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