Podcast appearances and mentions of tracy nguyen

  A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists.   Important Resources QTViet Cafe website Instagram Facebook Register for QTViet Cafe's 8 Year Anniversary Bilingual Letter for a Free Palestine (English/Viet) Transcript Cheryl Truong: Good evening! You were currently tuned in to APEX Express. I'm your host Cheryl Truong, and tonight is an AACRE night. What is AACRE, you might be asking. Comprised of 11 grassroots, social justice groups, the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality Network — AACRE — leverages the power of its network to focus on long-term movement building and support for Asian Americans committed to social justice. Speaking of AACRE groups, APEX Express is proud to be a part of the AACRE network. Tonight. We have some special guests from a collective near and dear to my heart. Hải Võ and Jean Jean Phạm from QTViệt Cafe. QTViệt Cafe is a project of Asian refugees United, which is one of the 11 Asian American social justice groups within the AACRE network. Hải, do you want to kick us off by introducing yourself? And QTViệt Cafe?  Hai Vo: Co chào mọi người! Hi everyone. Thanks Cheryl for inviting QTViệt Cafe to be here today. My name is Hải. I go by my name. It means ocean in Việt. And just so excited to be here today. , I'm part of the Queer Trans Việt Cafe Collective. We are a cultural organizing hub by and for queer and trans Việt folks for our freedom and liberation. And we do that through the creative arts, ancestral life ways, and, connecting intergenerationally with our parents, our elders, families, and friends. We'll be celebrating eight years, and I've been a part of it in the beginning when Mơ asked me to help advise and start the project. What started out as an idea to essentially really bring us together and meet other queer and trans Việt people, and with a little bit of SEED funding from the Impact Hub and Youth Impact Hub Oakland project and fellowship, we've been able to not just grow our numbers, but also really more importantly, My healing and then our collective healing.  Just so grateful to be here. And I'm just so excited that Jean, you can join us. Jean is just amazing all around, such a thoughtful intuitive person, designer, friend, just all around beauty of an artist. Thank you for introducing me to the world of visual art and just so many things that you've just been exploring over the years. So, yeah, I'll pass it over.  Jean Pham: Oh my god, thanks Hải. That's honestly too generous. And thanks for inviting us here, Cheryl. That's really awesome that we have this opportunity to share about QTViệt Cafe and our work. My name is Jean. I use they/ them pronouns. I've been a part of of QTViệt Cafe since 2018 when I first moved here to the Bay Area and honestly was looking for queer and trans Việt Namese community, which although I grew up in Orange County, I have always found it very difficult to relate and find other QTViets I've been a part of the various programming and events that QTViệt has put on, including our Healers and Artists cohort. I think my role in QTViệt Cafe is honestly to just , go with the flow. I try to make myself available as much as I can. I try to help with designing things. A big cornerstone of QTViệt Cafe is repairing our connection with our ancestral and cultural heritage in a way that still celebrates and maintains our queerness and transness at the forefront. A lot of this I found has been through the culinary arts, which to me was a big point of growth. Literally using taste and smell to connect us with memory and feeling and healing. QTViệt Cafe is honestly such a special place here. It started in Oakland here in the East Bay, but we have members all across the Bay Area and even outwards in different states and locales. So it's been a pretty amazing journey to see how vast the QTViet Cafe network has expanded and definitely excited to talk about it. So yeah, I'll just check there. Again, thanks for having us.  Cheryl Truong: Thanks so much for sharing that, and especially the culinary aspect of QTV, I think is really what makes y'all so, so special. And honing that ancestral connection through food, too, is something I noticed that you all do , extremely well. Hai brings up that we're celebrating eight years of QTV at Cafe, coming up very, very soon, which is such a long time to celebrate trans and queer Việt Namese magic. I want to know what does this milestone mean to you, maybe it tastes a certain way, maybe it smells like nuoc mam or something like that. Jean Pham: Yeah, eight years is a long time. I think it's longer than any relationship I've ever had. , I've always found the QTViet Cafe such a beautiful, open space. It's very different from any organization I've ever been a part of. There's been times when, I've been overwhelmed and had to step away, but I've always just been invited back and I've been given that grace to be as involved as I want to. There's something we practice it's called penguin theory where we try to support the inner penguins like who you know move in advance of work but also have space for us to be modular. We built this bastion of work here in a Bay and I've eight years I think really to me starts or begins this journey of connecting with a greater diasporic queer and trans Việt Namese collective. So, last year was a big points in our journey as QTViet cafe, because we were able to. a fundraise and take about a dozen members to go back to Việt Nam and connect with Queer and Trans Việt Namese in Saigon. And that was just honestly, such like a unbelievable thing. Totally out of my imagination that we were able to do it. But now it really peaks our imagination of yes, , there's queer and trans Việt Namese people all over the world. Next year marks the 50th year since the Việt Nam War had ended, and there's diasporic queer and trans Việt Namese all across the U. S., but also France and Germany, Australia, Japan. We were able to form these meaningful connections here in the East Bay, but I think what I'm thinking about now is how do we take these lessons we've learned in community building and creating our own traditions and connecting with other locales, like in the queer and trans people in Australia , LA or New York or Texas of which, they do exist. There are other collectives, queer and trans Vietnamese there, but, how do we further unite the different threads of Diasporic Viets, and so it's kind of a very hard question to answer, but I think, again, we have such a strong organizing and magic that I think People that we connect with, they get why does work is important and it's what's what's needed right now. To build these strong points of relationships and solidarity across different locales internationally and outside of our own safe collective spaces. Hai Vo: Yeah, I resonate with everything that Jean shared. I think for me, eight years of continuing to gather and to organize and to be with one another means that the vision of a cultural healing hub, by and for queer and trans people to learn our ancestral ways, to be creative with one another, to heal with our elders still resonates like it still matters. I'm getting emotional about it because I just been thinking a lot about, this question. We're approaching 10 years and even 12 years. And I keep asking myself, as a queer Việt person, am I more free? Am I more liberated? I think I want to be asking myself that question deeply in the next phase of my life. Having gone through a journey on my own to explore my own gender, sexuality and be more loving of my trans femness and explore my art around food and food waste and being a diasporic cultural food worker, but also explore my eco- femme writing and erotica. Those things are really exciting for me, but also when we started QTViet Cafe, I came to peace with potentially being estranged from my parents. I noticed that a lot in our community, like that's a possibility. After my mom passed in 2018 and inviting my dad to, you know, I've invited my parents every year to come to QTViet, they haven't. Me inviting my dad to bring a picture of my mom for the altar. For me, like, okay, that's the cultural organizing piece. But deep down, I just really wanted to celebrate my mom and I just wanted my dad to be there. And to like witness how I've grown, witness my friends and family, witness the chosen family that I've built over time. And my dad came and my dad stayed through the program. My dad donated. My dad could have chosen not to go.  My dad could have left the program. My dad could have not donated. If anything, he could have probably done a lot of things Not in support of what we do. And not to say that this happens with every person or every family, but I think that for me, that's the power in trying to heal our relationships with ourselves and our families and with each other. Every year I hear more struggles, as queer and trans Việt people, and I also hear more joys and liberations, and so I think for me, yeah, eight years means that, we still are surviving, and we are still thriving any way that we can. Whether that's through our foodways, our practice of trying to continue the language, whether it's connecting on our different art forms, I'm hopeful. Eight years means being more of ourselves, and it means being able to experience one another being more of ourselves.  In my relationship with my dad, I've been able to be more honest. I see my dad as more honest, and I hope that by doing this cultural organizing work and arts as a way to practice healing justice, I want more of us to see each other as human. Queer, trans, Việt-ness is not a sickness or a disease. But also our parents are more than that role, that they're humans who experience war and trauma and are also healing too. And so, I think, that's a big part of what eight years means to me. Eight years also means we have, like, hundreds of recipes. I still haven't written out all the recipes, but in my mental Rolodex, we have lots of recipes, lots of songs, lots of poems, visual , art pieces, photos, videos. We just have so much art that expresses the queer trans Việt experience, especially the diaspora. I'm excited to, create more of it and also help archive that and document that and celebrate that as we approach, 10, 12 years and into the farther future.  My example is specific to my dad, but I think that we all heal in different ways with ourselves and our relationship to body and spirit, our relationship to other family, other friends, how we relate to each other, how we relate to the world. I see that in, in every one of us. Jean Pham: Everything Hai is saying is so important and beautiful. The landscape that QTViet formed in eight years ago was in many ways very different from now. There's a lot more shift in their communities too. Eight years ago, for example, I grew up in Orange County. Little Saigon, outside of Việt Nam, it's the densest Việt Namese population, where in San Jose, it's like the largest Việt Namese populations outside of Việt Nam . Still at their core like very deeply conservative locales. And, it's one of the reasons why I was seeking community in the eight years since then I think we've seen a kind of a shift. Our generation of Việt Namese diasporic students, descendants, inhabitants, we're challenging the politics, reckoning of, what does it mean for us, who descendants of refugees, people who hold all these different complexities, who also struggling to find our own space, what does it mean for us to, create and shape our own worlds, or to even resist against some of the things we were taught. I've been in QTViệt Cafe for most of my 20s, and I really feel the collective has honestly raised me in many ways that changed me for the better. I remember, one of my first QTViệt Cafe meetings, everyone was just cooking. I came in, like, on time. I was coming from a very different environment in terms of political organizing, where it's very we have a set agenda, everything's really disciplined. In QTViet Cafe spaces, we spend most, like, an hour or two just kind of checking in with each other, making sure everyone just felt okay and present, and able to move. A big part of it is still just being in community, cooking with each other, sharing recipes, and that's so central to the work. It's a slower pace, but I also felt like it's also ingenuous. It's really about building relationships and families. So many of us have complicated relationships with our blood families and. within QTViet Cafe spaces, sometimes we do talk about it, and sometimes there is space for us to explore that form of hardship, but people just understand. If we come in a space as a queer and trans Viet, there are certain experiences that are almost unfortunately, , universal, or you can just deeply feel. And everyone just almost telepathically holds that space for each other in a very, like, beautiful way. Cheryl Truong: You bring up how last year you were all able to go to Việt Nam, to the motherland. What is the landscape there? Like politically, emotionally, spiritually. Jean Pham: Yeah, last year we went in October, it was almost a week before Halloween I believe, and we had been preparing for this journey for half a year and it was actually delayed. Originally there were plans for , queer and trans Việt Namese. to go Việt Nam together in 2020. But because of the onset of the lockdown, these plans were not scrapped, but just put on pause until we could travel in a meaningful and safe way.  