News news news!!

Woah, I haven't written a post in awhile. I have been so busy lately and so much has been going on for us. We had a stressful couple of weeks leading up to going home in September. We didn't have permanent residency yet and we were at the point where we didn't know if were able to go home on our temporary visa but luckily everything worked out and now... WE HAVE OUR PERMANENT RESIDENCY! We are so happy that we finally have it. It was a very long, daunting and expensive process and now it feels so worth it!

Rewind to the week before we received our PR, on Halloween night we got a notice from our landlord saying we needed to leave the apartment by December 31st. This was not the news we needed especially as we are heading home for Christmas in December. Waiting for confirmation of PR is stressful enough and now having to find somewhere new to live, I felt like nothing was going our way. I was and still am very emotional(what's new) about the thought of having to move out of the apartment we are in now. It  is the only place that's been our home away from home for the last 2 and a half years. The day we close the door for the last time I know I will be bawling just thinking of all the happy memories there.

On a brighter note we are not moving far, in fact just one floor below the apartment we are in now. We found out on a Tuesday about our notice and by Saturday we had the keys to our new apartment. Getting somewhere so quickly is unheard of in Toronto at the moment. I have heard stories of people getting turned away for credit history, people being out bid and others getting really small apartments for crazy rent. So we are really counting our blessings that the landlord liked us, that its slightly bigger and that the rent isn't as crazy as it could be. By chance we were the first people to ring the landlord about the apartment and he had made up his mind to take us before he even met us, I think. The day we met him he introduced us to his whole family, wife, children, sister and mother in law, we had not even seen the apartment yet! He was so nice though and we couldn't be luckier.

Now saying all that the place needs a little love, the walls were full of children's drawings. The carpet in the bedroom needed to be professionally cleaned and the landlord needs to get us some wardrobe doors as the old tenant decided to take them with her! lol.

We have been cleaning and painting the past week and we are slowly going to move our stuff in. We are officially moving in the weekend of Nov 25th. Below are some pictures before cleaning and painting. I will do after pictures once it is all done. Follow my Instagram for more regular updates (zitajames).

Have a great weekend!

Talk soon xx

Zita J

Our trip home

Happy Friday,

Hope you had a great week and you're looking forward to the weekend. For me I'm glad this week is over. Last Thursday after work I didn't feel well, thinking it was my usual stomach issues, I didn't take too much notice but as the night passed I knew it was something different. I spent the whole weekend this way and eventually had to go to hospital to get checked out as I wasn't getting better. They think I had some stomach virus but my god it was unlike any bug I've ever had. The cramps were just unbearable. I heard yesterday then that there is a dangerous bug going around Ireland so I may have picked it up at home. Be careful if you do get that bug and stay hydrated.

Speaking of home, this day two weeks ago we were home attending Parker's brothers wedding. What a day! Such a beautiful venue and ceremony and the rain stayed away. I got my skirt in a boutique in Toronto called Pearls and Pockets, its hard to see in the pictures but it's a beautiful grey colour with lace detail and my top is from a boutique in Ballincollig called Silk Peaches. The back was my favourite. I accessorized then with shoes and a bag from New Look.

The rest of our short trip home was spent having quality time with family and friends. It was just what I needed. I even fitted in a spa day with my Mum and sister in the Kingsley Hotel. I had never been there and I was very impressed with the spa and even more impressed that they gave me my own gluten free tray when we got afternoon tea. I am staying away from gluten for now as much as possible, so I get very excited when restaurants make an effort.

The trip home was very short but perfect and it's only 10 and a bit weeks until we are back again.
This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to a long weekend relaxing, enjoying the lovely weather we are getting and eating (I have to make up for the lack of eating last weekend) lol.

Have a great weekend!

Talk soon xx

Zita J

The Sten and more

Happy Monday,

Hope your weekend was fun. Mine went so slow, I think it's because I am excited about going home TOMORROW. It was good to not do much this weekend. We needed to pack and get organised for our trip home. The last few weekends have been crazy. One of my best friends, Nicole came to visit last Thursday for 5 nights. We had some laugh. Saturday was probably the most fun. Five of us rented a car and went to Niagara, to be honest I wasn't overly thrilled about going to see it for the fourth time but I wanted to go with her. When I saw it again though it was still as amazing as the first time. We had only planned to stay in Niagara for a few hours and head back to Toronto but we decided instead to stay overnight.

