Banana Q: a Filipino-Flavored Podcast

What are the most common New Year's resolutions and how do you make them stick? We share tips on how to do that by stacking habits, removing friction, and rewarding yourself, among other things.

We talk about Filipino superstitious beliefs. How do you attract prosperity on New Year's Eve? What shouldn't you do before going to bed if you don't want to be blind or not wake up at all? What number is often associated with death? We bust a few beliefs and theorize why some of them could have been started.

We recap our predictions for 2021 (from episode 17) and review if any of them came true. We talk about our personal highlights of 2021 which include new accomplishments, milestones, and interesting travel experiences within our respective countries. We also talk about our top 3 favorite TV shows discovered during the year. Rey picks Lupin, What If, and Arcane while Dee goes for Ted Lasso, Loki, an...

We interview JP Rances, a Filipino nurse who has traveled and worked in several countries around the world. He started as a volunteer nurse in the Philippines before finding employment in Saudi Arabia, Suriname, Sint Maarten, Belize and eventually in England. We get to know how it is like to be a nurse abroad and understand why despite the long hours and risks involved, Nursing is still one of the...

For this Paskong Pinoy Podcaster special, eight Filipinos living all over the world talk about how Christmas is celebrated in Japan, Hong Kong, London, Dubai, New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, and Australia. They also talk about what they miss about Christmases back home in the Philippines. Featuring Christine ( Lagim ), Jeric ( Langga Speaks ), Ray ( The Nerdy Fans ), Roma ( Empowered Talks ), Law...

We share our career tips including how to: make a good first impression at work build relationships with stakeholders handle mistakes get a promotion negotiate your salary Also discussed: the great resignation, Harvey Specter, what The Devil Wears Prada and auditing firms have in common, and the funniest promotion announcement Dee has been a part of.

We interview two Filipinos who moved to the US through two of the most common routes: Angelli Angara - moved to Phoenix through sponsorship from her employer Cydric Macapagal - got his green card through a US Citizen Petition from his parents living in California We talk about their experience in transitioning to the US and whether Hollywood portrayal of American life is close to reality.  Angelli...

A listener requests if we can talk about midlife crisis, so we do just that. We read the history as well as some symptoms of midlife crisis. We share our thoughts and own experiences on the matter. Note that we’re only in our thirties and not experts on this subject! Links: The Invention of Midlife Crisis Signs You've Hit Your Midlife Crisis Buy us coffee Rate us on Podchaser

We talk about why hobbies are good for you. We share what hobbies we had as kids compared to our teens, twenties and thirties. We end with tips on how to find a hobby. Source: How To Find a Hobby via NYTimes

We interview Ray, a co-host of The Nerdy Fans podcast, about what it's like to live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. He talks about why felt compelled to leave the Philippines, and walks us through the path that made him an Overseas Filipino Worker in Auckland, New Zealand, where he is at his happiest. Check out: The Nerdy Fans Podcast

We talk about the price of a Philippine college diploma - not just the peso amount but the blood and sweat and tears that accompany it. We read a letter from our listener Diane Peralta, who shared the inspiring story of her friend Kuya B who could not afford college and what she sacrificed to help him pay for it. We share the experiences of our own friends who had similar circumstances and also ta...

On All Souls Day in a parallel universe we visit the grave of a friend who died in an unfortunate habal-habal accident. With our returning guest, Jeric of Langga Speaks Podcast, we story-tell three ghost encounters that will give you the chills for Halloween: A teacher at the University of the Philippines in a storm A nurse at an old hospital A student at the University of Santo Tomas We also disc...

We talk about why we humans need friends and how we usually make them through the different stages of life. We talk about how some friends become family, and share the seven traits of true friends who ascend to that level. Dee would like to dedicate this episode to her friend Ronald Roz, who passed away a few days after this episode was recorded. He was her college classmate and later on housemate...

In this sequel to episode 4, we talk about why we left Singapore and why a lot of Filipinos consider it to be a transit place. We share where we wanted to go and how we ended up in Japan and Hong Kong instead. We make a "pros and cons list" as we compare cost of living, food, weather, safety, cleanliness, language barriers, and culture of our new country against the ones we previously lived in. We...

We interview social and emotional intelligence coaches Carelle and RR Herrera about anxiety. They talk about what anxiety looks like and what causes it. They also give tips on how to manage anxiety and over-thinking.  Carelle and RR are the founders of Trainstation, a motivational training company that educates through seminars, workshops, public programs, and corporate trainings to address the be...

It’s Banana Q’s first anniversary! We talk about why and how we started a podcast. We go into a detailed explanation of our workflow and name all the equipment and resources we use for each phase. It’s an informative episode for curious listeners and includes valuable tips for wannabe podcasters. Monday Blogs Singapore Notes Buy us coffee Rate us on Podchaser

Dee and Rey slip into a parallel universe where Banana Q Rock is a radio station instead of a podcast. They get their listeners to share their favorite songs and end up discussing a wide variety of music genres loved by Filipinos. They also talk about why Filipinos love singing and some of the reasons why we love certain songs. Spotify Playlist Rate us on Podchaser

We interview Roy Kristoffer Sumang, the International Business Development Manager of Tanduay, about the rich history of Tanduay and how it became the iconic brand of today. We explore the rum making process and how the Filipino culture has been embedded in the brand. Roy also shares what we can expect from Tanduay in the future.

It is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, so we talk about terrorist groups and acts in the Philippines. Dee talks about what it was like to grow up in Zamboanga City where there were terrorist attacks and shares how she still got affected long after she left. You will laugh, then you will cry. Don’t miss this unique episode.

It’s almost Dee’s birthday, so we discuss how we celebrated birthdays in the Philippines compared to other countries and wonder why Filipinos have to treat people when it’s their birthday. We share the most memorable birthday surprises we received and threw and spell out our ideal birthdays.

We talk about globally famous conspiracy theories and their Philippine counterparts. Global conspiracies mentioned: moon landing, flat earth, Princess Diana’s accident, 9/11, Elvis Presley’s death, and D.B. Cooper. Philippine theories discussed: Typhoon Yolanda, Paul Walker’s death, USA’s secret underground base in Mindanao, Ninoy Aquino’s assassination, Ferdinand Marcos’s death, and multiple Jose...

Dee and guest host Glee of Gleeful Talk Show discuss some toxic comments or questions that are common with Filipinos: fat-shaming, discriminating against dark skin, asking why someone is still single, asking couples when they are having kids, gatekeeping what is wife material, speculating on whether someone is gay, and asking OFWs how much they earn. Notes Buy us coffee Rate us on Podchaser

We talk about Philippine legends, fables, and folk tales. Dee and Rey get lost in a forest and meet an engkanto played by the talented Jeric Defante of Langga Speaks Podcast. Notes Buy us coffee Rate us on Podchaser

We talk about the history of how Tagalog became the national language. Rey provides context on why most Cebuanos like him hate speaking in Tagalog. We discuss pros and cons of having a national language which includes discrimination felt by many Bisaya-speaking people. Notes Buy us coffee Rate us on Podchaser Jekert's blog post about this topic

We tackle true petty crimes and discuss Philippine scams - Tasaday, laglag bala, massage, sex, ATM skimming, investment, text message, online, and Budol-budol gang. Dee also talks about a time she got scammed and how it kicked off a series of crazy events. Notes Buy us coffee Rate us on Podchaser