May updates (2025): Befriending cats, art class students, and a weekend trip
A lot of great things happened this month! I want to share the happiness and preserve the good moments by writing about them in this article. (A time-capsule, basically).
Hey there! It's me.
This was a very eventful month for me. And I can't wait to share them with you today!
Many good things happened toward the end of the month that kept me going and made me happy.
So I'm writing. To dwell in the moment a bit longer and to preserve the memories by putting them in words. (In other words, this article is like a time capsule).
At the same time, I'm not going to leave out anything significant, even if it isn't entirely a positive thing.
Are you guys ready for the ride? Here we go!
Newsletter updates:
I didn't make any changes to my newsletter, but I definitely tried experimenting with my writing more. I'll never stop experimenting– it's very fun to try different things and observe the various outcomes.
Manga updates:
I'm still working on chapter 2.
The progress has been slow because more things have started occupying more time from my daily routine.
But, there are definitely signs of improvement. I can now sketch characters a little bit faster.
I'll still have to find ways to make more time for the project, though.
I took a sick leave from writing:
Not off to a good start for a new month.
I got sick one week into May, and this time, it was not a typical cold or fever. This time, anemia was a cause as well, which we found by going to a hospital and getting checked.
I have a fear of needles and I was literally freaking out when I needed to take a blood test.
I had to take a break from the internet for a little more than a week. After that, I was feeling better, and I was back to drawing and writing as usual. (Phew! Hooray for recovery!)
I discovered a masterpiece from 2020:
The next thing that I want to talk about– is something that made me go through a few downward spirals. Yet, it also taught me what I needed to remember, to overcome those downward spirals and find a way to turn back to my neutral self, on my own.
Disclaimer: From this point on, I'm going to be sharing my thoughts on something– a game that has highly sensitive content. The game is rated M for mature (17+). This warning is for those who want to play the game. (No need to proceed with caution before continuing to read).
The game was called “Omori”.
It was a story-based, RPG game where you start as this character named, “Omori” and slowly discover the lives of him and his friends, “Kel”, “Aubrey”, “Hero”, “Basil“, and his older sister “Mari”.
As the game and main story progress, you come across and play a lot of mini games and boss battles, while also exploring the vast world with TONS of secrets the game has hidden.
Each and every choice you make plays a big role in determining and leading you to one of its multiple endings. Which ending you get– is entirely in your hands.
Playing one time isn't enough to explore everything the game has to offer. Even if you try to be thorough, you will still miss a lot of the foreshadowing, intricate details, hidden characters, and mini events within the game.
It seemed to be a simple video game, but I gradually realized it was anything but simple. It had layers, depth, it was easy to empathize with the characters, and it was a very well-written story. And moreover, it made me feel things.
It's not easy to make something that makes people feel things. And when I think about that, I have nothing but appreciation and admiration towards the game's creators, OMOCAT. You can tell that the creators paid a lot of attention and put effort into the tiniest details, as the game progresses.
Omori managed to make a lot of people feel deep emotions.
To the point that many gamers broke down crying on their livestreams. I'd usually be skeptical and think the gamers are exaggerating for views. But after watching the story of Omori unfold with my own eyes, I can confidently say that everyone who cried after playing the game was shedding genuine tears.
I was crying like a baby as the game started revealing the truth and was moving towards the “Good ending”. Once it ended,
It left me speechless.
It was an absolute masterpiece.
When I see the game as art, which a group of passionate creators put their soul and hard work into, I get inspired. And I can confidently say that Omori is a true masterpiece.
(I, too, wish to make something that would make people feel things, one day).
Note: Omori is a psychological horror game; it contains a lot of jump scares, and it's not intended for those of a faint heart. I definitely don't recommend playing Omori unless you are a mentally and emotionally tough adult.
Despite its dark plot, Omori has a lot of sweet and wholesome moments, accompanied by a child-like and adorable art, and suitable music that fits the mood of each scene, making the game far more beautiful to play. It was an experience1.
After hearing my take on it, and you still decide to play, I have only one piece of advice for you:
Enter fully blind, and do NOT get spoiled!
The game has a great way of telling its well-written story, and you definitely want to experience it in its entirety. Don't look up Omori videos before playing (unless you decide to watch a playthrough) or read the comments, reviews, or summaries of the game.
I hope you get the “Good Ending”, and I wish you good luck!
(I badly want to do a deep dive on the game. Maybe one day, I will).