I would say the landscape in Việt Nam with the queer and trans, community we met, it was a big shock to me. It was, very loving, you know, like When I told my parents I was going my mom sent me this large message about how dangerous Việt Nam is, it's like a third world country, that people are gonna try to scam me or steal my belongings and that I should always be on guard, that even my friends can't necessarily be trusted because they might be fooled too. And I didn't necessarily believe her all the way, right? I think I thought she was being a little bit just overprotective. And when I met people in Việt Nam, no, it was like the exact opposite. Everyone was very curious, where are you from? Why are you here?  We met with a collective called the Bạc Xỉu Collective. Bạc Xỉu is a type of Việtnamese coffee. I thought it was interesting that both our collectives are named after community spaces that revolve around coffee. The Bạc Xỉu Collective were very, like, loving and open to us. They were just so curious that our group existed. A lot of them practice the art of drag, but they also had members who were involved with very different art forms, pretty similar to us. I think one of the questions I was trying to reckon with was, what does it mean to explore your queerness and transness, when you're not confronted with whiteness in the way that we are as people living in America. Obviously, white supremacy is global, but I felt it's such a new way to be queer in Việt Nam, if that makes sense. One of the highlights from meeting the collective was one of the first nights when we had rented this apartment suite and we invited a lot of the locals to come over and we just had a nice little kiki moment. We had brought over gifts. Hải is always very hospitable and gracious and prepared. Hải brought this entire suitcase full of seeds of gifts of prints of artwork that we had created and we exchanged it with them and they also just had a moment where we went around in a circle just shared who we are. It was bilingual. I was really nervous. I was like looking up on Google Translate, how to say something very, it was just like, Hi, my name is Jean. I'm from California. This is something I know how to say, but I was just so nervous in the moment that I was using Google Translate for it. But everyone was so nice. Local people in Việt Nam can speak, especially young people have a level of fluency in English so we were able to communicate pretty effectively, despite some of the language barriers. But I remember they were just interested and wanted to learn more. I honestly wish I could have stayed longer and just been in that moment forever.  I think the last thing I'll add: we just had a little like cute little party moment and I was like, what music do I put on? And so I just put on my regular music that I put on for, folks at home, like all like the gay boys and stuff I hang out with. And I just found that everyone, like Rihanna is universal. Like you put on Rihanna and no matter where you are in the world, people will freak out which I thought was so hilarious.  Hai Vo: A thousand percent agree. I loved everything that you shared, Gene. That question around, yeah, I love that you brought up that question.  As someone who grew up a part of my life in the diaspora, white supremacy and whiteness, it's just, it just happened. It's just every day. Most of the Bạc Xỉu Collective is a lot younger than our group. Most of the country actually is very young. I think a good percentage, if the majority of the country is under 25. I bring that up because I think that there's a level of a cultural revolution happening around art in general in Việt Nam in my experience in the last, let's say last like six years that I've been going almost every other year. And then to be able to meet other queer and trans Viet folks who were born, grew up there, live there, to hear them say things like, Yeah, I want to do drag and I want to do drag forever and this is what's going to free me and liberate me. , that's like very inspiring. I think in many ways, those of us who grew up here or, had time here in the diaspora, whiteness kind of, distracts, makes distractions, , and so , to, hear these young queer, Việt, local folks be so adamant and, and really, , trying, like, they're going to shows, they're making their own shows, they start doing their own events, asking for tickets and working with local shops and local bars to make their dreams happen. The one maybe kind of interesting thing that I want to share that I thought about in your question, Jean, is we met Bạc Xỉu Collective at a time when I went back, with Mơ, also part of QTViet Cafe, end of 2022. And up until that point, I had done visits back starting 2018 after my mom passed and, I wanted this trip to be a bit of a pre trip, kind of a research trip, and getting ready for the bigger trip with the dozen of us that Jean mentioned,. So, the night after we landed, we were introduced to the Bạc Xỉu Collective. A lot of these local Việt drag artists started this collective because they were in houses that had folks who were other than Việt, of them white European folks, and so they just were like, we want to create our own all Việt drag house, and do this show all in Việt. You know, make it bilingual, but centered on Việt-ness. , I think that's what we're trying to do. In the diaspora. I think there's different nuances in the places, but to be able to hear a queer drag Việt show Mostly like 95 percent Việt, and for most of the the space that we were at, was mostly Việt, I was like, oh, this is what it feels like to be at home. It was both and both comforting, exciting, my creative curiosity was going, but also there were moments where I was like, I don't understand that, you know?  I think they experienced their own challenges as artists over there , in trying to center their Việt-nesa and then we have our challenges here too. but they have a lot of freedom and access and connection to their Việt-ness because that's our motherland. During our time there where I was able to bring, parts of our altar that we bring and we practice here as part of our gatherings to honor our ancestors and, It was interesting, before that kiki that Jean mentioned I was asked if I could share about the altar, and then for some reason, I think at the end of the night I realized I didn't share, and then after we danced and catwalked, Some people started leaving. Some of the collective members, noticed the altar, and then they started bowing and recognizing Chị Phụng and Xuân Diệu, and they were wondering who put it together.  I think it was just me noticing them knowing what this is, where I didn't have to explain. Them just honoring them, just taking a minute, like, it was like a minute of our hundreds of minutes that we had together that night. But I just started getting emotional and crying that night because this is a moment where I don't have to explain. There's my kin who get it. And they looked at me after and they're like, well, you're crying. And I'm like, yeah, I'm crying because this practice, this ritual I feel only a few of us get it in the diaspora. What seems so special here in the diaspora is actually just very normal.  They were like, yeah, this is what I know about Chị Phụng and you should look up these other queer ancestors that I didn't know about. And I'm like, oh my God, this is one of the reasons why I wanna be here. So better understand our people. They were like, yeah, look at this up. Look at this up. Like look this, look up this person. Two nights later when we had our show together, we brought elements of the same altar, but Bạc Xỉu also brought things. They brought, their contributions and offerings to the altar, and food. It was a collaborative ritual that we had together and before the show as part of the hype up and the prep. We got to cúng mǎ to honor our ancestors and I'll never forget that moment to be able to practice ritual in addition to the show where we're sharing our expressive creative arts. Everyone knew the importance of why we were doing that and that we come from a deep lineage of queer trans, have probably paved the way and fought for their existence and for our existence to be here. I think that spiritually, that's a way that I felt like I was able to connect over there. I'd also say in your question, Cheryl, I think the last time I heard the the government approves same sex marriage. I would say culturally, it's a whole other story. I think because of colonization, imperialism, um, queerness and transness has been erased. And so I think that why it's so important for us to do this work in the diaspora because, our parents and our elders, they have left a motherland and so there's a gap in culture and understanding, and, it's a harder struggle to justify that actually, no, we have queer, trans, Việt history, and we come from a lineage of queer folks, and I think that for me that cultural work is so important because by sharing the history of our people, by sharing our creative expression, by sharing the struggles of, who we are both here in the diaspora and also in Việt Nam. And a lot of those struggles are around the same things. Family acceptance, belonging, economic justice, employment, , access to resources, access to healthcare, jobs. Those things are actually very similar , in my meeting, in my connecting with queer folks there. Those systems that are, creating those struggles are the same, like they're the same capitalist, Corporate imperialist systems. What I'm hopeful for is that what we're doing as queer and trans Việt folks in the diaspora, connecting with queer and trans Việt folks who are in Việt Nam know– I want to imagine a world without borders. For me the art and the creativity and trying to transform the struggles that we all experience as queer and trans people to stories and actually life ways of resilience. I'm hoping changing hearts and minds. Will ultimately transform practice and policy. The government might be saying one thing, but at home, it's actually a different story. That's why our work is important to try to change heart and minds. I want to get to a place where my dad would be like, okay, yeah, same sex marriage. My child and their friends, are members of the community who are respectful and joyful and wanting to contribute to society, just as much as our, just as much as our queer trans, Việt ancestors have to. Cheryl Truong: Thank you so much for bringing us here, Hai.  You've highlighted some really important point. Colonization capitalism, white supremacy. These are, systems of oppression that while they manifest differently, as you say, they are global in nature and. In escapable and then impact is both here in America and also in Vietnam.  The motherland, like the forces at play are very much the same. I really appreciate the insights that both of you have shared, especially in response to Jean's extremely evocative question about what it means to explore queerness and transness when you're not confronted with whiteness. Hai,, your story about the altar and Bạc Xỉu Collective connection to ancestral practices and rituals. They're embracing of our trans and queer Viet histories. And how. How it creates this deep sense of kinship. I think these are powerful reflections. The diaspora. You know, as you say. As a result of imperialism and capitalism.  