Yin & Young EP 52 - Election Night 2020

January 21, 2021 in Asian American, Society & Culture, Politics

Happy Inauguration Day! On this special day, we’re releasing an episode we recorded back on November 3rd, election night 2020. It marked the 4 year anniversary of Yin & Young the Podcast. We’re joined by special guests Darren Kwan and Valerie Soe and the four of us commiserate over the anxieties about the election and frustrations with the Trump administration. It’s an interesting listen given how things have turned out.

HIGHLIGHTS:

James got confronted by some lady at Dunkin Donuts for being Asian.
Levels of Asian cultural etiquette may lead to Asians being passed over in the U.S.
Asians/Asian Americans need to code switch to adapt to non-Asians who don't have the same outlook/values.
Who needs to take responsibility for the current situation (e.g. the pandemic)?
Structural changes need to be done in the American education system.
Briefly touched upon the deaths of Sean Connery and Chadwick Boseman.
Running down the proposition votes.
Recent favorite shows:
- Dan has been watching "Letterkenny"
- Valerie recommends, via the San Diego Asian Film Festival: “76 Days” and “The Paper Tigers.”
James has been watching "Terrace House.”

LANGUAGE CORNER:

Mandarin:
- 候選人 (hòuxuǎnrén) - candidates
- 選舉（xuǎnjǔ) - election
Taiwanese:
- 不錯 - bue bai - not bad
Japanese
- 大統領 (daitōryō) - president (nation)
- 社長 (shachō) - company president

Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @yinyoungpodcast on YouTube: @Yin & Young =). 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. Edited by Gabriel Toya-Meléndez.

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Yin & Young EP 51 - Terrace House Boys & Girls in the City w/ Nicole McLendon

December 29, 2020 in Asian American, Society & Culture, Entertainment

Happy Holidays Everyone! In this episode, our guest is screenwriter and Terrace House fan, Nicole McLendon. Nicole was a fellow intern with James at a development house. The topic of this episode revolves around Terrace House, an unscripted Japanese reality TV show on Netflix and Yin & Young’s go-to program during the pandemic.

We will be covering Boys & Girls in the City which was the first season available on Netflix and is the second season of the Terrace House franchise. If you have not seen the Boys & Girls in the City, we recommend you check it out first, because this episode has spoilers!

Highlights:

Nicole recently graduated and now works at an entertainment law firm. She hopes to get paid for screenwriting in the near future.
James, Nicole, and Dan explain what brought them to Terrace House.
The show is not a true reality show even though it declares itself an unscripted show. We go through the premise, cover the panelists, and the members of the show.
We go in-depth into major events and relationships in the season such as Dream Police, the Meat Incident, Arman’s bromances, and more.
We question how real the show is and how the "unscripted" disclaimer allows them to make the show appear like a reality show rather than something that has an outline or directed scenes.
Favorite cast members and couples.
Disclaimer: as an audience, we only see a short, edited glimpse of who the people on the show are. It’s important to not be too judgmental of the cast.

Terrace House Japanese (テラスハウスの日本語) -

告白 - こくはく - kokuhaku - confession of love, to ask someone to be your boyfriend/girlfriend.
仕様がない - しょうがない - shouganai - it can’t be helped, there’s no other way
意気地なし - いくじなし - ikujinashi - coward, loser
目茶 - めちゃ - mecha - excessive, extreme
超 - ちょう - chou - super, totally
やばい - yabai - 1. awful, 2. slang: terrific, amazing
翼 - つばさ - tsubasa - wings (name of a cast member on Opening New Doors)

Links:

Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80067942
James’s article about Terrace House: https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2133941527449/terrace-house-an-introduction-and-a-constructed-reality?s
Terrace House cast member Hana Kimura passes away: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/world/asia/hana-kimura-aew-dead.html
Terrace House Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/terracehouse/

NOTE: This episode features videos clips from the show that belong to Fuji TV & Netflix as well as the images you see now if you’re watching on Youtube. The intro and outro song is “Slow Down” by the band Lights Follow.

Speaking of follow, be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @yinyoungpodcast on YouTube: @Yin & Young =). Like and subscribe to our content so you don’t miss an episode. Thank you and hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Happy New Year!

