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So how about those home loan interest rates, eh? And...mortgages! Escrow? Closing costs. Contingencies. Bidding wars. OK, anyone else totally lost too? If you're anything like Minji, seemingly responsible grown up as she (mostly) saw herself, you might have reached adulthood hearing about this grand milestone of owning a home over and over again. You might have 100% expected it to happen for you at some point when you were good and "established", even aspired to it and considered it a key marker of your success. But somewhere in the giant batch of subjects that were never properly taught to most of us in school - budgeting, credit scores, taxes - home ownership is right up there in obscure and overwhelming adult rites of passage. In this episode, Minji brings calls upon her friend, realtor Ken Er, to come educate us all and commiserate with those who've been intimidated and in the dark about this mystical real estate journey. Together they swap stories on how they first approached their very different experiences of buying property, the lessons that they painstakingly learned, and how much they've changed in their financial literacy once they took the plunge. If you've ever been amongst friends and family, nodding along pretending to understand your aunties drone on about HOA fees and refinancing more than once, this one's for you. You are not alone.
Links For Our Guest Ken Er:
https://www.instagram.com/ken_er/
https://www.instagram.com/youreastbayhome/
https://youreastbayhome.com/
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Stumble Home” by Samica
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Audio Engineer @marvinyueh
Producer @AnnaSun
Social Media Manager @JulianaDeer
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
With times as crazy as these, we need all the support we can get. Deep conversations with friends, a good book, a tranquil walk through a park, a home cooked meal, meditation...and a social media persona moonlighting as our ultra caring significant other. Enter our Internet Boyfriend and charming FOA guest this week, James Tang. In this episode, Minji catches up with her friend James, the creative soul behind the viral TikTok character "Your Internet Boyfriend" who caught some attention for his sincere and clever emotional thirst traps. And oh did the parched online audience show up for the empathy, acts of service, and undivided attention via loads of direct eye contact. James' content happened to be a point of joy and levity in Minji's dark pandemic days, and together they reverse engineer how this character was inspired through James' acting background and the astoundingly low bar for dating these days...and perhaps since forever. They discuss how this persona is received across both male and female audiences, James' insights from "dating" so many people on the Internet, as well as how this character has truly helped people come to realize some important things for themselves.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/jamesthetang/
https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesthetang
https://twitter.com/jamesthetang
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Special” by Andy Yu
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Audio Engineer @marvinyueh
Producer @AnnaSun
Social Media Manager @JulianaDeer
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
Motherhood is a monumental, life-changing and sacred experience for those who embark on it. It's also an incredibly loaded topic shrouded in mystery, fear, and sometimes shame when it comes to the complex reality behind the glowy maternity photos, sonogram announcements, and darling newborn portraits. In this episode, the single and childless Minji invites her new friend Gaby Meier, a working woman and mother to a darling 1-year-old son, to get very honest and real about the ups, downs, & reality checks of motherhood today. They share stories of their own mothers, the examples they set, and their respective cultural environments, as well as their life expectations from an early age. They also get honest about their thoughts about feeling up for the challenge, their sense or lack of agency and choice, and the very real inequalities and shortcomings of modern American society in supporting mothers. They are here to un-boo all the taboos, to call out the lack of government and systemic support that should to be in place, and their hopes to provide space and support for the beautiful and hard realities of motherhood. TRIGGER WARNING - There is talk about miscarriages so if you need to skip this episode or come back to it later, please do.
Follow Minji On:
Follow our Guest Gaby Meier On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Louder” by Alfa
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Social Media Marketing by @JulianaDeer
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
We're back with SEASON 3 fam! To kick off this third installment of First Of All, we set intentions to bring good vibes and deeply personal insights on some long-awaited topics. So we're starting by going all in on vibrations, frequencies, manifesting, and the law of attraction. In this episode, Minji brings back the hilarious and wise filmmaker and co-host of Two Horny Goats Podcast, Roxy Shih. Together they share their backgrounds of what led them to their respective spiritual journeys, one involving moving out of a devout religious Christian upbringing and the other coming straight from real life practical examples from their sage immigrant parents. They break down their philosophies and real life application of the law of attraction, and how they continue learning about how mindset, beliefs, energies, emotions, and even quantum physics result into some pretty profound experiences. They also get into some common "woo woo" misconceptions as well as bigger concepts of timing, energies, tarot, and channeling. This episode sets a reminder that life is a perpetual journey of growth, and we can continuously clear out the old to make for the new and good by aligning our mind, body, and spirit.
