Nobody Asked For This: Recent Episodes
Matthew Poon
Join me (and some guests) as we explore the lives and journeys of those who call Victoria home. We'll talk about different topics like the best ice cream parlour to bylaws that affect our daily lives, all the while celebrating our differences in opinion and points of view. NAFT (Nobody Asked For This) is a podcast made by locals for locals.
July 15-17, 2022 was the CanWest Games and I had the wonderful opportunity to go and compete as an athlete! Wanna hear more about my experience? Well strap in your seatbelts and get ready for the breakdown of what has been a highlight of my year!
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Hey everybody I'm back for a limited time so gird your loins and open up your ears. This week's episode I'm going to walk you through my 12-week cutting journey! Don't know what that is? Well you should listen to the episode to learn more!
WARNING: Episode talks about food relationships and eating disorders. If these things trigger you please skip this week's episode
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I got a chance to sit down with Adrian MacLaren and dive a bit deeper into his life on the island, as well as his education in pharmacy and his recent endeavours in real estate. Oh, and btw we met off Facebook Market, so really you can meet friends anywhere haha. I hope you all enjoy this episode of Nobody Asked You with Adrian MacLaren!
Learn more about Adrian and his shenanigans:
Website: https://www.adrianmaclaren.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianrealestatevictoria/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrianrealestatevictoria
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It's news time! You ready to get caught up on all the happenings around town?
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You best believe I recorded this on Family Day (the one day I had off haha) because you all needed to be updated on what's going on in Victoria! There's a lot of information in this episode so strap in and listen hard!
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It's always exciting to get a new job! Or... scary! But I did it and I wanted to share with you the things that went through my head (and out of my bank account haha) as I decided to transition from my current 3-job life to a more sustainable and calm 2-job life =P
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It's that time of the month to get caught up with some local news! And, honestly, there's some pretty cool projects and initiatives happening around town!
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Yeah the title is long but I wanted to get my point across. Also, it's hilarious so get involved people. Finally get to dig deep on a topic I am overly opinionated about and what better way to start the new year than to remind you: it's your life so make good choices. You got no one else to blame! Also, I look up some awesome horoscope and zodiac stuff so listen and share with your friends. K, thx bye!
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New episode, new season, new year. Yes we stan it all. In this episode I reminisce about 2021 (both the good and bad) and share with you what I have in store for 2022. Here's to another year of me seeking out awesome people to talk to and sharing things from my heart, whether you like it or not. Cheers.
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And we're finally here, part 3/3 of my Christmas music extravaganza! Buckle in for this episode folks because yours truly is going to be singing! Not super well mind you but still it'll be... some sort of treat. I hope you've enjoyed listening to all the music I've loved up until now and am ready to add 4 MORE Christmas songs to your faves! Have an amazing rest of the year everyone and thank you all for your support! See you in 2022!
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It's part 2 of my 3-part Christmas special on this podcast! This episode I present to you the secular music that I love! Parameters? It had to be written before I was born (1986) so it narrowed my choices down by... a very little bit haha. But rest assured the selections I've chosen represent a WIDE range of Christmas music from very old to relatively new, Classical to pop. Hope you enjoy this episode and if you haven't yet, go back and listen to my favourite sacred Christmas carols!
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It's that time of year and I thought I'd give it a bit of my own spin combining my love of music and teaching you a bit of music history and theory! I've selected THREE Christmas carols/hymns I love and I hope you enjoy the arrangements I've come up with. Please note I recorded this on a very good microphone BUT with a digital piano (I'll talk about this some day in the future) so the quality is NOT up to my normal standards when it comes to fine recording. However, I hope you'll still enjoy listening to me play!
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It's time to catch-up on some things happening around town that you may have missed! This episode we'll be talking about developments (as always), city infrastructure (duh) as well as the Royal BC Museum's plans to retire their third-floor galleries! So strap in and prepared to be caught up!
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Soooo... you might be a bit confused about the title so honestly just listen to the episode. My short trip to Calgary was a blast but it also came with a side of trauma/drama. Hopefully it's an entertaining episode but also make sure you take care of yourself physically and mentally.