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Yin & Young EP050 - Emi Higashiyama - Taiwanese Language, History, Identity

September 23, 2020 in Asian American, Society & Culture, Travel

In this episode, James and Dan chat with Emi Higashiyama about the Taiwanese language and history of the Hokkien dialect family. Emi Higashiyama is a historic preservationist, specializing in Japanese colonial architecture in Taiwan and multicultural/multilingual aspects of Taiwanese heritage issues.

Highlights:

2:48 Emi’s cultural background is a complex mix of Taiwanese, Japanese, and American influences.
11:52 Language and identity often are closely tied to each other.
28:00 Hokkien is present throughout Southeast Asia, with different forms and variances.
33:23 Language, dialect, and accent are all different from each other.
39:00 Discussed how different races and cultures become “trendy” and “popular” in certain countries, leading to idealization (e.g. U.S. and Japanese culture in Taiwan).
44:57 Brief history of linguistics in Taiwan: indigenous languages, Hokkien, Hakka, Japanese, Mandarin.
47:15 Taiwan is like a melting pot due to its history of back and forth migration and colonial rule by the Japanese and Chinese.
51:55: Emi quizzes Dan to see if he can figure out the Japanese equivalent to Taiwanese words. Taiwanese and Japanese have common words because of the Japanese colonial era in Taiwan.
1:13:00 Emi’s shares the etymology of the Japanese sounding, but uniquely Taiwanese phrase あたまコンクリ (atama konkuri).
1:25:55 Discussed the suppression of the Taiwanese language under the KMT to today’s increasing interest in learning Taiwanese.
1:30:20 Final thoughts: go learn languages! Don’t treat it as a “foreign” language.

Language Corner (1:41:31):

Japanese （日本語) -

ちんぷんかんぷん - “that’s Greek to me!” or “I can’t make heads or tails of this.” From the Chinese phrase: 聽不懂看不懂 (tīng bù dǒng kàn bù dǒng) meaning “I can’t understand what you’re saying or writing.”
ボンネット- bonnetto - car hood. From the word “bonnet."
クラクション - kurakushon - car horn. From the word “klaxon."

Hakka （客家話) -

ng3 ho4 (汝好) - 你好 - how are you?
an4 zii4 se (恁仔細) - 謝謝 - thank you!
siit bau4 mang (食飽吂）- 吃飽了嗎？- did you eat yet?

Links:

Emi’s links:
- Photo documentation project of Japanese colonial era architecture in Taiwan: https://www.instagram.com/japanesecolonial/
- Curated reading list on Taiwan’s history: https://medium.com/@emihigashiyama/how-to-become-an-expert-in-taiwan-history-94a89e225ea7
- Newsletter (exclusive access to Emi’s work in Taiwan): https://japanesecolonial.substack.com/subscribe
Learn Taiwanese with Bite-size Taiwanese: https://bitesizetaiwanese.com/
Learn Japanese with Japanese by Chunking: www.youtube.com/c/japanesebychunking

[Notes prepared by Emi’s intern Esther, edited/added to by James.]

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Yin & Young EP049 - Shannon Tetteh - Qigong, George Floyd, White Supremacy

August 15, 2020 in Asian American, Health, Martial Arts, Society & Culture

Recorded during the nationwide George Floyd protests, we chatted with Shannon Tetteh–a graduate of Fisk University (a historically black university), a certified massage therapist, and a current doctorate student in traditional Chinese Medicine.

HIGHLIGHTS:

00:00 Different methods of making Dit Da Jow (folk remedy for external injuries). Recently made a tincture to prevent hair loss and strengthen bone density.
04:10 Shannon and James met in Oakland at a Wudang West Qigong (Chi Kung) class taught by David Wei.
05:00 Moved around growing up; now based in Chicago. Part of a start-up combining cannabis with Chinese herbal medicine.
10:50 Getting his first education in Black history at Fisk and seeing the deep psychological harm of using white American or white British as the default in film (e.g. Gods of Egypt 13:17).
18:42 Discussion of "White Supremacy."
29:29 Thoughts on the murder of George Floyd.
41:30 Anime led Te to explore the martial arts. When he does have kids, plans to teach them what he’s learned. Has studied Wudang Qigong, Iron Body, and wants to study Five Elements Kung Fu.
51:00 How Qigong can help the black community.
58:15 The police started as slave patrols in the U.S.
1:09:10 Should we reform or completely defund the police?
1:18:52 America has an imbalance of Yin & Yang with the norm for America being the whites on top. Change is happening though.

