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23 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,June 18,2020 theifp.ca Find local professionals here every Thursday! For advertising information please call 905-234-1018 or email kkosonic@theifp.ca Professionals Ask the 905-877-CARE (2273) DR. ANOOP SAYAL DR. ANOOP SAYAL Family and Cosmetic Dentistry located in Georgetown Marketplace Mall Q: Do you have any tips on how to tame my dentalanxiety? A: It's a well-known fact in this country that largenumbers of people are afraid of going to their dentists. Some people are so afraid that they neglect even the routine examinations and professional cleanings. It doesn't have to be that way. Here are some tips to help reduce your anxiety. First, see your dentist before treatment is needed. Get to know your dentist and get comfortable discussing your concerns with the dentist and staff. Set your appointments for a stress-free time of day, not on your lunch hour or immediately after work. Second, have the dentist explain the dental treatment to you. Knowledge of the procedure should let you be more relaxed. Third, let your dentist and hygienist know that you're scared. It's nothing to be ashamed of and you're most certainly not their first patient to feel that way. Fourth, understand that times have changed. There are new methods of controlling and eliminating discomfort that weren't available until recently. Don't let dental fears keep you from having a healthy mouth and teeth. Congratulations to the class of 2020 A north Halton woman and her husband have used their peri- od of isolation to develop a new set of skills. Mifrah Abid and her husband, Javed Shaikh, have almost wrapped up the first season of their podcast, "Across Her Ta- ble," a series that shines a light on women with immigrant roots and their contributions to Canada. "Immigrant women, particu- larly Muslim women, aren't re- presented enough in mainstream media," Abid said. "It's more than that: they're misrepresented." Though all of Abid's guests are Muslim women, they're a diverse cross-section, so far, guests have included: CEOs, authors, culi- nary experts, and even Milton's own town councillor, Sameera Ali. "I wanted to tell stories of peo- ple contributing in different ways in Canada," Abid said. "I've tried to keep it diverse, not just in terms of profession but ethnici- ty." "People think of Muslim wom- en as one homogenous figure," Abid, who moved to Canada two and a half years ago from India, said. Though the origins of her guests paint a clearer picture, coming to Canada from a range of countries, including: Bangla- desh, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Before moving to Canada, Abid was a lecturer at the Abeda Inamdar College of Arts, Sci- ences and Commerce in Pune, In- dia, teaching linguistics and liter- ature, among other classes. "Our qualifications don't translate to the job market here," she said. In Canada, Abid volunteered helping refugees and new immi- grants while studying to become a licensed ESL trainer. She'd hoped to enter the job market shortly after receiving her diploma in May, but the pan- demic has forced her to postpone her job search. "My husband said, 'Let's start something creative and see how it goes'," she said. While Shaikh works behind the scenes to edit, upload and pro- duce the podcast, Abid is the voice. "Some people built a tree house to pass the time during the lockdown," she said. "We did a podcast." Surprisingly, Abid admitted she wasn't a regular podcast lis- tener. "I listen to CBC Radio a lot while driving," she said. Abid said, even as the host, she aims to give her guests a platform to tell their story. "We feel that immigrants are close to home for us," she said. "Everybody has a set of struggles, but everyone offers something different." Having immigrated to Canada two and a half years ago, Abid said her heritage is important to her. "My kids have a dual identity. A lot of people ask where we're from. As if we don't belong here," Abid said. "Where I'm from en- riches my life experience. I iden- tify as Canadian, but part of my story is in India." Abid said she wants her chil- dren to be proud to be the sum of all the places they've lived. "We call ourselves the 'hy- phenated Canadians'," she said. "Across Her Table" is avail- able on most podcast streaming services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. NEWS LOCAL PODCAST EXAMINES WOMEN WITH IMMIGRANT ROOTS COUPLE'S ENDEAVOUR SHINES A LIGHT ON CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO CANADA BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com Mifrah Abid records an episode of the podcast she's put together with her husband. Javed Shaikh photo "Immigrant women, particularly Muslim women, aren't represented enough in mainstream media. It's more than that: they're misrepresented." - Mifrah Abid