As Niagara can be expensive to stay in we didn't want to be spending a fortune to be close to the falls. We drove around and picked a family room in a Motel. As you can imagine it wasn't the best. The bath tub was like something from the 80's (actually it probably was from then) and I only got about 2 hours  sleep thinking that Norman Bates was going to come in and murder us all. I read the reviews the next day and they were horrendous, glad I didn't read them before I went to bed. You know what though, it was all part of the experience. I have never laughed so much all weekend and It was amazing to see Niagara Falls lit up at night. Its a great place for a night out too and I definitely want to go back (Might book a hotel in advance though) haha. For once saying bye to my friend wasn't that hard, knowing I'll be home this week.

Besides Niagara, I wanted to share with you a few things I did for the long weekend we had two weeks ago. As some of you may have read on my last blog post, I was helping organise my two friends Sten(Joint Stag and Hen). We rented a cottage in Blue Mountain that slept about 20 people. There was 14 of us that headed up there. The cottage was everything we wanted and more. It was very clean,spacious, had a hot tub, a fire pit outside and was very close to the village. I loved the small details about the place and how the owner had everything labelled for us to help find things easily.

To make the weekend a little bit more special, I wanted to add a few Hen and Stag elements to it. I bought a few decoration in the dollar store like balloons etc. I wanted to make a banner for them but had to think of something that would work for both a hen and stag so I came up with this....

This was very easy to make, I drew the letters on white card stock, cut them out, made little holes on each letter and fed string through, super easy!

The next day after a night of drinking. I gave everyone hangover kits. I got the idea from pinterest. Inside I put, a barrys tea bag (I had loads from home), a plaster, a kit kat, a moist wipe, a mint and some alka seltzer. All essentials after a night of drinking. It was a bit of fun and I think everyone enjoyed it.

On Saturday we went to the village for the day and that night we did it all over again. I organised a game of Mr and Mrs, which was hilarious. I also bought photo booth props and set up my camera and tripod and got some great group pics.

On the Sunday, we were all a bit wrecked so it was a more chilled night around the fire pit having smores and some drinks. I bought lanterns so that we could all make a wish to the couple of the weekend, however the weather wouldn't cooperate with us and the wind wouldn't allow us to light them. I was gutted! Besides that, the whole weekend worked out great, all the little things I planned to make it special for them turned out well  and everyone enjoyed themselves. Now for the wedding in 3 months time...eeek!

Talk soon (very soon for my family and friends).

Zita J xx

Minding Miley

So, I have been meaning to write a post over the past few days but I have been very busy. There is a lot going on for me at the moment. Some good, some not so good. I will fill you in at a later time. For now, I just wanted to fill you in on a few things I have been up to and what I am getting up to in the next couple of weeks.

Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of minding our friends puppy, Miley. After having a pretty stressful week, I thought, “what a nice relaxing way to spend the weekend, minding a puppy”. Well, relaxing was not the word I would use. Haha. The idea of minding a puppy to me seemed easy. I will tell you now, it's far from that and I praise anyone who does it. I adore dogs! I am one of those crazy people on the street who stops you to rub your dog. I had a dog when I was younger and all I remember is playing with him. Now, without any mothers getting offended, minding a puppy felt like I had a newborn haha. She woke a few times in the middle of the night crying to come into our room, she peed and pooped in places she shouldn’t, she ate a lot, slept a lot and I worried about her constantly. I really felt like a new mother. Parker even let me sleep in one morning because I was wrecked! Think he was letting me see what my future will be like, could get use to lies in!

Besides the pooing and worrying, It was one of the nicest weekends I have had in a long time. The happiness and excitement that a dog can bring is unreal. She is such a gorgeous dog and I loved getting cuddles from her when she got sleepy. I was a little emotional when she wasn’t in our apartment anymore. Coming home to a dog that was so happy to see you was something I could get use to but I think I will wait another few years until I can commit to taking care of one full time. A dog is for life not just for Christmas,as they say. 

