With second semester rolling in, the idea of productivity is a lot more exciting than actually being productive. Luckily for us, there is an app out there that makes getting work done a much easier feat. An Introduction to Notion For me, Notion is the holy grail of productivity apps. I’ve tried GoodNotes, I’ve tried Evernote, and I’ve tried having a million unnamed Google documents, but I found with all of them that it took too much effort to keep organized and stay committed to using it on a busy schedule.  Notion is an incredibly intuitive app with many different […]

In 2021, I sought to bring new topics to SpiritLive. Thus, I’m happy to begin a series on Toronto filmmakers in the industry today. To begin, I was extremely lucky to chat with Evan Morgan.  Mr. Morgan, a York University film graduate who has lived in Toronto his whole life, wrote and directed one of my favourite films of 2020, The Kid Detective. He also co-wrote, edited and produced The Dirties, another all-time favourite of mine.  As of January, The Kid Detective is available for rent in Canada, along with The Dirties. *Minor Spoiler Warning for Below (please watch the […]

The situation we are all in is really tough for many different reasons. We have been limited in so many ways due to the pandemic. However, consistently staying motivated, focused, and enthusiastic while remotely attending classes has taken a toll on all of us… and most of us are looking for a way out of that funk. One of the most important things to make sure to do is write down all of your due dates somewhere you will not forget to look. I personally like writing my dates on monthly calendars and using an agenda to draw my focus […]

Wong Kar Wai. A director who is a pivotal figure in filmmaking and Hong Kong Cinema. He’s known for beautiful bold cinematography, mixed in with thematic atmospheric music in a non-linear narrative. He’s one of the most influential directors domestically and internationally in the golden age of New Wave cinema in Hong Kong. Now you’re probably wondering Wong Kar Wai am I talking about him? (get the pun?) As a big fan I have been waiting for him to make a new film just as I have been waiting for David Fincher to make a new film. Then my dreams […]

Endlessly scrolling on TikTok for hours resulted in my head being a radio where I just had a bunch of songs stuck in my head on rotation. Personally, there are a lot of songs that were too cringey or too much for me on TikTok but there are a few songs that blew up on TikTok that I have found myself to be listening to regularly and outside of TikTok. The first song that I absolutely love even if it has been overplayed is… #1 Mariposa by Peach Tree Rascals Image Credit: Spotify You cannot listen to this song and […]

Image credit: Allegra Smith-Herriott As a 22 year old university student living alone, in the midst of a pandemic, life was increasingly getting harder and harder as time went on. So to cope, I decided to get my very own puppy.  For the majority of my life I’ve had a family dog. As an only child, these dogs would instantly become my best friend and sibling. Since moving away from home and not having a constant furry companion by my side, I have been contemplating getting my own dog for a couple of years. Even more so living in isolation […]

Image Credit: “Canadian Tire Center” by caribb is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 The 2020-2021 season is almost here, yet there is still much we don’t know. One of the most highly anticipated decisions is one regarding Canada. With the Covid-19 pandemic limiting travel, there has been plenty of talk surrounding the NHL implementing an all-Canadian division for the 2020-2021 season. This has been met with plenty of excitement and rightfully so.  An all-Canadian division will be one of the most exciting things to occur in the NHL for quite some time. Some of the biggest rivalries in the sport […]

Left to right: Taskmaster Greg Davies, Alex Horne (Image credit: Avalon) About a year ago while drowning in the pressures of school, I fell down a very deep hole of watching British comedy panel shows on YouTube. Yes, that is a hyper-specific genre to get into, but believe me when I say there is plenty to appreciate about it. British humour is generally witty and clever, snappy, and sarcastic — it’s a bit like watching old grandmothers bickering at each other, and how can you not love that? The thing is, Canadian and American humour traditionally tend to lean more […]

Asymptomatic carriers, the Ministry of Labour, and some poor poor employees walk into an outlet mall…  You know what COVID-19 is. It tanked the economy, was responsible for 1.5 million deaths, and it ruined the phrase “to avoid something like the plague” because that’s not a thing people do anymore. Still, I venture out, because I don’t intend on living in my parents’ basement forever. I work at Vaughan Mills, specifically the Oakley store, and I can safely say that working during a pandemic is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. I started working again in August, when Ontario’s cases […]

We are literally days away from winter break. Some of us will be going home to celebrate the holidays, whereas others will be staying put in their dorms. Whatever your plans are, you’ll need some entertainment, which is why I decided to compile a list of some of the best holiday-themed films to watch during your winter break! 1. The New Release: Happiest Season Image credit: TomandLorenzo.com This brand new release looks actually amazing and the cast is stacked! Dan Levy? Check. Alison Brie? Check. Kristen Stewart? Check. Aubrey Plaza? Gang’s all here. Happiest Season is about a gay woman […]

Some of the typical fruits and vegetables in my weekly grocery cart are strawberries, bananas, apples, mushrooms, spinach and kale, but I find myself constantly intrigued by the appearance of the other fruits and vegetables that I’m less familiar with.  For this week’s blog, I hit up my local grocery store to explore the tastes, health benefits and cultural origins of the produce I don’t usually grab in hopes to diversify my grocery list and promote healthy eating! Burro Bananas Also known as Orinoco, Bluggoe, Horse, Hog or Largo bananas, Burro Bananas are a shorter and stubbier shape in comparison […]

Happy Almost Holiday !! 😀 Look at that, who would’ve thought…. We made it to the end of a semester 😮 So in honour of those who may not be able to go home this holiday (we’re on the same boat :/)  or just want some random activities to do during yet another lockdown… I GOT YOU!  *Of course, I tried to make this list as ‘away-from-home friendly’ as possible 😀 via GIPHY Tis the Seasoning: Image Credit: Chow Hon Lam; Boredpanda.com Chef it up– learn a new skill or refine your skill with some more baking (make some gingerbread […]

Photo by Dan Gold via Unsplash With dining in at restaurants not happening in the near future and COVID-19 cases rising, your favourite local restaurants need your support now more than ever. There are many initiatives going on right now in Toronto that aim to help restaurants stay afloat as best they can. One that I think you need to hear about (which is student budget friendly) is Rally for Restaurants.  This campaign is backed by Stella Artois and their parent company: Labatt Breweries of Canada. Rally for Restaurants aims to encourage people to purchase either $25 or $50 gift […]

We are all in a tough situation. Most days, we sit in front of a computer, eat our meals, and sleep. It makes it hard to find time for ourselves and our own wellbeing. A good way to keep up with our health is to move our bodies somehow! Some movement is better than none at all and being active contributes greatly to our health, especially in times like these… along with the healthiest diet you can follow (be sure to treat yourself regularly though, these are tough times and you deserve it). Along with the difficulty of staying active, […]

“Some people say home is where you come from. But I think it’s a place you need to find, like it’s scattered and you pick pieces of it up along the way.” – Katie Kaevinsky Home by Sarah Fouad (Medium: acrylic – Instagram: @s_fouads.art) I am a Third Culture Kid, meaning I was raised in countries outside of my native homeland because of my parents’ job. I have lived in 6 different countries, and have collected experiences, perspectives, and even people, along the way.  When I was younger, I had my fits over moving so much. I didn’t want to […]