Top Five Podcast (2024)

22/08/2024

Oh hi we’re back! After a 15-month hiatus, we fired up the ol' microphones, and we were so excited that we basically recorded two episodes. We were *especially* stoked to talk about the Olympics, and we wanted to share our top five top moments from Paris before they got stale. So please enjoy this apéritif to our fourth season, and please let us know: What's your top five?

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/topfivepod/episodes/4-1-The-Olympics-Are-My-Reason-for-Being-e2nf3qo

22/05/2023

Season finale! We talk about aging parents: why end-of-life plans are especially hard to discuss with our immigrant parents, the conversations we have and haven't had with them (and our siblings, and our in-laws), and the looming pressures of caring for kids and parents at the same time. To take the edge off, we wrap with a comfort-food top five: Trader Joe's items. What's your top five?

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/topfivepod/episodes/3-15-Aging-Parents-e24gq21

02/03/2023

Newest episode! Once upon a time, it felt like our generation was all about finding jobs we love so we'd never have to work a day in our lives, but judging from the conversations we've been having lately, it sounds like that's changed. Why was "do what you love" such a thing for millennials? Was it a generational thing or a developmental thing? How do we think about work now? What do you do if you don't want to sell your soul to work, but not advancing means the risk of getting fired? This is real adult s**t. We take the edge off with our top five starters/appetizers - what's your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-14-Maybe-Do-What-You-Love-Was-All-a-Capitalist-Scam-e1vfqrj

Pictured: A handful of books and thinkpieces that make us think we aren't alone in these thoughts

17/01/2023

New episode! To our surprise, our last top five inspired an honest conversation about whether or not we still identify as Christian. So much to unpack, not nearly enough time. Plus, our top five favorite things about where we live. What's your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-13-Do-You-Still-Identify-As-A-Christian-e1tk5te

Photo credit: Thomas Northcut via Getty Images

22/11/2022

New episode! We got into the fabulous and complicated world of couple friends - why they're so much more harder to make than individual friends, the signs of a good couple friend, and (v important for Chris) how to handle the dinner bill with another pair. Also, our top five dinner guests! What's your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-12-Couple-Friends-e1r5est

17/10/2022

New episode! We could. not. wait to discuss the new Manti Te'o documentary on Netflix, along with Chris's new obsession with the Container Store, Liz's ongoing deep dive into the music of the '90s, and our top five acquired tastes. If you've seen the doc, we want to hear all your thoughts! And if you have acquired tastes - flavors, activities, people - what's your top five?

19/08/2022

New episode! At the tender age of 39, Liz finally joined the world of travel credit cards and that opened up a whole lot of questions: Who has time for this? Are the benefits worth the headache? Is it possible to live ethically in a credit card system that's inherently exploitative? Plus, our top five pieces of Asian American pop culture. What's your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-10-I-Dont-Have-Time-for-Hobbies--I-Just-Got-a-Travel-Credit-Card-e1mm1t0

(Photo credit: FinanceJar)

27/06/2022

New episode! A miraculous thing happened: We both watched Everything Everywhere All At Once and Fire Island, and we couldn’t wait to talk about them. Also, a surprisingly delightful top five: condiments! A universe that is wide and deep and delicious. What’s your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-9-The-Top-Five-Film-Festival-e1kd707

Pictured: a few of our favorite vehicles for condiment assessment and delivery.

17/05/2022

New episode! We get into the ✨abundance✨ of Asian American movies and TV shows we're living in - how quickly the tide changed, if we're still obligated to see every single one, and what we're especially excited about. Plus, our top five hidden gems. What's your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-8-Do-We-Still-Have-To-See-Every-Asian-American-Movie-e1ile7j

19/04/2022

New episode! Continuing our conversation about managing our thirtysomething lives, we dig into the division of labor in our households -- the messages we got growing up, what this looks like now with our partners, and if it can ever be truly even in heterosexual partnerships. Plus, one of our favorite top fives ever: Asian snacks! It was hard to narrow down this universe of deliciousness to five favorites, but somehow we managed. What's your top five?

