Monthly Archives: November 2010

Get in the zone with Break Zone

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The last week of classes are looming upon us and before you know it we get a taste of sweet freedom (aka Holiday break). But before we can take that breath of fresh air, we have to endure the stress and anxiety of final exams. Sometimes it makes you question: “Is it really the most wonderful time of the year?”

I’m sure at some point we’ve been there before. You lose sleep, forget to eat and stock up on energy drinks and caffeine. For some, exam time becomes a high pressure stress fest where BYOB means bring your own books and Robarts library is filled to its thirteen floor brim. Lunch time is forgotten because your mind knows it’s crunch time and every minute spent snoozing is a minute taken away from precious study hours.

Although we can’t fully set our minds on vacation mode just yet, who says you can’t take a breather right now? Taking study breaks allow you to reduce stress, focus better and make your study time more effective. Have you ever forced yourself to read for hours and hours on end and come out not retaining a single thing? I know I’ve been there and most of the time it’s because my mind is too distracted thinking about either of the following:

a) how I am unprepared and therefore doomed for the upcoming exam

b) how stressed I am about my other classes

or c) what I could be doing instead of studying.

If your mind is racing about these things (among other problems), it’s difficult to concentrate and maybe a study break is exactly what you need!

I don’t want you taking that as permission to use this time to go on Facebook* and aimlessly stalk your friends list, or whatever internet getaway you frequent in favour of studying because there are better ways to rejuvenate your mind and reduce stress from exams.

U of T’s faculty of Phys Ed and Health have partnered with an organization called The Youth Wellness Network (YWN) to bring a new program to campus called Break Zone, that will be based around Exam Stress Reduction. The first execution of the program will take place every day at Hart House on December 7-9 from 12pm – 4pm.

So how exactly will it work? There will be 4 stations running at a time with 6 themes on rotation. Each station will be offering 20 minute sessions on the hour and half hour, so students can use the station as their study break and return to their studies refreshed and rejuvenated.

The themes of the program will be Physical Activity, Body Work, Meditation, Laughter, Sound Therapy, and Anger Release.

Along with these six stations, there are additional resources available including the Exam Stress Survival Kit, filled with sponsor samples, coupons, and helpful information, a Healthy Exam Meal Guide, and prizes/giveaways.

For more info, you can check out their website, Facebook event and fan page *(okay I know I told you not to use Facebook as a study break, but you can at least redeem yourself by checking it out!)

Lastly, don’t forget that you’re not alone! Listen to what students have to say in the following promo video and check out Break Zone!

- Danielle

Roaming the world with free and safe internet

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Hi readers! It’s Monday. I’d like to ignore all the nasty stuff that I’m going to have to deal with this week. I feel like a chained escape artist with four walls closing in who just found out the key to unlock myself is the wrong one. SO. I’m going to tell you about something I found out recently.

Eduroam!

When you’re looking for wireless internet on campus, does something called “Eduroam” ever pop up? Like this:

I use the UTORcwn one, obviously, but I’ve always been curious. It’s name is not particularly compelling, like FREE PUBLIC WI-FI, which obviously you shouldn’t click or believe, but I see it consistently enough that it got me curious.

So I talked to Alex Nishiri, manager over at Web Services, home to the brilliant link shortener: uoft.me. Their website (and especially the Who We Are page) is adorable.

Eduroam-US says this:

Eduroam is worldwide federation of RADIUS servers facilitating network access for roaming academic affiliates using IEEE 802.1x as the vehicle. eduroam’s use of 802.1x in concert with RADIUS means the network is built around well understood, established, and easy to manage standards which are often already deployed within the network infrastructure of educational institutions.

I’m sure that’s not gibberish to a portion of our readers, but to me, I blanked out after “RADIUS servers”. So what is it, really, in plain english?

Eduroam (stands for Education Roaming) is a free service offered to educational institutions and it is essentially your wi-fi home away from home; home in this case being U of T. If you’re at any participating institution, you can log on to that institution’s wireless with your UTORid. Pretty cool. There’s even a video on youtube!

