Papaya Talk

This week Alyssa is on day six of the flu, and she knows it’s influenza A because she took a home test. Nadia thinks that’s funny since nobody wants to take a home test after COVID, and they end up talking about how far up your nose those first swabs used to go.

Alyssa has been traveling two or three times a month all year, so she thinks her body was just waiting for a free week to get sick. Nadia reminds her she never got her flu shot, and since she just did a presentation on the MMR vaccine, she shares a bit about how vaccines help.

They also talk about the first retreat Alyssa hosted in Mexico with her friend Grace. It went well, but Alyssa was anxious the night before even though she felt ready. The house was built into a cliff by the beach, so they had a few surprises, like a crab falling on a guest’s arm, a red and black snake in Alyssa’s bathroom, and losing power for a few hours.

Nadia has been doing puzzles again and wants to get into coloring. Alyssa thinks she should try drawing, but Nadia says it’s never worked for her because she always ends up erasing and starting over. She also talks about a class project where she’s trying to stay off her phone before bed, and they both agree they need to exercise more.

They end by talking about doing a family exercise plan, but since they can barely get on the phone with each other, we’ll see how that goes.

Takeaways

• Feeling ready for something doesn’t mean your body isn’t stressed about it

• You can still get the flu after the shot, but it helps protect people who can’t get vaccinated

• Running a retreat is not the same as going on one

• Not everyone unwinds the same way, and that’s fine

• Swapping your phone for a puzzle or a book before bed might help you go to sleep less anxious

Chapters

0:10 – 4:20 Day six of the flu, home tests, and the flash mob Alyssa missed 

4:20 – 6:52 A year of nonstop travel, getting sick on the first free week, and a flu shot reminder 

6:52 – 10:21 The first retreat, anxiety beforehand, and the idea of a mother-daughter retreat 

10:21 – 14:18 A crab, a snake, losing power, and what the retreat days looked like

14:18 – 18:39 Puzzles, an audiobook, coloring versus drawing, and trying hobbies you think you’re bad at 

18:39 – 22:59 Nadia’s sleep project, getting more movement in, and a family exercise idea

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.comemail - [email protected] - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week Alyssa and Nadia talk about the Cornell case, two weeks after the news first broke. Nothing prepared, just a mom and her daughter saying what's been on their minds.

For Nadia, the hardest part was the fraternity brothers who saw everything in the group chat and said nothing. To her, that silence suggests this kind of thing happens more than people want to admit. Alyssa's first thought went to her own daughters in college and the things going on around them, even if none of it is happening to them directly.

That leads Alyssa to open up about the gray area, the kind of night a lot of women have had but rarely talk about. Nadia's dad told her he was glad women can speak up now. She reminded him that most of these nights never get that far.

Nadia shares Northeastern’s reaction, why the Greek life statements felt performative, and a talk with her boyfriend about feeling safe. They also get into the comments blaming the girl and the essay that was supposed to count as a punishment.

After all that, they end on a lighter note with Auntie Tina and a kids' book about anglerfish. Turns out the females are the fierce ones, and the males just hang on.

Takeaways

• Staying quiet in the group chat is still a choice
• Peer pressure and drinking can make almost anything feel normal
• A lot of what women deal with happens in the gray area, not the headline version
• We spend years teaching girls how to stay safe and a lot less time teaching boys how to act
• Not much has changed since Alyssa was Nadia’s age. It’s just being recorded more

Chapters

0:10 – 4:15 Two weeks later, Nadia’s first reaction, and the group chat nobody spoke up in

4:15 – 10:19 Worrying about her own kids, frat loyalty, the gray area, and people defending the boys

10:19 – 13:36 Turning on the lights, what’s happened at Northeastern, and whether Greek life statements are performative

13:36 – 19:48 “There are good men,” the babysitter question, and talking about safety with her boyfriend

19:48 – 24:24 Blaming women’s behavior, what the school should have done, and raising sons who know better

24:24 – 27:17 Anglerfish, matriarchal societies, and how little has changed

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab|Pilates| Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.comemail - [email protected] - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week Alyssa and Nadia talk about the stuff that's easy to get and harder to trust, from pills at the 7-Eleven register to hormones you can order online.

It starts with a video Alyssa sent Nadia about two University of Mississippi students who died after taking kratom, something you can buy at a gas station. That leads to laced pills, and why taking something that seems harmless is riskier now than it used to be.

