The Bite-Sized Blog

Read everything about the most mesmerizing countries and cultures around the world in the travel blog of the Bite-Sized Backpacker, the world’s most experienced backpacking leopard! In this blog, you can learn all about his favorite travel destinations, from the Netherlands to Japan and back. Additionally, Fluffy and his humans often blog about stuffed animals, lifestyle and… the lifestyle of stuffed animals!

Recent blogs

  • Giant Teddy Bears & Stuffed Animals
    Sometimes, a simple stuffed animal just isn’t enough. Even if you’ve searched through the entire list of the most popular stuffed animals out there, you might still feel you haven’t […]
  • The Most Popular Plushies on Instagram
    United by the Instagram account The Instaplushies, the Instagram plushie community counts roughly 20,000 accounts worldwide. Every day, thousands of stuffed animals use the platform to share their adventures with […]
  • World Cinema: One Film Per Country
    Around the World in 102 Films From the riches of Europe to the remote island nations of Polynesia, the list aims to shift the world’s focus on North American cinema […]
  • Fluffy in Australia: Highlights
    The wildlife of Australia is what first drew me to the land Down Under. The country’s Outback offers so many backpacking adventures, I could return to it over and over […]
  • Chip Mélange: A Unique Holiday Snack Recipe
    Looking for a unique snack for the holidays? Forget about the traditional Christmas appetizers, such as baked goods, drinkable desserts, or guilt-free snacks: we have the perfect recipe for you! […]
  • The Plushie of the Year 2020-2021
    Move over, Mr. and Mrs. Universe; there’s a new champignon in town! From early-December 2020 until late-February 2021, stuffed animal enthusiasts could cast their vote for which celebrity plushie would […]
  • Valentine’s Day Teddy Bears
    Valentine’s Day has become the most popular day of the year to celebrate romance and love in many regions of the world. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14, by […]
  • Cinema of South America
    Explore the very best movies from South America, based on a selection of over 8,500 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to the many […]
  • Cinema of Central America and the Caribbean
    Explore the very best movies from Central America and the Caribbean, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back […]
  • Cinema of North America
    Explore the very best movies from North America, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to the many […]
  • Cinema of Oceania and the Pacific
    Explore the very best movies from Oceania and the Pacific, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to […]
  • Cinema of East and Southeast Asia
    Explore the very best movies from East and Southeast Asia, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to […]
  • Cinema of West and Central Asia
    Explore the very best movies from West and Central Asia, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to […]
  • Cinema of South Asia
    Explore the very best movies from South Asia, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to the many […]
  • Cinema of Africa
    Explore the very best movies from Africa, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to the many other […]
  • Cinema of Eastern Europe
    Explore the very best movies from Central and Eastern Europe, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back to […]
  • Cinema of Europe
    Explore the very best movies from Western, Southern and Northern Europe, based on a selection of over 9,100 films. Join us in shifting the world’s focus on American cinema back […]
  • Fluffy in New Zealand: Highlights
    New Zealand is one of my favorite countries in the world! The splendor of the country’s national parks is astonishing, and the New Zealand wildlife is absolutely amazing! In this […]
  • Teaching English in Thailand: The Quirky Life of a Thai Public School Teacher
    Thailand is a country pulsating with thrills and excitement: from elephant safari’s and spiritual sanctuaries to the (not-so-spiritual) go-go bars and party islands; the country holds something for everyone. Nothing […]
  • Wildlife of Australia
    When thinking of Australia, kangaroos and koalas instantly come to mind. Many backpackers visit the continent to spot some of the country’s unique wildlife. Australia is home to many amazing […]
