Berlin Midnight Meows

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3zE54VD  Uff, life’s been crazy busy, but hey, I’m still around! (Follow @sisispongecake on Instagram if you wonder why.) This is part 2 of the live recording I did back in September, diving into East Asian music. In this half, we vibe to some alternative gems, including iconic tracks from Taiwanese hip-hop and the unique fushigi kei genre. Next episode, I’ll be back with updates on my daily chaos and finally spill what’s been keeping me so busy lately. Stay tuned!

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3zE54VD  On September 14th, I hosted a live podcast recording, "Berlin Midday Meows," in Moabit, Berlin. We had a laid-back listening session where we dove into some city pop and K-pop tracks that I selected—each with a fascinating historical context and backstory. Don’t worry, no idols were harmed in this episode. Tune in to get immersed in the stories behind these genres!

I've been a keyboard warrior my whole life, ever since I got my hands on the internet. As a late millennial born in the 90s, I navigated through various weeb forums and became an active (and sometimes toxic) member of online communities. You'll also get the backstory on how I developed such an eclectic taste in music, which is a big reason why I'm including an Asian music deep dive in my upcoming live podcast event. Get ready for some internet nostalgia and a journey through my wide-ranging hobbies!

Recently, there's been a heated debate surrounding the gender of two female boxers participating in the Paris Olympics. This has sparked discussions about traditional gender definitions and highlighted that even cisgender individuals aren't free from gender discrimination. While I've learned a lot about human biology and sports event eligibility, I want to take a non-expert approach here to reflect on my own "woman eligibility." As someone who presents as a conventional-looking cis-woman, I will dive into moments in my life where I was apparently "not woman enough." 

After five years away from Asia, I finally returned and traveled to Tokyo, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions. Tokyo felt more like Hong Kong than Berlin and yet, not my home at all. Check out my rough travel diary with a bit of personal reflections and a lot of cultural rediscoveries, especially if you are a weeb. To my friends: tune in to this episode if you still haven't heard back from me about "how was your trip?"   

On April 27th, I gathered with a group of Berliners in Moabit, Berlin to gossip about everything (especially our families). We covered topics from broader social issues to the most intimate anecdotes of our lives. While many feel pressured to be cool and unique in Berlin, some of us found happiness in the ordinary. Most topics started with specific cultural backgrounds, but were mostly about how we dealt with absurdity in our upbringing as humans.  Easter eggs: A lot of personal scandals exposed. No shame needed!

After going through a divorce, I genuinely wish the best for people when they get married—it's no easy journey. Some people had more ups and downs than cryptocurrency. Sorry for always bringing up financial stuff; I'm from Hong Kong and grew up with ticker symbols as my lullaby. Are there any other malevolent kids out there who secretly wished their parents would split? You're not alone. I also shared my ideal type to connect with the socially unpopular crowds.

Hooray! Lunar New Year is finally basically over, so now I am gonna rant about this festival. Honestly, I might just be a lazy shit, so I am always slow with podcast updates. Getting lazy-shamed by comedians is a new experience for me as a cliche workaholic Asian. Have you ever given advice to your friends and regretted it, sometimes even losing friends like this? Also, do you feel like you need to lie to people because you care about their (fragile) feelings?

There are two things I find difficult as a socially awkward introvert - small talk in a work meeting and small talk before sex. Dating apps might have closed the door for some extroverts, but it has definitely saved my ass. People tend to create a stereotypical image of the person they are dating. I was sometimes seen as the emotionless dating machine, while usually, I am just an Asian struggling with memorizing European names.

My favorite topic - how “being poor” is different from “being poor”, speaking from my experience as the "middle class" kid in the working class world. Poor people also need some authentic and diverse representation beyond the fundraising campaigns. No competition here, just remembering what my mom used to say about growing her own food and sharing one piece of meat with her whole family. I can never beat her on that, just like some rich kids can never outearn their parents.

Berlin is getting cleaner, but it's losing a bit of that famous poor and charm. Same story back in Hong Kong. I'm feeling nostalgic for the bustling wet markets where Asian moms scored all their essentials and gossiped, the best networking location for them. Ever wondered why people hold eggs up to the light? Oh, and don't get me started on those adult magazines – turns out they were my first education teachers.

Visiting the gynecologist is the worst experience, so bad that it feels like my soul would escape from my body. Do you know that many comedians are actually trying to save money on therapy by doing stand-up? As part of the workaholic folks, I have some advice that I often fail to follow myself, but seriously, let's stop being stupid! Of course, I didn't forget to mention my mom - how I was born as a grassroots kid and she trained me to be even more grassroots!

My biggest joy is checking what's in the junk email every week. Besides the notifications about someone matching with me on Tinder, there's some other juicy stuff that keeps me awake all the time. It's hard to believe that English has become my primary survival tool, despite my initial promise to avoid it at all costs. You will hear the most inappropriate content so far in this episode, along with plenty of wild thoughts. Grab your headphones before hitting play.

Being away from Hong Kong has kinda left me out of the loop when it comes to what's expected socially. But I'll never forget the battles I faced with my body while growing up. These days, I can wear whatever I want without a second thought, but back then, even buying new clothes was a nightmare. And then there's my parents' upbringing, which just added more layers to Hong Kong's already intense beauty standards – a blend of communism and consumerism that doesn't do any favors to anyone.

I am sure it’s not just me, silence expectations often surprise newcomers in Germany. Is loud chewing a punishable offense? Also, let’s stop shying away from the mystery behind the suspicious content recommended to us on social media. A little sentimental after this - time to revisit an old acquaintance who still lingers in my thoughts. Of course, you are not gonna miss my golden household tips.

Getting down to the surface after my years of internship in Berlin, here's the topic of my presentation – German efficiency (Entschuldigung, where?). You're gonna hear my review on everyday experience, vibes, and all that jazz. Heads up, I’ve got a bunch of complaints, so join me or beat me!  

Setting the expectation! You are gonna hear what I wanna do with this podcast, and what you can expect in the following episodes. No big promises, just a laid-back journey with surprises in store.