Then it gets personal. Kaiser runs out of Alyssa's estrogen gel with only a few days left, and friends suggest ordering it from a site called HRT Club. Alyssa's first thought is, who are these people? Nadia connects it to what she saw at a community health center, where patients regularly couldn't get the medication they needed. That's often when people start turning to online peptides and other gray market options.

Alyssa also does a mom check-in. Has Nadia ever walked into a party and seen people doing coke? Has anyone offered her something? The answers might surprise you.

Takeaways

• Being sold at a gas station doesn't make something harmless
• Laced pills are what make experimenting so much riskier now. Kids think they're taking Adderall or Xanax, and by the time they find out it's something else, it's too late
• When people can't get their medication through normal channels, online pharmacies and bootleg options start to look reasonable
• Parents get a steady stream of scary messages at every stage, and not all of them match what their kids actually see
• Where you live and who you hang out with shapes what you're exposed to

Chapters

• 0:10 – 2:24 Nor'easters, California winter, and the Instagram videos Nadia never opens
• 2:24 – 6:49 Kratom, energy pills at the register, and what Nadia actually sees on campus
• 6:49 – 9:42 Asking Claude about gas station drugs, tianeptine, and laced pills that resist Narcan
• 9:42 – 13:18 Kaiser runs out of Alyssa's estrogen, HRT Club, and medication gaps at community health centers
• 13:18 – 17:00 Peptides, the gray market, and red flags to watch for
• 17:00 – 20:53 Mom worries, party check-ins, dispensaries, and why it's different than the '90s

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab|Pilates| Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.comemail - [email protected] - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

Alyssa and Nadia are back after a long break, and Nadia is officially in her last semester at Northeastern. Most of her high school friends have already graduated, her roommate included, and she's still on campus with four classes left. It feels a little weird, but she's trying to hold on to the routine while she has it.

Nadia opens up about postponing her MCAT after studying all summer and hitting a wall. Now she's aiming for January with a new study schedule and a better mindset. Alyssa shares a friend's comment that the delays might mean Nadia doesn't want to be a doctor, and Nadia explains why that isn't true.

They talk about Nadia's final public health classes and her projects on maternal nutrition and food insecurity. Alyssa asks whether Nadia's interest in women's health is her own or shaped by social media.

They wrap up with ways to work in women's health without being an OB/GYN, a local women's health symposium Tanya helped organize, and an idea for this season about hearing people's good, okay, and bad experiences with healthcare.

Takeaways

• Watching your friends graduate while you're still in school can feel strange even when you saw it coming
• Postponing the MCAT is really common and says nothing about how much someone wants to be a doctor
• Having no hard deadline gives you room to take a test when you're actually ready
• Burnout is real, and a few days to reset can change how you see the whole thing
• Writing gets easier the more you do it, even when it's not your favorite
• Getting to choose your own project topics can show you what you actually care about
• There are a lot of ways to focus on women's health in medicine beyond OB/GYN, including family medicine and endocrinology
• Not loving going to the doctor yourself can be a pretty good reason to want to make it better for other people

Chapters

• 0:10 – 1:50 Back after a long break and Nadia's final semester at Northeastern
• 1:50 – 3:50 Still in school while high school friends and her roommate have graduated
• 3:50 – 8:12 Working at Vuori, postponing the MCAT, and coming back from burnout
• 8:12 – 14:50 Alyssa's friend questions whether Nadia really wants to be a doctor
• 14:50 – 20:54 Last semester classes and choosing topics on maternal nutrition and food insecurity
• 20:54 – 23:00 How past co-ops and projects kept pointing her in the same direction
• 23:00 – 26:29 The gymnastics gym assistant and whether women's health is a natural interest or a trend
• 26:29 – 30:04 Family medicine, endocrinology, and Tanya's local women's health symposium
• 30:04 – 33:18 Planning this season and why good and bad healthcare experiences are worth talking about

650.701.7686 (o)
650.332.2739 (f)
510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab|Pilates| Group Classes
On the Move Physical Therapy
501-D Old County Rd.
Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com
email - [email protected]
IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week Alyssa and Nadia get into something personal, what it actually feels like to navigate the healthcare system when you're not sure you'll be taken seriously.

