Talia Devora
Bio
Poetess, visual artist and lifestyle/quiz writer! My pastimes include reading, sleeping, gaming, music, fitness, etc! Be yourselves, be kind and value life! Let's connect and be friends!
My IG accounts: @tdwrites24 & @tdcreates97
Stories (392/0)
A Foodies Guide To International Dining
Since Canada is a multicultural nation, there are many opportunities for tourists and locals to treasure international dining. Major cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and Vaughan have more dining options since there are more immigrants residing there and things to do for people to enjoy, compared to the smaller towns such as Sutton, Collingwood and Pefferlaw where there are less visible minorities residing there and not as many opportunities for tourists to enjoy extravagant international dining experiences. International restaurants and take-out joints that serve Japanese, Chinese, Eastern European, Filipino, Thai and Mexican are situated all over the GTA, however most of them depend on the area where the locals are residing and operating their businesses. For example, there are a heap of Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican, Korean and Thai restaurants in the Yonge and Sheppard neighbourhood of Toronto because the majority of the residents are of Asian and Hispanic descent. Whether you are wondering around the Sheppard Centre or outside in the neighbouhrood, you won't have an issue finding places to enjoy international cuisine.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Feast
My Go-To Playlist of Songs
Since I don't really have specific songs that I listen to while doing any form of sit-down work such as doing assignments for school or studying, I decided to do a playlist of tunes that I listo specifically for doing my household chores. Since the summer of 2018, I have been residing in an independent living facility for people with multiple abilities, with the majority of the tenants having some form of mental health issue and/or dual diagnosis. Every day, I always make sure that my apartment is immaculate, otherwise I won't function properly. If my place is not clean enough, I will either be stressed out or won't leave the house until it is clean enough. I usually like to do them during the day when I have enough energy, so I can concentrate better. Every night, I usually do not perform any heavy household chores unless it is necessary. Without music, I will not be able to complete my chores as music helps gives my energy a good kick. I will also get discouraged, easily fatigued and distracted when I don't have upbeat music in the background. I often despise doing household chores, so a playlist of upbeat music or listening to a particular song on Apple Music or YouTube motivates me to complete my chores. On certain days, I would even dance to some of the songs as I am completing my household chores as an excuse to burn extra calories and enjoy doing my chores a bit more. Some days I get moody when I have to do a load of household chores, so I like to cheer myself up by dancing or finding a new playlist of all kinds of songs that I think I would enjoy.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Beat
Baked Pizza Mac and Cheese Recipe
From an early age, I was a huge pizza and pasta fan. I loved anything with mozzarella and cheddar cheese and would still include it in things like pasta dishes and salads. As an adult, I figured out that I am a cheese addict, since I would use cheese in pretty much anything. Early in my adulthood, I used to put so much cheese on my food that my mom would beg me to quit melting cheese on my food. Cheese was the only thing that I could depend on to add flavour to the food, since I wasn't a fond of spices. When I did not like a dish but wanted to give it one more try, I would cover it with cheese and melt it in the microwave to cover up the original taste.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Feast
My Dream Dinner Party
Do y'all remember your carnival days? If yes, what did you favour most about a carnival? Cotton candy? Games? Funnel cake?? Clowns? Or all of it?! I definitely do! Even if I am an introvert who is not a fond of weekly parties or anything whacky with people I am not really close with, I favour carnivals very much. I loved many of the games that I played at the Purim carnival that was hosted at my synagogue, as well as all of the food! Those good old days will never be forgotten! At one point in my high school career, I even volunteered at a few carnivals that occurred in the community. There is an annual carnival that is hosted at the summer camp I work at, so I am always enjoying carnivals as an adult. The only difference is, I work at the carnival instead of participating in the carnival! Either way, it is still a fulfilling experience for me!
