Lounging with Leonie: Recent Episodes
Leonie Sii
Join me on the lounge! Let's explore life's little mysteries. This podcast/show is my way of learning, growing and gaining confidence in having conversations with people. Every fortnight, I'll discuss topics close to my heart, including (but not limited to) mental health and wellbeing, relationships, racism, pop culture, BTS (duh) rock-climbing and more. It's a perpetual journey to self-discovery and improvement.
Look who is finally on the lounge in the flesh! In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Rachel as we discuss the important topics in life ahem BTS, BLACKPINK, V dating Jennie, South Korea and what the future has in store for the both of us.
In this episode:
- BTS Yet To Come in Busan and Run BTS
- The rumours that BTS V and BLACKPINK Jennie are dating
- BLACKPINK and their sexual innuendos
- Turning 30 and high school friendships
- Living life with uncertainty
- Living life with a hustling anxiety
- Looking for stability in a new decade of life
- Financial stability and creating an aquaponics farm
- Mainstream teenage phases of Twilight and the Jonas Brothers
- See ya in South Korea!
This episode touches briefly on themes of self-harm, mental health struggles and suicide.
Navigating your 20s can be a massive challenge - it's when you're coming out of school and emerging into the real world. It's a time when you're trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do in life... and sometimes it doesn't always go smoothly.
I'm joined by Daniel Varrica, who I had the privilege of connecting with through the UTS Mentorship program and who has recently decided to pivot his career after a self-proclaimed 'quarter-life crisis' aka a period of change in life.
In this episode:
- The 20s is when you're figuring out life
- A job shouldn't just be a job
- The 3 P's. - People, Passion and Pay
- On losing friendships
- Learning to trust the process
- The hustle life isn't for everyone, and that's ok
- Is social media setting unrealistic expectations of life?
- Where to find motivation
- Stoicism and learning acceptance
- Planning and flexibility in reaching goals
- Finding your ikigai
- Drugs and navigating a mental health crisis
- Gratitude for connections and networks
- Introversion and the power of silence
Follow Daniel on Instagram!
@danthe_cameraman
Bonus episode. Thought this might work as an audio podcast. I'm entering a new decade of my life, so taking a little time to reflect on some of the pivotal moments I had in my 20s. I dive into some of the clusterfuck of experiences I've had including all the heartache and loss, mental health issues, career crisis and finding my identity. All the things that are part of growing up :)
What do you do when you need to physically defend yourself? I'm joined by personal trainer and my kickboxing trainer David Lam! We explore the world of martial arts and fitness.
In this episode:
- The different types of martial arts
- Why do people love watching each other fight?
- Choosing the right martial arts for you
- A good teacher makes a big difference
- Martial arts and self-defence
- 3 moves to do when you need to defend yourself
- Violence against men by women
- Rock climbing
- Best martial arts for kids
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Boxing
- Training my trainer
- Advice for people wanting to start their fitness journey
- Finding the right tribe
I'm joined by musical guest and producer of my smash hit 'Climate change is killing the polar bears', Mr Polar Bear. We discuss how the song came about and the production process. We also have an impromptu musical jam session to vent about the state of the world.
In this episode:
- Reacting to the first draft of my music video
- The song writing and production process
- Why is lettuce so expensive?
- Song 1: Why are we so lazy Pt.1
- Song 2: Why are we so lazy Pt.2
- Song 3: Why are we so greedy?
- Song 4: It's hard to be happy
- Is convenience making us lazy and dumb?
- The cost of living
- Should petrol prices be more expensive to push the shift to renewable energy?
- Can wildlife adapt to the changing climate
- Bad news being more newsworthy
- Climate sceptics and conspiracy theorists
- Chaos brings opportunity to the rich
Life has been busy! Busy but good! But also, I'm feeling as though I am on a trajectory towards burning out. So, how does one deal with burn out? Big Brother and I discuss how to manage time and prioritise tasks... and we also take a detour into space.
In this episode:
- What's causing the burn out
- Streamlining and prioritising tasks
- Do you feel fulfilled or burdened?
- How to manage energy levels
- Practicing gratitude during hardship
- A little peak into my Tinder Scam experience...
- Leaving behind my 20s
- Elon Musk and his super genetics
- State of the Environment and the meat industry
- James Webb telescope
- Reflecting on my podcast
- Using humour to deal with life
- What is Big Brother grateful for?