It starts with an Instagram post about a woman who showed up to her appointment in heels and still got dismissed. A neurosurgeon decided her back pain couldn't be that bad if she was wearing them. The medical student in the room started wondering if she'd dressed up just to be believed.

From there Alyssa shares a story Nadia was actually part of. A contact lens appointment when Nadia was nine that went sideways fast, and how a healthcare provider can make a patient and their family feel small. Alyssa talks through the moment she caught herself trying to prove her own credibility to a stranger, mentioning skiing and snowboarding to signal that she was the kind of mom worth listening to. She's still a little embarrassed thinking about it.

Nadia brings in what she's been learning in her public health classes about unconscious bias, cultural competency, and why one size fits all thinking in medicine causes real harm. They get into pain scales, Spanish speaking patients, what it means to truly listen, and why in-person translators matter more than most people realize. 

There's also a funny detour involving Eric and a misheard medical diagnosis in Colombia, which ends up making a pretty solid point about how easily misunderstandings can happen when language gets in the way. 

Takeaways

• The way a patient dresses can say more about what they've had to survive in the system than what they're actually feeling that day

• Unconscious bias shows up in healthcare whether providers are aware of it or not, and awareness is only the first step

• Trying to perform credibility for a healthcare provider is exhausting, and it shouldn't be necessary

• A nine year old putting in contact lenses for the first time just needs someone patient, not someone with a point to prove

• Pain is personal and cultural, a 10 out of 10 doesn't mean the same thing for everyone

• The best providers use whatever time they have to actually listen

• Speaking a patient's language, literally or figuratively, changes the quality of care you can give

• In-person translators aren't a luxury, they're part of decent care

Chapters

• 0:10 – 6:08 Ambulances, city noise, and growing up in a quiet suburb versus Boston
• 6:08 – 10:21 The Instagram post about a woman in heels, a dismissive surgeon, and what dressing up at the doctor might really mean 
• 10:21 – 19:24 Alyssa's contact lens story where a cold fitter left them both feeling small and how she caught herself trying to prove she was worth listening to 
• 19:24 – 24:18 What Nadia's public health classes have taught her about bias, cultural competency, and the gaps in how providers are trained
• 24:18 – 29:59 Pain scales, Spanish-speaking patients, and what it looks like when someone just needs to be heard
• 29:59 – 34:07 Colombia, Eric's misdiagnosis, and the case for in-person translators
• 34:07 – 37:23 Which languages would actually help, and finding your footing as a new provider when you can speak someone's language

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com

email - [email protected]

IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week Alyssa and Nadia are joined by Lucy Shepherd, a close friend of Nadia's from their Dialogue of Civilizations program in Spain, to talk about growing up in different countries, finding a career path, and figuring out what comes next after graduation.

Lucy shares how she spent her childhood moving fromMaryland to Ecuador, then Peru and eventually seven years in Johannesburg, before landing in Boston for college. Along the way, that constant relocation shaped how she thinks about identity, belonging, and what it even means to call somewhere home.

At Northeastern, Lucy started out undeclared, trying on economics, environmental science, and communications before finding her way to English and discovering she loved editing. She talks about what drew her to the field, how living abroad shaped her interest in stories that don't usually get told, and why she sees an editor's job as protecting a writer's voice rather than smoothing it away.

The conversation feels timely for Nadia, who is heading into her own post grad questions soon. They talk about the job search, staying open instead of locking into one plan, and the side gigs and small steps that can carry someone through an uncertain stretch.

They also get into what it's like not really having one fixed home base anymore, since her parents are in Istanbul now and her sister is out in California. And they talk about the places that have actually stuck with her, Peru especially.

It's a grounded conversation about identity, ambition, and learning to trust that things will come together even when the path isn't clear yet.

Takeaways

• Growing up abroad complicated Lucy's sense of what it means to be American, and honestly, it's still not fully resolved
• Being undeclared wasn't a setback, it gave her the room to actually find the right path
• A good editor protects a writer's voice instead of replacing it
• Living in so many different countries shaped her interest in stories that usually don't get told
• Post-grad uncertainty gets a lot easier to sit with when you stay open instead of forcing a decision
• Once her family scattered across different countries, home stopped being one fixed place
• Peru is so much more than Machu Picchu
• Careers tend to start with curiosity, not certainty