Puppy talk aside, this weekend is an exciting one. Today after work we are heading to Blue Mountain village. Its about two hours outside of Toronto. There is 14 of us going and we are getting an Airbnb. The main reason we are going is to celebrate our two friends Stag and Hen, so we are calling it “The Sten”. Some people call it a "hag do" also. They had their own individual ones back in Ireland in July but since most of us couldn’t be there we said we would celebrate it all together. I am helping to organise it and I will do a blog post all about it after in case you’re interested. I am really looking forward to it! Be sure to follow my Instagram story to see what we get up to username: zitajames.

After the long weekend, one of my best friends is coming to visit and I could burst with excitement! Can’t wait to show her around and catch up. Then just a week later, I am flying…. HOME!!!!!

Parker's brother is getting married, I can not wait for the wedding and to see my family and friends. It's going to be a busy few weeks but lots to look forward to!

Have a great weekend, if you are going to EP, I’m not jealous, I swear.

Talk soon xx

Zita J

My Job: One year on

Happy Friday,

Hope you are looking forward to the long weekend. It's one here too. Woohoo! There are not as many long weekends here as there are in Ireland so its very exciting when one comes around. Lately I have been thinking a lot about my job, so I thought I would share a bit more and show you that anything is possible if you keep trying.

This week one year ago I started the job I am in right now, I honestly didn’t think I would last a day. I went into the job thinking it was an Office Admin role but it turned into so much more. Today, while still looking after the day to day running of the office, I am a vital part to the securitization team. In a nutshell, what I do is give car dealerships loans for cars that their customers want to lease from them. I review those customers credit and see if they meet certain requirements. Basically, it's like a bank. I’m not going to lie, my first two weeks I cried nearly every day when I came home as I had no idea if I would ever understand, not only the job itself but small things like business terms. Having a degree in Early Childhood Education and throwing myself into a finance company was very overwhelming.

When I think back to my first two weeks, I would google everything or text Parker asking what something meant. I never in a million years thought I would be doing this kind of job but now I actually enjoy it. I didn't think it was possible to be happy when numbers reconciled. The reason I’m writing all this is really to say I am proud of myself! Haha. It’s not easy to take on a job like this with no finance or accounting degree or any  background in business really and on top of that, to have dyslexia too. I will admit that my dyslexia  held me back a good bit at the start when working with numbers. I eventually trained my brain to read numbers easier (this might sound strange to people who don’t have a learning difficulty but hopefully you know what I mean) For me it just takes me longer to learn and retain information than the average person but I will get there.

A year on and I am so happy I stuck it out for so many reasons. Firstly, I came to Canada to try something new and this  job certainly is different. Secondly, I have the potential to start a new career, that long term can be well paid. Lastly and the most important, I have learned so much, particularly about myself. It has made me thick skinned. A year ago if someone said something negative or nasty towards me I would cry almost immediately. Now I can handle situations better and if something bothers me I speak up for myself…. and probably cry later that night haha but not straight away, which is the main thing. Baby steps people! I am okay with being an emotional person, it's who I am but now I am learning how to be emotional yet not be seen as vulnerable or a push over.

This year has been though for me with regards to work but I am glad that I stuck with it. I am excited to see what challenge I can take on next. COME AT ME! <insert bicep emoji here>

Have a great weekend and keep going, you'll get there eventually. 

Talk soon xx

Zita J

A weekend full of food!

As you'll have seen by now I love food. I wrote a post recently on my low fodmap diet. I am feeling great and at the reintroduction stage. This means I eat foods I had to avoid before and take note of how I feel after. So far I have realised onions are not agreeing with me so I avoid them as much as I can. I am also trying my best to avoid gluten as much as possible. I noticed that I feel ok if I have a food that would has a small amount of gluten in it for example sauces that may have flour added or chicken that is coated. However if I have pizza, pasta or bread I don't feel the best. So I avoid them or get gluten free options where possible. As food is what I love, this isn't going to stop me going out and enjoying myself.

