Sara Chieffallo
Founding member
Bio
Constantly having that “tip of the tongue” feeling, or being able to flesh out thoughts in your mind only to have them come stumbling out when you speak can be frustrating. Regular writing can keep this from happening.
Stories (10/0)
How to make the most out of your renting in Ottawa
When you are renting in Ottawa, finding the best deal can be a bit tricky. There are so many different places to look, and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Luckily, there are some general principles that will help you find the right place at the right price. Finding a rental that fits your needs is no small task when you are looking for something that is going to be your home for an extended amount of time. Fortunately, there are some general rules of thumb that will make your search a little bit easier. Here are some things you should keep in mind when making your search:
By Sara Chieffallo7 days ago in Lifehack
The taco saga: *John Juan*
A couple of months ago, Ottawa became my new home as a new challenge awaited. Changing provinces can be a challenge, as you try to build your new home in a whole new city. So, as you try to settle in, exploring your surroundings is part of the fun. Before leaving my hometown of Montreal, there was a map on MTLBlog that showed a route of taco restaurants in and around Ottawa. So naturally, my goal was to try out each one of those restaurants. Because, obviously, tacos are life. For my first Mexican adventure, I found a little restaurant called John Juan Burrito Mexican Grill, an Ottawa based family-owned restaurant. This little gem is found on St. Laurent Boulevard, near the St. Laurent shopping center. They have a full menu of Mexican comfort food; burritos, tacos, and everything in between. Their set-up is a very casual and fun set-up with an open kitchen concept, which is always something to admire when thinking of a good (solid) restaurant.
By Sara Chieffallo6 months ago in Feast
Oliver: Coordinating since 2013
This whole pandemical situation has brought the whole world to a halt, causing many of us to be working from home or to have lost our jobs completely. For those of us who have had the privilege of keeping our jobs, many employers were mandated to send their employees to work from home with their laptops. During this time, many of us got the opportunity to do our jobs at home along side our beloved pets. In my case, my now eight-year-old cat Oliver became my new colleague. Since March of 2020, my fur baby has managed to adapt to a new routine quite quickly. While picking up some new habits of his own, as our time together became more prominent.
By Sara Chieffallo9 months ago in Petlife
Life, death and appreciation
After graduating high school, I was looking into applying to the right Cegep to further my education. Here in Quebec (Canada) the last year of High School is grade 11 and from there we go into the first half of post-secondary education, what we call Cegep. In January of 2006, I began my studies at Dawson college, a Cegep in the downtown area of Montreal. It all began as a new adventure, a time to develop new skills and discover a whole new world outside of that sheltered High School life. When I first entered the school, my initial thoughts were those of a person entering a safe educational environment. Never had it crossed my mind that anything could go awry, as I was in a protected environment beginning a new and exciting chapter in my life. The only aspect I had to worry about was the fact that I got accepted into an English school after spending my entire life in the French school system. The stressors of trying to keep up were quite prominent in my mind. The semester went by considerable ease, I was connecting with new people while making new friends. The classes were stimulating, and my major was exciting. After all, I had decided to enroll in the Film Studies program and the digital arts have always pushed me to explore beyond the mundane curriculum I once knew. Things were going smoothly and life for me was like any regular 17-year-old out there, with school and part time work taking up most of my time. There wasn’t much else to fit into my already busy schedule. By the time summer came along, I had made a good group of friends to create new memories while enjoying the long break ahead. Summer eventually came to an end, and I was excited for the next semester.
By Sara Chieffallo9 months ago in Psyche
Bullying in the workplace
As you finish your primary education, you walk away from that part of your life thinking to yourself that you will never have to deal with an other bully again. Being the target for so many years, transitioning into the workforce, you hope that the bullies have grown into functioning working adults. Yet, you still find yourself surrounded with abusive conduct like verbal abuse. Resulting in intimidation, feeling threatened and feeling utterly humiliated as a target. It can, and often does, interfere with the ability to get your work done.
By Sara Chieffalloabout a year ago in Journal
To the orange Muppet next door...
Dear Donald, As a leader of the most powerful nation on earth, you have been able to behave with such disregard to human rights and put aside any concept of community values. The concept of good faith, during situations where the law is to be applied, serves as a mediatory role between a rule and a principle. In the last four years, you have been able to through away the standard process of good faith and have made continuous decisions that have put many in even worst situations. You have managed to ignore the well being of an entire nation and, in consequence, many of these decisions have impacted many countries across the globe. Throughout your presidency, Trump, you have shown that you are clearly unaware of the consequences that follow a criminal act. You have deliberately played a role in destroying women’s rights, disregarding black lives and consistently denying any wrong doing.
By Sara Chieffalloabout a year ago in The Swamp
Pandemic & the mind
The year 2020 started like any other year, as we all planned to aim for New Year’s resolutions and goals to achieve. The two first months of the year came and went, as we began hearing rumors of a pandemic that might be right around the corner. We began to hear words buzzing about a possible quarantine and social isolation. The Corona Virus was the hot topic, as governments around the world scrambled to lock their doors to protect their nation’s citizens. Many of us did not expect to have bouts of quarantine and social isolation extended past the initial two week implementation. Today, as we head towards the end of November we are still seeing governments impose social restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19. Some regions are questioning these restrictions, wondering how they are helping us fight against a global pandemic. As we walk through a superstore, such as Walmart, bumping into strangers and processing our purchases at the check-out line. With the idea that a serious virus can spread quite quickly, we wonder why these trips to a superstore are still accepted when we can’t even visit a family member in need.
By Sara Chieffallo2 years ago in Psyche
The Broken Doll
Being an adult, we tend to forget the joys that Halloween brought us as children. From the costumes to the treats and the houses decorated with extravagant yet spooky decor. In some ways it is like a preview to the magic of Christmas, with a darker twist. As the haunted season comes upon us, often we are quick to judge adults for indulging in the fun festivities of this season. For some, we scramble to find a way to loose ourselves within a character and roam the streets on this terrifying night. Most days we spend our time fitting into a mundane routine and we forget how to feed our souls with something a bit more playful and creative. There is a certain level of escapism that goes into the wonders of this holiday, a time to forget our troubles and remember the child like persona we once knew. It is a time to put our creativity to the test.
By Sara Chieffallo2 years ago in Horror
Hocus Pocus: A cult classic
Halloween is the one time a year we can explore a side of ourselves that we would not dare to explore any other time of the year. It is a time to express ourselves, a time to visit our inner child and forget our responsibilities for just one day. As an adult, Halloween is not only something we celebrated during our childhood, it has become a time to escape reality through creativity. In my eyes, the best way to enjoy the spooky Halloween season is by coming together with a group of close friends. In 2017, me and 3 of my friends decided to come together and dress up as characters from Hocus Pocus. In the image above you will see (from left to right) Billi Butcherson, Winifred Sanderson, Sarah Sanderson and Mary Sanderson. To the far right, I had the joy of getting into full character as Mary and it was one of the best costumes to fill.
By Sara Chieffallo2 years ago in Horror
