Panda Cub Stories

🥒 Garlicky cucumber (拍黄瓜） one of the three dishes I’ll be making this week for Qingming (清明）or tomb sweeping Festival - which is this coming Friday (April 4th).

Chili Garlic Eggplant recipe—one of the three dishes I’ll be making this week for Qingming Festival. My grandpa (Yeye) loved this one—bold garlic, soft eggplant, just enough heat.

First love❤️

Recasting my ✨ADHD Paralysis (& how to get out of it) Spell - 🔮 aka practicing the techniques outlined by .perry I first learned…3 years ago now?!
**
Hi all! Linda (panda) here. This is a repost of a collab
I did with Deniz (.perry ), who’s tips on getting out of ADHD Paralysis have helped me enormously, and are the inspiration behind panels 8-10.

I used to feel ashamed (and I suppose a seed of that shame is still here), that I “keep falling into old destructive patterns” despite KNOWING better.

But I was recently reminded that stumbles are part of the journey (and to think about rebounds like stretching a rubber band backwards…so it can slingshot forward with even more momentum.

And so, as I emerge from another ADHD paralysis rebound, here goes: I may not be slingshotting forward right this very instance…but small steps forward also count 🐾

Hope this comic brings you the encouragement, motivation, or peace it continually does for me

Should I keep sharing BTS of building a small business here on insta? Not sure if folx are interested! Lmk below (otherwise I’ll just keep posting the business diaries over on my recently reactivated LinkedIn lmao)

On SATURDAY March 1, 2025 is a Blue Dragon Fest/龙抬头! I’m really proud of how this one came out, and I would never have dug this deep into learning about this lesser-known festival if not for the awesome Panda Cub Heritage community who’ve supported me in this project.

The black and white cersion is on the 2nd panel, while all the festivals are on the 3rd panel 🙂

I’m so excited to keep diving into festivals for the rest of this year.☺️ Next festival will be QingMing Festival (Tomb sweeping festival), which is April 4-6 this year! Stay tuned-^^

🏮Lantern Festival/元宵节 “Recipe Card”/One Pager! Inspired by the recipes I’ve been drawing out to do the same thing with the Chinese festivals I’m exploring alongside the Panda Cub Heritage.

The black and white version is on the 2nd panel, while all the festivals are on the 3rd panel

✨ Don’t forget—the Lantern Festival is tomorrow, February 12! A perfect time to celebrate with tangyuan and lanterns. 🏮🎇

It’s SO frustrating to really want to reconnect with our heritage - and watch “real life” get in the way, year after year.

Too often, this ends up at the bottom of that ever-expanding list of “to-do’s”…and we never get started.

***
The quotes in this post came from the DMs and messages many of you have sent me - and I’ve realized so many share the same desire (and struggles) in our Chinese heritage journeys, especially as we journey through adulthood.

This year, me and Winnie (the very funny and very talented artist behind ) are co hosting Panda Cub Heritage, our annual group program for fellow CN-Americans looking to design a personal daily heritage practice realistic enough to actually stick with (starting with just 5 minutes a day).

We can’t wait to meet you!

No time for a FULL CNY DINNER this year…so we’re doing HOT POT INSTEAD🥰 Major cny lucky foods circled in red:) 🥟for wealth, 🍜 for longevity, RICE CAKES for prosperity, FISHballs for abundance (okay technically the tradition is a whole steamed fish, but hey, I’m all for “cha-bu-duo” and DONE is better vs “perfect” but…imagined😅 Oh! And some round orangy 🍊 citrus for good luck! HAPPY CNY/LNY EVE EVERYONE! 新年快乐！🧧🐲🎉

P.S. This year we’re co hosting Panda Cub Heritage (our annual Chinese heritage program) with the very funny (and talented!) Winnie Gu, aka

🥟’s are a traditional Chinese New Year dish (also, FYI, CNY is…TOMORROW!)… and half the fun is getting to make them alongside a big ol’ group of family and friends^^

➡️ Swipe to see ALL THREE of my favorite dumplin’ recipes (from my ma, and 😋)...plus a BONUS dumpling sauce tutorial

P.S. I’ll be hosting a dumpling making workshop this Saturday, for Panda Cub Heritage 2025 :D

🗓️2025 CN/AM Festival cheat sheet…DONE! This year, a THREE WAY Collab this year with Winnie & Cynthia over - so we don’t forget when stuff is coming up😅). Peep lil’ Ssssoba the snek, cozying up next to panda and Hedgie^^

➡️SWIPE for black and white version!

P.S. Linda & Winnie are Co-hosting the 2025 Chinese Heritage program this year :D

Color it yo’self: 2025 CN-AM Festival Cheat Sheet! This year a three-way collab from x x (the lil; snek is named Soba… purrnounced Ssssoba!). Full color version coming sooooon! P.Ssssss… seats to Heritage 2025 are opening next week! 😉