- What is Leonie grateful for?
- Public speaking and presenting
- Lightyears and space - we are but a speck in this world
There's been some massive announcements since my last podcast episode about BTS (방탄소년단)! My friend and fellow BTS ARMY Rachel, discuss the big news about BTS and their "hiatus" aka "break" to focus on solo projects.
In this episode:
- BTS Word Association Game
- Initial thoughts on BTS 'Yet To Come'
- Hopes for world tour
- Thoughts on their solo projects
- Review of For Youth and Run BTS
- Who's solo project are we looking forward to most?
- Jimin's abs
- The BTS Festa Dinner and hiatus announcement
- Which member would be most successful as a solo artist?
- Western media clickbait reaction to BTS breaking up
- Will BTS be exempt from military service?
- Namjoon calling out the K-Pop industry
- Dynamite, Butter and Permission to Dance era
- BTS Announcement causing HYBE stocks to crash
ASMR Snack: Spicy Potato Crisp (Leonie) and Special K Cereal (Rachel)
P.S. This episode was filmed before J-Hope released his new tracks and album!
This episode is a bit of an internal monologue with Big Brother as I question what the point is of doing anything.
I have been struggling a little bit with motivation when it comes to my side projects, and also feeling overwhelmed with all the things that I want to do but seem to be unable to achieve. But such is life :) I'm ok.
In this episode:
- Taking a mental health break
- My plans to write a book
- Losing creative motivation
- Is my podcast a failure?
- What is success
- The need for social validation
- How to discipline the mind
- How to choosing what to focus on
- Personal and professional reputation
- Connecting emotion with function
- Privilege and selfishness
- ASMR
ASMR Snack: Baklava by Abla's Pastries
Annyeong! We're continuing #2022BTSFESTA month with the legendary media host, Andy Trieu. Andy Trieu is a content creator, media personality, actor and martial artist... and he's interviewed the biggest K-Pop stars in the world, including BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, Jay Park and more!
I pick his brains on how he finds the confidence to interview such big celebrities in front of the camera and of course, his experience meeting BTS.
In this episode:
- Who is Andy's BTS bias?
- How he started interviewing K-Pop stars
- His experience meeting and interviewing BTS
- First impression of the boys
- How he approaches interviewing large groups
- Memorable interviews with Jay Park, BTS and more
- Being starstruck meeting Simu Liu
- Being a martial art stunt performer for Disney's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- On his career from actor to media presenter
- How he combats imposter syndrome
- On the Asian music industry
ASMR Snack: Some sort of Chinese Yam Chip thing and Orion O! Karto cream and cheese flavour chips.
P.S This episode was filmed just before they announced their plans to focus on their solo work! I have many thoughts, feelings and emotions about this which will be discussed in my next episode, coming out 3rd July. Stay tuned!
Happy BTS FESTA 2022! It's June which means it's BTS (방탄소년단) month, so it would be madness for me not to discuss BTS on my podcast. BTS is set to release their first anthology album 'PROOF' on June 10, and we're getting some new songs.
I am joined by my long-time friend and fellow BTS Army, Rachel. Keeping in mind that this episode was filmed before BTS announced that their new album would be an anthology!
In this episode:
- How we got into BTS
- How BTS has sparked creativity and joy
- BTS teaching people to love themselves
- Favourite songs - GoGo
- Favourite songs - Young Forever
- Favourite songs - Mikrokosmos
- Favourite songs - Tear
- Favourite songs - Magic Shop
- BTS Army and the fandom
- BTS' impact on the music industry
- Thoughts on the new album
- The future of BTS pending their mandatory military enlistment
- Who are our BTS bias?
ASMR Snack: Boba Tea Mochi (Leonie) and Chocolate Digestives (Rachel).
What does it take to break the bamboo ceiling and become a leader as an Asian minority?
What does it take to break the bamboo ceiling and become a leader as an Asian minority?
I'm joined by Dai Le, who has just won the seat of Fowler in the Australian Federal Election as an independent! She is also the Deputy Mayor of Fairfield City Council. Dai has an impressive life story, coming to Australia as a refugee from Vietnam when she was a child, starting a career as a journalist and now representing her community in the political sphere.
She shares her insights and words of inspiration on how we can overcome our own biases and work towards a better world.
