Monthly Archives: November 2019

Process Post #9: Crunching the Numbers

This past week, we focused on global internet trends and activities with the help of Mary Meeker’s, “2019 Internet Trends Report”. We pinpointed where the greatest hubs of web users are around the world, which sites see the most traffic, and what details we can infer from all of this user activity—all of that fun stuff. So of course, you know the drill, it got me thinking. 

I know, whatta surprise. 

LUCKY NUMBERS

All this talk about numbers and data suddenly had me questioning my own. I won’t lie, I’ve neglected considering my analytics for the past couple of weeks (because, life) but this gave me the motivation to get back into it. 

It’s always fun to see behind the scenes of user activity. I’d even say that Travis Gertz hits it right on the head in his article, “Design Machines: How to Survive the Digital Apocalypse” when he describes analytics as “hav[ing] seem­ing­ly god-like access to the ways peo­ple use our prod­ucts”. 

With analytics, we’re given information like where our users are located, what content they like to interact with, and what devices they use to get to our sites. It’s like using a highly-developed, electronic, statistically justified Magic 8 ball. (Okay, so it’s nothing like using a Magic 8 ball.)

In saying so, now that I’ve seen last week’s stats regarding which devices are being used to visit the blog, I know that I should give more thought into what it’s like to visit Moods & Mixtapes via a mobile device. 

YOU’RE JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Although, as life-changing and beneficial as it all sounds, I need to remember to not get too ahead of myself. As Gertz bluntly puts it, “met­rics are the internet’s hero­in”. And despite how absolute we may think the numbers are, they cannot always be trusted. We can’t just be making all of these changes just because the data led us to think they were necessary. 

Take it all with a grain of salt, I suppose.

process post #10

I still remember reading about this guy who claimed he came back from the 3700 future and warned everyone that humans will be controlled by robots. Back in 2005, this sounded like some sci-fi non sense to me. Now that is 2019, I’m totally convinced that guy did came back from 2046. Although for now humans aren’t slaves of gigantic robots that look like the transformers, we have already become slaves to technology. It’d be a really technological determinist thing for me to blame technology for changing how we live, but I can’t help but ponder about the increasing technological influence in our daily lives. I remember Suzanne brought up the example of how a girl suddenly got a bunch of baby and pregnancy products recommended to her when her menstruation tracking app realized she missed her period that month. I think it’s really ironic how we invented all these app and technology to make our lives better yet they seem to shape the way we live now. Knowing how powerful and profitable technology can be, it’s hard for Google to not consider about building a search engine that comply with China’s censorship on sensitive content since China has a big market. Facebook also realizes its power owing to infrastructural imperialism that it can launch Free Basics to third worlds and offer them Facebook as a substitution of an actual internet, branching out their power across the globe regardless of how useful their technology actually is. Reading about these news just reinforces how technology has a dominating power in the world we’re living in right now, it might not even take 2000 more years to get to the point where we are completely controlled by robots.

References:
Brian Fung. October 16, 2018. Google really is trying to build a censored Chinese search engine, its CEO confirms
Mike Elgan. 2016. “The surprising truth about Facebook’s Internet.org.” http://www.computerworld.com/article/3032646/internet/the-surprising-truth-about-facebooks-internetorg.html#tk.rss_all

BlackBall

After trying out almost all the shaved ice and cafes in Burnaby and Coquitlam, I finally had time to go all the way to Richmond for my favourite Asian dessert – grass jelly and taro balls.

Interior

Blackball is a Taiwanese dessert place that specialize in grass jelly. If you’ve been a reader since my first blog post, I’m sure you’ll agree that this place reminds you of the shaved ice place I went during my trip in Taiwan. Both stores welcome their guests with this cute little black ball with round eyes sitting on the balcony. I can’t really find how they are related, but I guess both Taiwanese dessert place are trying to use this cute mascot to market their dessert.

(TMI: i went back to check this one has 2 legs the other one has 4)

Grass Jelly with Mini Balls

The order we end up getting at last was grass jelly with mini balls. These mini balls are some of BlackBall’s exclusive toppings that are handmade. The grass jelly itself didn’t taste like they added a lot of artificial sweetener to it since they also gave us condensed milk on the side for us to adjust the sweetness ourselves.