Martial Arts Tips (1:34:51):

Video Link: Qigong lung strengthening exercise.
Sleep is super important. The body needs rest for proper liver, kidney function.
Martial arts gives self defense tools, but also heightens situational awareness and how to better carry yourself.

Yin & Young EP048 - Actor Paul Yen (Vietgone, Little Fires Everywhere)

July 12, 2020 in Asian American, Entertainment

Hi All! We recorded this podcast at the start of the lockdown with actor Paul Yen! Paul is a politically aware actor who can be seen on Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” in the role of Scott. Paul was nominated in 2018 (not 2019 as said in the podcast) for LA Drama Critics Circle’s Best Lead Actor for his portrayal of Quang in East West Players’ “Vietgone.”

HIGHLIGHTS:

00:51 Dan met Paul through a play that was directed by Dan’s wife.
1:46 Graduated from CSULB. Took a long break until a friend convinced him to finish his degree.
14:15 Had to rap for the “Vietgone” audition. 17:20 A social media post from the director telling Asian American men to “take space” lit a fire for Paul.
20:36 Many older Vietnamese immigrant are registered Republicans (incl. his parents). Been trying to get them to vote more Democrat.
28:00 Shares his auditioning process for “Little Fires Everywhere” (says this experience can vary greatly depending on the casting office).
Role for “Little Fires Everywhere” differs from the Asian model minority stereotype
37:58 Watching Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon’s process as executive producers was educational and inspiring.
43:30 Solo show “Secret Identity Crisis” (The Hollywood Fringe 2017) takes popular superheroes (Batman, Superman, Spiderman) and reimagines them as Asian-American men.
55:39 Shares his voice acting experience on “White Snake.”
1:02:20 Sheltering in place with his wife and dog during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1:15:11 Paul’s political awakening.
1:35:48 Believes Asians actors should be able to play other types of Asians (as long there’s no language stipulation).

Language Corner (1:31:08):

Taiwanese - 莫按呢 - mài anné: don’t be like that
Japanese - 仕舞った (しまった) - shimatta - darn it! we’re screwed!
Vietnamese - mày - informal “you.” Used only between people who’re familiar.

Yin & Young EP047 - Filmmaker Valerie Soe - Love Boat, K-Pop & Mental Heath

June 20, 2020 in Asian American, Health

Yin & Young EP047 - Filmmaker Valerie Soe - Love Boat, K-Pop & Mental Heath

Hope everyone has been safe and healthy. We recorded this at the start of 2020 before the pandemic with filmmaker/Asian American studies professor Valerie Soe! We talk about her feature documentary, Love Boat: Taiwan, anti-orientalism, deaths in the K-pop community, and the pressures of being in the spotlight.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Valerie: writer/director of Love Boat: Taiwan - https://www.loveboat-taiwan.com/about
Valerie went on Love Boat during college
Love Boat, formally known as The Overseas Compatriot Youth Taiwan Study Tour, was set up by the Taiwanese government to get young overseas Chinese and Taiwanese to visit Taiwan for cultural exchange.
Valerie is Chinese American. Family has been in the U.S. since the 1920s.
Glad to see more Asian representation in the media recently.
Discussed the passing of K-pop idols Sulli and Goo Hara and the pressures of modern society (compressed modernity) as mentioned in her blog: https://tinyurl.com/ycsgm6wc
The scrutiny K-pop stars face are not unique, result of rapid modernization, globalization, neo-capitalism..
There are no dating clauses in contracts for K-Pop stars.
Cyberbullying is a major issue, with public figures and celebrities particularly vulnerable to widespread criticism.

Language Corner

Korean: 사생팬 - sasaengpaen - a Stan. A stalker fan. Literally, “private life” fan. (in Mandarin: 私生飯 - Sī shēng fàn)
Mandarin: 地頭蛇 - dì tóu shé - lit. land head snake. The boss of that area. Street king.

