I’m not a foodie, but I know trying new restaurants with friends is a love language.
The three core pillars of a restaurant experience are: ambiance, service, food (aesthetics high up on priority).
I’m also someone who will go to a new restaurant, not for the food – as a priority, but for the vibes. I love seeing and surrounding myself with beautiful things. So of course, gorgeous restaurants and how the chef’s make art on a plate are no exception.
My friend and I recently checked out And / Oreand it was spectacular. We specifically went to the Below Ground dining room.
And / Ore did not disappoint. From the moment we entered we were treated with a friendly smile, courteous service and beautiful things to look at everywhere.
The Below Ground dinning room offered an 8 course tasting menu. I had seen pictures of the plates online and thought I’d have to grab a pizza afterwards (lol). But little did I know that 8 little plates would really add up!
The presentation of the food (and the taste of most dishes) were amazing. And just check out the view of the inside, it’s like you are in an actual cave!
If you haven’t been then I highly recommend it. The menu is seasonal and uses local ingredients so I plan on going again with the Hubz.
Would love to hear of any new restaurant experiences in Toronto – do share in the comments!
Check out my other restaurant reviews here, here and here!
I recently read Think Again by Adam Grant, and I annotated a lot. Here are the annotations. Hopefully they spark some interest in you to think again (or at least read the book!)
When people reflect on what it takes to be mentally fit, the first idea that comes to mind is usually intelligence. The smarter you are, the more complex problems you can solve – the faster you can solve them….yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink & unlearn
When it comes to our own knowledge and opinions, we often favour feeling right over being rights
When we think and talk, we often slip into the mindsets of three different professions: preachers, prosecutors and politicians…We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy: we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideas. We enter prosecutor when we recognized flaws in other peoples’s reasoning: we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case. We shift into politician mode when we’re seeking to win over an audience: we campaign and lobby for approval of our constituents.
In psychology there are at least 2 biases that drive [our thinking]: Confirmation bias – see what we expect to see [and] the other is desirability bias: seeing what we want to see.
What set apart great presidents was their intellectual curiosity and openness.
Research shows that when people are resistant to change, it helps to reinforce what will stay the same. Visions for change are more compelling when they include visions of continuity. Although our strategy might evolve, our identity will endure.
In theory, confidence and competence go hand in hand. In practice, they often diverge.
The Dunning-Kruger effect – when we lack competence that we are most likely brimming with over-confidence
Advancing from notice to amateur can break the rethinking cycle. As we gain experience, we lose some of our humility.
Confidence Sweet Spot = Confident Humility
Attachment. That’s what keeps us from recognizing when our opinions are off the mark and rethinking them. To unlock the joy of being wrong, we need to detach.
If you want to be a better forecaster today, you need to let go of your commitments of the opinions you held yesterday.
Productive disagreement is a lifeskill none of us fully develop. Research shows that how often parents argue has no bearing on their children’s academic, social or emotional development.
In good fights are the tension is intellectual not emotional
Skilled negotiators: find common ground > ask questions > provide a # of reasons > defend attacks
After establishing the drawbacks of her case, she emphasized a few reasons to hire her anyway: But what I do have are skills that can't be taught. I take ownership of projects far beyond my pay grade and what is defined in my scope of responsibilities. I don't wait for people to tell me what do and seek for myself what needs to be done. I invest myself deeply in my projects and it shows in everything I do, from my projects at work to the projects I do in my own time. I'm entrepreneurial. I get things done. I love breaking new ground and starting with a blank slate.
As a general rule: its those with greater power that need to do more of the rethinking.
When we try to convince people to think again, our first instinct is usually to start talking. Yet the most effective way to help others open their minds is often to listen.
Inverse Charisma (the magnetic qualities of a great listener): a sense of being listened to with such intensity that you had to be your most honest, sharpest and best self.
As consumers of information, we have a role to play. When reading, listening or watching, we can learn to recognize complexity as a signal of credibility. We can favour content and sources that present many sides of an issue, rather than just one or two. When we come across simplifying headlines, we can fight out tendency to accept binaries by asking what additional perspectives are missing between these extremes.
