April 02, 2010

Proud to be Canadian!

Both my parents immigrated to Canada in the early 70's and our family is a real blend of cultures. I’m extremely proud of my heritage but equally proud that Canada is a nation that embraces diversity.

So when the Olympics recently descended on our city, I had no idea the impact it would have on my family and for Canadians in general! Day-after-day, Vancouverites (and the rest of our country) came together to cheer our amazing athletes and celebrate our victories. The best part about it was seeing so many people, stoked and so extremely proud of our otherwise humble nation. For a brief few weeks we were family, rallying together merrily, respectfully and peacefully…and I feel honored and privileged to be Canadian!

Favorite moment: hearing my two year-old daughter learn the words “Go Canada Go!”.

Posted by tao at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)

June 30, 2008

Packing Tips:

I was recently asked by a journalist about packing tips when going on holiday…let's face it most of us dread this task! Some of us procrastinate and throw it all in the suitcase last minute and others drag out the process packing many things unnecessarily. Here are a few packing tips whether you are holidaying in the tropics or taking a family/business trip…

The Carry-On bag - very under-rated but by far the most important. If you lose your luggage (heaven forbid) at least you have this blessed bag carrying your most essential items.

- Medication
- Toiletries/Emergency kit of must haves (quick fixes for minor crises: band-aids, Tylenol, spot remover, nail clippers etc)
- Water/Snacks
- Book/Travel Game (Suduko, Crosswords, Scrabble etc)
- Cardigan/Pashmina
- Ipod/Laptop
- Passport/Visa/Important Phone Numbers (for Home and Destination)

Luggage - Make sure you choose appropriate luggage suitable for the destination. Will you be moving from place to place - maybe a backpack is best or if you have a car rental the roll-on/suitcase will probably suffice. Don't forget to personalize your luggage - attach a colorful ribbon or ID tag - it helps when trying to distinguish your black suitcase from everyone else's!

Packing - Lay everything out on the bed. That way you have a good idea of how much you are taking (maybe too much!) and how well everything co-ordinates. Pick a neutral color scheme and Mix'n'Match items (You hear this all the time from fashionistas!) …and don't forget to use accessories to pull different looks together.

Happy Travels!

Posted by tao at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)