Yapping About Stuff

My friends Andrew and Taylor join me once again to yap about their insane hot takes on Kpop and Taylor Swift. They also share crazy work stories dealing with customers (featuring an all time classic moment from Taylor). Also stay tuned towards the end for some juicy and wild family gossip from Andrew.

My friend, Lalaine, yaps with me about dealing with self-worth problems and impostor syndrome. As a Doctor (she passed the boards after we recorded the episode) and a striving Psychiatrist she offers an amazing insight to learning how to love yourself. The conversation is a beautiful and personal one (this was basically a free therapy session).

Full disclaimer: some of the stories here get a bit graphic as my good friend from grad school, Andrew, shares his experiences in the dating/hookup scene. Taylor and I contribute with our own stories as well, but they pale in comparison to the insanity that Andrew has experienced in his life. It gets weird and wild and you will feel sympathy, concern, amusement, and perhaps some pity towards Andrew once you hear his stories. 

My grad school friends, Taylor and Lauren, join me once again to discuss the crushes we had growing up. Taylor talks about seeing Chris Evans shirtless in the Fantastic Four movie, Lauren shares her love for the movie The Mummy, all while I look up pictures of Jessica Alba. We also yap about dealbreakers in dating, ideal types, and reminisce about our time together in grad school.

My college friend, Cel, yaps about her love for biking, experiences in dating, and her passion for activism and fighting for social change. She interrogates me about my experiences dating a mutual friend of ours and we share our rules and plans of dating other people in the future. It's a wild discussion as we navigate and (try to) relate the multitude of interests she has in life. Enjoy. 

My college friend and fellow teacher Bai and I discuss the recent 2022 Philippine Elections, what transpired, what this means moving forward, and the importance of maintaining the integrity of our history especially with regards to the period of Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos Sr. We talk about important topics such as the disinformation campaign that Bongbong Marcos ran, the misconceptions about Martial Law, and how to stay strong during these troubling times. Episode is a mix of English and Filipino.

My friend, Luigi Agbing, yaps about why pipes for poop should be the proper size in this informative discussion on architecture and urban planning. He tells his stories about his passion for architecture, becoming a licensed architect, and all the things he learned in between.

My friend Lauren and I share a lot of common interests, but none stronger than our shared love of Disney. We talk about our favorite Disney movies, our favorite Disney villains, favorite Disney songs, and how Lauren would like to see more LGBTQ representation in their movies going forward. 

Hello, JI Yap here. I decided to do another solo episode, and this time I am talking about my journey from gifted kid, to barely passing average student, to straight As while finishing my Master's Degree in Korea University. I share my secrets to my study habits and what I did to turn my academic life around.

My first bonus episode is my review of the highly rated animated series "Arcane" on Netflix. My friend, Osh, and I go into an in-depth discussion about plot points, characters, and storylines in the series. Also, SPOILERS. 

My friend, Trang, returns to yap about how miserable life is given her current work and the pandemic. Of course this devolves into complete chaos towards the end where we take many weird detours. 

My friend, Eir, and I discuss an ongoing debate in the gaming community of who the "real" gamers are. If you play more casual games, are you still considered a gamer? It's a debate centered around discrimination and gatekeeping in the gaming community and also makes for a fun and interesting podcast. 

A lot of "stuff" happened in the past year since the first episode I ever did with my friend, Bona. In short, the long-distance relationship we discussed in last year's episode has ended and we talk about how she has been dealing with that. She asks me for advice as I have dealt with a break up before, and I am the wisest person she knows (quote may not be accurate or have been said at any point). Also, paragliding. 

To celebrate my 1 year anniversary doing this podcast, I talk with my very good friend, Yuri, about how the last year has been since he first came on the podcast. We talk about our mental health and dealing with being stuck at home. We also delve into the upcoming Philippine presidential elections that can determine whether our future has some hope or we're all screwed. We share some laughs, discuss some important things, and express our feelings about the future of our country.

I share funny and beautiful drinking stories with my college friend, Joy. We reminisce about our drinking sessions in college and how deeply ingrained drinking is in Filipino culture.

My college friend, Gail, tells us her stories about moving to Australia, pursuing a Master's Degree, and dealing with her quarter-life crisis during this pandemic. She shares many insightful lessons that I relate to. 

My second cousin, Yanta, yaps about her new relationship, how she broke our "relationship curse", and her long term plans of moving back to New Zealand. She is a wonderful person who I love dearly, and I am glad to talk to her and catch up and learn about her new-found happiness in life.

Welcome to the podcast within the podcast: my Filipino episode series, "Usap Tayo". My first guest in this new series is an old friend, Earle Castillo. In this episode, Earle shares his life story from college dropout to champion stock trader to music producer. Full episodes of "Usap Tayo" with English subtitles will be released on my Youtube channel, "the awesomecactus" in due time. Have fun!

My high school friend and former barista, Nik, shares his love for coffee, the best Philippine coffee sources, his life as a barista, and his sexuality (this was recorded on June 29th for those wondering about the Pride Month reference). It's great to catch up with old friends and learn about the amazing lives they are living.

Esports caster Dathan Rosales yaps about his experiences in his career with games like Overwatch, Valorant, and Starcraft. We discuss his love for these games, and what the Philippine esports scene is like.  If you're interested in these games, check him out by searching "Daks Casts" on Facebook and Twitter to see him in action. 

Finally, the episode where I talk with my good friend Jae about our shared love for Twice. That's it (except for the weird intro about the interesting job he'll be taking up). 

My Korean friend, Jin, talks about his love for football, his desire for making money, and tips on working out and staying fit. 