I think my favourite thing to do is to go to food festivals and I certainly made that happen last weekend. I went to three food festivals on Saturday and Sunday. Taste of Toronto was planned, I wanted to go back since we went last year and it did not disappoint! The sun was shining, I had some Jacobs Creek frosé (frozen rosé) which was delicious. I ate an amazing fried chicken dish with fries and peanut sauce, that was slightly spicy but so yummy and we even signed up for tequila tasting. I could lie and say the tequila was amazing but it tasted like 2am in a club when you totally didn't need another shot!haha. I pretended I liked it anyway and tried to not make faces!All and all it was a great day!

After a fun day we decided to go to Taste of Little Italy. There was a whole street closed off for the weekend. There were street vendors, musicians, street performers and a small fun fair. It was sooo busy so it was hard to take pictures. If you follow me on Instagram(zitajames) I put lots up on my story that day, I use that instead of Snapchat now, for some reason I prefer it.

On Sunday we said "why stop there?" and went to Taco Fest. The best part was we got in for free, it was sold out and after a disappointed hungry girl waited around for a few minutes with a sad face, we got in. Lol.  As the name suggests it was a festival full of tacos with restaurants and food trucks providing the goods.. I was so happy as there were lots of gluten free options to choose from. It was very busy and everyone was enjoying the music and food, until a thunderstorm arrived. What a way to spend a weekend! Full Belly = Happy Zita.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Talk soon xx

Zita J

Montreal

This day last week myself and Parker headed off to Montreal from Toronto, we both had a half day and got the 3.15 pm train. We arrived into Montreal around 8.30 pm and headed straight to our hotel. We stayed in the Hilton Garden Inn and I could not recommend it more. It was central, the room was very clean and the staff were attentive. They also have a pool on the top floor of the hotel. It was a great hangover cure on the Saturday morning.

On the Friday night we met my cousin (I have so many and it's great as they are spread out over the world) and we went for drinks. He took us to a few different bars on Bishops St and many drinks later we got back to our hotel. Saturday morning we woke up early and went to the pool and hot tub to help us start our day of adventures.

We headed out and went straight to Old Montreal, which was highly recommended by many people. If you're visiting from a big city like Toronto, downtown Montreal isn't that appealing as its just big buildings. Although I love that about Toronto, I was coming to Montreal to see something different. Different is certainly what I got. The whole time I was there I felt like I was in France or somewhere a million miles away.

We walked around Old Montreal admiring the beautiful architecture and stopped for lunch in a restaurant called Solmar on Rue St Paul, it looked cute and people were sitting outside so we decided to do the same. I got steak and frites and it was delicious. All the restaurants on Rue St Paul looked lovely and all were very busy so if you go there you have lots of choice on that street.

It was a beautiful day so after our lunch we walked around the old port. There was lots happening down there especially it being a long weekend. There was markets, street performers and activities for both children and adults like zip lining, adventure courses etc. It looks like a lovely place to just relax and enjoy the weather too.

After enjoying the sunshine and walking around we decided we needed a refreshment so we headed to a roof top bar called Terrasse Nelligan part of Hotel Nelligan. The atmosphere was great up there with everyone enjoying the beginning of the summer.

We went back to our hotel to get ready for dinner and drinks with my cousin. He brought us to a restaurant called Le Vin Papillon which is the same owners as Joe Beef a very well known restaurant in Montreal. It's a tapas style restaurant. The menu changes all the time and its written up on a blackboard (in french) so if you don't have someone with you that speaks french you might have fun guessing. They are very helpful though and recommend dishes to you. The food was incredible and the wine was great too.

After dinner we headed to The Drinkerie, they do cool cocktails there. So many to choose from! We then headed to The Burgundy Lion and were greeted with free shots of whiskey, the perks of having a cousin whose a bartender! Lastly we went to Le Bureau, a cosy tapas and cocktail bar. It opens until 3am... I am surprised I lasted until then.

We had a really fun night and it was great to catch up with my cousin. Sore heads in the morning as we got up and got ready to explore more and make the most of our last day in Montreal. Part 2 is to follow......

