Explore every episode of the podcast Banana Q: a Filipino-Flavored Podcast

We talk about our personal highlights of 2023 which include a lot of revenge travel and new roles and hobbies.

We also share the results of Banana Q podcasts's Spotify Wrapped and then talk about our favorite TV shows and movies discovered during the year. 

Show Notes:

Oxford Word of the Year 2023

We share money-saving tips (pagtitipid tips) that Filipinos do and discuss the line between frugal and cheap.

Notes:

Walang sayang pag Filipina ang asawa mo

Tipid Tips: 100+ Ways to Save Thousands of Pesos Every Month

We finally have our first reunion since we started this podcast... in Hong Kong. We give tips on what to do when traveling to Hong Kong, tackling different spots such as Wan Chai, Stanley, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Mongkok, Tung Chung, and Lamma Island.

We discussed Hotels.com, Klook, Jollibee, The Peak, Big Bus Tours, Symphony of Lights, Avenue of Stars, K11 Musea Mall, Bakehouse, Flash Coffee, Eggettes, Tim Ho Wan, cha chaan teng, Ladies Market, Lee Tung Avenue, City Gate Outlet, Rainbow Seafood Restaurant, and Aqua.

We talk about our favorite toys while growing up as '90s kids in the Philippines - Barbie dolls, action figures, jackstones, pick up sticks, marbles, fighting spiders and sea shells and pogs and teks and trading cards, Monopoly, Gameboy, brick game, Tamagotchi, family computer, and arcade.

Realizations: it was simultaneously more dangerous yet healthier to be a child back then?

Also mentioned: the urban myth about how putting kisses in cotton would make them give birth.

You might also like: Ep 77: Philippine Squid Games

We talk about the cons of being an Overseas Filipino Worker, including experiencing being stereotyped and feeling like a second class citizen abroad, missing food and events back home, and being confused about what “home” means now.

We explain what's a balikbayan box and pasalubong, and give tips from ourselves and Qties (our listeners) on the best gifts that you can get from different countries - Canada, Italy, Finland, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Philippines.

Show Notes:

What is a Balikbayan Box?

We Tried What Ex-OFWs Miss in Singapore (Rey & Dee guest on YouTube)

Balikbayan Box from Singapore to Philippines

We discuss the most popular social media platforms and their differences - Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Tiktok, YouTube.

We delve into a bit of nostalgia talking about the first popular Social media platforms in the Philippines back in the day - Friendster and Multiply.

We share the social media etiquette rules you need to stop breaking.

Show Notes:

Understanding the Difference in Social Media Platforms

13 Social Media Etiquette Rules You Really Need to Stop Breaking

Timeline: James Gunn’s long and winding road from Troma to the top of DC Studios

We talk about Asian representation in Hollywood, from Bruce Lee to Crazy Rich Asians to Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. We also discuss Filipino representation, from Jacob Batalon to Vanessa Hudgens to... Lumpia with a Vengeance.

Show Notes:

What Michelle Yeoh's win really says about Hollywood

Uncovering The Complex History of Asian Representation in Hollywood

How Crazy Rich Asians Changed Hollywood And No One Noticed

Only 44 top ranking movies featured Asian American leads in the past decade

Why 'Indiana Jones' and 'The Goonies' Kid Star Ke Huy Quan Quit Acting for 20 Years

10 Hollywood celebrities you might not know have Filipino Blood

How Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Gets Filipino Culture Right

10 Films with Asian American Representation

Lumpia with a Vengeance

For Filipino Americans, seeing ourselves in a summer movie is a wonder

We answer these questions: Why is Accountancy a popular course choice in the Philippines? What do accountants actually do?

We share our real life experiences in Finance-related roles in Philippines, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong, which include: assistant accountant, IRM auditor, business process owner, accounts payable analyst, hedge fund accountant, private equity and real estate accountant, projects and reporting coordinator, product controller, financial planning & analysis manager, finance business partner, and CFO (chief financial officer).

We give tips on how to thrive in corporate life and how to turn fund accounting into FUN accounting.

Show Notes:

3 Reasons Accounting Job is the Top Choice in the Philippines

Why the Philippines is a Top Choice for Offshore Accounting

We share some outdated laws that Filipinos still have to live with, which include not offending religious feelings, owning a deadly pana, or being merely annoying.

Show Notes:

15 Weird Laws Filipinos Still Have To Live With

Offending Religion: The Case of Carlos Celdran

We interview Cate, an accountant in Australia, about her heartbreaking struggle of trying to have a baby. She talks about her endometriosis and multiple cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Show Notes:

Why Michelle Obama’s revelation that she had a miscarriage and did IVF matters

We talk about possible side hustles that you can do to supplement your income. We also discuss how Filipinos are very entrepreneurial and the culture shock that came from moving abroad and discovering it wasn't the norm there.