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Lifehack
Neurodiversity 101
Why am I passionate about neurodiversity? I was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two and have lived with it my entire life. Years of attending inclusive school programs, counselling services and dealing with multiple challenges increased my ability to put myself into neurodiverse peoples shoes. People who are neurodiverse face many challenges every day: bullying, problems in the workplace, social problems, depression, anxiety, learning challenges, being denied certain opportunities and being underestimated. However, people's challenges vary from person to person. Not everyone who is neurodiverse has the same obstacles and strengths. Every person is different based on their family status, health status, culture, race, place of birth, place of residence and many other variables. The first time I started learning about neurodiversity was in Grade 9. My teacher did a presentation about neurodiversity and explained to the class that its like being a part of another culture rather than living with a debilitating disease or condition. After that day, I have been passionate about neurodiversity. The light that the teacher shone that day, really inspired me. It also motivated me to embrace my diversity and accept my peers for who they are. Learning about neurodiversity also increased my level of community involvement and ability to teach others. I am still learning about neurodiversity, even if I am out of high school. I think it is a valuable thing to learn and appreciate on a daily basis. Many people are still unaware of neurodiversity, which is why it is crucial to increase the awareness and ability to accept different kind of people.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Psyche
Book Fair
Over the years, it was impossible for me to have one favourite book because I have read so many. During my youth, my interest in reading increased, exposing me to various genres such as fantasy, mystery, horror, thriller and historical fiction. Since I am a history buff with a huge imagination, many of my favourite books were set in various time periods, written in different eras or had fantasy/fairy-tale elements to the story. I started becoming interested in dark novels when I was 17 years old. My aunt recommended a dark, puzzling, historical mystery novel that I ended up purchasing from the book store. After reading just a couple of chapters of The Name of The Rose by Umberto Eco, my love for mystery and dark literature began. After The Name of the Rose, I started exploring more dark, mystery, thriller and gory literature.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Geeks
Dive into Russian Culture: Russian Music
Why am I so interested in Russian music?! As I explained in previous blogs, I have been devoted to the Russian language and culture since I was 12 years old. My first ever Russian song I listened to and liked was the birthday song from Cheburashka and Krokodil Gena, which is a classic Russian cartoon from the 80's (before Russia became independent). After studying Russian and visiting multiple Russian stores all around the Bathurst Manor neighbourhood for the last 4 months in 2010, I surfed the net for some good Russian hits that I wanted to try listening to. It did not have to be popular music from the generation I was residing in. Back then, I had a penchant for music from the older generations such as the 40's, 50's and 60's. I was able to find older Russian music on YouTube and came across some interesting folk hits.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Beat
The Young at Heart
How I became a Fangelic (aka Venus Angelic fan).......... In my first year of college, I started watching more and more YouTube videos that were related to lifestyle, culture and travel after randomly watching one of Taylor R's videos of her teacup poodle Rosie. That was not the only video I watched of Taylor R and her poodle Rosie. For the next six months of post-secondary, I became a fan of Taylor R who was also interested in Japanese culture, Kawaii-inspired fashion, spoke, read and wrote Japanese and made anime-inspired videos at one point in her YouTube career. Those videos were released from 2014-2015 which was way before I entered college. In 2017, I randomly binge watched-her videos while she was residing in Japan at the time.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Geeks
- Top Story - September 2020
Come and Experience Jewish Culture with Me!Top Story - September 2020
When I was growing up, my family treasured the traditional Jewish culture. My dad is a religious worker at our local synagogue and my mom is an operations manager at a first aid warehouse. Despite the differences in their occupations, my family still cherishes the Jewish cuisine and would eat the food at any time of the year, even if it wasn't a special occasion or Shabbat. During my youth, I would spend Shabbat evenings and days at my dad's house and he would always make or purchase Jewish dishes like Cholent (a beef and beans stew with potatoes and vegetables), Potato Kugel (a potato casserole), Herring (which I abhor), Blintzes (Stuffed Pancakes), Bagels with Lox and Cream Cheese, Vegetable Latkes (Fried Vegetable Fritters) and Kasha with Fried Onions and Noodles (aka Buckwheat with Fried Onions and Noodles) for my brother, our friends, family and myself to feast on. My dad always bought Challah (braided egg bread) from the Kosher bakery or local supermarket: he never baked Challah. Occasionally, my mom would make potato, zucchini and carrot latkes for Hanukkah parties and has concocted the occasional pot of Cholent for when hosted casual gatherings with friends and family at her house.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Feast
The Corona Diaries #3
THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING CONNECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC: Humans thrive with social connection and physical contact. The increased risk of community transmission prevented people from attending social events and having physical contact with loved ones, unless they were already living in the same household. People from all over the world were struggling with this new guideline of social distancing with people outside of your household. To increase recreation involvement and socialization, we needed to be dependent on platforms such as Zoom. Even though places like the community centres and libraries were closed for in-person events and activities, they were still able to connect with each other virtually. Families and friends were encouraged to host virtual birthday parties, social events and weekly casual gatherings on Messenger or Zoom, as restaurants, bars, fitness clubs and amusement centres were closed to the public. Public events such as the Canada Day celebration and the annual Pride Parade had to occur online as opposed to at a public park or in a district such as downtown Toronto.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Humans
The Good Ol' Freddie Highmore Days
How it all started......... We're going back to the 2000's baby! I grew up in the 2000's and have watched so many awesome flicks with so many talented child actors and actresses. I have so many favourites, so it's impossible for me to just pick one. Many of my favourite child actors are male, but I have a few that are female such as AnnaSophia Robb. After watching quite a few British movies from the mid-2000's, I finally figured out who my celebrity crush was. He was not your typical punk or dude that would be seen walking on the streets in large silver necklace, the silky comb-over haircut, big baggy jeans and a t-shirt. The child actor that became my celebrity crush was British child actor Freddie Highmore, who played in several American films like August Rush (2007), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) and the British movie Five Children and It (2004). As a child, I used to imagine myself and him being best friends.
By Talia Devora4 years ago in Geeks