issue 12// vol 47 life & style // no. 17 Janis McMath Editor-in-Chief Ma like I did when I was in grade three, I base a lot of my personality around the fact that I love animals. Cats, dogs, otters, capybaras, hamsters— whatever. You name it; if it has that classic dumb cute animal face, I probably love it. This obsession has led me to have an extensive knowledge of animal YouTube channels. And, if youre like me and are curious as to what animals across the globe are like, here’s a collection of content creators from countries across the water. INTRICATELY BUILT HAMSTER MAZES SIMI TV is an absolute marvel—this channel is truly one of humankind’s greatest achievements (and also has English subs). This channel is run by an extremely talented Korean craftsman that builds these totally bonkers cardboard obstacle courses for his hamsters to wander through and scavenge for treats in. The first half of many of his videos feature his concept drawings and the building-process for these utterly manic sets. One of my favourite videos is called “Ninja Hamster.” In it, the creator freaking hand Best international animal channels on YouTube » Watch a hamster work its way through a hamster-sized dojo crafts a dojo with hamster-sized tatami mats and hamster-sized Japanese-style sliding doors (shoji). He also often illustrates little comics and has a storyline in his videos (if they weren't already interesting enough). I would also recommend “Sushi train of hamster”—where he makes a working sushi conveyor belt restaurant for his lil’ buddy. Seriously, if you die before seeing these videos, it'll be your biggest regret in life. CLEVER AND HUMOUROUS CAT CONTENT IN CLEAN MINIMALIST APARTMENTS One of the best animal channels of all time is Kittisaurus. The channel is run by Claire, an extremely creative and hilarious Korean lady with ten freaking cats (and English subtitles). The aesthetic of the channel does not emit a single “crazy cat lady” vibe, however. Instead, her beautiful (and giant) apartment serves as a great backdrop for all of her extremely unique videos. Claire does a great job introducing you to the ten different personalities of her cats with clever video ideas like, “$1000 Crazy Catnip Party!” and “Cats vs The Nun.” She also has a bunch of hilarious character voices for her cats and an adorable sense of humour. The same content creator also runs the CreamHeroes and Claire Luvcat YouTube channels if you're looking for related content. Additionally, SuriNoel is a channel with a similar clean minimalist comedic vibe, but instead the owners are a small Korean family with a young child and there are only five cats. A BIG GODDAMN RABBIT Have you ever heard of Flemish giant rabbits? Also known as the “king of rabbits” these mammoths are comparable toa medium-sized dog. These personable creatures are hard not to love, making Jabba The Rabbit an extremely enjoyable channel for anyone with a heart. This big boy is full of affection and personality; it is unreal how cute he is. The channel creator is also very considerate of her rabbit’s well being and puts many educational tips in the description for rabbit owners. (For example, did you know that carrots are not a healthy diet for rabbits?) MAGICAL GHIBLI-ESQUE ENCOUNTERS WITH STRAY CATS This is hands down my favourite genre of animal videos. These videos are moments of undoubtably real magic. Bless all the IIlustration by Athena Little YouTube creators around the world who create these peaceful snapshots of their country and the foreign cats who live there. Such videos could easily be used as some form of meditation. No obnoxious music, no obnoxious YouTube personality—just genuine people affectionately interacting with eager cats. Many of these videos simply feature someone quietly giving physical affection to a cat as the noises from the natural environment immerse you entirely. (Weird girls and their sexy ASMRs can go to hell. Stray cat purring in the quiet and windy street ASMR is where it is AT.) And the forever changing cast of cats and settings keep these videos fresh. Some of my favourite channels in this genre include meow meow, a channel run by a Turkish lady who feeds the stray cats of Istanbul and speaks to them in a sweet and affectionate voice; a Japanese channel with a Japanese name that Google translates to “cat videos taken by a bastard,” which features the sounds of nature and the physical affection of stray cats; and another Japanese channel similar to the previous by the name of Impressed cat video. The origins of fruitcake and eggnog » Christmas treats that just always seem to have been around Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor hristmas fruitcake and eggnog are the dynamic duo often seen at Christmas parties, especially when the crowd is more... mature. My brother can’t eat Christmas fruitcake—more accurately, he won't. It’s not so much that he’s a picky eater (besides mushrooms, those are a no-go) it’s just that the flavour of preserved fruits, nuts, and dense sweet bread altogether isn’t one his palate can handle. I, on the other hand, love fruitcake! lam also new to it, since recently having found a dairy and wheat-free loaf at my local farmer’s market. Munching on a slice got me thinking about where it must have come from. It’s avery practical food: filling, nutritious, and full of preservation—in fact, the expiry date for my loaf was in May 2021! Perhaps fruitcake was a wartime creation... that makes sense, doesn’t it? I turned to the good ol’ internet and, love it or loath it, Christmas fruitcake is a reliable, traditional “cake" that has roots in England, but its origin comes from ancient Roman times. It’s possible that some of those ancient times have followed us into the present; Manitou Springs, Colorado, has an annual fruitcake toss where unwanted loaves are bid adieu by catapults. Also, a neat fact I recently learned is that December 27 is national fruitcake day! But how did the fruitcake fall from grace? Perhaps it was when mass-produced mail- order fruitcakes were made available in the early 20th century, with their damaging dry-and-encrusted-with-fruits image. Another strange but highly festive and delicious treat: eggnog! Eggnog comes in a variety of versions, including a vegan one with no eggs or dairy but all the flavour and spice. But where did eggnog originate from? While historians debate eggnog’s exact origins, it is commonly agreed that this spiced spiked egg and milk mixture came from early medieval Britain “posset,” which is a hot ale and milk beverage. In medieval times, milk, eggs, sherry, and certain fruits were considered wealthy person foods, and so eggnog (or posset) was used to toast good health and good fortune. By the 1700s, Mexico embraced eggnog and improved it with a splash of rum, which is a signature ingredient nowadays, and Puerto Rico made the beverage with coconut milk. The name eggnog is still an enigma, however. Some say that “nog” refers to a “noggin,” which is a wooden cup, or perhaps “grog,” which is a stiff ale. Either way, the name eggnog stuck around and has made it into modern day dialogue. This year why not indulge in a slice of good ol’ fruitcake and a cup of eggnog with your family!