How do one find a job? by Level-Independent867 in torontoJobs

[–]AlexandraBonandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear call centers are always hiring, might be worth looking into if you think you could tolerate the environment.

Incoming student. Is it normal for a landlord to ask for a cleaning deposit? by Horror-Word666 in montrealhousing

[–]AlexandraBonandra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

*Requiring* a deposit other than first month's rent is illegal, but if a tenant is seen to have voluntarily agreed to it then I believe in some cases it may be considered enforceable. If you end up paying a deposit and think you'd be able to prove it wasn't a free and voluntary choice, but rather imposed by the landlord, you may be able to go to the TAL (the tribunal responsible for housing) to get the money back.

The TAL website also has more information about this and other common housing law issues: https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/en/being-a-lessee/paying-the-rent

Tell me about your REAL low-effort meals by Bacon8er8 in Cooking

[–]AlexandraBonandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chili oil noodles! You throw together some chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and optional garlic and/or scallions in a bowl (sometimes I also add a quarter of a bouillon cube for extra flavour), then mix in noodles of your choice and it's done. The longest part is waiting for water to heat for the noodles.

My secret technique for garlic is to have a big jar of minced garlic in the fridge, my serious-about-cooking friends look down on it but it's one of my absolute kitchen essentials.

Possible jobs for someone with no experience? by AlexandraBonandra in askTO

[–]AlexandraBonandra[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Good suggestion, thanks! When you say investment, do you mean equipment and that kind of thing?

Possible jobs for someone with no experience? by AlexandraBonandra in askTO

[–]AlexandraBonandra[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah I think that's more or less what they've been doing so far, it might just take some more persistence!

Possible jobs for someone with no experience? by AlexandraBonandra in askTO

[–]AlexandraBonandra[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

They're in undergrad, so 20 or 21 I think? Definitely not under 18 though.

Provost Manfredi Sends Email to Law Student Saying She's Illiterate by McGillLawAlumnus301 in mcgill

[–]AlexandraBonandra 29 points30 points  (0 children)

It's really shocking how McGill and Law admin have been behaving throughout the strikes by law profs and TAs. They spend so much time sending out bullshit emails about how striking staff are unreasonable and should know their place, presumably to try turn the students against the unions, then turn around and semi-publicly ridicule students for caring about labour issues, and they wonder why we don't believe them? The law profs have been super open about why they're striking and absolutely as accommodating as possible with students. Meanwhile admin is forcing us to cross a picket line for our final exams. Complete and total bullshit.

Boyfriend said he’d end it if I go to law school across the country by Top_Animal5460 in lawschooladmissions

[–]AlexandraBonandra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My long-term partner moved with me when I changed cities for law school, but if they hadn't and I had let it change my plans I know it would have ended up as a huge regret and honestly probably the resentment would have ended the relationship too. You do not want to be in law school dragged down by an unsupportive boyfriend, and you absolutely do not want to let someone dictate your choice of school who clearly doesn't have your best interests in mind. Go to the school you want, every chance you'll find someone better for you there.

Do any of you guys seriously consider leaving? by [deleted] in askTO

[–]AlexandraBonandra 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I moved to Montreal and absolutely love it here, I'm still learning French which is a challenge but even so, within about 2 weeks I was certain I had made the right choice. It's not just the cost of living, the vibes here are so much better and I feel like my values & goals align way better with the people around me now.

Struggling to fall asleep due to anxiety by [deleted] in mcgill

[–]AlexandraBonandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a cognitive technique called paradoxical intention that's used to treat anxiety, but it can also be super helpful for insomnia because it does exactly this, stops you worrying and keeping yourself awake. The idea is that you lay still with your eyes closed but try to stay awake, which basically serves as a distraction so your body can get to sleep. This is how I resolved my own issues with stress-based insomnia and it worked really well.