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What a joy it was to sit down and chat with Rachel Siemens on this week's special episode of Nobody Asked For This. We chatted about her history and foundation in fitness that ultimately led her to being an Olympic lifting machine as well as her thoughts on competition, education and overcoming adversity. Bonus, I even had the chance to pick her brain on her favourites! I hope you enjoy this interview and consider supporting Rachel by visiting her website or following/subscribing/liking to Siemens Weightlifting! All links below:
Rachel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siemensweightlifting
Rachel on Instagram: @siemensweightlifting
Rachel's website: https://www.siemensweightlifting.com/
It's another interview with another amazing person Emily Chan! We've been friends for a few years and I'm so glad she gave me some time to sit her down and chat with me. We dive into her journey to becoming a dietitician, her love of CrossFit and her recent move to Calgary! I hope you enjoy my chat with this awesome human!
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It's the end of the month and it's time to catch up on some local news! This episode it's all about what's being built (or not) around the city and what you can do to show your support or drop your two cents. It's a relatively short episode but jam-packed full of information, so strap yourselves in folks! Oh and by the way, all links from the episode are provided below:
For more information or to donate to the Emerge Stronger fundraiser, please visit www.victoriahf.ca/donate or call 250-519-1750
To check out Esquimalt's Transportation Plan and to provide some feedback please visit www.engagingesquimalt.ca/activetransportation
To pre-register and find out participating bike stores for Saanich's Community E-Bike Inventive Pilot Program, please visit www.saanich.ca/ebike
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Have you ever wondered if there was any more you could do to reduce the amount of consumption and waste in your life? Those creative juices running dry? Well maybe this episode will help you out! In my quest to lower my consumption I've decidedly put all my decisions into three categories: Smart Purchases, Second-hand Love and Simple Life Choices. Have a listen and maybe you'll pick up some new tricks and ideas!
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We're trying something new this episode everybody! For the remainder of the year I'll be randomly adding in Real Talk, a segment of the podcast dedicated to me sharing more personally things on my mind and heart. This episode I wanted to talk about Choice and Consequence and how it's affected and made me the person I am today. I hope you enjoy and as always, thank you for your support.
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The title says it all! Strap in for an episode packed with all the happenings in the Greater Victoria Area. I really enjoy this new format because it gives me an entire month to find interesting things to talk about and I hope you enjoy it too! This time around we'll dive deeper into a new memory clinic in downtown Victoria, an aquaponics venture in Central Saanich, and 4-new proposed towers in downtown Langford just to name a few!
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Man what a time to be living! Between the election shenanigans, getting back into the rhythm of work and a covid scare, I ran myself into a corner yesterday. But thank goodness for the good habits and thoughtful boundaries I've set up in the past that ground me. This episode I wanted to share with you some of the tips and tricks I employ to keep my mental and physical health as sturdy and protected as possible!
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It's election time! Are you confused about what's going on and who to vote for? Not sure which party is promising what? Well this episode is for you! Strap in as I spend the next 30 minutes discussing all the interesting ideas and initiatives the Conservatives, Greens, Liberals, NDP, and PPC have for housing and rental affordability, tackling homelessness and jumpstarting the economy. Hopefully, after listening to this episode, you'll have a better idea of who to vote for!
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Another episode, another wonderful guest who was kind enough to give me their time! Meet Scott Elias, co-owner of Luxe Home Interiors, proud father to an amazing son, ex-public educator and all-around wonderful person. Join me and Scott as we chat about his upbringing in Surrey, his work in Richmond and North Vancouver, and his eventual move to the island. Oh, and make sure to stop by Luxe at 564 Yates St and tell Scott Matty sent you!
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What a treat to have Jordan on the podcast this week! I was thrilled to interview him on how he made it to the island as well as 'compare notes' in terms of our wildly different trajectories in our music careers! This man has done it all: playing in a band, creating and mastering music/sound for video games, amusement parks and film, as well as producing the awesome podcast Three Dads and a Phil! Sit down and have yourself a glass of your favourite beverage and please enjoy this episode!
