Animated Movies that Aren’t Disney Posted on February 2, 2022 I love animation, in fact it’s probably one of my favourite forms of storytelling as the possibilities are limitless. That being said it can often feel like your only option to find good animated content is Disney. I mean they constantly sweep award shows with all the wins in animation categories and there’s rarely any buzz for an animation not created by them, and honestly it’s really frustrating. Sure there’s the odd animation that makes it through the cracks like, Into the Spiderverse, or, Fantastic Mr. Fox, but these are […]

My First Time Celebrating Christmas! Posted on February 1, 2022 I know it’s February but it’s never too late to talk about Christmas. And it IS important to talk about Christmas because I just had my first official Christmas during the winter break! I say “official” because I’m from Hong Kong and although we do hang Christmas lights, have Christmas dinner and exchange gifts sometimes, we don’t follow closely with the western tradition. In other words, we celebrate this festive season in the Eastern way. I remember when I was little, we would have spaghetti, chicken wings and spring rolls […]

Podcasts You NEED to Listen To Posted on January 31, 2022 Everyone knows that podcasts are becoming more and more popular every day. But, with thousands of different options, how can you know which you should listen to? Here are my top five podcasts that I’ve been loving recently and are worth giving a listen to.  1. “Anything Goes” – Emma Chamberlain Image Credit: open.spotify.com This one goes without saying. With Emma having over ten million Youtube subscribers, people want to hear more from her. Her comforting personality and young adult relatableness has given her an insanely successful platform at […]

Playing Where’s Waldo with the new Andrew Garfield film, Tick, Tick … BOOM! Posted on January 27, 2022 Tick, Tick … BOOM! Lin-Manuel Miranda, has done it again. As a playwright and actor, Miranda’s work in Hamilton was wildly successful and well-loved. But it’s not only the stage he has a knack for, because now that he has moved to the big screen in his directorial debut, he once again has blown people away. As I watched this film for the first time, I was immediately drawn to Andrew Garfield’s singing voice and stage presence. But the thing I loved […]

A Guide to Viral TikTok Books: Which Books are Worth Reading? Posted on January 26, 2022 While mindlessly scrolling through my for-you page, I stumbled upon a side of TikTok called BookTok. As the name suggests, BookTok is devoted to everything and anything related to books – reviews, recommendations, hauls, etc. Certain books even went viral on TikTok and lead to popular book chains such as Indigo creating “Trending on TikTok” sections in their stores and online. Like many others, I became intrigued and wondered if these books were really as good as people were making them out to be. […]

Give Solar Power Another Chance! Posted on January 25, 2022 From The Diamondback, Lorde in her music video for her single “Solar Power” In June of 2021, Lorde released the anticipated lead single “Solar Power” off of her album of the same name, which would later fully release in August. The title track was recognized as a huge jump from her previous work on Pure Heroine and Melodrama, being sonically similar to pop music of the early 2000s. The internet was quick to poke fun at Lorde’s newfound sound, comparing it to the likes of music heard on television commercials […]

Mikyla Grant-Mentis: The Next Big Name in Toronto Sports Posted on January 24, 2022 Image Credit: @TheTorontoSix/Twitter This past December, Forbes released their 30 under 30 for North American sports. This included some of the biggest names in the industry, and in the past has featured some of the biggest names in sports. This year it featured PHF (Premier Hockey Federation) superstar for the Toronto Six, Mikyla Grant-Mentis. The 23-year-old Brampton native is the reigning PHF MVP and has continued to tear up the league to the tune of 23 points in 13 games, 10 points ahead of the next […]

A Streamer’s Hot Takes on the New Pokemon Games Posted on December 18, 2021 Gotta Twitch’em All. Fans of the Nintendo DS have been rejoicing as beloved 2006 Pokemon games Pokemon Diamond and Pearl have been remade in stunning HD for the Nintendo Switch in Pokemon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl. I sat down with long-time Pokemon fan and up and coming streamer Afrodiaq to discuss what the remakes mean to him, how that reflects in his streams, and what he foresees is the future of the franchise.   So how long have you been a fan of the Pokemon […]

The Importance of Travelling (plus my experience and tips) Posted on December 17, 2021 With COVID-19 restrictions finally lifting somewhat worldwide right now, the opportunity to travel is here again. Whether you want to travel internationally or within Canada, there has definitely been an increase in ways to travel safely and responsibly while still having a great experience.  Travelling has always been one of my favourite things to do because of how many benefits it has. Apart from getting the chance to see and experience beautiful places, I’ve discovered the importance of travelling for my mental health.  Travelling is extremely […]

Poetry For Dummies (Like ME!) Posted on December 16, 2021 What do you think about when someone mentions poetry? Complex language? Big and lengthy words that you’ve not seen before in your entire life? Complicated metaphors of some philosophical concepts that you’ll never understand? Or maybe boring Shakespearian sonnets that you learnt in your English class in high school? Some poetry can indeed be very difficult and trying to understand them can be daunting. But contrary to the common opinion about poetry being boring, I find them really fun to read!  To help you get into poetry (as you should) […]

When the Movie is Better Than the Book – Howl’s Moving Castle Posted on December 15, 2021 Like most readers, I tend to find that adaptations pale in comparison to the original work. There’s just no perfect way to adapt a full-length novel into a maximum 2-hour screenplay, to condense hours of detail and reader experience into the film format in a way that is completely satisfying is nearly impossible. That being said, it can be done and one of my favourites is Miyazaki’s adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ novel, Howl’s Moving Castle. Now, is it perhaps a tad tacky […]

An Introduction to Horror Posted on December 14, 2021 Horror is one of those genres that is definitely an acquired taste. I completely get it- not everyone wants to go to bed at night right after having just watched something scary. But, like many other fans, I welcome anyone who is interested in getting into the genre for the very first time with open arms.  Horror can be an incredible, cathartic experience for the viewer, which is why I personally enjoy it. Whether it be books, movies, television, and more, I believe that horror is so beloved by audiences because […]

Brutta Figura e Bella Figura Posted on December 13, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmvpx1kIEBQ Please tell me you’ve stayed up all night thinking of that one sentence you shouldn’t have said at a dinner five years ago, because I know I have. Way too often. From wearing the ‘wrong’ shoes to picking a major not suited for us, mistakes are constant in our lives, big or small. How do we overcome feeling the shame and guilt of messing things up, and not waste hours dwelling over it? The brutta figura, as Cristel Carrisi says in her TEDx talk, “to lose face” in Italian. […]

How To Make Budget-Friendly Crocheted Gifts This Holiday Season Posted on December 12, 2021 Happy December, everyone! While this time of year is exciting and nostalgic, it can also be extremely stressful for students. Not only are we stressing about final exams, but on top of it, we need to worry about gift shopping for our friends and family! For those of us with smaller budgets, this can be an added challenge.  When money is an issue, a great option is handmade presents. They show your friends and family that you care, and they are usually much cheaper than buying […]

A Guide to the 2022 Grammy Awards Nominations Posted on December 11, 2021 Image Credit: the Recording Academy From Jon Batiste to Doja Cat, to even BTS, big names in the music industry have been recognized by the Grammys for their 2022 awards show. But not everyone is satisfied with these nominations. Let’s dive into the 64th Grammy nominations together.  Starting with the artists with the most nominations, we have Jon Batiste, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, H.E.R., Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. According to an article by Variety, Jon Batiste is the only person with 11 nominations, most of them […]