Links:
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Lonely Star” by Priska
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
And just like that, we have reached the end of season 2 fam! And what better way to close it out than with the realest unfiltered-est conversation with comedian/podcaster/OG YouTuber/entrepreneur David So. In this extended season finale, David and Minji go down rabbit holes of self-awareness, fully owning what they dislike and also being disliked, as well as the ups and downs of being creative, achieving their goals, and changing ideas of success. They also discuss their second acts as grown adults parenting their aging parents, the challenges of accepting mortality and managing these very old, stubborn teenagers. Thank you so much for hanging with us for season 2 everyone!! We’ll be back soon later this spring!
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/davidsocomedy/?hl=en
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/geniusbrain/id1449325923
https://scrtsociety.com/
https://junbishop.com/
https://eatshrimpdaddy.com/
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and a Cover song by David So
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
00:00:00 - Season Finale + thank you’s
00:01:59 - Intro’ing the guest + Topic
00:03:57 - Uncertain times and self-care
00:06:32 - Big brother birthday shout-out & Empowering gift giving
00:10:11 - David So made it on the pod despite landlord drama
00:16:00 - David & Minji origin story
00:18:31 - Pandemic fucked people up
00:21:13 - Easing back into society and David’s intensity
100:25:12 - Podcast is public communication in the moment
00:29:32 - Evolution of FOA conversations
00:31:37 - How David’s anxiety manifested in a woman’s bathroom
00:36:28 - Overcoming anxiety in high school
00:40:01 - Daring to fail
00:43:07 - Choose your destiny and enjoy the process
00:49:40 - Content creators are ball sacks
01:01:30 - BREAK + [Books & Boba Podcast] + FOA patreon
01:03:20 - Listen to Genius Brain Podcast episode about parenting
01:08:36 - Minji’s dad’s real reason for immigrating
01:12:13 - Asian parents don’t understand us! But they also have a point, damnit.
01:17:05 - Child abuse commercials don’t land
01:22:23 - Forgiveness, empathy is a tool for you
01:33:12 - Acceptance of our aging parents
01:40:01 - Monitoring sodium and water intake
01:46:45 - Thank you David for amazing stories about these real struggles
01:51:44 - Minji’s part in David and his fiance meeting
01:54:40 - David hates weddings too!
01:59:18 - This was a great recap of FOA S2
02:02:05 - FOA questions for our guest
02:06:01 - Outro + Shoutout to FOA Patrons + Leave a review! + Cover song by David So
02:08:23 - [They Call Us Bruce Podcast]
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
This week, we get to hear a very personal and insightful conversation about late bloomers and the evolution of an ugly duckling from our well-spoken guest, James Liao. Most of us think of being a late bloomer in terms of physical appearance and romantic relationships. And while those are major players in the conversation, James also walks us through the not-so-skin-deep shifts in his social, relational, career and personality that also played a big hand in being a late bloomer. Minji and James share their contrasting adolescent experiences of being hyper aware of social hierarchies versus being shut off and bullied, their role models or lack thereof, and how being a "bloomer" and gaining access to social capital can shape them for better or worse.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/jlaimaeos/
https://lijiethemusicmaker.com/home
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Follow Me Down” by Lijie
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
00:00:00 - Hope everyone is safe and sane
00:02:25 - Intro’ing guest + topic
00:06:37 - How would James introduce himself?
