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Happy Canada Day!

I love this Country! I really do! I love the seasons – yes all of them. Start of cycling, gardening, BBQ season in spring, beaches and camping and chilled beer on patios in the summer, beautiful colors painted on the canvas that is our one gigantic Pacific to Atlantic Canadian backyard in the autumn, and crazy wind chills and blanket of snow and watching hockey in the winter – love it all.

Before I came to Canada, I thought the best climate was the tropical climate of the beautiful Fiji Islands, and although I still love the sandy beaches and sunny blue skies, it’s always the same. In Canada we get to experience all the seasons! You can read more on why I love the seasons in Canada.

And the people? – kind and generous and open to all cultures, races, ideas and beliefs. I’m grateful for the free healthcare, democracy, and the relatively peaceful and safe place to live in, the education system, the roads and highways and all the infrastructure.

Canada has so much to offer with its gorgeous landscape – the Rockies, the Prairie, the east and the west coast, bustling cities, and the Great White North. Yes, sure, I haven’t seen a lot of it with my own eyes, but that which I have seen has already amazed me.

But like anything, not everything is perfect, but it is good as it gets!

Happy Canada Day!

Canada day

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Bike Month 2016

bikemonth2016 Bike Month in the Great Toronto Hamilton area starts on May 30th, which is also “Bike to Work Day”.

Bike Month is a great time to take your old bikes out or get new ones and ride it out with friends, family or just fellow bike enthusiast. If you don’t have a bike and don’t want to buy one, there is also the Bike Share programs in Toronto which you can take advantage of. Why not try it out for Bike to Work Day? Sign up for Bike to Work and you could win a brand new bike!

There will be many events happening all month. Check out the full list of events. There is something for everyone.

Tags bike month, cycling

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Bike the Creek Event on June 18, 2016

Post author By Kapil Bulsara
Post date May 26, 2016
No Comments on Bike the Creek Event on June 18, 2016

It’s that time of the year again. I attended the Bike the Creek Event last year and it was amazing. I got to meet new people, explored the Etobicoke Creek trail for the first time and got to explore the Brampton area a little.

This year it is happening on June 18, 2016.

This is a fun filled family event. The event is free, but you do have to register.

There are 4 rides to choose from.

11 km approx. Bike the Creek Family Ride – 10:15am start (1-2 hrs) short north route
16 km approx. Bike the Creek Nature Ride – 10:00am start (2-3 hrs) north route
25 km approx. Bike the Creek City Ride – 9:15am start (2-4 hrs) – south route
41 km approx. Bike the Creek End-to-End Ride – 9:00am start (3-4 hrs for experienced riders) north followed by south route
Bike Rodeo for kids – 9:30am – 12:00pm

biketheCreeksponsers

Tags Bike The Creek, Brampton, cycling, summer

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The Great Cycle Challenge

Post author By Kapil Bulsara
Post date May 26, 2016
No Comments on The Great Cycle Challenge

gcc

living life

27 children are diagnosed with cancer every week across Canada – please sponsor me and support my challenge to fight kids’ cancer!

This June, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids’ cancer!

My goal is to ride 300 kilometres throughout the month and I will be pedaling as hard as I can to reach my target…and my challenge starts NEXT WEEK.

Why am I doing this?

Because cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in Canada – 4 children die of cancer every week.

It will be tough, but it’s nothing compared to what these brave kids face every day of their lives as they battle this terrible disease.

Kids should be living life, NOT fighting for it.

And so I am taking on this personal challenge to raise funds to fight kids’ cancer and give these kids the brighter futures they deserve…but I need your help.

Please support my challenge and join me in the fight to end childhood cancer by making a donation through my fundraising page.

Here’s the link to my page: https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/KapilBulsara

All funds raised will support SickKids Foundation to provide care, develop treatments and find a cure for childhood cancers.

Thank you for your support.

225GCC

Tags Causes, charity, cycling, Great Cycle Challenge

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Happy New Year 2016!

Happy New Year_2016

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2015: The Best Year Yet!

