Meet "Elias"

When you walk into Mystic Muffin on 113 Jarvis St, you'll most likely be greeted and served by the owner himself.  Elias Makhoul stands behind the counter, very friendly, explaining the menu and the different options you can have. Elias moved to Canada from Lebanon when he was 21, and has been running Mystic Muffin at the same location for close to 20 years.

I went with my friend Ziad after i heard they serve Moujadara (a traditional lebanese dish with lentil), but there we knew that they do the Moujadara only tuesdays and fridays, but we enjoyed the lentil soup, the falafel and the famous hummus, and on top of that their famous apple cake that was recommended by another friend.

Mystic Muffin is a small restaurant with just couple of tables but lots of people walked in, ordered and enjoyed their meal there.. and the interior is very modest with a very personal touch from Elias, and lots of pictures for him and his family, and some of his customers.. on top of branded T shirts that you can buy.

We didn't know that we can only pay cash, and we didn't have any on us, so I didn't expect from Elias to tell us that we can pay another time... it was amazing to see people who can still trust strangers especially that it was our first time there.. but still we ran to an ATM, and ended up paying us, thanking him and promising to visit again, especially to have the lovely Moujadara dish.

Meet "Liberty Tax Service"

Yes, it's the time I file my taxes for the first time.. 

I tried to fill them online, but was worried to do something wrong especially that I didn't understand some of the steps.. So my friend Merwad gave me the contacts for Liberty Tax Service, who are based on 1775 Danforth Avenue.

I called to take an appointment, but they informed me that it's on first come first served basis, so I gathered all my documents and took the subway to Coxwell, the closest to Liberty Tax office.

Arriving there, this maple leaf mascot was receiving people (I believe to lighten up the mood as when it comes to money and taxes people can be stressed).

They were very welcoming and helpful and I didn't expect to be done in 10 minutes.

I felt it was like an official baptism to the Canadian life and looking forward for my tax assessment in couple of weeks :)

Meet "#SaveAleppo"

Another group of students dedicating their time and efforts for a noble cause, volunteering to support and collect donations for the people of Aleppo...

I can't believe that the situation in Syria is still going on and on.. it's sad..
And if #SaveAleppo can contribute in any way to help and support, please don't hesitate in using it, and creating awareness and hopefully stop the suffering.

Meet "Amy"

I was always a fan of street artists, be it musicians, performers, graffiti artists, because they create a beautiful buzz around the city and they add life to some dull days..

And this was the case with Amy, with her beautiful voice, and great guitar play, she enchanted all the people walking around University and Queen intersection and put a smile on my face.

Meet "Ammar"

Ammar is the friend of Rashed, and Rashed the friend of Ali, and Ali the friend of Nabil and Nabil is my friend, so Ammar is now my friend :)
An hour of good laughs and beers at kensington Market.. Cheers

Meet "Samra & Nick"

Samra and Nick are the perfect proof that there is still good people willing to volunteer to make this world a better place.

I met both of them on the Yonge Street, and they asked me if they can talk to me.. They are spreading awareness for Because I’m a girl.

Because I am a Girl is Plan’s global initiative to break the cycle of poverty and gender discrimination. Plan is a global movement for change, mobilizing millions of people around the world to support social justice for children in developing countries, and especially supporting and providing the education and skills for girls who need to move themselves from poverty to opportunity.

Girls in the poorest regions of the world are among the most disadvantaged people on the planet. They are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be denied access to education, and more likely to be malnourished, simply because they are young and female.

And yet, studies show that when you invest in girls, the whole world benefits. If a girl has enough to eat, a safe environment, and an education, she’ll work to raise the standard of living for herself, her family and her community. And in time, she can even strengthen the economy of her entire country.

Learn more about the unique barriers girls face around the world, but also about the incredible power they have to change the future for everyone.

We can make a difference here in Canada! By helping Plan Canada’s Because I am a Girl initiative to support girls’ rights in the developing world and help break the cycle of poverty.

You can support by sponsoring a girl a monthly sponsorship, or by a one time donation, by buying any of Because I’m a girl merchandises and gifts, or through the different fundraising activities you can create.

And you can simply support and spread the word on different social media channels and following the Because I’m a girl Facebook page.

I promised Samra and Nick that I will spread awareness through my blog, and Saluted their efforts and energy.

Meet "Spiderman"

Yes.. Now I'm friends with Spiderman.. And I met him here on the streets of Toronto..

And If you want to see him in Action you can join me on May 2nd at the movie theatre..

