Jesse Lin 0:00
This episode, we wanted to review some of our favorite holiday traditions and share them with you guys since it is the holiday season. And we thought it would be fun to cheer things up with some of our favorite things. So, Angela, what are you most excited about for the holidays?
Full Transcript (Note: Transcribed via AI, may contain errors)
Angela Lin 0:41
Honestly, just the time off. I think my company actually very recently announced that they are giving us four extra days off than usual because they they’re finally recognizing the shit show that 2020 was and like, you know, addressing us as humans and giving us that mental break that we need to recharge. So I’m just like, very excited for that. And I’m probably gonna take a few more of my actual vacation days to like stretch it longer so that it really feels like just shutting off. How about you?
Jesse Lin 1:15
That’s really nice. Yeah, usually I am also looking forward to the holidays, because I can have time off and make travel plans. But obviously, this year with everything that’s happening, like can’t really travel. So I’m not super certain this year, what I’m quite excited about there, like usual things that I really enjoy about the holidays, especially in the city. I feel like there is okay, so the generally there is kind of an emptying out of the city. And this year since so many people have already left from I’m like, quite excited to to be here, where it’s gonna be so empty, but I can hopefully still enjoy all the things that I enjoy about the city during the holidays, which is like the holiday markets, like some festive decorations around the city and hopefully like hot toddies and eggnog somewhere.
Angela Lin 2:11
Yeah, you know what I like I had been trying to get back to California ever since I love California because I was in New York for seven years and then Chicago for two years. And I was like give me back to California and I’m happy to be back in the state. But I definitely miss the season like the seasonal changes of being on the East Coast or the Midwest like in Chicago because I also love the holidays and I love like holiday markets are great. They’re not like my main thing I look forward to I just like, I remember in New York like walking around and like seeing all the decorations go up like the Macy’s decorations on like, the Rockefeller tree. And I love ice skating. I just like I like all the things that are indicative that it’s like holiday time.
Jesse Lin 3:40
Yeah, yeah, no, but that’s exactly it. It’s like the holiday energy. Because let’s be real like, I mean, I like ice skating too, but ice skating’s not really that fun, and like the neighborhood decorations are like not that amazing. And the holiday market is basically the same thing every year. It’s just that like festive energy that comes into the city, which is like really nice. And I really enjoy that.
Angela Lin 4:01
Yeah, it feels warmer, especially in a city like New York where everyone’s kind of like grumpy all the time. It’s it’s like it adds a filter of like warmth and rose colored lenses. What about Christmas?
Jesse Lin 4:21
Christmas, Christmas is very similar to Thanksgiving in many respects for me, because I don’t always go home at Christmas. Yeah, you know, because it’s like, usually because the prices for the flights are really expensive. Everyone’s trying to get home on Christmas. And the thing is that like we I mean, like our my family’s specifically like we don’t really have like holiday traditions. Like back when my grandparents were still alive. I think we would do like a family dinner for Thanksgiving. And then like maybe another family dinner for Christmas. But it wasn’t really that we were celebrating any of those holidays. It was just kind of like a reason like an excuse to get the family together and like eat but since they passed like we haven’t really had any of those like larger family gatherings and my dad’s a vegetarian. So, thanksgiving with centerpiece as turkey is like not appealing. Yeah. And also, I feel like for Christmas, you know, like, there’s just none of those like traditional foods that they would like to have. So like, we don’t really have much of a Christmas tradition. So I don’t really go home around Christmas. Usually, it’s like Thanksgiving where the ragtag group of friends that are still left in the city for the same reasons or they decided to stay or something will like, hang out and go out to like a restaurant or like stay in an order or something and do the same thing where we’re just like, hanging out and chillin. Do you do any like decorating in your apartment?
Angela Lin 5:49
Well, I just bought myself a tiny little pumpkin to feel good about fall.
Jesse Lin 5:54
Like a real one?