Exclusive Toppings

Since what’s special about this dessert is their exclusive toppings, I will separately comment on each flavor. The mini balls that we finished eating first were the sesame flavored ones. All three of us agree that the sesame taste was strong enough in these mochis and that they go really well with grass jelly. We can even feel the sesame powder texture when we chewed.

Our second favourite flavor was the TaroQ. Once again both the taste and texture convinced us that they really made these taro balls in house. Since yam is the most common mochi that Taiwanese grass jelly stores serve, I think the matcha mini balls was really special. We could tell that their ingredients were freshly made since all four mochis were really soft and chewy. These mini balls made the black grass jelly really colorful and presentable.

I think the portion was pretty big for $9.80 as three of us skipped dinner and shared this dessert but we were really full after our last bite. I would totally recommend order this regular size and share it with your friends since you can try out more of their exclusive toppings.

Address: 8300 Capstan Way Unit 1061, Richmond, BC

winter in VanCity

You might have noticed that as we passed Halloween and welcomed November, stores immediately changed their concept. While we were exposed to costumes, scary or cute decorations now Christmas decorations took over the shelves. I am definitely not complaining because this time of the year is my favourite one. From where I come from Christmas […]

KOD

KOD is J. Cole’s fifth studio album and introduces a new and unique side of the artist that hadn’t been seen before. This is another album that I really enjoy and is quite different from what I usually post, but I think it would be nice change. KOD is features more trap-heavy drums and Cole’s attempt at experimenting with this style. I believe he nailed it. At the time of its release, trap rap was blowing up with artists like Lil Pump and Tekashi 6ix-9ine blowing up onto the scene. Cole as an open and progressive artist decided to play around in that realm of music and he was able to implement this very nicely. On top of this, Cole’s voice was consistent with his brand and the meanings in his tracks are truly insightful and as lyrically impressive as some of his other works. The album touches on problems with modern social media, drugs, violence, and his stepfather. Songs like “Window Pain” and “Kevin’s Heart” paint very descriptive pictures in the listeners head. J. Cole tells stories that are seamless to follow along to while including subtle details that require multiple listens to discover. kill edward is the only other person featured on this album. No surprise that kill edward is also J. Cole just pitched way down. This adds an interesting dynamic to the album that lets bring variety and new dynamics through his different voices. On tracks like “FRIENDS”, kill edward is used for the chorus, and this allows Cole to transition into his rapping with ease. This album got a lot of flack as it wasn’t a “traditional” J. Cole album, but I think this was very well executed. The versatility of the entire project with a trap theme really exhibits how talented of an artist Cole really is. He shows that trap hip hop can be very profound through the messages and stories he tells in each track. Everything makes sense, and KOD is one of the easiest albums for me to listen to. I would rate it a 4.8/5 because of this.

Notable Tracks: “Window Pain”, “FRIENDS”, “Kevin’s Heart”, “BRACKETS”    

Swimming

Mac Miller’s Swimming is one of the best albums I’ve ever listened to in terms of content, production, and overall quality. I’ll be doing something a bit different, and rather than reviewing underground music, I’ll be doing some reviews on my favourite albums. Swimming is Mac’s final album before his tragic death in September of 2018. Prior to this album, his discography included four studio albums, Swimming being his fifth, one EP, seven Mixtapes, and many features and singles. The evolution of Mac’s music throughout his career was incredibly dynamic and beautiful. The contrast from his frat rap style when he was starting out as an eighteen-year-old high school student, to the matured and thoughtful artist he grew into is something so intimate and profound. Swimming is very R&B influenced, with Mac introducing unique flows, rhythms, and styles. His singing is much more prevalent on this project than any of his past projects and he blends this well with his rapping. As a farewell album, I, as a fan, could not have asked for a more perfect piece. Mac shares his most intimate thoughts and feelings and listening to this makes me feel like I am immersed into his mind and feeling what he is feeling. One of the most impressive things about this project and Mac as an artist is that he does most of if not all his production. This helps him create music that truly represents his vision and augments his music as a whole. The album has a sad undertone, and it almost feels like he knew he was creating his farewell album. Listening to this album before and after his passing was eye opening. It brought all new meanings to it and made me see things I hadn’t seen in it before. The versatility of it is part of what makes this one of my favourite albums. The album above all else makes you feel. The words are emotional themselves, but the way Mac uses his voice to convey his own feelings paired with his deep and complex production make every track an emotional journey. This album was the perfect close to a beautiful career. The contrast between this work and his first is truly surreal, and his personal growth from his struggles is exhibited wonderfully. I can’t vouch for this album enough and would rate it a 5/5. Notable tracks are difficult to do because every track is noteworthy. You may never think that one album could change how you see things, but if you give this a chance, you will be beautifully surprised.   