  • Wildlife of New Zealand
    New Zealand is a true paradise for those travelers hoping to spot some unique forms of wildlife. From the flightless kiwis to the New Zealand fur seal, the country hosts […]
  • The Best Places to Visit in Australia
    So, you’re thinking about traveling to Australia. Good on ya, mate! With its otherworldly landscapes, exotic wildlife, and bustling city hubs, there’s a lot to see and do in the […]
  • How to Save Money for Travel
    Backpacking and traveling around the world – whether for a few weeks or years on end – is a fantastic experience. Unfortunately, not everyone has the funds to just pack […]
  • The Best Places to Visit in New Zealand
    So, you’ve decided to visit New Zealand. Awesome! You’ve booked your ticket and you’re ready to go. Still, a few questions remain: what places will you visit while traveling New […]
  • Backpacking in Australia: a Travel Guide
    Read everything you need to know about backpacking in Australia. What’s the best way to navigate one of the largest countries in the world? What is the Tim Tam Slam, […]
  • Backpacking in New Zealand: a Travel Guide
    Find out everything you need to know about backpacking in New Zealand. What travel essentials should you add to your backpack? How can you stay on a budget in one […]
  • Teaching Abroad: A Step-by-Step Guide for Non-Native Speakers
    Teaching English abroad has become a popular way to travel the world. It allows travelers of all ages to experience new cultures, while at the same time maintaining an affordable […]
  • Teaching English in Thailand: Living and Working in Khlong Luang
    Teaching English abroad allows travelers to stay in foreign countries for extended periods of time, while at the same time traveling around the world. One of the most popular countries […]
  • The Best Names for Stuffed Animals
    Giving your plushie a name is the first step in creating its identity. Whether you are a child or an adult, naming your stuffed animal will help you develop a […]
  • The Top 150 Most Popular Stuffed Animals
    Since the origin of the teddy bear in 1902, a variety of plushies has been created resembling anything from legendary creatures to pop culture characters and from fruits and vegetables […]
  • Toy Influencers: Plushies with a Following
    Nowadays, the social media influencer sphere includes anything from teachers and farmers to cats and dogs. A select few influencers can be found in Instagram’s most cuddly niche: the plushie […]
  • The Most Icon Stuffed Animals in Film and TV
    Stuffed animals can be found in all layers of society. They have proven be extremely diligent, hard-working and universally skilled. There are stuffed animals working as mascots, comforters, influencers and […]
  • The Leopard Print: Fashionable Spots
    The leopard print is hot once again! Of course, I knew this all along – I’ve been wearing mine since the day I was born! Though my spots were slightly […]
  • The History of Traveling Stuffed Animals
    On Instagram, there’s a niche for everyone. Some are funny or inspiring, others are odd and off-center. One of the most lovable, cuddly niches on Instagram is the plushie community. […]
  • Stuffed Animals in Space: Cuddly Astronauts
    Some plushies get to dine in luxurious resorts, while others get to travel to Bali and beyond… but some stuffed animals really take home the price: they get to travel […]
  • Things to do while in Covid-19 Quarantine
    Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the world has become a very different place. Self-quarantine became inevitable due to the rapid spread of the new virus, […]
  • Where do stuffed animals come from?
    The direct origin of stuffed animals lies in the late 19th century, but its ancestors had been around for several millennia. Starting with the production of wooden toys in ancient […]
  • Stuffed Animals: A Complete Guide
    Find out everything you ever wanted to know about plushies! What are stuffed animals? A stuffed animal is a soft toy made out fabrics such as plush or cloth, which […]
  • Love in the MCU: The role of Marvel’s supporting women in the Cinematic Universe
    Avengers: Endgame presented audiences worldwide with a quick look at what might be in store for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: during the epic final battle on the […]
  • Avengers: Endgame: Did the Russo Brothers turn the Avengers into the MCU’s primary antagonists?
