill.

Over the weekend I watched a documentary about Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD). Shocking and truthfully funny, it was a real eye-opener about the creation of FSD and the respective drug to cure it. Is sexual dissatisfaction a disease? or is it just a difficulty? No one really knows, so are pills really necessary to address this problem? but I think the question that really applies to us all is: are there no other alternatives? or are we just too busy/lazy to look for them and just want a quick pill fix? are we letting pharmaceutical companies exploit our insecurities, fears and irresponsibilities?

I am not insensitive or naive, I know people have chemical imbalances that cause anxiety and depression, but I still think that before we are diagnosed and treated with prescriptions we should look for other answers. Or at the very least question our doctors and the prescriptions given out...

"There's a lot of money to be made telling healthy people they are sick" - Ray Moynihan, Visiting Editor of the British Medical Journal, Co-author of Selling Sickness.

Please watch the documentary. I think it is brilliant. It raises questions about risks vs. benefits, money vs. health and ethics vs. profits.

I was just having a conversation with a friend about magazines. Remember Jane? I loved that magazine!!! it was edgy, controversial and the fashions were kooky. It was the total opposite of Cosmo. Cosmo is always talking about how to please your boyfriend, Jane was always giving you ideas on how to please yourself. What a concept!
I think as women we are programmed to be helping others, taking care of others, pleasing others, but what about you? the most important person in the planet! yes you!
So my wish for you this weekend is this: May you have a super self indulgent weekend. May you get a fancy manicure, or do a self facial at home (LUSH has great, inexpensive products), cook yourself a delicious and nutritious meal, read a great book or just relax in your pj's while watching a TV documentary (CBC's the passionate eye is one of my favorites) and munching on cherry tomatoes. Whatever you do, indulge and have a pleasurable weekend.

Resources:
Eat Well - Nutrient Library
Manicure Spots in Toronto
Lush's Masks
Great Book Reviews
CBC's The Passionate Eye

Do you ever feel like your life has become this work-go home-work-go home cycle? Want to break the routine but not the piggy bank? Did you know that there are tons and tons of free activities that you can partake on a Wednesday night?

Before I start to sound like a late night infomercial, here's a list of cheap-cheap or free Wednesday Night Activities that are guaranteed to add some spring to your step:

AGO - Free from 6 - 8:30pm. 2 1/2 hours to indulge yourself in the works of Alexander Calder - The Paris Years (no time to waste! its on till January 10th) or world renowned Canadian Film maker Mark Lewis. Later, with the money you save, be chic and artsy while you grab a bite at the Espresso Bar or the chic FRANK restaurant.

THE POWER PLANT - Free from 5- 8pm. Don't know who Micheal Snow is? Find out and make it an ice breaker to meet cute guys. Bonus: the adjoining York Quay Centre (always free) is showing Respect: A Photo Odessy, a collection of photos of Canada's Boreal Forest.

Ben Navaee Gallery offers free life drawing classes fron 7-9pm. Its an ongoing tradition and there's a mix of professional and wanna-be artists. Even if you're not an artist, you should still step outside the box and try it. Maybe you are an artist and you just didn't know it.

ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) - Free between 4:30-5:30pm. An hour is defenitely not enough but go marvel at the Dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the bat cave is closed for renovations until February 27th, but ROM has promised to bring it back darker and scarier. If you're not into Dino's bones, Hamra Abbas' Read is an interesting response to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, giving a "multi-faith perspective". Intriguing, isn't it?

Honest Ed's - Bloor Street's iconic landmark might not really qualify as an educational activity if its strickly defined. Regardless, admission is always free, everything is cheap cheap cheap and you might find a knick-knack or two that you can flip around and turn into something else. It could qualify as an art challenge!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is amazing how time flies. It is amazing what we learn during that time. All of a sudden things that we were so sure of become unstable, and things that we doubted become our truth. What is even crazier is that all these things, we have known all along. Sometimes, we forget to be truthful to ourselves. I imagine we all want a simple kind of life. A stable kind of life. In reality life is like one of those crazy heart rate monitor graphs, it has peaks and valleys and when you least expected it, it takes a turn (or a spike?). That’s life, if its stable, just like with those graphs, well, it means it’s not alive.

I moved to the city with a simple purpose: I wanted to pursue a career in Fashion. That was my sole purpose. I had a timeline. By age (insert number here) I wanted to be a (insert position here) but life has a funny way of sneaking up on you (you were right all along Alanis Morrisett). Walking through a bus stop I saw an ad for dance lessons and to make the story short I ended up discovering another passion of mine: dance. Who knew, well I guess I did, it just took me 22 years to get the guts to do it. Years later I joined a dance company and we performed in festivals all over the city and at great events in Montreal and Toronto. Then I got a job at that dance studio and as I started writing the course descriptions and the merchandise descriptions I discovered that I really loved writing. Like I used to back when I was 15. Who knew? I guess I did, it just took me 25 years to listen to myself.

I am writing this on a Monday (well, it’s Tuesday now, sorry) because Mondays are tough sometimes (Tuesdays are tough as well). Especially if you’re new to the city, you just started your first job and instead of doing something glamorous you are sweeping rat poo. I guess what I am trying to say is...be open minded to the turns life takes. Learn to see opportunities at the valleys and have faith, have dreams. Keep your heart beating. That’s life.

Everyone has their own theory about money and how they relate to it, but my favorite is this: Money is like a really good man. Tempting, dark and handsome. Its hard to come by and needs lots of caring and good lovin'. You can't just go throwing it all away. You can't take it for granted because then it'll just go away as fast as it came.

These are a few quick tips on keeping your money close to you, where it matters. In your wallet.

Financial Tips Every Girl Should Know

• Spending time with friends should not be about spending money. Enjoy the company of friends in the comfort of your home, or take advantage of all the free/low cost activities that the city has to offer.


• Shop in your own closet. It'll be a creative challenge: How to wear this dress in 10 different ways.


• Use skype for your long distance needs. It will requiere planning but will save a lot of money.


• Make an appointment with your bank to learn about your RRSPs.


• Open a tax free savings account.


• Find a credit card that doesn't ask for your first born or a ridiculous interest rate/management fee.


• Always save 25% of your income. (or more if you can afford it)

Financial independance depends on how well you manage your wealth, and well, you gotta start by making it and managing it well.

RESOURCES:

Information on Opening a Savings Account

Information on Tax Free Savings Account

Information on finding a credit card that works for you

Information about Budgeting (includes a worksheet)

Skype Website