OFF THE WOK

A term coined in the 1960's describing a status ranking among minorities, it's disguised as a positive stereotype, but according to Florence Hwang, a journalist with CBC, it's anything but as it pits minorities against each other. Florence is no stranger to model minority, she's written an article detailing her experience with it growing up and the mental toll it took on her. In this episode, we share stories of model minority and the bookful of stereotypes that accompany it.

If you're interested in checking out Florence's article, check it out here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/first-person-florence-hwang-model-minority-myth-1.6043978

We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at [email protected] and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Tabletop role-playing has been around for a long time, with Dungeons and Dragons being the name most synonymously associated with it. D&D has been around since the 70s and has gotten increasingly popular over the decades (and even more so during the pandemic), which counts tens of millions of active players. So when we heard that Daniel Kwan wrote a Chinese themed D&D adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries, an adventure anthology, we had to reach out to him and get the lowdown on it!

After a quick break, we are back with another episode! This one is with Veronica (@veronisaurousrex) and her specialty within the motorsports scene, drifting. Based in San Francisco, Veronica details the drift culture, how she got (back) into it, her current inspirations, the (multiple) cars she's driven, her race events, and how she "drifts" through a predominantly male industry. "There's people who like to make their cars look nice, put them into car shows, bring them to car meets, I on the other hand like to put my cars to use." 

We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at [email protected] and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Working out ain't easy, it takes time, dedication, and patience, and as such, usually falls to the bottom of a to-do list for people. Further to that, instead of working out, many Asians tend to invest more in weight loss machines/weight loss drinks with sometimes mixed results. This is where Jenny Lam (@trainwithjennyhk) comes in, a certified personal trainer and kickboxer with over 20 years of experience. Currently based in Hong Kong, she helps answer how she keeps her clients on track, the routines and exercises she incorporates, and most importantly, how to eat healthy in a city where you can walk downstairs and easily get a bowl of congee with fried noodles. Join us as we have a conversation about those gimmicky weight loss machines, vitamins, and what Lance's workout regimen looks like!

We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at [email protected] and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

Gogo dancing, we've all heard the term before, but chances are many of us either don't know what it actually is or tend to incorrectly associate it or group it with a bunch of other dance forms. This is why we have Carole and Pola from @thecommietearoom to help us clarify and educate. Along the way, we discuss the cultural stigma associated with the profession and how Carole and Pola have navigated this issue. Some of the highlights mentioned in the episode include the difference between gogo dancing and other forms of dancing like pole dancing and stripping, a rundown of how a Gogo event works, and most importantly of all, what is the meaning of The Commietearoom?

What does it mean to be vegan? As our guest Rose Lee (@cheaplazyvegan) describes, it is a way of living where you seek to exclude as much animal exploitation in your life as possible. This can include diet or fashion (think Canada Goose) or even entertainment (like going to the zoo). Rose details her beginnings with being vegan and what got her started (make sure to check out the book Skinny Bitch and film documentary Earthlings), her process for gradually reducing animal-related products in her life, and how she turned it into a full-time career as a Youtuber. Along the way, she helps debunk certain myths, like how expensive it is to be vegan (which just by seeing her Youtube channel Cheap Lazy Vegan, should be enough to debunk that), or that you need meat in your diet in order to be healthy. For anyone out there who's curious, this episode is for you!

For more information on going vegan or vegan recipes you can visit Rose at:

http://www.thecheaplazyvegan.com, likewise, you can search up Cheap Lazy Vegan on Youtube for her channel.

We are always looking to share other people's experiences with us! If you'd like to be a guest on our show, email us at [email protected] and let us know! Give us a follow @offthewokpodcast on Instagram so you don't miss out on any new episodes! Thank you and we appreciate you wok'ing with us.

What do you get when you cross two beer-loving buddies (Boaz Leung and Jacob May), amazing food, and a great creative mind? Two Pillars Brewery (@twopillarsbrewery). With a small commercial brewhouse allowing two kegs per brew, it gives Two Pillars a chance to constantly innovate and create different unique and exclusive beers. Boaz and Jacob give us their background story on how they started, the process behind the brew, and some of the quirks (like haikus printed on the beer cans showing a description of the ingredients) Two Pillars has to offer. If you're ever in the Calgary area, you can check them out at 910 Centre St N.

When you think of boudoir photography, what do you think of? Many of us who haven't experienced it before or are not part of the industry tend to make certain generalizations or misconceptions about boudoir photography, misconceptions that our guest Rex Szeto (@rexszetophotography) is happily able to clear up. Rex is a boudoir photographer based in Calgary and among other things, he talks about what boudoir photography really is, a celebration of yourself.

Sorry in advance for my horrible intro singing but although my singing might be horrible, this episode is not as it talks about a popular topic among our listeners, and that is love! Joining us today is Sahib Gill (@sahib_gill), who immigrated to Canada when he was 13. Sahib gives a breakdown of his experience with dating (hint: you need a strong beard game), relationships, wedding traditions (including his own!), and more associated with Sikhism. And if you've never attended an East Indian wedding, after this episode, you're most definitely gonna want to!