    Did the Russo Brothers turn Earth’s mightiest heroes into Earth’s greatest foes with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame? After casting the Avengers in the role of Thanos’ primary antagonists […]
  • Stuffed animal asks Daenerys Targaryen to bend the knee
    Currently, in the midst of its final season, people around the world are under the spell of HBO’s Game of Thrones. It seems, though, that it doesn’t stop there! On […]
  • The Representation of the Five Stages of Grief in Avengers: Endgame
    One of the fantastic ways in which Avengers: Endgame deals with the fallout of Avengers: Infinity War is by showing the emotional struggles of the original Avengers in the gloomy […]
  • The History of the Multi-Part Film, Part I of I
    In the 2015 article The Future of Franchising: The Shared Universe, I discussed the development of franchising strategies within Hollywood. In the 2010s, these strategies cumulated in the dawn of […]
  • A World Without Cinema: A Short History of Saudi Arabia’s 35 Year Cinema-Ban
    What was the first movie you ever watched in theatres? Was it a family-friendly animated film, or the action-packed blockbuster your father really wanted to see? For me, it was […]
  • Questioning the Snap: How Thanos caused an extinction-level event and ruined yogurt
    Intelligent, calculated, and truly righteous in his own beliefs, Thanos snapped his fingers at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, disintegrating half of all life across the universe. Josh Brolin’s […]
  • ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and the Marvel Marketing Machine
    Black Panther passed the $1 billion mark at the box office, Avengers: Infinity War is expected to have a $215 million opening debut in North America and Kevin Feige is […]
  • Why ‘Black Panther’ Shouldn’t Be Nominated for ‘Best Picture’
    Over the course of the past month, we’ve heard them all: every critic and every columnist shared their opinion of Marvel Studio’s new smash hit, Black Panther. They shouted out […]
  • Producer vs. Director: The Case of Zack Snyder
    Creative differences. The clichéd answer to most break-ups between a studio and its directors. Recent examples of cases where “creative differences” were the cause of conflict are the departure of […]
  • Sexism and Racism in Hollywood: The Black Force Awakens
    “Alright,” he sighed, the look on his face implying that a more serious tone was to follow. Squatting down next to the dead-still body of a man lying face-down in […]
  • Thanos: the Unproven Titan
    Thanos. The Dark Lord. The Man Titan… The Great Bore? Introduced with a slight, grim smile in The Avengers, Marvel Comics’ powerful supervillain Thanos soon became Marvel Studio fans’ top […]
  • The Future of Franchising: The Shared Universe
    Around the start of the new millennium, a change occurred in Hollywood; a change that had been brewing for a while. The production of cinematic sequels to popular movies proved […]
  • Avengers: Infinity War – An accumulation, or continuation?
    We’re well into 2015 and Avengers: Age of Ultron is firmly knocking on our doors. The superhero ensemble movie will pick up the threads from Marvel Studios’ previous Phase Two […]
  • The Downside of The Avengers adopting Spider-Man
    So, there we have it! Monday this week Marvel announced their new partnership with Sony, after striking a deal to cement The Amazing Spider-Man‘s future firmly within the Marvel Cinematic […]
  • The Superhero Spin-Off: will a Black Widow solo movie ever be made?
    Back in October the announcement of Marvel Studios’ Phase Three movie slate surprised everyone with the absence of a movie centered on Scarlett Johansson’s superspy Natasha Romanov, a.k.a. Black Widow. […]
  • Introducing Marvel’s Age of Miracles
    Last week’s Ant-Man teaser introduced worldwide audiences to the character of Scott Lang, a con-man who’s on his way to becoming part of something greater than himself. The character’s story […]
  • Review: Girl Walks Into a Bar (2011)
    Directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, 2011. Cue scene. A girl walks into a bar. Of course, since the movie is directed by Sebastián Gutiérrez, it’s Carla Gugino. Having worked with her […]
  • Review: Road to Singapore (1940)
    Directed by Victor Schertzinger, 1940. Road to Singapore (1940) is the first in a series of movies starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. The movie was followed by […]
  • Review: Death of a Superhero (2011)
    Directed by Ian Fitzgibbon, 2011. Superheroes like Iron Man and Batman have dominated many summers with their spectacular action movies. In the last few years, superheroes also proved to be […]
  • Review: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (2011-2012)
    Directed by Bill Condon, 2011-2012. It took exactly 47 seconds after starting this movie before I got to see the first male character take his shirt of and run around […]
  • Review: Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012)
    Directed by Lee Toland Krieger, 2012. Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012) is the kind of romantic movie that the big film studios will never make. As with many couples, Celeste […]