thepinkperipatetic

[thepinkperipatetic]

Living in a big & bad world ..

When I was a little girl, all i wanted was to “grow up”. I couldn't wait to be an adult and have all the freedom to do what I wanted and when I wanted to. Now that I am an adult, I wish I could turn back time and be a kid again. All the pressures & stress that comes with adulthood really suck (for lack of a better word) - why didn’t anyone tell me about it sooner?!?

It comes as no surprise that stress is one of the greatest health threats to adults of all ages. According to several institutions, it has been linked to complications like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. It can also present immune issues, higher risk of infertility and miscarriage, headaches, muscle tension or pain, anxiety, and depression.

In this day in age it’s impossible not to feel stressed. Life at its core is stressful: personal and professional relationships, societal pressure, work, finances, fear of death (to name just a few) are just some of the things that affect all adults (to varying degrees) regardless of where you live and across all generations. These factors have existed for centuries and people have generally been able to manage them on their own.

Unfortunately, we now live in a global era, where if you own a smartphone (and don’t live under a rock) we are not solely dealing with just our own personal stresses – we now have the weight of the world thrust upon our shoulders: climate change, racism, terrorism, gun control; war; genocide; natural disasters; politics (dumb politicians); discrimination; gender inequality; the economy; gas prices; Islamophobia; xenophobia; antisemitism; social media; sports; Justin Bieber .. (and many many more). Its impossible NOT to get tangled and feel overwhelmed trying to manage your own personal issues along with the issues that effect everyone else in the world.  

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), one in five Canadians experience a mental health problem or illness each year, equating to 500,000 employees unable to work every week due to mental health problems. Stress is a clearly a HUGE problem and instead of finding ways to reduce stress, every day more and more is added to our plate.

What makes it hard to manage is that these global stresses are not under our control: I can’t stop war or global warming from happening. Sure, I can change my own behavior and actions to not contribute to it, but the issue (stress) will still be there (probably even after I die). I find (for me anyways) the lack of control makes me all the more conscious of my personal stress that also just won’t go away and somehow magnifies it. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle which will only get worse – I feel bad for the younger generations who will soon feel the effect in greater magnitudes.  

Lately, I’ve been having days (weeks) where random people are making me angry. Going back to everything I said above – this shouldn’t come as a surprise. With it being election time in Canada, not only am I being bombarded with new (and old) Trump stories (will he or won’t he be impeached??!) and everything else (the shit-show) that is currently going in the world, the media is now hurling stories at me about Trudeau, Scheer and Singh: I guess I absolutely must know (?)  how these political leaders plan on dealing with all the pressing global/national issues… which is fine on its own .. but unfortunately, the articles are bringing to the forefront Average Joes from across North America who for some reason feel compelled to publicly share their opinions on the topic being discussed. Top that with the fact that I no longer trust the media – it’s only fitting that all I want to do right now is scream and hide under the covers (waiting on that time machine to be invented so I can go back to 10 year old me).

I *usually* try to keep my opinions about the world to myself, held to be privately discussed (vented) with my partner – I just wished others did the same. A few months ago, I told myself (in an attempt to manage my stress) to stop reading the comment section on newspapers and Facebook because let’s face it, the majority of the people who write these comments don’t have a clue of what they are talking about. But its no longer just comments, people are now re-posting and sharing their (dumb) comments to the public and that is stressing me out! (Side note: I realize “dumb” isn’t really a sophisticated word and I’m sure if I tried, I may be able find something better in my vocabulary – but it’s the perfect word catered for these specific people: simple and concise with little room for interpretation). Why must all these dumb people add to my stress?!?!!? Le sigh.

I wanted to write this piece to organize my thoughts to somehow manage all the stress and anger that I can’t seem to shake off. It might just be easier (albeit impossible) to accept that we are all doomed and crawl under a rock.

Would love to hear your thoughts: what stresses you out and how do you manage it??  

[thepinkperipatetic]

“Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto” #VivaItalia

As you may (or may not) know, Hasan and I are going back to Italy this year for his Birthday (iA). It will be the 3rd time (for both of us) going back to the birthplace of Pizza (and I am UBER excited). When I tell people this, a lot of the times the response I get is “again?!” or like last night when I got “why don’t you guys go somewhere you haven’t already”... it’s funny because Hasan and I have actually discussed this a few times. The question is (and this is the only question): would you rather go to a “new” country every time you travel – OR would you go back to explore a country you’ve already been to and loved.. ?

Before I go on, I think it is important to mention that every time I have gone to Italy, I have had a distinct and remarkable experience. 