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-7-What-Percent-of-the-Household-Labor-Do-You-Do-e1hcrij

Pictured: the superior brand of shrimp chips, FIGHT US

08/04/2022

Our next top five: Asian snacks. Here is an actual photo of the research Chris did in preparation for this episode. What's your top five?

22/03/2022

New episode! We traded notes about managing our unwieldy thirtysomething lives as they get more complicated and more deeply intertwined with other people's. How do you keep track of all the schedules in your household? What spreadsheets do you rely on to keep your life in order? What do your systems say about where you are in life right now? Staying on the thirtysomething household theme, we share the top five things that make our homes better. What's your top five?

P.S. We recorded this before Russia invaded Ukraine, which feels like a lifetime ago — we hope you’re taking care. ❤️

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-6-Show-Me-Your-Spreadsheets-and-Ill-Tell-You-Who-You-Are-e1g32n7

17/02/2022

New episode! Inspired by current events (👀), we dig into the complicated process of making a wedding guest list, that once-in-a-lifetime referendum on all your friendships. How do you decide who gets an invite, especially when you're getting married in your late 30s? What does an invite convey to a new friend or a childhood friend you haven't seen in ten years? We also talk about the younger cousin of the wedding invitation - the holiday card - and the strange opportunity it provides for an annual assessment of your friendships. Plus, our top five TV characters of all time. How many of Chris's are from The Wire? There's only one way to find out.

Note: This episode was recorded before the murder of Christina Yuna Lee in New York City; we will have more to say about this in our next episode. We hope you're taking care and being extra-kind to yourselves. ❤️

25/01/2022

New episode! After two and a half years, we revisit the topic of adulthood: Chris's major life updates, whether adulthood is anything more than a series of logistical tasks, and Liz's newfound understanding of why people have midlife crises. And since we're right in between Solar New Year and Lunar New Year, we wrap with our New Year's resolutions. The differences in the aspirations of someone who has kids and someone who does not have never been starker. Happy Year of the Tiger, y'all! We still have one more chance to try out those resolutions again.

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-4-Kids--Job--Partner--Self-Pick-Two-e1dd7lk

03/01/2022

New episode! Holiday stress was top of mind when we recorded this episode, which led us to some critical questions: Who do you buy holiday presents for? Now that we have all these new holiday gift obligations, we get into the weeds: What do you give the ten different teachers who care for your preschooler? If you're a New York City resident like Chris, how much do you tip your doorman and the seven other people who work in your building? What's the minimum you can put on a gift card without looking cheap? We end by revisiting our favorite top five: celebrity crushes. New season, new list of beautiful people. We hope your 2022 is off to a good start and we're honored to be a part of it!

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-3-Who-Do-You-Buy-Gifts-For-e1cf60j

14/12/2021

New episode! We're finishing up our pop culture grab bag by digging into "Who Is The Bad Art Friend?" (we are not in agreement!) and taking our dads to see the new Bond movie (we are very much in agreement!). Plus, our top five greatest joys from the smallest pleasures. What's your top five?

(If we're talking about the new Bond movie, we can't not post a photo with two of our top five celebrity crushes - a list we'll be revisiting in our next episode!)
https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-2-James-Bond-and-the-Bad-Art-Friend-e1bmseb

10/11/2021

Surprise! We're back for our third season and we've got so much to catch up on: Ted Lasso. The Olympics. Harry and Meghan on Oprah. Plus our top five self-care practices that actually work, bc this pandemic is most definitely still happening. What's your top five? (And which Oprah are you? Like the OP, we too are 1 all day)

https://anchor.fm/topfivepod/episodes/3-1-Pop-Culture-Grab-Bag-e1a2fh7

Top Five Podcast