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 "Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me." - Audrey Hepburn Look, as much as I say I’m a perfectionist, I don’t believe in perfection. It’s a myth. There’s no such thing as perfection. Though there may be synonyms out there available (the paragon, the ideal, the bee’s knees, etc.), even...

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"Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running." - Julie Isphording In all honesty, I was never particularly natural at sports. I just liked to be mobile growing up. I was in constant movement, forever restless. I was never really ever “game,” so to speak. There was always fear in my heart whenever our gym teacher introduced a new sport...

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Then There Was Cancer Brain cancer. Once we heard the doctor utter “cancer” there was dead silence in the room. It was as if the word vibrated in the air and the echo didn’t end. The doctor, of course being a doctor, explained the whole ordeal for what seemed to be hours. I couldn’t hear anything anymore at this point, the word “cancer”...

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"Life is full of banana skins. You slip, you carry on." - Daphne Guinness Maybe it's because banana bread was the first recipe I've ever learned. Nostalgia is a powerful, powerful driver. Maybe it's because I just really like bananas. I really do. Shame on you if you haven't figured that one out yet. Maybe it's because I love to experiment. Maybe it's...

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"Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling." - Edna Ferber Growing up in the Philippines, Halloween was simply a concept one read in books and watched in films. Nothing more. Though we eventually lived in a community that did celebrate Halloween, funnily enough, houses weren't decorated with bats and spider webs and fake mummy's. Instead of a scarecrow, a neighbour's lawn would boast...

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"Let them eat kale!" - Definitely not Marie-Antoinette I remember my first salad. Or perhaps, it was the first salad I could remember. In any case, I didn't like it. I ate it, sure, but the taste was something I thought I'd only like when I was much older (i.e. when I'm in my 30s, feeding veggies to my own children). My aunt...

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"Number one, I absolutely love making chocolate chip cookies. I mean, it's fun. It's exciting. Beyond the fact I love making them, I love eating them." - Debbie Fields Truth be told, I'm not a cookie baking afficionado. From my multiple past experiences, I burn cookies more than I actually bake them. I blame it on my oven, but that's a whole other...

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  "This shit is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S." - Gwen Stefani  It's not always that we have ripe bananas. Why? Because we're monkeys who go through all our bananas throughout the week. If I want to freeze bananas for my smoothies, I have to buy extra bananas designated for freezing. So, extra ripe bananas for banana bread? It takes a lot of effort from my...

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"... I have no time left except for people I'm crazy about." - Edna St. Vincent Millay If you're my friend and you actually see me these days, it's most probably because we're working on the same mandate. Or because we cross paths when I run to the office early in the morning for coffee. Or you actually live with me. (Or, you...

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"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - Anne of Green Gables I grew up in a country where there were only two seasons: dry and wet. And I was miserable. I needed more colour and I definitely could have lived with less grey all around. So when we finally decided to move to Canada, I was ecstatic....

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  "The ancient splendor and beauty of Prague, a city beyond compare, left an impression on my imagination that will never fade." - Richard Wagner  Prague. My first stop. Another city of winding streets. A city that holds the many secrets and wishes of visitors who don't want to leave. A city that holds such rich history, yet isn't as popular. A city...

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"Just living is not enough... One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." - Hans Christian Andersen Copenhagen. The city of bikes. Of long legs and blond hair and blue eyes. Of simplicity. Of wide roads and bike lanes. Of funny antics on the bikes. And off it. Of the brightest flowers I ever did see. Of the sweetest smiles that ever...

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