Jamie Oliver (a.k.a The Naked Chef) is my all time favorite chef. Not only he is British (!), he makes everything sound so simple and at the end, he comes up with the loveliest and of course the most delicious dish ever.

Today he is on the cover of the Globe and Mail: “Jamie Oliver forces British schools to ban junk food.” This is actually the government order to ban junk food within a year at schools and they have used the “Naked Chef” to lead their high-profile campaign. According to G&M, Canada also needs a Jamie Oliver-type to lead a crusade to ban junk food from the nation’s schools to reduce the growth of childhood obesity.

Read the full story HERE.

Autumn is my favorite season and it has just arrived! I love the fresh smell of the rain; I love the color of the sky; the color of the leaves. The autumn in Toronto is absolutely stunning. The color of the leaves is indeed a killer. The weather is so pleasant.

I still miss the autumn in Tehran though. Nothing can replace it. In fact, that was the only season I loved back home and I still miss it badly…

Enjoy the season… Much love to you all…

S

I still believe that the best cappuccino in the city is served by Balzac’s Coffee, located at the Toronto’s lovely Distillery District. The exciting news is that they are opening up their third location very close to my workplace, at the Liberty Village. Yes, they are planning to open their new location in the new Toy Factory Lofts condo development, located near King Street West and Strachan Avenue.

Give me a buzz if you are in the neighborhood; it would be a pleasure to meet you up for a fresh cup of coffee.

I’m back. The trip was just lovely. I just chilled with the loved ones and did absolutely nothing. Traveling is the most refreshing thing in the world. As Scott Peck says: “We are all in a rut, and there are two ways to get out of it. One is to travel and the other is to work in a mental institution.” He is absolutely right.

The exciting news is that my new iPod nano is sitting right beside me. Yes, I finally bought it. Maybe I’m nuts but it’s just so cool and sweet that I couldn’t afford not to have it. The one that I bought only two months ago, or even less than two months ago, is already sold!

It’s crazy busy at work. There are tons to catch up. I promise to write more when things get calmer. Thanks for STILL checking out my blog.

Much love and smiles…

S

I’m on vacation. My blog is resting as well. Things are great here. I’m just hanging out with family and friends and doing absolutely NOTHING… Needed it badly after all the hard work of past months. The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, I’m just chillin’ Cali style! 🙂

Agenda: shopping, caffeine, more shopping, afternoon napping, swimming, margarita drinking, etc.

S

TIFF 2005
Opening Night – September 8, 2005
ROM Movie Theatre

The rush line was not that bad so I finally got in.

Gilaneh was screened on the opening night of the TIFF 2005. The director, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, and the stunning leading lady, Fatemeh Motamed Aria (a.k.a. Simin) were also present for both pre and post film discussions.

The film reminded me so much of childhood memories. Not necessarily the pleasant memories. Gilaneh, the main character of the film is played beautifully by Motamed Aria. She indeed shined in this one. I was quite impressed by her acting and unlike some people didn’t think the film was slow at all.

Strongly recommended.

Andre is kicking some ass this year at the US Open. I did not watch it but apparently, the final set of the Agassi-Blake match was one of the most exciting ones in years! Specially the tiebreak in the fifth set. A breath taking one; playing out after 1 am NY time!

Nice Job Andre …

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Today is the opening day of the Toronto International Film Festival 2005. Celebrities will be hitting the red carpet. Movie freaks will be lining up for hours. The Yorkville area will be all packed for the whole 10 days.

Gilaneh, an Iranian film by Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and Mohsen Abdolvahab will be screened tonight at the ROM. I am taking my chances and hopefully get my pass to see this one. Hope it wouldn’t rain as it is pouring now and hope to see you there!

More to come on the TIFF 2005 … Stay tuned …

Have you seen the new iPod nano? How cute is that? I wish I hadn’t bought mine so I could go for one of these cuties! It’s only .27 inch thin and comes in both 2GB and 4GB capacity. The good news for the photo freaks is that it also has full color display. These apple guys are killing me. You buy something from them and the next day they come up with something new and often smaller!

Catch you guys later!

My dad was, and still is, Elton John’s biggest fan; so I grew up with his music. Knew so many of his songs by heart when I was only 7! Last night I finally had the privilege to see this legend on stage at the ACC. A “Full-House” ACC. He truly rocked the whole night. Three bloody hours of a stunning and a jaw dropping performance with absolutely no break in between. The energy and the positive vibe stunned the whole audience. What a night! What a blast! I now can check him off from my “Must See” list with relief.

By the way, did you know that he wrote the song “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” with Ray Charles? He did indeed and it was written in Toronto!

Thought of the ones who are his fan and unfortunately couldn’t make it.

Much love …