New Year’s Resolutions January 29, 2023 So it’s been 2023 for almost a month now, and I can proudly say I didn’t give up on any of my new year’s resolutions! That’s because… You guessed it, I didn’t make any.   I know, I know, you’re probably thinking “Don’t you want to improve yourself?” And obviously, I do, but being in university is stressful enough as it is, why do I need to add on all the weight of ‘becoming the best version of myself’ within a certain time frame? The end of the year is meant to be a

The Truth About the Michelin Star January 24, 2023      The Michelin Star is the ultimate title a restaurant can achieve. It’s earned based on food, service, and the overall restaurant experience. Getting a Michelin Star is the hardest thing a restaurant can do, with about 2,100 restaurants in the entire world having the title. Now imagine two stars. There are only 300 of those, and 100 three stars.      One day my mom barged in my room to tell me she’s gone behind my back and hired me to be a host at a 2 Michelin Star restaurant in NYC, where

Vision Boarding Your 2023 January 24, 2023      A new year has begun and what better way to kick start it then to indulge in some form of art therapy! Vision boarding is an activity that I have recently gotten into.  I have known about it for quite a while, but last year is when I decided to go for it and try it out for myself.  Vision boarding is essentially a collage that you put together to plan out and visualize how you want particular areas of your life to look for you.  You don’t necessarily have to

NYC vs Toronto food December 05, 2022 It’s no secret that NYC is one of the most famous cities in the world, gathering millions of tourists per year to experience the culture through sightseeing. Many people come to NYC expecting the food to be amazing, since that’s kinda where people go to live out their chef dreams. I can’t deny that some of NYC’s food isn’t absolutely incredible, but it’s not what you would expect.   After living in Toronto for about 5 years of my life, and NYC for 10, I can confidently say Toronto is where I’ve had

Netflix: The Fallen Series’ Edition December 05, 2022 Netflix is the number one streaming service in the world, highly noted for containing the best TV series and movies to watch at your disposal and is probably the platform I use quite frequently to indulge in such.  But being so distinguished is not the only thing the entertainment platform is notorious for.  As Netflix grew in popularity, so did their content.  The production of their original movies and series attracted audiences and kept them longing for more, including myself.  But with the growing number of original series being produced, the numbers

How to Throw a Great Party on a Student Budget Posted on November 28, 2022 As the year ends, we often think of everything we’ve done throughout the year and what we plan to do next year. For me, that’s parties. I’m obsessed with throwing parties. I plan them months in advance. Parties for my parents, my grandparents, my dog… Anyone. But it can be hard to throw parties that look like the ones in movies and shows, especially as a university student on a budget. So, here are some tips and tricks for throwing a Pinterest-Worthy Party with a

Small Island Girl Chasing Big City Dreams Posted on November 28, 2022 Bermuda From clear blue salty waters to snow covered sidewalks, the transition from living on a small island to a big city has been an interesting one.  As the semester comes to an end, I have now begun to reflect on my first three months of living in Toronto.  They have been challenging, thrilling, spontaneous, tiring, fun-filled, but most of all new.  I’ve been presented with new opportunities, I’ve made new friends, created new memories, and embarked on this new journey as an international student hailing all the

Children’s Animation that is Making a Difference Posted on November 28, 2022 Over the past few years, children’s programming has seen an increase in storylines that celebrate their target audience: children. These shows, at their core, stress the importance of imagination and play, and tell stories that children can relate to. The medium of animation allows these narratives to cater to the imagination of children by achieving feats that would either be impossible or too expensive in a live action production. Below I have compiled a list of some of my favourite animated children’s television series. The unique prosocial messaging

A Gay Couple on TV Isn’t Gonna Turn Your Kids Gay Posted on November 28, 2022 Steven Universe (2013), created by Rebecca Sugar, is a show that’s personally touched me in strengthening my sexuality. It’s a children’s show that ran on Cartoon Network from 2013-2019, which cultivated a strong fanbase that primarily consists of the LGBT community and its allies. Throughout the show there were intense loving and hateful relationships illustrated in its 6 years of running. Rebecca Sugar made sure to include LGBT representation within the relationships portrayed, with gay couples shown giving verbal affection, kissing, and even getting

2022’s Biggest Night for Music Posted on April 14, 2022 A few months ago, I wrote an article about the 64th Grammy Awards nominations. The star-studded list created lots of discussion for fans, and this past week, we got to see who took home a Grammy. On April 3, 2022, the annual award show took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Some of the biggest names in music were in attendance as they had their chance to shine through various performances throughout the night. In this article, I’ll focus on some of the most popular artists

Karlie’s International Thriller Recommendations Posted on April 14, 2022 I love the thriller genre. From action, psychological dramas, horror, and even romance, thriller is a transformative genre that can be difficult to define, but definitely easy to enjoy. Below I have compiled a very brief list of a few of my favourite international thriller movies that I would definitely recommend to others who are interested in watching movies from around the world. The list below is European/East-Asian centric, and I hope to continue to expand my catalogue over the summer.  Similarly to horror, thriller movies can contain topics and imagery

Things I Wished I Knew at the Beginning of my Degree Posted on April 13, 2022 I moved to Toronto nearly 5 years ago. I was 17, had only left my province a couple of times, and was absolutely terrified. Not only was I nervous to start university, but I was overwhelmed by the big city of Toronto and all of its beautiful chaos.  I’m now 22, and only a couple of months away from graduating. It’s been a long and difficult journey: after two years at X, I took some time off from my degree to travel and work

What Pixar’s Tuning Red Means to Me, a Chinese-Canadian Animation Fan Posted on April 9, 2022 What is more fun than having someone or something tell you about yourself? If you’re like me, you also enjoy taking personality tests and quizzes in your free time. And if you’re also like me, you have definitely been told that you are “such a Sagittarius”. In this blog I will be discussing Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicators versus astrology through their ability to provide us insight about an individual’s personality.  Are you an introvert? An extrovert? Maybe even an ambivert? Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator

How to Smile: In Different Media Posted on April 13, 2022 A few weeks ago I wrote a blog all about how to cry in different media for some much-needed mid-term catharsis. Seeing as we’re at the end of the semester now, it seems fitting to do the opposite so I thought it would be a good time for some light-hearted happy recommendations to take you into the summer.  Songs I Touch Myself Lime Cordiale Cover It’s impossible not to bop along to this song whenever you hear it. The original song is already quite fun but this cover just

Judging the Cover of My Books Posted on April 11, 2022 There is no one in the world that doesn’t judge a book by its cover. One of my fellow bloggers even wrote her blog on how to choose a book you may like by looking at its cover! When there are tons of books on the shelf to select from in a book store, the book cover or even its spine can help it catch your attention and lure you to take it off the shelf and all the way to your home sweet home. With that being said,