Old Asian Lady
by Sharon Landon
Old Asian Lady is a space where real people share the life experiences that shaped who they are. Hosted by Sharon Landon, OAL features thoughtful, authentic conversations about identity, cultural belonging, resilience, life transitions, relationships, family, aging, personal growth, success, and purpose.We explore the moments that challenge us, change us, and help us understand ourselves and the world a little differently.Sometimes the stories we carry help someone else understand their own.Real Stories. Thoughtful Conversations. Different Perspectives.
Episodes
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11 Months Cycling Through Africa: Life Lessons on Trust, Culture & Connection
As we started building our camp, 'No, no, no, not here—the elephants, they sleep here.' Instead of saying go away, they said, 'Come with us.' and they invite us to stay in their village so we are safe. In Part 2 of our chat on #OldAsianLady, Sharon continues her conversation with Public Health...
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Sometimes You Have To Leave Home To Appreciate It
Have you ever been so focused on what was missing from your life that you couldn't appreciate what was already there? In this Part 1 episode of #OldAsianLady, Angela Collenberg, Public Health Professional and Arts Educator shares how growing up in a small village in the Swiss mountains,...
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Stranded at Sea for 3 Months in a Ghost Ship
What happens when life takes you somewhere you never expected to go? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, host Sharon Landon sits down with Victor Stevenson, a former cruise director and polyglot consultant whose remarkable journey has taken him from Chile to France, Taiwan, and around the world...
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I Found My Birth Family—But Reunion Didn't Heal Everything
What happens when you finally find your birth family? They shared my DNA—but they were total strangers. In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Sharon sits down with Chenna Leinders who was adopted at 18 months old by a Caucasian Dutch family. In this deeply personal conversation, Chenna opens up about...
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Is Aging A Prerequiste To Asking Those Bigger Questions About Life?
What happens when you reach a point in life where you realize you may have more years behind you than ahead of you? In Part 2 of Joshua Samuel Brown's interview on #OldAsianLady, Novelist and "recovering travel writer" moves beyond his years as a travel writer, He shares a candid, funny, and...
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A Dim Sum Lady Changed My Entire Life Path
What if one random comment from a stranger in a restaurant completely changed the next 30 years of your life? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Sharon sits down with veteran travel author and former Lonely Planet writer Joshua Samuel Brown Part 1. We chat about the unconventional journey that…
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I Lost My Entire Life. Now I'm Rebuilding It
I had 25 days to pack up 23 years of my life. It was the great escape and I did it while severely ill. In Part 2 of Carrie Marshall's unforgettable story on #OldAsianLady, we pick up after her sudden, harrowing decision to repatriate after 23 years in Taiwan. Carrie talks openly about facing the...
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I Left A Great Career To Follow My Heart
What happens when you build the life you're supposed to want… and realize it's not the life you actually want? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, YiHsin Chang opens up about the friction of breaking societal molds and restarting her life in Los Angeles in her 40s. She also talks honestly about the...
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Hearing The Five Words That Made Me Uproot My Life
What happens when you spend years taking care of everyone else—and suddenly realize you don't know how to take care of yourself? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Betty Lo shares her journey from corporate Silicon Valley project management to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), navigating 10…
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Burnout, Boundaries & Healing: Learning to Listen to Your Body
What if exhaustion isn't simply something you need to push through? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Sharon chats with Dr. Chris Lipat, a holistic chiropractor, Reiki master, author, and healer based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Chris shares their journey from growing up as a Filipina in New Jersey,...
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Is it Your Story to Tell | A Journey from Apartheid to Taiwan
What happens when the stories you were raised to believe no longer make sense?In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Sharon speaks with documentary filmmaker Tobie Openshaw, who has lived in Taiwan for nearly three decades.Tobie grew up in apartheid-era South Africa, where early experiences shaped his...
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What If You Don't Have to Find Your Passion? | Finding Yourself Through Art & Life
We're often told to "find your passion," discover our purpose, and figure out exactly who we're meant to be. But what if finding yourself doesn't happen that way? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Sharon sits down with Eva Lo for a thoughtful conversation about creativity, authenticity, healing,...