In productive conversations, people treat feelings as a rough draft. Like art, emotions are works in progress. As we gain perspective, we revise what we feel.
We need to encourage students to question themselves and one another.
Lectures are entertaining and informative, the question is whether they are the ideal method of teaching. […] they actually gained more knowledge and skill from active learning sessions (sending students off to find answers instead of the teacher showing the students how to arrive at the answer). It required deeper mental effort, which made it less fun but led to deeper understanding.
Perfectionists are more likely than their peers to ace school, they don’t perform any better than their colleagues at work.
Respond to confusion with curiosity and interest aka “give time to your confusion”
Encourage children to do multiple drafts of the same drawing.
Psychological safety is the foundation of a learning culture
Best practices in corporate imply that we’ve stopped learning, […] instead we should looking for “better practices”
When psychological safety exists without accountability, people operate within their comfort zone.
Change the ownership of psychological safety. (ex: if she says that it’s not safe to launch, the team should prove that it is safe to launch)
Sometimes the best type of grit, is gritting your teeth and turning around.
It’s easy to be a scientist: it’s simply the act of experimenting
I love a new year because I love a fresh start. But a fresh start can happen any time. It can happen on a clear weekend, or a Monday morning. It can happen happen on a Friday afternoon, when school starts, or the new financial fiscal and the start of a new month. But a fresh start and some inspiration go a long way. Sharing some ways to prepare for the new year, following the 4Ms method: Mind, Money, Mouth & Mood
I’ve been a reading slump for a few months now mainly because I felt like I’ve been reading too many non fiction books.
I usually set a reading goal for myself every year. I definitely aim high. But this year I’m not confident in getting to that goal. I’m about 40% there with only about 20% of the year left. That means I’d have to finish a book every 1.5 weeks. Seems daunting.
I know I could reach that goal reading a whole bunch of fluff that are easy to get through, but for me – reading is a way to knowledge. So even my fiction books have to teach and inspire me in some way.
So, atlas …I persist.
I do want to share this amazing fiction book I recently read. (I borrowed my book from Vaughan Public Library system because I love libraries (and sustainability). *needs a totebag with that phrase on it*)
Upgrade by Blake Crouch is about a near dystopian future where science has taken on a twisted yet believable turn “DNA editing”. The story weaves between a son (who works for a FBI like agency looking to prevent corrupted gene editing), his sister and his mother (a science genius pushing the boundaries with hopes of saving the earth). There is a lot of scientific jargon (naming of genes etc) with enough depth to help me understand the characters knowledge but also confusing at times (I glossed over that). Blake Crouch is an author that can create drama, intrigue and action to capture the reader’s attention and also help the reader read faster (lol if that makes sense). Since I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I’ll end off here with saying I give this a 5/5 ⭐️
And if you need any further inclination, here are some of the quotes I annotated! Enjoy!
We were on the outskirts of the city doing 120mph. The dual electric motors were almost silent.
Parts of New York City and most of Miami were underwater, and an island of plastic the size of Iceland was floating in the Indian Ocean.
But it wasn’t just humans who’d been affected. There were no more northern white rhinos or South China tigers. The red wolves were gone, along with countless other species. There were no more glaciers in Glacier National Park.
We had gotten so much right. And too much wrong. The future was here, and it was a fucking mess.
I had extraordinary dreams and an ordinary mind.
I wanted to actually do something, you know? It’s the difference between designing a house and building the thing.
Memories were coming back to me, and not just of every book I’d ever read. Random moments of insignificance. Pivotal events that had shaped my life. From a month ago. From a decade ago. From my childhood. It was an eerie sensation. As if someone were brooming out the dark corners of my mind. Wiping off the cobwebs. Repairing frayed connections.
“So you’re saying people are too stupid?” “Not just that,” Miriam said. “It’s denial. Selfishness. Magical thinking. We are not rational beings. We seek comfort rather than a clear-eyed stare into reality. We consume and preen and convince ourselves that if we keep our heads in the sand, the monsters will just go away. Simply put, we refuse to help ourselves as a species. We refuse to do what must be done. Every danger we face links ultimately back to this failing.”
