Michelle Ann is an amazing, queer woman of color and Filipina immigrant who happens to work in a very male-dominated field. I don’t meet a lot of women in homeland security (or the federal government for that matter) so I definitely had a few questions to ask, e.g., how did you find out about your career and what do you actually do at your job?

Thank you so much Michelle for your care in helping others and offering you advice about how to get a stable career in the federal government. 

We chat and talk about a few more questions like:

 -  How did you get involved in law enforcement?

 -  What was the scariest thing that’s happened at work?

 -  How was training for your position? Did you feel it was sufficient? 

 -  What was it like being a TSO? For those who don’t know that’s Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) on the front lines at airports. They’re the biggest workforce for TSA. How long were you working as a TSO?

 -  Any funny TSA stories you can share?

 -  What do you know about canine handlers? Such cute and hard working dogs.

 -  Where can you go to find federal jobs?

 -  Do you have any last things you want to share? 

 -  Where can people find more about you? 

Resources: 

Check out usajobs.gov for all federal jobs listed and applications.

If you’d like to get in touch with Michelle, you can find her here: https://www.instagram.com/m1ch3ll34nn/

I’m excited to have Hannah on the show today. Hannah Wastyk is a Stanford PhD candidate and fermented food researcher who will share a little more about what are fermented foods, why are people so obsessed with them, and why might they be good for you to include in your diet? I personally love eating fermented foods and have a huge interest in nutrition and how it relates to health. I’m super excited to bring someone very knowledgeable in this space to share our thoughts about microbiomes and tasty foods.

To start off, can you share with the listeners a little bit about yourself and your interest in fermented foods?

[[We’ll be going over the following topics:]] 

 -  What are fermented foods?

 -  What are the most popular fermented foods?

 -  Why are they so beneficial?

 -  Can you make fermented foods on your own?

 -  Are there any safety issues with fermented foods?

 -  How did you get into fermented foods?

 -  What is your fermented food research about?

 -  What does your company do?

 -  Besides fermented food, what other hobbies do you have?

 -  Wrapping up are there any last things you want to share?  

 -  Where can people find more about you?

Thanks for coming on the show today.

Read some of Hannah’s papers here:

A randomized crossover trial on the effect of plant-based compared with animal-based meat on trimethylamine-N-oxide and cardiovascular disease risk factors in generally healthy adults: Study With Appetizing Plantfood—Meat Eating Alternative Trial (SWAP-MEAT) 

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/112/5/1188/5890315

My amazing friend Hannah just interviewed me about my COVID vaccine experience; I had a really strong reaction after the 2nd dose so I want to help warn people of what to expect.

Even though I had side effects during my first 24 hours, I’m really glad I got the Moderna. I recommend taking a day off just in case you get exhausted as well. She got the Pfizer (both doses) so we shared the similar reactions we both had. 

Overall, I'm really grateful and fortunate to have finished both Moderna doses as I don’t want to get COVID and I want to help reduce the spread so people can go back out again. My goal has always been to help support, educate, and protect others. Since I’m in pretty good health (and never had any bad reactions to vaccines), I felt safe and comfortable to opt in for the vaccine. If you’re wondering if you should get your vaccine, talk to your doctor. The mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) both do not have common allergens such as eggs, preservatives, or latex. 

Feel free to find out more at the CDC sites: 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html

Topics we covered (both of us are fully vaccinated!):

When did you get the vaccine and how did you go about signing up for an appointment?

How long did you have to schedule in advance?

Had you tested positive for COVID prior to getting the vaccine?

What vaccine did you get? Moderna, but I heard some people have less side effects with Moderna. I didn’t get to choose, and I was happy to get whatever was available. 

Can you share the experience of actually getting the vaccine?

How many people were there?

Did you have to wait in line?

Did you feel any immediate symptoms?

Any tips for arm soreness?

What were your experiences in the hours/days following the first dose?

What was the process of getting your second vaccine and did it differ at all from the first?

What were your experiences in the minutes/hours/days following the second dose?

How do you feel psychologically now that you’ve had both doses of the vaccine? Safer?

Will your actions change at all?