Angela Lin 5:55
Yeah, real pumpkin, but one of those like tiny baby ones. You know the ones. Those are two inches tall. They’re so cute. Just to have round, and I like never throw those things away to like, half a year later. Um, I usually love carving pumpkins like legit pumpkins. But I like I have actually consistently hosted carving pumpkins sessions with friends for like many years, but given COVID it’s like not a thing anymore, so I just didn’t do it this year. I don’t think it’s really worth it. Because also, we’re having a heatwave right now.
Jesse Lin 6:41
Yeah, I’m not really much of a decorating person, either. I know that you haven’t seen my apartment fully yet, but like, it took me a while to fully get it to the state. It’s like still not fully finished. But I usually do do something for the holidays. I think I have like a small, not a tinsel tree, but just like a small fake tree. And I have some lights and like some What is that thing called? That’s like tinsel on a string. A streamer.
Angela Lin 7:08
Oh, I see.
Jesse Lin 7:09
Yes, like a streamer for the tree and stuff. So I usually like put that out in like December. And that’s basically my holiday contribution.
Angela Lin 7:20
We bought a tiny fake tree last year, too. So I have like string lights and tiny little I decorate we decorated it like with little like, you know ball ornaments and like the tiny little gingerbread ornaments and whatever. But actually, my family. I don’t know if my mom really does that anymore. But like when I was growing up, at least we had the same tradition every year. So well. First, the decor is just like we have the same 1000s of plastic tree unlike wreaths and same decorations that were a year and the lights on the house and whatever. And we would do that every year. And it felt it felt nice to have like a tradition but it was it took up such a huge space in our attic was just like all this plastic shit that took out once a year. But I love that. Yeah, and your parents are the same thing?
Jesse Lin 8:24
Yeah, I was gonna say I lied. I there is one tradition around Christmas, which is the setup of the tree and the lights, which is really funny because like, I thought it was just something that my parents did when I was around. But I’m still not entirely convinced. It’s not just something that they do when only I’m around. But this one year, I I guess I decided to come home and I like didn’t tell my parents until later. And I came back and like the tree was set up and I was like, oh, you set up a tree. And my mom was like, Yeah, like I just wanted to put it up and I was like, okay, cute. So we usually when I was growing up we would set up at the same thing with you is literally like the tree is like, almost as old as I am maybe like five years younger than me. It’s like been there forever. Same tree. Same streamers. Well, same lights, decorations. The only thing that I would put up that they didn’t that year that I went back was we also have a train.
Angela Lin 9:20
I remember your train.
Jesse Lin 9:22
Yeah, it’s my favorite. It’s my favorite. It’s still I think it still works. It’s still somewhere in the house. And we’re just set it up and we would just run around the tree.
Angela Lin 9:29
Yeah, remember, isn’t your tree kind of big?
Jesse Lin 9:33
It’s like, five foot something
Angela Lin 9:39
Yeah, well I’m five feet tall. So that’s pretty big for me.
Jesse Lin 9:42
Yeah, yeah. It’s like slightly taller than me.
Angela Lin 9:45
Yeah. Yeah, cuz ours. I think my home one was like, three, three feet or something like that. And then our, the one I got was around last year is like a little baby one. It’s only like a foot tall. We called we named it baby Yoda because it was when Mandalorian was out and I was like, that’s cute baby things so.
Jesse Lin 10:06
Look, I mean, if you’re an if you’re an apartment with limited space, I think a tiny tree is cute and valid.
Angela Lin 10:12
Yeah, I really I do love the smell of pine trees though so I really truly debated getting one but it makes me so sad to see the dead pine trees on the side of the street every year I’m like, is it worse to get a plastic one that I’m going to keep for many, many years probably not. So I’m gonna get the plastic one then.
