Our relationship with grief changes as we get older. The range of loss we learn to absorb over time is so large - so where do we learn how to cope? In evaluating ourselves, we find that most of our responses to loss are unique, individual responses. Growing up with families that did not necessarily express much emotion, we weren't able to learn a model of grief from a young age. And yet when we look at our parents' emotional reactions to tragic life events, we can't help but consider the difference. Our life contexts are certainly not the same, but the commonality of grief runs through it ..read more

Family structures have changed throughout time and vary depending on which part of the world you're from. Recent surveys done by Pew Research in the US suggest that prevailing attitudes towards the institutions surrounding families have changed. The importance of family and marriage have dramatically transformed over the last few years. Some of these changes are more inclusive and benefit family structures that have traditionally sat outside the norm. Single parents and married gay parents have seen positive shifts in perception. But do these changes reflect the attitude of all of America ..read more

What's it like to search for and buy a house in the US vs. in Japan? Jesse purchased a co-op apartment in New York City two years ago, and Angela bought a house in Kyoto last year. In this episode, we compare and contrast everything from the search process, to contracting/making an offer, to renovations, and everything in between. Would you rather buy a house in the US or in Japan now that you've heard what those two processes entail? Let us know in our Spotify poll or in our comments on social media! Follow us on Instagram at @whereareyoufrompod and on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom ..read more

Did you know that there was a presidential election in Taiwan this year? While election madness is just starting in the US, it's already finished in Taiwan. The results have significant impacts on how the current major parties in Taiwan will govern in the future. While the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate, Lai Ching-te, came out ahead in the presidential race, the party as a whole has lost significant influence in the legislature. Amidst that, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), a newcomer in the Taiwanese general election, gained a significant share of the popular vote for their ..read more

Do people around the world still believe that democratic institutions represent their best interests? Recent survey data reported by the Guardian shows that a portion of younger respondents favor more autocratic governments. A quick look around the world, and you can see more extreme political factions taking root in many nations. Does this instability come from democratic bodies that no longer represent their constituents? Does the general public now distrust democratic governments as the model for the future? These are the questions we dive into this week, as we take a look at whether or n ..read more

Are polyamory and open relationships becoming popular in modern society?! ...or is the media just presenting it that way and enabling problematic people to co-opt the concept of polyamory to justify their bad behaviors (i.e., cheating, using people, etc.)? Inspired by a recent read of the New Yorker article entitled "How Did Polyamory Become So Popular?" by Jennifer Wilson, we discuss what we think about all of this. How about you, listeners? Have you noticed a rise in polyamorous relationships within your social circles, or seen people use polyamory as an excuse to act on selfish desires ..read more

What do you get when you take a Hong Kong-born kid, move him to New Zealand for the next 13 years, and then have him cross over the ocean to the US as an adult? ... this episode's guest, Henry! You, our dear listeners, asked us to share more and different types of Asian diaspora stories beyond the US, and we listened! In this episode, we hear about Henry's story of identity and finding himself. How did Henry's experience growing up in New Zealand, learning a perfect "Kiwi" accent differ from his mom's experience of finding comfort in the fully immigrant neighborhoods she could blend more ful ..read more

What made a white college kid from the midwest decide to move to the other side of the world to live in China?! In this episode, we're joined by Nick Anderson, an LA-based Mandarin teacher who spent his formative young adult years living in China and other Asia-Pacific countries learning and teaching Mandarin. We talk about what that experience was like, compounded with his experience coming out and living his best life as a gay man while abroad. Despite what many may think, Nick's experience being gay in China was overall quite positive - although, we discuss how that experience contrasts w ..read more

Have you ever wondered what parenting in 2023 looks like? Are more parents disciplinarians or have more parents found their way to gentle parent? Our topic in this episode, gentle parenting, is a newer approach to raising children. Instead of the more traditional authoritarian approach that we were raised by in our own childhoods, gentle parenting parents approach their children with more empathy and focus on letting the child express their emotions. Does it sound a little new-age to you? While we love the idea of gentle parenting in theory, we have our own reservations about it in practical ..read more

Finding new friends is challenging at any age, but it seems to get particularly more difficult as we get older. As we age out of experiences and environments that are more conducive to socialization (i.e., school), we naturally find less opportunities to make friends. Even in areas like the workplace, most people seem less open to making friends outside of certain environments. We also find that we are more conscious of the people we make friends with. We focus on finding connection over quantity, and we are inclined to not take a risk on a new friend if we don't think it's worth it. But tha ..read more