Issue #218: a walk on the whiled side 🐌

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issue 218 ~ week of April 30, 2021

editor's note

Morning ,

Happy Friday! Did you watch The Oscars? When I watched Yuh-Jung Youn’s acceptance speech for her work in Minari, I couldn’t help but get a little teary-eyed. I grew up in South Korea watching K-Dramas starring Youn; NEVER in my wildest dreams would I have thought she’d be accepting an Oscar (the first Korean actor to do so)! It was such a magical and meaningful moment, and I felt so proud.

As a lover of stories in all their forms, I feel hopeful when I witness more representation happening in them (although let’s be real, it’s been a long time coming and there’s so so much more work to do…). Celebrating our respective cultures and stories was top of mind when dreaming up the latest, just-launched collection of puzzles at Whiled, GNI’s sibling brand. The inspo for the collection’s theme, “Folktales,” was a Korean folktale I grew up listening to about a rabbit on the moon. We collaborated with three super talented artists who each chose a folktale from their childhoods to illustrate. I think it’s a stunning collection, and hope you’ll immerse yourself in these stories. <3

🐅 Sister Sun and Brother Moon depicts the story of a greedy tiger who gets into some trickery at the expense of two siblings deep in the mountains of Korea.
🐉 The Dragon of Kraków tells the story of a brave and humble shoemaker who proves courage comes from your heart not your position in the royal hierarchy.
🕯 And Fanous is a reminder of hope — brought to life by symbolic lanterns — throughout the month of Ramadan.

The best responses to the collection so far? “I grew up listening to this story!” or “I feel so seen and nostalgic of my childhood.” There’s power in a story and I hope we can see more types of them being told on the big, small, and medium screens (and yeah, in puzzles too).

Until next Friday,
Alisha Ramos, CEO & Founder at GNI and Whiled

P.S. We're hosting an opportunity to win a Whiled Collection Two puzzle over on @girlsnightinclub today. I hope you'll join and get some friends involved in the fun, too. 👀

weekly picks

ideas for unwinding this weekend

they're... beautiful (via @reeniekarim)

This could be the soundtrack to your Friday... Were we the last to know that Spotify has classic audiobooks recorded by guest narrators?!?! Maybe. First up: Persuasion by Jane Austen, narrated by Emmy-, Grammy- , and Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo.
What to watch this weekend... The Circle (Netflix) is back for season 2 with some interesting celebrity cameos, Tina (HBO Max) will remind you how lucky we are to live in the same lifetime as Tina Turner, and art lovers — turn your attention to This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist (Netflix), a documentary about the heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
If you've not only found yourself with plans, but a whole bachelorette party to plan... BACH is everything you need to coordinate a bachelorette party in one app — create your itinerary, track and split expenses, poll your group, and book local experiences once it's safe to do so. Start planning your party (or next friend-cation!) on BACH. It's free. 📚 Sponsor
Because you need these gooey cinnamon date rolls... @reeniekarim and @zaynab_issa created their Ramadan recipe club to celebrate Ramadan's rich food culture at the end of each day-long fast. You can find recipes like this one sprinkled across their Instagrams this month.
Just trust us on this plant parent's best friend... "How Many Plants is a plant care resource with super in-depth info and gorgeous illustrations." - Daniela C. 🌿 Reader Rec
If you haven't heard of U Beauty yet... Tech-driven and science-backed, this luxury skincare line believes it only takes a few high-performance products to perfect your routine (and your skin). Buy the resurfacing compound, SUPER Hydrator, or The Duo by May 3rd, and you'll get a second product for free. 💆‍♀️ Sponsor
A pasta shape you should probably know about... "You know when you get a haircut and it's shorter than expected but you actually kind of like it? That's what mezzi rigatoni feels like." - Carey, Content Team 🍝 Overheard from HQ
Your weekly wind-down inspiration... You've spent a long day oscillating between your small screen 📱and your medium screen. 👩‍💻 You're looking for an activity to transition your brain from work to home time before maybe even... going outside? Our picks: This puzzle, this candle, and a beverage (or an alcohol-free option) that says "yep, it's 5pm and I'm drawing a work/life boundary starting right... now."

Bonus rec: Some joy-sparking internet things of the week — cookie flowers, a petition to bring back Art Stuff, and a trip down memory lane courtesy of Gotta Kick It Up.

👋 Have a weekly pick you want to see in GNI? Tell us about it here and you could be featured in an upcoming Reader Rec.

Sponsor Spotlight: Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse

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weekly reads

share these with the group chat

who's already started it? (via @daiela.ayuso)

Our May book pick is Crying in H Mart. We've been looking forward to this book since the essay that inspired it was first published in The New Yorker (and featured in issue 82!) in 2018. The book explores grief, Korean identity, mother-child relationships, and food — all heavy but important topics — so we recommend reading this interview of author Michelle Zauner by Bettina Makalintal before fully diving in. 📚(VICE)

What's your most mundane post-pandemic fantasy? And is it finding yourself in the back of a used book store, alphabetizing books just for the pure joy of touching unread pages and reclaiming a false sense of control? 👀 (Book Riot)

Welcome to the new era of fashion influencers. They're happier, fluffier, and more likely to slobber on the clothes. 🐶 (Fashionista)

Keke Palmer is in full bloom. And you need to see it — please direct your attention to this stunning profile of the star, written by Kanya Iwana and Alanna Bennett. 🌸 (Refinery29)

Home means something different to everyone. This piece asks a group of LGBTQ+ organizers what creating a home means to them, especially when much of their daily work revolves around advocacy, creating safe spaces, fighting against housing discrimination, and more. (Apartment Therapy)

Poet Laureate Joy Harjo is still processing this past year, too. Here are some of her reflections and gained wisdom from living through a global pandemic. ✍️ (The Lily)

take action and take care

Ways to take action this week... Employ Washington Post's successful strategies to help your community get vaccinated while acknowledging a global medical apartheid. You can take steps to support COVID-19 distress in India here.

Ways to take care… Read this comic about coping with pandemic numbness (cw: this comic mentions death from COVID-19). Reconnect and set boundaries with friends.

heading into the weekend like...

by Whiled puzzle artist @danielle_rhoda

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Issue #218: a walk on the whiled side 🐌

weekly picks

weekly reads

heading into the weekend like...

Older messages

An app that's worth the screen time ✨

Issue #217: the best tweet I've read in 2021 😱

Issue #215: spring cookbooks, spring projects, and spring allergies

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Issue #212: take care and take action ❤️

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