American K-sisters

Adieu, Season 4! and Moving On To Different Paths, Ep.40

The season is changing, and it is time for us to wrap up the Season 4. In this last episode of the season, Heena and Linda share what they have enjoyed and learned from the last two seasons, recording all the episodes in English. They also talk about the challenges they experienced and how they resolved the issues working together as best friends. There is a big announcement at the end, so stay tuned!
[Mentioned In This Episode]
Episode 21: Who Are American K-sisters? From Hot Seat Questions to the Advent of Our Podcast
 
Get Updates on Heena’s Future Project from this channel and our Instagram account @AmericanKsisters
 
Follow Linda!
Sign up for Linda’s monthly essayletter at DefinitelyNotOkay.com
See Linda’s artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Her Goodbye Grandmother Project on Instagram @GoodbyeGrandmother
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

Chasing Quokkas and Soccer Balls, Linda’s Epic Trip to Oceania, Ep.39

How has your Summer been? Have you traveled anywhere for your vacation, or are you planning a trip in the near future? In this episode, Linda talks about her recent trip to ‘down under’, Australia and New Zealand (Aotearoa), where she suffered a near heart attack from quokka’s cuteness and proudly donned a Korean flag during the 2023 Women’s World Cup games even when Korean players were not playing (find out more in the episode!). Also, Linda shares that she powered through seasickness with Gin Gin during her trip and wrote a letter to BTS RM! Are you ready for Linda’s spectacular travel story?
 
[Mentioned in this Episode]
Quokka
 
Kia ora
 
Aotearoa
 
Māori people
 
BTS Bon Voyage Season 4 (2019)
 
Note 1: Hooligans and ultras, groups of soccer fans often associated with violence and disorderly behavior at soccer matches, are the words Heena couldn’t remember (15:18)
Note 2: The video Heena mentioned in the show (31:10) is actually from a Rugby game
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

Let’s Talk About Friends! Old and New, Close and Distant, Ghosted and Renewed, Ep.38

True friends don’t come by easily, especially when you are all grown-up and do not belong to any schools or organizations. In this episode, Linda and Heena talk about various aspects of friendship they have experienced. 
Linda has become quite good at finding new social groups through frequent moves but confesses challenges in developing the relationships further. As an ‘introverted’ social butterfly, Heena practices her socializing skills at work and alumni events. They also share the hardship of losing friends due to inevitable alienations and other life circumstances.
How do you usually make & maintain friendships? Share your tips & memorable friendship stories with us!   
 
[Mentioned in this Episode]
Episode 30: How We Became American K-sisters, From Greeting with Ni-hao to Making a Korean Podcast Together   
Meetup.com
Eventbrite: A website where you can browse, create, and promote local events  
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

From Anger to Depression, Struggles of Asian Americans in the Netflix series ’Beef’ Ep.37

‘The aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers who brought chaos to each other’s life’ perfectly describes the 2023 Emmy nominee Netflix show ‘Beef’. 
 
In this episode, Linda and Heena review the show from a variety of angles - from personal experiences with anger and depression to social issues such as immigration, wealth gaps, and parental relationships.
 
A BIG SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t watched the show, pause our episode right now and come back after finishing the show!
 
[SHOWNOTE]
Watch Beef on Netflix
The New Yorker Review: Comic High Jinks and Repressed Despair in Netflix’s “Beef”
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

8 Years of My Joyous K-pop Life with Shaya, Ep.36

Shaya Morgan (she/her) has been a K-pop fan for eight years. Her first encounter was Psy’s Gangnam Style, and the girl group Sistar led her into the myriad of K-pop songs and dances. Her ult group is Exo, but a variety of artists fill her 58-hour-long Spotify playlist. Shaya, as a Guyanese American, also shares her personal experiences of navigating anti-Black sentiments in K-pop music and its fandom. 
 
[Mentioned in This Episode]
Shaya’s IG
Shaya’s Spotify playlist: The Ultimate K-POP Playlist       
EXO’s Showtime (2013)
YouTube reaction video for EXO - EX’ACT album
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

Going Strong with 2023 Goals! A Mid-Year Check-in with Linda & Heena, Ep.35

Happy Summer! We can’t believe half of 2023 has passed by already. How’s your year been so far? Are you still sticking with your new year’s plans? 
 
In this episode, Linda and Heena check in on their individual goals and share their progress. Tune in to learn more about Linda’s beautiful artwork and Heena’s new passion projects (which you can sign up for!) 
 
What’s your biggest gain in the first half of this year and what are you looking forward to in its second half? Let us know by taking a poll on our Instagram story @AmericanKsisters! 
 