In this episode:
- Intro
- Dai's journey from Vietnam to Australia as a refugee
- On the war in Ukraine
- Would the world be a better place if led by women?
- Her experience as a refugee in Australia
- Racism in school
- Her career as an 'ethnic' journalist
- Getting into politics
- Does one vote matter in a system that's failing?
- Western Sydney is being neglected
- Asian women in leadership roles
- How to unify a world that's so divided
ASMR Snack: Calbee Honey Butter Chips (허니버터칩)
Note: I recorded this episode when Dai announced she was running as an independent candidate for the seat of Fowler in the Australian Federal election... and since then, she's won! A massive congratulations to Dai! I can't wait to see the amazing things she does in parliament representing Fowler and it's diverse people.
A bit of a different vibe this episode as I lounge by myself and talk with the voice of Big Brother.
I reflect on my podcast journey so far and look forward to the topics that I'm excited to talk about in the future, including mental health, Asian identity and of course... BTS.
In this episode:
- Reflecting on my podcast so far
- What I've learnt from doing the podcast
- What I want to do for the future of the podcast
- Mental health and the stigma in Asian communities
- BTS and Asian identity in the West
- Creating new categories for Asians at award shows
- White washing and yellow fever
- The impact of racial and cultural narratives in media
- Planning to go to South Korea this year
- Thank you for the support!
ASMR Snack: Coconut Tea. Lol. Sorry. Not exciting.
Studying abroad is one of the greatest experiences in life. You get to meet new people, explore new cultures and learn new languages.
In this episode, I'm joined by Moe Moe Myintzue Aye, who was an international student from Burma studying in Sydney, Australia. We discuss the experience of being an international student and living in a foreign country.
In this episode:
- School system in Burma vs Australia
- The Asian culture of "Saving Face"
- Cultural differences between Burma and Australia
- Making friends as an international student
- Racial discrimination and sexism
- Biggest challenges living abroad
- Financial support - how much do international students pay?
- Advice for graduates
- Burmese food
Climbing has become an increasingly popular sport for women.
In this episode, I'm joined by Sophia and Geli (who briefed me in for my first ever indoor climbing session), and we discuss girls who climb, amongst many other weird and awkward things.
Brace yourselves, this episode is a doozy.
In this episode:
- The link between music, climbing and intelligence
- Female climber having to be more "creative" than male climbers
- Climbing competitions and injuries
- Rope climbing vs bouldering
- Performing on stage as an introvert
- Filipino stereotypes (and food)
- Geli's shirt
- Sharing boys and ding dongs
Rock climbing and bouldering are becoming extremely popular sports. But what's the link between climbing and mental health? And how does it improve discipline in our lives?
This episode, I'm joined by Chew Wei Chieh, Climbing Performance Coach and Co-Founder of Grit Climbing.
We discuss:
- The impact of COVID-19 had on the climbing community
- Indoor climbing vs outdoor climbing
- Climbing in the olympics
- Female vs Male climbers
- How climbing helps mental health
- Being in the Singaporean military and the discipline learned
- His journey to becoming a climbing coach
- Advice for climbers
- Asians becoming big players in climbing
- Climbings gyms are the new Tinder
Climate change is putting the pressure on our communities and societies - is there any hope for the future?
This episode, I'm joined by Jasmine Ledger to discuss the environment and everything it encompasses, including climate change, animals, David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, future generations and the link between educating women and saving the planet.
Most of our life is spent working - and how many people are actually passionate about their work? In this episode I'm joined by Sam Chan, an interview and resume coach to discuss career choices, imposter syndrome, Asians in the workplace, Asians in leadership roles, discrimination, work-life balance and more.
Ah, the wonderful world of Tinder dating. In this episode I'm joined by fellow singleton Reuel Teodoro as we discuss the struggles when it comes to dating, the different experiences of males and females on dating apps, whether being codependent is toxic and what truly makes a good relationship work.
It's the pilot episode of Lounging with Leonie! In this episode, I'm joined by Italian Stallion and self-confessed "Minor TV celebrity in disgrace", Ramon Mazinga. I pick his brains about doing podcasts, social anxiety and overcoming challenges.
I also might have a panic attack...
Get excited! Get ready! Get pumped! It's time to lounge with Leonie. Pilot episode coming on the 30th of January.