I scrolled through the participating institution list, and just for Ontario alone, I see Carleton, McMaster, Queen’s, Ryerson, Guelph, Waterloo, Western… no York, hah. Check out the pretty map for Canada’s participating institutions! There’s also one for participating institutions around the world.

Set-up took a little longer than I thought it would, but then, I was also battling horrid Wifi signal in class. U of T provides detailed and graphical step-by-step instructions for setting up your netbook or laptop with a variety of operating systems. Apparently, you can even set up your smartphones!

I popped by Ryerson, and I logged in to wireless no problem. What I’m curious is if it works everywhere else. Any U of T students reading not at U of T right now? Can you try and let me know in the comments if it works?

Other than that, have a good week, dear readers. Hang in there; we’re at the home stretch!

- Cynthia

Swimming: A great aqua-tunity to relax and get fit

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I’m not a fan of being cold or wet and I absolutely dread trying to squeeze into my hideously unattractive one-piece (which, by the way, squeezes at all the wrong places). Other than taking a dip to cool off while tanning on a hot sandy beach, I don’t swim that often. But, in my commitment to trying a variety of physical activities on campus and to staying fit, it was time to get my feet wet and check at the pool.

I looked online at the drop-in aquatics schedule at the AC and learned that there are both co-ed and women-only swim times daily. As a fan of women-only weights at the SCC, I figured I’d probably feel more comfortable swimming with other women.

Since I’d never gone swimming at the AC before, I’d assumed that the pools were attached to the main change room. So after putting on my favorite wardrobe item, the “fashionable” swimsuit, I did a thorough lap of the change-room in search of the 25 m (or Benson) pool. I felt like such a rookie: I couldn’t find the pool! Luckily, I bumped into another swimsuit-wearer who, as a regular, knew where to go. She led me out of the change room, down the hall, and up a set of stairs to get to the women-only swim.

I felt a bit uncomfortable walking around in my swimsuit and bare feet, but quickly learned that this could have been avoided. There is actually a large washroom that you can change in, right on the pool deck, as well as a private changing stall, just outside the pool.The windows of the pool were also all completely covered, making it impossible for people to look in from outside.

There were about 20 women of varying abilities doing laps of front crawl, breaststroke, kicking with a flutterboard, or doing their own modified versions of basic strokes. Before entering the pool, I had a decision to make: am I a slow, medium, or fast swimmer? I opted to swim in the medium-speed lane, which ended up being the right match for my ability. But once I was in the pool, I was politely informed by the lifeguard that there is an etiquette to lane-swimming: up the middle and down the sides…rookie mistake number two.

Since I don’t swim too often, I didn’t know how many lengths to do, what strokes to use, or how long to go for. I basically just copied the other swimmers in my lane, doing a combination of breast-stroke and front-crawl for about 20 minutes (which I knew was the general target for cardio exercise). At the end, I was exhausted. As someone who runs often, I’m not used to doing full-body exercise. It drained me.

I also felt incredibly relaxed. Unlike running, which is a high-impact activity, swimming allows you to increase your fitness and burn calories without placing impact stress on your joints. As corny as this sounds, it was also very therapeutic to put my face in the water, focus on my breathing, and clear my head of the stresses of looming presentations and assignments that I haven’t started yet.

My friend, a third year biology student, told me that the relaxation I experienced could be due to the “mammalian diving reflex.” This is an innate response which causes our heart rates to lower by ten to twenty-five percent as soon as our faces enter the water so that our body does not need as much oxygen in the bloodstream.

Regardless of the specific physiological benefits of swimming, I enjoyed the experience so much that I went back the next morning. This time, it was co-ed, but having guys there didn’t really bother me; our faces were in the water most of the time anyways! I also came prepared with flip flops and a hoodie to make the walk from the change room to the pool a little more comfortable!

Tae Kwon Do Update: The moves are getting more complex and technical, and I’m realizing that it is hard to improve at a new sport when you are only going once a week…I think that if I continue next term, I’ll have to up it to twice a week!