Being an art class teacher:
Since we moved to a new house (as I mentioned in a previous post), Mom and I have been setting things up, little by little.
My mom also talked to some of our neighbors, and there are a lot of kids in this apartment building.
While my mom was talking with our landlord, whose house is on the floor below ours— the topic of art classes came up in the conversation. My mom took this chance and told them about me and about the biggest of my passions: drawing.
The next day, she told them that I would take art classes for their kids, after confirming that I'm ready to commit to it.2
And yes, I'm teaching them traditional art, with good ol’ pencils and paper. Glad that I get to draw, while also reducing my screen time. (I say that because I’ve completely switched to only digital drawing for the past few months).
Alright, here's how the first 3 days went:
Day 1:
Two kids– a girl and a boy, around the age of 8-12 years old, who were also siblings, came to attend the first day of our art class.
We didn't draw much on the first day, and instead, we introduced ourselves, showed each other our drawings, and talked about what we enjoy drawing. I told them not to be shy, and they can treat me like friends and went to get the art supplies. I overheard the kids say to each other, “I’m glad this teacher is so nice, you agree?“, “Yeah!“. So… that was something (lol).
Day 2:
To understand these kids better and to get them ease into getting used to the class, we didn't draw anything in particular. We drew some lines so I could get a good grasp on their line drawing skills. After that, I took a list of things they both usually enjoy drawing.
Day 3:
We drew a beach ball, a fish, and a flower. This time, I was able to assess their drawing skills, strengths, and areas that could use more work.
When we first met, they both introduced themselves as a girl who loves drawing and a boy who's not very interested in art, yet he came because his mom wanted him to. At that moment, I wanted to teach him how fun drawing can be and see if he can enjoy creating art, too.
A funny thing happened 4 days later, when I taught the kids to draw a butterfly. After we're done with the drawing, the boy said, “Wow, I didn't know I had such a talent in me.” in a pleasantly surprised tone. To which I chuckled and said he did well, and that his drawing came out great.
Overall, they both drew very well for someone their age. I'm sure they will get really good at drawing in no time!
My love for cats:
It took a while to notice that there are also cats roaming these streets and buildings.
I love cats! There were many times we went close to adopting a kitten, but couldn't.
I watched a lot of videos about taking care of cats, especially “Jackson Galaxy”, a cat expert's YouTube channel, to do my research before we adopt one.
I took notes, wrote down everything important, toys, info on veterinary care, nutrition plan, and things we may have to buy for a kitten. I even went as far as to design a cat tower with precise measurements, so we can show it to a carpenter and get it built.
Heck- I even made a miniature paper version to see what it would look like in real life.
I just LOVE cats. But my mom's not too sure about adopting one.
(And I agree, because raising one would cost a lot of time and money, which is pretty scarce at the moment).
A cat friend:
One day, this adorable little gray kitty walked by our doorstep.
I was immediately pleasantly surprised as soon as I saw her.
Even though I love cats, I rarely ever come across them– especially seeing one walking so close by was rare.
I remembered everything I learned about befriending a cat, and did the steps as I always do.
Sometimes my attempt would fail, and the cat I'm trying to befriend would run away. (Which is a normal reaction too). But this cat didn't run away, it came to me instead and sniffed my hands as a way of acknowledging me as someone harmless.
I gave her some head pats and food. And ever since then, she's been coming to my house whenever she's hungry.
I named her, “Maylie” because a lot of great things happened this May, and it's also when I met her.
On to the movies!
Mom and I decided to go to the movies for a change of pace. The movie theater was located in a mall, and the movie we chose to watch was “Shinchan: Our Dinosaur Diary."
I wasn't expecting the movie to be great or anything, because I mean– it's a Shinchan movie3, it's going to have the same plot structure as other movies.
And it did, but this time the movie really exceeded my expectations! The dinosaur animation was awesome! There were different dinosaur species, it had very realistic 2D animation, and the movements were really well-made! The story was also very good for a kids' movie.
If you were to draw a dinosaur or design a dinosaur, I definitely recommend using the scenes from the movie as references and for inspiration.
On to the bookstore!
After the movie ended, Mom and I stopped by a bookstore on our way home. And the “Best Sellers” section caught my attention.
This one shelf had 5 books I had wanted to read for years!
I was literally enthusiastically and loudly explaining in front of this shelf, telling my mom about how awesome those books are (even though I haven't fully read them).
I must have gotten a lot of weird glances from the other people at the Bookstore, but I was too excited to pay attention to think about them at that time, lol.
