The Customs House Podcast

It's the first couples edition of The Customs House Podcast. Carlo and Phil sit down with friends Ian Pisano and Claudia Vega. Having met during their MBA program, Ian and Claudia share their experiences dating across different (yet similar) cultures and how business school has changed the way they see the world.

From Vietnam to Malaysia, the Southeast Asian craft beer scene is at an inflection point, a young and vibrant industry that's the focus of this week's episode. Joining Carlo and Phil is Saigon-based advertising veteran Oliver Woods, who is one of the region's foremost pundits in the industry and founder of BeerAsia, a community for people to enjoy, discuss and celebrate Asian beer culture. The guys talk to him about Vietnamese taxi drivers, home brewing, and the peculiar phenomenon of whale testicle-flavored beer.

From real housewives to Rwandan football legends, this week's guest is no stranger to storytelling. Carlo and Phil talk to their friend Laura Authier about the challenges and rewards of being in the creative industry in Asia and how entertainment is changing post-Covid-19. They also share their thoughts on Asian egg cartoons, sourdough and Laura's next Emmy Award-winning show.

The Big Apple is in the spotlight in this week's episode. Phil and Carlo pick the brain of their good friend Donna Cruz, a New York resident of about five years. She talks about the immigrant experience in the US, surprising Craigslist roommates, and how educating oneself is the best course of action in a time of social upheaval.

Phil and Carlo's friend Miriam Kim joins them for the show in this week's episode. As one of millions Koreans living abroad, Miriam shares her own personal stories of Korean cuisine around the world and how people's perceptions of her own culture have gradually changed. They even touch on Korean pop culture's global influence, dissecting the the fascinating world of "SKY Castle" and the world of exclusive Korean universities.

In this week's episode, Phil and Carlo talk to their buddy and agritech enthusiast Rishi Mandhyan. Son of an Indian immigrant to the Philippines, Rishi shares how his father's adventures and work across continents influences the way he sees the world, how curiosity shapes his perspectives, and how he hopes to see the future of food (and rice).

Phil and Carlo sit down with their buddy and resident sports expert Andro Torres to talk about their own personal sports stories, the migration of professional athletes, and homegrown Asian promotions such as ONE Championship. It's the universal sporting story of human struggle that still unites the world and they explore how its power is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

With life's most unexpected curveball still in mid-flight, Carlo and Phil talk to their buddy Julian Legazpi, a seasoned Filipino-Canadian entrepreneur, mentor and businessman. With work experience in Austria, Canada and Southeast Asia, Julian talks to the guys about looking at life in decades, staying productive throughout Covid-19, and how his experiences have helped prepare him for a time like this.

While continuing their life tucked away at home, Phil and Carlo muse the future after the pandemic. In this second episode, they speculate on Covid-19's effects on travel, basic social interactions, and even on professional life. What is the likelihood (or unlikelihood) of taking short weekend getaways to Bangkok, Hong Kong or Bali (expat favorites)? Will we even be attending concerts anytime soon? And how will companies be forced to adapt in an age of telecommuting?

For their pilot episode, Phil and Carlo set the stage for this podcast series. What used to be a trading and expedition outpost, Singapore is now their backdrop and facilitator in this exchange of stories and anecdotes about what it means to be living abroad. In this first installment, they take us through the ups and downs of overseas life and their favourite things about being an expat.