Jesse Lin 10:32
I think part of my holiday traditions in the city that I have done in the past and I don’t know if I’m going to do again this year are seeing the holiday lights in Dyker Heights. So Dyker Heights is like this neighborhood in South Brooklyn. And it’s like a lot of rich Italian people so they live in like mini mcmansions and they go like the whole hog to like decorate their like houses and stuff like that. And every year since I started going it’s just been getting like more crazy because like people started like learning that those were there so I think the last time I went like I saw like a bus of people like they bussed a group of people there and I was like this is too much. And then this year with all the like election nonsense like that area of Brooklyn is also like really conservative. So I’m like a little bit concerned about just walking through there. But normally I would and it’s it’s really lovely like they have like they go the whole hog with the lights. Yeah.
Angela Lin 11:35
Speaking of rich people who go out for Christmas. Have you been to the Balboa like boat parade thing? That shit’s crazy.
Jesse Lin 11:53
I remember seeing it when I forgot what I was doing. I was there one year and I saw it I wasn’t exactly at Christmas. I think they do it for like a whole week.
Angela Lin 12:01
Yeah, yeah, for a couple nights. I’ve only been once and I remember thinking like holy shit. This is wealth disparity. It was so funny because it’s like well so basically Balboa Island The only people who live there like super rich people so you like can walk around the boardwalk essentially but like all along the boardwalk are like these huge beach beautiful beach houses and they of course like decorate those to the nines and it was like you’d be walking on the boardwalk and then all these like really rich fancy people would be out on their front porch with their like firepit and like having beautiful dinner and like with their gate right separating their houses and like the boardwalk And I remember thinking like oh wow we’re the peasants here but on the right of the boat parade because all these people are so rich they have yachts and like other boats and then they decorate the shit out of these boats and do a little parade on the water
Yeah I’m fairly certain these people are like the level rich that they pay don’t decorate they hire people to decorate it.
Oh there’s no way they decorate it themselves.
Jesse Lin 13:15
I mean like a decorate like how do you decorate a boat like that’s impossible? I knew I would need professional help stirring up lights on a boat like that’s how fabulously wealthy people are. Well I think we have wine further holiday that comes after both of these things which is important for us Asian folks – Chinese New Years.
Angela Lin 13:34
Well and regular we got both the New Year in general
Jesse Lin 13:38
I bundle New Year with Christmas.
Angela Lin 13:39
Oh really?
Jesse Lin 13:41
I mean like it’s so close and I usually have the time like I usually will take the time entire time off anyways. And I see the same people basically for Christmas and New Year’s so
Angela Lin 13:54
That’s true there’s nothing hugely different about New Years. My only thing I like I am adamant about every year is seeing the ball drop like it doesn’t feel like it’s significantly the new year unless I make a big deal about it turning tonight
Jesse Lin 14:11
No I agree with you i think it is it’s fun and traditional to watch the ball drop and also fun and traditional to watch the programming around the ball drop because like the years where they had Mariah Carey being super diva like so funny I love it. And then like some years it’s just like really random the guests that they have on and you’re kind of just like wait what’s happening and it’s still like Dick Clark’s like swinging holiday whatever thing even though Dick Clark is like, dead
Angela Lin 14:42
I like when anderson cooper hosts because he has to he breaks his like serious news anchor.
Jesse Lin 15:00
Yeah, I just think it’s funny because when it’s safe for the same reason whenever you watch them you’re like, oh, you’re just you’re like toasted right now. He’s like, drunk
Angela Lin 15:12
Okay, well anyways, to your point Chinese here, alright. I mean, I don’t do anything
Jesse Lin 15:19
Money…
Angela Lin 15:20
You still get money?
Jesse Lin 15:23
No. I think my parents still give me like some pocket change.
Angela Lin 15:34
Oh, that’s nice.
Jesse Lin 15:35
They also like expect me to give them something back.
