The Fashion Capital of Europe

/ aishakhekhia / Leave a comment

You may have the universe if I may have Italy. -Giuseppe Verdi

Milan Cathedral Duomo di Milano

During our recent trip to Europe, we spent 3 days in Milan. I have to say Italy is just one of the nicest places to go for pleasure! The food, the history, the sights and the weather were all great. My husband used to work in Milan and knows the city quite well so it was lots of fun to go with him and be the tourist while he took us to all the best cafes, parks and restaurants. We visited Milan at the end of July, which is a very warm time of year to be there. Milan, along with Paris is considered a fashion capital of Europe. It has lovely cobblestone streets, beautiful architecture including churches and cathedrals, the best food including great cafes, bars and restaurants, and of course, clothes shopping!

Duomo di Milano

So, let me share how we spent our time in Milan. We stayed in a central suburb because my husband knew that area really well and it was close to parks, restaurants and easy access to the centre of the city. Generally, the best way to get around the city is by metro (their subway). If you know what you are doing and are staying in the right area, you can do most things on foot. The city is not that big so you are better off walking to visit all of the monuments and iconic sights. Another option is to take the tram (rather than the metro), so that you can admire the city at the same time – though this tends to take a bit longer.

Sforzesco Castle

We saw lots of things in our short 3 day trip. We went to the central park of Milan which is a really cool park (Parco Centrale) – great place with lots of bike lanes, a playground and sports activities going on. Connected to the park is the Castello Sforzesco, which houses the Musei del Castello Sforzesco, a series of museums, one of which features nice sculptures and the Pietà Rondanini, Michelangelo’s last masterpiece. We also went to the Duomo di Milano the Milan Cathedral, a cathedral church of Milan, and a building that is more than 600 years old and often considered Milan’s key landmark. Close to the Duomo is a really nice gallery of cafes and shops called della Scala, which is a beautiful, vibrant place where people meet for lunch or coffee and browse in the luxury shops.

So, beautiful people, gelato, cappuccinos, pastas & pizzas and other lovely sights and smells. Milan is a great place to visit, just watch out for the mosquitos!

My time with the Queen of England..

/ aishakhekhia / 3 Comments
London Eye

” London, baby! ” – Joey, Friends

Well I wasn’t really with the Queen but I was in London for a week recently which was pretty awesome. I was there for a few reasons but mainly to visit family and specifically to attend my sister-in law’s graduation ceremony and associated celebratory activities.  We usually visit the UK every two years. We enjoy London a lot. It is always great for restaurants, shopping and other activities. I thought I would share some advice for folks thinking about going.

Big Ben was under construction

So, if you are only staying in London for a short period it would be best to stay in Central London (there downtown) to avoid wasting time on public transport and generally be close to the action. We tend to stay with our family in the suburbs, which often takes 45 minutes or more of commuting to get to central London. One of the main things I would recommend if you have never been to London, is the many traditional tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Hyde Park. Lots of history and always bustling with people and events.

Trafaglar Square

London is a family-friendly city with lots of great parks and open spaces, as well as amazing attractions that will appeal to people of all ages. Its probably one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world with people from every country in the world, so you can taste food from all sorts of places. After spending considerable amount of time in London, I can say with certainty that the best way to explore the city is by walking around. If you get tired, jumping on one of the red buses or the “tube” is also easy. Cabs and Uber are readily available and if you are feeling adventurous, there are boats on the river Thames that can be taken using the same “Oyster card” that is used for the tube! London is expensive so might not be a place you spend too long in, but definitely a great place to spend a few days and the shopping and entertainment alone are enough of a reason to visit London.

A key thing I would like to share is that while travel can be an enlightening and eye-opening experience for children of all ages – we have a toddler and it is not the easiest age to travel! We have learned that traveling with children can also be an overwhelming and unpredictable experience – still happy that we went and got that change of scenery though. Lots of studies say that taking time away from the stresses of work and daily life can improve our health and overall mindset considerably – I am definitely feeling that. So, for others, go take that vacation if you can!

Canadian Embassy in London

My first live baseball game

/ aishakhekhia / Leave a comment

“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life.” Billie Jean King- former World No. 1 professional tennis player (won 39 Grand Slam titles)

“Sports is also a really fun day out with the family” Me (1st time baseball game watcher)

I like sports. I do not know a ton about them but I like the energy and the vibe of it all. I never watched much baseball. What I sort of knew about baseball was that it’s a casual pastime sport, that has a big following but not particularly exciting. I recently had the opportunity to sit in the third row and watch the Toronto Blue Jays play the Kansas City Royals at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, along with my family and some friends who also brought their children. We were not sure what to make it of all as going out with young kids can be challenge at the best of times, as and the idea of sitting still for 3 hrs is certainly not typically achievable.