Makes us a bit disconnected from these wisdoms at the motherland and what you share truly clarifies. And sharpens. What's up the forces at play and the vast systemic issues that we're confronting. But also, it really deepens my admiration for. The extremely revolutionary work that QTVIet Cafe is doing to bridge this gap and are in our world, filled with borders.  Okay. We're going to take a quick music break. But stay tuned. We'll be right back.   Cheryl Truong: And we're back. You were listening to apex express on 94.1, FM KPFA and online@kpfa.org. You were just listening to change the world by baby Chris.  We are still here with Hai Vo and Jean Pham from QTViet Cafe. For the first half of our show, we were reflecting on what eight years of QTV at cafe means and also learning. And also about the trip that they took together as a collective to Vietnam last year to learn more about trans and queer. Experience of local Vietnamese of local Viet. And of course, as the artists that they all are, they created a film about it. Let's get back to the show.  Speaking of changing hearts and minds, tell me about this documentary that you all created when you were in Việt Nam.  Hai Vo: I think the idea started because, so my parents and my brother left as boat people in 86 and I was born In Iowa in 87 after being sponsored by a Presbyterian Church. I went for the first time to Việt Nam when I was 7 and again when I was 12. I remember my parents were obsessed with camcorders. I don't know if you all have this but, there's still so many VHS tapes that I think I need to digitize, But I think the spirit of homeland trips being documented in my family is such a thing.  When I was thinking about this trip, 2018, when I started coming back when I was 12, it wasn't until 22 years later, when I was 34, that I came back after my mom passed. Going back, I was , curious about how people document their experience going back to the homeland and these days with reels and social media, people doing daily blogs and just all the things, I was curious. But I think there's an element of that kind of old school, just document everything. And then coming back here a few weeks later, just over dinner, just see everything unedited. Um, so, yeah, that was part of the inspiration and then fortunately, 1 of our collective members, and, and members Tracy Nguyen and folks with the Sunkist SunKissed,they've been documenting the QTViet Cafe experience since the beginning, really.  So much of what's on YouTube and online of our work is, through their documentation. Basically was like, Sal, I don't have a lot of money. We don't have a lot of money, but here's a little bit of money that I fundraise so far and we can keep fundraising as part of the collective effort. What do you say about trying to document this experience with us? I think what's so powerful about the collective is by it for us. Knowing that Sal and other folks who practice videography and film are already part of the collective and are already interested in a trip, I think, it's easier to share and connect on the goal of connecting with other queer and trans folks.  We've never done a trip like this and then two, we've never documented a trip like this. Everything was new. And we were going into it. We had like ideas of how we wanted to film this and there were some proposals and we Filmed some of the activities that we had before the trip like some of our planning retreats and some of our fundraising events. Sal did some interviews of how we felt before in all the feelings of like anxious and excited, nervous. And I ultimately was just like, Sal, here's our best agenda, here's like a guide of what each day will look like. Ultimately, I want to give all of us a creative permission just experience this trip and to let's do our best to document it. And as long as we're truthful and honest. As long as we can just share our full humanhood, whatever happens on the other side, I think will be amazing. After that, it just had a little bit of relief knowing that. Honestly, we were inspired by Videos that other queer trans folks were doing in Việt Nam. It's like abstract and editorial and like voiceover and like, it's just like, just put it out there. That was part of our inspo. I think just as much as, our identities and sexualities and gender are fluid, I wanted to encourage, the film and documentation to be just as fluid. Fortunately, we had folks who were filming and doing sound, and with the support of , everyone in the collective, we're all taking photos and doing videos. We're, hoping to just share honestly and report not just our experience, but also share the struggles that we experienced as queer and trans people, the struggles that queer and trans people, in Việt Nam experience to the power of what it means to collaborate together and, um, do something historic and do a first event there ever. we hope to share our post trip reflections of what it's meant for us.  Jean Pham: Yeah, it was just like a fun process for us to take upon this trip and each of us in our own way, document it. QTViet Cafe has different disciplines of artists– filmmakers, photographers, writers, dancers, and so forth, that one of the things we were also asked to do was, to take our own photos and to share it throughout the entire process.  For me it was a different experience because this is my first time going to Việt Nam. My parents came here in 89 and I was born in 95. I guess if you're not a part of the diasporic Việt Namese American population, there are certain, like, ideas held about Việt Nam that some people from the older generation have about, Việt Nam as , a socialist country. And also, like, what it means for people who are refugees to be reckoned with, how their country has transformed. And so I've never gone back to Việt Nam because my parents honestly thought this is like a lost country. It's not home for us anymore. And so a lot of ideas about Việt Nam and what it is now, we're, Reproduced and given to me and of course, like it's a lot of unpacking too, right? Because I honestly don't believe a lot of these held ideas that they have about Việt Nam. And it was important for me to want to experience that. Việt Nam for myself, in a way where I could truly see what the country is and not in a way that necessarily demonizes it or even romanticizes it. A lot of like diasporic poetry and art and writing I feel kind of like hinges or teeters that like point of almost romanticizing their ancestral country. And I think it's important for us to unpack all these like held beliefs and biases. In college, I did a lot of poetry, slam poetry, and I always recognized the language barrier is a big part of access, not being able to fully understand or communicate with our parents is a tension that many like second or third generation Americans face. The way that I think QTViet Cafe interacts with that is pretty ingenious, but also very, what one should do, which is just simply to learn the language. We need to teach each other the language so that we can communicate with each other in Việt Namese. That was another big part of our preparation too.  Some collective members. held Việt Namese classes for us to talk to each other, talk to locals, talk to other queer folks. And also the language is important because as much as we have our own lingo and slang as queer and trans communities here, so do they in Việt Nam, in Việt Namese. With the documentary, not everyone has the same experience, right? For me, it was my first time. So I was trying to visit places where my parents grew up, trying to see the city from my own eyes. Some people had a lot more connection with Việt Nam and had visited it, Việt Nam and Saigon many times before. So in a documentary, there are certain members of the collective that have like more keyed interviews that kind of talk about that difference because even within our collective, we're not monolithic in terms of our experiences and you can see the different ways like we're shaped by it.  I think the last thing I'll share with you is definitely, and Hai, and I kind of talked about this. It's in conversation pretty often, but a lot of eateries, Việt Namese restaurants in the US are kind of stuck in time because a lot of them are, restaurants that are Staffed and created by diasporic Việt Namese refugees. The food has like definitely developed a lot in Việt Nam. And so has the language. It almost feels like, you know, us in a diaspora, us here in California, we're in like a time bubble. And going to Việt Nam breaks that. And lets us experience what does Việt Nam look like now in like 2024, 2023. Now that it has like modernized. You know, most people, most queer and trans Việt Namese people we've met were either in underground economies or they're gig workers or they're freelance workers. I think there's a lot of parallels between the ways that queer and trans people move here and also in Việt Nam. Although there is definitely like that point of us visiting Việt Nam as Americans. or people who have American passports, there is a class dynamic to it. So yeah, it, I would say part of the complication is There are things we were trying to resolve within our own bodies by going back to Việt Nam, but also things we had to reckon with, like the differences too, and how, I think for me, one of the most jarring things was realizing that in Saigon, there are provinces or like neighborhood, entire neighborhoods that are home to just people who immigrated out from their countries and had access to a larger degree of wealth and who are actively perhaps displacing Saigonese locals and realizing that if I wasn't careful, then these are structural issues that can be created if we don't examine our place like in context. Yeah. And I'll check there. Yeah.  Cheryl Truong: Thanks so much for sharing Jean and Hai. That's just about all the time we have left tonight. For those interested in seeing the premiere of their Đồng Quể documentary, learning more about QTViet Cafe. And or celebrating eight years of queer trans Viet magic, please join QTViet Cafe on September 1st in Oakland, California. They will be having an exciting celebration. ? Hai, how can people learn more? Hai Vo: Yeah, we're excited to invite everyone to our eight year anniversary. We're premiering Đồng Quể, which is the film of their Việt Nam trip. We are planning to have it, on Sunday, September 1st. 5 to 9 at Firehouse Oakland in Chinatown. And, yeah, we're live on the tickets and registration.  It'll be up on our IG, @qtvietcafe, it'll be up on our Facebook, it'll be up on our website. Folks can also subscribe to our newsletter too via our website. Yeah, September 1st, Sunday, evening time, 5 to 9, Chinatown at Firehouse in Oakland.  Cheryl Truong: Thank you all. So thank you both so much for being here for coming on the show. And for our listeners, please join us September 1st at the firehouse in Oakland. You hear all of these stories, these intimate details at Jean and Hai have shared with us income to live. For those interested in learning more. QTViet Cafe's socials Facebook, Instagram website, all that good stuff will be in the show notes as well as a link to their registration form. As well as their bilingual letter for a free Palestine. That was written in collaboration with members of QTViet Cafe, the Dallas, Asian American historical society, and also various other community supporters. This letter is bilingual. It starts off with dear family. And is meant to catalyze an intergenerational conversation about Palestine. Everyone has a different relationship story to our families and lineage, so this resource is a conversation starter so please check it out.  It'll also be in the show notes.   Thank you all so much for listening and I'll see you next time. .  Apex express is produced by Miko Lee, Paige Chung, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar. Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Kiki Rivera, Swati Rayasam, Nate Tan, Hien Nguyen, Nikki Chan, and Cheryl Truong   Tonight's show was produced by me, cheryl. Thanks to the team at KPFA for all of their support. And thank you for listening!  The post APEX Express – August 22, 2024 – 8 Years of QTViet Cafe! appeared first on KPFA.