The first time I went, I did just Rome, Florence & Venice. I went with Contiki on their “Discover Europe” Tour  with one of my besties – it was a quick 4 day stay in Italy but we crammed EVERYTHING in within those 4 days. The experience was awesome! We did the Vatican Tour (the memory of the Sistine Chapels still takes my breath away); we got lost in Rome while taking public transportation; we explored the Colosseum; Partied in in a Tuscan villa near Florence; took a gondola “ride” in Venice; did A LOT of shopping (Italy is home to Prada) .. and got NO sleep. It was my first time in Italy and I fell in love. 

The trip was completely different from the amazing time I had the 2nd time I went – which was with Hasan on our honeymoon. We went to Rome again (because 2 days in Rome the first time was just not enough). But this time Hasan and I also went to Milan, Cinque Terre, Sienna and spent five days exploring the province of Marche where we drove around the smaller cities like Pesaro, San Marino, Sasocorvaro & Urbino. It was a totally relaxed trip (compared to the first time); we rented a car and went at our own pace. Plus the fact that it was our honeymoon made it all the more special.  

When we go in October (IA), we will be going to the South of Italy (the original Italia): Naples, The Amalfi & Sicily (with a mandatory stop-off in Milan to watch AC Milan play Juventus – the tickets are a birthday gift from me to Hasan - #bestwifeever right!?). Hasan (I should mention) is OBSESSED with Italian football – so we plan on going to a LOT of Serie A games this time around (and maybe even the Champions League game in Naples when they play PSG). But once again, it will be a completely different experience than the first two times. It’s Hasan’s 40th birthday so the trip will be all the more exciting. 

Italy, like many other European countries is so vast – each area is unique and different from the rest.  Unless travelling is your full time job – and you spend a month in each country every time you go – you HAVE to go back to the same country – in order to really see what the country has to offer.

Revisiting my initial question: Would I rather go to a different country every time or revisit the same one I love– I say: travelling isn’t simply about getting that “new” stamp on your passport. Travelling (in my opinion) is about exploring places and really getting to know the people, cuisine & terrain of a country - It isn’t about simply crossing things off your bucket-list (see blog post about living beyond the bucket list). 

Don’t get me wrong – I would love to travel to different countries also – I’m curious about what East Asia has to offer and really want to visit Australia – but Italy will forever hold a special place in my heart and surely will warrant a visit for the 4th, 5th and 6th time too. #VivaItalia 

[thepinkperipatetic]

Ice Cream or Gelato.. that is the ONLY question

I love gelato – the creamy texture; the cold soft feeling on my lips when I take that first bite. A scoop of Nutella with Cookies n’ Cream is my favorite – what’s not to love?! I also love ice-cream – it’s the perfect snack on a hot summer day to cool you down (or on a cold winter day to remind you of the summer). I sometimes opt for the “sugar free” ice cream from the local grocery store so I can indulge after dinner on a Wednesday evening watching my favorite Netflix show.   

But isn’t a gelato and ice cream the same thing you ask? The answer – is (drum roll please)...  No!

Don’t fret, up until recently, I was also under the impression that that they both are the same. I just assumed that a “gelato” was just a fancy word for plain ol’ boring ice cream – (I was not totally wrong to think the latter as you will come to know when you read below).

But how are they different? They practically taste the same, at least to my tongue and stomach. – So why such a fuss man?

As always my curious mind took me on a journey to get to the bottom of this extremely important (and relevant) question. I will now share my findings with you all, so you too can rest easy and enjoy your next scoop of ice cream OR gelato in peace.

To start Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream – something to be wary of here  in North America – make sure you don’t fall for a wannabe Italian ice cream shop owners scheme to make you think you are having a Gelato when in fact it is ice cream (because they probably just don’t know any better). Both have the same base ingredients (Milk, cream, sugar) however there are few small differences which make the Gelato a better & tastier option (as per the opinion of EVERYONE on google):

1.      The way it they are churned.  A gelato is churned at a much slower rate than traditional North American ice cream, incorporating less air and thus leaving the gelatodenser than ice cream. The high density gives a gelato a more intense flavor. Since gelato is denser, a serving of gelato may be smaller than a serving of ice cream. In other words, you may be satisfied with a smaller volume of gelato since ice cream has more air, which does little to satiate your hunger 

2.      Authentic gelato uses more milk and less cream than ice cream and generally doesn’t use egg yolks, which are a common ingredient in ice cream – this lowers its overall fat content compared to ice cream

3.      Ice cream contains at least 10 percent butterfat and usually has between 14 and 25 percent overall fat. Meanwhile, Italian gelato includes only about 4 to 9 percent fat.

4.       Italian gelato is served about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than American ice cream, at about 7 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Having a gelato at a lower temperature (and not frozen) allows you to taste (and enjoy) the flavor more

5.      Traditionally the ice cream is served with a scoop while the real gelato is served with a spade, a flatter spoon that looks like a spatula – VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION (if your gelato is being served with a scoop - question it!

