On this episode of ABC, witness how social connection in real life relationships can be built. Amanda and I connected on instagram through the podcast account and then we met two days later at an Also Known As Inc. event. I was able to speak with Amanda in person and also here about her short film, Yuan Fen. This is a project Amanda worked on in her senior year of undergraduate with a team of 40 people or so including 3 advisors, composer, and others. It was really cool to hear about the inception of this short and how it came to fruition.

Spoiler alert on her short film and also about Lilo & Stitch.

Amanda shares more about her own experiences with her adoption growing up and how the red thread connection holds a key place in her perceptions. We (me) dived into Pixar animation as well as other pop culture from our adolescent years.

Watch Yuan Fen short by Amanda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n14eUqZ1h0 and follow her on instagram @amanda_sparso. Turning red premieres March 11.

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

It’s a Valentine’s episode with @hopeeatsnyc. Hope is a chef, musician, and Chinese adoptee I met via Also Known As. There is some talk about relationships but mostly the conversation is about food and how we have related to Chinese culture being adoptees. 

Hope and her sister were engaged with their adoption for as long as they can remember and now getting closer to 30, she started to connect more to identity and adoption in her own way. Follow @hopeeatsnyc for NYC eats and her cooking.

Too Good To Go is an app helping to save food from being thrown out. You can check out a more in depth conversation about Hope's experience with food and cooking on on @captaincooksfood Show Spicy Memories @spotify! 🥟.

Happy Birthday to your sister Hope!

Sale Candy day is indeed tomorrow. Everyone get ready 💝

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

It’s the 50th episode! Happy Lunar New Year 2022 to those who celebrate.

This episode is a solo short one without the usual intro because I am playing back the trailer and inserting some reflective thoughts.

Lives we impacted– So far only have spoken to friends close to me and learned about their view of friendship with me or their own stories and challenges growing up. We are all human and despite the adoption focus here, I don’t think I would’ve heard these stories from others.

Adopted from Ningbo– Correct pronunciation in this one? Since starting this show, I did pick up learning and practicing with others in mandarin. My neighbor and her friend speak the dialect from Ningbo which is pretty surreal!

Haven’t spoken to other adoptees too much– but now I have. From other parts of North America and being introduced to others in Europe and even Australia through this experience.

Katie shared about her passion for writing and speaking about adoption and it still remains to this day. The emotion/ complexities behind it even when things have happened in our life.

@Somewherebetween.fam on IG - Lunar New Year Episode, Chinese adoptees 

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

As we all go through the various moments and stages of identifying with our adoption, community and reflection are always helpful. Mary decided to focus her video documentary thesis on Chinese adoptees while also connecting with the community. This conversation gives more insight into our parents who are our blood and to the parents who raise us. We are also not obligated to others for the decisions and choices related to our own adoption experiences. Follow Mary @maryy.ri. Shout out to @bebensmith

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

Victoria is from Wisconsin…. no no. Victoria is really from China like most of the guests on this show. Happy New Year, not yet Lunar New year to all! This first episode of 2022 contains some adult language. We also have special guest, Carmella (Victoria’s cat)

It is fitting Victoria shares about her experience with finding communities that helped her build strong relationships throughout the ongoing pandemic. Also, I hear from Victoria about thoughts on children and funny anecdotes from her trip back to China. @bananafish4011 on instagram.

Shout out to @Adoptee_love and adoptee.portraits

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

XiuXiu lives in the Netherlands. This conversation goes into family dynamics, names, and search process. I enjoyed speaking and hearing more about her story. Family is challenging and sometimes as adoptees we can make some choices in regard to how dynamics will play out and how we choose to command our identity. This recording was also done before the NYC marathon 2021. It has been over a month since completing the race. Follow @karlijnwu.

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

Maddy shares her story and how she found out the truth behind her adoption from Hong Kong. We talked about her search and about how doing all the work, you still have the thoughts and feelings that do always come with reunions. We discuss therapy and working on self awareness as life throws challenges and how the hardest part about having a disability is society.

Also, Shoutout to adoptees in entertainment, connect! @madylinming and her website by the same name.

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

Warning: This set of recordings start off very strong on the emotions side. I found there was less and less need to do the memos related to the search DNA process.

This is the third and last part of the recordings from when getting a DNA test done. It was a process and I learned the value of not letting the events take over my emotions. Calm responses resulted in better overall experience. I am @landofrunningtara on instagram. Thank you for listening!

If you would like to share your story please email [email protected] or @adoptedbabiesfromchinapod on Facebook, Instagram, and @ChineseAdoptPod on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

Lily is in Canada and has been attending law school so far online. Soon she will go to England for part of her program studies. Lily is also one of six siblings and we really delve into the conversation that many of us probably have had in our minds about living and making the most of or circumstances. There is not much we can do but we can frame our mindset. Also having a willoughby as a pet is something I haven’t heard of in North America but Lily did! Follow @lifeoflilygrace.

This is a longer episode for this show with Sien! Sien is seeking to learn more about others and working in her own business as a life coach focused on Highly Sensitive people. She moved to Amsterdam to pursue dance and lives there today. 

This conversation, Sien shares her experience connecting with work in adoption, birth roots, and the present time. She shares about the importance of taking time and space when it comes to being involved in adoption as a hobby. I learn about her perspective in distinguishing between adoption and our core selves and how to go about it from a life coach experience. 

Sien shares a very helpful note about ISO code and how this is super helpful for those conducting searches 55 minutes into the show. Reach out @sienziya.

Wai Society, Chinese adoptees sharing stories on Facebook

China Roots Zoeken - facebook.com/chinarootszoeken.nl

55 minutes in- ISO code is an international code used by some hospitals, your DNA can be matched without travel to China. They can be compared via email. - iso.org