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, 'We don't have Republican air. We don't have Democrat water. We all breathe the same air. We all have the same water. It's happening to all of us, and it's happening all over the world. And if we just continue to ignore it so that we can put some money in our pockets, or we can get reelected, what are we leaving for the future?' And you know, his devotion to children and to helping children makes him look at it from a different perspective. He's not one of these heartless old politicians who's just like, well, as long as it doesn't happen while I'm alive, I'm going to get rich off of this. He is always thinking of the next generations. He is always thinking of what he is going to be able to hand down."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."It's not just that he grew up in a rural environment too. He was born on July 30th, 1947. And most of us today don't have any understanding or relationship to what Europe was like right after World War II. The winter of 1946/1947 in Austria was the most brutal in decades. The people already had too little food. They were in an occupied country.The summer potato crops failed. As Arnold has said, his mother had to go from farm to farm to farm, begging for food to be able to feed her children. His father, like all the men in the village, was defeated by the war. I mean, they were not just defeated by their side losing, but realizing what their side had stood for, that they were the bad guys.And he saw them all physically, emotionally, intellectually defeated and taking it out on their wives and children, that he was beaten and his mother was beaten. All the neighbor kids were beaten, and they were beaten into a kind of placid defeat. And he alone would not accept that. He could not see that life for himself.And he was, as a child, searching for ways to get out of that. And bodybuilding became that when he learned about bodybuilding as a very poor boy. They lived on the top floor of a house. They had no plumbing. They all bathed once a week in the same tub in the kitchen. And his brother and he had to bring the water in. His mother heated it, and they took baths one by one. Mother first, father second, older brother third, Arnold last in the tub of dirty water. And so he wanted out of that. And as a poor boy, he had nothing but his body to work with. That was it. There was not going to be any college. There was not going to be any of that. There was going to be some kind of menial job, or he could use what he had - his body - to get him out of there."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, 'We don't have Republican air. We don't have Democrat water. We all breathe the same air. We all have the same water. It's happening to all of us, and it's happening all over the world. And if we just continue to ignore it so that we can put some money in our pockets, or we can get reelected, what are we leaving for the future?' And you know, his devotion to children and to helping children makes him look at it from a different perspective. He's not one of these heartless old politicians who's just like, well, as long as it doesn't happen while I'm alive, I'm going to get rich off of this. He is always thinking of the next generations. He is always thinking of what he is going to be able to hand down."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."I was really familiar with Arnold through bodybuilding. I became a weight trainer myself after meeting him at the 1981 Mr. Olympia contest, but I largely knew him through his movies like everyone else.And when you see him in the movies, he's famous for these very short one-liners that make it seem as if he is nonverbal, that he's not particularly intelligent. You don't get his humor. The first time I went to Arnold's house, I saw that this man is the greatest storyteller, the greatest entertainer ever.He is funny, he is witty, he is quick. He can tell a story like no one else, and not just tell it, he would act it out. He would get up and stomp around and make noises with his mouth. He told me a simple story about a woman in the gym who was not working out, who was just sitting on a bench and talking on the phone to her friend and eating a bag of potato chips. And he was able to replicate the sound of eating potato chips just with his mouth. He is underappreciated. I guess that's what it is. And as I started going through his archive, I saw that there are certain photographs that show him and his facial expressions like none other. And those photographs are always when he is interacting with children or interacting with animals and all pretense drops away. His face just lights up. It is real, it is genuine, it is open. And that's something that I tried to include as much as possible, particularly in the small book that is more personal, to show that human, affectionate, warm side of Arnold."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito and director Ivan Reitman, who also wrote the film, were willing to work for free and just take a percentage of the profits. They were able to get the film made. They had to fight with the studios to produce that film. And the only way that the studio agreed to produce Twins was when they said, 'We will not take any salary. We will do this movie for free. We will just take a little percentage of the profits.' And the studio thought, Okay, it's going to be a very cheap film to make. No special effects. No stunt people. It's going to be very cheap and easy. These guys, these idiots are going to do it for free. And everyone involved has made more money off that film than any other film. Arnold, actually, for all the high, high prices that he got for his late Terminator films, he still has made more money off Twins because of taking a percentage.""And when you see him in the movies, he's famous for these very short one-liners that make it seem as if he is nonverbal, that he's not particularly intelligent. You don't get his humor. The first time I went to Arnold's house, I saw that this man is the greatest storyteller, the greatest entertainer ever.He is funny, he is witty, he is quick. He can tell a story like no one else, and not just tell it, he would act it out. He would get up and stomp around and make noises with his mouth. He told me a simple story about a woman in the gym who was not working out, who was just sitting on a bench and talking on the phone to her friend and eating a bag of potato chips. And he was able to replicate the sound of eating potato chips just with his mouth. He is underappreciated."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."The really important thing that he did here had to do with climate change. He told me that he had always been interested in the environment. He grew up being very cautious about everything. You don't waste water, you don't waste power, all these things as a poor child. But he said he didn't really understand what pollution was doing until he became governor. And he got all the memos, he got all the information that is fed to politicians, that is fed to every politician. That everyone in office knows about, and many choose to ignore, but for him, it really opened his eyes. And he said, 'We can't let this go on.' So he initiated a greenhouse gas cap in California, and people fought against it. Are you kidding? It has continued to this day. People have gotten behind him for it, that we will reduce emissions, and we will have cleaner air in California, and we will have cleaner water, and we will have cleaner beaches.He blocked offshore drilling and he said, because when he first came here, there had been an oil spill, and he went on the beach, and he got tar on his feet. No one should have to have tar on their feet when they go to the beach. And that was his real contribution that has now led to his activism for climate change and ending pollution all over the world."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."If you think Arnold is just some muscle guy, well go look in the book. Go see how Annie Leibovitz envisioned him. Go see how Robert Mapplethorpe saw him. Go see how Andy Warhol saw him. Go see how Herb Ritts saw him. He was inspiration for all of these people.”www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."It's not just that he grew up in a rural environment too. He was born on July 30th, 1947. And most of us today don't have any understanding or relationship to what Europe was like right after World War II. The winter of 1946/1947 in Austria was the most brutal in decades. The people already had too little food. They were in an occupied country.The summer potato crops failed. As Arnold has said, his mother had to go from farm to farm to farm, begging for food to be able to feed her children. His father, like all the men in the village, was defeated by the war. I mean, they were not just defeated by their side losing, but realizing what their side had stood for, that they were the bad guys.And he saw them all physically, emotionally, intellectually defeated and taking it out on their wives and children, that he was beaten and his mother was beaten. All the neighbor kids were beaten, and they were beaten into a kind of placid defeat. And he alone would not accept that. He could not see that life for himself.And he was, as a child, searching for ways to get out of that. And bodybuilding became that when he learned about bodybuilding as a very poor boy. They lived on the top floor of a house. They had no plumbing. They all bathed once a week in the same tub in the kitchen. And his brother and he had to bring the water in. His mother heated it, and they took baths one by one. Mother first, father second, older brother third, Arnold last in the tub of dirty water. And so he wanted out of that. And as a poor boy, he had nothing but his body to work with. That was it. There was not going to be any college. There was not going to be any of that. There was going to be some kind of menial job, or he could use what he had - his body - to get him out of there."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