 After reading the differences I will go ahead and conclude that not only is a Gelato the better option, it has the potential of also being the healthier option!

 So go ahead and order that scoop – now that you are a gelato and ice-cream expert, chose wisely but in the end, (as always) just let your stomach decide.

[thepinkperipatetic]

Pink isn’t just a Color, its an Attitude

As you can probably tell, I am obsessed with the color pink. I love wearing pink; I own a lot of pink accessories; Pink roses are obviously the best; I surround myself with pink whether it be at home or work--the color just makes me happy. I’ve always loved the color. As I grew up from my adolescent days, I contemplated getting rid of pink from my life-- I thought it was for little girls, and I didn’t want to be childish. But as I got older, I appreciated the color even more. Yes, I changed the paint color of my room to a non-pink color, but pink always remained as an accent--meant to lift my spirits and make me smile. Fast forward to the present, and it's no surprise that I’ve included pink in my blog, Instagram & twitter handle. To me pink isn’t just a color: it’s a part of my personality & character. It makes me - me.

A few days ago, (since I had all this time off) I decided to take my obsession to another level and really dive into what the color means to the world. I was curious to see how the color is used across the globe, where it came from, and how it is interpreted (by people other than me).

The word "pink" was first used as a noun to refer to a color in the 17th century. Pink comes from the latin word “roseus” meaning rosy or pink. The verb "to pink" dates from the 14th century and means "to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern" (possibly from German pinken, "to peck"). 

The color pink is associated with various cultural and social norms all across the world:

In Europe & North America pink is used to portray characteristics of caring and nurturing. It is the color that represents love and romance. It is primarily a feminine color (although more males are now wearing pink too). It is interesting to note that in Belgium pink was traditionally used for baby boys - now it is more common for it to be used for baby girls. In Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, inmates of Nazi concentration camps who were accused of homosexuality were forced to wear a pink triangle. Because of this, the pink triangle has become a symbol of the modern gay rights movement.

In certain regions of Africa, pink is associated with the female essence of life. It is viewed as “red rendered mild and gentle”, and therefore associated with tenderness, calmness, pleasantness, and sweetness. In African philosophy, these attributes are generally considered as essential aspects of the female.

In Eastern and Asian cultures, pink is also considered feminine. In the East it also signifies marriage. In Korea, however, the color is more closely associated with trust. For the Chinese, pink (Fěnhóng) or just (Fěn), the characters mean “powder red”. Pink is not a gendered color in China and is seen as a shade of red, which is a good color. For many years, the Chinese did not recognize the color; it was finally brought into the culture due to increasing Western influence. Thai beliefs place pink as a color of Tuesday. In Khmer and Thai traditions, there is an astrological rule (which has influence from Hindu mythology) that assigns a color to each day of the week based on the color of the God who protects the day. The lucky color of Tuesday is pink, whereas it is also the unlucky color of Wednesday. (Thai people often wear clothes corresponding to the color of the day).

The Hindi word for Pink (and for Bengali as well), comes directly from the word Rose. Semantically, pink means rosy in Hindi & Bengali.

In addition to having significance in the cultures/geographical areas mentioned above, pink is widely used in the field of psychology. Pinks are often used in diet therapy as an appetite suppressant and are also used to help relax muscles and be soothing. Prisons in Switzerland have been painted pink (Project Cool Down Pink) in an attempt to calm down aggressive inmates. The pink rooms are thought to help prisoners quieten down and go to sleep much more quickly.

All across the world, pink is accepted as being feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy. Although at one point pink was thought of as a female color, many males now embrace the color – there has been a rise in men wearing pink ties, shirts, or even pants.

The color pink represents compassion, nurturing, and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing. Its no wonder that the color holds such importance for people in every corner of the globe-- and in my life :) xoxo Erum

[thepinkperipatetic]

Beyond the Bucket List

I love lists. I make them on a daily:  to do list; grocery list; packing lists; etc etc- however one list that I don’t have is a Bucket List. This might come as a surprise to some. Most people who travel, have bucket lists, and their purpose to travel and in life (a lot of the time) is to cross things off their bucket list. Although this might work for some, my opinion is that bucket lists take the fun out of travelling. I use lists to help relieve stress because it’s hard for me to stay organized in my head. There is so much going on that I need a place to write things down so I don’t forget, and am focused- it’s a part of my daily routine, something I must do to be responsible. But who wants to make travel about duty?! In my mind, travelling is not a stressor that requires a list. Having a Bucket List and crossing things off sounds more like a chore or responsibility than something that’s fun and supposed to be the opposite. When I travel it’s because I want to enjoy my time, do whatever I want and when I want it. If I traveled to a place that I enjoyed, I want to be visit it again and again - I don’t want to be bound by a list to cross things off of - that just sounds awful. 