Well, I guess I was my first live baseball game was exciting and a great time. I really did not know that I could have so much fun at a ball game. First, Baseball, and I guess other) sports stadiums offer a unique entertainment experience including kids stuff (balloon animals, little toys, mini flags for the Canada day long weekend and lots of junk food 😉 – and it was yummy.

The pace of the game was relatively slow, meaning you could talk, entrain the kids and enjoy snacks at a leisurely pace, while being entertaining by the game as it unfolded. What a nice outing for a first date, with family, or friends. It is definitely all about what you want to make of it. It is really awesome in the summer, as it an uncovered stadium and you get to be outside and I guess we got lucky as it wasn’t too hot. And though I didn’t know (still don’t fully) understand the rules of the game, a large part of going to the game is being a part of the crowd.

Fans all work together to do the Mexican wave, sing the national anthem, dance, cheer, jeer and just be part of the good vibes. As I learned more about the team, the players and the rules it even go a bit more interesting – I now know the number of players, the hitters, the pitchers, the catchers and the that game lasts for 9 innings. I think I will build on that. Not as fun as basketball games, but definitely good times 🙂

Soaring through the air…literally

/ aishakhekhia / 1 Comment

“You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky.” Amelia Earhart. 

I have to say – what I am about to tell you, is pretty cool. I went soaring (or also known as gliding) the other day and there is something about looking down at the earth from high above that makes you realize how just small we are. There are a few other, interesting ways to fly, most of which I have never experienced, but I feel fortunate to say that I have tried soaring.

However, maybe you are thinking, what is soaring? Let me tell you – Soaring is a wonderful “sport” that involves flying unpowered, i.e. via engine-less aircraft called gliders. The gliders are launched up (or rather first dragged or carried) into the air by a “regular” engine powered aircraft initially. It floats up and glides for a while using the rising hot air created by the heating of the ground surface in hotter, typically summer months – but what I experienced felt heavenly and delightful – The lack of engine was what created a fairly frictionless feeling and really one of the most memorable things I have ever done.

We drove a couple of hours in to the “sticks”, sparse farmlands with limited risk of any neighbouring aircraft. I was a little concerned initially, as I saw the unusual aircraft and thought about being engineless at higher than 20,000 feet. That said, “I sucked it up” and left my husband and daughter (crying about where her mum disappeared to) on the ground to go on my next challenge. Most gliders have seats for two people in the small cockpit.

You typically sit in front of the pilot who is technically third in line behind the pilot flying the engine power aircraft dragging us up into the sky. Wow. As we quickly picked up ground speed and soared up in to the air, I went from a feeling of anxiety, excitement, and nervousness to that of elation.

It was just awesome. So much fun. I would say I definitely overcame anywhere of the unknown that I might have had, heights, or anything else. I definitely recommend it. Such a unique experience. Great job, Toronto Soaring Club and would suggest everybody should try it. Thank you to my family for helping to make this happen. This one will be a tough one to top 🙂 . For information check out http://toronto-soaring.ca/wordpress/

Detox Week

/ aishakhekhia / 4 Comments

“The greatest wealth is health”- Virgil

I am not a big dieter and definitely not into the latest diet fads that seem to emerge every month. However, I care about my nutrition and fitness goals and have decided to try a program that, if nothing else, will force me to discover a new variety of nutritional options – and maybe, if you believe the claims, I will also reset my digestive system, burn fat faster, lose weight, reduce blood sugar etc. I am sure it won’t be easy, as I don’t always have time to meal prep, pack lunches and follow a healthy diet, though we try to. Healthy eating is a general goal for many but making healthy meals can be hard (including the ideas, the ingredients and the time to prep) especially when you are trying to balance between work, home and school too. 

Well, my challenge this week is to try a detox plan, i.e. cleanse my body by going gluten free, sugar free and dairy free for one whole week. The idea being, that if I make some simple changes to my diet, such as drinking more fluids or eating more vegetables, they can have a profound effect on overall wellbeing. In fact, studies suggest that the 7-day approach is the ideal way to experiment with a broad variety of new foods, recipes, and lifestyle habits, given the relatively un-intimidating duration.So off I went on my diet. I did some reading on what I could eat which turned out to be mostly vegetables, fruits and proteins. So, a bit of a change but seemed doable. I was glad that this wasn’t a quick starvation diet, as I probably would have failed before I had begun.Practically, I realized I was quickly giving up all processed foods and pretty much most carbs. As the days went by it started to feel like an intense commitment, I was hungry and craved the foods I couldn’t have. Ugh, bread… no bread! Gluten is found in a lot food and eliminating gluten from your diet is definitely a commitment. I’d try to drink big glass of water every time a craving was coming on; I found that the craving fades and if not, I’d eat anything with protein like a bar. 