I’d felt it that night and I felt it on this one-being with Kara quenched some evolutionary thirst. A primal, genetic need to belong to a tribe.
We were a bunch of primates who had gotten together and, against all odds, built a wondrous civilization. But paradoxically-tragically-our creation’s complexity had now far outstripped our brains’ ability to manage it.
While I waited for my food, I pulled out a small, leather-bound journal I always carried with me, flipped to the next blank page, and started a new letter.
You’re working off a flawed assumption. Higher intelligence doesn’t make you less greedy or self-centered or evil. It doesn’t necessarily make you a good person.
Right and wrong are constructs born of human sentiment.
Nothing but stories we’ve made up and assigned meaning to. They don’t correspond to any objective reality. The only thing real is survival.
Maybe compassion and empathy are just squishy emotions. Illusions created by our mirror neuons. But does it really matter where they come from? They make us human. They might even be what make us worth saving.
And I was struck, again, as an outside observer, by how much the members of our species needed one another. All these people out in the cold rain. To laugh and drink. To talk about nothing. It was almost as if that need for connection and touch was our … their … lifeblood.
“Consider this. For a time, Kara and I were the only upgraded humans on this planet. And what did we do? Immediately tried to kill each other over differences in belief. You got the upgrade and decided to help Kara release a virus that will lead to mass suffering and death. Doesn’t feel like intelligence itself is the answer. It terrifies me to think of a world where we have all the same problems, a billion less friends, and everyone thinks they’re smart enough to be infallible.”
“So you’d rather have no world at all?” “That’s a false binary. We are in trouble, but that doesn’t mean this is the only solution. Rejecting something that involves killing a billion people isn’t the same thing as sticking my head in the sand while the world burns.”
“You can’t kill humanity to save humanity. Human beings are not a means to an end.”
The temptation to swim over was strong. Barter for break-fast. See about getting a boat. But the commotion at 140 Broadway last night must’ve sounded like Armageddon. Anyone in the vicinity would have heard it, and me stumbling into their midst would only raise an alarm. So I settled for watching them from a distance-this forgotten fragment of humanity making a life together in the most inhospitable of places.
They seemed truly happy, and it made me happy to watch them—a thousand small kindnesses among people who had nothing to give.
We were a monstrous, thoughtful, selfish, sensitive, fearful, ambitious, loving, hateful, hopeful species. We contained within us the potential for great evil, but also for great good. And we were capable of so much more than this.
By waking up ‘before anyone else” you automatically have more time in your day, peace of mind and space for yourself. Which can be used to:
Workout
Plan your day
Work on a business idea
Be more productive
It is a huge life hack and gives you more capacity to achieve your goals.
2. Writing down your thoughts before bed
Journaling before bed will improve your quality of sleep. It’s an opportunity to seize the day…from the night before! Here’s what you can write down:
Your goals for tomorrow
What you’re grateful for
3. Learning an online skill 30 minutes a day
With the current state of the economy, education and technology, it just makes good sense to make time to learn an online skill that can support you. Here are a few recommended skills:
Sell digital products
Investing
Affiliate Marketing
Freelance Content Creation
4. Exercise at least times a weekese 7 habits, and
10 have a good mental health, you also need good physical health!’Il be unrecognizable Exercises that have the best results 2024:
Running
Pilates
Lifting weights
These will tone your body and strengthen the muscles around your joints
5. Sit in silence 10 minutes a day:
Your mind is racing with hundreds of thoughts every minute. Reap the benefits of sitting in silence to allow creativity to flow and your ideas to clear themselves:
Sit quietly during your commute
Stare at a wall
Go for a nature walk without your phone
6. Create a proper sleep schedule
Sleep is essential for your so go to sleep at a decent time consistently to:
We’ve been wanting to do “the Tobermory trip” for several years now. Being tempted by all the stories of how picturesque the village is and turquoise waters. But actually experiencing it was breath taking. Sharing our experience for those who are making a trip to Tobermory.
*Pro Tips*
1- If you are planning your trip, start by checking out the booking websites for both Flowerpot Island (Cruise carriers) and the Grotto (Parking Reservations). Tobermory is a touristy spot and it’s encouraged to make your bookings several weeks in advance!