Noir

Noir is Smino’s second studio album after blkswan. The eighteen-track album is a great listen for people who enjoy R&B with different flavours. His diverse vocals along with the varying instrumental styles and tempo bring a level of diversity that listeners can really appreciate. While listening through, it doesn’t feel like I’m listening to the same album. The level of variation is well implemented all while keeping the album harmonious and in unison. Smino hits heavy jazz notes in “SPINZ” that make you want to stop and slow down; Heavy contrasts to this come from tracks like “KRUSHED ICE” where you may find this in a party or club-like setting. The album is fun and funny. Smino’s clever word play and rhyming schemes can bring a smile to a listener at any time. I find myself struggling to put into words what listening to this album is like. Part of the reason this review is so late is because I haven’t been able to switch off it in the last four weeks. The album is very poetic. If you are looking to fully appreciate Smino’s lyricism and genius listening to the tracks with the lyrics pulled up is essential. This can help you visualise his double entendres and appreciate the cleverness of his penmanship. His use of metaphors and other poetic devices help paint very real and vivid scenes that can immerse the listener into a rich and satisfying experience. I can say that from listening to only this album for the last four weeks, there is always something new that I am finding with his work, and I find that I can’t get tired of this. The incredibly diverse track list makes this album listenable in all moods and situations. I would give this track a 4.6/5 because of these reasons. I hadn’t listened to Smino much before this, but now I can’t stop listening. Please do yourself a favour and indulge in the experience that is Noir.

Notable Tracks: “KOVERT”, “HOOPTI”, “WE GOT THE BISCUITS”, “SUMMER SALTS”

Transmedia

Incorporating transmedia into my blog has been something I’ve wanted to do but haven’t gotten around to. I think posting on social media is quite convenient for most people online, and it makes it easy to communicate as social media is accessible and more easily a two-way stream of discussion. I’ve made a twitter account, but I haven’t really thought about what I would post on it. As I’ve mentioned in my previous process post, time has been something I’ve struggled to manage with this blog. Implementing a twitter account may add more fuel to the fire that I am trying to control currently. The usefulness of transmedia would also help me grasp a better sense of who my audience is and what they like or dislike. I think twitter suits my blog very well as an outlet because it would be utilized for discussions. Being an opinion blog, it is always important to listen to different perspectives so that you may become more enlightened to different ideas. This can help me shape more versatile views or even change my outlook completely on some things. It is always much more enjoyable discussing thoughts with other people who reciprocate rather than shooting my thoughts into a one way blackhole of communication.  

Process Post #10

What is fashion, and what is style? That’s a question that I’ve more or less asked myself ever since starting this post. Often times, people like to associate “style” with how prestige an item is, or how esthetic it appears. But really, value, as well as beauty, are in the eye of the beholder. One shirt may look stunning to me and worth $100, but to someone else, it may look plain enough to only spend $20. Personally, I grew up accustomed to shopping in large department stores such as Forever 21. For my entire High School life, I’ve tried to find my own style and clothing that fits me. The majority of my purchases never survived the stand of time, and either deteriorated or got tossed to the back of my closet, never to be worn again. It wasn’t until last year, that I really changed my mindset regarding purchases: there is no point in buying a $20 shirt that I will wear once. Instead, I would rather spend $100 on a shirt that I will feel confident in and wear multiple times. Those $20’s add up, and in the end, I am not receiving nearly as much utility as I would if I had just bought what I actually wanted.

Of course, this is all a privilege. Many people don’t have the luxury to buy what they want, nor have the means to purchase enough items to find their style. In the end, I think that your own style is whatever makes you feel confident. There is no better or worse, and more expensive does not always equal better quality or more utility.

