dating

Yin & Young EP 54 - Rachel Lo - Struck CEO & Co-Founder

February 18, 2021 in Society & Culture, Asian American, Relationships

In this episode we chat with the Struck CEO & Co-Founder, Rachel Lo! She shares her journey coming from a secular, technical background to developing an astrology-based dating app. Even if you're an astrology skeptic (like James), there still definitely something to be gained from this discussion.

Rachel's message to skeptics: "Consider why astrology makes you so uncomfortable? Is it really harming you/other people, or is it just that you’re unfamiliar with it? Also: try reading your birth chart and see how it resonates with you!"

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Rachel grew up in the South Bay of LA and went to UC Berkeley for engineering. - Worked at Apple and other tech companies for a few years

- Didn't believe in astrology at first, but the inequities in the workforce made Rachel consider that the world isn't concrete and filled with more nuance.

- Met her co-founder after renting a house in SF with others working at Apple.

- Struck designed to make experiences more meaningful and fun, it's based off astrological compatibility.

- Dating apps have a similar playbook for launching apps, but the pandemic disrupted that.

- Struck was in the Top 10 lifestyle apps in the Apple App Store.

- James initially hesitant to have Rachel on as a guest due to his skepticism of astrology. - Parents immigrated from Hong Kong and met in NY

- Struck is rooted in Western astrology (Hellenistic/Greek).

- Parents were supportive of Rachel starting Struck.

- Rachel breaks down James's and Dan's astrological chart

- Had issues with the Apple App Store due to their restrictions on astrology apps.

- Dating apps were engineered for people to continue to date, i.e. endless swiping. Struck aims to change that.

LINKS:

Struck: https://www.struckapp.com/
Struck IG: https://www.instagram.com/struck.app/
Struck TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@struckapp

LANGUAGE CORNER:

Mandarin:

- 相親 - xiāngqīn - blind date

- 紅娘 hóngniáng (lít. red woman) / 媒人 méiren - matchmaker

Cantonese: - 飲茶 - yám chà - Yum Cha, lit. drink tea, traditional Cantonese brunch with tea and dim sum.

Japanese:

- イケ面 - ikemen - good-looking guy

- ギャル - gyaru - slang word for "gal", a Japanese subculture for woman who are tanned, have dyed hair, colored contacts, and other fashion trends.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @yinyoungpodcast. Like and subscribe to our content so you don’t miss an episode.

Credits: This episode was produced by James Y. Shih and Daniel Yin.

Consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/yinyoungpodcast

Follow Yin & Young:

Website: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?mt=2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinyoungpodcast/
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/rkrynzq
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/yin-young-podcast

Comments, questions? Email us at yinyoungpodcast@gmail.com.

Yin & Young - EP41 - Filmmaker Jeff Man - Loneliness, Growth, Acceptance

August 07, 2019 in Asian American, Filmmaking, Mental Health

Welcome back! It’s been 3 months, but this podcast is still alive! If you’d like to help us out to be more consistent, consider being a patron on our Patreon or offering your skills as an audio editor. Email us at yinyoungpodcast[at]gmail.com.

In Yin & Young episode 41, we chat with Jeff Man about filmmaking, mental health, and being more accepting.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dating and loneliness.
Dan consumes podcasts in 2x
Jeff grew up in DC, which has a diverse population.
Parents grew up in Hong Kong.
Spoke Cantonese, Mandarin, and English as a kid. Ended up in ESL in kindergarten and resented it.
Watching Chinese films helped with his language skills.
Uncle was a big movie buff.
Has been in LA for 9 years. When Jeff first moved here, it was a hard transition. “LA is a very lonely city.”
Jeff’s boss encouraged him to make short films by giving him a $100 monthly budget. You can see all his films here: Jeff Man on Vimeo
- Midday Crisis is about a depressed man who calls a suicide hotline; based on a personal experience.
- Jeff’s short documentary “A Family Day”, follows his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, for one day.
- Santa Claus, in which Jeff directs and acts in, two lonely people share a contentious X-mas dinner.
He loves documentaries as well as the narrative form.
Discussion gets deep into Invisibilia’s podcast - A Very Offensive Rom-Com
- White male Asian female coupling
- Asian male desirability
Everyone has their own preferences.
Wishes people had more self-awareness.