How long until you think things will go back to “normal”?

What things that have changed because of COVID will become our new “normal”?

Anything that you are grateful for because of COVID?

5 things that could be very helpful regarding your vaccine recovery: 

 1.  Take a sick day off work after getting the vaccine you don’t have to feel as exhausted

 2.  Get lots of sleep the night before your vaccine

 3.  Take your multivitamin and existing medications as usual

 4.  Grab water before bed after the vaccine because you might also wake up quite thirsty 

 5.  Wear your smartwatch to help you track your symptoms. I wish I wore my Apple Watch to bed so I could track my heart rate through the whole experience, because my heart rate was definitely elevated.

This is a throwback episode recorded about a year ago but was not released until now. Our guest today is not specifically queer but we talk a lot about what it's like to be part of a community that is often misunderstood. 

Check Asra's podcast at https://anchor.fm/whatsthefeeling --

Cheyl Lala joins us on the show today to talk about how to prepare for an interview and special considerations for LGBTQ people. Cheryl is the Director of Employment Services at the SF LGBT Center where I volunteer as a job coach. We wanted to put together a resource for queer folks to help with their job search and interview process.  We’ll be covering the following topics: -  How should I start preparing for an interview? -  What should I wear to an interview? Culture / recruiter recommendation.  -  Should I come out during an interview? Interviewing can be a stressful time. Should I bring up my sexuality or gender identity during the interview? -  How do you answer the common questions from interviewers “Do you have any questions for me?”   -  Where can people go to get additional help? What services does the Center provide and does it cost anything? FYI. Everything is free!  More information about the SF LGBT Center: a nonprofit organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community of San Francisco, California, and nearby communities, located at 1800 Market Street. Our mission is to connect our diverse community to opportunities, resources and each other to achieve our vision of a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ people and our allies.  https://www.sfcenter.org/

I’m excited to be having Jennifer on the show today, and we’ll be talking about what her experience is like being Catholic, Asian (specifically Vietnamese-American), and a gay woman.

-  How is it being a youth leader in the Catholic community while being LGBTQ+?  

-  Was it difficult coming out through sharing a Youtube video on Facebook to your friends and family?

-  What is it like living and growing up in Minnesota without many other Asian or LGBT people around?

-  What have been some of the best parts after having come out?

-  Has it been difficult to navigate your identity of being queer while out in the church?

-  Do you have any advice for people who are queer and religious?

-  What are some resources you might suggest people look into? E.g., The Trevor Project

-  Finding a queer-friendly therapist as a young person

-  Navigating parental expectations as an Asian-American and child of immigrants

-  How can you meet other queer Asian women to find support and community? Shoutout to Subtle Asian Sapphic Squad (SASS) on Facebook!

Tiff is on the show today to share her painful and challenging experience of having a bulging disk, not being able to walk, having an epidural, and finally recovering from a laminectomy and discectomy. Our queer, Asian-American guest shares a short story of her journey of being bed-ridden in pain to finally being able to walk on their own two feet again.

Deanne and her dog Ramen are on the show today talking about the things you need to know and expect when adopting a shelter dog... during covid… as a first-time pet ownership experience. Our amazing queer guest for the day had a lot of struggles, cries, and wins during this journey of taking in a distressed animal to a new environment and growing to love and trust each other. She shares her love of dog adoption and the struggles of being a single pet parent. Find more about Ramen and his journey at www.instagram.com/ramen_snuggles 

Toni is on the show today talking about her experience as an author, activist, and black transgender woman. She's currently the Interim Executive Director for LYRIC in San Francisco: Lyric is a nonprofit that supports LGBTQ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities. Find out more about Toni on her website: tonidnewman.com 

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What does it entail to become a chaplain? What's it like to go to seminary school? I was fortunate enough to interview Monica Tzeng, a queer Taiwanese-American currently in seminary school. We talk about her decision to go to seminary school, journey to becoming a chaplain, Christian faith, and work in spiritual direction. Thank you Monica for being on the show today sharing your experience in religious studies, I really value and appreciate your time and sharing your journey with everyone.   Check out Monica’s website: https://www.monicatzeng.com/