The feeling I get when i cross something off a list is amazing - on the flip side when I see a long list with stuff left to cross off, it gives me anxiety. I feel immense pressure to complete the task. The anxiety and obsessive compulsion to tick something off can be debilitating. Can you imagine having a list of places to travel to, or things to see - but like most of us - having a life!!? I’m not a multi millionaire, and I have a job, family & friends. I want to enjoy my life - all the moments. Whether it’s hearing my favorite instrumental being played by the busker at the subway station in the morning, or making snow angels with my husband - I don’t want to be constantly obsessing over seeing other things and miss the every day moments.

A lot of people think that travelling to new places and seeing exotic lands is what everyone should live for - to them I say: have you seen the duck-man play the drums at Dundas Square?! Sadly he’s not there everyday , but every time I see his over the top persona in a duck costume playing the drums,  I just can’t help but feel content, and that moment is better than climbing Mount Everest or being on a Safari in Africa. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to do all the other things too , but I also don’t want to be unhappy because at any specific moment I’m unable to. I think it’s time we thought beyond the bucket list and did things because we want to enjoy life and our time. Let's do things because we can , not because (in our head) we have to.

Xoxo Erum

[thepinkperipatetic]

Barcelona in two days

Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalunya--the second most populous municipality of Spain. It is known for its marvelous wonders by architect Antonio Gaudi.  Gaudí spent most of his life in Barcelona and the city boasts the largest concentration of his works in the world. Gaudi's  presence is felt throughout the city and was like nothing I've ever seen before.

We had 7 days in Europe for our past trip--2 full days of which were spent in "the city of Gaudi". We were initially a little nervous about going to Barcelona due to the recent Catalonia independence referendum - the last thing we wanted was to be caught in the middle of a riot or unrest. Luckily, we didn’t encounter any unpleasantness. If it wasn’t for all the “democracia” & Catlunya flags hanging everywhere, we wouldn’t have guessed that only a few weeks earlier the city was in turmoil with protests & riots. 

Overall Barcelona was lovely - the locals were nice but not the most hospitable (more on that later). The city was a mix of modern, gothic, and grunge. I wanted to make sure we hit the main touristy attractions but also have time to explore and see what the city has to offer. We made sure to get lost along the way - in my opinion, that is the best way to really get to know a new place. So here it is: my complete guide to Barcelona!

To start, I want to mention our hotel: We stayed at the Room Mate chain hotel (I had heard about it from a Facebook friend who stayed there) - picked Anna due to its location and price. For $120 CAD a  night we got a superb room, artsy and comfortable with all the amenities, including a porch. The hotel got rave reviews on Trip advisor and booking.com. I booked it directly through the hotel website to avoid any surprise fees and didn't have to pay until our stay was complete. The staff was very helpful - answered all of questions and provided a map when asked. My only critique (and this applies to most of the locals we encountered)  is that they weren't warm. There's a difference between people that are nice and helpful when required and those that are inviting and go out of their way to accommodate even when not needed. We found that overall the locals seem to avoid tourists and didn't care to engage in friendly banter.  This was fine with me--I usually prefer to be left alone , but it was very different from our experience in Italy so had to take note. Our hotel was in the shopping and trendy district of Barcelona, their Soho equivalent, neighboring Burberry & Casa Batlo, which was great because we crossed off two things from our list immediately upon arrival. 

We divided our days in morning and afternoon. The mornings we spent on visiting planned attractions while the afternoons were spent wandering the city and getting lost. I've been posting pictures from the city on Instagram so be sure to check them out!  

1. The Sagrada Familia - a 20 min walk from our hotel was amazing. I've seen a lot of churches and basilicas in Italy, Quebec, Paris, Germany & London - but nothing compared to the Sagrada. From the moment I laid my eyes on the exterior I was engrossed. Every small detail, crater and face stands out and is mesmerizing. We purchased tickets online to see the inside a few days before our planned visit - 15 euros a person for the basic entrance. You pick a time slot to enter and therefore get to skip the queue at the attraction to purchase tickets. We went in Novemeber which is a low season for tourist- no cruise ships - so the lines weren't extremely long anyways. With the pre-purchsed tickets we were inside within a few minutes. The inside of the Sagrada initially felt like a spaceship to me. The long pillars and hollowness caught me a little off guard (it's not what I am accustomed to for a basilica) but eventually , as you walk further in and see the beautiful stained glass windows and the statue of Jesus hanging from thin air - it's hard not to be amazed. We spent about an hour exploring the corners inside and out of the church and then walked through the Museum before exiting. It's a definitely must visit for anyone visiting Barcelona for the first time. 