00:10:30 - Acting class for business school
00:13:58 - “Acting is the study of life”
00:16:08 - James almost died twice
00:19:54 - Rationalized happiness + Emotional and mental calculus
00:25:39 - Late bloomers v early bloomers
00:31:49 - Channeled anger into 100s of pushups
00:35:43 - Ran away from home to go to church (age 13)
00:39:40 - Going from an INTJ to an INFP
00:40:13 - BREAK + [Quarantined Comics Podcast] + FOA Patreon
00:44:25 - Hyper aware v shut off
00:51:05 - Relationship bootcamp in college
00:56:40 - Asian American men in media
01:03:58 - The point when James bloomed
01:12:52 - When guys started to gravitate towards him
01:15:19 - Haters and downside of late bloomers
01:22:05 - We want to be loved whilst still evolving
01:29:35 - FOA Qs for Guest
01:32:32 - Outro + Share ep with a friend + Thank you Patrons! + Music by Lijie - “Follow you Down”
01:35:33 - [Books and Boba Podcast]
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
This one goes out to the Asian diaspora Gen X, millennial & Gen Z-ers who are getting better acquainted with or just further embracing tf out of their Asian identities. For most of us Asian Americans, we grew up assimilating, disconnecting, and/or over-representing this side of ourselves - our languages, customs, features - in a society where we were mostly stereotyped, fetishized, or simply overlooked and ignored. But throughout the many decades since our parents and grandparents immigrated from our motherlands, we've created spaces, trends, and our own subcultures that have blossomed into a unique and increasingly stronger identity. In this episode, Minji sits down with two Asian American trailblazers who have contributed their life's work to carving out a space for our stories - writers & public figures Jeff Yang and Phil Yu (aka AngryAsianMan). Together they discuss their new book RISE, co-authored with Phil Wang of WongFu Productions, which covers some highlights in the evolution of Asian American pop culture. They dive into how times have changed, the significance of challenging the status quo, and the importance of a supportive, unified community to address bigotry, hate, and ignorance.
Links: Spotify - Featured Music Playlist
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/15/wsj-shoes-on-shoeless-house-essay
Follow Minji on:
Follow our guests Phil Yu (AngryAsianMan) and Jeff Yang on:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “This Is A Song About Self Love” by DANakaDAN. Check out his new album "Me. Also Me." here!
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
00:00:00 - Peace for Ukraine
00:03:55 - Intro’ing the topic + guests
00:12:42 - Disappointment and hope from the pandemic
00:15:18 - Phil and Jeff elevator pitch of what they do
00:23:20 - Impact of Angry Asian Man on college Minji
00:25:56 - Impact of Jeff’s writings and publication
00:34:48 - Origin story of Phil + Jeff
00:42:32 - Phil as a judge for Kollaboration
00:48:51 - BREAK - [They call us Bruce Podcast] + FOA Patreon
00:50:20 - RISE - the book is slice of AA history from 90s to now
00:56:55 - If we don’t tell our story, who will?
01:03:36 - The decision making process for the book
01:11:13 - Not a definitive chronicle but a POV from authors + collaborators
01:18:04 - Parts of the book they each championed
01:24:10 - Respect your elders!
01:25:18 - FOA Qs for our guests
01:33:08 - Outro + Drop a 5 star review + Music by DANakaDAN - “This is a Song About Self Love”
01:36:31 - [All the Asians on Star Trek Podcast]
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
If you've dreamt of starting a business, you may have stumbled across a roadblock or fifty to get off the ground or even take the leap to pursue it... Should I quit a secure thing? What if I fail? How do I prepare financially? How do I break this to my parents/significant other/industry? How do I get started or even get my foot through the door? Do I need to go back to school? How long will it take to be "successful"? In this episode, Minji sits down with Sajani Amarasiri, founder of Kola Goodies, a superfood and wellness goodies brand with beautiful, authentic South Asian roots. Together they unpack Sajani's journey going from a highly favored Amazon then Microsoft employee with terrific benefits to a globetrotting entrepreneur learning the very basics of creating a business from the ground up. As an immigrant from Sri Lanka, Sajani's story has universal lessons for anyone who aspires to step off their beaten path - learning how to bet on yourself, overcoming microaggressions and daunting setbacks, taking many bites of humble pie, cultivating unbeatable determination and patience, identifying driving values and a unique mission, staying curious, and the importance of support from others.