If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves:

Call the Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255: suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Message/call 7 Cups for someone to listen: https://www.7cups.com/
Visit the National Institute of Health Suicide Prevention website: https://tinyurl.com/hbxmhmk

Articles on depression and death in K-pop:

I have reported on 30 Korean celebrity suicides. The blame game never changes: https://tinyurl.com/ycxs6b43
The Impossible Task of Being the ‘Perfect’ K-Pop Star: https://tinyurl.com/yb97d9vg

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Yin & Young Podcast EP45 - Coronavirus, Life Inside, Asian Racism (recorded live)

March 27, 2020 in Asian American, Health, Politics

In this episode, recorded live March 15, 2020, Dan, James and returning guest Darren discuss life indoors as Los Angeles begins to tighten its quarantine/stay at home regulations. We also discuss some of the anti-asian sentiment that has come grown alongside the virus cases. To reiterate, we're not medical professionals and the views expressed in this video are our own and should not be taken as professional medical advice. If anything, hopefully this gives some insight into life in LA at the time and is entertaining in some way.

Below are some of the links we reference in the video:

Live map of coronavirus: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

Coronavirus Simulator: Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve” - https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

Joe Rogan Experience with Michael Osterholm, infectious disease specialist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw&t=3602s

LA Chinatown businesses hit hard: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-02/chinatown-businesses-begin-to-feel-sting-of-coronavirus-scare

What Taiwan can teach the world about fighting COVID-19

- https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/what-taiwan-can-teach-world-fighting-coronavirus-n1153826

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K_d0WFKQSo

Why is the outbreak so bad in Italy?: https://time.com/5799586/italy-coronavirus-outbreak/

Patient 31 may have contacted 1,160 with coronavirus in South Korea: https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-SOUTHKOREA-CLUSTERS/0100B5G33SB/index.html

Why new diseases keep appearing in China: https://www.vox.com/videos/2020/3/6/21168006/coronavirus-covid19-china-pandemic

Pangolins the most trafficked animal in the world: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/opinion/coronavirus-china-pangolins.html

My Take On Coronavirus | Russell Brand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlW4jwaxYzQ

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CHEAP FOOD RECS

James - Braised pork over rice (滷肉飯) at Sugar Fix Cafe (https://www.yelp.com/biz/sugar-fix-cafe-los-angeles-2). Chain option: Taco Bell’s Craving’s Boxes and $1 dollar menu.

Darren - Chipotle burritos/bowls (Sofritas/Veggie) and Subway’s Veggie Delight.

Dan - Kang Kang Food Court’s pan fried pork buns (小美的生煎包) - https://www.yelp.com/biz/kang-kang-food-court-alhambra

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LANGUAGE CORNER

Japanese: - 病気 - byōki - sick

Taiwanese: 今仔日 - kin’afjit - today ; 明仔再 - min’afzaix - tomorrow

Cantonese: 點心 - dímsām - dim sum (small Cantonese dishes served generally around brunch) ; 餛飩麵 - wan4 tan1 min6 - wonton noodle soup

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Yin & Young Live Streaming tonight at 830pm PST

March 15, 2020

Live Streaming tonight at 830pm PST on March 15th, 2020

Platforms:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkvtVW6pVPeKFn7H_6ai8lA?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesyshih/

–with Yin & Young co-host Dan Yin and returning guest Darren Kwan. We'll be discussing coronavirus, some of social issues surrounding the disease, and the rise in Anti-Asian sentiment.

Feel free to join in, comment, send us questions. See y'all in a bit!