“Why I was different from all the other boys in my town I cannot tell you. I was simply born with the gift of vision.” – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGERIs there any better example of the American Dream than Arnold Schwarzenegger? What does it take to make your vision a reality? How do you cultivate iron focus to overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams?On the publication of Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited edition two-volume book published by TASCHEN, we sat down with Senior Editor and Writer Dian Hansen to discuss Schwarzenegger's life, accomplishments, and history of unforgettable performances. The book has been a decade-long collaborative process and along with portraits by leading photographers Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol, it is also filled with photos from Arnold's private archive and exclusive interviews. Dian's other works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta."Benedikt Taschen, like myself, like Arnold, is a man without formal education. Benedikt started his business when he was 18 years old and opened a comic book store. He had been buying and selling trading comic books since the age of 15. He made the money himself to open a comic book store and then went into publishing right after that. And I said, 'Benedikt, when did you have time to go to college?' And he said, 'There was no time. I did not go.' And so people are tempted to call people like Benedikt, to call people like Arnold, to call people like me, self-made. But we are obviously not self-made. We are determined, and we use our determination to bring other people into our dream and our motivation to accomplish what we want. And so Taschen sees in Arnold himself and his own determination he sees in me, himself, and his determination. And so we all come together in that, you know, let's celebrate somebody that most people would not imagine was an art book subject. This has been Taschen all along. Oh, they make sex books. You know, that's not art. Well, Benedikt Taschen said to me at the time when he hired me, and he was trying to hire me since 1994, I said, 'Well, you know, I made porn magazines. Am I going to have to change everything I do to make art books?' And he said, no.He said, 'I'm hiring you because I like what you do. We make good books. We put good art in our books. We put good sex material in our books. We do not put bad art in our books. We do not put bad sex material in our books. We do it good, and then it's art. And that is what we have done all along.' If you think Arnold is just some muscle guy, well go look in the book. Go see how Annie Leibovitz envisioned him. Go see how Robert Mapplethorpe saw him. Go see how Andy Warhol saw him. Go see how Herb Ritts saw him. He was inspiration for all of these people."www.taschen.com/en/limited-editions/film/03105/arnold-collector-s-editionwww.schwarzenegger.comwww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastImages courtesy of Taschen. Photo credits: CoverArnold Schwarzenegger for the film End of Days. Sante D'Orazio, 1999Governor Schwarzenegger with the Lincoln Memorial · Photo by Peter Grigsby, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lulu at his Los Angeles home · Photo by Tracy Nguyen, 2021

