SOCIETY & CULTURE / Sifu Mimi Chan

73. Sheriff Jerry Demings on his vision as Orange County Mayor

Today I talk with Sheriff Jerry Demings on his vision for Orlando as he runs for Orange County Mayor. I appreciated his thoughts on immigration, diversity, sustainability, and affordable housing. As you know, I have been a little politically charged of late. I feel it is our job to demand more of our public officials and I am hopeful that the changes and policies that Sheriff Demings envisions will become a reality for us here in Orange County, Florida. I encourage you to listen openly and leave a comment. No matter what, register to vote and be involved! I endorse Sheriff Demings for Mayor and hope after hearing his vision for Orange County, you will too.

71. Owen Everard James on Jamaican by Birth, American by Choice

Owen Everard James is a family friend we know through the Jamaican community. He has been a teacher, civil servant, banker and worked for nearly thirty years as a manufacturing executive with a Fortune 500 American multi-national corporation. He has lived and worked in the Caribbean, Canada, the United States, and East and Southern Africa.

69. Matthew Polly on Bruce Lee

Has anyone ever heard of Bruce Lee? I’m guessing… yes. Today I chat with Matthew Polly on his new book, Bruce Lee, a life. This is the first authoritative biography on Bruce’s life which Matthew took over 6 years researching and interviewing those closest to Bruce. We chat about his discoveries and the process of writing the book. Matthew is also a fellow martial artist who has chronicled his experiences in his other works: American Shaolin, where he studied for 2 years at the Shaolin Temple and Tapped Out, where he trained for and fought in an MMA fight.

68. Lisa Santoni Cromar on Domestic Abuse

I had an engaging chat with Lisa Santoni Cromar about her work in public service, like the Women’s March and domestic violence advocacy. I love meeting women who take action, and Lisa certainly is a woman of action.

66. Gareeboo family on Ramadan and others

I admit to knowing very little about the holy month of Ramadan, so I reached out to two of my students, a father and daughter, who I knew were observing Ramadan. It was great for me to get a deeper understanding of the religious and cultural aspects of Ramadan and learn more about the family’s background.

65. Adisa Banjoko on hip hop and cultural appropriation

If any of you listened to CCHAT 24, you will have found out what a huge hip-hop 90s fan I am. Today I had the pleasure of chatting with Adisa Banjoko about the hip-hop today, and in particular, about the much talked about Childish Gambino song This is America. I loved this conversation and hope you will too!

63. Gabriela Roldan on Antarctica, Argentina, and Penguins

Meet Gabriela Roldan! I met Gabriela after attending her lectures on board my cruise to Antarctica and South America. Many of you have been asking me to share more about my travels to the great white continent, and when I decided to podcast about it, I knew I had to have Gabriela on the show. She has such an extensive knowledge of the history and culture of the area. We also discuss her hometown at the end of the world, Ushuaia, Argentina. I couldn’t resist the urge to ask the expert about the effects of climate change she has witnessed over the years in the region.

61. Julio Ricardo Varela on Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria, and Tostones

Today I sit down with Julio Ricardo Varela (cohost In the Thick, LatinoUSA) to discuss the devastation after Hurricane Maria that still plagues the island today. We also go deeper into the underlying problems that the island has faced for decades. Julio hopes that the attention Hurricane Maria has brought to Puerto Rico will result in real action and changes being made that are long overdue. We also talk tostones and dominoes, so listen on as we delve into the culture of Puerto Rico.

Sifu Mimi and Oscar in the Azores Islands

59. Adventures of Mimi and Oscar: The culture of sea life, Italy, and Spain

Oscar and I just returned from our transatlantic cruise to Italy and Spain. We love talking about our travels and today we are sharing stories about our recent adventure. Listen in for more on Italy, Spain, Azores Islands, life at sea and learn why we call Oscar the ‘taxi cab whisperer’. Warning: We do discuss a lot of amazing food, so do not listen to this episode hungry!

58. Vinny Vurro on the power of language

Vinny Vurro is the owner of Felice Center for Pediatric Rehabilitation in Orlando, which offers speech, occupational, and physical therapy for children. Vinny believes in treating his patients like family and strives to help each patient reach his/her maximum potential in speech and language development.

57. Ricky Watters on football and life after the NFL

Ricky Watters is a running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks. As a football fan, I enjoyed learning more about Ricky’s journey to the NFL and the hard core training it took to play at an elite level. We also talk about life after the NFL and his current passion for helping others through motivational speaking. I met Ricky and his family when they joined Wah Lum many years ago, and although they have moved back to the West Coast, I am happy we have kept in touch. It was fun to learn about what really happens when you are on the field on ‘Any Given Sunday.’

56. Rowena Norman of Feeding America

Rowena Norman is a Director of New Corporate Partnerships for Feeding America. She initiates authentic and meaningful partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. She loves utilizing her strong consultative fundraising, relationship management, and negotiation skills to forge innovative partnerships and make a difference every day. I enjoyed talking to Rowena about Feeding America, and the growing issue of hunger that faces so many in the US today. I was surprised to learn about how many people are hungry in the US today, and that many of the kids in school or people we interact with on a daily basis are food insecure. I love learning, and am grateful for the opportunity to constantly have my eyes opened through these interviews. Warning: Rowena’s passion and enthusiasm for her work is contagious, so be prepared to feel inspired to make a difference after listening to this podcast.