One thing I realised is I’d need to do some research and generally plan ahead if I was going to get through it. The thing was processed food is that it’s so much easier to find and access. What I needed was going to have to be worked for.Each meal should ideally include some protein, vegetables and fruits no carbs an no dairy. Breakfast was a challenge because I usually like to eat something sweet in the morning so I found this recipe online its granola cups with cashews and banana cream it’s vegan and gluten free recipe very easy to make. For lunch I just kept it simple with salad and some protein like eggs or chicken.There are definitely alternatives around non gluten non-dairy, which taste different but not a big deal for a week. 

What did I learn? Changing habits, it tough, the first couple of days are the hardest with the body physiologically being challenged with the change. Mentally, you need to have some options and tools like pre-prepared snack options, the water drink to stop cravings, and generally a well-prepared set of options for meals, to be prepared when hunger strikes. All in all, a great exercise in self-discipline and even felt a bit lighter and healthier after 🙂

Dance and Spin

/ aishakhekhia / 2 Comments

“Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.”-Oprah Winfrey

I like working-out but sometimes I find running on a treadmill or doing weights is a bit too boring – maybe you do too. So, I thought what else can I do to make working out more entertaining? I thought, what would be a good change of scenery and will help keep me active? 

Well, short version is that I started off the week by trying some hip-hop dance and SPINCO classes – and they were both amazing. 

Let me start with SPINCO, the soul cycle “extreme” class. This thing was cool. If you are willing to give it your all, push yourself physically and emotionally, to get that feeling of “burn” and achievement – then this is your workout! It’s incredible, it is not a regular spinning class, it’s quite different. SPINCO, was a spin studio with very lively dance music, but it also had a disco ball and highly energetic instructor – it’s basically a techno dance class on a stationary bike! YES, just like dancing, as it’s a choreographed routine – it was really quite therapeutic. It just takes you to another world, let me explain. You walk in, funky, uber-fit crowd and layout/décor. Then, they give you spinning shoes with clips which attach your feet to the bike pedals. Apparently, they make your pedal strokes much more balanced, giving you a more efficient workout. The intense looking crowd makes you feel that everyone here means business – so you want to bring you’re A-game.

I went to the Spadina location but I know they have many locations across Canada including three just in Toronto. The spin studio has one large spin room with 43 bikes. That’s one large, dark room with a disco ball which makes the room sparkle like a 70’s discotheque. The lighting is synchronized to the music and it smoothly changes with the beat which was a pretty cool concept to blend in to the workout. It’s a tough, full body cardio workout, really moving your shoulders and hips, blends in some crunches and then some push-ups as you pedal and also lift weights while spinning. I recommend this to anyone who wants to get out there and work out hard again and wants to freshen up the routine.  

Later that week I checked out a hip hop dance class. I love music, so trying dance classes was a great idea for me – it’s also a whole-body workout that tends to be fun! I highly recommend it All you need is an hour typically. For example, I went to the Underground Dance Centre in Richmond street. Big studio, you go down the stairs and lots of mirrors as you’d expect. I find dancing to be an engaging activity and generally more stimulating than most other forms of exercise. I also think Dancing is way harder than many people think, takes lots of focus, practice (as you figure out how identify, isolate and control those new body parts) and if you do it right, it always leaves you dripping in sweat. here’s a little video of me dancing with Jason the dance teacher 😜

Dancing is a great stress reliever It is a solid exercise session that takes your mind elsewhere and gets your muscles working no matter who you are. I have tried hip hop but I want to try all types of dancing – maybe ballroom waltz or contemporary, I wonder which one is going to be my favourite. So, no matter who you are, go out there and Shake it off ! next time I get asked to catch up for coffee, I’m going to suggest we go to a dance class together instead.

Music and happiness?

/ aishakhekhia / Leave a comment

Charles Darwin said: “If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” I am a music person, it moves me, it matters a lot and I love it. I can’t talk about music without remembering my mother who passed away 10 years ago when I was 22 years old. She was obsessed with music and introduced us to some of her favourites like Marvin Gaye, Barry White and Andrea Bocelli and I want to take this opportunity to thank her for teaching me to appreciate music, dancing and art in all its forms.  

Most of us know exactly who we are and what make us happy – or maybe not? For me, these days it’s about trying and learning new things! Music makes me happy; it has always done so. Listening to a positive upbeat song could easily affect my mood no matter what. Even sad music to me brings up nostalgia and sentimental feelings of past happiness. It’s very Interesting how hearing a particular song can bring back a special memory or make you feel happy or calm or pumped up, it’s like the soundtrack to your life!

music shaped my personality and my behavior it has lessened my symptoms of prenatal anxiety and postpartum anxiety especially in the first few stressful and sleepless months after giving birth.