My Filipino friend, Sherwin, has lived in Korea for six years. In those six years, he says the magic of Korea is still there and his love for the country stays true. He shares his favorite areas, his favorite food, along with some intellectual discussions about their society and culture from the perspective of a foreigner learning about it. 

My high school friend and future doctor Gio Ilagan talks about his experiences in Medical School, why he decided to vlog about these experiences, and the public health issues he sees in the Philippines especially during this pandemic. He provides a great insight into the life of a med student, what subjects he likes and doesn't like, the issue with the use of Copper Masks, and more in this week's episode. 

My college friend, Emman, shares his thoughts on society and politics, especially in the Philippines. We yap about the many problems we face and the importance of social sciences in understanding these problems. He also talks about how he became a basketball fan through his love for the great Kobe Bryant. And finally, we go deep into our shared love for Kpop and the changes we have seen in our favorite groups and music. 

Actor, vlogger, and an old friend of mine Jerilee Salvador talks about her passion for acting, her experiences after a few years in the field, and helpful advice for anyone trying to pursue their dreams. She gives amazing insight into the struggles of being a young actor and all the things she's learned in her journey (or Jerney as she calls it). 

My friend from college Dr. Bianca Alcantara talks about her love for Taylor Swift and the profession that she chose from a young age. She shares her stories of being one of Taylor's biggest fans, everything she loves about her, and her journey to becoming a doctor. Disclaimer: this was recorded before Taylor released her version of Fearless which is why it was not brought up in this episode. 

"Show up as the person you want to be." My friend, Jana, loves living life. She tells her story of finding herself and the life that she was able to create by being the best person she can be everyday. And, of course, her passion for astrology and birth charts (find out what mine is with me in this podcast). An amazing conversation with an amazing person. 

"Heroes wield the power of rulers, but they use it to serve as opposed to ruling."  My old high school friend, Osh, shares his insights and stories on the heroic narratives used in manga and anime. We discuss the ethics and moral dilemmas of being a hero, how this translates into real life, and how we can be heroes in our own right. And, of course, this deep and profound conversation takes many silly detours through the world of anime and video games. 

"Better, but not good." My friend Taylor Dame discusses his love and passion for politics, which stemmed from a young age. He teaches me about US (and Anglosphere) politics, his favorite (and disliked) presidents, and other influential people in US politics and US history. While this is a very educational topic, there is also room for goofiness and chaos in all my podcasts. 

My friend Trang loves connecting with people and experiencing life through them. We discuss how she forms these connections, her many relationships, and all the lessons she learned through her experiences. From respect to humor to seeing the value in each other, we cover many fundamental aspects of human connection. 

My friend Andrew Johnson loves Haikyuu and Lord of the Rings. We talk about these things among many other topics that form this chaotic conversation. Hope you can keep up and enjoy this wild ride of nonsense.

My friend Sophia is passionate about rocks and public transportation. As a geography major she has developed a deep love for these things, and she shares them with me in the week's episode (among other random nonsense, of course).

A short episode to follow up my last episode on anxiety and depression. Just a little piece I came up with about what I did/do to help me get through my anxieties and fears. If you relate, I hope you can be inspired by what I learned along the way.

This is my life story. The story of how I became the person I am today and why I do the things that I do, all the bumps along the road, and all the people I've met along the way. I pour my heart and soul into this. I might do more solo episodes like this in the future. Thanks and enjoy.

Do you like professional wrestling? My best friend Yuri Molina shares his passion for wrestling as he trains to be a wrestler in the Philippines. We discuss the wrestling scene in the country, with random tangents about sex and comparing Jesus to Doctor Who. Just normal conversations between us. Oh, and Twice, of course. All this and more on Yapping About Stuff, a podcast by JI Yap. 

This episode was recorded on January 7, 2021, following the horrific events in the US involving domestic terrorists attacking the Capitol. I discuss these events with a good American friend of mine, Lauren, and how the US and their political parties move forward. And of course, with some sarcasm and weird tangents here and there. And Kpop (naturally).Enjoy!If you have any stories to share, topics you want to teach, and issues you want to debate, feel free to message me in the following platforms so we can schedule a podcast recording session!IG: @the.awesome.cactusTwitter: Awesome_CactusKakao: AwesomeCactusemail: jifyap109@gmail.com

Recently, a storm has ravished many areas of the Philippines leaving towns and cities flooded. There are so many people doing so much to help relief and rescue operations to help the people who have been affected. In the description here I will link places you can go to find details to donate money, food, clothing, or anything you want to do to help. All that below. You can search for hashtags such as #RescuePH #TyphoonUlysses#PampangaNeedsHelp#CagayanNeedsHelp#IsabelaNeedsHelpIf I am missing anything, I apologize. The first two are the most general and a good starting point. Through those you can find a lot of information for places to donate and contact information. There is so much more you can find out on social media and online. Feel free to do some research about this. Any profits I get from this podcast I will also be donating. We must all do our parts to help everyone who has been affected by this storm, and to hold the government accountable for the poor job they have been doing. We need change NOW. 

What kind of serial killer would you be?It's weird questions like this that define my 7+ year long friendship with Vanessa. And, of course, we also discuss our shared love for Blackpink, and so much more. It gets reaaaal weird in this one.All this and more on Yapping About Stuff, a podcast by JI Yap.

Should BTS enlist in the military?We answer this question and more in my conversation with Maegan Peña. We also discuss her love for anime and her interesting culture and upbringing as a Mexican-American in San Antonio, Texas.All that an more on Yapping About Stuff with JI Yap.

Managing a 6 year long distance relationship is pretty tough, and I ask my good friend Bona about how she managed it with her boyfriend while living in Korea. Plus some random questions in the end. All this and more on Yapping About Stuff, a podcast by JI Yap.