-Shannon

Aaahhh… the Holidays :-)

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Midterms and finals for half courses will be upon us very soon. The pace has picked up on campus, and I can definitely feel it in the air. Robarts is packed once again, as is almost every one of my not-so-secret anti-Robarts study spots. Luckily, all of our hard work will be rewarded shortly thereafter – the holidays are fast approaching! Yyyaaayy!

What are your plans for the upcoming holidays? Aside from catching up on readings for next semester *shifty side eye*??? Will you be here in Toronto? Are you going away to visit family and friends? For some, the season is of religious significance; for some, it’s a time to spend with family or friends that they hardly get to see otherwise; and for some, it’s a much-needed break from the frenetic pace of the life of a university student.

If you’re on campus, there are some events that you can check out to get into the holiday spirit. For example, the Varsity Arena is hosting a Skate and Create event on November 25th from 9 – 11pm.  Skating, button-making, and free hot chocolate and Timbits? And free skate rentals? Get into it!!! Also, Hart House is hosting a Winter Buffet from December 15th to 17th in the Great Hall. Tickets are $33.00, and can be reserved at www.uofftix.ca or by calling 416-978-8849.  It features live jazz – which is always a win-win situation, if you ask me.

So many of us originally come from other countries or were born here but have ties to other countries. I fall into the latter category. At any rate, the season means that many of us will be going away to visit friends and family. I’m excited because this year I get to step out of the cold for a moment and into my family’s home in Trinidad; it’s not something that can feasibly occur every year, so it’s not something that I take for granted.

For those who are headed “home” for the holidays, packing that suitcase presents a bit of a challenge. You want to pack enough clothes to take you through your trip, but you also know that you need to leave space for the gifts that you’re going to give, as well as space for the care package that your folks are inevitably weigh you down with upon your return. Mine is sure to contain frozen homemade bread, and homemade pepper sauce (??? Yes, you read right).

Whatever your plans are for the holidays, I hope that you get plenty of rest, get through your readings (ahem), and basically enjoy your time off to the fullest!

It’s not to early to get into the spirit of the season! On that note, I present Ella Fitzgerald with the Song of the Week. Enjoy…

CLICK THE LINK

Eat your heart out Don Johnson…we’ve got vice too!

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If I told you that there were plain clothed officers on campus, would you be surprised? I was. Don’t imagine Don Johnson in a white blazer, a pastel vee-neck, and penny loafers without socks. Think more of a someone who might be your age, dressed like you, riding a bike like yours.

Your reaction to this news may differ depending on your propensity towards partaking in illegal activities on campus. Personally, I think that this presence is a good thing. Imagine my bike or your bike in the process of having its lock broken off. Now place a plain clothes officer trained to identify illegal activity, causally approaching said thief. What joy to know that the person who was attempting to pinch your primary mode of transportation, was being arrested.

I realize, by their very nature, many people are intrinsically opposed to authority. Yet I think we as a student body should be more aware of the Campus Police and what services they offer.

I admittedly didn’t even know where their office was located until last week. It’s at 21 Sussex Ave. (at Huron – also famous for its many clubs). I had gone to speak to an officer to get some background information for my previous post. I was surprised to find out that the youngish looking guy who was dressed in regular street clothes was an officer. He was really friendly and he freely offered a lot of information about the Campus Police. In no way are these officers sneaking around campus. They are more concerned about protecting the student body and trying to ensure we all remain safe.

Campus Police HQ at 21 Sussex Ave. (at Huron)

Campus Police HQ at 21 Sussex Ave. (at Huron)

The Campus Police have a lot of programs that operate for the sole purpose of protecting us. Programs like WalkSmart which offers student escorts through campus from Monday to Friday, 7pm to 12am. There is also a Bicycle Registration Program, which may help to deter theft or reclaim a bike if it is found after it has been stolen.

