The Halo Halo Podcast

Episode 110 - Oscar Nominations and Elevations

The 2019 Oscar nominations were announced on January 22, 2019. Sigi and Jezzie take a deep dive and examine the nominations.  They discuss each category, claim their favourites and express their hopes.  As they discuss this year's nominees, they not only discuss their surprises, but also the snubs and dissect what these snubs might actually mean.
 In the Mix this Week:
Sorry, Ontario. Why Alberta is to Blame for Wintery Weather,
"Big Little Man: In Search of my Asian Self" by Alex Tizon,
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 4 trailer,
"The Hook Up Plan" trailer,
Oscar 2019 Nominations,
Symbolic Annihilation

Episode 109.5 - Roommate Icebreakers (2nd Installment)

In this week's half episode, Sigi and Jezzie return to one of their favourite warmups: Roommate Icebreakers.  On this second instalment they talk about guilty pleasures, childhood celebrity crushes and winning awards. 
Find out which co-host wanted to be Fragrance Chemist growing up, and why one of your co-hosts had put much thought into possible becoming a paediatrician. Also who do you think won an award for the best smile, and who do you think was the recipient of a Knights of Columbus award? Listen in and find out all the answers on this half episode!    
In this extra helping:
"Sound of music" website,
"Shake your love" by Debbie Gibson,

Episode 109 - Darren Criss, Bruno Mars and the Politics of Hyphenated Identities

Sigi and Jezzie focus a spotlight on the art and music of Darren Criss and Bruno Mars.  They unpack Darren Criss' portrayal of Andrew Cununan in Ryan Murphy's TV Show "American Crime Story, Season Two: The Assassination of Gianni Versace."  Sigi and Jezzie distil Bruno Mars' soul and pop-infused musicality and showmanship.  They recount their favourite Bruno Mars' songs and examine how his message of joy and incurable romantic love will be his legacy to popular culture.  Sigi and Jezzie also opine on how Filipino values and heritage shine through the work of Darren Criss and Bruno Mars.  Finally, they challenge how racial ambiguity negatively contributes to hyphenated identities and that "subtracting the dash" creates identities that one can be proud of having. 
In the Mix this Week:
"Mary Poppins Returns" Trailer,

Episode 108.5 - Imagine if...

To get our imagination running, Sigi warms us up this week with a board game called iMAgiNiff.  We muse over what we would be, out of a pre-selected list.  Play with us and see if you agree with our choices on what condiment we would be, the part of a car that we would take on, and what invention best represents us.  Find out who's a grandfather clock, and who's brown, syrupy and sweet!    
In this extra helping:
Salt Fat Acid Heat
M-Audio Uber Mic
Cogsworth
Britney, Bitch!
Summer Roberts from the O.C.
Aretha Franklin
 

Episode 108 - Convening on the Star Wars Universe and Filipino Naming Conventions

Sigi and Jezzie start off the New Year by making a deep cut into the universe and mythology of Star Wars.  From realizing that stories can be told in trilogies to its playbook on merchandising, they discuss the cultural impact that this franchise has made on the cinematic and societal landscapes.  Jezzie bravely calls out the fanboys of the Star Wars Universe to be more charitable and Sigi calls out society on the irony on why it's easier to say the names of the far-out places in Star Wars as opposed to their own Filipino names.  Filipino names are explored, especially the portmanteau (composite) naming conventions commonly used in the Filipino community.  Finally, as the fixing of the week, Jezzie has two: 1. Understanding that a history and meaning is behind every Filipino name, and 2. To be more charitable as a vehicle to filling this world with more hope.  Happy New Year everyone!
 
