Sometimes the best relationships are built from having the most uncomfortable, honest, and vulnerable conversations about global and day-to-day issues. In this episode, Vannesa and I recall our high school friendship and the supportive bond we share through activism. Exchanging conversations about activism not only is a way to build a stronger relationship with others. It also allow us to inform ourselves about the Black Lives Matter movement, internalized racism in Asian communities and everyday microaggressions. As women of color, we also express our thoughts on how others react to the recent waves of activism on social media. While bringing up Vannesa's family background and struggles, we both also openly comment on the problematic aspects of colorism and apathy in our communities. 

Juggling with our jobs, chores, social events, workout routines and personal life has always been perceived as the most productive routine that many people commit. When we live in a fast-paced world, we often forget to acknowledge the importance of slowing things down. As time goes by, I learned why we embrace the notion of busyness and why we haven’t been slowing down. I also share my journey with slow-living lifestyle and I hope my experience can encourage you to embrace a sense of slowness in your daily routines!

Have you ever thought about why you could never grasp the complicated idea of female friendships and why women compete with each other? We feel ya! Growing up as a single child, Hannah and I elaborate on our struggles with finding healthy friendships that we’ve always longed for. We also discuss the psychology behind female intra-sexual competition and its detrimental impact on friendships throughout high school and adulthood. By learning from our experiences, we think self-love can prevent us from devaluing other women who could relate to our struggles. 

Previously, TK and I exchange a genuine conversation regarding the process of learning from our inertia breakthrough experiences. In this episode, we discuss more about other personal challenges we are still facing today and the importance of embracing uncertainty for better reasons. To know more about TK’s work, visit https://inertianetwork.com/ and “The Inertia Network Podcast: Break Your Inertia” on Spotify and Apple podcast. 

The co-founder of the Inertia Network, TK (a great friend of mine) shares the process of creating an inclusive community in Vancouver that offers life-changing traveling experiences around the world. TK discusses the viewpoint of breaking his inertia and becoming a reflective global citizen. We also talk about the factors that impact our potential to learn and grow from our challenges after high-school. This is a two-part episode, and don't forget to stay tuned for Episode 4 (Part II) for more! To know more about TK’s work, visit https://inertianetwork.com/ and “The Inertia Network Podcast: Break Your Inertia” on Spotify and Apple podcast. 

As bi-cultural individuals, Robert (my husband) and I share our previous experiences of the SARS outbreak. Apart from recalling our distinctive memories, we discuss why face mask wearing practices is highly encouraged and discouraged in various countries when dealing with COVID-19. Robert and I thoroughly express our thoughts regarding the good, the bad, and the ugly of this crisis. During this heart-aching pandemic, we also appreciate the extra time and space we have to help improving our wellness and relationships. 

We are now dealing with this COVID-19 pandemic and we all know it’s difficult to avoid talking about how much it affects our mental health. Adapting to the “new normal”, adjusting to working from home routines, being overly concerned about financial and medical issues, spending more time doing house chores, being stuck at home and perhaps having more conflicts with our loved ones… doesn’t it sound familiar to all of us right now? These daily stressors are inevitable and they affect us more than ever! In this episode, Hannah (a great friend of mine) and I discuss our personal experiences with yoga and meditation and how it’s still positively changing our lives. As a teacher, Hannah also discusses various types of yoga and meditation practices that can optimize our sleep cycle, performances, relationships, mindfulness and relaxation especially during this pandemic. On the other hand, we also touched upon some of the things we observed from the yoga and meditation culture including the lack of inclusivity, body shaming, cultural appropriation and misleading representation of traditional yoga and meditation on social media. Original theme song by Damma Beatz (Epidemic Production). Portrait illustrations by @TheCartoonistMe. Graphic design by Tammy Chan, Content written by Tammy Chan and Hannah Wunsch. 

Hey y'all! This is Tammy and I'm about to tell you what this podcast is about. Stay tuned for more future episodes! Original theme song by Damma Beatz (Epidemic Production). Portrait illustrations by @TheCartoonistMe. Graphic design and content written by Tammy.