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this episode highlights the personal stories of Hang Loi and Dr. Tracy Nguyen, two Asian American women in STEM who escaped Vietnam as children during the fall of Saigon. They sat down with SWE Board Member Jennifer Chen Morikawa to share their unforgettable accounts of the refugee experience, what they went through to start a new life in the U.S., and how these experiences influenced them to pursue careers in STEM.

We're talking street food with ginormous sandwiches, fresh rice balls right out of the fryer, and a dish called scalding noodles that has nothing to do with its temperature. Brent revisits some of his favorite conversations about food carts, food trucks, and pop ups with Mickela Mallozzi of the TV show "Bare Feet," Cameron Hewitt from Rick Steves Europe, award winning travel writer Shafik Meghji, and Foodie tour guide Tracy Nguyen from Hanoi Street Food Tour [Ep 201] Show Notes: Get all the links from this show at https://radiomisfits.com/ded201 Mickela Mallozzi full episode on Destination Eat Drink TV show Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi Bare Feet on Guadeloupe Cameron Hewitt full episode on Destination Eat Drink Cameron Hewitt's website The Temporary European: Lessons And Confessions Of A Professional Traveler on Amazon Streaty: Street Food Tours website Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia Shafik's website Shafik Meghji full episode on Destination Eat Drink Hanoi Street Food Tours website Destination Eat Drink full episode on Hanoi with Tracy Nguyen

Tracy Nguyen is a foodie tour guide in Hanoi and an expert on the cuisine of Vietnam. She talks with us about eggs in your coffee and a scalding noodle dish that has nothing to do with temperature. Plus, Tracy shares the story of a dish rescued by Anthony Bordain and why the chaos of traffic in Hanoi is more organized than you think. [Ep 180] Show Notes: Hanoi Street Food Tours website Pena Palace in Sintra website Brent's story about Ape trucks

In episode 23, Berenice and Ella sit down with business owner and artist Tracy Nguyen. They talk about art, the taboo behind genitalia and slut shaming culture and implication in society. You can find Tracy’s Shop “Puss n Toots” at @pussntoot69 Trigger Warning: This episode does include the mention of sexual abuse and assault. Plugs of the Week Berenice: Sailor Star: A Metaphysical Store Sailorstarstore.com IG: @sailorstarstore Ella: Northwest Sugar - Spokane, WA IG: @northwestsugar

Comedians Ellis Rodriguez, Tracy Nguyen, and Jon Lehre join Dan & Sara to complain about scooters, give back advice on buying a car, and eat chicken nuggets. Plus a drunk guy who sat too close to our audio recorder provides inane commentary!This show was recorded live at Pianofight in San Francisco on October 16, 2019. Thanks to Every Flavor Weather Machine for our amazing theme song “Bullhorn” and Brie Spiel for the incredible artwork. Follow us!https://www.facebook.com/babysheriffshttps://www.instagram.com/babysheriffs1

The host David Cooper first says about the show content and then he introduce the guest Tracy Nguyen and then they start the show, the host David cooper discuss the topic that generously every Thursday night they are a lovely coffee shop they got everything you need coffee beans got built the fish it's also great they are not open but they are selling their their interior is not open but they are selling to go drinks into gold leads in a secure and safe environment. The show was terrible she is a woman about town of hilarious comedian on the show is terrible she is my best friend she's my worst friend she is my only friend. That's all the content I have scripted for tonight Tracy no win thank you for wearing your tech hat and joining us I'm friends with a lot of loners I hope that doesn't put me on a list but like a with terrorist watch I'm not like a white person with a gun I mean I know that you're I'm a Jew your white and Jason yeah yeah she was or why did Jason were there for owners white say heard were both simultaneously not white and white at the same time you have relatives of motive for trump right I had I don't have any American religious. At wholly, i did not like the show because it does not have any content, they discuss about the unnecessary topic and my rating for this show is 3 only.

The entire show hosted by David Cooper. David Cooper Choosing one guest name is Tracy Nguyen.It is planned show because david cooper interview with guest. He is say some question to Tracy Nguyen and she is replied to hoster. she is telling about itself and family members. The she is talking about carrier life. She is stay at single and contain two brothers She is enjoyed life and carrier.She is explain about the enjoyable moment and how to handle the difficult stage.I would like to say one point what is i am saying many people saying about our character based on our job only for female but don't loss our hope and then you continue your work simultaneously.She is provide Strong content for our women.she is talking very passittive and boldly.This women provide the very good news to other people.She is speak intresting and good.This title very apt for this interview because This is good interview so This is going well,I think with David Cooper.I would rate with 4 Star out of 5 because amazing speech.This speech inspire to me.It sounded more like a long interest discussion.

iPads are now a thing at the UC San Diego School of Medicine! In its inaugural year, the iPad Initiative, now known formally as Triton MedTech, has put a new iPad and Apple pencil in the hands of every first year and second year medical student, free of charge! With endless possibilities for integration into and augmentation of our curriculum, I speak to Dr. Lina Lander, Associate Dean of Education Technology, Innovation and Assessment, and Tracy Nguyen, Student Innovations Group Leader for the class of 2023, about their expectations and hopes for this program going forward. If any students have any feedback or concerns with regarding their iPads, they can email mededtech@health.ucsd.edu. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ucsdsom/message

Imagine this: You see a film that fosters such big thoughts and ideas that you have to share it with others, and discuss! That's the idea behind Tracy Nguyen-Chung and Ciara Lacy's work. In ‘Connection,’ both filmmakers follow Autumn Harry, a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, on her journey as a fly-fisher. Along the way, they bring to the forefront the multitude of connections intersecting with and highlighted by our experiences on the water. In this episode we talk about the importance of these connections and some of the prevalent stereotypes in fishing and how to change them. 1:00 Humanities Montana - check out their 'Gather Round' toolkit -- it's meant to inspire big discussions that matter to people in the great outdoors (well, all of us) 5:00 The art of telling a culturally specific story that resonates universally 7:00 From Vietnam to the U.S., a father's passion for fishing is passed along to his daughter, Tracy 8:30 And in Hawaii, Ciara grew up in a 'catch and release' family when it came to tilapia... which has oddly made a comeback in fine dining 10:00 Tracy and Ciara's film is "Connection", it started with a vision to uplift the image of people of color in fishing. It's the story of an indigenous woman and her discovery of fly-fishing. 14:00 Connections... to geography, to culture, to water, to environment, to self 17:00 Brown Folks Fishing - most storytelling is through Insta; it's a volunteer-run non-profit to gather and support a community of BIPOC anglers 19:00 Growing up in a family hobby, like fishing, and then promptly leaving it during college... and making a full circle as an adult 21:00 Public-facing parts of the fishing community -- industry, Insta profiles, groups, etc -- they're predominantly white (and male). The conservation space is similar. 24:00 People from BIPOC communities are totally out there fishing (hugely!), but they're just not represented in most of the industry 26:00 Two privileged and flawed points of view from naysayers: fishing is a place where we should go to 'escape' and BIPOC anglers don't exist in this space unless it's affordable. 28:00 Storytelling as an advocacy tool. For Ciara, it started with seeing her mom as an organizer for the Native Hawaiian community 30:00 Part of good storytelling is letting people know what they should be thinking about... those life challenges that slip the radar for some. (Pssst... that's what the 'Gather Round' toolkits are all about!) 36:00 What even IS a 'conservation angler'? It’s not something that’s automatically given to you the minute you step into the river. It takes intention and practice. 40:00 Spin-fishing: it's totally cool, everyone! 45:00 'Connections' the film started as a passion project... its trajectory has far surpassed early expectations 47:30 Adventures from documentary filmmaking: Getting an inmate a last-minute bouquet of flowers on his release day so he could give them to his fiancée. 49:00 On being human first, filmmaker second 50:30 "Out of State" documentary, which first aired on PBS 51:00 Find Ciara's work at CiaraLacy.com 52:00 Making fishing films? Four seasons in a day! (And a hard-knock life for film equipment) 54:00 Find Tracy online at tracynchung.com 55:00 "Connections" was underwritten by Orvis, which has been a long-time supporter of Brown Folks Fish. The film will be released later this year on Orvis' website, and also at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Hawaii International Film Festival before then 57:00 Brown Folks Fishing fellowship lab and the Angling for All Pledge 1:00:00 Gather Round has a 'connection kit' focused on four water-themed films... you've got to check it out! Request your free toolkit fromHumanities Montana today

Norm Murray speaks with Grade 9 student and Black Lives Matter activist Zaida Smith and co-organizer Tracy Nguyen about their group, Mississauga 4 Justice, who held their first protest Sunday, August 16 at Celebration Square in Mississauga.