Angela Lin 15:38
Oh, that defeats the purpose. I mean, they, they stopped giving me money immediately. Like, as soon as they turn 18 I think because there are different rules. Like you could choose which rule to follow. Some people say it’s like, when you turn 18 or like when you get your first job, or other people say it’s like, not until you get married that then the roles reverse. But I remember like, as soon as I turned 18 they’re like, I’m not giving you any more money. And then I was in New York for college. And the only family I have there are cousins, but they’re like, much older than I am. So they have kids. So then I was like, Wait, do I have to give them money? And yeah, I started giving them money. And I was like, oh, man, I’m so poor what’s going on here?
Jesse Lin 16:22
Well, I am glad to say that while I do have cousins with children, I don’t really see them. So yeah. exempt by default.
Angela Lin 16:33
Yeah, well, I yeah, it’s like few and far between the the years that I’ve been able to celebrate with like extended family, but I do like it is something special when it is with like, extended family because then it’s like you go and elaborate like Thanksgiving feels like nothing compared to Chinese New Year when you go out with like, your whole family because then you usually like, go to a really good Chinese restaurant and you just have like 10 courses of food that are non stop. And then yeah, you get the envelopes. And it’s just like, a good time all around. And if nothing else, you’re just like, full and happy.
Jesse Lin 17:17
And a little richer. Yeah, yeah. It’s a full it’s a full shebang. I actually would really love to go back to Taiwan at some point during the new years and like do that with my family I think it would be super fun.
Angela Lin 17:28
I’ve wanted to go for Chinese New Year in Taiwan forever because like we talked about with my dad like it’s a two week celebration. It’s like not just a one day thing on like, in the US for New Year’s. It’s just that night, like, I would love to see what that’s like, because I’ve seen videos of like, that is just like that festive nature that we’re talking about that like the city gets for Christmas is like that for like two weeks in.
Jesse Lin 17:50
And it’s everywhere – it’s the scale of it, I think is what I’m most interested. Yeah. In like a feeling and like experience.
Angela Lin 18:00
Well, maybe we can do it some time together.
Jesse Lin 18:03
Yes, please, when all of this is over.
Angela Lin 18:05
Hopefully Taiwan opens up soon because they they have like no cases.
Jesse Lin 18:12
Oh, it’s I think it’s because they’re close to they have no case totally.
Angela Lin 18:16
But while you got to figure your ish out I have my Taiwanese passport so I can go back whenever I want.
Jesse Lin 18:23
Figuring it out. It’s coming soon. Soon, hopefully. Well, um, yeah, but other things about Chinese New Year that I really enjoyed back when we celebrated as a family. As you mentioned, it was just like a chance to see everybody in my family that’s like in the US again. And I definitely I feel like we talked about this a little bit, but I definitely feel disconnected from my family in many ways, because it’s not like how our parents talk about it. Like we’re not like. We are blood kin but like, I’m not gonna go out of my way to like do something for one of my cousins like I don’t know them that way. So like, New Year’s Chinese New Year’s has always been kind of like a nice way to like reconnect with everybody as a group and just be like, Hey, what’s going on in your life? And for one evening, pretend that we are that kind of like a blood kinship that would be like I will bail you out of jail if you’re in jail like yeah, situation.
Angela Lin 19:23
We don’t really have that. I’m the only like I said the only cousins that I feel closer with are the ones that like are in America because we’ve like literally lived together for a few years and then you know, still saying touch. But I agree with you. I haven’t been I haven’t really done the like, Chinese New Years with with huge extended family beyond especially with like my dad’s family. We’ve never done that. Because usually when we go to Taiwan, we’re with my mom’s family and but the last time that we were with my dad’s side, it was I forget why we’re celebrating. But it was like a whole maybe it was just like a family reunion thing. But like, it was everyone we were in a restaurant and they booked out like four of those huge tables, and they put all the like, quote unquote kids together. It was so funny because my dad is the youngest of of Six, five or six, I always forget that number. But it is. And so we’d like my brother and I are the youngest. And my brother is seven years older than me, right? And so, like these, the cousins, like, half of them have kids and like, yeah, it was just so funny. But but it was kind of a like, we you had to acknowledge that we’re kind of strangers, but then it was nice to like, there was a bond. A slight Yeah, because you’re like, Hey, we are all the kids of like, yeah, the brothers here. So it was nice to get to know them a little bit. And then we all like added each other on Facebook afterwards.