Chapters

• 0:11 – 1:43 Meet Lucy and how she and Nadia met on their Dialogue of Civilizations trip in Spain
• 1:43 – 5:51 Lucy's childhood in Maryland, Ecuador, Peru and seven years in Johannesburg
• 5:51 – 8:54 Why Northeastern, choosing Boston over Santa Cruz and a co-op program she didn't even understand yet
• 8:54 – 11:46 Does Lucy feel American? Identity and belonging after growing up outside the US
• 11:46 – 16:00 From undeclared to English major, how Lucy found editing
• 16:00 – 19:21 What an editor actually does and why that matters in the age of AI
• 19:21 – 21:03 Amplifying voices that don't get heard, AAPI Month and using privilege well
• 21:03 – 24:22 Life after graduation, job hunting, side gigs and staying open
• 24:22 – 27:21 Where even is home now, parents in Istanbul, sister in Berkeley, lease ending in August
• 27:21 – 29:46 Lucy's favorite place she's lived, the case for Peru
• 29:46 – 30:50 Dream publications and wrapping up the interview

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com

email - [email protected]

IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week Alyssa and Nadia are joined by former gymnastics teammate Claire Andriola to talk about college, life after graduation, and figuring out what comes next when the plan changes.

Claire shares how she arrived at UC Santa Barbara fully intending to go to medical school. Along the way, research opportunities, patient care experiences, and exposure to different areas of healthcare pushed her to rethink what she wanted. What started as a pre med path eventually led her toward research, psychology, and a much broader view of the field.

After graduation, Claire worked in clinical research before unexpectedly finding herself at a mental health startup. She talks about the transition from academia to the startup world, the opportunities that came from staying open to new experiences, and why she's no longer in a rush to have everything figured out.

The conversation feels familiar to Nadia, who is approaching graduation herself and facing many of the same questions. They talk about gap years, medical school, career uncertainty, and the pressure ambitious people put on themselves to have a clear roadmap.

They also reflect on how gymnastics shaped the way they approach life. The discipline, intensity, and drive that helped them succeed in the sport still show up today, but so does the challenge of knowing when to push harder and when to change course.

It's an honest conversation about growth, uncertainty, and learning to trust that each step will give you the information you need for the next one.

Takeaways

• Changing your career goals does not mean your earlier experiences were wasted
• Every experience teaches you something whether it confirms what you want or what you do not want
• The discipline and resilience from gymnastics continue long after the sport ends
• A lot of career decisions become easier when you stop expecting certainty.
• Sometimes a random conversation can completely change your career path
• Being ambitious and being flexible can exist at the same time
• Gap years can create clarity instead of delaying progress
• You do not need to know your entire future to make a good next decision
• The pressure to have everything figured out is often self imposed
• Learning who you are is just as important as choosing what you do

Chapters

• 0:10 – 2:02 Introducing Claire and Catching Up
• 2:02 – 4:14 Studying Biopsychology at UC Santa Barbara
• 4:14 – 7:25 Moving Away from the Medical School Plan
• 7:25 – 9:48 Gymnastics Intensity and Personal Values
• 9:48 – 12:13 From Clinical Research to Startup Life
• 12:13 – 15:24 Graduate School and Future Plans
• 15:24 – 18:10 Why One on One Connections Matter
• 18:10 – 20:32 Nadia Looks Ahead to Graduation
• 20:32 – 23:50 Learning to Live with Uncertainty
• 23:50 – 27:35 Gymnastics Identity and Finding Balance
• 27:35 – 30:20 Choosing Your Own Path
• 30:20 – 34:40 Advice for Students About to Graduate
• 34:40 – 38:23 Looking Ahead and Final Thoughts

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com

email - [email protected]

IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week, Alyssa and Nadia finally get into the topic Alyssa has been trying to crack open for months, Nadia's love life. What started as a casual mention, "don't make a big deal out of this, but I'm going on a third date," has since turned into something real, and this episode is basically the full update.

Alyssa starts by breaking down the modern dating vocabulary she had to learn in real time. Where her generation had “going steady,” Nadia’s world has a whole ladder of stages, talking, dating, exclusive, official. From the outside it can feel confusing or noncommittal, but Nadia explains why those steps actually make sense and how things naturally shift as feelings change. 

From there they get into how it all started. A Hinge match in February, a first date, and a third date that felt different enough that Nadia had to say something. Nadia talks about what made her nervous, not safety stuff, just the vulnerability of getting to know someone after a long stretch of being comfortable on her own.

