The definition of calling someone an Egg derives from someone who is Caucasian but has lived in Asia for a number of years and has adopted or shown interest in Asian cultures or mindset, where as calling someone a Banana has an opposite meaning which refers to Asians who have grown up in Western cultures and who have a Western mindset.

1 Egg (Ryan) and 2 Bananas (Marc & Edward) who are from the US, with different backgrounds, come together to discuss their life experiences living and working in various Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and more.

Growing up speaking nothing but English, Ryan, Marc and Edward weren’t really exposed to other languages until they started planning to move overseas. They wanted to share their stories with English learners to help them pick up new phrases, idioms and slang, while using primarily English with some Mandarin and Japanese. So please strap in, put on your most comfortable headphones, as we take you on an Epic Journey into the unknown.

EggBanana (Trailer)

For a lot of travellers and business people when traveling to another country, it’s important to know how to ask essential questions such as “How much is this?” “How do I get to this location?” But one of the most undervalued and underappreciated questions that face us all no matter what age, sex, ethnicity or religion we are is “Where is the restroom?”

In this podcast, we discuss the different ways to call the toilet in English, as well as ways to say it and how to ask where is the bathroom in both Japanese, Mandarin and a sprinkling of other languages.

We also share our experiences about how we felt using different toilets in various Asian countries, as well as bathroom etiquette. So please get ready for a fun ride for your listening pleasure.

The Toilet

At the turn of the last century, Sigmund Freud published his book, The Interpretation of Dreams, arguing that our dreams are nothing more than wishes that we are looking to fulfill in our waking lives. Some of these wishes are relatively innocent, and in these cases our dreams picture the wish just as it is. Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge. Without enough sleep the brain cannot function properly. But why do we dream? One widely held theory about the purpose of dreams is that they help you store important memories and things you’ve learned, get rid of unimportant memories, and sort through complicated thoughts and feelings. Research shows that sleep helps store memories.

In this podcast, we discuss the concept of dreams, different dreams that the 3 of us have experienced, and try to conclude what it all means. So hang on to your “totem” and like Cobb said from Inception “Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.”

Dreams

Coronavirus disease 2019, or Covid-19 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2). The first case was identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The disease has since spread globally, leading to an ongoing pandemic. During this Covid-19 time there have been 137 million cases with 2.95 million deaths. It has wreaked havoc on a grand scale which hasn’t been seen in a long time. So how has Taiwan, only had 1058 cases up to this point with 11 deaths???

In this podcast, we discuss what it’s been like living in Taiwan during this chaotic time, what steps the Taiwan government has implemented to minimize the spread of this highly contagious disease, and the current new normal. So please wash your hands with soap, put on your surgical mask and get ready for an honest dialogue about something that has affected us all. And remember to STAY SAFE/STRONG.

COVID in Taiwan

The concept of the night market traces its roots back to the Chinese Tang dynasty. Taiwanese night markets are street markets in Taiwan that operate in urban or suburban areas between sunset and sunrise. Most night markets operate daily and feature a mixture of individual stalls selling clothing, consumer goods, XiǎoChī (小吃 – similar to snacks or fast food), and specialty drinks. The atmosphere is usually crowded and noisy with hawkers shouting and fast-paced music playing over loudspeakers. Taiwanese night markets have evolved over the years from small local gatherings to noisy streets lined with vendors. These vendors must adhere to regulations placed on their activities by the Taiwanese government.

In this podcast, we discuss what Night Markets are, interesting activities that take place there, and the different foods that have made them so famous and popular. So please bring your appetite, your wallet, a willingness to try anything/everything and join our adventure into the Night Market.

Night Markets

Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between human beings based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they are perceived to belong to. People may be discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation, as well as other categories. In social psychology, a stereotype is an over-generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example, an expectation about the group's personality, preferences, appearance or ability. Usually discrimination could be considered negative but sometimes can be a positive perception like, characteristics, or attributes.

In this podcast, we examine discrimination, stereotyping, and other preconceived perceptions that we have encountered in Taiwan and other countries we have lived in. So cast away your preconceived notions and keep an open mind as we have a real talk about Discrimination and Stereotypes.

Discrimination

Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between human beings based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they are perceived to belong to. People may be discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation, as well as other categories. In social psychology, a stereotype is an over-generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example, an expectation about the group’s personality, preferences, appearance or ability. Usually discrimination could be considered negative but sometimes can be a positive perception like, characteristics, or attributes.

In part 2 of this podcast, we continue our no holds bar discussion of discrimination, stereotyping, and others preconceived perceptions that we have encountered in Taiwan, as well as in other countries that we have lived in. Only through honest dialogue and admitting that discrimination and stereotypes do exist can we identify them and learn to see each person as an individual and not a representative of a whole people or race.

Discrimination (part 2)

Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time are often operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living in different geographic areas. Differences in cost of living between locations can also be measured in terms of purchasing power parity rates.

Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available, generally applied to a society or location, rather than to an individual. It is relevant because it is considered to contribute to an individual’s quality of life. Standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outside an individual’s personal control, such as economic, societal, political and environmental matters – such things that an individual might consider when evaluating where to live in the world, or when assessing the success of economic policy.

In this podcast, we discuss what the Cost of Living is in Taiwan, how much goods/services cost us here, and our respective experiences/expectations with earning money and carving a life here. So please bring your calculator, budgeting app, and get ready to be Amazed/Schooled as we delve into the Cost of Living.

Cost of Living

Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport, in contrast to private transport, for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public, typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that charge a posted fee for each trip. Examples of public transport include city buses, trolleybuses, trams (or light rail) and passenger trains, rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.) and ferries. Public transport between cities is dominated by airlines, coaches, and intercity rail. High-speed rail networks are in use or being developed in many parts of the world. Most public transport systems run along fixed routes with set embarkation/disembarkation points to a prearranged timetable, with the most frequent services running to a headway (e.g.: "every 15 minutes" as opposed to being scheduled for any specific time of the day).

In this podcast, we discuss the public transportation available in Taiwan, the convenience and pricing of it, and our respective experiences/expectations with using it. So please bring your MRT Card and find a seat as we take a ride into Public Transportation.

Public Transportation

You've been living in Taiwan and love the culture, food and everything that it has to offer. So an important question arises: How do I go about staying in Taiwan? In Taiwan, you have 90 days upon landing with your passport to figure this out. It can be a nerve-wracking, intimidating situation/process that we all have to face if we want to stay on this beautiful island. There are various ways to satisfy this requirement and we have to be mindful/aware of how to do it otherwise complications and/or problems may arise.

In this podcast, we discuss how to stay in Taiwan: the ways to do it, how easy/difficult it is, and how each of us are currently able to do so. So please bring your passport, documents, and some money as we explore the different options on how to stay in Taiwan.

Staying In Taiwan (Season Finale)

🥚Egg (Ryan) and 🍌🍌Bananas (Marc & Edward) from different parts of the 🇺🇸US discuss living and working in Asian countries such as 🇹🇼Taiwan and 🇯🇵Japan