One Rising Star

Over the last 6 weeks, I have been "mentoring" two Grade 5 students with regards to their Exhibition project about racism in sports.  These students have blown me away with their passion for their chosen topic, their commitment to their project and all of their great work habits. Tonight, they presented their work to their families and a variety of other individuals. They demonstrated great confidence and great knowledge, while explaining and answering every question ever so accurately. They spoke about their research, field trips, interviews, and positive actions, while sharing valuable facts, findings and opinions.  The students created a large presentation board integrating a variety of subjects, strands and skills.   It's truly amazing to see such young kids produce such amazing work!  The students made it out to one of my soccer (football) games! What a great experience!  When I began "mentoring" these two stu...

On Friday, April 11th, I made my way to Canada to surprise my mom for her birthday and for Easter. Some of us had been keeping this secret for weeks! A Masters Golf Party had been organized by some of my mother's friends and I arrived with my father around 10:30pm. My mom's reaction was priceless. Tears were shed, laughs were shared and big smiles could be seen all around the room.  It was absolutely great!  The love between mother and daughter is forever Deciding to go back to Canada for my spring break this year was a wonderful decision. After a difficult start to 2014, I knew some family time was necessary. Now, of course, my primary reason for going home was to surprise my mom, however, I knew that I could benefit from this trip just as much. Going home allowed me to spend time with some family and to reconnect with a few old friends, work colleagues and students. It also allowed me to lay around...to be lazy...to sleep...to watch TV... to get pamper...

  After about two months of ups and downs, twists and turns, I'm glad to say that this past weekend, I felt like I found myself once again. I absolutely love how travelling can give me such a sense of excitement and pleasure! “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”   “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” On Thursday night - early Friday morning, the quest to see another one of the New 7 Wonders of the World continued in India. I was ecstatic! My short 3-day Indian adventure began and ended in Delhi, where I got to visit many monuments, do some shopping and experience the true chaos of a large Indian city. The masses of people, the traffic, the constant honking, the wild driving, the dirty narrow streets, the pushy salesmen and the continuous hunt for a “tall white girls” photograph were all part of my amazing experience! Cyc...

Just about a year ago, I made a goal of running a marathon. On Friday, January 24 th 2014, that goal was finally achieved! Of course, my time could have been much better, but I told myself that for my first ever marathon “It was not about perfection, it was about the effort.” I truly just wanted to make it from start to finish and that’s exactly what I did. In approximately 5 hours, “I learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible." I know many people are wondering if I will ever do another marathon again, but I truly don’t know quite yet. It’s a very grueling experience! Right now, I need to take some well-earned rest time before I set any future fitness goals. Throughout the past 12 months, I have done a few 5/6 km runs, one 10 km race, two half marathons and last but not least a full 42km marathon. I have trained many hours at the gym with some am...

“The special bond shared between a mother and daughter is the one place in all the world where hearts can be sure of each other. Like branches on a tree, we may grow in different directions, but our roots remain one. And through the fury of the storm or the calm of the rainbow, we depend on each other for understanding and compassion. We will always share these moments, sparkling, like a star in our hand...keeping memories we have gathered through the years close to our hearts.” For approximately 5 years now, my mom and I have planned yearly trips to various destinations. We've been to Daytona Beach Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada and Cancun, Mexico . These trips have allowed my mom and I to bond and to create ever-lasting memories. I am forever thankful. This year, a last minute decision was made to fly my mom out to Dubai, UAE . This was not easy. Those who know my mom know that she hates planes and rarely travels on them alone. Considering t...

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.  ( Walt Disney ) When you’re a young kid, adults regularly tell you to work hard and that you can do anything you want to do when you grow older. Often though, it can be hard to believe these words without proof. I’ve learnt in recent years that I can pretty much do anything I want to do, as long as I am willing to put in some hard work and to take some chances; it doesn't matter whether it be at the gym, at work, or in my everyday life! Just over a year ago, I took a chance when I left the stable job and life I had in Canada to move to Dubai, UAE. Some people may have thought I was crazy to leave everything I had going for me there, but others understood that I was taking a step in the right direction to pursue my dreams. Some of the most encouraging people were (and still are) my Canadian students. It was very difficult to tell them about my decision, but they showed great maturity...

As soon as I set foot into Switzerland, I was pretty much in love with the place! The views of the mountains and the lake immediately took my breath away. The small town of Lausanne and its French speaking population made me feel right at home. I was beyond excited to be surrounded by French people, French school resources (I wish I could have bought everything) and the French culture in general. During my short stay, I got to spend some time at the beach / pool area, to walk around the city centre, to take a boat over to France and visit Evian, to drive up a mountain for amazing panoramic views and to eat some fondue. It was definitely a very nice and relaxing few days! I really didn’t know what to expect when I decided to make a trip to Switzerland, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s really a beautiful country! Only downside is that everything is REALLY expensive here! Thank you to my friend and former work colleague Alena for showing me...