[Linda’s Creative Work]
Subscribe to the Monthly Essay at DefinitelyNotOkay.com
May Essayletter: Rest in Peace, Moonbin
Artwork on IG @KoreanLinda
Goodbye Grandmother Project IG @GoodbyeGrandmother
Instagram #Testercall (knitting and crochet patterns)
Crochet BT21 Mang with no mask #KoreanLindaCrochet
 
[Heena’s Projects]
If you’re a young professional navigating your career or a recent graduate, reach out to Heena at AmericanKsisters@gmail.com for a casual career talk and Q&A
희나언니와 커피챗 - 미국 유학 & 취업 상담
Peloton digital app membership
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com
 

A Journey of Finding My Queer Self with Miss Christine, Ep.34

We invited our music sponsor Miss Christine to talk about walking on their journey of queer discoveries and creating space for queer folks in their original songs. Christine Moad, a bassist and singer-songwriter, blends indie rock with blues and soul influences delivered with a defiant punk attitude to open listeners’ minds to possibilities beyond the gender binary. This episode is a fantastic way to wrap up Pride month; however, remember that the struggles and celebration of LGBTQ+ lives continue throughout the year.
 
[Miss Christine Bio]
Christine Moad has traveled the world from Tennessee to Monaco as a professionally touring bassist. They attended the Berklee College of Music before gaining experience as a session musician in Nashville. Christine defied expectations yet again by leaving Nashville behind for a farm near Iowa City where they write and record their original songs. Miss Christine released their debut solo album, Conversion, in 2019. The follow-up, “Bittersweet,” is now available on CD with a digital release set for 2023.
 
[Miss Christine Links]
Miss Christin Website
New album Bittersweet
Instagram @MissChristineMusic
 
[Book Recommendations by Christine]
Refusing Compulsory Sexuality by Sherronda J. Brown
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
Ace by Angela Chen
How to They/Them by Stuart Getty 
What's Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She by Dennis Baron
How to Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life by Jeffrey Marsh
 
[LGBTQ Resource List from Christine]
Genderbread person
The Trevor Project Resources
One Iowa
Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund
Twitter @ErinIntheMorn (an independent journalist who posts frequently about LGBTQ news around the country)
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

Cheers to you, Dad! Ep.33

Happy Father’s Day!
Do you have any plans for Father’s Day this year? If you ask Linda and Heena, they would say ‘Nothing.’ Huh? 
Don’t get them wrong because you will find out the reasons in this episode where American K-sisters explain how they show their appreciation for each of their fathers. They also share sweet memories with their fathers and how much they love their K-dads!
 
[Mentioned in This Episode]
Sarira: Śarīra usually refers to pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are apparently found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters
Music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

Loud and Proud, We Welcome LGBTQ+ Month with Linda, Ep.32

June has something special to celebrate: LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH! To join the celebration, we invited a special guest: our cohost Linda. Linda talks about her queer identity and learning about each one. Also, she shares the story of coming out to herself, her partner, friends, and family over several years. Heena helps out with the conversation with various questions including “What are your day-to-day challenges of living in this hetero-normative society?” “What would you like to say to our queer listeners?”
 
[Time Stamps]
(00:00) Intro
(00:23) Opening: Today’s Topic
(01:34) Linda’s Queer Identities
(17:14) Coming Out Story
(30:26) Daily Challenges
(40:16) Messages to Queer Listeners
 
[Mentioned in This Episode]                                                      
Meetup.com
Resources compiled by The Trevor Project
 
[More on American K-sisters]
Website: AmericanKsisters.com
Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters
Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com       
Music: MissChristineMusic.com

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with a Special Guest Eileen, Ep.31

Eileen is finally here! Eileen “the most mentioned person in our show” is our loyal audience and a good friend of Heena and Linda. She is also a 1.5-generation Malaysian-Chinese immigrant who has Korean DNA (in the heart). In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), Eileen talks about her recent trip to Malaysia for QingMing Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) and her story of growing up in the States in an immigrant family. Last but not least, she clarifies her stance on Jjampong noodle soup (Check out Ep.19)!
 
[Time Stamps]
(00:23) Intro
(02:19) How Eileen met K-sisters
(07:52) Eileen’s recent visit to Malaysia for Qing Ming Festival
(17:39) Eileen’s story as a 1.5-generation immigrant
(33:07) What Korea means to Eileen
(39:12) Closing
 
[Mentioned in This Episode]
Qingming Festival: a traditional Chinese festival observed by ethnic Chinese celebrating Spring on the first day of the fifth of the lunar calendar
Hagwon: the Korean-language word for a for-profit private institute, academy, or cram school prevalent in South Korea
Jjampong: a Chinese-style Korean noodle soup with red, spicy, and seafood-based broth flavored with red chili powder
The ‘Jjampong’ episode (Ep.19): What would be your last meal on earth? Salty-snacker Linda and sweet-toothed Heena’s wild talk about food
Seventeen’s new song: Super
 
[More on American K-sisters]
- Instagram: @AmericanKsisters
- Email: AmericanKsisters@gmail.com
- Website: AmericanKsisters.com
- YouTube: YouTube.com/@AmericanKsisters       
- Music: MissChristineMusic.com