In the Mix this Week:
Wikipedia's overview of the Star Wars Universe,
How Star Wars Changed Hollywood,
Industrial Light & Magic,
How Star Wars Created a Merchandising Empire,
Why we love Star Wars: an explainer for 'normal' people,
Wikipedia's entry on Portmanteau

Bonus Episode - Listener feedback and our gratitude for it

At The Halo Halo Podcast, we believe in being sweet, charitable, tangy, biting, rounding up instead of down, but most of all expressing our gratitude when we can.  This Christmas season, Sigi and Jezzie give this bonus episode as an extra gift of thanks to their loyal listeners who have taken the time to listen, as well as join in on the conversation and make us believe that they can dream big. Thank you! Maraming Salamat!  
In this extra helping:
Junior - Montreal's Filipino Restaurant,
Cambio & Co.,
Filipino Fusion Desserts,
Marie Alcober, Filipino Canadian Journalist,
"Dual Citizen" docuseries,
Eric Tigley (Artist • Teacher • Storyteller),
Bayanihan Ottawa,
Pottermore's Discover Your Hogwarts House here

Episode 107.5 - Christmas Contemplations

We warm up this half episode by ruminating on our least favourite part of Christmas, a Christmas song that we could do without, and questioning whether a juniper latte is worth the sip.  We also discuss who our favourite Christmas characters are, what our favourite festive cookies we like to savour, and what the ideal holiday candy is.  Finally, we deeply contemplate the true meaning of Christmas.  Noche Buena!
In this extra helping:
Tasty's Peppermint bark recipe,
Taylor Swift's "Last Christmas",
The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping",
"Rise of the Guardians" Official Trailer,
"Elf" Official Trailer,
"Elf the Musical" Trailer,
Corey Hart "Never Surrender Tour",
Gezellig and its Dutch meaning
 
 
 

Episode 107 - Best of 2018

We've got a bloated episode for you, as we head full speed into the Christmas/Holiday season and review the best of pop culture for 2018.  Hear Sigi and Jezzie, in their decade-long tradition, recount their favourite movies, tv shows, music and phenomenon this past year. Sigi and Jezzie not only reflect on the popular culture, but also take time to discuss what they love best about the Filipino Canadian expression and tradition of Christmas and the holidays.  Finally, they discuss how blending customs is the key to creating robust and strong traditions.
 
In the Mix this Week:
"Crazy Rich Asians" the movie,
"Ready Player One" the movie,
Guide to "Black Panther" Soundtracks South African Artists,
How "Black Panther" Composer Ludwig Goransson Found the Sound of Wakanda,
"This is America's" Childish Gambino's Kinesthetic Empathy Dance ,
Childish Gambino's "This is America" and its Meaning,

Episode 106.5 - These are a few of our favourite things!

Happy Holidays!  Malagayan Pasko! To start the Christmas Season right, Sigi leads us through a few of our favourite things.  See if you agree with our picks on who our favourite reindeers are.  We reminisce about our favourite gifts from Santa and the endless surprises that we experience when we get that popular Christmas toy trending that year. We also find out why Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas" is a modern classic and it's ties to another timeless Christmas song.  Sigi also finds out that there's a SuperFestive remix of Mariah's classic with the Bieber involved. And Jezzie serenades us this time with his rendition of "Come All ye Faithful."
In this extra helping:
Carpenter's "Merry Christmas, Darling", 
The secret chord that makes Christmas music sound so Christmassy, 
Why many classic Christmas songs were written by Jewish composers,
All I want for Christmas is You (SuperFestive mix),
Charice & David Archuleta "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" , 

Episode 106 - Filipinos and the Catholic Imagination

Each year the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute hosts a fundraising gala. Vogue's own Anna Wintour chairs the event, where a theme is selected and its corresponding exhibit is revealed.  This year's theme, which comes to a close in early October, is "Fashion and the Catholic Imagination."  We discuss how Catholicism, Catholic icons and iconography permeate in popular culture, as well as within the Filipino Identity and its undeniable impact.  We revel and delight in the fashion of this past year's Gala red carpet (and yes, you can never be too late for the party).  Finally, we unpack and take a deep personal dive into how the Catholic tradition of discernment is the key to understanding and incorporating diametric points of view within ourselves and the world around us.
 
In the Mix this Week:
Pandesal,
The Cultural Impact of Kanye West | J. Bailey | Palgrave Macmillan,
Met Gala 2018 Live Blog: See Every Red Carpet Arrival,
Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination Gallery Views,
Flores de Mayo,
Flores de Mayo at Santacruzan,
Discernment of Spirits,
Catholic Cemetery Myths for Catholics