Well. We did it. Somehow, despite knowing better, we’ve ended up in a world where corporations quietly allow themselves to act cruelly. There’s no dramatic villainy, just polite indifference and endless, gawd-awful hold music. We’ve given into bots who are neutral, tireless, and without feeling. A human could easily be on the other end, but […]
Author Archives: Djanka Gajdel
The house was barely dressed for Christmas. An act of quiet rebellion, fuelled by middle-aged fatigue and an advanced degree in seasonal resistance. I open the closet of past optimism, where years of lovingly collected, deeply sentimental, immaculately organized decorations stare at me. I stare back. We reach a unanimous decision, hard pass. A couple […]
There’s a scene in The Grinch, you know the one, where all the presents, decorations, and even the tree are taken away, and yet the townspeople still gather. They sing. Because what couldn’t be taken was their spirit. That, to me, is the Blue Jays. What they did for the country’s spirit— well, that’s magical […]
Pillows are like wedge issues in relationships. Viewed as a fundamental right to some, to others, they are an overfunded nuisance and irritant. Bloated and self-important. Historically, pillows were status symbols. Ancient Egyptians used headrests made of carved wood, ivory, or stone, which were literal neck support devices to keep their elaborate hairstyles intact and […]
I’ve noticed, of late, an unsettling trend creeping into my weekly grocery shopping routine. It is unsolicited intimacy at the checkout. There was a time when grocery shopping was an anonymous ritual. You walked in, got what you needed, maybe threw in something shameful or sweet, and left with your dignity intact. The cashier scanned, […]
Once upon a more civilized time, tipping came after the service. You’d finish your meal, reflect on the evening, and if your maître d’ had successfully banished the squawking couple from table four and your server had floated your soufflé in like the culinary gods blessed it, you tipped accordingly. It was a reward. An acknowledgment. […]
I was raised Catholic. Hardcore Catholic. The kind of Catholic where you didn’t just fear God—you feared nuns, sacraments, and your grandmother’s disapproving side-eye if your knees showed in church. I was baptized, guilted, confirmed, and had the deluxe communion wafer package. My grandparents lived across the street and ran a spiritual command centre out […]
Growing up, one of my first crushes was with Dr. Kildare, Richard Chamberlain. I watched his show as the activities unfolded at Blair General Hospital, listening to the hospital speaker announce, “Calling Dr. Kildaire,” and was mesmerized as he walked in with his devastatingly good looks, grace, and charm. He was beautiful, and as a […]
It’s time to give our pelvic floors the royal treatment they deserve. As we age, our pelvic floors start to act less like elite nightclub security and more like a bouncer who’s been on shift for 30 years and doesn’t care anymore. Instead of managing VIP access and keeping everything inside the club—bladder, bowels, internal […]
I’ve noticed a lack of lustre like never before this holiday season—a dimming of the usual glow cast under the shadow of a tumultuous political backdrop and financial challenges. The lights are still there, twinkling in windows and strung across trees, but they seem veiled by the weight of our collective unrest. Growing up, Christmas […]