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I Had Everything... But I Wasn't Happy | Redefining Success & Finding Purpose
Even though my bank account was growing very quickly, I still felt very empty and very soulless through my work. I realized I needed some kind of creative outlet. In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Michael Li shares his deeply personal journey of unlearning the traditional path laid out for him....
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A Doctor Took My Diagnosis & Said It Was Probably Just Anxiety
He was like, 'This is a men's disease. Women don't get this. You can't possibly have it... it's probably anxiety.' So he took it off my paperwork, and I had to fight like heck to put it back on. In this episode of Old Asian Lady, Canadian expat, artist, and advocate Carrie Marshall opens up about...
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The 16-Hour Hustle Diary | The Reality of International Students
What does it really take to leave home and build a new life in another country? In this episode of Old Asian Lady, Sharon sits down with Marco Bautista (Philippines) and Trang Vo (Vietnam), two international students who left their home countries to pursue higher education in Taiwan. Behind the...
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They Gave Me A Spreadsheet to Control My Emotions | My Workplace Treated Me Like a Robot
What does autism actually feel like? In this episode of #OldAsianLady, Fraser Stewart shares his lived experience growing up with Autism, navigating workplace discrimination, learning Mandarin, moving from Scotland to Taiwan, and constantly being misunderstood. Fraser's story challenges common...
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Old Asian Lady Season 3 Trailer - Lessons, Insights and Unexpected Discoveries
What if the most meaningful stories aren't the ones making headlines, but the ones quietly shaping our lives every day? Season 3 of #OldAsianLady is a collection of conversations with people from different backgrounds, generations, and walks of life who share the experiences that have influenced...
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What If One Genuine Compliment Changes How Someone Sees Themselves?
Why is it so much easier to point out what's wrong than what's right? In this clip from #OldAsianLady, William Lu reflects on the cultural differences he experienced while working in the United States, Europe, and Taiwan. After years of teaching dance internationally, William noticed a powerful...
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My Son Speaks 4 Languages - People Still Call Him a Foreigner
Sometimes the biggest challenge isn't learning a language. It's finding where you belong. In this clip from #OldAsianLady, Marie Mestdagh shares the joys and challenges of raising a multilingual child in Taiwan. At just 2.5 years old, her son speaks French, English, Mandarin, and even some...
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How I Changed and Grew Alongside Taiwan Over 41 Years
Home isn't always where you're born. Sometimes it's the place that helps you become who you're meant to be. In this thoughtful conversation on #OldAsianLady, Karen Chung reflects on witnessing Taiwan's transformation from the late martial law era through democratization, cultural renewal, and...
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Grew Up Chinese in Panama - I Wasn't a Hyphen
How many people spend their lives discovering: Who Am I? In this clip from #OldAsianLady, Jaime Cham reflects on growing up as a Spanish speaking 3rd-generation Chinese Panamanian, moving to the US and then working and living in Asia. He always thought of himself as Chinese—until he met Chinese...
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At 24, I Bought a House…Then Worked 3 Jobs to Survive
What does survival mode actually look like? In this clip from #OldAsianLady, Sophie Lee opens up about burnout, financial pressure, and the years she spent pushing herself past her limits just to keep going. From working multiple jobs to breaking down crying in the street—this is a conversation...
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This Asian father chose a different way to love his children
What makes someone different from the generation or culture they grew up in? In this heartwarming clip from#OldAsianLady, Sterling Hsaio reflects on Aging, Independence and Parenting. While many Asian parents are known for being strict, controlling, or heavily focused on academic achievement, he...
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Surviving Losing My Dream Job and My Mom's Stage 4 Cancer
What do you do when life keeps forcing you to change direction? In this clip from #OldAsianLady, animator and filmmaker JJ Chen opens up about rejection, failure, and trying to rebuild his life while dealing with his mother's cancer diagnosis. After losing 2 projects that later went on to receive...
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I Wasn't "Lazy", "Shy" or "Not Trying Hard Enough": Found Out Why at 25
What happens when you grow up feeling like something is “off”… but no one can tell you why? In this clip from #OldAsianLady, Mrinal Gakhale shares what it was like growing up undiagnosed with autism—and being labeled as someone who just wasn’t trying hard enough. Facing social challenges and...