Process Post #8 | Analytics


NIX NAVIGATES ANALYTICS

Based on the data of my website on Google Analytics, I can see a breakdown of information for the visitors of my website which helps me identify an audience that I can target my content to. Looking at the information, it gathers that 96% of the users on my website are from Canada, with the other small percentage consisting of users in the United States, and one user from United Arab Emirates. This is expected since I write content revolved around Vancouver businesses. Knowing this, I can continue my local approach without having to provide additional context than non-Canadians might not understand.

 I can also see which day of the week, and what time of days my site gets the most visit. This can help me better schedule my posts to when my audience is active and online. Rather than uploading posts on my schedule, I can set specific times for my posts to go live for engagement to be most effective. Analytics for user demographics and their interests are provided which can help guide my blog posts. I can identify which type of recommendations my readers will be most interested in and target my posts to retain their interest and keep readers from coming back to my website.

YOUR INFORMATION

MY INFORMATION

At first glance, I was actually shocked to see how many categories Google has listed under my interests and preferences. I personally don’t mind if Google has access to my information for marketing purposes because in my mind, if I’m going to get ads anyways, I would prefer if they related to my interests. I find ads to be bothersome if they spam a website and are completely irrelevant. But if ads actually promoted something I am interested in, for example, a sale at stores I usually shopped at, or products I am actively searching for, I find the ads to be informative and actually useful. I guess that’s how Google has been able to achieve the success it has, by delivering relevant ads. Although my online privacy is a trade-off for personalized ads, I don’t think anything I do online is very information-sensitive. 

That being said, let’s look at what googles to be my interests. Google has my gender and age correct, however, the first couple of categories listed as my top interests are actually not my interests at all. Royal Bank of Canada, Wayfair, Best Buy, and Sunwing Vacations are listed as some of my top interests, yet I’ve visited or discussed these websites/brands less than a handful of times in my life. Glancing at the comprehensive list Googled has complied for me, I do see that it encompasses majority of my interests, but there are also some very random categories that I have never showed interests in.
 

Travel guide to the insta-famous attractions for photo-shooting in LA

Los Angeles, a city of the Instagram-famous spots, there have many desirable walls (art background) that attract the worldwide Insta-fans come to take the photos! In Los Angeles, Melrose, downtown and Venice beach are the three main sites with those famous walls, today I will focus to introduce the guide of Melrose’s artistic wall.

Paul Smith-The pink wall

Paul Smith’s pink wall is undoubtedly the most popular ins-style wall in the United States, the oversized and all-pink wall is easy to frame and photographing, you can stand anywhere with a pink background to take a good photo (no need to worry about the crowd and the weather). You can even avoid the crowd and take photos around the corner, the works are still awesome!

Address: 8221 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046, United States

LA Angel wings

There is no specific address for the wing wall, it just on your way from the pink wall to made in la. You can definitely see it, so don’t be worry!

Made in LA wall

Address: Cisco Home, 8025 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Rainbows Wall

Address: The Paper Bag Princess, 8050 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

-Different artistic wall on Melrose street-

“Love is everywhere”

London Day 4

Our fourth day in London was a pretty laid back because it was our day to walk around and explore London. We started on Oxford street, where roamed some high-street shops. We found another huge Primark so we spent some more time browsing the multi-level store (this becomes a trend during out trip in Europe). A lot of Oxford street was under construction at the time so there were a lot of trucks and workers on the road and that led to a lack of images. 

One image that I do have is South Molten Street just off of Oxford Street and Bond Station. It’s a beautiful pedestrian road that leads from Oxford Street to Brook Street. The Mayfair area is gorgeous and has stunning architecture where every building is different and designed perfectly for their brand.

Despite the fact that each shop is unique, they all work together and there is a sense on unity down the boulevard. This is not something commonly seen in North America. When you look at these buildings it leaves you a sense of awe and you never want to leave.

South Molton Street, Mayfair

From South Molton Street we ended up on Brook Street about a block from Claridge’s, a luxury hotel in the heart of Mayfair. It is one of the two prestigious afternoon teas in London that are on everyone’s afternoon tea bucket lists. This was the most amazing experience and the service was stellar. They treat you like you are the most important person in the world. 

My Claridge’s afternoon tea experience is available in the London Food Guide and linked here. I definitely recommend that you check it out and hopefully, you’ll be inspired to go yourself.