Recently I decided I want to learn an instrument. Specifically, I have always wanted to learn how to play guitar, I love how it sounds and want to be able to make that music myself.  I am currently a beginner but am passionate about learning it. I thought if I was going to get this done, that I would need a clear learning structure, not just self-learn from YouTube videos but have a teacher who will keep me focused and patient and give me good constructive feedback. It’s only 40 minutes a week and I only practice for 20 minutes a day, but I’m trying to make it a habit and follow the coaching instructions.  I’m seeing progress, though slowly and I have no plan to give up anytime soon! I have learned to play so many chords and now I’m having fun learning cool songs, like Sam Smith’s Stay with Me, and Remember me from the movie COCO which is just for my daughter because she loves the song!

I take my lessons at Singer’s Edge near Spadina avenue, a convenient location for people living in downtown Toronto, it’s mainly a singing school but they also teach piano and guitar.  Matt my teacher suggested buying my equipment from Long and McQuade (I got a good deal, a used YAMAHA guitar for $130). Every summer Singers Edge run a performance event for students who are ready to perform in front of others – you never know maybe I’ll check it out one day 😉

My message this week is, don’t let people discourage you from learning something new! I dislike when people discourage me about trying new things like learning how to play a musical instrument they say (e.g. “you should’ve learned it when you were younger – the brain is like a sponge when we are young, tougher to do as you get older”). I don’t believe its black and white, we all have our own different timelines in life. Things will happen for us when the time is right.

I also hear a lot about the 10,000 hours rule, i.e. that it takes 10,000 hours to get really good or even master something. Well, I don’t like this rule – it feels cruel. When I first started learning guitar which was 8 weeks ago, it was clear that it was going to take a long time to be good at it but I absolutely loved it anyway, I can see myself quickly get better and it gives me a rush, that is more important than any of it.  When I learn to play a certain tune that I like, there nothing quite like it. I hope I end up doing 100,000 hours – I’ll enjoy every one of them 🙂

New Beginnings

/ aishakhekhia / Leave a comment

“But do you know how old I will be by the time I learn to really play the piano / act / paint / write a decent play? “Yes… the same age you will be if you don’t.” Julia Cameron

Hi, Aisha here. Welcome to my blog. I am trying to find a more active and engaged side of myself and am sharing my journey. Here goes.

I don’t think of myself as a writer but I have always liked to read. I also believe that storytelling is a powerful art. Its powerful, with the ability to connect with people on an emotional level and I also think everyone has a story to tell! Welcome to a little part of my story. I have a beautiful loving family and recently we had a daughter who is two years old now. She’s wonderful and has changed our lives. That said one thing I have noticed is what I haven’t been able to do as much of. Frankly, I realised I hadn’t done anything exciting or learned any skills over the past 2 years I had been at home with my daughter. Now I’m looking into shifting my career, finding more my personal fulfilment an well um, hopefully, doing a bit of digital marketing at a company that agrees with me and my principles. 

So, from here out, no excuses and no conditions – just possibilities! The way I will get over my inertia is to build the muscle of “YES, I CAN”.I thought a blog would be a wonderful excuse to get rid of this mental block, and just get out there and do some cool stuff.

My first challenge was to take on indoor rock climbing. This was a challenge for me – thought to some it seems like it is just relaxing afternoon fitness activity!

I thought I would start with indoor practice to go outdoors in due course. Also, I’m a little scared of heights, though I don’t suffer from severe acrophobia – so it’s not too intense but I generally don’t feel comfortable when at height and rock climbing is also something I have always wanted to try – it looked like it could be fun, somewhat intense and definitely exciting.

Going into it, I asked myself what will it be like? What do I want? Well, I wanted to feel this sensed of euphoria that people keep talk about when reaching the summit – though I know I am not climbing mount Everest! I thought this will be good from a fitness perspective. You know, full body workout and build upper body and back strength which I lack – and maybe build up some mental focus and toughness.

So off I went for my first rock climbing experience. I went to the first class at Basecamp on Bloor West and I booked a lesson – I showed up on a Thursday afternoon. I rented the harness and shoes. I met the instructor who was great at explaining things in a way that felt easy to remember, and she quickly made me feel comfortable and confident. Lots to remember though. No joke!


What a great experience. Grabbing my first “boulder hold” as climbers call it, I lifted myself from the ground, and moved my feet, somewhat nimbly, as I climbed upward.I had a deep sense of satisfaction of rising to the challenge. Though, it certainly wasn’t all easy. At times I would get stuck, and sometimes I couldn’t reach the hold. Other times I would lose my grip and get stuck swinging around in the air and just laugh at myself. I was surprised with what I could do with my body. Especially after the baby I felt I had lost my core strength. But I do go to boot camp every Saturday I believe that has helped me “hit the wall running” so to speak 🙂

I’ve told my husband he needs to joins me for the next one, it’s a great couple’s activity.

Challenge number 1 was a success. More to come next week…