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Am I Still Me at 43? Motherhood, Identity & Starting Over
What happens when you lose a part of who you are? In this video from #OldAsianLady, dance artist Wei-Shan Lai shares her journey through thriving career, motherhood, identity, and the quiet struggle of trying to find her way back. After becoming a full-time mom caring for a newborn with medical...
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My Mom is 92… And I Can’t Even Talk to Her on the Phone Anymore
Sometimes, going “home” isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. In this clip from #OldAsianLady, Brian Foden shares the deeply personal decision to leave Taiwan and move back to Canada with his Taiwanese wife and daughter. After building a life, raising a bilingual child, and calling Taiwan home…
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I Can’t Recognize Faces — Living with Face Blindness
What if you couldn’t recognize the people in your life—not even someone you love? In this episode of#OldAsianLady, Antonella Gismundi shares what it’s like to live with face blindness—a neurological condition that makes it difficult to recognize faces, even familiar ones. She talks about how this...
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Why Life Gets Better As Women Age
👍What if aging isn’t something to fear—but something that actually sets you free?In this #OldAsianLady video, Shashwati and I talk about what it's like growing older as a woman—letting go of expectations, finding confidence, and redefining identity beyond youth. From choosing not to have…
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How Hope Became My Last Defense
In this video from #OldAsianLady, Helen Lee shares her journey living with epilepsy and the life-changing decision to undergo surgery to remove part of her brain. The procedure involved removing part of her hippocampus—a critical area of the brain responsible for memory. It was a high-risk…
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Asian Upbringing: Learning to Finally Speak Up
Some moments change you in ways you don’t fully understand until years later. In this video from #OldAsianLady, Michelle Kao shares how discovering her boyfriend’s mother after suicide during her college years shaped her emotional world and her relationships for years to come. Growing up in an...
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As An Asian Woman, What I Learned Working in Dubai
She visited Dubai on vacation and it became a 6 year international career working in private aviation with a company owned by the Jordanian Royal Family. In this #OldAsianLady video, Sandra Fu shares her experience moving from Taiwan to Dubai and navigating a completely different culture and...
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Did Asian Parenting or Failure Create My Success?
In many Asian families, success often follows a familiar path: doctor, engineer, or another “safe” profession. In this clip on #OldAsianLady, Wen Shaw reflects on growing up with these expectations — navigating parental influence, academic pressure, and the “right” career path. After failing a...
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Growing Up With a “Tiger Dad”: Sent to the US at 14
What happens when your parents choose your future for you?In this #OldAsianLady video, Vicky Sun shares what it was like growing up with a “tiger dad”( not the typical tiger mom)— strict expectations, language immersion, boarding school at 14, and a future largely chosen for her. For some…
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Going Back to the U.S. After 20 Years Abroad | Identity, Fear & Belonging
What does it feel like to leave the place you’ve called home for your entire adult life? In this #OldAsianLady video, Erin Clark shares openly about her fears and the logistics of repatriation — finding housing, navigating healthcare and insurance, rebuilding a career, and returning to a society...
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I Don't Date Asian Guys : Social Conditioning?
In this powerful clip from the #OldAsianLady, Vincent Soberano dives into the raw realities of growing up Asian in California during the 1980s and 90s. It’s a conversation about navigating racism, dating rejection, stereotypes, and the subtle ways media shaped our sense of worth. From being…
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Diagnosis to Dating & Scars to Self-Love
February is National Cancer Prevention Month—but behind the statistics are real lives, real scars, and real resilience.On this episode of #OldAsianLady, Amy Marcs shares her deeply personal journey: a mother lost to breast cancer and her own diagnosis & treatment. She recalls the shock of hearing...
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Aging Parents & Obligations: Choosing Family Over Distance
What happens when your parents age, and the roles reverse?In this heartfelt conversation on #OldAsianLady, Aileen Chang shares her difficult decision to leave the U.S. and move to Taiwan to care for aging parents. This is about obligation, love, and the cultural differences in how we care for our...
