All posts in: Natalie Tran

Culture
30 Dec 2015

My Favorite Posts of 2015

As we were writing our top posts of 2015 the other day, I realized that a lot of them hadn’t been written by me! They were, in fact, written by Mandi and she’s so deserving to have many of those posts receive that many views this year because she had worked hard on them. In addition to that, she was honest and vulnerable and I know through speaking with her she spent a lot of time putting her thoughts together and getting second opinions from Eric and I. After writing that post though I was a little embarrassed that my own writing hadn’t been the majority, but I realized that even though many of the posts didn’t receive as much viewership, they were still very enjoyable to write and I didn’t want them to go unnoticed. So here are our top 12 posts (one for almost every month!) and the reasons why they meant something to me.

almost superbowl

  • Super Bowl 49 – We’re Comin’ For You – Never have I ever written a post with so much emotion! I still remember this day like it was yesterday. That Packers game was nuts and I remember being heartbroken watching the majority of that game and wanting to throw in the towel and drive all the way home to South Bay before the game was even over! It’s not bandwagoning, it’s just heartbreak and disappointment. Luckily though, we had reconvened at Mandi’s to finish it out and it was worth the wait because that’s where this photo comes in.

  • “After Us” – Watching this Wong Fu Productions video this year was super relevant to me and it was a great reminder to pick myself up again after a split. Additionally though, I became much more aware of the videos that Wong Fu put out and found myself watching video after video after video. I’ve never been the most “Asian Asian,” but I have to admit that I do find comfort in watching these videos that feature predominantly Asian characters and their life experiences similar to mine. It’s kind of an interesting way for me to identify a little bit more with my roots when it’s not my usual.
  • I’m 25. – I feel very blessed this year to have had the best birthday celebration that I’ve ever had. Thank you so much to everyone that helped ring in my 25th birthday and for making it so great. It really has been a year of fun, experiences, and lessons (some good some bad, but still worth it!)

  • Wedding Rules You Can Throw Out – Quite a few people in my life have come to me this year asking me for advice and opinions on wedding ideas and wedding planning in general. Now, I’ve never been close to marriage, but I am really flattered that people value my thoughts on this. It’s not for everyone though. There are definitely people that disagree with my views against tradition, but I felt really good about writing this post and laying it all out on the table.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/120647268]

  • Find Foxy Films – When my brother’s friend Phil started his own film production company and started sharing short stories, I was intrigued. These are the types of stories I LOVE sharing on Yow Yow! – so raw, real, and personal. Phil is embarking on his own battle right now with Stage 3 Nodular Hogdkin’s Lymphoma, but that isn’t standing in his way. It’s inspiring to see him continue pursuing his dreams even while he’s still receiving treatment.

  • Natalie Tran – Asians in Media Talk – This is one of the first times that I ever struggle and discuss the issues that I’ve faced with my identity and being an Asian American. This was a particularly difficult post for me to write because I like to think it’s 2015 and this stuff doesn’t have to exist, but it is real and there are times when I get uncomfortable having to answer questions about my “Asian-ness” to other people and face the prejudice from others about those that I choose to date as well. I’m very optimistic about this and how things will look in the future and I think these things just take time.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/129574704]

  • Wedding Mondays – It’s so hard to choose a favorite! I didn’t think that I would be able to, but honestly this one made the most sense to share. I actually knew Justin in college so watching this video made this all the more memorable for me. I’m sure that next year when my own friends get married, they will find themselves on this list too.

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  • The Best Time to Visit Seattle – We took quite a few trips this year in 2015, but we never have a bad time when we return home to Seattle. During this trip, I got to see some of my favorite people and eat all of the things that I crave when I’m in the Bay Area.
  • The Instagram Project – It sometimes seems a little crazy how much time I may spend thinking about the perfect picture to post, but Instagram is a great daily outlet when I can’t get to writing a post on Yow Yow! everyday. While it does take some added time, I’ve actually enjoyed the pictures that have come out of this project even more and am looking forward to continuing on with it into 2016.

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  • Last Weekend’s Halloween Wedding – I just noticed – today – that the title of the post said “Weeding” instead of “Wedding.” How did no one catch this?! Oy… so embarrassed. Anyways, this was the first time that I could ever go through and talk about every detail of a wedding – what I liked and disliked – cause I didn’t know the couple! We won’t have this opportunity for a long time! Also it was my first themed wedding ever – v. steam punk and it was quite the experience.

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It was so hard to narrow this post down to just 12 favorites and this took me the whole evening to go through a whole year of posts. I know I’ve written repeatedly this year that I didn’t get to write as much as I would have liked to and at the volume I’m used to like in the past, but I’m very proud of what I’ve put out. There are things that I’ve written on Yow Yow! in 2015 that I could’ve never had the experience or knowledge to write about back in 2009. I think this is the reason why I sometimes feel the need to keep pushing. There’s so much more for us to discuss on Yow Yow! and it’s important that we see it through. Thank you for reading. 🙂

Uncategorized
20 Apr 2015

Natalie Tran – Asians in Media Talk

A few years ago, my brother introduced me to Natalie Tran’s videos and I found them to be pretty comical, but this is – by far – the most powerful video that I’ve ever seen from her and I’m really excited to share this with everyone.

Growing up, I’ve experienced having to answer every question under the sun about my heritage and the stereotypes that come along with it. The “where are you from?” question is one that I know all too well. In addition to “…but where are your parents from?” like Natalie mentioned, I’ve also gotten much more.

“You’re full Asian? But your eyes are SO big.”

“You must be really good at math.”

“Are your parents fresh off the boat?”

“Are your parents upset that you didn’t go on to be a doctor?”

“Do your parents speak any English?”

“Wait – say something in Vietnamese. Anything!”

It’s interesting for me to look back on my childhood and the types of things people expected me to answer. There were plenty of times when I received questions from those that were Asian that also confused me. “What do you mean you can’t eat spicy food? Didn’t you grow up on this?” “You only have a few Asian friends? That’s weird.” “If you grew up speaking Vietnamese, shouldn’t you still be pretty fluent?”

In the end, I think having to endure these types of questions has probably made me a stronger individual. At first, I felt pulled in a number of directions and naturally – it’s these questions that cause you to question yourself and who you are and who you should be. But we’re not alike. Not any of us. I don’t have to radiate “Asianess” to show that I’m proud of my heritage and where I came from. I want to show that in my actions and the things that I can accomplish. I think it’s important for people to know their heritage and appreciate where they’ve come from. If you want to learn more about your history, you can check ajc obituaries or those of the cities relevant to you. This may help you to celebrate your heritage, regardless of where you are from.

It’s crazy to think of the things I still have to experience in 2015. But I guess that just means that we still have a long way to go.

It’s important to know and continuously remind everyone through media or through our everyday relationships that not all Asians are the same and that racism does very much exist on both sides so let’s help each other out and just let people be who they are and be okay with that.