#5 - From Manila to New York - Rafa Lorenzana

#7 - A Conversation with an old friend - Johnny We

7th episode with with an aptly named friend, "Fortnite". Seriously enjoyed this episode though! Episodes like these are why I'm podcasting :)

#6 - Potato Corner & the Filipino Community - Yanni Banzon

Greetings of exuberance, everyone! Today’s guest is Yanni Banzon. In highschool I got to know Yanni from English class, and from joining the same highschool production as her. I’ve enjoyed a few brief conversations with Yanni in the past, but never got the time to properly get to know her or exchange perspectives. I knew Yanni played Dungeons and Dragons, and liked Theatre, and did great voice-overs of Shakespeare in class, but that was it. Nevertheless, this conversation I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her. We discussed where in Spain Yanni is currently studying, her major, Philosophy, Economics, and Political Science, Culture shock (EU vs. PH), How to help the Philippines develop, the impact of colonialism in the Philippines, What’s special about the Filipino community, Potato Corner, Gaming, Theatre, and much more. Join us for a fun, wholesome conversation. Cheers everybody!

#5 - From Manila to New York - Rafa Lorenzana

Welcome to the 5th episode of ABAO podcast. From what I remember of the conversation recorded 1-2 months ago, Rafa and I discussed a lot about global society and culture shock. We discussed his aspirations in the business world, what he values in life, and our our fun highschool memories. Going to start posting more and going for a more minimalist podcast approach. Please continue supporting the journey!

#4 - First Conversation in 3.5 years - Vik Challa

Hello friends, today’s episode is with Vikhyat Challa. Vik is currently living in London after multiple different places, like Kuwait, and the Philippines, where we attended the same elementary school. Going into this podcast, I hadn’t spoken to Vik in ages, years probably. However, I wanted to reach out and see where a combination of spontaneity and temporal distance could take a conversation to. Today’s episode with Vik was Chill, full of positivity, and I enjoyed every minute of it. We discuss topics like culture shock, societal differences in the U.K and the Philippines, substance use, finding the right people, and photography to name a few. I highly encourage all of you to reach out to a friend who you haven’t spoken to in years. Not only will you find gems in conversations, but you’ll also realize how different other people’s lives are from your own tight knit circle. Without further ado, please enjoy! Peace and love.

#3 - Keep It In The Fairway - Gus Garcia

Salutations everyone, I hope you’re having a beautiful morning, night, whenever you’re listening to this short episode. Our guest today is my friend Gus Garcia. I thought it would be interesting interviewing him as an ode to adolescence. Gus and I were tight in middle school but drifted a bit during high school and I wanted to kill two birds with one stone, catching up while giving both of us a platform to talk. Ostensibly, he’s a well put together guy. I’ve always seen him as a sort of cool kid, while I found myself a bit nerdier and less charismatic, which I think gives some funny perspective to this conversation. Gus is an athlete, playing a lot of the same sports I’ve played in the past, and in this episode we make connections between our athletic and personal lives. In this episode we both found a lot of things in common, everything from how we plan to pursue the same course in Uni, to the value we place on understanding others, the different escape mechanisms we have, Gus’s understanding of trauma, introspection, fashion/self expression, how money can buy happiness, and much more! As I endeavor to capture more conversations, please rate this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whatever platform you’re listening to. It makes me happy and gives this podcast to a wider audience. Anyways, without further ado, please enjoy the show! * 02:13 - Introduction and Current Life Situations * 05:11 - Choosing a Career in Physiotherapy * 09:13 - How our personalities find joy in helping others * 15:20 - How we escape from life * 20:25 - Reflecting on adolescence and making sense of “drifting apart” * 27:36 - How early childhood experiences shape our values, a Golf Analogy, and trauma * 32:40 - Relating this to our love life * 37:18 - Seeing the “best” in people and why people aren’t evil * 44:12 - Gus’s philosophy on fashion and self-expression * 59:10 - How money can make you happy and being comfortable with spending it * 1:04:27 - Keep it in the Fairway