Lev Does Life With Big J: Recent Episodes
Lev
Bite-sized conversations from two humans who've experienced the full rainbow of life. Welcome aboard the train. Choo Choo. #Live your truth We share you bite-sized conversations to help bust some of the stigma and misconceptions about culture, identity and mental health. This is our story from two Vietnamese second generation millennial Melbournians.
Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rtbjpodcast/
Hey folks! Welcome back and I hope everyone is doing well! Recently, I released my fourth short film, ‘To Closet Or Not To Closet? Part II’ and I filmed a reflection about it. I took the audio from that video and turned it into a podcast episode. I hope ya’ll enjoy and get something out of me sharing my experiences. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to another episode! Today, I share my experiences with content creation and how I’ve overcome challenges. Similar to the previous episode, the audio may not sound the same because I extracted the audio from a video I filmed; two different mics were used. Get out there and create, even if you don’t have all of the answers! Take care and I’ll see you in the next episode. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to another episode! Today, I share my experiences with fear, with an example in the context of my trans identity. The audio may not sound the same because I extracted the audio from a video I filmed; two different mics were used. I hope my story helps at least one human out there! Take care and I’ll see you in the next episode. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to another episode. I (Lev) am doing solo recordings because my friend Big-J is busy with life at the moment. In today’s episode, I explore the idea of ‘being successful’ and give personal examples of success in my life. Take care and I’ll see you in the next episode. :)
Note: At around 9 minutes 20 seconds, I was meant to say ‘being anything other than cis’ rather than ‘being anything other than trans’.
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast. It has been a while. Hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and New Year, despite the COVID-19 situation. Today, I did a little solo recording, sharing my experiences with changing my name. It’s definitely been a rollercoaster journey. I hope you enjoy my storytime and message of encouragement at the end! Take care and I’ll see you soon. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast. We hope you are well, wherever you may be in the world. Today’s episode is a continuation from last week’s episode on friendships. We discuss our experiences with toxic (or unhealthy) friendships, share ‘red flag’ signs and finish off on something more positive - how we maintain close, healthy friendships. Take care and we’ll see you in the next episode. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast. It’s Lev here. Today, I have another bonus episode for you all! I filmed a video comparing my experiences living as a cisgender female (before I realised and came out as FTM transgender) and now, a trans man. Again, I extracted the audio from that video and am posting it here as a podcast episode to make it more accessible. I hope you enjoy it and I’ll see you with Big-J soon.
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast and thanks for joining us! In today’s episode, we talk about the meaning of friendship and how friends are important to us. We also touch on social media and the deception of having many so-called friends on Facebook. Lev’s self-development message this week was: find your balance. Take care and we’ll see you soon. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast and the beginning of season 2! We’re very excited for the next chapter of our podcast. In today’s episode, we chat about International Pronouns Day and its significance, our personal goals and next steps for our podcast episodes. As always, we end with a message about self-discipline. Take care and we’ll see you next week. :)
Hey folks, it’s Lev here! This episode is a little bonus one where I share my thoughts on being rejected and explore how it’s not always a negative thing. I filmed a video yesterday and decided to share it on here too as an audio file! Extracted the audio from the video - simple. Take care and I’ll see you with my friend later this week. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast! Glad you could join us today. Today’s episode is a light-hearted one because we share some memories and behind the scenes that go on behind our recording sessions. It’s been over 6 months since we started this project and have come a long way since then. Julianne describes it as ‘planting the seed’ and what we’ve been doing is nurturing the seed. We end with a little motivation and self-development message. Take care and we’ll see you next week. :)
Hey folks! Welcome back to our podcast. We’re happy to have you join us! In honour of world mental health day (October 10th), we check-in with each other, reflect on what we’re grateful for, share what we’re unable to live without and discuss how we keep a healthy headspace. We also briefly explore the world of social media and stimulation of our brains. We hope that you’re able to take something away from this episode, even if it may be one thing! Take care and we’ll see you next week. :)
Hey folks! It’s been a while since we’ve recorded an episode but now we’re back! We’ve been taking time off from this project to take care of ourselves - physically and mentally. In this episode, Julianne and I (Lev) check-in with one another, reflect upon our break and share how we’ve been looking after ourselves. I also share some personal updates on my trans journey. Take care and we’ll see you next week. :)
Hello humans. First, an important update about my name. I now go by the name Lev and not my birth name. As it’s almost my 23rd birthday, I decided to share 23 lessons I’ve learnt throughout my journey. I hope you take away something from this episode, even if it may be one thing! If you have any topics you’d like for us to discuss, feel free to send us a message on IG! Take care and I’ll see you next week.
