soju with sarah

hey there baddies -- today is the james takeover episode and i'll be taking you through my recent musings on toxic self-improvement. hope you enjoy and leave a 🗿 emoji if you're reading this :) - james

today's specialty drink on the menu: white russian

chapters

(00:00:00) preview

(00:00:25) intro

(00:03:20) my self-improvement journey

(00:06:47) hyper-focusing on my flaws

(00:11:33) you have inherent value

(00:13:46) toxic self-improvement vs. self-actualization

(00:15:16) things i'm bad at

(00:18:35) intermission w/ sarah

(00:24:36) how to shift your mindset

(00:29:16) film + book recs

(00:33:23) bloopers

today we're digging deep down and exposing our dear host sarah! as we reminisce about every single year until age 27, we'll chat about lessons learned, the trials and tribulations of getting older & how we navigated challenges in adulthood ~ grab your favorite mugs and join us for a fun soju friday :)

today's specialty drink on the menu: raspberry pique tea

chapter

(00:00:00) preview

(00:00:48) drink of the day

(00:03:33) age 20: finding self validation

(00:16:48) age 21: clarity & comfort

(00:22:25) age 22: the plight of adulthood

(00:30:51) age 23: a focused pandemic era

(00:38:11) age 24: the year of letting go

(00:40:31) age 25: a turning point (and quarter life crisis)

(00:55:19) age 26: the signs of a weak foundation

(00:59:09) age 27: today :)

(01:03:22) spirituality; fear vs. self-belief

(01:05:10) comment your favorite year of life!

today we’re digging through the soju shotties submissions and giving some life advice! stay tuned for spicy stories, questions and situations from you all & some (hopefully) helpful guidance ~ so grab your mugs & let’s have an advice column!

today's specialty drink on the menu: english breakfast tea

chapters

(00:00:00) preview

(00:03:53) drink of the day

(00:05:00) (bittersweet) podcast update :')

(00:10:01) is cheating forgivable?

(00:17:35) quitting your job

(00:29:04) self worth & career

(00:37:53) telling your friends that you like them

(00:45:37) outro

(00:46:32) bloopers

after an almost 3 week trip to asia, we’re doing some reflections on beauty standards in different cultures and how to view yourself against these expectations! also a gentle reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to not hold yourself too closely to trends or societal expectations ~ so grab your mugs and let’s chat about beauty and feeling pretty :)

today's specialty drink on the menu: green tea

chapters

(00:00:00) preview

(00:02:26) housekeeping & asia trip! :)

(00:05:36) beauty is more "affordable" in korea

(00:12:34) beauty = self care

(00:18:38) why do I feel this way?

(00:23:37) takeaways on beauty standards & feeling pretty

(00:28:27) concluding thoughts

hello from korea! today we're tuning in from asia and sharing some reflections we've been making / having / discussing while on this trip ~ for some soju shotties who aren't aware, james is actually korean and i (sarah) am chinese! through the years, we've both made active efforts to learn and inquire more about each others cultures but even then, it can be hard! so strap in, grab your soju mug and let's chat!

drink of the day: somaek 소맥

chapters

(00:00:00) preview

(00:06:36) does it matter if there are cultural differences?

(00:11:23) personal identity (as an ABC / banana)

(00:19:44) is cultural differences a dealbreaker?

(00:23:54) what language do we teach our kids?

(00:31:13) intermission snack!

(00:43:37) the perks of being korean

(00:45:00) why sarah feels comfortable in korea

(00:46:54) a funny story in japan

(00:51:47) yearning for a cultural experience

(00:54:29) soju tasting event??

(00:58:24) james is tipsy

(01:01:45) bloopers

welcome to today’s spicy episode where we answer a controversial question, “do you miss being single?” while there’s no clear answer to this, we do dive into the nuances of being single vs. in a relationship and our realities back when we had more “relationship independence” ~ for all of our soju shotties out there that are single, let us know your thoughts!

today's specialty drink on the menu: mixed berry greens

chapters

(00:00:00) intro

(00:06:34) do you ever wish you were single again?

(00:10:01) independence & freedom

(00:18:56) being in a relationship is the new norm

(00:20:07) is life “more boring?” In a relationship

(00:24:07) friendships are different

(00:29:26) missing your “single self”

(00:30:54) what I DONT miss about being single

(00:35:37) self doubt & single hood

(00:38:50) what if we were not in each other’s lives?

(00:43:59) to our single soju shotties

(00:45:17) bloopers! (recent movie recs)

we're focusing on the male perspective today as our co-host james takes the stage to share his experience navigating love, relationships, dating, and the big ol' question of long term commitment. today he answers some hard hitting questions like his ideal type, why he never dated before sarah and how he overcame his fear of commitment ~ grab your drinks and strap in because today's episode is a juicy one ~

today's specialty drink on the menu: hana makgeolli

chapters

(00:00:00) preview & intro

(00:04:36) the male perspective

(00:05:24) james' dating history & backstory

(00:12:22) what was your ideal type?

(00:14:28) love & dating in college

(00:18:53) a dating word of advice

(00:25:37) the fear of commitment

(00:32:32) our big *breakup*

(00:37:45) being vulnerabilities & dating insecurities

(00:40:46) dating & building confidence

(00:44:12) parting words of wisdom

(00:46:12) the shame of being a bad partner (in the past)

(00:48:46) MARRIAGE DISCLAIMER

(00:51:14) bloopers

today we're chatting about mindset shifts as we entering our 30s ~ while 30 is still a few years away from me, the 20s can be a confusing & challenging period leading up to it. i've personally had my own existential crises in this time (as y'all have probably witnessed) so today let's break down the little bits of our late 20s that challenge us!

today's specialty drink on the menu: pink lemonade

chapters

(00:00:00) intro

(00:04:13) the idea of turning 30

(00:06:48) learning more about yourself

(00:08:13) caring less about opinions

(00:11:00) aging and self-care

(00:12:36) health is wealth

(00:16:02) listen to your body

(00:17:55) my attitude towards career

(00:24:10) time feels scarce

(00:27:59) deciding what friends matter

(00:30:25) standards for my partner

(00:34:12) outro

today we're talking about family dynamics & growing up in an immigrant household ~ this is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts so we're diving into all things familial responsibilities, commitments & what we truly owe our families. so grab your mugs and let's chat!

today's specialty drink on the menu: yogurt soju

chapters

(00:00:00) intro

(00:03:01) do you owe your parents?

(00:12:37) why do parents feel entitled?

(00:16:26) vicarious dream fulfillment

(00:24:36) pressure to help siblings or partners

(00:27:22) pressure from relatives

(00:32:38) being selfish

(00:33:21) good parenting tactics

(00:38:22) what do we owe our family?

(00:44:01) what do we *not* owe our family?

(00:50:51) bloopers

welcome to another soju friday! for today's episode, i compiled pieces of life advice that i've found personally useful and uplifting~ hope y'all enjoy :)

today's specialty drink on the menu: lilikoi passion soju

chapters

(00:00:00) intro

(00:02:49) fail small, not big

(00:04:28) fall forward rather than backward

(00:05:24) ask stupid questions

(00:07:48) luck needs preparation

(00:12:38) just do it as a joke

(00:14:55) accept criticism selectively

(00:18:35) dealing w/ jealousy

(00:19:35) rant about grammar

(00:20:37) two minute rule