Yin & Young - EP44 - Eric Chen #YangGang

March 14, 2020 in Asian American, Politics

Back with a podcast with Eric Chen, a speech and debate coach and supporter of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. He has helped organize events and social media promotion in support of Yang before Yang dropped out of the race last month. We recorded in December 2019; please excuse some of the dated info discussed. However, with the recent measures taken to combat the spread of coronavirus, the proposals that Yang championed such as universal basic income (UBI), are essential now more than ever. We discuss that along with the topics below with Eric Chen:

HIGHLIGHTS

Family made 19 visa attempts to immigrate to the U.S. from Taiwan before they were successful.
Eric met his dad for the first as child when he was 7.
Grew up in San Gabriel Valley.
Was treated as an outsider being a recent immigrant, even in the majority Asian SGV.
Can't pinpoint when he identified as Asian American.
Andrew Yang has to thread the relationship with China if he were to win.
Originally a Bernie supporter, then went to an Andrew Yang rally in LA and liked what he heard.
Also supported Elizabeth Warren before switching over to Andrew Yang.
All nominees are starting to copy other candidates’ ideas
The messaging for Dems is not as good as the GOP
Andrew should’ve honed down to a few key messages.
MATH = Make America Think Harder.
Andrew is for UBI, Medicare for all, lower tuition.
Andrew’s lack of political experience is an advantage, similar to Trump.
Established media is dismissive of Andrew because he’s Asian.
There's less backlash when racism is perpetrated against Asians

LANGUAGE CORNER

Japanese: 希望 - きぼう- kibō - hope

Mandarin: 七情六慾 - Qī qíng liùyù - 7 emotions (joy, anger, despair, fear, love, hate, greed), 6 desires (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought). What it means to be human.

Mandarin: 危機 - wēijī - crisis. However, the second character 機 (jī) can be used in the word 機會 (jīhuì) which means “opportunity”.

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Yin & Young - EP43 - Writer/Director Henry B. Chen

January 31, 2020 in Asian American, Filmmaking, Writing

Yin & Young…are back! Thank you for your patience (I’ve learned to say that instead of “sorry for the delay”, which I am). For this highly anticipated podcast episode we’re speaking with writer, director Henry B. Chen! Henry was James’s mentor for the Taiwanese American Film Festival Pitch Competition 2019.

HENRY HIGHLIGHTS:

Henry writes for BET’s Boomerang. He and his writing partner’s main episode is “Housekeeping”.
Has multiple projects in the works including a remake pitch for "3 Ninjas" with Asian Americans.
Henry grew up in an Asian-majority community in East Los Angeles and went to a competitive high school with double digit valedictorians.
Henry and James explain why UCSD Professor J.P Gorin is violently amazing.
There was a huge culture shock when he first got into the USC film production program where there were few Asians at the time. Initially, the Asian creatives there didn’t seem to care for Henry at the beginning but eventually they became good friends.
Worked at CAA after undergrad. Had a lot of opportunities to choose to work for different filmmakers and ultimately chose to work with Kathryn Bigelow.
Learned from Ms. Bigelow: your work should say something.
James and Henry met through the mentorship program for the Taiwanese American Film Festival Pitch Competition. James and Henry share their experiences and how important creative boundaries are.
Has a TV project in the works with his writing partner called Salvage which “follows the lives of four unlikely friends trying to open their own food joint in hyper competitive Los Angeles.”
After not getting much attention for their pitch packet, Henry and Jingyi put their show on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/salvage.theshow/) and got a major offer.
Henry shares how The Battle of Algiers is devastating, The Matrix inspirational, and why Parasite is a perfect film.

LANGUAGE CORNER

Japanese - 感動 - kandō - to be moved (emotionally)

Chinese - 四目交投 - sì mù jiāo tóu - to lock eyes with someone, lit. “four eyes trading”

Korean - 직업병 - jig-eobbyeong （hanja：職業病）- the disease of your occupation, i.e. traits from your occupation that you carry over into your personal life that can be harmful.

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Video note: above is a looped video of James and Dan practicing Taichi push hands. Edited due to privacy concerns of children entering the frame.

Yin & Young - EP42 - Martial Arts Life Lessons

October 28, 2019 in Martial Arts, Mental Health, Asian American

Hi All! Yin & Young are back with an episode sharing the lessons they’ve learned training martial arts and how they’ve applied them to their own lives.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan enrolled his kids to a kung fu school.
Picking a martial arts school for a kid: cost and convenience are major factors.
Delineation between hard and soft styles: Bruce Lee thought this separation between hard and soft was an illusion.
Many soft style masters started with hard styles first.
James studied Shotokan Karate and shares stories about his late teacher, Sensei Lafferty.
Dan says exposure and affinity to multiple styles is a modern development. Before, people in the old days just learned what was locally/regionally taught and adapted it.
Body styles might dictate the style best suited for people or how they can be adapted.
Stories about getting bullied while growing up
Is the world a cruel place?
Discussion about the deaths of Zhang Yingying and Xinran Ji, two Chinese international students in the U.S.
Stephen Kaufman's "Book of Five Rings" and "Art of War" are the interpretations that Dan recommends for both books
James recites the Shotokan Karate Dojo Kun.