Hello humans. It’s R-Train here back with another episode! Today we dive into the world of gender dysphoria and how I manage it. Some tips I share include writing honest personal reflections about gender, experimenting with clothes and presentation, playing around with pronouns, using gender-affirming products, experimenting with haircuts and seeking professional support from a gender therapist. I hope this helps at least one person out there. Also feel free to send us a message on Instagram! Stay safe and I’ll see you next week.
Hi humans! It’s been a while as Julianne and I (Trang) have been on a break to take care of our mental health. Julianne is still on a break to look after herself, so it’s only me in the meantime! In today’s episode, I talk about a topic which I believe needs to be discussed more - internalised transphobia and homophobia. It’s not only problematic for LGBTQIA+ humans but the cisgender, heterosexual allies who wish to learn more to support the community. I have a raw and honest discussion about labels, the expectations of society, gender and sex. There is also a section dedicated towards LGBTQIA+ humans, particularly those who are trans and gender diverse. I hope to bring some comfort and create a sense of ‘togetherness’ in shared experiences for my fellow LGBTQIA+ humans. Take care and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Welcome back, folks! I (R-Train) am back to editing and uploading our episodes! In today’s episode, I share some awkward and uncomfortable experiences I’ve been through living as a transgender man. We also touch on the topic of transphobia and explore how certain ideas and beliefs about gender can impact on trans and gender diverse humans. It’s a raw and honest conversation and from this, we hope to provide cisgender allies with insight into life as a trans person and connect with trans humans who may be feeling alone. To other trans and gender diverse humans out there, I (R-Train) am in the arena, fighting right next to you. You are not alone. Take care and stay safe.
Send us a voice message on: https://anchor.fm/rtrainwithbigj/message
Follow us on our Instagram: http://instagram.com/rtbjpodcast
R-Train & Big-J
Xin chao ban (hello friends in Vietnamese!)
Julianne (Big J) here! My friend Trang (R-Train) has been editing our many past episodes and this week I've decided to help my friend with this one. If you felt Trang's story on our special episode (ep 10), then you will hear from Trang once again as he opens up, shares frankly in a raw and honest space of how it feels being looked upon as a transperson.
Like Trang said, "we are all human and we do not need to justify to people who asks sometimes sensitive questions..." Let's continue to learn and
thank you for following our journey, learnings with each other, and our reflections about the community, news and our big crazy world.
As always, stay at home as much as you can, the more 'disciplined' we can to reduce physical exposure will help us go out soon.
Signing off from two humans who love taking pictures, who is being disciplined (haha - our favourite word at the moment) during COVID-19 and love adventures!
We would love to hear how you feel about listening to our ramblings and reflections.
Send us a voice message on: https://anchor.fm/rtrainwithbigj/message
Follow us on our Instagram: http://instagram.com/rtbjpodcast
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Fun fact: The beats are handmade by Trang (part time DJ/music artist). Trang is a talented human!
-R-train and Big J
Hi folks. R-Train here. Today's episode is a bonus one that I recorded independently and would like to share with everyone. Here is one quote from my story that hit me quite hard. “There was a conflict inside of me because I kept telling myself that I was female but my subconscious was in fact saying I’m a trans man. That’s why I kept feeling uncomfortable about myself. I kept fighting with myself”. I hope this episode helps at least one person out there, even if it puts a smile on someone's face or giving someone hope. :)
Welcome back folks! Happy pride month to all of the rainbow humans out there and we hope you enjoy this first episode of our pride month series. In today’s episode, we explore what it means to be an LGBTIQ+ ally and how we can be more supportive of one another. We also touch on recent black lives matter events and intersectionality. For additional content, check out our Instagram page! Our username is rtbjpodcast. Take care, stay safe and let’s keep fighting for what is right. R-Train (Delta) & Big-J (Alpha)
Welcome back to our podcast! Today, Big-J and I will be sharing some of our experiences and frustrations around the stigma that exists with mental health. We also discuss how stigma and misconceptions about mental health have impacted our personal lives. Self-discipline is a word that I (R-Train) enjoy using quite often and we briefly touch on this too!
