Why an S and not a V?

Feb 12 2024

Why an S and not a V? Podcast artwork

"Why an S and not a V?" is a look at Vietnamese history, culture and food from the perspective of a Vietnamese person born out in the wider world. There's all these things my parents never told me because they were busy working and living, now I found some time to catch up on it.

This is a metamorphosis of the original Post Cerebral Infarction and Your Internet Uncle podcasts, where I tried to remember things to help me learn about my roots.

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Enter the (Year of the) Dragon

Feb 12 2024 52 mins

Chúc mừng năm mới! Kung Hei Fat Choi (gōng xǐ fā cái)! We break in the new year wondering why nations wouldn't pick dragons as their astrological critter. Dennis critiques Vietnamese traditional food offerings of the period and I try not to bump the microphone.

2023 Trips

Feb 05 2024 41 mins

In October 2023, was in LA with Beardsley and we stopped at Little Saigon in Westminster, California and then a few weeks later I went to Saigon proper to visit Jen and my family. Just some notes from the two trips.

Lemongrass

Dec 29 2023 33 mins

We talk about lemongrass, Dennis' favourite herb and its origin and its uses. There are a lot.

Tony

Nov 20 2023 6 mins

It got weird going from being the hidden middle child to being the oldest. I am the oldest biological child of my parents. Like Catelyn Stark, my mom hated this adopted child, though he did earn some of it. It gets complicated when you're uprooted from the home you know, ripped away from your bio mom and siblings and get taken to a frozen land. I wasn't sure what he was u

Viet Fellas

Nov 10 2023 24 mins

I never fulfilled the Viet stereotype in Canada, but I surprisingly met a number of people who did.PS - I was told viet folks will move to edmonton, calgary, saskatoon, etc. from vancouver / toronto, to escape heat from the police there

Songs of the South (Vietnam)

Oct 31 2023 31 mins

It is weird on what Vietnamese will like from outside the nation. For example, in 2023, Jen tells me the popular foreign beer of choice is...Budweiser. For Vietnamese expats (Viet Kieu), Bud was popular in the 80s and 90s. Music wise, Hotel California seems to have made a lasting impression on older Vietnamese, including making me hate the song because it was played ad nauseum duri

Stiff Ones and their Hangover Friends (redux)

Oct 19 2023 19 mins

I've tied on a few and can count the number of blackouts I remember on one hand!PS: Redux of Season 1, Episode 7 "Slightly darker black (out)".

NHL

Oct 06 2023 11 mins

I used to watch professional hockey. No one in my family ever did. I don't know why or how I started, but I enjoyed it (also MLB when the Jays won back to back world series. Yes, I am a wagon hopper). The desire to watch took many blows over the years. It wasn't even because of the decline in the 90s with the VCR line or early 2010s drought (to be fair 2006 was a miracle

Vietnam (general memories)

Oct 05 2023 22 mins

Some random notes from my 76 (actually 6, no Dennis, I'm telling the truth) trips to Vietnam. Also a way to segue into our follow up podcast series about Vietnam.

Musical Instruments

Sep 29 2023 4 mins

I have no rhythm, I have no melody. It wasn't for lack of trying to learn a couple of instruments when I was younger and more daring.