Transmedia Storytelling

Interactive Documentaries. Have you ever heard of them? Well, I hadn’t until I started taking an interactive storytelling class here at Ryerson. Of course we have all heard of interactive storytelling in one form or another, from video games to Black Mirrors Bandersnatch. The idea of technologies evolving to tell stories in a more immersive form is not a new concept. But I personally had very little experience with interactive stories. I’m not a huge fan of video games, so the concept of being immersed in the story of a video game had never really occurred to me. Banderstanch however, […]

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Anti-Bucket Lists

This is the sign you’ve been waiting for. That thing you wanted to say? SAY IT! That thing you were too scared to do? DO IT!  Or, you know, maybe don’t. ‘Cause COVID is a thing.  We’ve all been at that crossroads to make a choice at some point or other; from something as seemingly simple as how to tell our best friend we like them, to deciding to fly out on a leisurely trip half way across the world in the spur of the moment, there’s always decisions to be made, and choices to tick off bucket-lists.  There is […]

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Positions by Ariana Grande

On October 30, 2020, Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album titled Positions. Not much had been said about the album before the album’s single “positions” was released, however, fans figured out that Grande was giving them clues when she posted a video on social media of her slowly typing the word “positions” on a keyboard. Very soon after this video was posted, the single and accompanying music video were released.  At one point, the single was all fans had. They had guessed that the whole album would be about Grande’s sexual pleasures and sex life — the lyrics of […]

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A Film Buff’s Favourite Terrible Movies

With exam season coming up, the last thing we need to do is sit through a 3-hour space epic that will leave us more confused than when we started it. Awful movies are great when you need a laugh or de-stressor, or even if you just want to feel better about yourself. The Room (2003) directed by Tommy Wiseau 3.7/10 IMDb | “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” Image Credit: IMDb Not to be confused with Room (2015) or The Room (2019), this is THE Room – the lightweight predecessor of all room movies. This film follows a successful man named […]

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A Love Letter to Hong Kong Cinema – Must See Films

My parents came from Hong Kong to Canada about 30 years ago. In their first few years, they searched for local places that sold Hong Kong films and TV shows to cling to a familiar comfort. Over the years they collected mostly comedies, police procedurals, and romance DVDs. I grew up watching these and it’s where I started my love for films. Over the years as I grew up, I watched less Hong Kong films as they weren’t as easily accessible and I started to watch more Hollywood movies. Recently as of last year and during quarantine, I have been […]

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Matty’s Patty’s Review

Matty Matheson’s new burger pop up heats up Queen Street After two sold out weekends, I had the pleasure of visiting Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club last month. Image Credit: Joe Mastromatteo Rising to culinary fame via YouTube on channels like Munchies, the jolly Matty Matheson is known for a variety of comfort dishes true to his hometown and Canada as a whole. The chef’s wild personality is also sure to keep his fans entertained.  After the closure of Matheson’s restaurant Parts & Labour in January 2019, few had been able to experience the chef’s creations. So, when Matheson announced Matty’s […]

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Best Sustainable Lifestyle Swaps For Students

Over the years, the topic of sustainability has been dominant throughout social media. We have been diligently told thousands of times how to live a more sustainable life. Now, there are obvious changes we know we can make and perhaps already have. Switch to reusable water bottles, coffee cups, cutlery, straws, and grocery bags. Turn off the lights, don’t let the water run for too long when brushing your teeth or doing the dishes – the list goes on and on. As students, living a more sustainable lifestyle is just one more thing that we have to worry about. A […]

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Staying Connected Through Music During Quarantine

2020 may be the worst year of your life, but at least we can rely on one great thing; music. On one end, musicians have been able to put out new music and even do virtual concerts during this pandemic. And on the other end, many fandoms have enjoyed staying connected to their favourite artists through their music. I have had the pleasure to be on both ends and it has been a great experience. For the last 7 years, I have been producing covers on YouTube but I never had a posting schedule until this year. Being at home […]

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The Video Games I’ve Been Playing to Minimize Boredom

I, like most others, have spent the past few weeks looking for anything new to experience to stave off boredom and restlessness. Because of my newfound free time, I’ve been able to revisit some of my favourite video games, while also playing a couple for the first time. Throughout this period of isolation, I had been looking forward to playing The Last of Us 2, the sequel to perhaps my favourite game of all time. However, earlier this week, video game developer Naughty Dog announced that they would be pushing back the release of the long-awaited game indefinitely, which has […]

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Restaurants to Try While Self-Isolating

If you’re a foodie like me, takeout and delivery are your best friends right now. With so many options to choose from and platforms to order on it’s hard to decide what to try. Here I have some restaurants I’ve already ordered from, plus a list of others I’ve been meaning to try. Be sure to follow my food instagram @PaoTheBao to see my food adventures and tag me in yours!  Lai Wah Heen One of my favourite dim sum spots, Lai Wah Heen’s quality and flavour doesn’t suffer through delivery. It’s a family tradition to go to dim sum […]

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Takeout to Support Local Business

By the end of March, the drastic effects of COVID-19 on Toronto had taken form. The Ontario government has ordered the closure of all non-essential workplaces and is urging people to stay inside their homes. Parks, stores, bars have all closed.  Toronto restaurants, however, for the most part have remained open. They are no longer allowed to seat guests, but can instead make food for takeout or delivery. Many have downloaded delivery apps or come up with innovative ways to quickly hand food off to takeout guests. It may not be the safest option in the time of quarantine, but […]

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Fun Things to Make with Food You Have at Home

It’s no fun being cooped up at home, but many people are using this opportunity to brush up on cooking and baking skills and to try out new recipes. If you’re wondering what to make, here are some fun and easy ideas for things to make out of ingredients you probably already have at home.  Tortillas  This versatile food can serve as a base for many different meals, and it’s very simple to make. Combine 3 cups of flour, a teaspoon each of salt and baking powder, a cup of warm water and ⅓ cup of olive oil until a […]

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Quarantine Event Ideas

As an events writer, this time of quarantine poses a unique challenge. Much to the dismay of many birthday-havers and concert-goers, events small and large have been postponed indefinitely. But I think events, especially those that involve interacting with your fellow humans (virtually, of course), are more important than ever. So let’s take a look at some virtual event alternatives that can help stave the craving for going out. 1) Virtual Game Night My first suggestion is an event you can easily host in your own home so long as you’ve got an Internet connection – a virtual game night! […]

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Women in Film – Notable Films Made by Women and About Women

(imdb.com) (imdb.com) (imdb.com) (imdb.com) March 8th was International Women’s Day, where we celebrate women’s achievements and aim to create a gender-equal world without bias. I celebrated by watching a few films that were made by women or feature women’s stories heavily. I realized that before this, I never went out of my way to watch movies made by women and their stories. It’s something, as an avid film fan and supporter of gender equality, that I wish I did more. Now it is my goal this year to watch more films made by women and their stories. So if you’re like […]

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Easy At-home Exercises

In the times that we’re in, it can be difficult to find things to do to keep ourselves healthy (mentally and physically), but working out can be a really good pastime.  Not only will it give you something to do but you’ll be treating your body well. Working out had benefits beyond the physical ones!  Finding some time during your day to workout will help in increasing your energy levels, making you feel happier, memory, the overall health of your brain, clearing acne, and it can help us sleep more soundly.  It’s a really good way to treat your body […]

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