The episode gets warmer and more reflective when Alyssa asks what made this particular person easy to talk to. Nadia points to compatible personalities and a shared Bay Area background, something she didn't realize mattered until it did. Alyssa connects it to her own relationship with Nadia's dad and how small points of connection quietly build something bigger over time.

The practical side gets addressed too. He graduated and moved back to the Bay Area while Nadia is still in Boston for co-op, studying for the MCATs, and figuring out her next semester. Long distance isn't the plan, it's just the current situation. But since home is the same place for both of them, it doesn't really feel like an ending, more like a pause.

The episode wraps up with Alyssa floating the idea of DMing him or his mom for a coffee date, Nadia drawing a very firm line, and a rare public shoutout to Sean, who apparently gave his blessing for all of this.

Takeaways

• The modern dating timeline has more stages than previous generations had words for and that's not confusion, it's just how things work now

• Going in with no expectations can actually be a healthy way to approach dating, especially when feelings genuinely evolve over time

• The fear of vulnerability after a long period of being single is just as real as any other kind of dating anxiety

• Having people in your corner, roommates, friends, even a very invested mom, can make the difference between giving up and giving it a shot

• Shared background and cultural touchstones create an ease that's hard to explain but impossible to ignore

• A situationship is only frustrating when nothing comes out of it. When something does, it just becomes the beginning

• Long distance is more manageable when home is the same place for both people

• There's a real difference between a parent being involved because they're pushy and a parent being involved because they genuinely want to share in the good stuff

• Sometimes the reason you never talked about your dating life on the podcast is simply that there was nothing worth saying until there was

Chapters

0:10 – 1:24 — Catching Up and Setting the Stage

1:24 – 4:15 — Third Date Energy, How This All Started

4:15 – 7:00 — Dating Vocab Then vs. Now

7:00 – 9:35 — Being the Last Single One in the Apartment

9:35 – 12:00 — What Was Actually Scary About It

12:00 – 15:20 — Why He Was Easy to Talk To

15:20 – 18:10 — What Shared Background Actually Does for a Relationship

18:10 – 21:00 — Long Distance (Sort Of)

21:00 – 23:55 — Situationships, Labels, and Why Nadia Doesn't Love That Word

23:55 – 27:47 — The Official Shoutout, the Coffee Date Offer, and Signing Off

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com

email - [email protected]

IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

This week, Alyssa and Nadia record in mid-May as the heat, allergies, airplane noise, ambulances, and barking dogs set the scene. After a quick detour into neighborhood complaints, Alyssa brings the conversation to the real topic: money, and how Nadia is thinking about it as she nears the end of college.

Nadia has one semester left, a co-op that pays slightly above Boston’s minimum wage, and parental support that has always had a clear end date. Alyssa asks what it feels like to stand at the edge of that transition.

Nadia shares that she isn’t panicking, but she also doesn’t feel fully at ease. Boston is expensive, her co-op pay only stretches so far, and she’s aware that next semester may require working two jobs to make everything work. She reflects on past choices, like spending on her summer abroad in Greece, and the growing reality that she’s getting closer to true financial independence.

The conversation expands to the job market for Nadia’s peers. Many seniors are still searching for offers, moving home, or taking whatever work they can find. Even in healthcare, where Nadia is headed, jobs may be available but often don’t pay enough to live alone in Boston.

Alyssa compares this to her own post-college experience during the dot-com boom, when jobs were easier to find but the pressure to choose something “worthy” still felt heavy. Looking back, she sees how much unnecessary pressure she placed on her younger self.

The episode lands on the uncertainty of being in your 20s, when plans around housing, jobs, cities, and school can shift quickly. Alyssa mentions Charvi’s changing physical therapy school plans as an example of how much life can rearrange in just a few months.

Takeaways

• Money stress can be the constant awareness that support is ending and the gap between income and expenses is shrinking.
• A safety net is a privilege because it means someone could catch you if something big went wrong.
• Boston and other major cities are often too expensive for college-level wages to cover fully.
• A clear end date on parental support can be uncomfortable, but it pushes independence earlier.
• The post-grad job market is tough, even for students with strong internship or co-op experience.
• Café and retail jobs carry less outside judgment now, but the internal pressure can still feel heavy.
• Healthcare jobs may be available, but they often don’t pay enough for expensive cities.
• Your 20s are unstable because so many opportunities and decisions are still in motion.
• Big plans can shift quickly, and the real skill is learning how to adapt.
• Millennials often put too much pressure on landing an impressive first job.
• Knowing the challenges ahead can feel grounding because the unknowns become more defined.