Jesse Lin 20:58
Yeah. I also I like that. Um, well, yeah. Speaking of going back to Asia, I like that kind of when you go back, you’re like a minor celebrity. Oh, yeah. You’re like, oh, you’re from America. So exotic. Like, you must live in like a mini mansion.
Angela Lin 21:17
I mean, no. Okay. Well, that was, that’s fun to transport ourselves mentally to better times that we will not year. Moving into close. Let’s, let’s end on a good another good note, in our Fortune Cookie.W hat’s your favorite or most ridiculous or other standout memory from any holiday? type? activity? Or year?
Jesse Lin 21:56
Okay, so I have one that stands out. But it’s not necessarily like a positive thing. It was just, it’s one that’s like, so ridiculous. I, I look back on it now and I’m like this is really uncomfortable. But when I was 16, we had Christmas dinner at my dad’s oldest brother’s house. And my dad’s oldest brother’s a doctor. And so my aunt is not blood related, right? Not that really matters, but just setting the scene. And so everyone was there, including my oldest cousins. And they were like, you know, talking around the table doing blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, usual, like Asian spiel about stuff. And my grandparents started asking about my oldest oldest cousin, who at that time was like, maybe 32. And they were like, oh, when is he going to get married? Like, is he seeing someone dating someone, blah, blah, blah. And so they were just like, laughing and joking about it. And my aunt was like, Well, you know, he’s still figuring it out. But we’re open to him bringing home whoever, as long as it’s not someone black. And yeah. And I was I was like, I just, like, what do you say in that situation? I was like, this is really uncomfortable. Like, I like nope. And because you’re like, I mean, like, yeah, it’s really uncomfortable. We’re like, amongst families to like, everyone was kind of like, haha, about it, but then I was like, staring at my cousins, because they were like, probably the only people at the table who probably like keyed into that and we’re more uncomfortable about it. Yeah. Because, like, you know, our parents are of a certain age and background and persuasion. So they probably were like, whatever about that comment. But I was just sitting there being like, that is really offensive and uncomfortable thing to say. And that was the last Christmas dinner we had with them.
Angela Lin 23:56
Um, that actually reminds me of I don’t remember if I told you the story, but I mean, you know, we do have to take everything with a grain of salt like like, like exactly what you just said our parents did grow up and like a different generation a different set of norms. And in a country that was homogenous, so like, you know, they’re not as exact of you know, other other people but anyways, but that like old school mentality, this is not holiday related, but just like reminded me immediately of this, which is a few years ago, is before I went to business school, and I had I was having lunch with my parents, my aunt and uncle and my cousin. So and we were talking about like, I don’t know how expensive life is or whatever. And he brought up things about like, you know, everyone needs like a dual income at this point to like support families in modern life. And my dad because he is like super old school in terms of like, man’s role a woman man makes money is like, yeah, any man who can’t support a family on his salary alone is no man at all. And I was like, What? I was super pissed. And we went on this whole tirade because I was, I was like, about to go to business school and because he was essentially saying, like, the woman’s useless, right, like, shouldn’t have to do anything to help support financially, the family and like, and I was about to go to business school and take up, I just took out a six figure loan to go to business school to like, advance my career and whatever. And I was like, Why the fuck am I, you know, like, how can you support me going to business school? If like, in the end, you just want me to pop out kids and like, sit secondary to my husband who’s gonna be like the bankroller of everything right. And I had the same thing as you were, I was like, looking, I was like, staring at my cousin and his wife who were there. And I was also kind of like, looking at my aunt and uncle. And they were so uncomfortable, because you could tell that they were like, they agreed with my dad, because they’re in the same like generation, but they like, didn’t want to say anything, because they could tell I was upset about it. And then I was staring at my cousins, and they were super uncomfortable. And they were just, like, awkwardly laughing about it. And I was like, Oh my God.