Claridge's Afternoon Tea

We emerged from Claridge’s absolutely stuffed and we decided to walk off everything that we ate down Regent Street. It is just like Oxford Street in the sense that it is also a major shopping boulevard. The difference is that Regent Street has more upscale brands and the buildings look the same down the street all the way to Piccadilly Circus. The buildings all look the same when you look at the upper levels but this time, the shop-fronts are different. The tops of the buildings connect down the boulevard so it looks beautiful but there are still distinguishable difference in the shop-fronts.

Right beside Regent Street is Carnaby, a pedestrian street that offers tons of dining and shops. Much like South Molton Street, all of the buildings are different but work together so well. All of the roads are brick-paved and well maintained so it’s easy to walk on. There is a beautiful sparkly, glitter, and shimmery Carnaby/British flag sign and it is so eye-catching. Mayfair is so busy and full of people which I normally don’t like but it just adds to the whole experience of London.

After a long day of walking, shopping, and exploring, we headed to the Prince Edward Theatre in Soho for a West End production of Aladdin. The theater was absolutely stunning (no surprise) and had Aladdin decorations everywhere. LED screens, actual gold lamps, banners. Everywhere. Upon entry, there are bars available upstairs so you can have a drink whilst you wait for seating to begin.

The show itself was spectacular as expected. Entertaining, colourful, and great for both adults and children. I highly recommend you go see any West End Show. Just experience it. 

Soho
IMG_6635
Prince Edward Theatre
Aladdin LED Poster

Today was our first wandering day and it was so much fun. You aren’t stuck to a schedule and you can truly enjoy the city.

There’s a lot of stuff in my Pitaaa@Chickpea

Though my time in Vancouver is short, I still have a strong feeling that Chickpea is one of the most commonly known vegan restaurants in the city. I had actually tried Chickpea’s food from their food truck not long ago, but it was the first time that I actually visited their restaurant, so I was quite excited.

  • Cheers!

The reason I was having dinner in Chickpea is that it was my housemate’s birthday and she’s a vegetarian. As you can see from the snap on the right, most of us had ordered Pitas so I believe these shall be highly recommended for newcomers. The restaurant also serves a variety of cocktails, but I’m not a fan of alcohol so…I haven’t tried any. The portion of the Pita is quite generous and is surely enough to make you feel full; most of us find it difficult to eat by bare hands, you simply have to pour out stuff from the Pita to a plate and use forks and knives to eat.

  • My pita looks like a wide-opened mouth…

So, here’s another picture that shows my weighty Pita.

SABICH (GF) Pita $10.5
[Sabich: fried eggplant, warm yams, & warm chickpeas; Pita: fresh pita along with organic hummus, fresh vegetables tossed in olive oil lemon dressing, some spicy schug sauce and pickles]

The whole thing is quite tasty in general, you can easily have a mouthful of different textures and flavors. However, I feel like there are too many chickpeas and it gets boring after eating 30-40% of the Pita. Also, the sauce all goes down to the bottom of the Pita, which makes part of the bread too soggy and salty. The fried eggplants are also a bit too greasy for me, I didn’t feel very comfortable eating that as a typical weight-conscious girl.

Rating: 7.5/10

Location: 4298 Main Street
Vancouver, BC. V5V 3P9

A minimalist’s winter wishlist – Shoes

If I were to ever attend rehab (knock-on-wood), it would probably for shoes. I don’t know what started it, but once I put on a pair of pretty shoes I just can’t bear taking it off. I need to take it home with me so that I can add it to my shoe collection! I’ve made a few splurge purchases that I instantly regret or end up tossing it in the back of my closet. Over the past few years, I’ve realized that I should steer away from all shoes that are “trendy”. AKA, I like it right now because everyone else is wearing it, but I don’t wholeheartedly enjoy them. I plan on writing a post about shoe favourites, but for now, we will explore the unpurchased items that I have yet to pull the trigger on. Once again, we will be listing the shoes from least-attainable to most!