LANGUAGE CORNER

道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。 - 老子

Dào kě dào, fēicháng dào. Míng kě míng, fēicháng míng. Wúmíng tiāndì zhī shǐ; yǒumíng wànwù zhī mǔ. - Lǎozi

The way that can be told, is not the eternal Way. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. The Way is nameless but also Named and is the origin of all things. - Laozi (aka Lao Tzu/Lao-Tze)

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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

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Yin & Young - EP40 - Actor Gregory Yuan and DP Richard Sue

May 08, 2019 in Entertainment, Asian American, Filmmaking, Acting

A long time coming: Yin & Young return with an in-depth, behind the scenes discussion about the making of “Ahma & Alan” the short film. Back our Kickstarter here! Ends June 21st!

James wrote and directed the film, Richard Sue was the Director of Photography, Gregory Yuan played the lead character Alan.

Highlights:

What prompted their interest to work on the film.
Richard was the earliest collaborator.
Genesis of the project - James was allegedly an illegal immigrant worker and was busted by the authorities.
Richard and James met at De Anza College
What it means to accept being Chinese, Taiwanese, Asian.
Auditions: the callback was just a conversation.
Their local Taiwanese producer polished the film with just a small budget.
Started as a bare bones, skeleton crew and then grew in size.
The producers were really down to earth, despite being really successful in the Taiwanese film industry.
Was able to work with a veteran Taiwanese actor.
The actors helped collaborate throughout the creative process.
Overview of the shoot: 5 production days, short pre-production phase.
Special thanks to all the cast, crew, and behind the scenes supporters that got this short film through production. Look for the film at a festival near you soon! - James

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Language Corner

Japanese - いっらしゃいませ irrashaimasen - Welcome

Japanese (kansai dialect) - おきに okini - Thank you

Mandarin - 佛心 fo2xin1 - Buddha’s heart; having an open heart

Mandarin - 導演 dao3yan3 - director

Taiwanese - 我是台灣郎 góa sī Tâi-oân-lâng - I’m Taiwanese

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Links!

More info on the short film “Ahma & Alan” go here: http://www.jamesyshih.com/

Richard Sue’s website (photography, cinematography): http://richardsjsue.com

Gregory Yuan’s website (acting): https://www.gregoryyuan.com/

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Yin & Young's Patreon Page is Up!

March 11, 2019 in Asian American, Entertainment

Finding guests, editing, posting on social media, takes a lot of time and effort. To help support our podcast and make it more sustainable, a small donation can go a long way. Take a look at our Patreon to see how you can help! We have great benefits: access to a patron only feed, a personal phone all from Yin and/or Young, and get a spot on our next episode. Thank you!

Support our podcast here!: https://www.patreon.com/yinyoungpodcast

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

Yin & Young EP39 - Filmmaker Darren Kwan and Post Oscars Talk

March 10, 2019 in Entertainment, Asian American

Yin & Young are back with guest filmmaker Darren Kwan! We discuss how he got into filmmaking and then go into an in-depth talk about the Oscars.

* Darren Kwan - originally from the Bay Area, worked at a tech company in Silicon Valley before deciding on a career change to filmmaking.

* James and Darren met at the De Anza College film department. Reconnected with James when he recognized Darren on the street in downtown LA.

* Darren’s latest film is about the cuddling industry.

* Tangent into Robert Kraft getting busted going to a massage parlor that has happy endings.

* James and Darren shot a short film in the tunnels under downtown LA.

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* 25:44 Oscars Talk. Everyone breaks down the issues they had with the Green Book: story pacing, racism, and replay value.

* Discussion on the films that should’ve won Best Picture.