—

LANGUAGE CORNER

Chinese Internet Slang (fr. James) - 拉黑 (lāhēi) which is short for 拉到黑名單 (lādàohēimíngdān) - put on a blacklist

Mandarin (fr. Jeff) - 男子漢大丈夫流血不流淚 (nánzǐhàn dàzhàngfū liúxuè bù liúlèi) - real men shed blood, not tears [Jeff disagrees]

Japanese (fr. Dan) - 勿体無い (もったいない) - mottainai - wasteful/what a waste

—

Yin & Young EP37 - Dating Coach Jeremy Jong

December 25, 2018 in Asian American, Relationships, Mental Health

Merry Christmas Yin & Young listeners! Today, we're sharing a very special episode, particularly for those men looking for that special someone this holiday season and into the new year. James (aka Young) interviews Jeremy Jong, an experienced relationship and dating coach with a focus on helping Asian American men attract the women of their dreams.

Highlights:

Jeremy shares his strict Christian and Taiwanese tiger mom upbringing.
Focus on inner work and keystone habits.
Dealing with anxiety and toxic/sexual shame.
Why the focus on the Asian American heterosexual male audience.
Being proud of Asian culture and who you are.
Healthy sexuality.
Use the testing mindset: Don’t over intellectualize, just go out there and practice.
Compulsive pick up versus genuinely wanting to talk to a woman.

For more info about Jeremy Jong:

Website: https://jeremyjong.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fearlessasianman/

Language Corner:

Spanish: te ves bien - you look good
Mandarin: 泡妞 - pao4 niu1 - pick up chicks

—

Yin & Young links:

* Main Website: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast/

* iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?mt=2

* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinyoungpodcast/

* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkvtVW6pVPeKFn7H_6ai8lA?

* Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/yin-young-podcast

Full video of Yin & Young EP36. Note: Video cuts out at 46:12, audio continues.

Yin & Young EP36 - Don't Just Settle

November 13, 2018 in Asian American, Relationships, Mental Health

Yin & Young are back with a new podcast, the two of them revisit important topics and Young shares new stories:

Catching up on what we've been doing.

Yin got his Certified Scrum Master

Talking about taxes and specialization

Discussion turns toward natural talent and effort

We go over Young's dating life: the Pharmacist and the Waitress

What age difference is too great?

Talk about interracial relationships

How it bothers us sometimes to meet Asian women who won't date Asian men

—

Language Corner:

Japanese - 有り難迷惑 - arigata meiwaku: feeling you get when someone offers unwelcome assistance and complicates matters, but you feel obligated to feel grateful because their intentions are pure.

Mandarin:

勸君莫惜金縷衣

勸君惜取少年時。

花開堪折直須折

莫待無花空折枝。

quàn jūn mò xī jīn lǚ yī

quàn jūn xī qǔ shàonián shí.

huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé

mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī

Cherish not, robes embroidered in gold thread;
Cherish the days of your youth instead.
Pluck flowers while they’re still in bloom,
Lest you pluck but bare branches.

—

Yin & Young links:

* Main Website: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast/

* iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?mt=2

* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinyoungpodcast/

* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkvtVW6pVPeKFn7H_6ai8lA?

* Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/yin-young-podcast

Yin & Young EP32 - Film Talk and Death & Dating in Taiwan

July 04, 2018 in Asian American

Yin & Young discuss film and Young returns to Taiwan for a funeral and revisits a potential love.

Cinema Corner/Film Talk:
INFINITY WAR 00:00 - 14:10
* Dan liked that every hero's scene wasn't shortchanged.
* James was fairly positive about the film, you can listen to his movie debate on The Movie Standoff.
* Picking nits about some of the relationships of the movie.
* Thanos vs Apocalypse (X-Men)
* Apocalypse looked too cartoonish
SOLO 14:10 - 22:15
* ”Solo" James didn't enjoy the movie as much as "The Last Jedi".
* Dan thinks Kathleen Kennedy has lost her touch.
* There are no real stakes.

Back to Taiwan 22:15 - 32:00
The Funeral
* James went back to Taiwan to pay last respects to his grandmother.
* James reconnected with his mom after the funeral and was glad to see his mother's interactions with her siblings.