Talk soon xx

Zita J

                                                                     

Low fodmap diet

I mentioned last week on my Instagram and Facebook how I am on a special diet called FODMAP. FODMAPs is an abbreviation referring to Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are complex names for a collection of molecules found in food, that can be poorly absorbed by some people. So I am 10 days in and I wanted to fill you in on what it's all about. I haven't been feeling great for a number of years now and I have gotten tests done to see if I am celiac etc and it came back clear but I was advised about 4 or 5 years ago to limit the amount of gluten as it doesn't agree with me. I did that for awhile but as time passed I started to reintroduce it again.

However lately I have been feeling quite bad so I decided to go to a naturopathic doctor. My work benefits covered it too which is great. He recommended I go on a low fodmap diet for 3 weeks and then reassess and go from there. Low FODMAP diets are usually not a permanent diet, most of the time its about cutting lots of food such as gluten, cows milk, garlic, onion etc out of your diet and then reintroducing them to see what triggers you feeling unwell. That way you can figure out what food you should limit or avoid completely.

With the diet I am on  there are a lot of food that I cannot have anymore. Some I was very surprised by like certain vegetables i.e broccoli, although I am not complaining. The main foods that I have been advised to stay away from is foods containing gluten. Most dairy products expect hard cheeses which I also find odd.  I can’t have garlic, onions, sweet corn, apple, some juices. There is a big list!

I have also been advised to stop drinking tea and change to green tea as there is less caffeine in green tea. I usually drink three cups of tea a day and I am not going to lie I am finding it very hard to not have "real tea". What am I going to do with all my Barry’s Tea my mum has sent me? I may treat myself to one cup at the weekends but for now its green tea or decaffeinated orange pekoe. (This just isn’t the same) Must get the mother to send decaffeinated Barry’s Tea... Lol!

Along with the foods to avoid I have to take psyllium husk every day. I was told to drink it with water but after two times empty reaching into the sink trying to drink it, I decided to put it in my porridge in the morning instead. You wouldn't even notice the difference. Psyllium husk is a way of getting more fiber into you and has many benefits which included: 

• Health heart and improved cholesterol   
• Makes bowel movements easier, yes I am talking about poos on my blog.
• Weight management, as it makes you feel fuller for longer.
• It has also been said to help with diabetes.

I have also been advised to drink apple cider vinegar before my meals, I have started to do this before my dinner. It is like some form of torture to be honest but I am getting use to it. I was told to take it before meals as it helps in the process of digestion however its said to have many more benefits:

• Can treat acid reflux and heartburn
• Can kill yeast and boost probiotics
• Can help fight allergies 
• Cure colds and sore throats
• Lowers blood pressure
• Helps support weight loss
• Improves hair and skin 

To be honest it hasn't been the hardest thing ever. Some days are easier than other. With the support of my personal chef Parker, he has thought of so many great delicious dishes that are gluten, dairy free and low FODMAP friendly and you wouldn't even notice the difference. I have realised that I have to be more organised and super prepared so that I am not buying foods that I need to avoid.

Obviously at times it can be frustrating, especially for a big foodie like me who loves going out for food but I'll get there and more importantly I feel GREAT! Isn't that what it's all about.  It might not be forever and I may be able to introduce these foods again but for now I am living,learning and feeling good!

This diet isn't for everyone so if you feel unwell go to your doctor, Don't self diagnose yourself. But don't let it go on too long if your not feeling 100%. Your health is everything!

I can still enjoy my food and treat myself...just see below.

Peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda and vanilla with dairy free chocolate chips. Gluten and dairy free cookies and super simple to make.

 

Gluten free nachos, beef mince with passata (strained tomatoes), salt, pepper, paprika, chili and hard cheese(which I am allowed). Delicious!

I will put up more food related blogs in the coming weeks if people like and it might help some of you! For now I am off to pack and get ready for our trip to Montreal this weekend. Follow my trip on Instagram: zitajames.