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* 57:13 Moving on to the Best Documentary category, the Oscar nominated film: Minding the Gap:

* Darren expresses his connection to Kiere’s story and lack of connection to Zack’s story.

* Dan was impressed by the narrative structure of the documentary.

* James likes the film but gets heated about how it does not address racism against Asians.

* 01:19:35 - Best Animated Film, Yin and Young both agree on “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” as a solid winner.

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Language Corner

* Japanese - 参った (まいった maitta）- a) I give up, b) I’m beaten, c) overwhelmed

* Mandarin - 厭世臉 (yan4shi4lian3) - literally “hate world face”. A cool, smile-less, serious look that women have.

* Cantonese - 身體健康 (san1tai2 gin6hong1) - lit. body healthy, wish you good health. Said during Lunar New Year.

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Links:

* Darren Kwan on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/user32586431

* Oscar Nominations 2019: Full List – https://variety.com/2019/film/news/oscar-nominations-2019-list-1203112405/

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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?

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BF7YXqVAEk9EXVr45gWy4?si=3wrdb9VpSR-p3yQygvLtdw

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

Yin & Young EP38 - Young in Tokyo

February 05, 2019

Aka the Kitasenju Crew episode. Note: the podcast starts in Japanese but then switches to English for most of the show. Warning: explicit sexual content discussed.

Apologies for the delay! I (James aka Young) took a trip to Tokyo not too long ago and made friends with artist Taku (left) and radio host/rapper Takuya (center) who asked me to be on his show. We discussed:

- The short film James was directing in Taiwan called “Ahma & Alan”.

- Takuya’s experience working in Cebu, Phillipines and thoughts on the political climate there.

- Cultural differences between Japan, Taiwan, USA in regards to women, dating, sex etc…

- Takuya’s Imagination Technique

Ending song:

“Rabbit House” by Plastic Girl in Closet

Episode on Takuya’s Japanese website: https://note.mu/takuyam0523/n/n76982bb0ffe7

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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 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

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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

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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 EP35 - Writer/Director Alex Chu - Part 2

October 08, 2018 in Filmmaking, Asian American, Society & Culture

Part 2: Race, Politics and Filmmaking

- Canada doesn't have the institutionalized racism as the US. Asian American filmmakers require good execution and the confidence to tell their own personal stories.

- Insight into “For Izzy” (starts 30:18): the inspiration, the writing and production process, working with actors.

- Demographically, Asians are late to the entertainment game.

- Asian Americans caught between two cultures.

- Remembering Elizabeth Sung.

Full Video (parts 1 & 2) here: https://youtu.be/yi_wDklt_Ig

Language Corner: 西遊記 - xīyóujì - Journey to the West

James's takeaways from Audible's Mandarin children’s version of this Chinese epic. Mainly: By helping others, we can better ourselves (from monsters to saints), teamwork is key, and it’s a super imaginative story.

"For Izzy" links:

website - http://forizzy.com

FB - https://www.facebook.com/forizzythemovie

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

TW - https://twitter.com/forizzythemovie

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 EP35 - Writer/Director Alex Chu - Part 1

October 08, 2018 in Asian American, Entertainment, Filmmaking, Society & Culture, Writing, Travel

Welcome back to Yin & Young the podcast! In this episode we spoke with Alex Chu, the writer and director of “For Izzy” (links below), an amazing film on the film circuit that delves into mental disorder, drug abuse, and the parent-child relationship in Asian American families. We delve into Alex's upbringing, thoughts on Asian representation, and his journey into filmmaking. Tiger Sheu returns as our special guest host!

Part 1: Growing Up (full episode in Youtube link above)

- Alex is originally from Canada and also spent part of his childhood in Libya due to his dad's job.

- Son of Taiwanese parents.

- Sent back to Canada for school.

- Regrets not learning the local language when living abroad.

- Lived in Asia (Hong Kong area) for 3 years

- Speaks English and Mandarin

- Grew up watching 80s films, lots of Arnold movies, Spielberg movies

- Growing up in Canada was fine, no overt racism, but did feel certain pressures like not wanting to speak Mandarin in public.

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"For Izzy" links:

website - http://forizzy.com