A hodgepodge of different topics, “Thoughts & More” is where you will find posts about animation and baking to pop music and wild life.
i.e. Everything.
- Game of Shrooms 2023: Review & Tips for Future Artists & Hunters
Well, Game of Shrooms has come and gone! It was my very first time (ever!) participating. As expected, it was exhilarating and exhausting to join in as both artist and shroom hunter. For this year’s game, I created one mushroom-themed artwork titled, Shroompoleon (aka Napoleon Shroomaparte), which was claimed by a mystery hunter within a… Read more: Game of Shrooms 2023: Review & Tips for Future Artists & Hunters - Game of Shrooms: It’s Time to Hunt for Artsy Shrooms!
It’s finally June… Which means Game of Shrooms is almost here! Next week, the 2023 Game of Shrooms will commence. What is “Game of Shrooms”? It’s an annual art hide-and-seek that takes place all over the world for just one day; and this year, it’ll be on Saturday June 10, 2023. It’s a day when… Read more: Game of Shrooms: It’s Time to Hunt for Artsy Shrooms! - The Passing of Powell Cat, A True UCLA Icon
Did you know that there was a cat named “Powell Cat” at the University of California, Los Angeles? You probably didn’t. Because not even everyone who attended or visited UCLA knew “Powell Cat.” Only some of the hundreds of thousands of alumni and friends knew. And of those who knew that such a cat had… Read more: The Passing of Powell Cat, A True UCLA Icon - Gray Loft Gallery: An Art Exhibit to Remember
Shades of Gray at the Gray Loft Gallery This January, I had an opportunity to attend an art exhibit called Shades of Gray. No, it has nothing to do with the infamous novel by E.L. James. Rather, it was the “10th Anniversary Photography Exhibit” held at the Gray Loft Gallery in Oakland, CA from December… Read more: Gray Loft Gallery: An Art Exhibit to Remember - Never Have I Ever: The Netflix Show That Got It Right (Mostly) 👌🏽
When I first came across the trailer for the first season of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, I thought it was a simple show about an Indian girl who has a crush on a popular guy at school. After unintentionally binge-watching two seasons, I found out that it was SO MUCH more than that. Here… Read more: Never Have I Ever: The Netflix Show That Got It Right (Mostly) 👌🏽 - Irvine French Baking Class #2: Apple Pie & Tarte Tatin
After attending the fun lemon tart class I attended last year, I signed up for the “Apple Pie and Tatin Tart” class when it opened a few months back. Despite registering early for the Irvine baking class, I almost decided to withdraw the night before. After months of hectic schedule, I didn’t think I could… Read more: Irvine French Baking Class #2: Apple Pie & Tarte Tatin - Confessions of an Ex-Army #1: How I Became a BTS Fan
I am no longer an avid fan of BTS. What I mean is, I still like their music but have grown out of the fangirl phase. But here is how I became an “Army,” aka a fan of BTS, the K-pop boy band otherwise known as Bangtan Boys/Bangtan Sonyeondan/ 방탄소년단. It all goes back to… Read more: Confessions of an Ex-Army #1: How I Became a BTS Fan - Exploring Deeper into Howl’s Moving Castle: The Cast & More
Hi. It’s the Time Traveler here, again, with final things to say about Howl’s Moving Castle. I had so much to share about the Ghibli film that I decided to break it into two parts. As you can tell, my last post on the movie was already long enough. So now, I shall continue with… Read more: Exploring Deeper into Howl’s Moving Castle: The Cast & More - Review of Howl’s Moving Castle: An Artistic Triumph
As written in my last post HERE, I could not watch Howl’s Moving Castle in theaters for this year’s Ghibli Fest. I mean, I was going to but chose not to as the lax CDC guidelines the theaters were following made me feel really uncomfortable. Not enforcing social distancing and masks were odd, considering the… Read more: Review of Howl’s Moving Castle: An Artistic Triumph - Ghibli Fest 2021: Howl’s Moving Castle During the Pandemic
I can’t believe it’s already been about 2 years since the coronavirus broke out in Wuhan, China back in December 2019. And it’s sad to know that the world hasn’t recovered from it yet. There are still countless cases and deaths throughout the world. But despite the worldwide struggle against COVID-19, some parts of the… Read more: Ghibli Fest 2021: Howl’s Moving Castle During the Pandemic - Irvine French Baking Class #1: Lemon Tart
On a crisp October morning, I went to attend a French baking class in Irvine that I had signed up for a few weeks back. To tell the truth, my very first dream was becoming a patisserie. Of course, back when I was little, I had no idea that such a word existed. So I… Read more: Irvine French Baking Class #1: Lemon Tart - Bella Grace: Epitome of a Beautiful Magazine
Last week, when it drizzled in the ever-sunny city of my residence, I stopped by at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. For the past few years, I’ve been on-and-off writing my first novel, and I wanted to research the tone and style of recently published books. As is always the case whenever I’m in bookstores,… Read more: Bella Grace: Epitome of a Beautiful Magazine - Raccoon in the Hood 🦝
The town I live in abounds with animals of all kinds. We have squirrels, rabbits, lizards, rats, doves, ducks, crows, parrots, coyotes, and even mountain lions roaming about. But I had no idea that I would come face to face with a raccoon! Encountering My Neighbor, Raccoon One evening, after a walk in the park,… Read more: Raccoon in the Hood 🦝 - EPIK Essay: Thoughts on Teaching & Encountering Cultural Differences
While applying to EPIK this year, I had to write personal statements on teaching as well as encountering cultural differences. Below are my teaching philosophy and thoughts on cultural differences (2 of the 3 EPIK essay prompts). *But as EPIK essay prompts may change, be sure to always check their official website! Prompt #1: My… Read more: EPIK Essay: Thoughts on Teaching & Encountering Cultural Differences - My Latest KFC Review: Still Terrible
KFC was one of my favorite fast-food restaurants out there. With its menu of coleslaw, mashed potatoes & gravy, fried chicken, as well as biscuits with jam and butter, KFC had a solid menu of gustatory harmony. But about a decade ago, things changed. My family and I were given undercooked fried chicken – so… Read more: My Latest KFC Review: Still Terrible - Ducklings Attacked: A World of Survival
This evening when the sun started to set, my mother and I came upon a mother duck and her two ducklings. Where I live, it’s common to find ducks, ducklings, rabbits, squirrels, and lizards. Anyways, I have an affinity to ducklings after rescuing them a couple of years back with my family (check out the… Read more: Ducklings Attacked: A World of Survival - Ducklings Rescued: From Scared & Lost to Safe & Found
When I had left for class yesterday, my parents had texted me a photo of a mother duck and her ducklings. “They’re in front of our house right now. There’re 10 of them!” My parents had notified me before going out. “If they’re still there when you get home, why don’t you give them some… Read more: Ducklings Rescued: From Scared & Lost to Safe & Found