Emily and Curtis had such a great time chatting with author Weike Wang!  She’s smart, funny, thoughtful and the author of Chemistry: A Novel and Joan is Okay.  She won the PEN/Hemmingway award in 2018 (awarded to noteworthy 1st-time authors), and was recognized as one of the 5 Under 35 authors to keep an eye on by the National Book Foundation (among many other awards)!  We discuss her childhood and upbringing, studying chemistry at Harvard, her writing process, and dive a little deeper into her latest novel, Joan is Okay.

You can learn more about Weike from her website www.weikewangwrites.com  or follow her Instagram @weikewang  

Helping me co-host is Emily Hoang!  Emily is a former student of mine, who like Weike started out studying science, but also shifted to studying literature and creative writing.  Emily’s work can be found at her website:  emily-hoang.com

Music:

“Dear Prudence (2018 Mix)”  The Beatles (YouTube)

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #weikewang #joanisokay #chemistryanovel #asianamericanpodcaster #chineseamericanauthor #asianauthor #representationmatters

Who wouldn’t want to live in paradise? This week we talk with someone who was born and raised on O’ahu, and can tell you what it’s really like to live in Hawaii. Chris from YouTube’s Hello From Hawaii channel, answers our questions about island life and the pros and cons of living in America’s most unique state.

Learn a lot more by watching Chris’ channel, Hello From Hawaii on YouTube.  Follow him on Instagram @hellofromhawaii  Mahalo Chris!

Special thanks to Beipana for letting us use his rendition of the classic Hawaiian song "Malanaʻi Anu Ka Makani.”  He makes super chill Hawaiian-themed lofi study music. Check him out @beipana on YouTube, 

Ending song: “Hulu Ukulele” from No Copyright Happy Ukulele Music on the Stream of Melodies (Youtube)

Filler song: “Cloudy” from Anime Vibes | Kawaii, Chill, Happy, Fun | Vlog No Copyright-Free Music | Music To Study, Relax To (Music Panda) 

Please email us at [email protected] and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @theinfatuasianpodcast   We would love it if you left us a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or a rating on Spotify.  Thanks!

#hawaii #hellofromhawaii #livinginhawaii #zippys #locomoco #saimin #oahu #honolulu #kauai

#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster 

This week we are rock’n out with an amazing guitarist out of London, Rikki Lee!  Madison and Curtis had a lot of fun talking about how self-taught Malaysian-born guitarist, Rikki, grew as a musician to become a professional touring guitarist with artists like Priya Ragu and Martin Smith. During the pandemic, Rikki pivoted into a YouTuber, covering legendary songs from rock’s biggest stars.

To hear and see more of Rikki, you can find her on YouTube at her channel Rikki Lee. You can see more of Rikki’s latest tours by following her over on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @Rikkileerocks 

Music from Rikki’s videos:

“Smells Like Teen Spirit (Shred Version)”  Rikki Lee

“Noodling Around with Kemper Profiler”  Rikki Lee

Photo by: @marcdphotos

Follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or Facebook.  Shoot us an email at [email protected]  Please consider giving us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave us a review over at Apple Podcasts, if you do we’ll read it on the air!  Thanks!

#rikkilee #rikkileerocks #electricguitar #nirvana #smellsliketeenspirit #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

This week we Zoom over to France to have a wonderful chat with Linda Nguon, a french language podcaster out of Paris.  Linda started the Banh Mi Podcast because there really wasn’t anything like it in France. On the podcast, Linda talks with all kinds of guests about their love and connection to Asian culture.  She adds subtitles to some of her Instagram reels and has started adding subtitles to some of her YouTube videos, so please go check them out!  If you understand French, you will enjoy listening to her entire catalog!

You can find Linda at her website: https://www.banhmiculture.com/  or her Instagram @banhmi.podcast  Her episodes in French are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

You can always write to us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook or Instagram @theinfatuasianpodcast  Please give us a rating on Spotify and/or a rating and a review over at Apple Podcasts!  

Thanks for listening!

#asianfrenchpodcast #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster 

Julia shares some of her family’s history of living through the Japanese colonization of Korea from 1910-1945, as we discuss the Apple TV+ adaptation of Pachinko.  Pachinko is a best selling novel written by Korean American author Min Jin Lee in 2017. Hear Curtis and Julia talk about the importance of this show as well as a few complaints, but overall we really liked it and highly recommend it!

Thanks Julia for joining me last minute!  Please give her show a listen!  Asian Soup Podcast can be found wherever you get your podcasts, and also on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube.

Follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or Facebook.  Write us at [email protected]  

Music: 

"Let's Live For Today" by LEENALCHI  (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack)

“In Between Days by Luamel  (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack)

#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #asiannovel #asianwriter #pachinko #appletvplus #representation matters 

Madison and Curtis had such a blast chatting with Miss San Francisco 2022 Catherine Liang! She has the charm and poise of a real-life princess! Hear her journey from an awkward 13-year-old to a contestant in the Miss California Pageant 2022, representing our hometown of San Francisco!

See what Catherine is up to @misssanfranciscoco or follow her personal account @catherine_y_liang  on Instagram, and wish her luck on June 25th, 2022 at the Miss California Pageant!

You can write to Madison and Curtis at infatuasianpodcast@gmail dot com or follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or Facebook for the latest information.  Please give us a follow and/or review at Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

Our theme is Super Happy J-Pop Fun Time by Prismic Studios

#MissSanFrancisco #MissAmerica  #MissCalifornia #MissCA2022 #sanfrancisco #sfchinatown #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #aapiheritagemonth #asianamericanpodcaster #superproducermadison

Brian Lum from All Arms Around walks us through the process of writing and performing his own music while being a full-time pharmacist and family man. Hear Brian break down some of his songs and give us behind-the-scenes secrets about producing his richly layered original music.  

You can listen to All Arms Around on Spotify, or purchase his album at Bandcamp.com (all proceeds go to the Oakland Unified School District). Follow Brian @allarmsaround on Instagram 

All Arms Around songs we played in this episode:

Intro: Bridal Procession

Punnett Square

Rocking Chair

Crystal Ball

Outro: Super Happy J-Pop Fun Time arranged by All Arms Around

Write to us!  [email protected]  Please follow us wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating/review at Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening!

#allarmsaround #music #asianmusician #asianpodcast #asianpodcaster #asianamerican #asianamericanpodcast #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #veryasian #stopaapihate #representationmatters #spotify #bandcamp

This week Bellina and Curtis talk to personal finance and side hustle blogger Chloe Choe!  We chat with Chloe about how she got started blogging and some of her favorite ways to invest and generate alternate streams of income through side hustles.  She also talks about how she maximizes her 27 (and counting) credit cards!

Disclaimer: our discussion was purely for educational and entertainment purposes.  We are not giving financial advice.  Please consider consulting a certified financial advisor.

Thanks to Chloe and Bellina for coming on, I wish I was as financially savvy as they are when I was their age!  To read Chloe’s blog, find her at offhourhustle.com or follow her Instagram @ofhourhustle 

To write to us, you can use infatuasianpodcast@gmail dot com.  You can also follow and DM us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or Facebook.  Please consider giving us a rating at Spotify and Apple Podcasts, we would also appreciate a written review at Apple Podcasts!

Music:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun Time” by Prismic Studios

#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters #persoalfinance #hustleculture #money

It was a teen take-over episode when Madison and Curtis got to chat with actor Tristan Allerick Chen who voiced the middle school bully Tyler in Disney Pixar’s Turning Red!  Tristan is young, but he’s already got some Hollywood experiences under his belt.  He was such a complete pleasure to talk with as he gave us insights into how he got the role, how he voiced such a convincing bully, as well as how much he did or didn’t know about the movie before it came out!  

If you’d like to follow Tristan on Instagram you can find him @tristanallerickchen Thanks so much to Tristan and his family who helped us get set up with this interview!

You know you can always write to us at [email protected] or DM us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or Facebook.  Please give us a review and a rating at Apple Podcasts and a rating and follow us at Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Take the Buzzfeed quiz to find out which character you are! https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/turning-red-character-quiz

Music:

Theme: “Super Happy J-Pop Fun Time” by Prismic Studios, outro arranged by All Arms Around

“Nobody Like You,” by 4*Town (Walt Disney Records)

Soundbites: “Turning Red Tyler Edits” by riom1d

#turningred #tyler #disney #pixar #asianactor #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #represenationmatters #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #superproducermadison

Phuc Tran’s first book, “Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In”, is a wonderful read.  It details what life was like as a Vietnamese kid thrown into rural America in the ’70s. Bellina and I had a great chat with Phuc about his youth and what he’s up to now.  Highly recommend this book to anyone who has family who immigrated to this country, or who has ever felt like an outsider.. basically I recommend this book to everyone!  

Thanks to Bellina who joined me for her first episode, but hopefully not her last!

You can follow Phuc @phucskywalker on Instagram or see his 2012 TedX talk called: Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive Mood.

Please write us at: [email protected] and follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast over at Instagram or Facebook.  Please give us a review at Apple Podcasts or a rating at Apple or Spotify.  Thanks!

Music: 

“Cry for Help in A World Gone Mad” Agent Orange (The Orchard Music)

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun Time” Prismic Studios arr by All Arms Around (Brian Lum)

#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #vietnameseamerican #asianauthor #tsunamitatoos #representationmatters