Show Notes:

44 Profitable Side Hustle Ideas to Make Extra Money

Rey explains what inflation is for the average Juan, and includes discussion on the heavily memed phenomenon of the huge increase in price of onions in the Philippines. 

We review the Philippine national symbols and think about what we would choose to update them to be more representative of Filipinos in the modern times.

We learn about Chinese New Year history and traditions in China, Philippines, and other places.

Show Notes:

Chinese New Year Wikipedia

How The Philippines Celebrates Lunar New Year

We talk about our favorite travel destinations within the Philippines and around the world. We also share our most disappointing experiences and funniest bloopers. Finally, we discuss why we love to travel.

Listen to Dee’s other travel bloopers on:

• Ep 86: Pinoy Travel Problems
• Ep 47: What are True Petty Crimes in the Philippines?

Read about Dee’s travels on http://adeecodedlife.com/travelogues

We talk about our personal highlights of 2022 which include big milestones. In relation to these, we end up sharing life and career advice including how to stay young and how to be Sir Chief. We also share the results of Banana Q podcasts's Spotify Wrapped and then talk about our favorite TV shows and movies discovered during the year. Dee picks After Life, Mythic Quest, The Afterparty, and Everything, Everywhere, All At Once while Rey goes for National Treasure, Wednesday, Boba Fett, and Top Gun: Maverick.

Other Banana Q podcast episodes mentioned:

• Ep 97: Buying vs Renting a Home
• Ep 98: This is 40 - Expectations vs Reality
• Ep 66: What Career Advice Would You Give to Gen Z?
• Ep 16: What Shows Did You Find Binge-worthy in 2020?
• Ep 69: The Highlights of Our 2021

We give tips on how to give thoughtful gifts for Christmas and other occasions, and give examples of good presents that we gave or received.

Show Notes:

How to Give Thoughtful Gifts (Plus 10 Thoughtful Gift Ideas)

We discuss common toxic misconceptions that people have about Filipinas who date foreigners (usually Westerners) with the aid of Kach Umandap's article on her blog.

Show Notes:

Truth and Lies About Filipinas Dating Foreigners

Rey finally gets to visit the home country and be a balikbayan again after 3 years, and talks about changes he noticed in post-Pandemic Philippines.

We talk about royals that exist in modern times. We discuss Philippine monarchy in the past and touch on a bit of history, finally tackling the last unanswered question from our trailer. We lay out the pros and cons of monarchy and share whether or not we wanna be royals.

Show Notes:

Wikipedia

Pros and cons of the monarchy

We have reached 3 digit number of episodes so we talk about Top 3:

• Most downloaded episodes
• Audience demographics and what music they listen to
• Most memorable quotes
• Words most used in our comments 
• Commenters
• Realizations 
• Things we look forward to

The most memorable quotes are from the episodes below:

• Ep 84: Climate Crisis
• Ep 22: How Did Filipino Chinese Tycoons Build Their Empires?
• Ep 48: Why Do (Most) Cebuanos Hate to Speak in Tagalog?

We talk about the afterlife and learn the beliefs of different religions - Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse, Catholic, Islam, Buddhist, and Hindu. We also talk about mediums, near death experiences, and the possibility of uploading your consciousness to a virtual reality as portrayed in the shows Upload and Black Mirror (San Junipero). Finally, we talk about our ideal afterlife and bring up The Good Place.

Dee turns 40 and interviews same aged Filipino friends based all over the world about what life is like for them. Did reality meet their expectations? 

• Chi, corporate lawyer, talks about the good and bad things about being 40 and childfree by choice.
• Cate, accountant, shares her heartbreaking struggle of trying to have a child.
• Flisha, IT manager, talks about her "geriatric pregnancy" and having a baby at 40.
• Elma, process engineer, confesses about not feeling mature enough and how her career priorities changed as a mother.
• Tyne, former director in fund accounting, talks about paradigm shift in career and peer/personal pressure.
• Jefrey, nomad chef, shares his journey of quitting his job as a vice president in Finance to start a new career as a chef.

We talk about the pros and cons of buying vs renting a home.

Pros:

• Building wealth through equity
• Low mortgage interest rates
• Freedom to renovate and modify your house as you see fit
• No surprises in rent prices

Cons:

• Less flexibility to move
• Significant asking price
• Home expenses like repairs, maintenance fees, and insurance

Owning your home used to be the practical choice, but this is no longer the case. What changed?

We interview Reuben, who talks about the methods he used to learn more about our national language, Tagalog, and shares the deeper words and interesting tidbits of history that he came across while doing his research.