2. Las Ramblas - about a 7-10 min walk from our hotel is a stretch consumed with stores and restaurants on either side, and a large pedestrian walkway running in the middle of the street. A great place to get a gelato and people watch. It starts (on the North side) from across the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc (Placa de Catalunya)  passing by museums, a marketplace (La Boqueria) and ends at the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vel. During the 1.2 km walk expect to pass through artists, musicians and buskers. Oh, and a lot of people asking if you wanted "ganja" . This area is often very congested and boasts a lot of places to eat, however don't be fooled by the menus and hosts trying to lure you in--you can get better food for half the price if you walk off to a smaller street - away from the main path. During our stay , we must have walked across Las Ramblas a handful of times - it's a great starting point to wander off and explore the smaller connecting streets, which lead to neighbourhoods off the beaten path. It's how we unknowingly ended up at the Gothic quarter of Barcelona.

3. The Gotchic quarter (Barri Gotic) - an area with Italian influence makes you feel like you are in an entirely different city compared to the reingst of Barcelona. It is at the centre of the old city of Barcelona. There are several museums, churches, souvenirs shops and of course restaurants that make up the area - but the surrounding castle wall makes it a very unique area of Barcelona that must be explored!

4. Park Guell - a public park system composed of gardens and architectural elements is one of the major works of Gaudi.  It sits on top of a hill - about an hour and half walk uphill from Las Ramblas and our hotel. In order to save time and energy , we took a cab instead of walking- a 9 euros cab ride each way. Entrance to the park area of the Guell is free - but you must purchase tickets to Gaudi House and/or to see Monumental hill (which is an area comprised of several Gaudi masterpieces and the classic wavy mosaic wall background for  picture). We didn't do the Gaudi house museum but did pre-purchase tickets for Monumental hill -  a must do in our opinion, to really take in Gaudis work. The tickets were $7 euros each (and additional $5.50 euros for the Museum if interested). Similar to the Sagrada you can purchase tickets online for a specific time  ( we selected 11 am).  This gave us some time beforehand to walk through the free parts of the park where I got great pictures of parrots! You can't miss the sound of their squawks--they are very loud! If you look closely there are a few in every palm tree along the main dirt path. I used my Nikon to zoom in really close and get very cool shots. At the Monumumental hill, we took in Gaudi's artistic mosaic work and of course got a picture in front of the wavy, vibrant wall foregrounding the architectural masterpieces .

5 -Arc de Triompf  &  Cuitadella Park – a 17 min walk south east from our hotel. The path leading from the arc to and through the park was very relaxing. Walking through we saw kids and couples just enjoying a great sunny day in Barcelona - picnicking , strolling or simply sitting and singing along the many musicians playing their instruments. We found it to be very pleasant. Because of the time that we were there , it wasn't very busy with tourists which was refreshing. Durring the stroll we passed by the Picasso museum and the Barcelona Zoo.

6 & 7 - Casa Batlo & Casa Millia -  a few steps from our hotel (Batlo was right beside and Millia was a block north). Both are open to the public for ticket purchasers. Tickets are available only for specific time slots like the other attractions. We chose not to purchase tickets to see the inside, although if we had more time I would have liked to see the inside of Batlo based on other pictures I have seen. But with Guell and Sagrada, we got a good dose of Gaudi so didn't feel it necessary to spend more money on the interior of the buildings. Casa Batlo was the more impressive of the two buildings from the outside in our opinion. I would recommend seeing it both durring the day and at night- the purple and blue lights hitting the building after the sun went down made it look like a totally different structure. I'll say it again, Gaudi's style is nothing like I've ever seen before (or will probably see again). It feels like from another world and you stop and stare helplessly. There you have it - we were able to squeeze everything in 2 days without feeling rushed. I would say that you need up to 3 days top--if you wanted to really go slow. We felt the 2 days were perfect for us. Spain is a country I haven't explored much and would want to come back to--perhaps not Barcelona itself but central and southern Spain next time. Also, because we were there in November, it was too cold to do anything beach related. I have read that Barcelona is home to some really great beaches, which would have possibly required an additional day or two. 

If you're planning on going to Barcelona any time soon, feel free to contact me for additional information or tips-- I would be glad to help - xoxo Erum :)

[thepinkperipatetic]

Aviophobia

.. palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy .... no this isn't Eminem about to enter a freestyle battle in 8 mile .. it's me , Erum - about to board a plane.

Yes folks, me, Erum Saiyid , The Pink Peripatetic, who loves to travel, who has been to 14 countries (and counting) is afraid of flying. The fear of flying, also referred to as flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia or aerophobia (although the last also means a fear of drafts or of fresh air) effects up to 25% of the population according to some estimates. My friends, you are not alone. A lot of people don't know this about me, some are often surprised at finding out considering the amount I travel - but I thought it was time I let the world in.