The Date in Taiwan 32:00 - 59:00
* James went on a date and was overthinking things. (小劇場 - xiao3ju4chang3 - lit. small stage play, but colloquially means “to overthink”)
* Date 1: They were sitting at Shida park and chatted, but James regrets not pushing things more.
* James utilized visualization techniques prior to his next date that helped him be more confident and bold and ask her back to his place.
* While they are watching a movie, James makes a move.
* Listen for the outcome =)
* James gets his question answered.
* Dan shares his past dating experiences.
* James shares a time he got high.

Approaching Women 59:00 - 1:12:20
* James approaches a woman in a parking lot. Learns that he needs to be less creepy.
* Dan gives his approach tips.
* Attachment theory: Anxious, Avoidant, Secure
* James believes he deserves someone that’s emotionally stable.

Language Corner: 1:12:20 - 1:17:06
* 豁然開朗 - Huo4ran2kai1lang2 - suddenly see the light, a lyric from a song by Touming Magazine (透明雜誌).
* めぐら - megura - blinded by love

---

Yin & Young links:
* Main Website: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast/
* iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?mt=2
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinyoungpodcast/
* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkvtVW6pVPeKFn7H_6ai8lA?
* Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/yin-young-podcast

Yin & Young EP29 - FULL EPISODE

Yin & Young Episode 29 - Cinema Corner & James' Trip to Korea and Taiwan

April 10, 2018 in Asian American, Travel, Relationships, Entertainment

In this episode Y&Y review: The Last Jedi, Blade Runner 2049, and Lady Bird. James shares his adventures in Seoul, South Korea and Taiwan, and has a personal revelation.

CINEMA CORNER (Warning: Spoilers Below!): Time 00:00:33-00:34:45
The Last Jedi:
* James had 3 issues with the movie: Luke, the jokes, and the romance between Finn and Rose.
* Dan agrees with a friend that the opening joke wasn't great. Dan doesn't like the physics or inconsistencies in physics: Holdo's suicide maneuver, bombers in space, and the end scene on Crait with Rose's speeder intercepting Finn's speeder.
* James doesn't like that Rey is so natural at wielding a lightsaber.
* Canto Bight scene’s totally useless.
* Anyone can use the force.

Blade Runner 2049:
* Dan - it's very racially monochrome, no diversity in the future. Didn't bother him, but it was shot beautifully. The movie was a little long.
* James - the use of Asian items without Asians. The film hypersexualizes women. Feels there’s a plot hole with the “real memory”. Still, an enjoyable film with some beautiful moments.

* Lady Bird:
James - reminded him of "Rushmore". Lots of teen angst and intelligent humor. A little salty a Californian wasn’t cast for the lead, but not a deal breaker. Not sure what Lady Bird's motivation is.
* Daniel - thought it was overrated, but enjoyed it.

JAMES’ TRIP TO SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN: starts 00:34:45 to the end
* James went to Taiwan for preproduction on his short film. Did some location scouting. Also shot a mini-short film while there.
* James tried Tinder in Taiwan. Got 4x more likes in Taiwan vs. in America.
* More dating opportunities for Asian American men.
* Had a great date with a Japanese girl he met at a Taipei intersection. Focused on getting to know her emotionally.
* Seoul, Korea - Super cold weather. James doesn't speak Korean. Hung out with Teo. Met with Seng and his wife, had Korean BBQ. Had ginger chicken soup. Stayed in 3 different areas of Seoul: Hongdae (홍대/弘大), Gyeongbokgung (경복궁/景福宮), Sadang (사당/舍堂).
* Saw a gorgeous girl at the restaurant and gave her his Kakao username. Was one of the scariest moments he ever had.
* At another restaurant, James sees an attractive girl and asked her for directions to the palace. The girl writes detailed directions for James and lets her food get cold, despite his polite protestations.
* Highlight of the trip: At his 3rd Airbnb, joins a party of young artists/creatives. Screens his short film "Painting Hands" and others . (films at www.jamesyshih.com)
* He talks to some girls at a bar with no success.
* James realizes the reason why he seeks women's affection.

Memorable Quotes:
Dan: All my grievances with “The Last Jedi” have to do with physics.

Teacher: With all these women, you’re posing to them a question…
James: Am I lovable?
Teacher: You have to answer that for yourself.

Language Corner:
Japanese - 今は今しかない - imawaimashikanai - There is only now, now.
Mandarin - 活在當下 - huó zài dāngxià - Live in the moment.

Yin & Young EP29 (30 sec trailer).