I just wanted to write a quick post before the year 2015 ends! Just a week ago I was reminiscing about everything that happened in 2015. So much has happened this year. At the beginning of the year, I wrote this on my Facebook page…

#2014 The year of high highs and low lows. #2015 The year to take possession of what’s rightfully ours. Unbreakable spirits need no assurance, positive attitudes need no reason to celebrate.
Old enough to know, young enough to not care, bold enough to dare, crazy enough to dream, confident enough to roar, strong enough to fight, determined enough to rise, true enough to tear down lies, fast enough to jab, patient enough to wait, flexible enough to change. We will own you #2015. ‪#‎ChallengeAccepted‬ ‪#‎HappyNewYear‬

I posed a challenge to the year 2015 and a challenge to myself and a challenge to the naysayers and as I recall the events of this year, I realize, the year 2015 turned out so much better than I expected. For me personally, 2015 has been an amazing year – The best year yet! 🙂

Something strangely magical happens when you declare how your life is going to be even if you don’t know the little details, even if you don’t know how the positives elements will be brought about in your life, but it happens when you declare it with utmost certainty. As I write this I am filled with tremendous gratitude.

2016…. Here I come!

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Bike Month

I started riding my bike about a month ago and I can tell you the feeling is amazing. I started with walking, which was great and I still love it and I was meeting my 1000 point goals on my Misfit Flash(Check out my review of the Misfit Flash). But soon I realized that although walking was great at first and I was building up my stamina, I needed something faster. I was fond of running many years ago, but running just doesn’t feel like a lot of fun now.

My bike which I had not used in years was the best fit for what I wanted. I fixed it up a little, filled up air, adjusted the brakes and went for my first ride. Every day I pushed myself further and now I easily go 10K to 15K daily. I will improve this as the days go by and we’re still in spring.

So why all the fuss about bikes? Today marks the first day of this year’s Bike Month in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) Check out the dedicated bike month website. It will run from May 25, 2015 to June 25, 2015. Today is Bike to Work Day! I hope those who knew about Bike to Work Day and those who could, did take their bikes to work. If you did not, you still have one month to get into gear! 😉

So how should you get into action for bike month?

Choosing a Bike

There are many different kinds of bikes. If you are reading this section then chances are you are a just starting off with your biking adventure. Decide what kind of rider you are and how often you will be riding your bike. If you will mostly be using your bike to go to and from work then a hybrid/comfort bike might be the right ride for you. However, if your road to work involves jumping and riding over potholes than a and if you already have a mountain bike then you can simply use that. But please make sure you get it checked and tuned at your local bike shop.

If you are serious about riding your bike on the road, setting aside time with the soul purpose of riding, then you definitely need a road bike. There are many different kinds of road bikes and when it comes to price, the sky is the limit. Just check out this $20,000 limited edition Audi Sport Racing Bike. Audi claims the frame of the bike weight less than the iPhone 6 Plus… haa!… That’s crazy – the fact that it costs $20K and that it’s (frame) lighter than the iPhone 6 Plus.

To get in-depth information on different types of bikes, I recommend gobiking.ca. If you’re not willing to invest time in reading, you can watch this quick video on how to choose the right bike.

Safety

Helmet

I have to be honest here – I never wore a helmet until now. I used to think helmets were not “cool”, but in retrospect, I don’t know why I ever thought that. Helmets can be both for safety and style. For bikes there are 2 main types of helmets, mountain bike helmets and road helmets. There are also ‘hybrid’-ish type of helmets which lets you clip on and and clip off the visor – I bought this kind when I started off, but now after riding for a some time, I realize that a special road helmet is the best. Whichever type of helmet you get, make sure that it has a light at the back. This will come in handy if you ever decide to right at night or early morning.

Check out this video on how to choose a helmet.

General Tips

Before you get out on the road, please check that both your front and back brakes are working. Make sure that there are no loose screws or nuts and bolts. Your seat needs to be adjusted properly to ensure that you have a comfortable and injury free ride. The biggest mistake that people make is having the seat too low. Both your feet should not be flat on the ground while you are sitting – if that happens you’re doing it wrong. Your leg needs to be extended almost fully so that you are efficiently driving power to the wheels. You should also consider the angle in which your saddle sits.