It's an irrational fear, I get that. I can go on the highest rollercoaster , no problem. Im even considering bunjee jumping next year - But the thought of being on a plane, (which is basically a big piece of metal 37000 ft above the ground) being hit by turbulence makes me tremble. I've heard it all - flying is (apparentlly) the most safest way to travel. Compared to the accidents that occur driving a vehicle, bike or even walking - flying should be easy peasy.. But it's not (for me atleast). My pre flight ritual consists of A lot of prayers and supplications followed by nervous nail biting and reassurances from my husband. The days leading up to a trip, my excitement turns into panic and dread. Scenes from Final Destinaton (One) flicker through my mind and I am convinced that this will be my demise.

The way I see it , yes the odds of getting in accident are higher when driving biking or walking but the odds of surviving said accident are also much higher. I find the fear is hightened when the flight is at night or above a certain amount of feet in the air when I can't see the ground anymore. This probably relates to my OCD of the need to be in control. Seeing where the plane is relative to the ground makes me feel better ... slightly.

Don't judge me. I don't think I will ever get over it. But it will also not deter me from travelling. I will still book my next vacation and flight and go through the cycle of anxiety every time because, well that's just me. (I do deserve props though for persevering and not letting this fear effect my wanderlust).

Here (see below) are a few interesting and (kind of) helpful articles I found for people of like mind (fear) ... who knows maybe (hopefully) one day I will conquer this fear and make it through an entire flight without freaking out! In the meantime if anyone has any suggestions or comments DM me on ig! Xoxo Erum

https://flyfright.com/overcomingfear/

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161121-how-to-beat-the-fear-of-flying

[thepinkperipatetic]

It’s okay to be white ...

I didn’t choose to live in Toronto- not at first. My parents immigrated to Canada when I was 6 years old - the circumstances at the time made Toronto a good fit for where they wanted to settle. It wasn’t till my 20s did I personally start to appreciate living in Toronto - Toronto became my home (not just somewhere I lived), a city to be proud of. 

For someone who loves food, this city is heaven. I can have amazing Chinese, Thai, Cuban or good ol’ “Canadian” food whenever my stomach desires. Toronto has Drake, the Raptors, TIFF and the infamous CN Tower. But it isn’t just the food, music or experiences that Toronto has to offer - it is the diversity of people. Growing up in the GTA I never felt like I was minority. I was always surrounded by people from different cultures and religions. Especially after 9/11, when living as a practicing Muslim was hard for a lot of Muslims in western countries- I never felt ashamed or afraid to represent my religion or my Pakistani culture. 

Toronto is known for its multiculturalism and diversity, declared in 2016 by BBC as the most diverse city in the world. Home to 230 different nationalities, for some, this is the deciding factor when choosing Toronto as their home. A total of 2,537,410 foreign-born people account for 46% of Toronto’s population (almost 5 out of 10 people are immigrants). The 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) indicated that 49.1% of Toronto’s population is composed of visible minorities; 1,264,395 non-Whites, or 20.2% of Canada’s visible minority population, live in the city of Toronto. 

With all this in mind, imagine my utter shock, as I’m coming home from a day of work, going up the escalators after getting off the subway, when I glance down and see this sticker. I was in disbelief. I actually went back down the stairs on the other side so I can go up the escalators again - this time to capture a picture - and to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. The sticker wasn’t shocking because of what it said - It’s okay being white (duh) no one (I hope) is disputing that. The words aren’t what’s disturbing - however what is unacceptable are: the reasons why the sticker was placed in the first place; the people who put the sticker up; & what the sticker represents. I was (am) obviously outraged. 

Despite a growing headache the first (or second) thing I did when I got home last night (after taking my migrane meds) was to research. Turns out fliers and stickers reading “It’s Ok to be White” have recently been plastered on school campuses and streets all across the US & Canada. The creators of the “campaign” feel the signs will “gain media attention and “normies” (what white supremacists refer to white Americans as) will realize journalists and leftists “hate white people,” leading them to “turn on them”. Um WTF.. Seriously, WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP. Do people actually believe this shit?!? With all thats going on, I would understand or even expect this in the States or really, anywhere BUT here. It is totally flabbergasting that a city where diversity is celebrated harbors individuals who feel this way.

Let me be clear – white people are great. I have nothing against white people – so don’t expect to see (or read) me putting them down and spewing hate towards them (like some of them do towards people of color) – that would only make these people feel vindicated. They want the public to read these stickers and reply “fuck white people”  so they feel justified in their quest– well sorry, that is not the purpose of my rant. I am simply offended, being a Torontonian, that some citizens feel its ok to vandalize the city I call home with these stickers, with the intent (hope) to expel hate, and to start drama. 