2 – Bring your re-usable water bottle and take advantage of the grocery story near by or pack food so that you can have breakfast at the hotel and lunch picnics during the day! Our motel had a fridge in room and a microwave & water cooler in the common area.
3 – You’ll need a few appropriate shoes: runners/hiking boots & water shoes/sandals with grips
Day 1 – Sauble Beach, Fish & Chips + wander around Tobermory Town
We drove out to Sauble Beach on a Friday. The beach is fantastic, lots of sandy space to set up an umbrella and a picnic. The water was a little chilly (most likely because of the wind and being the end of the summer) but still amazing to get a fresh dip! Highly recommend going on a weekday to avoid the crowds. There is plenty of paid parking right along the dune but it fills up fast!
Once we had enough of the sand and the waves, we drove for just over an hour to make it to the Tobermory Town in time for check in. We were staying Blue Bay Motel (one of the accommodations on the main street, well actually “Bay St”) and settled in. The motel is great, rooms are a good size and well kept! It’s on the opposite side of Little Tub Harbour and perfect location for walking EVERYWHERE. Right beside our accommodations was the The Fish & Chip Place. Food was pretty good and the portions were perfect.
We decided to take an exploratory stroll along Bay Street to work off that extra serving of tartar sauce. We checked out the Nature’s Gifts and The Sweet Shoppe. We also made a mental note of the other places we wanted to check out for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday – Flowerpot Island, Exploring the Town and Dinner
We were up bright and early for our trip to Flowerpot island. There are 2 tour companies that operate tours to Flowerpot island. We went with Blue Anchor mainly because of the larger glass bottom boat. The morning of we had to be at the ticket counter 1hour prior to our departure time and then at the departure dock, 30 minutes prior to departure. Parking was a available about 1km walk from the dock and there was a bathroom at the departure dock (which was helpful with the kiddos). Once we got on the boat, we secured seats right in front of the glass bottom and enjoyed the 40 min ride. There was both a guided and automated tour on the boat and the views were amazing. You could also make your way to the front or back of the boat for some great picture ops.
Once at Flower Pot island there is about a 5 km hike to the main “flowerpot” structures. It really is a site to see. We enjoyed the hike and took the time to walk along the trail (which follows the shoreline) as well as walk off the trail onto the rocks/large boulders. It was VERY busy, but everyone was taking turns getting their pictures. If you are really fussed by the people traffic, you can always switch to motion blur and get some really artistic shots. The kids loved traversing the rocky shore, having a picnic and just wandering.
We took the 2pm cruise back to Tobermory, which gave us a LOT of time to explore the Tub Town. We had coffee, explored the stores (and supported the local businesses), visited an art gallery as well as had dinner at Crownest Pub & Restaurant.
Sunday – Singing Sands, The Grotto & Home
Today was another big day of exploring. We checked out and made our wait to the Grotto parking. We were a little early (ok 45 minutes) so we weren’t actually allowed to enter the Grotto Parking, but the parking staff gave us a free pass to Singing Sands Park.
It’s a short drive from The Bruce Peninsula Park entrance. If you haven’t heard of it it’s a very very shallow body of water with EXTREMELY warm water and tiny tadpole fishes! Perfect for young kids. The sand is so soft and the entire site is accessibility friendly. But it wasn’t the star of our day ;)
It’s an easy 5km/30 min hike from the parking to the Grotto Beach. The trail is mostly flat but there are some nature made stairs so not completely accessible friendly. If you follow the trail right to the end and go left – you’ll go to the actual Grotto. The Grotto is beautiful, but tricky to walk down. WEAR STURDY SHOES. If you can get down there, I’m sure the photos would be amazing (fantastic rock formations, turqoise waters, caves and waves), but we stayed up top to be on the safe side.
Now if you go to the RIGHT, you get to the Grotto Beach. It’s a very rocky shoreline but you can enter the water and experience the very popular “Caribbean of Canada”. BRING WATER SHOES to truly enjoy the beach.
Overall the trip was worth it and glad we waited until the girls were a little older so they were able to easily do the hikes and enjoy the adventure. if you want to see more, check out myvlog on youtube!