"Every day I wake up knowing that the more people I try to save, the more enemies I will make, and it's just a matter of time before I face those with more power and I can over come.."

That's the amazing Spiderman.

Meet "Toronto Metro"

My friend on the move..

The best way to spend 10 or 15 minutes in a Subway ride is to grab one of Toronto Metro newspapers and scan all the news and stay up to date with what's happening especially on the local scene.. And having a smile every time checking the never ending ridiculous updates from Toronto's Mayor stories.

A very interesting article from yesterday's issue "Are you a potential hacking target?" I recommend you give it a read.

Meet "Bata Shoe Museum"

Since we were kids, we used to love to go to Bata to get our shoes, especially before Christmas and Easter, and we grew up and this brand remained a mark in the shoemaking world.

And moving here, and while walking on Bloor Street, I noticed a beautiful building, and was surprised to know that it's a shoes museum, Bata shoe Museum.. So I was very curious to see it up close and personal.

So I walked in, got my ticket and started discovering this four floor museum with a collection of Hundreds of shoes (from a collection numbering over 10,000) and lots of history.

The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four impressive galleries. Footwear on display ranges from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing clogs and glamourous platforms. Over 4,500 years of history and a collection of 20th-century celebrity shoes are reflected in the semi-permanent exhibition, All About Shoes. Three other galleries feature changing exhibitions, so there's always something new to see, and the exhibition now is "Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneakers Culture"

The exhibition explores the history of the sneaker from the 19th century through to today. It showcases the history of sneaker culture and features over 120 sneakers representing the past 150 years.

Rare sneakers from the archives of adidas, Nike, Reebok, PUMA, and Converse... The exhibition also includes the latest designs from fashion designers, including Christian Louboutin, Pierre Hardy, Lanvin and Prada, as well as exceptional limited editions such as the Nike Dunk Supremes and LeBron James Stewies.

The exhibition was designed by the famous industrial designer Karim Rashid, and the exhibit’s look is very modern in style and vibe with blasts of colour against the predominantly white environment.

Wish they had more space to be able to exhibit more shoes because you leave and you ask yourself "did I see enough shoes? Can they squeeze the spaces to fit a lot more from the huge collection they have?"

But still it was very interesting to check the museum and will be definitely looking for their next exhibitions.

Meet "The Classmates"

I can’t believe that three months already passed and the “Foundation in Digital communications Strategy and Social Media” course at University of Toronto is over..

And what a fantastic last class yesterday with everyone sharing a summary of their blog, their best posts and enlightening us with their key learnings.

Lots of insights, lots of inspiration and definitely lots of passion.

It was a great pleasure to take this course with a group of professional talented people, and learning from each one, from their working and personal lives, from their hobbies and mostly from their experiences.

Thank you Jane, Nabil, Kent, Lindsay, Daniele, Tori, Heather, Sameer, Lauren, Danny L., Kathryn, Mandy, Karen, Sima, Danny G., Kathleen, Bennett, Caitlin, Chris, Elhum, Laurie and Scott for great 12 weeks.

Thank you Alison and good luck for the coming semesters.

And a huge thank you for you Eden for sharing your knowledge and great expertise, and for making us embrace the digital and social world.

See you guys in few weeks for the advanced class for more learning and at the same time more fun.

Meet "Rooster Coffee"

If you want to have a nice tea or coffee in a very unique café then you should definitely visit Rooster coffee house on 343 King street E.

This wasn’t my first time there, but when my friend Ziad - who arrived yesterday from Lebanon – asked me to go for a coffee, automatically I told him let’s go to Rooster coffee house, and I felt happy that I started recommending places and getting to know nice cozy places like that one.

Not only the staff is very friendly and the place is esthetically beautiful with lots of art and vintage pieces which made it very homey, but their coffee, muffins and croissants are delicious, and you can’t but get tempted to try some.

It’s always busy there but we still managed to find a corner to enjoy my chat with my friend, my peppermint tea and my blueberry muffin.

I love to have such places around, where I can escape for a little bit of “me” time, a “tea” time, or even better “let’s catch up my friend” time.

Meet "CTV"

I spent the whole day at home, but had a friend entertaining me, and keeping me informed.. CTV (CTV News Channel & CTV Two).

When you live in Canada and you want to know what’s happening, CTV is your reference..

CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of news, sports, information, and entertainment programming.

Even though for the last 3 month, most news were about the weather if not about Rob Ford, but at least I feel this is another way of getting closer to what’s happening around. And of course it’s another opportunity to see lots of Canadian commercials, so I know more insights about the different brands and the way they communicate which is extremely important for my job, or let’s say future job.