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Head in the Clouds
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Head in the Clouds

Author: Claudia Khaw

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Welcome to the cloudy world of Claudia! Having studied in the American Midwest, Claudia has now returned to her sunny homeland of Malaysia. Join this fresh grad as she explores themes of adulthood, culture, identity, and pretty much anything under the sun through self-ruminations and conversations with friends.
22 Episodes
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In part four of our K-Pop series, we're taking a look at the industry-wide misogyny in K-Pop. We touch bases with Day6 Jae's comments on Jamie Park, producer Ryan Jhun's derogatory comment, Got the Beat's weird lyrics, the double standards within the industry, and so much more. 
In this episode, I chatted with Nat of anattynook to pick her brain about meritocracy. Growing up, people have always told me about the supposed meritocracy in Singapore that has allowed it to prosper beyond Malaysia's capacity. I took this as the truth until I thought deeper about it. Because really, is a true, equal, and just meritocracy even possible when we all have different starting lines? In this episode, we discuss the limited and academic nature of "acceptable" merits (in Singapore especially), the need to be exceptional, and more.Nat's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/anattynook
In Malaysia, "homeschool" might mean something completely different. There is a network of "learning centers" in Malaysia commonly referred to as homeschools where students are expected to self-learn without having a proper teacher guiding them through lessons. In this episode, I talk to four other former homeschool students to ask them about their experiences in such a schooling system. We give a candid view into how our school operated and whether or not it provided us with a good education. We also looked at the religious aspects of the school and the qualifications of our educators. Guests are: Cathryn, Xian, Angelina, and Colleen respectively. With this being a two-hour special, feel free to pause along the way or skip ahead if you'd like. Instagram: @theheadinthecloudshow 
What is media literacy? Why does it matter? How can we cultivate it? In this episode, we answer these questions with the help of Darshini Kandasany, an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Malaysia Information Literacy Education (MILE). Media literacy is crucial in today’s world where we are surrounded by news and media, sometimes even unsolicited pieces of information. That’s why we need to give ourselves the armor of media literacy to protect ourselves.
In the part three of the podcast's K-Pop Deep Dive, we discuss the inadequacies of the K-Pop industry specifically as it pertains to underage idols and talents. In particular, we shed light onto the lyrics of Park Ji Yoon's "Adult Ceremony," question the age of new girl group "IVE," and argue that trainees are mistreated and perhaps shouldn't debut until they're older.  Instagram: @theheadinthecloudshowWebsite: www.theheadinthecloudshow.wordpress.com
In this episode, my friend Colleen and I discuss our history of being high-achievers in academic settings, and how that influenced our mentalities about self-worth, academic pursuits, and more. Listen as we talk about how to "game" the exam system, how we feel about about the education system at large, and how mediocrity might be alright, after all. Other fun topics include "pseudointellectuality" and "gifted child syndrome." This episode is a chill, candid conversation between two friends who are just a little jaded with life's circumstances. 
My sister is back to grace the podcast with her wit and humor. In this episode, we're sharing things we experienced from the US, where we studied. We talked about experience culture shock, facing racism and making friends, among other things. Fun anecdotes include the time I got locked out of my room wearing just a robe. 
In the second instalment of the podcast's look into K-Pop, we talked about the beauty standards perpetuated in K-Pop and by K-Pop and how it reflects public sentiment and society. Is plastic surgery feminist? Where does colorism come from? What's up with entertainment industries dictating how bodies should look like? We try to answer these questions in this episode. 
Being a NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) often gets you weird looks. People make assumptions about your character and personality, and traditional society often label such people as shut-ins or just lazy. However, there's more to it than that. The mindful choice to be a NEET can even be a beneficial thing in helping one shape their future and their identities. 
Hello, and welcome to Head in the Clouds - a candid look into the sociocultural problems dealt with today’s youth and also an attempt to articulate, document and share Malaysian sentiments while bringing in global perspectives! 
In the pilot episode of the podcast's deep-dive into the problematic aspects of "K-Pop Culture," actual listeners of K-Pop music discuss  relevant issues including the consumerism and capitalism promoted in the music industry, the parasocial relationships fostered in K-Pop, as well as the so-called cancel culture found within fandom communities. They also discuss specific incidences such as the allegations surrounding ex-members of AOA and Lucas of NCT. Whether you're a K-Pop fan or just someone who's heard of K-Pop, this is an episode full of interesting points about the human psyche in general.  
Due to state-sponsored anti-LGBT rhetoric and actively encouraged homophobic sentiments in Malaysia, my friend Dienta was pushed to seek for asylum in the US, where she is studying. This episode is an exploration of her life and the struggles she has faced because of her sexual orientation and her nationality, from being targeted online and having her scholarship revoked to strenuous personal relationships. 
My sister has a lot of sleep issues. Even after growing out of her chronic sleep paralysis, she still struggles with overly vivid dreams that leaves her poorly rested every night. In this episode, we talk about her weird hallucinations and dreams. Oh, and we also briefly talk about stories about sleep walking and my bruxism. 
I don't watch sports, but every time a major sport event like the Olympics rolls around, I get hooked into it. There's just something about rooting for a team or an athlete that really gets us hyped, which is why the Olympics have been around forever, I suppose. But there's always something kind of bittersweet about watching athletes duke it out. There's also a sense of jealousy or envy and also a prominent sense of sympathy. Listen to my friend, G, and I talk more in depth about sports culture and the problematic aspects of it. 
Sue Jean is a petite girl whereas Claudia is on the curvier side - but both have definitely experienced their fair share of body shaming. Join them as they share their body shaming stories and the scrutiny they face under society's beauty standards. 
In this episode, I open up to my friend, G, about my experiences as a minor interacting with adult men.  Despite having not spoken about it at large before, I've become much more aware of how important it is to shed light on conversations regarding child grooming and pedophilic behavior especially in the age of the internet. We discussed how adult men need to be held accountable, how trauma can hit years after the causing event occurred, and how children are never the ones at fault. (Explicit language and gratuitous use of the F-word in this episode) TW: mentions of sexual harassment/pedophilia For more info: www.theheadinthecloudshow.wordpress.com
In this episode, I invited my friend Colleen to ruminate on positivity when its pushed to the extreme (aka "Good Vibes Only") and discuss random topics like growing up, coffee drinking, quantum physics, and so much more. 
Two sisters who used to share the same MBTI type retake the test together while trying to be as honest as possible, while dissecting how legit and relevant personality tests such as the MBTI are.  They are not at all well-versed in MBTIs and personality tests, but they sure have some thoughts on it. Humor and chaos ensues.
The Chinese community throughout the world is vast, diverse and nuanced. Overseas Chinese and those from China share many cultural traits, but as you may expect, there are certainly differences between us. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Adele Du, who is from China, and talked about our similarities and differences. We also touched on the migration of Chinese people to Malaysia, Peranakan/Baba Nyonya culture, dialects and accents, as well as Malaysian Chinese idols in China. 
What's in a language? In Malaysia, you are defined by the language you speak. Your community, your schooling, your mindset and your identity is all informed by what language you primarily speak. In school, this results in different "cliques." In real life, the implications are scarier. My friend, Nuha, who went to a Chinese vernacular school for her elementary education despite being of a Malay descent, dissects the nuances of language in Malaysia and it means to speak a language and not the other. 
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