The List: Ziya Tong, host of Discovery Canada’s Daily Planet, tells us the 10 things she can’t live without
1 | My focusing bell
I keep it at the top of my stairwell. Every morning, I ring it and think of a word, like laughter, courage or radiance, to meditate on throughout the day. The ritual helps me pay attention to little things I might otherwise overlook.
2 | My gorilla photograph
Jane Goodall is one of my heroes. At a fundraiser for her institute a few years ago, I bought a wonderful image by the Toronto photographer Jo-Anne McArthur of a gorilla named Pikin who was saved from becoming bush meat.
3 | My eyebrow enhancer
When it comes to eyebrows, I completely lost out in the genetic lottery. I fill mine in with MAC’s Brun eyeshadow.
4 | My kiddie vitamins
I buy gummy ones made by Nutrition Now. I grew up with Flintstones vitamins and still believe supplements should taste like candy—it’s the spoonful-of-sugar philosophy.
5 | My foot massages
I’m an addict. In every major city that I’ve ever lived in—Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver—one of the first things I did when I got there was scout the local foot massage places. In Toronto, I make a weekly pilgrimage to Chinatown, where there are a few good spots. I also sometimes go to Happy Foot Spa in Yorkville.
6 | My internet workouts
My personal trainer, Monte Cox, lives in Los Angeles, so he trains me via Skype. It’s perfect because I’m lazy and busy, and I always manage to talk myself out of going to the gym. Plus, this way I get to shower at home.
7 | My dive licence
Scuba diving is my go-to activity when I have time off. It’s also really handy for Daily Planet segments: I dove under the BP oil spill for the show in 2010, and will soon be diving with whale sharks and measuring them with lasers.
8 | My eco-friendly heels
I’m making an attempt to wean myself off leather after seeing a film about the water pollution caused by tanneries. I have a few pairs of Stella McCartney shoes that are made entirely from vegetable leather. Along with being sustainable, they’re also really chic.
9 | My portable office
I was recently in Lamu, Kenya, where I picked up a bag made with traditional Masai cloth. It holds my iPad and my portable keyboard, but it looks like a clutch.
10 | My mezze of choice
Byblos is a new Middle Eastern place downtown and, god help me, they have the most delicious labneh. It’s strained yogurt with a little bit of honey and bread. Actually, I can’t decide which I’m more into: labneh or foot massages.
Watch out that your chewy vitamins do not have Aspartame in them;)
Someone commented that Aspartame “has been thoroughly tested,blah blah”, then please explain how MON$ANTO,a Chemical Company (who now owns this Patent after purchasing Searle.Co in ’85) could have possibly tested the effects on growing children of Aspartame in Children’s Vitamins,Medicines,etc safely? many people do not know that Phenylalanine is another name for it-diet drinks. Tell me which parents allowed their children to be the Guinea-Pigs for these “safe” test results? Oh yes,please remember that THALIDOMIDE “was thoroughly tested too”!!
false.
11) Her Black Stocking