Talk soon xx

Zita J

My 5 tips to help anxiety

Lately I have been feeling very anxious. I have shared with you before that anxiety is something that I have dealt with for awhile. When I just moved here I remember writing a post called "what I have learned so far" and in it I discussed how the subways, crowds and bad news on the TV was causing me to feel quite anxious, well since then I have learned to deal with crowds and subways a lot more. I still try avoid listening to too much bad news, obviously you can't avoid it especially with social media but I try not get engrossed in all the negativity that we have to listen to and watch every day.

I feel my anxiety may be worse at the moment due to the big decision we made to apply for permanent residency but for people who do suffer from anxiety you will know that some times you can't explain the reason for your anxiety and why you feel the way you do on a particular day, week or month. No one likes to feel down or panicked so I thought I would share with you the things I do to help me deal with it:

1. Exercise

For the last month I have been going to the gym in the mornings before work. I am mainly doing it for my mind. If I tone up then all the better but for me its all about feeling better and there is no better feeling after going to the gym or even a long walk. It clears your mind and gives you energy for the day. I think the morning works best for me. People are so busy these days, they say they don't have time but I am telling you, if you find at least ten minutes of your day to exercise you will feel so much better.

2. Talk

This is so important! Be it your girlfriend, boyfriend, mum, dad, friend, work colleague or even a professional. Talk to someone about how you are feeling. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I am quite open about how I am feeling and I think it really helps give you a sense of relief on a day you feel anxious. Someone will listen, even if they don't fully understand what you are going through. Remember if you are the person listening, everyone's anxiety is different. What might not seem a big deal to you could be a huge deal to someone else. So listen, try your best to support them and remember if they feel comfortable enough to open up to you, just sitting there and listening might simply be enough.

There are many great professionals out there that will also listen. Some times however you might not click with the person so don't despair, it might take a few professionals until you find the right person. I had a doctor tell me before they didn't have time for all my problems but that didn't stop me from finding someone who would listen to me. The point is someone will listen, so talk!

3. Treat yo'self

I love this tip! Lol. Really though, pick a day of the week or even once a month and buy yourself something you like. That could be as small as a chocolate bar or as expensive as a pink leather zara coat you wanted for weeks ;-) We work hard enough and for long enough so we need to treat ourselves every now and then. You don't need to break the bank to show yourself a little love once and awhile.

4. Headspace:

If you haven't heard of this app, I would highly recommend it. Its free to download and includes 10 sessions for meditation, additional sessions are available to purchase. It really helps me if I can't go to sleep at night. Night time is when I think the most and worry and this app helps me relax. It's a mediation app and they talk you through the steps. Some times I fall asleep while he is still talking, which is ideal. I should really use it more not just at night to make me more calm all the time. Definitely download it if you find it hard to relax.

5. Find what you love and do it..often

If you don't already know what you love to do, go out and try new things. It might be going for walks, it might be yoga, it might be meeting your friends for coffee, it might be going for brunch with your boyfriend (I wonder who I am talking about here), it might be helping others, it might be getting dressed up and spending time doing your make up, it might be kicking a ball around with your friends. Whatever it may be, if you love doing it then do it often. If that is what makes you happy then that's all the more reason to do it regularly. This world is so judgmental but don't let that stop you from doing the things you love.

Last week, my dear cousin passed away at the young age of 32. Unfortunately I couldn't be home to be with my family but if it has taught me anything, it's that life is too short to waste being unhappy. I know that is easier said than done but we need to try our best. Buy the coat, find what you love doing, take care of your body which will help take care of your mind and remember to talk! You are not alone and it's okay not to be ok.

I hope some of these tips will help you, they work for me and I hope that if someone reading this is feeling down that I might have helped them. Take care of one and other, life is precious!

Hope you all have a happy and healthy long weekend in Ireland! Its not a long weekend here unfortunately so I'm very jealous.

Take care xx

Talk soon

Zita J 

"When I get the giggles...It's game over"

Happy Friday, so glad this week is over. It been a wet and miserable one. Next week is meant to be nicer though so I am looking forward to that. As I mentioned in my most recent post, we had our English test last weekend as part of the PR process. I could lie and say it was easy but it wasn't, to be honest I am a little nervous about the results. I know what people might be thinking "but you can speak English", well this bloody thing was strange. 