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To all your weirdos out there; I see you, I hear you, and I'm here to tell you you're all amazing and wonderful! Don't let people judge you for the things you do! I had a student ask me if they were weird and it got me thinking that more people need to share their quirks in order for everyone to know it's ok to have them in the first place.
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Finally after a few weeks hiatus we're back with some hard hitting news baby! In this episode we talk about Sooke's first dog park, the issue with taxation regarding Colwood's Royal Bay project, AccessBC's petition to have contraception covered in the 2022 provincial budget, and Oak Bay's potential decision to legalize secondary suites!
I'm honestly liking this format where I save up a few pieces of news and then talk about all of them in one go! What do you think? Should I do this? Let me know!
To join AccessBC's letter-writing campaign please visit:
https://www.accessbc.org/the-campaign
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It's a repeat guest! If you haven't please make sure to listen to my interview with Kirill before/after this episode. It's a long one, so strap in and get ready to learn a few things about the impact of video games and what it means to continue to fight for representation in the entertainment sector. Kirill and I each share our perspectives on games we've revisited recently, noting the ups and downs with replaying an 'oldie but a goodie.' We dive pretty deep into issues of misogyny and lack of representation in Final Fantasy 12 (my game) and Mass Effect (Kirill's) and learned a lot from each other. I hope you enjoy this episode and maybe you could even give us some suggestions on what games have done good and what games have not aged well!
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It's that time again... time for me to bestow upon you my knowledge of this land, and I cannot wait for you all to learn about these wonderful coffee shops we have all over the Greater Victoria Area! So sit back and relax as I go through all of my favourite spots from Sooke to Sidney and back again. Note: This is not a comprehensive list and I will be back with a part 2 (and even 3) as I continue to explore all the amazing americanos out there. I'm also entertaining suggestions so please drop me a comment and lead me in a certain direction to find some new coffee shops with tasty americanos!
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We're almost out of the woods y'all, or not? With all the loosening of restrictions happening it'll only be a matter of time before the city gets back to a new normal. But should we really revert back to how we did things before Covid? In this episode I list off 5 things I'd like to see done, discussed or planned for as we leave the pandemic world behind. Do you have a list of your own? You should share it with us! Follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook and comment on our post on this topic OR tag us using @naftpod or #naftpod!
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It was a blast catching up with Angela and delving into her journey from growing up in Taiwan to studying in the US and Canada and ultimately helping her family start a business in Victoria. Angela was gracious enough to share some details into the trials that come with opening a restaurant, as well as what it takes to know your customers and community. I hope you enjoyed this interview with Angela Lee of the Lee's House Restaurant!
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It's time to share with you my secrets. Come, come in and get ready to have you mind blown! Haha nah it's just another episode where I share (un)solicited advice on how to make better choices in your career. Hope some of the horror stories I share in this episode steer you clear from making some of the mistakes I did in my 20's! So without further ado, here's my 6 tips to becoming a better, professional you!
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Trying out a new segment in the podcast where I focus on local news as well as highlight a business you may or may not have heard of! In this episode I'll be talking about Vic High's expansion and retrofit plans, a potential new condo tower proposed to be built near Beaver Lake, as well as a Saanich councilor's fight to eliminate discrimination against renters with dogs.
The business I will be highlighting this episode is Sushi Matsuri in James Bay!
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What a treat! This episode I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to my friend (and boss haha) Cam Birtwell of CrossFit Vic City fame! We had a chance to get to know a bit more about his life before he moved to Victoria and the circumstances that led him to fall in love with CrossFit and eventually open Vic City and JSTMV. I even got a chance to ask him some questions on his most loved - and hated - things in life. I hope you enjoy this interview because I learned a lot and it was a lot of fun!
Check out CrossFit Vic City: https://www.crossfitviccity.com
Check out JSTMV: https://www.jstmv.com
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Ever feel bad that you need people to motivate you to do things? Or to buy that shiny new shirt to push you to lose some weight? Have I got an episode for you! Have a listen to my trials and tribulations in navigating the murky waters that is motivation and perhaps finish the episode knowing another person in your life struggles with the same issues as you do!