The Campus Police also perform Building Patrols which monitor campus buildings after hours. If you are not in the habit of hanging around lecture halls at 3AM, it may seem as though this service has little to do with you. However, consider this scenario. You have a paper due tomorrow. The library that you were planning on burrowing into, in an attempt to write a 12 page paper in 12 hours, is closed because it has been burglarized! I cringe at the thought! Luckily for us the Campus Police Building Patrols help to ensure this doesn’t happen.

It’s really a police force that works for us. They are both a visible and invisible force on campus. Even if you don’t use any of the programs they offer, we should all at least know where their office is, in case we need help or have to report a crime.

Though the sight of a police officer might make some people nervous, there are ways to ease the tension. Here’s a little experiment. Try saying hi to a Campus Police officer the next time you see one walking up St. George. They are not cyborgs. They will respond. They might even give you a big Don Johnsonesque smile!

You can check out the Campus Police website and find more information about the services at their website.

Stay safe!

-Lori

Make it a DIY Holiday

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As I was roaming the aisles of the grocery store this weekend making my weekly food run, I couldn’t help but find myself humming cheerfully to the tune of “Jingle Bell Rock”. That’s right, it’s that time of year. No, not quite the holiday season just yet – but gift shopping season. Soon shopping malls will be opening their doors for holiday hours and crowds will flock towards shelves lined with prepackaged gifts and goodies for their loved ones.

With American Thanksgiving just around the corner and Black Friday shopping trailing behind, now is naturally the time to get thinking about holiday gifts. I know the chaos and bustle of last minute shopping is enough to add to anybody`s pile of stress… and bills for that matter.

So while we’ve got about a month left  until the gift-giving holidays, here are a couple of do-it-yourself gift-giving ideas for any student on a shoestring budget.

1. Make a holiday mix tape

Get into the Christmas spirit by throwing together your favourite traditional carols mixed with a few modern Christmas songs and renditions. You can burn them on a CD and create your own personalized cover. Or you can ditch the holiday theme and throw together some of your favourite songs instead. Make a mix tape with songs that you’ve created memories with over the year or share your music tastes with a friend. I personally love discovering new music and love the personal touch of a self-made mix tape.

2. Get baking!

As much as I love a big box of gourmet chocolates, I really love homemade treats baked with love. Find a quick recipe for a batch of cookies, cupcakes, brownies, macaroons, or even gingerbread men. Wrap them in cellophane, wrap with string or curled ribbon and ta-da: instant heartwarming gift!

3. Picture that

Grab a cute frame and get a favourite picture or memory printed out to put inside. Better yet, try going to a craft store and picking up a wooden frame that you can paint and personalize on your own.

4. Get planning

So maybe you aren’t that crafty and you don’t want to spend a fortune on something that will be chucked, re-gifted or never used. If you’re buying something for a fellow student, try getting a new 2011 planner or calendar. A cute idea would be to pencil in important dates like birthdays or have random facts and or witty jokes inserted throughout. It’s a great way to personalize your gift and even get your giftee motivated to plan for the upcoming year (subliminal reminders for birthday presents anyone?).

5. IOU

Sometimes the easiest gifts are simple favours that you can offer through the creation of gag coupons. I got a few of these for my last birthday and thought it was a great idea! Make or print out little coupons that say fun things like: “Good for one hug” or “Good for a back rub”. Little things can go a long way and it allows for quality time to be spent with the giftee.

So put down the pre-loaded gift cards and boxes of chocolate and get crafty this season! There are plenty of DIY gift ideas and ways to add personal touches to your presents this holiday. I’m sure a lot of secret snowflake gift exchanges are coming up and I hate to be the person who buys that last minute bath set combo or box of chocolates. Instead, combine two or more of these crafty ideas for that special heartfelt gift that shows how much you really care. Even if you aren’t the most artistically talented, it’s always the thought that counts right?

- Danielle

Harry Potter and U of T?!

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Any Harry Potter fans out there? If you are, then I am sure you know what happened this weekend. Yesssssss, Deathly Hallows (part 1) was released in theatres!