So no, I will not give them the satisfaction, but only remind them: remind them of where they are – not a suburb in the USA but Toronto – a city of love & tolerance. You my friends will not accomplish your goals of spreading hate here. Instead, i want to sprinkle you all with sugar and spice and everything nice (cue the corny love songs). I have faith in My City. The6ix will not be brought down by these individuals, Remember its Toronto vs Everybody, and we, Torontonians (not our sports teams –although that will happen one day too iA) ALWAYS have the last word - xoxo Erum

[thepinkperipatetic]

Molr Dental Club - Carbon + Coconut teeth whitening powder

Who doesn't want pearly white teeth? The worst thing that can happen to anyone is to have a picture posted on social media with glaring & gross yellow teeth! I got this product in the Fall Fabfitfun box and was very excited to try it out. (I love to smile and am very particular about my teeth and overall dental hygiene). The charcoal whitener was part of the Fabfitfun “customize” options – I got the choice to get this or an Apple Cider Vinegar hair cleanser. I had seen adverts for the a charcoal teeth whitener on Instagram & FB a few times, so eagerly picked it over the hair cleanser. 

What is it?: 

Activated Charcoal teeth whitening product - Cost: $43.95 + tax USD (approx. $58.00 CAD) - from their website 

(https://molr.co/blogs/news/introducing-the-c-c-whitening-factory)

The claim: 100% natural, medical grade Activated Charcoal which will not only whiten your smile but also detoxify your mouth and gums. They use 100% all natural Activated Charcoal made from coconuts.

Why Coconuts? According to Molr, coconuts are super-heated with steam in the absence of oxygen (who knew?!). This strips away the internal atoms of the charcoal and all that is left is a carbon skeleton. This makes the charcoal act like super sponges on steroids. The Charcoal is then ground into a very fine powder. When you dip your brush into water the powder turns into a paste and the small “sponges” bind to stain and toxins in your mouth through a process called adsorption. They then fill up and bind to the stain on your teeth (sounds simple right..? :s)

Is it safe?

Ingredients: Activated Charcoal (made from Raw Coconut Shell), Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay, Organic Mint Extract

The American Dental Association’s  RDA testing (RDA stands for Relative Dentine Abrasivity) measures it as between 70-90 (0 is the best, 200 is their threshold limit). The website provides how this compares to its competing products:

-Colgate 2 in 1 fresh mint: 70/ Crest (regular): 95/ Colgate Whitening: 124/Arm and Hammer PM Dental Care fresh mint: 168

What’s included in One purchase?

1 container (A two month supply of the C+C Whitening Factory (based on twice a day use)) + a  Molr extra soft, charcoal bristled toothbrush

So, would I buy it?

Answer: probably not.

I didn’t read any reviews, website or even the container itself about details of the product before my first use – so was initially disappointed that it was a powder and not a paste. I wish I had known because I twisted the top to get to it without much care and upon initially opening the container the powder sprinkled all over my sink and counter – not fun to clean (this was totally my bad, because I checked the container, after the fact, and it does give you a warning to open with caution).  Since then, I have tried my best to be careful to open it and use it to avoid spillage but it seems impossible to not have ANY mess. After every use I do have to spend an extra minute or two in the washroom to clean the counter and sink from the black powder that is all over.

The taste of the charcoal isn’t overwhelming, but it also isn’t “fresh” or “minty” like one would want their toothpaste to be (especially before bed or in the morning) – therefor it can’t be used alone. I’ve seen other people complain about this also – you have to brush your teeth before using it. Unfortunately, due to my OCD nature I have to brush my teeth AFTER using it also. Simply rinsing your mouth after using it will not totally get rid of the black residue on your teeth. I even tried to do a quick mouth wash with Scope – but I still had slightly black teeth. Brushing with toothpaste before and after using it makes me wonder if the results I’m getting are from the product or from excessive teeth brushing.

Does it work?

Possibly .. but I’m not convinced.

I don’t have extremely yellow or brown teeth to begin with. I’m not a smoker but do drink coffee on the regular so have slight yellow stains. When I used the product and compared the before and after, yes, I found that my teeth were whiter after using it. But I do wonder if it is: a. the double brushing (as mentioned above) or b. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? (Let me explain) Because the powder is so dark and makes your teeth extremely black when using it – when you rinse it off,  isn’t it natural for your teeth to seem whiter and brighter than they were a few seconds ago when it looked like I had rotten teeth with the powder on..? When I took pictures of my teeth I didn’t see a HUGE improvement – not sure if that is due to the camera or lighting in the washroom, or simply, due to the overall state of my teeth before using it, perhaps I’m not the intended user for the product.

