HeyJaredBanana Lab
🎙️ Banana Lab is where Kiwi-Asians unpack identity, mental health, and life’s weird in-betweens. Hosted by Romy Lee, a mental health professional & advocate, this podcast blends real talk, humor, and deep convos with guests who have lived it.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 14, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 6, 2026
Latest episodes
Ep.21 — Fransisca Dodiarto: Indonesian Identity, Reconnection and Life Beyond Work (opens the original)
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Francisca Dodiat joins Banana Lab for a conversation about growing up Indonesian in New Zealand, reconnecting with culture as an adult, working in addiction and mental health, and taking a year away from work to travel the world. Born in Indonesia and raised in Warkworth, Francisca reflects on what it was like growing up as one of very few Asian kids in her community, and how that shaped her relationship with her Indonesian identity. As she plans her wedding, she’s finding herself thinking more
Ep.20 — Mariah Templonuevo: Growing Up Filipino in New Zealand, Career & Identity (opens the original)
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Here's a podcast description that matches the tone of the episode and your previous Banana Lab episodes: In this episode of Banana Lab , we sit down with Mariah to explore her journey from the Philippines to New Zealand, growing up in Lower Hutt, and building a career that aligns with her values. Mariah shares the realities of adapting to a new country at a young age, navigating university and the job market, moving to Auckland for new opportunities, and eventually finding purpose in a marketing
Ep.19 — Andrea Halal: Leaving Everything Behind for New Zealand (opens the original)
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What makes someone leave behind a successful career, family, and everything they've built to start over in a country where they know no one? In this episode, Alex and Romy sit down with Andrea Halal to explore her remarkable journey from growing up in Baguio, Philippines, to building a new life in New Zealand. Andrea shares the experiences that shaped her - from losing her father at just 10 years old, to leaving a toxic workplace, winning an unexpected trip to New Zealand, and ultimately making
Ep.18 — David Fu: Following Curiosity, Not Expectations (opens the original)
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Photographer David Fu joins Banana Lab to share a life that rarely went according to plan. Growing up in Kaitaia as the only Asian kid, David watched his parents build a takeaway business from almost nothing before carving out his own unconventional career. From music school and culinary training to teaching in America and eventually becoming a self-taught photographer, every chapter of his journey was driven by curiosity rather than certainty. We also discuss creative careers, Asian family expe
Ep.17 — Diana Winter: Resilience, Creativity and Curiosity (opens the original)
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Growing up in China, Diana Winter's childhood was shaped by fear, instability and responsibility beyond her years. After her parents divorced, she learned to become independent early, before eventually leaving home to study abroad—first in Russia, then in New Zealand. In this episode, Diana reflects on her journey as an immigrant, the challenges of building a new life, and how difficult experiences shaped her resilience rather than defining her. We also explore her career in the creative industr
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