How To Be 10% Happier March 10, 2023 Moving to a new country can be very stressful, overwhelming, uncomfortable, unusual and many other indescribable feelings. It may even be one of the most daunting experiences you may come across in your life. I will be sharing some of the feelings I face and how I deal with them. Please note that I am not a medical or trained professional whatsoever, and mental health and other support resources with TMU can be found at https://www.torontomu.ca/student-wellbeing/. With that in mind, these are some tips and tricks that have helped me feel at […]

Black Women Writers You Should Know About March 10, 2023 There are four Black women writers that I believe play an important role in the world of writing.  My introduction to these writers mostly began in school and influenced my drive and passion not just for writing and storytelling, but Black writing and storytelling.  These writers are Octavia E. Butler, Maya Angelou, Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison. Octavia E. Butler Octavia E. Butler was one of the first African American female science fiction writers.  I read and studied Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower last semester in my Popular […]

How the Canadian Women’s Soccer Gold Impacted Me March 10, 2023 On August 6, 2021, Canadian Women’s soccer team took gold over Sweden. This was my favourite memory of any Canadian National team win. It was a historic moment, the first gold medal the Canadian women’s team won in soccer. It was also a very emotional moment for me.  Growing up, I only really watched soccer unless it was a big game. I was always bored, but my coach wanted us to watch the game to learn from the players. Soccer is a slow-paced game (most of the time) and […]

How to Throw an Oscars Party March 7, 2023 I don’t know about you, but I take advantage of literally any opportunity to have a party. The 95th Academy Awards, AKA the Oscars, will be presented on March 12, 2023, and you’d better believe I plan on hosting an old Hollywood-style party in celebration.  As always, we begin with decorations. For a theme such as this, we need a lot of gold, black, and red. Party stores usually have a great selection of these colours, and they even have really cool decorations for this exact theme. I found a lot […]

Marcus Rashford: The Player Born to Inspire March 7, 2023                   The Premier League this season has been incredible with many stories to be be told. The rise of Arsenal, the downfall of Chelsea and the intense three-way title race between Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United,… all have made for an unforgettable season for fans. Among those stories, there is one that perhaps deserves more attention and cherish in the soccer fandom and that is the resurgence of Marcus Rashford, Man United’s current leading goalscorer with 14 goals in the league.  […]

Solo Traveling March 7, 2023 This reading week I solo traveled (with my friend…). I traveled between Amsterdam and Paris with her, although we spent most of our time off on our own journeys. This experience was the first thing I’ve done truly for myself since discovering what true self care was. Before, doing something like this would’ve been too intimidating and scary. I would have self doubts, fears, and an overall pessimistic attitude. However, learning the capabilities of my 20 year old self has taught me that I can accomplish anything, even things that seem scary. So I booked […]

Movie-Like Jewelry Heist Nets Thieves $500,000 March 7, 2023 Who doesn’t love a good heist movie? I personally love them. Everything from getting the gang together, scoping out the victims, making the plan, seeing it almost fall apart but then watching the thieves make their escape. What can I say, crime is one of my favourite forms of entertainment… wait let me clarify. FICTIONAL crime is one of my favourite forms of entertainment, the real stuff however, not so much, but every once in a while there will be a story in the news that scratches the same itch as […]

A Guide To Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania March 7, 2023 The fifth phase of movies in the MCU has just begun with director Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and there’s a lot to talk about! In this guide to the film, I will briefly describe the plot, share my own thoughts along with the reception from critics and everyday moviegoers, and discuss what the film could mean for the future of the franchise. Let’s get started! (Warning: spoilers ahead)   In the third installment of the Ant-Man series, Scott Lang has become well respected by the citizens […]

The Best On Campus Eats February 27, 2023 Discovering the different on campus food spots where I was able to use my One Card to make purchases was such a fun experience.  I realized I had so many options to choose from and the convenience of these spots being right on campus was just the icing on the cake. Oakham Café Oakham Café is located in the Student Campus Centre and is open from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  I found Oakham to be such a cute spot and their menu items are especially good as […]

Flushing, NYC February 27, 2023 Most cities have their own Chinatown, a place to explore Asian cuisine within an authentic community. Growing up in NYC, I visited Chinatown almost weekly, exploring new foods each week and documenting them with my best friend Sara. Our favorite food was Xiaolongbao, and we went to 20 different places in the city throughout our adolescence, exploring what the city has to offer for the best soup dumplings. However, we decided to journey 45 minutes out of Manhattan’s Chinatown to Flushing, Queens, where another Chinatown resides. Flushing is vastly different from Manhattan. There are far […]

New to Toronto? The Ultimate Guide February 27, 2023 Are you curious to know what it’s like to move to a brand new country as an international student? Well this is ‘New to Toronto, the ultimate guide!’ I am Yasmina Bizri and I moved to Toronto around 2 years ago and I decided to share my newest adventure with all of you guys to share my personal experiences, as well as some tips and tricks on how to settle down in the easiest and fastest way possible! Moving to Toronto can be very challenging and quite daunting at first however; […]

Premier League 2022/2023: The rise of Arsenal FC February 27, 2023 For many soccer fans around the world, the English Premier League has been the most competitive league for various reasons. The quality of all teams involved, the commercial appeal and the unpredictability nature are what makes the Premier League so special in the eyes of fans. However, this season can potentially be the best in recent memories. How is that even possible with an already brutal and exciting league? It all comes down to one name that has surprised everyone this season: Arsenal Football Club Historically, Arsenal is a […]

Quick and Easy Gifts for Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or Just One of Those Days! February 20, 2023 Is it just me or does the year seem to be flying by? How can it be Valentine’s Day already? I feel like just yesterday I was stressing over what courses to take and now I’m already stressing over how many gifts I’ll have to think of for the various holidays and birthdays I’ll be celebrating this year.  It can be so frustrating to come up with clever gift ideas. But I’m here to help! Here are 3 of my go-to gift ideas […]

The Concept Album: How Music Tells a Story February 20, 2023 When many people think of a concept album, many classics may come to mind- Tommy by The Who, The Wall by Pink Floyd to name a few. A “concept album” can be defined as an album that follows an overarching narrative or theme. Music’s ability to convey these themes and ideas is not only a masterful feat in storytelling, but makes a great listen too. Below I have compiled a list of a few of my favourite concept albums released in the 21st century. Each of these albums tells […]

New Year’s Resolutions January 29, 2023 So it’s been 2023 for almost a month now, and I can proudly say I didn’t give up on any of my new year’s resolutions! That’s because… You guessed it, I didn’t make any. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking “Don’t you want to improve yourself?” And obviously, I do, but being in university is stressful enough as it is, why do I need to add on all the weight of ‘becoming the best version of myself’ within a certain time frame? The end of the year is meant to be a joyous […]