I grew up with Harry Potter. I remember devouring the first three books when I was in Grade 6 and then eagerly awaiting subsequent new releases as I graduated from each grade.

Even though U of T is huge, one of the things that secretly comforted me when I first started here was that our college system was much like HP’s house system, and even more so that I was at Trin! We wear robes, yo.

But the books are completed and the films are approaching its end. The one thing that has been with me throughout the highs and lows of highschool and university applications and tests and pretty much the one thing that remained constant with me year after year is slowly fading into the recesses of my memory.

What delights me though, is how I’m coming to discover that this childhood friend of mine really hasn’t gone away. It started when I noticed that a photo of a student on the U of T homepage has a Gryffindor scarf wrapped around her neck. Then, when I did my Colleges series last year, Janine Hubbard, Recruitment and Outreach co-ordinator at Vic told us a fun fact:

Students often comment on how much our dining hall looks like the one in Harry Potter. Well, after a colleague did some research, he found out that our hall design was based on one at Oxford (Christ Church College’s dining hall), and it was used in the Harry Potter films, so we essentially have the same design!

HP has leapt off the pages of its canon and has taken a life of its own, going so far as to challenge and engage our student and academic life. Don’t believe me? For starters, Professor Alison Keith, chair of classics, credits the increase of interest in Latin courses at U of T to the Harry Potter series!

Two things that make me smile every time I hear about it are U of T’s Harry Potter lectures and our Quidditch team. What? You didn’t know we had these? Now you do, dear readers, now you do.

Shamefully enough, I couldn’t make either. I know, I know. I’m sorry. To make up for it, I wrote my final paper on a literary analysis of the rhetorical strategies in Harry Potter for my INI209 class. Concurrently, I wrote a 20-page essay on the Jungian perspective of Lady Gaga. I may have slept very few hours in those last couple of weeks of the semester, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy rereading HP looking for evidence while blasting Lady Gaga in my room.

Anyways, I digress. Every now and then, we have lectures on the science of Harry Potter. I really wanted to make “The Quantum Physics of Harry Potter”. The department even brought in a magician! Who said academia is all serious business? Luckily, you can experience the book and science nerdiness in all its glory here.

Apart from physics, Professor George Eleftheriades from the Department of Engineering (ECE) was researching the possibility of making invisibility cloaks, and finally… WE HAVE A QUIDDITCH TEAM.

I have Facebook friends on the Quidditch team and I saw pictures, but I can’t for the life of me find them. I did email the team and they said to keep checking back on their Facebook page for upcoming games next semester.

Muggle Quidditch is as ridiculous as it sounds. It’s a mish-mash of soccer and lacrosse and tag, except, you have a broom stuck between your legs. I’m going to be mature and adult and not make any of the litany of wildly inappropriate jokes that come to mind. Check out the photos from The Varsity. Despite sticking a broom between your legs and perhaps giggling self-consciously, the game is actually quite intense; just look at the photos from when McGill came over to teach us how to play. U of T went to the Quidditch World Cup a few weeks ago and played their first game against the NY Badassilisks (what a kickass name). We didn’t win, but I found a video of the action on Youtube:

Take a break from writing/studying and reminisce with me. What memories do you have of Harry Potter? Have you seen DH1 yet?

- Cynthia

“Ice is nice”

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The days got shorter and the weather’s getting colder everyday.  I’ve already worn my ski jacket, wool mitts and unfashionably warm toque. So, in the true spirit of winter, and to continue my commitment to staying active, this week I decided it was time to hit the ice.

I checked out the drop-in recreational skating schedule online and decided to head over to Varsity Arena on Monday from 2-3pm for a free skate. Now, I am not an expert skater and was a bit nervous of embarrassing myself, perhaps losing control, perhaps wiping out. Sure, I’m from Ottawa. I’m no stranger to the annual skate on the canal, but my repertoire of moves is pretty limited: “the forwards skate,” “the stop,”  “the backwards skate” (sort of) and the odd “forward cross-cut” (only possible when I really concentrate).