Links: Spotify - Featured Music Playlist
Follow Minji on:
Follow our guest Sajani Amarasiri on:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Butterfly (222)” by Maijah. Get her single here!
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
It's one day after Valentine's Day and we know everyone's already over it, but what society never seems to be over are real life tales of love and loss - the good, the bad, and the excruciatingly ugly. We at First Of All admit it openly - we love LOVE. And over time we can appreciate the bad for what it teaches us. In this solo episode, Minji shares the story behind one of the worst Valentine's Days (if not the worst) of her life - like full on ugly crying on the floor processing betrayal while in a whole other country with no wifi kinda bad. She also reflects on the long road she walked to heal and find love again, complete with a cute little love letter to celebrate it.
Links: Spotify - Featured Music Playlist
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “Anything For You” by Jules Aurora
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:05 - Valentine’s Day 2005 - Paris, France
00:05:20 - International calling cards & internet cafes
00:08:25 - Don’t mess with my big brother
00:11:55 - The ugly truth comes out & sinks in
00:16:33 - Angry woman > detective
00:24:50 - Light and darkness, hope and despair
00:27:01 - Getting out of heartbreak
00:31:29 - Single as helllll and peaceful and happy
00:37:16 - BREAK + [Books & Boba Podcast] + [FOA Patreon Plug]
00:38:59 - A letter to myself
00:42:28 - Power in putting thoughts on paper
00:44:04 - Teaser for upcoming journey
00:45:00 - OUTRO + We love DMs and emails! + Music by Jules Aurora - “Anything For You”
00:47:28 - [Quarantined Comics Podcast]
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
LET'S TALK ABOUT MONEY, Y'ALL. Now if talking about money openly and honestly ever felt taboo, this episode. is. for. YOU! To get into the nitty gritty of money relationships, habits and strategies, Minji brings back a wonderful returning guest - photographer and blogger Melly Lee - to unpack this broad and emotionally charged topic. The two dive into their histories with money as a spender vs saver, someone who struggled with mountains of debt vs someone who was deathly afraid of debt, and as individuals who never received a substantial financial education. They share beliefs about money that they inherited and how those beliefs manifested in some TOUGH (and expensive) lessons - in work, in friendships, in family dynamics, and more. Most importantly, they share how they've both started reprogramming themselves to feel empowered with money despite gender inequalities, self-sabotaging tendencies, and lack of guidance. This is for the many generations of kids/adults who've had to figure this all out on our own and are learning financial literacy and the creation of true wealth.
Links:
https://fromzerosavings.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mellylee_/
Follow Minji On:
▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" by Uzuhan and “We Could Happen” by AJ Rafael
▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon
▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Produced by @marvinyueh & @AnnaSun
Supported by @JulianaDeer
00:00:00 - Intro. We made it!! Show me the money!
00:03:34 - Exposure does not pay the bills!
00:06:08 - From freelance → to → tech
00:08:31 - Making more money means better money management, right?
00:11:16 - Paying for college + student loans
00:15:22 - Money education started with red envelopes
00:18:20 - Money talks are taboo whilst money views are inherited
00:21:40 - Saver v spender
00:31:18 - Need to reprogram ourselves
00:34:42 - BREAK + Support FOA + [Quarantined Comics Podcast]
00:36:49 - Hard lessons Melly learned
00:43:38 - How Minji’s beliefs manifest her life
00:50:41 - POV’s about money passed down but no guidance
00:53:20 - Melly starts to take a hard look at finances
00:56:44 - Getting audited by IRS
00:58:56 - Cost of a bad accountant
01:04:27 - Retirement, budgets, & investments
01:17:02 - Be gentle with yourself
01:21:19 - Women were not raised to be financially literate!
01:27:22 - FOA Q’s for the guest
01:31:16 - Outro + Music by AJ Rafael - “We Could Happen”
01:34:31 - [They Call Us Bruce Podcast]
Mentioned in this episode:
Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it.
Henry VI at The Public with an all AAPI cast
From the publisher's feed