Here are a video on How To Set Your Saddle Height – Tips For Getting Your Saddle Position Right

Clothing

If you will be riding at high speeds wearing something comfortable. Don’t wear something that is too loose – it won’t be aerodynamic and will slow you down and potentially throw you off your course which can be dangerous. Don’t wear tight jeans, you need to have free moment in your legs. If you are riding at night, make sure you wear light reflecting outfit and turn on the light at the back of your helmet. I recommend wearing a light jacket to act as a wind breaker especially during the spring or autumn months. Of course you could buy special bike wear but if you are just starting, I wouldn’t recommend this. I personally don’t have any special bike clothing.

Check weather conditions before starting your ride. This spring has been crazy – I quickly learnt my lesson.

Rules

In Ontario, you are not supposed to ride your bike on the footpath. You could be fined if you do. It is also not safe to ride on the footpath. You could easily bump into people and it also becomes difficult for cars coming out of driveways to see you. It is also mandatory that you have a front light so that other vehicles on the road are aware that you are there.

Please take a moment to read through Ontario’s Guide to Safe Cycling

Learn proper hand signals. Remember you have the same responsibility as other 4 wheelers on the road. Most of the rules that apply to other vehicles also apply to you.

Finally when you are ready, go out there, greet the road with those tires, with the wind in your face and ride…!

Happy Bike Month! 🙂

Tags bicycle, bike, bike month, Brampton, fitness, GTA, GTAH, Hamilton, Mississauga, Ontario, spring, summer, Toronto, Vaughan, York Region

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Evernote: The only note keeper you’ll ever need

Post author By Kapil Bulsara
Post date May 14, 2015
No Comments on Evernote: The only note keeper you’ll ever need

186tgj38eph2cjpg I’m going to get right to the point with this one because there is no argument about Evernote being the best note taking tool/software/service.

What sets it a apart from all the others is its speed, simplicity and stability.

It has had some hiccups in the past, but overall it has been one of the most stable apps/services.

I’m not always too keen one using external products or services especially if it is software related. Even at Okinara, we try to keep it in-house as much as possible, knowledge base, issue tracking system, development servers etc..

However, I am personally relying more and more on Evernote now and so is my business.

Multiple Platforms

Evernote can be used on multiple platforms: android, iphone, ipad, windows, web and mac.

Seamless

The synchronization on Evernote is one of the things that keeps no loyal to Evernote. I can start my note on my Macbook Pro, and then continue on my Android phone, add or remove something on my Linux based server and continue the process by adding a few more notes on my tablet during my meeting with a client. All this happens seamlessly without any hiccups.

On the off chance that there are some synchronization issues for example if I made some changes on my laptop which did not have internet connection at that moment and then I went and made some changes on my phone which did have Internet connection, so now the second modification will get applied to the note on the Evernote server, but when I go back to my laptop to make chances and this time it has internet connection, there will be a conflict. Evernote is smart enough to know that there is a conflict. It will save both notes and prompt me to take a look.

It’s a very smart and practical app.

KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid

Notes are organized into Notebooks which can only go deep to two levels – a parent notebook book with many sub notebooks which can have many notes. Each note can also be tagged with one or more tags. Using the combination of these two methods keeps the very simple and basic Eernote seems sophisticated.

If you need a deeper structure (sub category of sub categories and more), you can actually accomplish that with Evernote with notebooks and tags. If I get a chance and if there is demand for it, I’ll write an article on it.

The interface is also very simple. On the web, mac and windows, there are notes on the left and note details on the right. The notebook window simply displays all the notebooks that you have. In contrast One Note is packed with tonnes of features but can quite difficult to navigate and at a certain point it has too much going on for its own good. Then there is Google Keep which just over simplifies everything and is a very weak service/app for what you might want to do with your notetaker.

Types of Notes

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Evernote can record text notes, voice notes, images from your phone and attachments. It can even take hand written notes. This is something that can compete with the Note 4’s handwritten memo. This is one of the secondary reasons I chose to go with Samsung galaxy S6 (check out my take on the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. instead of the Note 4. If you want to get the the doodling feature of the Note4 on a phone that is not Note 4, then you can simply use Evernote.

