Level: Asian

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In this episode of the Level: Asian Podcast, we break down the roles and responsibilities we carry amongst our siblings, how we live into our stereotypical traits, and unlearning our roles within the family to allow our siblings to grow. 

Kan and Viv share their experiences growing up with the ‘first’ version of their parents, juggling with their dual roles to manage the parental and sibling emotional burden, and how they have started sharing the burden with the siblings, while Noel reflects his childhood as an only child and his desires to have a sibling to grow up with. 

Davie opens up about his family’s sibling dynamics, from being the youngest, carefree, and playful sibling, to the struggles of constantly being overlooked and now being the ‘breadwinner’ of the household. 

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In this episode, we're joined by Michelle Lim, an organisational culture and change lead, and an advocate for intersectional diversity, ethics, and equity and inclusion in the workplace. Michelle shares her personal journey growing up as an Asian Australian, navigating the challenges of feeling ashamed of her identity and trying to fit in, before eventually embracing her heritage with pride.

Michelle also opens up about her unconventional educational path, including homeschooling and pursuing ballet, and the mental health struggles she faced while supporting her family through a difficult health crisis. We explore the importance of cultural literacy, language accessibility, and representation, especially in areas like healthcare and government services, and how these systemic issues can have real impacts on marginalised communities.

Michelle advocates for the need to understand the difference between equality and equity, and the importance of having diversity targets to create more inclusive leadership representation.

Disclaimer:
This podcast discusses themes around domestic violence, suicide, self-harm and mental health. We want to ensure that everyone listening feels safe and supported, so please do listen with care. If this podcast might be heavy for you, feel free to skip and join us in our next episode. If you’re in need of support, remember help is always available. Contact lifeline on 13 11 14.

Show Notes Links:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-lim1/?originalSubdomain=au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellelim?igsh=MWppYXV2N2NvZTBxOQ==

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Join us as we dive into the journey of Eigen Ting, co-founder of a Sucre du Jour, a French fine patisserie, as he navigates the challenges of starting a business in a niche market, learning to navigate life after the death of his mother and travelling around the world in the hospitality industry.

In this episode, we explore his experiences, becoming independent at an early age, and the hurdles he faced in the culinary world.

- Starting a bespoke cake business with minimal capital and secondhand equipment.
- The significance of building a community and understanding cultural backgrounds through sweets.
- Overcoming the challenges of finding a location and capital amid COVID-19.
- The impact of family dynamics on career choices and personal growth.
- Insights on working with a partner in the same industry and managing dynamic roles.

Show Note Links:
Sucre du Jour website: https://www.sucredujourofficial.com/online-ordering
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sucre.du.jour?igshid=ZGUzMzM3NWJiOQ==
Eigen Ting: https://www.instagram.com/eigenting/

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Join us as we share our SURVIVOR GUILT as second-generation migrants grappling with the messy and complex issues around being the ones who ‘made it out’.

In this episode, we explore issues around escaping war, sending money back home, recognising our privilege and sharing our parents’ migration story to preserve what they went through as a way to heal.

Enjoy the episode!

Show Notes Links:
Check Out Our Other Eps: www.levelasianpodcast.com/
Our Merch Store: store.levelasianpodcast.com/

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In this episode of the Level: Asian podcast, we’re joined by Mental Health Advocate, Emily Unity!

Emily shares her powerful story navigating childhood trauma and mental health challenges to become a voice for change. She opens up about how her diagnosis allowed her to make sense of her experiences and understand how to create safe spaces to support others with their journeys.

Emily also discusses how mental health symptoms can present differently for women and men, the need for representation in advocacy work and her framework for opening vulnerable and constructive conversations - as well as the power that holds, especially as Asian Australians, refugees and migrants.

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer:
This podcast discusses themes around domestic violence, suicide, self-harm and mental health. We want to ensure that everyone listening feels safe and supported, so please do listen with care. If this podcast might be heavy for you, feel free to skip and join us in our next episode. If you’re in need of support, remember help is always available. Contact lifeline on 13 11 14.

Show Notes Links:
Check Out Our Other Eps: www.levelasianpodcast.com/
Our Merch Store: store.levelasianpodcast.com/
Emily’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyunity/?originalSubdomain=au

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In this episode of the Level: Asian podcast, it’s a family affair, as we’re joined by the brains behind ‘Gong Grocer’ - Sydney’s premiere Asian supermarket!

Brian and Vivian Nguyen, along with their mother Linh, get candid about the rollercoaster of building a business empire with loved ones. We learn about the lineage of grocers in their family, the dos and don'ts for working with relatives and how the generational and cultural differences between them helped shape brand culture.

The Nguyen family also shed light on how they mended their relationship to foster open, honest and healthy child-parent bonds, the importance of setting ego aside to understand those closest to you and the responsibility of passing heritage forward.

Enjoy the episode!


Show Notes Links:
www.gonggrocer.com.au
www.instagram.com/gonggrocer
www.tiktok.com/@gonggrocer

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In this episode of the Level: Asian podcast, we share our favourite things about Asian culture! Of course there’s food, the arts and travel, but what are the values and day-to-day nuances that we hold closest to our hearts?

From the language we use to show love and respect, the ‘above and beyond’ hospitality, and frugality shaped by the migrant hustle, there’s so much richness in our cultures beyond the surface. On the flip side, we also address the cultural behaviours we could live without, including old fashioned expectations and WeChat experts (#iykyk).

Davie also narrates a couple of crazy stories from his recent travels, and as with most episodes, we conclude with an unplanned trauma dump.

Enjoy the episode!

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In this episode of the Level: Asian podcast, we’re back by popular demand for another Reddit Reacts! But once the mics turned on, things didn’t go quite to plan… (who’s cutting onions?)

We begin by reacting to stories from the “Not So Subtle Asian Parent Traits” Subreddit; from blurred boundaries, Asian love languages, financial expectations and more! However, what was meant to be a fun episode, quickly turned into group therapy, as a particular post hit a little too close to home.

This opened a vulnerable conversation, where the crew shared their experiences healing from family trauma, forgiving our parents’ mistakes and appreciating the challenges of the migrant journey.

Don’t forget your tissues, you’ll need them for this one!

Disclaimer:
This episode discusses sensitive topics including abuse. Please listen with care and at your own discretion. If you are in need of support, please reach out to Lifeline: 13 11 14.

Show Notes Links:
Check Out Our Other Eps: www.levelasianpodcast.com/
Our Merch Store: store.levelasianpodcast.com/

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In this episode of the Level Asian podcast, we chat with YouTuber and Influencer Amy Lyons, aka Blondie in China (@blondieinchina). 

Amy shares her incredible story - finding a second home in China, without having any Asian ancestry. We chat about her experiences learning the history and culture of a country whilst travelling and working in it, the reception of her content and how foreigner privilege has reshaped her current worldview.

Amy also reveals her hottest food recommendations, favourite travel memories and advice to budding vloggers.

Enjoy the episode! 

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In this episode of the Level: Asian podcast, we unpack the housing and cost of living crisis.

We begin by sharing how recent increases in rent, interest rates and groceries have impacted us personally and how we’ve changed our spending habits to adjust. The crew also discusses the challenges different generations face when it comes to wealth building, the changing values towards money and outlooks towards work/life balance.

Davie then explains the dire state of housing affordability in Australia, using his favourite thing in the world (spreadsheets).

Enjoy the episode!