Why do we want to be attractive? What is considered attractive in the Philippines and why is it not what the average Filipino looks like? What is colonial mentality? And on a related note, what is the criteria for picking the most beautiful woman in the universe?

What are some faux pas (embarrassing acts) that you can commit in the Philippines? How can you recover from them?

How do you know if you're having a job burnout? What are its possible causes and consequences? How do you handle it?

What usually happens in Pinoy parties? How early should you show up? What should you bring? What food and activities can you expect? What should you do so as not to be branded as a killjoy and never be invited again?

Change is coming... we have an important announcement to make. But before that, we discuss the most common types of change we encounter and give tips on how to deal with them.

How did Marimar change Philippine TV history? Did you fall for Angelo or Eduardo on Pangako Sayo? How did John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo become a love team?

Ride on the nostalgia train along da riles as we discuss TV tropes of popular comedy, love, action, drama, and fantasy shows with matching sing-along theme songs.

TV shows mentioned: Marimar, Mara Clara, Home Along da Riles, Palibhasa Lalake, Ober da Bakod, Mula sa Puso, Pangako Sayo, Ang Probinsyano, Tayong Dalawa, Natutulog ba ang Diyos, Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay, Imortal, Mulawin, Darna.

What Pinoy expressions can you teach non Filipinos? Mabuhay? Kamusta? Nah, too boring! We share unusual ones like 'ay kabayo!' and 'bahala na si Batman' then explain how to use them and dig into their origins.

We interview Arlo (host of Typitalks with Arlo podcast) about what life is like as an overseas Filipino worker in Switzerland. He talks about how he landed a job as an architect in Basel, and refutes rumors about Swiss people, Swiss life, and certain Swiss scenes from the Kdrama Crash Landing On You.

Check out Arlo's podcast: https://anchor.fm/typitalkswitharlo

We discuss what elections in the Philippines is like, including political parties, campaign strategies, and election day unscrupulous practices. We share some of the most bizarre nuisance candidates and end on what we would do if we were president of the Philippines.

We share problems that Filipinos face when traveling due to our weak spending power and passport. We also talk about what to expect when traveling with Filipinos such as kuripot habits, hospitable OFW hosts everywhere in the world, and culture shock.

We talk about things we wished we knew before we left the Philippines in our 20s with a time travel twist. We discuss lessons we learned and how we would have lived things differently had we known then what we know now.

We share facts about climate change including causes and actions being done, as well as what we can personally do to help.

We give tips on how to survive a zombie apocalypse based on zombie shows and movies.

We talk about why we think most Filipinos don't like to read books. We share how we fell in love with reading, what are its benefits, why it's so difficult to read now, and how to get into the habit of reading books.

We interview Eliza Victoria, a Filipino author who wrote Wounded Little Gods and After Lambana. She talks about her writing process from how she comes up with her ideas to how to get published. She answers the question on whether you earn a lot from being an author in the Philippines.

https://elizavictoria.com/

We talk about the history of the bucket list and go through popular items that people have on theirs. We share what we have achieved ourselves, as well as what activities would actually make us kick the bucket while trying to do it.

We talk about notorious real life swindlers on these shows - Tinder Swindler, Inventing Anna, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, The Dropout, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Catch Me If You Can.

We discuss the famous people we idolized, why we adored them, and how we expressed our admiration in the past versus the present. We also talk about celebrity encounters.

If the show Squid Game was set in the Philippines, what would the games be? We talk about traditional childhood games that we played while growing up. Note: there are spoilers for the Netflix show.

Divorce is not allowed in the Philippines but there is currently a bill proposing its legalization, so we thought it would be interesting to debate its merits. We take opposing sides and present our arguments which include domestic violence, religion, and effects on children.

We talk about what goes on in traditional Roman Catholic weddings in the Philippines and compare them to those of other religions and cultures. Dee gives tips on how to write a maid of honor speech.

We chat with Franck and Kring, a French and Filipino couple who met through online dating in New Zealand. We discuss cultural differences in dating between the French and Filipinos and whether online dating is considered taboo in each culture before diving into its perks and pitfalls. We discuss: serial killers, gold diggers, catfishers and scammers.  

Links:

The Greener Side Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

Francky YouTube channel | Instagram

We talk about why a lot of Filipinos are bad at saving. Rey explains investing basics (long term deposits, bonds, stocks) in layman's terms that can be understood by the average Juan, sharing what works for him personally with no agenda except to answer a listener's question.

COLFinancial is our broker. This episode is not sponsored by them nor Jollibee.

We interview Penny, a US-based Filipino mother of three. She talks about childcare, school, after-school activities, forms of discipline, and whether her kids know how to speak Tagalog. We compare American parenting style to what we experienced from our own parents while growing up in the Philippines.

Also discussed: the challenges of pandemic home-schooling.