Feel free to send us a message on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/rtbjpodcast/
Take care and see you next week for the beginning of our pride month episode series. Stay rainbow!
R-Train and Big-J
Welcome back, folks!
Today, we have a conversation about International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) which was celebrated on the 17th of May. I (Trang) share what it means to me as a queer, trans guy. We also explore Julianne’s perspective as an ally to the LGBTIQ+ community. Pride month is coming up very soon and we will have episodes dedicated to discussing all things LGBTIQ+ so stay tuned for that!
Feel free to send us a message on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/rtbjpodcast/
Take care and see you all soon.
R-Train and Big-J
Hello humans,
Today’s episode is a continuation from last week where we gave an introduction to mental health first aid and Trang’s experiences in undertaking the course. In this episode, we address a few misconceptions surrounding mental ill-health and suicide, discuss ways you can provide support to loved ones and briefly share how to ask someone if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts. The content may be distressing and if you feel uncomfortable at any point, please do take a break or turn off the podcast.
Unfortunately, we cannot cover all elements of mental health first aid in a single podcast episode. We’re only touching on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this because there is so much to learn and consider. It took me (Trang) years to build up my knowledge base. We recommend undertaking a mental health first aid course or doing extra research online to develop your knowledge and skills. Also, feel free to send us a PM on Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/rtbjpodcast/
Take care and see you all next week.
R-Train and Big-J
Hello humans,
It’s the first time that I (Trang) have edited and published a podcast episode! The music we incorporated into this episode are demo tracks I produced. Very exciting to be able to share my music too. :)
Mental health first aid is a two-part topic. In today’s episode, we explore how the course came to life and my experiences of taking part in MHFA training. In next week’s episode, we will be discussing practical strategies that you can utilise to support your friends, family and loved ones, including recognising signs of suicide and taking action.
Take care and stay safe humans.
R-Train & Big-J
Hello/Xin Chao (greeting in Vietnamese).
Winter has decided to come and visit a bit early - yikes! Keep warm everyone.
In this week's episode, Trang (R-Train) shares ways to approach to keep ourselves in check and stay grounded with yourself and to keep your head on low profile rather than trying to grapple with the news on China etc.
Big J (Julianne) shares her story of her experience being a Vietnamese or 'asian' person, 'stared' upon at the shopping centre while the toilet paper buying mayhem was happening.
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But we wanted to keep it light and wanted you to feel that despite all the news and media, we still see humanity at it's best. There are still good people helping our communities. Let's pray and encourage one another during this isolating time.
Here are some help lines & services to contact:
- 13 11 14 - operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Lifeline - TEXT 0477 13 11 14 (will continue to operate 6pm – midnight (AEDT), 7 nights a week)
- Lifeline webchat - operating 7pm – midnight (AEDT), 7 nights a week
- Kids Helpline – for children that may need support 1800 55 1800 https://kidshelpline.com.au
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 https://beyondblue.org.au
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From Big J & R-Train :)
We share what our mental health and wellbeing 'toolbox' looks like during #covid19.
We share about how we are taking the time to look after our health:
-physically
-mentally
-creative/inner child health (yes!)
It's like primary school 101 on engaging with our five senses - what's Big J been cooking? How's R-Train's drum playing going?
Listen here to hear all about it!
Ep 4. will also be revealed...
Sleep well, breathe well, be well.
From: R-Train(Trang) & Big J (Julianne)
We hope you are well humans :)
Hope you have been cooking, walking lots and found some routine working at home with your family and dog/cat.
Message from my co-host Trang (R-Train):
"You are never alone and remember that there are people who love you, even when it feels like the world is crumbling down. Reach out for support whenever you think that is required. It's okay to lean on someone's shoulder. It doesn't make you any less human. Support services include Lifeline, BeyondBlue, Headspace (for young people) and QLife (for LGBTQ+ folks)."
See you next week! (Sleep well and remember to go outside and breathe in the Melbourne Autumn air).
-Big J & R-Train
We share bite-sized facts about ourselves. We’re two millennials in Australiaaaaa... The next episode is on why we decided to do share our voices - it will be out next Saturday night humans :)