Other useful features

Reminders – you can turn any note into a reminder and even set a due date
web clipper for chrome

Comes in 3 versions – which one is right for you?

free

all the feature I mentioned above
60MB uploads

plus

All the features of the free version plus:

$24.99/ year
1GB uploads
pascode lock
forward important emails directly to your evernote

premium

$49.99/year
unlimited uploads
do more with pdfs – can annotate them
version tracking
scan business cards
search in office documents
create slides for presentation

Other uses of Evernote include:

keep notes
act as a knowledge base
keep track of meetings and agenda
shopping list
journal
photo journalism – quick snap to make a note
recipe book
project management tool
CRM

That’s my take on the Evernote. Do you have any other note taking service that you would like me to review. Please add a comment below, like and share this post if you find it useful.

Tags evernote, one note, organize

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Give your Mom the Gift of Technology This Mother’s Day

Post author By Kapil Bulsara
Post date May 7, 2015
No Comments on Give your Mom the Gift of Technology This Mother’s Day

Mother’s day is around the corner and if you’re not sure what to get your mom or grandma then I have a solutions for you. If your mom or grandmother or mother-in-all has not been keeping in touch with technology and social media, now would probably be a good time to get her on board.

Now before I continue I have to add that my mother is on Facebook, uses Whatsapp, Viber and Skype and uses an android phone and manages just fine with most of her computing needs including working with excel sheets, accounting on quickbooks etc…so this won’t apply to her as much and mom’s in similar situations. However, my grandmother is someone who might find some of this very useful, she just doesn’t know it yet.

So, why is this better than just buying her something that she likes? Learning new things can be difficult for some people after a certain age, so for someone who has not been exposed to a lot of the new technology that is currently out there, suddenly tutoring them on doing something complex that involves more than 3 to 5 steps can be overwhelming. I’m merely stating some ideas which you can use, but then you will have to judge depending on the level of exposure to technology that your mother or grandmother has.

But if you expose them to just the right amount of technology the rewards can be very fulfilling; connecting to family members and long lost friends via social media, getting entertained or educated with Youtube and mobile games, staying in touch with family and friends with messaging apps and more.

Social Media

If your mom/grandma is not already on Facebook, my number one recommendation is to get her signed up this Mother’s day. We take it for granted but Facebook really is an amazing tool. She can connect with friends and family, search for long lost friends and maybe even make new ones. Viewing photos and update on what her family is doing, reading and watching news articles and videos and even sharing her own photos can be a surprisingly pleasant experience and one that she will be very thankful for. If she is already on Facebook you can give her some tips for making her experience even better. Maybe she has just “friended” people and has no pages “liked”. You can show her that liking a page gives her updates from that page in her news feed to enrich her experience on Facebook.

If your mom is the creative type and/or is into photography , you can introduce her to Instagram or Pinterest. If you or your mom is bold enough, you can get her introduced to twitter. Just make sure that you explain to her that anything and everything she posts on twitter will be visible to everyone. I heard of a story where a person was using twitter to keep personal notes. They thought that because they don’t follow anyone and no one follows them, their tweets will remain private – yeah… don’t let your mom be that person.

Gadgets

To make full use of social media perhaps the best way to get your mom started would be to get her a smart phone or a tablet if she does not already have one. As to which smart phone or tablet you should buy for her is totally up to you. If you have an android phone, you will probably lean towards Android and if you have an iPhone then you will lean towards an iPhone. Same goes for tablets – you cannot go wrong either way.

You can also get her a Fitness Tracker if you want to encourage your mom to stay fit. Check out my review of the Misfit Flash Fitness Tracker.

If you do end up getting her a phone or tablet be sure to give her a quick tutorial, get her started with some social media accounts and show her how to work her way around the camera.

Messengers

Whatsapp is my number one messenger app recommendation – it’s very simple to use, is reliable and almost everyone is on it. She can even form groups with family, friends or the neighbourhood book club. You can share pictures of her grandkids or just use it as simple a way to say a quick hi. There are other messenger apps like Viber and Facebook Messenger which you can introduce to her.

Video Chat

For video chat, I would recommend Skype and Hangouts. If she is on IOS then Facetime will work best for her.