Yin & Young EP24 - The King of VO: Feodor Chin

December 04, 2017 in Asian American, Acting, Filmmaking, Relationships

Apologies for the delay! Yin is busy with family business and Young is currently traveling.

In this episode, we're speaking with film/tv, theatre, and voice actor Feodor Chin!

Noted voice actor for Overwatch as Zenyatta.

The only time he has ever played Zenyatta was at an eSports Convention at UCSD.

"Experience Tranquility" is the sound byte that Feo likes most.

Went to high school in San Francisco and had an inkling to act.

His major was no longer offered the year he matriculated into UCLA.

Started acting in the Bay Area, most notably at a theater in the Tenderloin.

The first couple of years back in LA as an actor was mostly commercials.

Most roles don't require an accent.

James encounters a racist while getting some Mexican food.

Feo has only experienced outward racism in LA.

Has dabbled with online dating prior to meeting his current girlfriend.

Feo's tweeting has become more political since 45 has been elected.

You may have heard Feo's voice on audible.

"Big Little Lies" is Feo's pick for the best TV show this year.

Listen to get all the details! Much appreciation to Feodor Chin for joining us.

LANGUAGE CORNER

James - Taiwanese: 眼睛 (bagciw) - eyes

Dan - Yangchow dialect: 十三點 (Shi San Dian) - 13th hour, silly

Feo - Cantonese: 咸湿佬 (Ham Sup Lo) - dirty old man, pervert

Find Feodor on:

twitter - https://twitter.com/FeoChin

instagram - https://www.instagram.com/feochin/

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1216120/

audible: https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Feodor+Chin

Find us on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinyoungpodcast/

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/yin-young-podcast

iTunes: https://goo.gl/VVZLhB

Yin & Young Episode 22 - Dates, Death, and Talent

October 11, 2017 in Martial Arts, Asian American, Relationships, Society & Culture, Fitness, Health

Dan and James discuss past/future dates, car troubles, inevitable death and the nature of talent and effort. Also...

Busy periods for Chinese Restaurants - Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve, New Year's, Mother's Day.

James recaps his second date with the white girl with Yellow Fever. The girl turns out to be very particular and wants to have the guy pay for everything.

James has a better date later with an Eastern European girl; there's hope for a second date.

There are places in Koreatown where you can rent a room to watch movies.

Applying Tai-Chi push hands principles in social interactions and all facets of life.

GHOST TEXTS Segment: Assessing James' texting skill.

Dating single moms.

James' last car was trying to kill him with the smell of burned oil from the engine.

Yin and Young debate pure effort versus being gifted with natural talent to get to the 99th percentile in any given activity. They reference scientific research and anime as evidence.

LANGUAGE CORNER

Young - Taiwanese - 歹勢 - pai sei - sorry, excuse me

Yin - Japanese - すまん - suman - sorry/excuse me (more slang Japanese)

Yin & Young Episode 21 - Bill Poon - The Thoughtful Transporter

September 28, 2017 in Asian American, Acting, Relationships, Society & Culture, Writing

Dan, James and Laura meet with LA Native, DVDASA podcast guest, performer, writer, transporter...Bill Poon!

DVDASA one of the inspirations that led James to podcast.

Bill Poon was a frequent DVDASA guest.

Growing up as a son of a Chinese restaurant owner.

Dan and Bill relate to similar childhoods and hanging out in Chinatown during different eras.

Laura's immigrant experience is different due to the fact that she looks white.

We delve into Bill's dating life, both past and present.

Laura attracts men who view her as a Zooey Deschanel, manic pixie dream girl type and they lose interest when they realize she's more complicated than that.

James shares his recent online match, a white woman who clearly likes Asian men.

Dan bails on the podcast.

James questions whether certain lies are better than the truth for his future kids, i.e. the Santa Claus dilemma.

New Segment!

Ghost Texts: Laura reads James's ghost texts (i.e. when women don't respond to him).

Language Corner!

James - Taiwanese - lí chīu súi - 你就美 - you are beautiful.

Laura - English slang:

1. y'all - a contraction of "you all", a useful gender neutral plural pronoun, 2. bitchin' - awesome

Bill - Cantonese slang - paak3to1 - 拍扡 - dating, courting

Yin & Young Episode 19 - Own Worst Enemy

August 29, 2017 in Relationships, Society & Culture, Asian American

James and Dan discuss their past dating regrets.