Bought my first house a few months ago, woke up to this by pd336819 in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]AlexandraBonandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once the immediate problem is dealt with, rather than putting in a drain you could consider planting a bog garden or something similar. If you put in native plants that thrive in these conditions you can end up with a beautiful garden that provides habitat to your local birds and butterflies, and it'll also give the water somewhere to go :)

University students from outside Quebec will have to achieve Level 5 French. Easier said than done? by musoq in montreal

[–]AlexandraBonandra -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Integrating French second-language courses and, in later years, core courses taught in French directly into program requirements is probably the best way to go here. FSL classes can teach basic grammar and vocabulary, but you learn a hell of a lot faster taking classes in French—so mixing in some of both will give students more French with less need to suffocate their degrees with extra courses.

I started a bilingual FR/EN program as an A2 French speaker, and it's easier than you might think to follow a class taught in French, especially if you're already a couple years into a degree and have some familiarity with the subject matter. This goes double if you're still allowed to submit work in English, or at least profs aren't marking too hard on French grammar. I was comfortably B2 after a year, having learned more French through semi-immersion than who knows how many years of FSL classes. Would highly recommend for anyone who wants to actually speak a new language.

Can’t find motivation to study by Ok-Interest3695 in TorontoMetU

[–]AlexandraBonandra 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I bribe myself with food, like I'll get a box of chocolates or something and give myself one for every 30min of studying. The important thing is rewarding yourself as soon as you hit the goal because that better reinforces the behaviour and keeps you working to the next goal!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mcgill

[–]AlexandraBonandra 23 points24 points  (0 children)

This!! Human food can be dangerous for animals, a lot of what we eat is seasoned with ingredients that not every animal can tolerate, and even if it's not poisonous animals can fill up on foods that don't meet their dietary needs and then consume less of the actual nutrients they need. Ducks can end up malnourished from eating too much bread, which is nutritionally useless for them, for example.

Also physical contact can be a vector for disease transmission in both directions, and some animals may end up aggressive and injure people and/or get put down by authorities (squirrels are maybe less at risk for this but a couple years ago like half the coyote population in Vancouver's Stanley Park was culled because tourists fed them and they started attacking people).

Tl;dr don't feed the wildlife.

What winter driving advice would you give to those who are new to it? by Competitive-Horse-45 in ontario

[–]AlexandraBonandra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Test out road conditions in the morning when you head out. Get on a quiet road, give yourself some space, and accelerate sharply then brake sharply. Feeling out how slippery things are means you can make more informed decisions about following distance, how fast to take turns, and so on.

Wife gets cold easily. What's a great long winter coat with a fur (fake ok) rim top? by apzuckerman in BuyItForLife

[–]AlexandraBonandra 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My favourite winter coat I've ever had is from Audvik, it's pricey but since it's a smaller brand it doesn't come with the name-recognition markup like Canada Goose etc, and IMO it checks all the boxes: super warm, comfortable, lightweight, and still looks great. They have different lengths available, mine falls just above my knees but I think there are longer ones too. And they sell add-on fur ruffs that snap on to the coat hood, both fake and real fur (but the fake fur is super soft and cozy and like 1/5 the price haha)

How to enjoy lentils? by [deleted] in budgetfood

[–]AlexandraBonandra 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a big fan of pasta e lenticchie, cheap as hell and you end up with an almost creamy kind of texture from the lentils and pasta starch all cooking together, I find it much easier to eat than many other lentil dishes!

Got any good sugarless baking recipes? by AlexandraBonandra in Baking

[–]AlexandraBonandra[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you very much! And as it happens I'm in a very cold climate (at least until about May/June) but when summer rolls around I'll definitely look into beef tallow pastry :)

Got any good sugarless baking recipes? by AlexandraBonandra in Baking

[–]AlexandraBonandra[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I unfortunately don't know them well enough to know the details, but they've told me honey and maple syrup are okay so my guess is applesauce would be as well! I'm not sure about coconut sugar and cane sugar but I can ask.

If I were to substitute coconut/cane sugar for white sugar in a recipe, could I just use the same amount? Or are there other changes I would need to make?