When I got to the rink and started lacing up the skates I’d borrowed from my grandma, I saw the range of abilities on the ice and knew I’d be fine. There were almost 20 skaters, a mix of staff and students, young and old, male and female. A few were in the centre of the ice, practicing some impressive-looking figure skating spins and jumps, but most were doing laps along the boards at various speeds. Some skaters, like me, were there on their own, while others went as a group to get a bit of exercise and hang out with their friends.

I came across a former figure skater and fourth-year commerce student named Amy. She told me she regularly comes to skate on her own during the 12:10-1:30pm Friday sessions for the nostalgia of being able to participate in an activity she loved when she was younger. This Monday, however, Amy convinced her friend Ally, a master’s student in biological anthropology, who had never been skating at Varsity Arena, to join her. With a smile of regret on her face, Ally said that she probably wouldn’t have gone if her friend hadn’t convinced her, but that she had fun and would go again.

Then I met a law student named Vince. He goes skating at Varsity Arena three times a week. As a former hockey player, he prefers getting his exercise at the rink, doing an activity that he enjoys, as opposed to working out at the gym. “Ice is nice,” he told me.

Similarly, Erica, a master’s student in public health, who had figure skated for 16 years, goes skating every Monday.  Erica told me she goes to the rink to clear her head, manage her stress, and most of all, to indulge in her love of skating. “I call it my happy place,” she said with a sigh.

After chatting with these students, I was inspired by how they all manage to make skating, something they are passionate about, a priority. As I left the rink that day I noticed a poster for an event that might be a good way to see if you still have, or might discover, a similar passion. “Skate ‘n Create” is happening on November 25th.

It’s a night for the crafty and the active at Varsity Arena next Thursday from 9-11pm. There will be free skate rentals, free hot-chocolate, and free Timbits: a great opportunity to get to the rink, especially if you don’t have access to your own skates.

I won’t be able to make it until after my Tae Kwon Do class, where we have been applying the kicks we have learned to different “attack” and “defense” situations, but hopefully I’ll see you there after!

-Shannon

Did someone forget to tell me it was protest Wednesday?

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Did you happen to notice an inordinate number of demonstrations on campus last Wednesday? I passed by at least five in the span of an hour. Was this a mandated day of protest? I tried to find confirmation of this online but my search came up with nothing. Two protests really stood out for me, though they were vastly different.

In front of Hart House was a 24-hour reading of the names of Holocaust victims. The man sitting behind the table reading names into a microphone in a sombre tone was obviously committed to the cause. As I approached Hart House, my first thought was, “oh no, not another annoying protester with a microphone”. But as I got closer to Hart House, I realized the man was reading names. The purpose of the demonstration dawned on me before I had a chance to read the sign. I stopped and listened for 10 minutes or so before rushing away to my tutorial, affected by the reader’s haunting voice and the names of victims still echoing in my head.

The next demonstration I came upon was in front of Robarts. The first was a silent protest. Coupled with this protest was a very non-silent protest, which was protesting the silent protest. Are you confused? I was. At first I couldn’t figure out why the silent protesters had an amplification system. Then I realized I was walking through not one but two simultaneous protests. Honestly, this just gave me a headache.

The woman’s voice blasting over the speakers was ear piercingly loud and garish. I am in no way taking sides here, but I will say this. The quiet reading of Holocaust victims’ names in front of Hart House had a large crowd quietly listening in unity to a sombre remembrance. In front of Robarts, pedestrians were practically running to get away from the super loud speakers and the blatant hostility.

There are tons of student activist groups on campus – lots of opportunities to get involved in a cause you feel passionate about. Ulife’s listing of recognized clubs includes quiet and not-so-quiet organizations for nearly every religious and political viewpoint out there.

When it comes to demonstrating on campus, according to Campus Police, demonstrations that occur on U of T property are under their jurisdiction and must comply with the regulations set forth by the Governing Council. The demonstrations that occur on campus but not on campus property, such as sidewalks, fall under the jurisdiction of the City of Toronto Police. Ultimately, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms deems it legal to protest peacefully. “Peace” seems to be the key idea here. A protest on campus must be peaceful and must not physically harass anyone.