Episode 170 of the show and tonight's guest is Tracy Nguyen, a regular on the show now. The first 30 minutes we get lots of Tracy's relationships, and a lots of her steamy encounters., in addition to that we have David playing the Agony Aunt. She should get someone to write of her sex tales. Then we have a discussion of Drugs. Wow people dont take long to adapt to any solution, an app to check the COVID testing to have sex. Then Miranda joins in. And finally we have a caller, and its Tony. Looks like he is only caller nowadays. Tracy has fully has turned into a full on nymphomaniac. And we also get JJ to the scheme. Tracy thats called being Spiritual. And we get the line of the show "God is a Tool", David you should consider titling this for the episode. Love you too Tony. And we hope you didnt mean India Summer. One of ok episodes, with a whole lot of sex, threesomes, drugs etc. The only thing missing was David's obsession with hemorrhoids. This is MarU from India rating this episode of the show a 2.5 of 5. PS: David I understand people spamming you with reviews, and you need to motivate people to write better so atleast give a bonus to the review you select for your site. Also waiting for the Bollywood songs. [Editor's note: we gave MarU a bonus.]

Happy birthday David. I wish your dream comes true and you become a popular comedian. About the episode and guest: Boy, what an annoying voice. Nagged her boyfriend to breakup ("killed boner by nagging", is that possible?). Didn't understand David's sarcasm on sports being masculine. Living at boyfriend's place for free even after breakup. Hates Chinese but gonna live with one because it saves rent. Doesn't have a car but knows how to call a car. Thinks BLM protestors are radicalized by internet. David also believes in conspiracy theory that China, Russia are making these riots happen. A teenage girl called and David made her feel bad - she apologized for not having gossip as spicy as David wanted and had to make an excuse to cut call (leaving cooking gas open - as old as call cutting excuse directory goes. I felt bad for her.) Tony brought new energy. Sandeep from India rates this episode 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on APEX Express, it's 4th Thursdays which means hosts Tracy Nguyen and Miko Lee feature  organizations from AACRE, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality – a network of 11 Asian American activists groups fighting for social justice and equality. Tonight we are check in with Asian Prisoner Support Committee, Chinese for Affirmative Action, APIENC and Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, and Hmong Innovative Politics.   Community Calendar  January 25 12PM – Protest Against War, Market and Powell, SF. The Trump administration has just brought the US straight into another disastrous war in the Middle East. This will likely engulf the whole region and could quickly turn into a global conflict of unpredictable scope with the people of Iraq and Iran suffering the gravest consequences. For all who believe in peace, for all who are opposed to yet another catastrophic war, now is the time to mobilize and take action against US militarism and imperialism. KPFA will be streaming live video and audio kpfa.org. Event starts at noon, but stream starts at 11:30am. January 26 11am -1pm Protest at Indian Consulate 540 Arguello Blvd January 30 1 -2:30pm Cambodian Deportees Listening Tour 2019 – Report Back The post APEX Express – January 23, 2020 – AACRE 2020 appeared first on KPFA.

God, this David Copper guy sounds like he is eating a shoe while dancing lambada. How did this guy think he could have a podcast? I don't know if he sounds worse when his pitch is going up and down, all uncontrolled, like a bunch of cool cats playing jazz, or when he tries to sound like professional radio and the attempt is just laughable. His co-host, Tracy, is not any better, repeating exact lines the same as he said them for no reason but waste the listener's time. The notion that some podcasters have - and a lot of the media, sadly - that everyone's opinion on politics is relevant is one of the greatest plagues on our culture. I literally have no idea who would want or care to hear about what some random thinks about politics. They should stick to their jokes - I mean, after learning to actually make them funny. Between the completely meaningless political commentary, and the awful jokes, I think the rest went well. Except of course there was nothing else besides that, and the show is unbearable. If this show had 2 minutes, it might be bearable albeit useless. To listen to this for two hours should be enough to be paid a nice amount of money, and even then it would be torture. This gets a zero from Takashi from Hawaii. Infinitely prefer Dr. Pepper to David Cooper. [Editor's note: it's not a podcast, it's a radio show.]

Haylee and Jayda bring on their first guest! Tracy Nguyen is a Queer Vietnamese film maker at Sunkissed Productions and community organizer in the Bay Area. Tracy shares the story of her breakup from a partner of 5 years and how they had a "radical breakup" in an effort to remain in each other's lives. Tracy went from living with her partner, organizing together and eventually having a "breakup retreat" as part of their concious uncoupling to honor the end of their relationship and transition into a friendship. If you've ever gone through a break up, this ones for you. In this episode we ask each other, how can we rethink breakups so they don't feel so traumatic...Tracy Nguyen: IG @hellafly and sunkissedproductions.com

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Hosts Miko Lee and Tracy Nguyen talk with API artists. We hear from Yurié Collins star of The Great Wave at Berkeley Rep. We get the latest about the upcoming The Silicon Valley Film Festival with Co-Director Steve Yamaguma. We talk with Ms. Purple star Tiffany Chu and chat with Tracy and Sal Tran about their latest film Xanh. We play the following music videos: Directions by Hāwane Rio. The music video was directed by APEX member Jalena Keane-Lee and has been nominated for a best music video and best indie single in the Native American Music Awards. no sleep by Nenci, produced by APEX member Tracy Nguyen and SunKissed Productions.   Community Calendar September 12–October 27, 2019 The Great Wave at Berkeley Rep October 4-27 Kearny Street Workshop presents APAture's 20th anniversary festival which features APA artists at sites all around the Bay Area. Check it out. The theme this year is “Declare.” October 19, 2019, 1-3pm Don't Say Sorry for Embracing Your Sexual Self – a workshop by Jayda Shuavarnnasri (co-host of Don't Say Sorry Podcast). November 1-3, 2019 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest to be held at the CineArts Theater in Santana Row. For special listener discount – use the code: KPFA2019 The post APEX Express – September 26, 2019 API Artists in Action appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. It is AACRE Thursdays which means we are featuring an organization from Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) – a network of 11 Asian American activists groups fighting for social justice and equality. Tonight we focus on Chinese for Affirmative Action.  CAA was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Tonight's host Tracy Nguyen talks with Co-director of CAA (Cynthia Choi), Helen Zia, Author and Activist who co-authored My Country Versus Me, the story of Wen Ho Lee who was falsely accused and prosecuted for being a spy for China in 1999. Joyce Xi, activist and daughter of Xiaoxing Xi, a Chinese American who was wrongfully prosecuted by the US Government. Our guests discuss racial profiling and national security scapegoating.  Art by John Lee The post APEX Express – August 29, 2019 – AACRE highlights CAA appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. It is AACRE Thursdays which means we are featuring an organization from Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) – a network of 11 Asian American activists groups fighting for social justice and equality. Tonight we focus on the Visibility Project. Visibility Project (VP) seeks to strategically influence the digital landscape of information about the Queer APA women and transgender community, while being protectively open source. VP documents the personal experiences of the Queer Asian Pacific American women and transgender community by interweaving visual art, personal narratives, and social justice onto an accessible online platform. Tonight's host Tracy Nguyen talks with Visibility Project's founding Executive Director Mia Nakano, and two key advisors, Dr. Alice Y. Hom, the Director of Equity & Social Justice at Northern California Grantmakers and Host of Historically Queer podcast and Devi Peacock, the Executive + Artistic Director of Peacock Rebellion.   Community Calendar FRI, August 9, 6:30pm-8pm – Yogendra Yadav: the politics of hope and alternatives in India  SAT, August 17, – 6pm-10pm at CounterPulse: Parivar, a new group for trans and gender non-conforming people of the South Asian diaspora, is hosting Parivar ki Azaadi, a night of performances celebrating queer trans South Asian independence SAT, September 8th, The Alphabet Rockers and Our Family Coalition are going to be performing at Oakland Pride. TUES, September 12, 4-6pm – Northern California Grantmakers, Borealis Philanthropy, and Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society will host “Belonging in Practice, How to be Antiracist” a book talk with Ibram X. Kendi. Afterwards, Alice Y. Hom will be moderating a conversation with Ibram X. Kendi, john a. Powell, and Lateefah Simon.  The post APEX Express – August 8, 2019 – AACRE highlights Visibility Project appeared first on KPFA.