Warning, most of these shoes are $$$ because of my obsession with classic and timeless pieces. Please bear with me 🙁

#1 Manolo Blahnik Hangisiflat Velvet

https://www.manoloblahnik.com/ca/hangisiflat-fmc-25625.html

I don’t know exactly how long I’ve eyed these shoes for, but it must have been somewhere around the summer before I began attending University. These hangisi flats are possibly the prettiest shoes I have ever seen, but I can’t see myself actually getting much wear out of it. For starters, it’s C$1,185 (YIKES). Need I say more? Haha but in all seriousness, these shoes are made with velvet. That does not sound very friendly for the normal day-to-day wear and tear. It’s especially fragile in the land of raincouver, where rain can fall any time and anywhere it wants. I don’t see this as a likely purchase, but it will stay on the wishlist because they are the first pair of flats that I’ve actually admired for its intricate design.

#2 Valentino Garavani ($$$)

https://www.valentino.com/en-ca/ballerina-flats_cod5756269972986175.html#dept=ROW_Ballerinas_W

Ah yes, I could never get enough of the classic design of these rock-stub flats. I own a pair myself in the calf-skin leather, and be warned: DON’T BUY THEM. Maybe I’m just terrible at lifting my feet off the ground when I walk, but the tips of my poudre Valentinos are beyond ruined :'( But anyway, back to these shoes. Despite already owning the same pair in the same design, I don’t see myself ever getting tired of wearing rockstuds. The design of these flats makes your feet look so elegant, uncomparable to any other pair that I have put on. They’re not so comfortable for those with wide-feet though… Especially not in this patent material. At a price of C$950 (tax included), I see myself perhaps purchasing these shoes as a gift to myself of some sort.

#3 Stuart Weitzman Reserve Boot

https://www.stuartweitzman.ca/eng/products/reserve/black-suede/?DepartmentId=22&DepartmentGroupId=2

Ok, this is a pair of shoes that I can kind of, sort of justify. I’m a petite Asian girl with skinny calves, and it is really really difficult for me to find knee-high boots that won’t just slip off my leg when I make the slightest movement. Stuart Weitzman boots are traditionally narrower, so it’s hard for me not to fall for these on their next sale event. I am aware that most people purchase the Reserve Boot in leather, but that style looked surprisingly unpleasant on me. My thin ankles got completely swallowed by the boots, and it bunched up in an unaesthetic manner near the ankles. Knee-high and over-the-knee boots are a blessing during the winter months because it serves as an additional layer for the harsh weather. So yeah, considering these boots have a lot more material than the flats listed above, C$950 is a justifiable price for me!

Korean-Japanese Fusion, heaven!@Green Leaf Cafe

Japanese and Korean food are my two all-time-favorite Asian cuisines. Green Leaf Cafe is a Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant serving dishes that incorporate tastes from a variety of cultures, it’s exactly my perfect choice. The restaurant itself isn’t a purely vegetarian/vegan place, but they have quite a number of vegetarian choices for vegetarian diners to choose from, you can easily have meals with tofu; veggies; or eggs here, and my dining experience there is simply fantastic.

Since it’s my first visit to the restaurant, my approach is to try some of their signature dishes (which also sound the most appealing to me); including their quality aburi-oshis and good looking omelette rice. We also had a salad-pasta, which tastes so good too. Aburi-oshi is a kind of Osaka style pressed sushi, so it’s in a rectangular shape. Our choice today is “Crispy Yam and Avocado Oshi”, the crispiness of yam and creaminess of avocado matches perfectly and the sweet soy paste on top simply tops it off. While for their signature omelette rice, the egg is so rich and soft that it coats the rice very nicely; the garlic flakes just added a bit more layer to the dish and the curry is tasty. Last but not least, the salad-pasta is definitely a surprise, the greens are very fresh and the pasta underneath is linguine and is super yummy as well, they’re using kind of a citrus sauce to mix the two things together and it’s simply refreshing.

CRISPY YAM & AVOCADO OSHI $9
[Yam fritter, avocado, sweet soy glaze]

SALAD PASTA $10.5
[Fresh greens, oriental dressing]

HOUSE OMELETTE RICE $12
[Sweet & savory dem glaze, garlic flakes, tomato, chili]

Rating: 9/10

Location: 9604 Cameron St, Burnaby, BC V3J 1M2

Process Post #9

This week in the lecture, Suzanne spoke to us about the current developments in online media as well as technology. She taught us how to customize your own Alexa from Amazon, and create algorithmic responses. I came out of the lecture feeling both grateful and a little concerned. Grateful, because the internet and technology have made life so much easier for the majority of us. Scared, because of the invasion of privacy and the fear of constantly being watched. I’m no longer surprised when I get ads of a certain brand after searching about it on the internet, but sometimes I will speak about a certain food I am craving and have the ad pop up on my Instagram feed. Now that’s a little unsettling.