James rehashes a recent date from the initial approach to the end of the date, where he foils himself with his need to control the narrative.

Being a director, James wanted to set up the scene with the perfect soundtrack, lighting, and conversation only to interrupt the mood with his constant staging of the moment.

Dan talks about his own use of social media and his online dating experiences. He also talks about when he gets in his own way.

The Thomas Crown Affair opened up a conversation with a date on ideal boob size.

Street Fighter II was more interesting than a random college hookup.

Space-Time bringing peace with choices.

The lesson of the day - Learn from your mistakes.

LANGUAGE CORNER -

Mandarin Chinese:

好馬不吃回頭草 (Hǎo mǎ bù chī huítóu cǎo) - literally: a good horse does not eat grass that has passed. figuratively: a smart person does not dwell in the past.

Find Yin & Young the Podcast here on iTunes and Facebook. Review and like us please! =)

Yin & Young Episode 9: The Girl from Fullerton and other tales––also, Gordon Greer!

March 22, 2017 in Relationships, Society & Culture, Asian American

In this episode James shares a tale of the Latina that ghosts him and of the mysterious drunk girl from Fullerton. Gordon Greer joins us for the first time and he relates his terrible Tinder date.

Highlights (chronological):

James and Dan talk Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, takedowns

The Latina tale.

When do you ask a girl, “Where’s this going?”

The Girl from Fullerton tale.

Gordon talks Survivor.

Gordon’s Tinder catfish.

Language Corner

Gordon: Mid-west slang

skedaddle - to run away hurriedly.

Dan: Japanese

どきどき, doki doki - a mimetic word that mimics the sound of a heart beating, especially when near someone you like.

James: Mandarin

塞翁失马，焉知非福 (Sàiwēngshīmǎ, yānzhīfēifú) - Old man Sai loses a horse, who's to say it's bad fortune?

Yin & Young Episode 4 - Ronnie Alvarez

February 05, 2017 in Asian American, Society & Culture, Relationships

Yin & Young are back with our first official guest podcast! We took a month off for the holidays, but promise we'll have a weekly schedule from now on.

Ronnie Alvarez is a Los Angeles based actor and a good friend of Dan’s. He shares his philosophy on approaching and dating women, a year long diet, mental approach towards auditioning, why not to be a whipping boy and more valuable life lessons.

Also we have our first language corner where we each share a phrase from a different language.

LANGUAGE CORNER:

Ronnie: “A una mujer ni todo el amor ni todo el dinero.”

Don’t give a woman all the love or all the money.

(Spanish)

Dan: 我慢 (gaman)

To endure.

(Japanese)

James: 靠腰（kaoyao)

Lit. so hungry you cry out. Commonly used like “bullshit”, to call someone out for saying something false and/or annoying.

(Taiwanese)

*Note: there's some crackling sound in the audio that I did my best to remove. Apologies!

You can also find us on iTunes or subscribe via our RSS feed:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?

RSS Feed: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast/?format=rss

Thoughts, questions? Email us!

Yin & Young #3 - Americanness, James’s Bad Date, Dan Ghosts on a Girl

December 25, 2016

Happy Holidays! In this episode, Dan and James talk about the different nuances of Americanness. James shares a bad date he had with a overly critical girl and the concept of being thirsty versus being hungry sexually (thanks to DS for the share). Dan reveals his knowledge of forbidden martial arts, his terrible matchmaking experience, and why it’s ok to ghost.

James's movie review of "Arrival": https://letterboxd.com/film/arrival-2016/

For another perspective on why ghosting might be bad: http://lifehacker.com/why-i-stopped-ghosting-1789214550

Here's a short clip from the episode:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?

RSS Feed: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast/?format=rss

Thoughts, questions? Email us!

Yin & Young: Episode 2 - Election Night Blues, Dating Advice, and Principles

December 18, 2016

Recorded on election night, Yin and Young (Dan and James) share their election anxieties, dating experiences and advice, as well as what it means to stand up for what you believe in. Young gets in depth about his online dating addiction and recommends dating self help books: Models and No More Mr. Nice Guy. Yin talks about almost fighting guy in Disneyland for cutting in line.

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?mt=2&i=1000379097246

RSS Feed: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast/?format=rss

Thoughts, questions? Email us!