Jesse Lin 26:27
That’s just the thing is that like, in those situations, like, you can’t really call the family member out, because like, especially when you’re in a large group of family members in the same age, because then there’ll be like, Oh, she’s stirring the pot, or like, you know, not be respectful or whatever. And first, and second of all, like, they just won’t get it. Like in the moment, there’ll be like, why is this offensive?
Angela Lin 26:49
Well, my cousin, I thought it was pretty obvious why he should be stepping up because he was sitting there with his wife, who’s also like, just as accomplished as he is and like, they’re definitely a dual income family. So I was just like, you guys…
Jesse Lin 27:08
Who’s not a dual income family nowaways…
Angela Lin 27:09
No one! I don’t know. Well, some people some people are but like, it’s really hard to be not a dual income family right now. Anyway, sorry, tirade.
Jesse Lin 27:19
Your – It’s okay. Your most ridiculous or funniest?
Angela Lin 27:25
Yeah. Well, yeah, let’s lighten this mood. Um, one of the Christmas years of Vegas Lin family Christmas, we convinced the same aunt and uncle and those cousins to come. And it was also with so my aunt uncle have two kids, guy and a girl. And it was both of them came no wife for the guy, cousin. But anyways, we were all hanging out. But then like, after dinner, us like kids who are like grown adults. But we’re like, hey, let’s let’s all hang out without like the parents. So we went to I distinctly remember, we went to the Cosmopolitan Hotel. And we were just sitting in the, like, lobby bar. And we all got drinks. And my brother has like, the lowest tolerance of all of us alcoholic tolerance. And so he like, first of all, well, he probably drinks a little bit more now than he did back then. But at that point, he like, didn’t know anything about drinks. So he, first of all asked to like, what’s your signature drink here? And they’re like, probably the Cosmopolitan. And he was like, oh, okay, what’s that, and like that explained it to him. And he, anyways, he got that. And the rest of us got our first drinks. And then he was only like, halfway through, and he was starting to get like, very drunk. And we, the rest of us moved on to our second drink, he was still on his first drink, and he was like, fucking wasted. And he was just saying very ridiculous things. But the funniest part of that night was then we took a cab because it was like pre Uber, or, like pre Uber being like, very prevalent. So we took a regular cab home. And my brother was like, he like fell into the cab and then we made him sit in the front. I don’t remember why, but like, then he was talking like a non stop gabbing to the taxi driver. He said something like, my parents have brought us like, has made have made us come to Vegas every year since I was like, born we just die like all the other you know, my cousins and me in the back. We’re just cackling like what is happening? And yeah, it was the best that one did. They dropped us off home I had to like sober him up because like you’re gonna wake up our parents. It was the funniest thing I was like, dude, one and done here. Like how are you this drunk? I understand tipsy will like He was like a wasted off one drink.
Jesse Lin 30:02
Oh my god. That’s so funny.
Angela Lin 30:04
Yeah, I won’t let it live down the since I was like born.
Jesse Lin 30:09
Gotta bring it back. That’s part of the tradition holiday tradition is bringing back embarrassing moments from prior holiday traditions.
Angela Lin 30:17
I think so. Well the thing was I don’t remember what he was saying. But when he was drunk, he was trying to embarrass me. But it was like he didn’t understand that he was embarrassing myself. Oh, yeah, we’re all like, oh man get him to sleep. That was my favorite
Jesse Lin 30:37
Well, alright guys, we hope you’ve enjoyed this holiday episode. And if you have some special holiday traditions or things you enjoy about the particular holiday season, please let us know write us in.
Angela Lin 30:51
And come back next week for our last episode of this season. We’ll you know we’ll be back but we just needed you know we needed a little break a break to refresh as well. But come back next week. We’ll have one last up to ring in the new year.