With the current development in advertisement and media, many brands and advertisers have chosen to focus on mobile marketing instead of desk top marketing. We spend the majority of our day on our phones now, and the computer is often just a place to watch video content or perform work. If I am relaxing, I am more likely to be on my phone than I am to be on the computer. Even if I am on the computer, I’m usually browsing through Netflix, where I am less susceptible to advertisements. Personalized ads make it easier for consumers to find what they are looking for, but at what point should we question whether the loss of privacy is worth the convenience?

Week 4 – Editing & Genres

After being a part of our “speed dating” exercise I was really happy to hear my fellow classmate’s reaction towards my blog idea about my exploration into the world of art. Initially I was just going to talk about dance and my experience with the art form till date. The response I got from everyone was supportive however, after pondering on my blog I felt that it would be better to offer my audience with a variety cause I felt that talking about one art form could be repetitive. Henceforth, talking about my venture into the world of art would be a better idea to keep the audience engaged.

Even Anita peer reviewed my site stating “I like her choice of such a unique title and also that is very abstract as to what type of art she is referring to”. Which is the exact reaction I was hoping for! so I really appreciated her feedback. I was also thinking that in my blogs I incorporate sample of my artwork let it be dance or drawing to add more content for my blog and viewers. I feel like when I write it is harder for me to stop talking, so I want to make my blogs to the point and concise.

Peer Review 3: My Infiniti and Beyond

Background
Enough about me and my food adventures. We will take another deep dive on a different blogger’s website. Jane Cheung has created “My Infinity and Beyond” which has the caption “A flexitarians Gourmet journeys, interspersed with some amazing encounters. Though she may eat meat here and there, she often steers towards vegan or vegetarian options instead. This one difference makes her blog stand in a unique place making her more likely to gain a consistent viewership amongst everything else. Personally speaking, Jane comes from Hong Kong and has a strong appreciation for Asian culture and the delicious cuisine that it comes with as well. She is bold in letting her background shine as she breaks down Kanji (Japanese) Cantonese writing when the opportunity arises. This equally contributes towards viewers being a fan of Jane as a writer increasing her marketability. 

Content
Having read more of Jane’s post, her passion for writing and her ability to connect with her viewership is shown in an even greater light. The blog post itself are extremely detailed and bring us close into her personal circle as if they she is speaking directly to the viewers and giving them her honest food recommendations and opinions. As the blog currently stands, there is a variety of content touching on both Western and Asian cuisine. This is a helpful factor in exposing the viewers towards different cuisines. With an ongoing relationship of more and more trust being built, the viewers may then start considering Jane’s recommendation of foods that they might not have ever thought about trying otherwise. This makes her content extremely marketable and it can directly impact the sales of restaurants given the increases exposure this can garner.

Design 
The visuals of her blog itself are extremely inviting. The background is coloured in soft pastel blue meanwhile every picture posted on the website nearly resembles the rainbow. The website layout is extremely organized with all the course content being listed towards the bottom meanwhile the blog post itself is placed near the top is a rotating fashion to better attract viewers. Although this may have been a mere copy and post template to begin, Jane had made adaptations for her blog that make it her very own. 

Summary 
Overall, Jane’s blog is not only visually vibrant, but it is also rich in content. After looking through every corner of My Infinity and Beyond, I believe that this blog will gradually attract a larger following with a consistent viewership. Jane has the ability to captivate her audience and make them feel at ease. Perhaps this is due to the fact that as James Hamblin notes in his “How to Talk to Strangers” publication, she feels “connected to [her] block”. Believing that the audience is approachable and within reach makes writing much easier leading to her post becoming more easy to read and enjoy as well. 

Here is a link to the blog directly: http://myinfinityandbeyond.com

References
1. Hamblin. James. 2016. How to Talk to Strangers https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/civil-inattention/497183/