Did you hear about the SUV-sized drones, plasmoids, orbs, and other strange objects in the sky over New Jersey/the East Coast the past few months, or is this the first time you're hearing about it?

We discuss this strange phenomena that started around the holidays in 2024 and continued for several months, where folks were claiming these large drones and other unidentified aerial objects were following them or seemingly "mapping" their neighborhoods.

Despite the sheer volume of sightings and videos uploaded, there was little to no mainstream media coverage and a brushing off by both presidential administrations as either something they simply couldn't explain, or "were ours" and therefore nothing to worry about. What's more, though the majority of video footage was uploaded to TikTok directly by those on the ground, the algorithm was seemingly suppressing views and distribution of drone-related footage, to the point where everyone's favorite Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel became one of the leading voices on these drone sightings and led the charge in calling them "Dior bags" in order to evade the algorithmic suppression.

This all leaves us wondering...what the heck is going on?! At best these things really were all "ours" and the government was conducting some strange experiment on the American people. Or worse (and human), it was foreign adversaries spying on or otherwise displaying a show of force. Or worst (and not human - for those of us who are inclined to believe), it was aliens.

Of note, at the same time these SUV-sized drones were happening, there were whistleblower stories coming out from former Special Forces personnel and those who worked in the UAP ("unidentified anomalous phenomena" fka "UFO") retrieval/reverse engineering program about first- and second-hand experiences with unknown technology and alien presences, but barely anyone heard about it amidst all the hubbub of the drones.

What do you think all of this aerial activity was? Our government? Foreign adversaries? Aliens? Something else? Let us know in the poll or comments!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

We're back with a life update where we chat about the most fun recent things we've been up to during our off-season break, Angela being re-energized and doubling down on Real You Mandarin efforts, Jesse enjoying the semi-single (read: open relationship) life, and coming to terms with getting older and potentially wanting plastic surgery?!

Let us know what you've been up to during our break in the comments below or on social media!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin: Beginnings online course co-created by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

"The Happiness Curve" is a concept that postulates that on average, a person's happiness acts as a U-shaped curve where you are happiest in your youth, happiness starts to decline in your 30s/40s, and picks back up as you get into your 50s and beyond.

In this episode, we discuss what we think about this phenomenon. Full disclosure, we did get the decades slightly wrong lol, but we generally discuss why we think it could be that people get happier as they get older due to things like changing perspectives on *what* brings them happiness. We also ponder whether this study will continue to reflect the average person as we shift into different generational cohorts who hold very different values (i.e., millennials not necessarily wanting to wait until retirement to "enjoy" life).

What do you think about The Happiness Curve? Do you think you're happier now than you were when you were younger? Is it about perception of happiness or something else? Let us know in the comments below!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

Have you ever spent hours in anticipation of your next escape, only to find that you can't quite see yourself in that narrative?

If you're a gamer, you might find that to be common, depending on the category of game you're primarily interested in. This week, we're discussion the issue of representation in big box video games. Video games have to walk a fine line between representing an escape, while allowing the player to immerse themselves into the world.

The details of immersion can often make or break how invested the player is. We discuss examples of how immersion deepens or breaks from the experience, from Witcher - Blood Origin to Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Have you played a recent video game that helped you immerse deeply in its lore and universe? Let us know what you played in the comments below or on our social media!

Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

Have you ever taken a moment to look back on your actions from a different period of your life? Have you ever wondered why you made certain decisions and whether or not they were wholly yours?

This week, we take a walk down memory lane and evaluate the impact some of our decisions in our 20s have on our lives right now. For Angela, the importance of building her own family has been pressing - both physically and emotionally. On the other hand, Jesse has struggled with finding meaning in the choices that he's made.

Ultimately, both of us agree that making decisions in your 20s is not easy. However, the decisions are yours to make and yours to own - and worth taking a moment to think about how that will impact your future self.

If you could go back in time, would you make any choices differently in your 20s? Let us know in the comments below!

Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at ⁠www.realyoumandarin.com⁠

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Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

We've often grappled with reconciling our identities as Asian-Americans, straddling two or more cultures between our family's motherland and the western environment in which we actually grew up. For many of us who did not grow up in Asia, when the time comes to think about trying to pass on that culture - and especially the language - to our children or future children, that task can seem incredibly daunting.

In this episode, we chat with guest Sunny Horstmann about how she set up the structure and environment to raise her two kids in a bilingual (Mandarin Chinese/English) environment and the village she's created to help other parents struggling to wade through these murky waters. We talk about the importance of having a support system, fighting the idea that your Mandarin needs to be perfect to get started, how we may unknowingly bring biases from our own language learning experiences into how we teach our children, and much more.

Do you have aspirations to create (or continue!) a bilingual environment for your family? What has your experience been like? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

Follow Sunny on Instagram at @spotofsunshinechinese, on her website at spotofsunshine.com, and join the waitlist for the next time her membership opens up for her bilingual parenting community.

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

*Podcasters' Note: for those watching the video, sorry for the freezing up. Sunny's wifi had some issues - ah, the joys of remote recording and crossing international lines! :D

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at www.realyoumandarin.com--

We've often talked about how food is one of the most easily accessible ways into a culture, and this episode's guest is a perfect living example of that.

Lisa Cheng Smith, founder of Yun Hai Shop in NYC, started Yun Hai as a way to explore her Taiwanese identity. Growing up as a half-Taiwanese/half-American individual, the question of "but where am I really from?" has always been something she was trying to figure out, and Yun Hai allowed her to explore that answer for herself.

Today, Yun Hai is not only a brick and mortar shop in NYC that features artisanal food ingredients from Taiwan, it's also an online retailer, a wholesaler to restaurants, and an important English-based online resource about Taiwanese food and culture through its highly popular Substack. It even made waves last year when it was chosen as one of the few stops former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen made on her trip to the US!

Listen in to hear about how and why Lisa got started with Yun Hai, how it allowed her to tap into both her Taiwanese and Taiwanese-American parts of her identity, why she cares about giving more spotlight to the art of Taiwanese home cooking, and the upcoming launch of Yun Hai's new Taiwanese cooking show coming out in early December that'll help share more of that spirit to the masses.

If you have questions for Lisa or thoughts about the episode, let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

For all things Yun Hai, find them at:

Instagram: @yunhaishop

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@yunhaishop

Online shop: https://yunhai.shop/

Substack: https://yunhai.substack.com/

Cooking show waitlist: https://yunhai.shop/cooking-show

"More money, more problems" as they say. But is financial inequality in a relationship a unique problem or does it just exacerbate existing ones?

This week, we examine how financial inequality impacts the quality of our relationships. Having both had the New York experience, your hosts understand what it feels like to struggle on a budget. But these days, we're looking at the question of differing finances from different

What fears and insecurities does a financially dependent partner experience? What are the frustrations and uncertainties that the financially independent partner feels in a provider role?

Tune in to find out, and join the conversation in the comments on our social media! Who financially contributes more in your relationship and how does that make each of you feel?

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Preview a free lesson and check out the full syllabus at www.realyoumandarin.com

The 2024 General Election is coming up in a matter of days... thank god because we are over it, lol.

No matter which side of the political spectrum you fall on, I think many of us can agree that we are tired of the reality TV show style media coverage around the two candidates, the BS of the general political "machine" behind the two parties, and a frequently missing focus on the needs of the actual people of this nation.

Despite feeling a simultaneous fervor and fatigue around the election, if you still have not voted yet, please go out and vote! It's important to stand up for what matters to you, especially if you want things to be different for the future of this country.

How are you feeling about the upcoming election and/or the news cycle surrounding all of this? Predictions? Hopes for the future? Let us know in the comments on our social media!

Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Check out the full syllabus and sample content at www.realyoumandarin.com

It's that spooktacular time of year - Halloween!

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Use promo code "whereareyoufrom10" for 10% off the Real You Mandarin online course co-founded by Angela, designed specifically for ABCs & ABTs. Check out the full syllabus and sample content at www.realyoumandarin.com