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Dreams Take Flight: My Journey to Captain
What starts as a dream can become reality.In this episode of #OldAsianLady, we follow the journey of Carrie Kwok who discovered her passion at 16 with a trial flight voucher—and turned it into a career spanning 14 years. From cadet training to long-haul flights, from second officer to captain…
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Grew Up Abroad: Asian American Identity, My Culture Shock Story
What happens when you grow up abroad in multiple countries, then land in America for college—and realize you’re in total culture shock? In this #OldAsianLady clip, Carol Yao shares her layered shocks of identity: meeting classmates who thought cowboy boots in Malaysia made them Texans, missing 15...
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Gentle Parenting vs "Because I Said So"
Parenting looks different across cultures—in this #OldAsianLady chat with Marie Mestagh, she shares what happens when East meets West. From setting screen-time limits and using timers, to blending science with gentle parenting, she shares how boundaries can be firm and compassionate. We also talk...
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Growing Up Asian American: From Hiding to Thriving
What does it mean to grow up Asian American in a world where you’re constantly reminded you’re “different”? In this #OldAsianLady conversation, Stephen Rong & Sarah Chang share personal stories of childhood in Virginia —navigating microaggressions, hiding parts of our culture, and struggling with...
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Near Death Stories: Saved By An Angel
Have you ever experienced something you couldn’t explain? Sue DeSimone and I share our angel experiences where we truly believe our guardian angels stepped with a helping hand. From her falling down a London staircase and walking away with 13 stitches instead of a broken neck, to a snapped rope…
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30 Years Of My Life: Allieviating World Poverty?
What does the World Bank really do? This isn’t just about policies or loans—it’s about the people behind them. Dr Mae Chu Chang shares her work with impoverished countries spanning 30 years of her life. Why poverty alleviation is World Bank's core mission, and how education reform became a...
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Taking A Short Break Before Season 3!
We’re taking a short break as we prepare for Season 3. Thank you so much for all your support—it truly means the world to us. Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season, and looking forward to seeing you in 2026. In the meantime, enjoy some thought provoking clips from our past seasons. Still...
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Battling Through Pain: Finding Hope & Gratitude (Pt 2)
Behind every survivor's smile is pain perhaps you'll never get to see. In part two of Tom Landon's journey on #OldAsianLady, we dive into the hardest chapter of his life - battling leukemia. From painful bone marrow biopsies and spinal taps, to the emotional toll of guilt, anger, and depression....
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Growing Up Different: Moving Changed Everything
In part 1 of our #OldAsianLady conversation with Tom Landon, we explore what it means to grow up feeling like an outsider. From frequent moves as a military family, to challenges with bullying, to navigating ADHD and how moving to Hawaii gave him a clean slate, new confidence, and a chance to...
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Solo Travel Taught Me Survival, Confidence & Growth (Pt 2)
In Part 2 of this #OldAsianLady conversation, we follow Christine Kaʻaloa's leap from reality TV to solo travel vlogging - building #GRRRLTraveler from scratch. She didn’t set out to be a YouTuber. She just didn’t want to lose her voice. We see the highlight reels—epic landscapes, solo…
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Ever Felt Like a Puzzle Piece That Doesn’t Fit (Pt 1)
What happens when your name, your skin tone, and your heritage all tell different stories? In this episode of #OldAsianLady Part 1, Christine Kaʻaloa opens up about growing up Hapa in Hawai‘i, feeling caught between cultures and struggling to embrace her multi-identities. From Japanese dance...
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Growth doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens in motion (Pt 2)
Some stories don’t fit into neat categories. They stretch across oceans, languages, and generations. Wayne Coito is one of those stories.On this episode of #OldAsianLady, Wayne is Native Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese, Filipino—and fluent in Vietnamese. He’s a son, a father, a storyteller, and a...
About this show
Old Asian Lady is a space where real people share the life experiences that shaped who they are. Hosted by Sharon Landon, OAL features thoughtful, authentic conversations about identity, cultural belonging, resilience, life transitions, relationships, family, aging, personal growth, success, and purpose.We explore the moments that challenge us, change us, and help us understand ourselves and the world a little differently.Sometimes the stories we carry help someone else understand their own.Real Stories. Thoughtful Conversations. Different Perspectives.
Hosted by
Sharon Landon