Conclusion:

I’m glad I chose the product to be in my fabfitfun box – there was a lot of hype around it and I was very curious to try it out. The fact that I got it for “free” in the box was definitely a plus. Maybe if it didn’t cost $60.00 CAD I would buy it again, but for someone who doesn’t have a huge problem with stained or rotten teeth, it’s not worth it for me. I would rather spend the $60 on something at Sephora than this product.

Hope this review provided a little insight to those of you who were curious in trying it out. xoxo Erum

[thepinkperipatetic]

Are ALL girls "catty”??

I was talking to my husband the other day, telling him about an unpleasant encounter I had with a female. Without going into a lot of details - the girl, (lady) during our conversation was extremely rude in replying to a simple question I had. Once I had finished my story (rant), I paused and thought “are ALL girls catty?” - see this wasn’t the first time I had encountered a “mean girl”. I worked with an undercover mean girl for years (*undercover mean girl: someone who is nice to your face but really is plotting against you behind your back*); I’ve come across mean girls on the subway (a few weeks ago on a crowded subway ride home, a girl turned around and with attitude rudely told me to move because my bag was "touching her"- There was literally no room for me to move - her reaction was so unwarranted that random strangers came to my defence); I’ve even had to deal with mean girls in my circle of friends... The list goes on and on. 

WHY are girls mean? I understand the need to be mean or catty in response to someone else who is equally mean - but unprovoked, with no real reason - WHY? What is it that makes some girl act the way they do. I say SOME because I know a lot of girls who are actually very nice and would go out of there way to be kind to others -  Which makes me ponder, “do these mean girls even realize how bitchy they really are?” or worse,  “Maybe they know exactly what they are doing but simply have no regard for other people’s feelings?” I don’t believe that people are born mean (evil) - a serial killer isn’t born with the need to kill people - our upbringing and experiences shape our personalities which eventually leads to our actions and behaviours towards others, so there has to be a reason why some girls are mean while others aren’t. 

It is interesting to note that I’m 32 years old, the majority of the girls that I meet are not in high school or even university anymore (where such behaviour would be expected). They are professionals, in some cases interacting in a professional environment where such behaviour is (should be) deemed unacceptable. Yet some of us just can’t help it (it seems). 

A close friend of mine is going through a similar scenario at her place of work - where (for no reason at all) her female co-workers are blatantly mean and rude to her - to the point where she wants to quit her job. Talking to her, and thinking about my own experiences has really left me confused and looking for answers. 

In an attempt to get some insight, I decided to try google - I looked up “why are girls mean” - the result: thousands of articles/journals all aiming to analyze and conclude - turns out I’m not the only one perplexed with this question. Through my browsing  I came across an article (see below) in the Huffington Post which helped with gaining the perspective that I craved  -  check it out and let me know if you agree or disagree. xoxo Erum  ->  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/juliette-frette/jealousy_b_1914374.html 

[thepinkperipatetic]

Living the Yuppie Life

I came across someone recently (for the purpose of this blog, I will name her Jane), who after our introductions and small talk concluded that my husband and I live a “Yuppie Life”. My initial reaction with “Jane” was to giggle and disregard – but as time went by, I resented her conclusion and went as far as being offended.  “Do I live a Yuppie Life?”; “what is a Yuppie?”; “Should I really be offended that she called me a Yuppie?”

All these questions (and then some) swirled around in my head and I thought about it for days. Until one day, during some free time at work I decided to do what I do best – research! My first source: Wikipedia (of course) – “A Yuppie; short for “young urban professional” or "young upwardly mobile professional” is a term coined in the early 1980s for a young professional person working in a city” – doesn’t sound horrible. After all my husband and I are young, professionals and we live in the city. However – it went on:  “Yuppism… is not definable entirely by income or class. Rather, it is a late-20th century cultural phenomenon of self-absorbed young professionals, earning good pay, enjoying the cultural attractions of sophisticated urban life and thought, and generally out of touch with, indeed antithetical to, most of the challenges and concerns of a far less well-off and more parochial Middle America”. Umm HOW DARE SHE?! I am NOT self-absorbed & definitely NOT out of touch with reality. Alas, my gut reaction to be offended by being labeled a Yuppie was correct after all. Just because my husband and I work HARD to make money and can afford to live in Toronto and go on trips does NOT mean we are self-absorbed and out of touch with reality. In fact, I would argue the opposite. Our income, residence & travel allow us to be a part of so many different realities. We get to experience life in countries and cities all across the world. Because of our income and what it allows us to do – we are charitable and able to be our most authentic selves.  Obviously it’s not earth shattering that I was called a yuppie, and yes I will probably forget about this in a few days – but for now, with this post, I can revel in the fact that the world (or at least the small part of the world that will read this post) knows me for who I am, and to NEVER call me a yuppie again - xoxo Erum

[thepinkperipatetic]

Trying out the camera on my new Samsung Galaxy S8. Very impressed with the camera quality for photos at night!