I was okay with the listening and writing pieces, it was the reading that I struggled with. With the type of dyslexia that I have reading would be what I find most challenging. So I will forgive myself if I don't do well there. The speaking section however, that was a whole different ball game. Firstly, your speaking to a computer with a headset on. Secondly, the questions they give you are ridiculous and lastly when I get the giggles... it's game over, and that is exactly what happened!

There was one question I got, talk about why you should be allowed bring your own snacks into a movie theatre?  You had to talk for 90 seconds about it, 90!!! You would be surprised how long 90 seconds is when you have to talk rubbish. Well I started off well saying that, "it would save people some money as they wouldn't have to spend it at the cinema".Then I went on to talk about people with allergies and how, "it would be great for them as they could bring gluten free snacks such as"...and I paused, not because I couldn't think of gluten free snacks but simply because I was about to erupt with laughter as I felt I sounded like this.....

Yes, all I could think of was Miss Teen USA 2007 while taking a rather important English exam, Ugh! I got a fit of giggles and I have no idea what I said after. I would love to be the people marking these tests, the stuff people must come out with. 

Anyway, to try forget about the fact that we may not be fluent English speakers after all, we headed to Koreatown to eat. We have heard lots about Korean BBQ and really wanted to try it, so we found a really nice place called Arisu. 

The tables are set up with a BBQ in the middle. You pick from a wide range of meats and they bring it all out raw for you to cook yourself. A variety of side dishes is included to go with the meat. It was such a nice experience and the food was delicious. The prices were very reasonable too. I would definitely go again and to Koreatown in general, there was some cool bars around there that I want to try in the summer.

On Sunday, we went for walk and ended up getting some nice photos of the Toronto skyline from a place called Polson Pier. Of course we couldn't finish the day without eating (my favourite thing to do) so we went to one of my favourite Mexican restaurants, El Catrin in the Distillery District. Sitting outside eating fish tacos and drinking sangria was the prefect way to end a rather odd weekend of activities. 

Have a great weekend!

Talk soon xx

Zita J

We made a decision...

It's been a busy couple of weeks here. Do I always say that at the start of my posts? Maybe, I am always busy! Lol! Anyway, it has been particularly busy lately and I will fill you in on why that is. So if you read my post a couple of weeks back about when I came back from Ireland after Christmas you would of read how we were trying to make decisions on how long more we are going to stay and what route to take next. When it comes to us, we are the worst decision makers. We can't even decide what to watch on Netflix or what food to order, " I don't mind, whatever you want", so you can imagine what making this BIG decision was like.

We kept putting it off and when people were asking me what I was doing they thought I was keeping it a secret when in fact, I still had no idea what I wanted to do. A few weeks ago the time came to really think and talk about it. Since our visas are up in July we were really running out of time. We looked at all the visa options. To get a one or two year extension on a work visa is very difficult here. You have to basically get your employer to apply for what's called an LMIA, which is essentially trying to prove to the government, that I am irreplaceable in my role in work. Like I know I am irreplaceable  but I dunno does Canada know that yet! Haha! So that option was gone.

The only other option really and the one we went for is Permanent Residency. Yes. As scary as that sounds, permanent residents of Canada. Before I get a text from my sister who will be reading this, no I am not staying here permanently, I promise but yes I am staying a little longer. <insert monkey holding eyes emoji here>. Well that's if we get accepted etc but that is the plan anyway.

We have started the process and by god I am sick shit of it already. It's a long and pricey process but hopefully it'll all be worth it! I am not ready to leave Canada yet. I still have goals I want to achieve and places I want to see. I just don't feel ready to say goodbye to my second home right now.

I will keep you updated on my new visa journey. Wish us luck, we have our English test on Saturday. Yes, we have to do an English Test even though it's our first language. Lets hope we pass. Lol!

This wasn't an easy decision, missing family and friends is definitely the hardest about being away and I do have moments when I think this could be the scariest decision I ever made but you have to take chances in life. You are only young once. While Ireland will always be my home, for now Toronto has stolen my heart!

                         

Talk soon xx

Zita J