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New season new guest! I had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with my good friend Caleb and we talked a little about his upbringing in Victoria and A LOT about Christianity and Art! I hope you're ready to listen and learn because it's a longer-than-usual episode!
Make sure to check out what Caleb is up to:
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/zerosaucestream
Instagram: @_zerosauce
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It's our last episode of the season! How have you been? We've all been under different levels of lockdown since last March and I've felt its effects throughout the entire time, but not as strongly as this past week. So let's chat about it, as well as some local news on EV chargers and additional funding to the Greater Victoria Rent Bank!
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It is time. Time to talk about my utter love for 2D-animated Disney films of the 90's and 2000's. I have a LOT of opinions and you should strap in and get ready to hear them all. It's finally time to reveal to you my top 8 Disney films!
Wanna listen to my arrangement of Gaston?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX6kxNEIs4I
Wanna listen to my arrangement of The Bells of Notre Dame?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZShXsWK_0f0
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It's been a year since I started doing Murphs and I have some feelings and thoughts to share at you. What an amazing journey going from being trash at running to being less trash at running! If you're struggling to get something off the ground, have a listen and see if my little one-year journey might motivate you to kick-start your next project!
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Hey fellow listeners. I just needed this episode to be free-form and flowing so I could just chat at you about things happening currently in my life. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I'm finally up for air! Hope you all have been keeping well; thanks for the continued support!
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My second guest to come on the podcast is my dear friend Kirill Lipa! We had an amazing time chatting about his move from Russia to Canada and the trials and tribulations that landed him here in Victoria! Kirill also shared with us some interesting insights on the hospitality sector, as well as his thoughts of vegan options here on the island. Lastly, we picked his brain on all his favourites of this town so make sure to listen right to the very end!
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It's never a fun time when you've made a mistake and have to suffer the consequences, but sometimes life hands you a lesson and gives you the opportunity to learn and grow from it. This week's episode I'll be sharing with you a time I made a few bad judgment calls which ended in me in some hot water and burning a few bridges. I hope by listening to my story that it'll inspire you to see mistakes as opportunities to be a better you!
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I don't talk about CrossFit much, but I learned a few lessons about myself and I'd like to share! CrossFit has become an important part of my life and it's finally time to do a shallow dive into how it makes me feel. We will also be talking about a subsidized-rental initiative between the City of Victoria and the Government of Canada.
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Why is everyone so obsessed with being happy? Is there a quick and easy way to get more happiness into your life? Join me in this episode as I do a deep dive into the topic based on my own opinions and experiences, meandering as I often do to try to answer the questions at hand. We also discuss the business-led pedestrianization plan for the 1000-block of Broad Street!
For those are you wanting to read the article, here's the link:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-social-thinker/202103/simple-way-boost-your-happiness
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My first guest on the podcast is one of my best friends Christy Wu-Bourke! Christy is a public educator with a background in music who is managing her newly diagnosed diabetes while pregnant with her first child. I had the privilege of sitting down and asking her questions about her upbringing, as well as thoughts on moving here to the island after deciding to leave the lower mainland. I hope you all enjoy our discussion; it was a treat for me!
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Chocolate. You better love it because I'm gonna talk about it for 25 minutes of this episode. What can I say? It's everything I want and I wanna share with you what I know, as well as where to procure some of the treats and snacks I've come to acknowledge as #1 on my chocolate list!
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Have you ever thought about potentially getting a gas-powered scooter? Well, even if you haven't, you should listen to my thoughts on them because I'm biased. Also, we'll be talking about the controversial decisions the Victoria council made on Clover Point. More in this episode of NAFT
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I've finally done it. The first episode of Nobody Asked For This is live and I cannot be more excited. So sit back and learn a few things about me, your host, and get ready to fall in love with this podcast!
Episode 1 will be a quick autobiography of me, followed by some spicy local news. Hope you enjoy!
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