After a while of fumbling around to choose which of these 5 books to buy, I told my mom that she could pick one and walked away to look around. When I came back, she had picked these two books:
We bought “Steal Like An Artist" (by Austin Kleon), and “Ikigai” (by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles).
We returned home, and I finished reading “Steal Like An Artist” within a couple of days, because it was so good that I couldn't put it down.
I even wrote two articles from which I got the ideas while I was reading the book.
A Small souvenir:
On the same day at the mall, we also bought this mini gumball machine. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth the price? Not sure.
I couldn’t help myself. I just really love miniatures, especially ones that work. This small gumball machine is refillable, so I’m planning to try refilling it with other candy and keep it for a long time. On second thought, it’s worth buying it, after all.
Another cat friend (The sequel):
The night we returned home from the movies, I met this cute white cat that seemed older than Maylie.
I also befriended him just like how I befriended Maylie. And gave him some food.
(I haven't thought of a name for him yet. Maybe you can suggest one in the comments?)
He’s blind in his left eye (and I'm not sure what happened). He loves to groom himself, keeping himself clean. He does it more often than Maylie.
Just like Maylie, he also sometimes comes to our home for food. But he visits less often than Maylie.
Some days, the white kitty will come. Some days, Maylie comes. Some days, none of them visit, and on some days, they visit four times, taking their turns. So far, I’ve never seen them at the same place, at the same time. (I wonder if they get along?).
These two cats are very chill, and they let me pet them a lot. They also don't turn to me when I call them most of the time, and sometimes they just walk away after their meal. But other times, all I have to do is sit down and they'll rub themselves on me like saying, “I love this human! Yes! Yes! Pet me!!”
Maylie got so comfortable with me, my mom, and grandma— that she does not hesitate to casually walk into the living room and fall asleep while the three of us are watching her. She walks around the house trying to explore all the rooms. But we don't let her go further than the living room. Especially not into the kitchen.
If I were to adopt these cats, I would invite these cats to live with us and buy them the things they need, like cat beds, cardboard boxes, healthy cat food, nailclippers, brushes, and toys. But my mom's not sure. And I don't think I can take the responsibility either. So I'll just be a friend who gives them food whenever they come to me.
Favourite video of the month:
For this month, I’d like to share this video from Dr. K about anger. You see a lot of posts on the internet about how it’s good to stay calm, not react, and suppress our anger even in extremely frustrating situations. But the thing is, it’s actually good to feel angry sometimes. And this video clearly tells you the difference between healthy and unhealthy anger. (I feel so informed after watching it!)
Side notes:
Since I only watched a playthrough and several other videos to learn about the other endings, I am planning to get the full game, Omori, one day, and experience the game in its entirety. (I wish I could erase my memory and experience that masterpiece all over again.)
To be honest, I’ve always been interested in teaching art to kids. But I feared it would take away from other important things I needed to do. When the question came up: whether I would or would not– I immediately said yes. One week later: Surprisingly, the class didn’t take too much time or affect my creative projects. I think I can do this!
Shinchan was a big part of my childhood and the childhoods of many others in my country. As I got older, I learned that the show is heavily edited and censored before being telecast on TV. And the original Shinchan had way more adult content, which was pretty disappointing to know. Even though I'm a sucker for cannon content, this time I won't watch the original and I'll just stick to our country's version. (If I'm ever going to watch the show again.)
I'm thinking that I actually— don't have to adopt these cats, and let them roam free because our whole building is their home. They got used to living here.
They can climb up the stairs and go to the terrace to get some fresh air, or go to the streets to hunt mice and do other things. The building is spacious, no dogs but one that the owners keep on leash, the building is clean– just as the cats would like it. They're most likely enjoying living in this apartment building.
Thank you for reading! I hope you liked reading this article, and I hope it brightened up your mood. Come again next week on Friday for a ✨new post✨
- Harshini
It sounds like a wonderful and eventful month, to be sure. Thanks for sharing. I agree with you about letting the cats come and go. If and when they decide, they can "adopt" you. You'll know when you've been claimed.
Such wholesome experiences to share ^^ Do the cats love to play ? I wish I had a cat too but I leave my flat often so it would be complicated to bring the cat with me (and not really great for them since it would be a change of environment). I added Omori to my steam wishlist. Do you think as a very casual gamer I could like it ? I played only Portal 1, 2 and The Witcher 3 the past few years.