The notion of noise as a physical harassment is obviously ahead of its time. I can honestly say that my ears were being physically harassed as I walked through the demonstration in front of Robarts. Where’s the justice for my ears?

I find it interesting that what holds true to one thing, usually holds true to another. The tactic of yelling at someone to get a point across, rarely works. Whether in dealing with your children, parents, or pets, being loud and waving your arms around by and large has little effect.

It would be nice if loud campus protesters realized that being noisy does not an effective protest make. I would enjoy more quiet protests. I am non-confrontational by nature. The truth is loud protests just make me uncomfortable. From the reaction of my fellow students hurrying by the demonstration in front of Robarts, I don’t think I’m alone.

-Lori

Feeling Kind of Snackish…

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Being on OSAP means learning ways to stretch your budget so that you can make it through the semester. A big part of being creative with my budget rests in navigating how I eat on a daily basis. I tend to be a junk food junkie, which, besides being incredibly unhealthy, could also drain my pockets if I let it get out of control.

To circumvent that, I start by honing in on my grocery purchases. I generally skip the snack aisle – if my cupboards aren’t filled with chips, chocolate bars, and cheese doodles, I’m less likely to eat them ( I mean, really – who wants to leave their nice warm apartment at 10:00pm and walk out to the corner store in cold weather to satisfy a craving for potato chips???). When I grocery shop, I think about items that are both easy to pack as well as being nutritious.

There’s nothing worse than trying to study on an empty stomach – so I usually aim to pack more than I’ll really need if I’m going to be at the library for a few hours. This way, if I want to stay a few extra hours I won’t have to either run home to eat or worse, spend money that I didn’t budget for. I usually pack pasta as my main meal – spaghetti and tomato sauce with soya mince. It only takes about fifteen minutes to prepare. I also pack melba toast and a little container of either homemade hummus or guacamole. 

They’re both perfect to munch on when I’m not quite hungry, but just feeling a little “snackish”. Fruit, too – I love green seedless grapes, tangerines, nectarines, and bananas. Sometimes I’ll throw some baby carrots, raisin, and almonds into a sandwich bag as well. Granola bars are always a good option for keeping my energy level up.

Some days I’ll switch things up with tuna sandwiches on Kaiser rolls. I sometimes also pack cereal in a container and a small reusable plastic bottle with soy or almond milk. Oatmeal is always great for a cold day.

As a bonafied Trini (ahem), I love to make foods that remind me of home. I’ll make a quick “bake” – a flat, oven-roasted bread; or sometimes I’ll make the fried version, which is known simply as “fried bake”,lol.  See the fried version below:

Then I’ll make buljol to go with it…

Buljol is a tasty dish made with salted cod, tomatoes, and avocado. Every once in a while I’ll buy some roti – we call the bread wrapping “skins” (it’s a lot like a pocket-less pita or naan bread), and I’ll curry some potatoes, pumpkin, string beans, and chick peas.

above: curried beef and potatoes with cole slaw.

Pelau is another great option – a simple yet filling dish of rice and peas (and stewed chicken or beef if you eat meat).

Now I’m the first to admit that my dishes will never compare to my mother’s cooking, of course – but it tides me over until I get to “taste her sweet hand” again this Christmas… Trinidad’s population is made up mostly of people of Indian and of African descent, as well as people of Lebanese, Syrian, Chinese, and European ancestry. This, of course, makes for a deliciously unique melange of culinary delights. Yum.

Since talking about  all of that delicious Trini food has made me a little homesick (sniff, sniff…), I’ve chosen some soca for this post’s Song of the Week. Introducing the late, great Lord Shorty…

CLICK LINK

Hope you enjoyed that track – and yes, I plan on doing a post on the music of Trinidad and Tobago in the near future. Be sure to look out for that in coming weeks!

Dara