Chapters

• 0:10–3:00 — Heat, Airplanes, Barking Dogs, and the Nextdoor Complaints
• 3:00–5:55 — Setting Up the Topic: The End of the Allowance and What That Actually Means
• 5:55–10:30 — Nadia's Honest Read on Money in College: Never Quite Comfortable, Even With Support
• 10:30–13:50 — The Privilege of Having a Backup: What Stability Actually Looks Like
• 13:50–16:30 — Two Jobs Next Semester and the Math That Isn't Going to Work Otherwise
• 16:30–20:30 — The Job Market for Nadia's Peers: Co-Ops Don't Guarantee Anything
• 20:30–22:30 — Cafe Jobs, Retail Jobs, and the Generational Shift in What's Acceptable Post-Grad
• 22:30–26:30 — Why Your 20s Are Unstable On Purpose: Leases, Opportunities, and Rolling With the Punches
• 26:30–28:50 — The Long Road of Medical School and Closing Thoughts on Knowing the Challenges Ahead

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com

email - [email protected]

IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio

After scrapping a first recording that didn't feel right, Alyssa and Nadia land on a topic that's been sitting in the background: what it actually means to be Filipino-American when you're a generation removed from the immigration story. Nadia is 100% Filipino by heritage — but both her parents were born in the US, and that one fact changes almost everything.

The conversation gets specific fast. Nadia recalls arriving at Northeastern's Filipino club and learning there was a taho night — a dessert she'd never heard of. She looked Filipino, but didn't always know the script. A visit to the Philippines brought the same dissonance: people addressed her in Tagalog expecting fluency, only to find she couldn't follow along. Alyssa notes that neither parent spoke Tagalog at home, so there was never a natural path to absorb it — though Nadia still holds herself accountable for not seeking it out.

They also get into what it's like to be Asian in mostly non-Asian spaces — something Nadia encounters more in Boston than she ever did in the Bay Area. Outside the community, all Asian identities tend to get collapsed into one. It's frustrating, but Nadia also finds unexpected comfort in her Asian friend group: there's something grounding about being around people who look like you, even when the specific cultural backgrounds differ. The episode closes with both of them acknowledging there's a whole other conversation waiting — including whether the Philippines even belongs in the "Asian" part of AAPI.

Takeaways

• Being fully Filipino by ancestry doesn't guarantee fluency in Filipino culture — especially when your parents were also raised in the US
• Language is one of the clearest markers of cultural connection, and its absence tends to surface guilt even when it wasn't really a choic
• Arriving somewhere you're "supposed" to belong and realizing the connection isn't automatic is its own specific kind of dissonance
• People outside a community tend to collapse all Asian identities into one — frustrating, but not always malicious
• There's real comfort in being around people who look like you, even without shared cultural specifics
• Growing up in a diverse environment like the Bay Area creates assumptions about normalcy that other places quickly disrupt
• Navigating multiple cultural contexts builds something useful: the ability to hold different worldviews without defaulting to one as the obvious baseline
• Cultural identity isn't a fixed destination — for most people, it's an ongoing negotiation between origin, upbringing, and what you decide to learn now

Chapters

• 0:10–0:52 — Do-Over: Why the First Recording Didn't Make the Cut
• 0:52–2:14 — AAPI Heritage Month and the Filipino Moment on TikTok

• 2:14–5:08 — Growing Up Filipino Without the Philippines

• 5:08–7:43 — The Taho Moment: When You Look the Part But Don't Know the Script

• 7:43–10:19 — Why Tagalog Wasn't in the House — and Whether That's Anyone's Fault

• 10:19–12:19 — Being Lumped In: How Non-Asians Read Asian Identity

• 12:19–14:29 — The Quiet Comfort of Your Own Community — and What Boston Made Visible

650.701.7686 (o)

650.332.2739 (f)

510.673.8712 (m)

Sports & Dance Rehab | Pilates | Group Classes

On the Move Physical Therapy

501-D Old County Rd.

Belmont, CA 94002

web - http://www.onthemovephysio.com

email - [email protected]

IG - https://www.instagram.com/onthemovephysio