This radioshow/podcast called This Is Going Well, I Think with David Cooper, hosted by David, and the guest today on this shit show is Tracy Nguyen, dont know how she is. Back after 2 weeks and we have an old timer guest who is visiting the show the fourth time, looks like they she doesn't have anything else going in her life. The first caller couple leave hurriedly to have sex I assume. We get to know that David to be divorced and is currently with Miranda, a red head. The show somehow get a lots of cranky caller including some regulars. We get a call from Takashi, and at the same time we get Nick on a call. We get a man named Collin coming in, and a very talented saxophone player on alot of marijuana. I really dont know what to make of this show, it has some good highlights but the cons out weigh the pros by a long margin. too much sex, and lots of swearing are the biggest problems of the show. This is Maruu from India, rating this shit show a 1 of 5 points. [Editor's note: it's not a podcast, it's a radio show.]

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Hosts, Miko Lee and Jalena Keane-Lee, the PowerLeeGirls, a mother and daughter team talk about the using stories to combat racism. We hear from Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo, two young women whose latest book is Tell Me Who You Are on racial literacy. Then we hear from Japanese American elders Nancy Ukai & Paul Tomita who were interned headed out to protest the incarceration of immigrant kids. They have collected “50 Objects” left over from the concentration camps. One of those objects is Paul's child identity card (pictured above.)   Community Calendar Fri, June 21, 2019, our own Tracy Nguyen producing the  2nd Annual Queer & Trans Asian Shorts film screening in Oakland! June 30 South Asian Radical History Walking Tour July 29 East West StoryFest with Eth-Noh-Tech The post APEX Express – June 20, 2019 – Stories to Combat Racism appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight's Host Miko Lee and guest Tracy Nguyen talk all about AACRE – ASIAN AMERICANS for CIVIL RIGHTS and EQUALITY CONNECTS COMMUNITIES, IDEAS, and ACTION to INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE, a network of Asian American activists groups. Beginning the end of this month, on the fourth Thursday of each month we will feature one of the different organizations from the AACRE network. We discuss the #BringPJHome movement and other social justice actions that align these Asian Pacific American organizations. Learn more about the organizations discussed: Alliance of South Asians Taking Action Asian Prisoner Support Committee Asian Refugees United APIENC Berkeley South Asian Walking Tour Chinese for Affirmative Action Hmong Innovating Politics Hyphen Network on Religion and Justice Visibility Project VietUnity     The post APEX Express – February 7, 2019 AACRE Leads the Way appeared first on KPFA.

The latest episode of the media based podcast featuring our first double header. This was a fun one to record. We're all over the place but we all had a good time and that's what this podcast is about, after all.

It sure feels like ages - am I glad to be listening to Cooper again or what!? Sounds like the show has even moved up the ladder with a new station picking up the feed - way to go! David gets things rolling with his usual drill and introduces his guest Tracy Nguyen. However, the episode gets off the blocks with a whimper. Tracy brings up something that I've often wondered too - why does David get worked up when someone refers to the show as a podcast?! Miranda then makes an early call in and the three get chatting. But it doesn't take long before our leading man from across the pond calls in. Between tinder swipes, ass wipes, getting rimmed, boob squeezes and being on call to Her Majesty's Drone service, our man in London still makes his Friday morning dates. That's commitment! Tony comes to Cooper's rescue when he needs him the most - kinda like a laxative for the show (although Tony might argue it's the other way around!). After Tony hangs up, Cooper and Tracy strive to salvage the rest of the episode. Cooper goes on to play a hilarious clip from Burning Man. The curtains come down for the week with a karaoke duet which to be honest, cracked me up. That's me, Sam from the Far East rating this sing-along episode with 4 stars - that turned out well in the end, I think.

Today Jason is joined by Dr. Tracey Nguyen explaining specifically how she has built her airway team. Then Teresa Duncan explains how our chart notes can be written in "insurance-ese" that make insurance companies more likely to pay claims!  Tracey's links:  Tracey's pediatric screening questionnaire Tracey's adult screening questionnaire Tracey's one page referral sheet Teresa’s links: Odyssey Management

Tracy Nguyen is back on the show for the third time - sober and steady. David kicks things off by addressing her bladder - don't think Tracy saw it coming but she dodges it well. Tracy feels she needs to be socializing more - well if you ask me, spending a Thursday evening on a show about nothing is a pretty decent start! Celeste calls in and Tracy shares some insight on Asian ways - which I thought was kinda true. David reveals his nurturing side and tries to help Celeste learn the ropes of becoming a comic. I then hear Kimchi being mentioned in a rather poopy circumstance, which wasn't exactly music to my ears cos I had one earlier and will be hitting the sack after this. Our new Womanizer fan then calls in and I don't know if it's her or some weird Womanizer side effect they didn't put on the box - she sounded slightly off it this week. The show then truly comes alive with a call from the middle of the Mediterranean - it's Jamie Bond masquerading as Johnny English - a.k.a Tony from London! Tracy tells David that he should consider having Tony on the show - that'll be some riot! Before the curtains go down, Tracy reveals that she has some shows coming up in April. That's me, Sam from a hostel not too far from the Vietnamese border (with Cambodia) rating this show with 3.5 stars - that went quite smooth and easy, I think.

Tracy Nguyen, comedienne extraordinaire joins us! Not a divorcée, but veteran of enough relationships to share in our cynicism. We address the big questions: can one have too many vibrators? Should relationships end at three years? Is art all about sex or all about death? PICK A SIDE! Tracy shares the history of Catholicism in Vietnam and her boat times. Plus an all new edition of Annette's an Ignorant Dumb Bitch.

On this episode of Poker After Dark we take an in-depth look at the career of newly retired poker pro Vanessa Selbst, the most recent Poker After Dark "Holidays with Hellmuth" shows and this week's "Femme Fatale" action.  8:35 - "Femme Fatale" on Poker After Dark featuring Kristen Bicknell, Sofia Lövgren, JJ Liu, Kathy Liebert, Kitty Kuo, Tracy Nguyen and Melanie Weisner.  21:18 - Looking back on "Holidays with Hellmuth," with hot takes on whether Hellmuth was playing up the Hellmuth role enough on these shows. 24:30 - The retirement of one of the best players in the history of the game: First ballot Hall of Famer Vanessa Selbst. 36:00 - Women in the Poker Hall of Fame Watch "Femme Fatale" on Poker After Dark on Wednesday and Thursday, and subscribe to this podcast to not miss a minute of the action in 2018!

David Cooper starts off by describing us a cup of Ritual Coffee, the shows sponsor. Its episode 51 today. Tracy Nguyen is the today's guest on the show, this her second time here. The kick off their banter over Chelsea Handler issue. They start to bash Jews, gays. They move on to the topic of Tracy going to Japan. Its almost halfway through the show but there is no caller yet. I am not surprise honestly, because they are not nice to listen or talk to. Some of their jokes are good but most of them leave a bad taste in the mouth. The first caller is orders a Pizza. They also discuss their childhood spanking, with Tracy being quite graphic in her description of it. Finally they receive a call from Ben from Tinder. The next caller, Miranda, discusses The Robot Unicorn, the Facebook game. Then come more Jew jokes. Looks like i wasted out an hour of my life on this stupid show, i wonder who and why do they pay for this show. This is Maru from India rating this episode 1 star. That went well, I think.

Despite the outdoor speaker not working, this week comedian Tracy Nguyen comes into the studio. Tracy talks about being born in Vietnam and living in an refugee camp. Tracy says she won't let her boyfriend go to Burning Man. David's girlfriend calls and says she hates David's haircut and talks about Real Housewives with Tracy. Chilla, a confusing man from West Africa asks about how to get booked on the radio show. David and Tracy call someone they both know to discover the most stunning revelation of the show to date: David has one friend. Celeste, a lovely former guest of the show is called and David harangues her about her recent breakup. Afterwards we call Dale, Celeste's ex-boyfriend to get his side of the story with the breakup. He starts off classy but gets in some digs. Celeste however, remained a class act. A quote from previous guest Ray Connolly comes up: "It's not a podcast, it's live radio archived as a waste of time." That went well, I think.