Youtube

Youtube has to be a category on its own because that is how big of an impact it makes on our daily life. Youtube is the best entertainment education tool out there and of course I do not need to reiterate it here because you already know, but if your mom/grandma/mother-in-law isn’t already using Youtube, you really need to get her on it ASAP. From entertainment which includes comedy, films, funny videos, to news and educations, to DIY projects – just image the world of possibilities that she can have at her finger tips. If nothing at all she could be watching cats playing the piano.

Other General Knowledge

Google Search – Here are some Google Search tips that you can teach your mom. I bet you even you didn’t know about some of them.
Flipboard – Even if your mom is not into reading for pleasure, I bet she might just get into it because this app is just so beautifully designed that she would just want to use it only to admire it.
#Hastag – teach her how hastags work.
Shortcuts – You will be surprised how many people don’t know about Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y and so on for Windows and Cmd instead of Ctrl for MacOSX. Here are keyboard shortcuts for Windows and keyboard shortcuts for Mac OSX.

So these are my recommendations, enjoy your weekend and A very Happy Mother’s day to all moms.

Tags facebook, instagram, Mother's Day, pinterest

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Follow Your Bliss

Every time I drive on Rutherford Road in Vaughan I pass a small parking lot made of gravel and I see a narrow and steep gravel road that leads upwards and then at one point just disappears into the hill behind, and every time I pass that spot I wonder what it is, and every time I tell myself that I will check it out the next time I am there.

A week ago on Sunday, I woke up in the morning and decided that I will go to this place and reveal to my senses the mystery behind the hill. I was almost certain that it was a trail – there was no other explanation, but I needed to see for myself and this was the day. It is about a 10 to 15 minute drive from where I live to this spot. When I reached there, the small parking lot was filled up so I made a turn and decided to return home and come back some other time, but as I was existing the parking lot I told myself

“NO, not anymore, this happens today. I must find a way.”

As soon as I asked myself that question, I remembered that there is a public library nearby so I drove to the library, parked my car and then walked to this mystery spot. That in itself was quite a hike. Feeling positive and happy with my choice to finally do this, I marched forward climbing up the steep hill. Before I could reach the top, I started to doubt whether this was really going to be something worth doing, but I marched on forward. I had finally decided that I was going to commit to myself to walking 10,000 steps a day and I was determined and excited to find out what this trail had to offer.

I was pleasantly surprised as I strolled up and down mini peaks and valleys on the windy pathway meeting people who greeted me with delightful smiles and “Good Mornings”.

I stopped on my way and took some pictures:

I thought to myself that this is such a great way to start my morning and asked myself how it is that I was missing out on this for the past 5 years. There were a couple of times when I thought, “okay let me turn back and go back home now, but I kept walking determined to see where the trail ends.

The best was definitely saved for the last. In the final stretch there was a bridge which I had to cross from under it and there on one side of the wall was this:

Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.

What a treat this was – desert for the soul after a hearty breakfast for the senses.

They say no good thing comes easy, but in life it is hard to get what is desired for those who are not following their bliss. When you follow your bliss, not what your mind wants, not what your parents, your spouse, your friends want, not your bank account, but your bliss that there is something magical that happens that is hard to describe in words.

Aren’t all things of true beauty hard to describe? Some things can only be experienced.

Walls of the universe are the barriers and obstacles that show up when you finally decide to follow your bliss, follow your true calling, and if then you decide that there are other things that need your attention, things of less value to your heart’s content, something that isn’t your Bliss, but is something that is of less importance to the ultimate experience of life because someone once told you it was more important, or because “that is how society works” or because someone once told you that you cannot get what you want, or that you are less than what you are worth, or you are not good enough, or you were afraid of disappointing yourself, or did not have faith in yourself or the mechanics of the Universe, then the walls will remain as wall and you will curse the Universe, blame the people around you, make excuses of circumstances surrounding you all the while ignore that you stopped walking on the path that was your bliss and turned away only to go to a comfortable spot. The kind of comfort that is merely an illusion of a safe cave while the beauty of the world of possibilities awaits you.

Just like my trail that had ups and downs, twist and turns, had sun and shade, with dry dead trees that bared no fruit, and trees there were rejuvenating in welcome of a new seasons with flowers blooming with signs that can only mean that there is hope, so is life unfolding in this way.

When you decide to turn back from your bliss, you are closing doors, but when you follow your bliss the Universe opens doors for you where there were only walls.