The Chameleon Club

Tae Levi Um
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Hey, welcome to The Chameleon Club! A podcast for people who belong everywhere and nowhere—TCKs, MKs, Global Nomads, Expats, etc. I'm your host, Tae Levi Um, a Third Culture Kid with a Korean passport but without a sense of belonging. If you're not a fan of the "Where are you from?" question, or are still processing your multi-cultural upbringing experience, just join the club. It's free. ⠀ If you enjoyed the show—save it, share it, and comment on it. If you want to give feedback or connect with me, find me on Instagram: @thechameleonclubpod for more!

Episodes

  1. Ep.9: TCK - NOW and FUTURE (feat. Jay) | Building Communities, Career prospects, and Fighting Gatekeeping

    09/02/2025

    Ep.9: TCK - NOW and FUTURE (feat. Jay) | Building Communities, Career prospects, and Fighting Gatekeeping

    Ready for the LAST interview of Season One? I have just the right guest for it: meet Jay, founder of @tckglobal, one of the largest online communities for Third Culture Kids!  In this special finale episode(we’re even trying out video podcasting!), I am honored to interview this community-builder who’s been a pioneer in the world of Third Culture Content for more than a decade. And it especially means a great deal to me, because she was the person whose TED Talk inspired me to share about my Third Culture journey with the world! (Brace yourself for some fanboying moments at the beginning of the episode.)  Tune in to WATCH & hear Jay’s thoughts on:  The “Third Culture Kid” label and how isolating it can beCareer prospectives as Third Culture Kids (are we employable?!) Dating as Third Culture Kids Big friend group vs. small friend group  Want to connect with Jay or join TCKGlobal community? https://www.instagram.com/tckglobal Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod

    1h 3m
  2. Ep.8: Forming Shapes and Cultures (feat. Zoë) | Storytelling, Home Food, Making Music

    08/19/2025

    Ep.8: Forming Shapes and Cultures (feat. Zoë) | Storytelling, Home Food, Making Music

    Meet Zoë Grace Wang—a British-Chinese singer-songwriter from London and Singapore with a passion for storytelling through music. "I am in AWE when I engage with music. I'm making songs because I want to share this very awe with whoever listens." Maybe our complex cultural upbringing doesn't have to stay a "trauma" or "crisis". Maybe we can see it as a unique soil on which plants of empathy can grow. My guest Zoë has been doing that—mixing colors of different culture on a pallet, painting a picture only she can think of. Join this episode as Zoë and I discuss what it means to be a Third Culture Kid, and what it looks like to channel our complex background into a unique form of storytelling. Want to find more of Zoë's work? https://www.instagram.com/zoegracewang Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod

    28 min
  3. Ep.7: Aren't We All Restless Wanderers? (feat. Elijah) | Cultural Analysis, Traveling, Spoken Word

    08/05/2025

    Ep.7: Aren't We All Restless Wanderers? (feat. Elijah) | Cultural Analysis, Traveling, Spoken Word

    Ever cried over a sunset? Ever shouted “LET’S GO!” as you spotted a whale jump out of the water? Two guys who have done both sit down to discuss beauty. Because we love it. And time is limited when you keep on traveling. ⠀ Elijah's poetry doesn’t come out of shallow “good vibes”—it is birthed through anger & pain turned into humility. The kind of humility that isn’t manufactured, but is simply gushed out—at the sight of the glory of the Creator. Don’t miss the last part of the episode, where you’ll hear Elijah’s Spoken Word recital that captures the awe. Come join us. Let’s chat about life. Want to find more of Elijah's work? https://www.instagram.com/elijahdoespoetry Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod

    38 min
  4. Ep.6: Can TCKs Fall in Love? (feat. Kano) | National Identity, Situationship, and Marriage

    07/29/2025

    Ep.6: Can TCKs Fall in Love? (feat. Kano) | National Identity, Situationship, and Marriage

    Can TCKs Fall in Love… ever? Welcome back to the club, chameleons! Today, I’m talking with someone I met on Instagram—it’s Kano(@ganmokan) another TCK storyteller I ran into! It’s not very typical of me to talk about love with someone I literally just met—yet here we are, being a couple of Third Culture Kids, diving straight into the deepest topics. Join this episode as Kano frankly tells us her stories of being stuck between cultures, navigating dating life, and moving on!  One disclaimer I think we all know already: whatever you hear on the podcast is someone’s own journey and thoughts… so always listen to it with a grain of salt. Also, make sure to check out Kano’s instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ganmokan Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod

    43 min
  5. Ep.5: TCK Life on Steroids (feat. Aidan) | Life on a Ship, Grief, and Making Movies

    07/22/2025

    Ep.5: TCK Life on Steroids (feat. Aidan) | Life on a Ship, Grief, and Making Movies

    Today, I’m calling a dear friend I miss very much. Meet Aidan—a “domestic” TCK in Malaysia, a filmmaker, and a fellow volunteer who lived and sailed with me on a humanitarian ship in Africa. Aidan and I like to call our ship experience as “a TCK life on steroids”, and you’ll figure out why we call that as you listen to our stories!  In this episode, we also talk about a short film Aidan directed, based on the feeling of grief he felt as he left the beloved ship. I think many TCKs could relate to the movie, so make sure to check out his short film below:  Short Film “Sentiments from a Stepper”  https://youtu.be/R87v2QfbQiY?si=tnwlcLAjFc0JZOXq Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod

    27 min
  6. Ep.4: To My Parents Who Sent Me To That International School In Niger (feat. Yun In Jung) | Korean Hierarchy, Repatriation, and International School

    07/15/2025

    Ep.4: To My Parents Who Sent Me To That International School In Niger (feat. Yun In Jung) | Korean Hierarchy, Repatriation, and International School

    This episode is especially for International School students & their parents. Brace yourself for some REAL TALK, that begins with a question many parents may prefer NOT to ask their Third Culture Children: "Would you do what we did to you... to your future children?" Yun In was well in his teenage years(!) when his parents broke him the news—that they're leaving everything behind to move to Africa. He was told to prepare for the trip—to say goodbye to his friends and everything he had made home in. Then, a few flights later, he lands in Niger, and stpes into a peculiar cultural bubble called "International School". Join us as two Korean-born Third Culture Kids discuss life after Third Culture events—from Korean repatriation to his golden advice for kids & parents at the end of the episode! Want to connect with Yun In? → archjeung@gmail.com Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod⁠

    34 min
  7. Ep.3: How Do You Make Friends As TCK? (feat. Julie) | Code-switching, Absorbing Cultures, Friendship

    07/08/2025

    Ep.3: How Do You Make Friends As TCK? (feat. Julie) | Code-switching, Absorbing Cultures, Friendship

    Join this FUN conversation with my bubbly guest Julie, who I think is a talented bridge-builder between cultures.  How do TCKs make new friends while navigating the metling pot? Hear what Julie has to say about it, along with some tangents about “frontal-lobe development theory" from TikTok, “fake it till you make it mentality" in our passport country, and "owning our own uniqueness as we journey as TCKs. If you want to up your cross-cultural-friendship game, this episode might give you some insights! Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod⁠

    32 min
  8. Ep.2: "You Will Never Do Well in Korea" | Living Between Cultural Tension

    07/02/2025

    Ep.2: "You Will Never Do Well in Korea" | Living Between Cultural Tension

    Welcome back and I’m BACK inside the wardrobe—this time, sweating profusely.  In this second episode, I’m telling you a piece of my core memories from 13 years ago. I’ve never shared this with anyone... not even with my family. Feeling unbelonging in a culture you were born can be a very difficult experience. In this episode, I'll be talking about that and the need for TCK care from early ages. A good news is: you are NOT alone in this journey. Won’t give you a hug, though. I’m sweaty. Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod⁠

    14 min
  9. Ep.1: What Is This About Anyway? | Introduction

    07/01/2025

    Ep.1: What Is This About Anyway? | Introduction

    So, what's this podcast all about? In this introductory episode, I go over some important terms like Cultural Chameleon, Global Nomad, and TCK (Third Culture Kid), sharing my own story of learning about these words. But what's more important: I'm recording this inside of my wardrobe. And it's very cozy. Enjoyed the show? Suggestions? Connect with me on Instagram!  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thechameleonclubpod⁠

    20 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Hey, welcome to The Chameleon Club! A podcast for people who belong everywhere and nowhere—TCKs, MKs, Global Nomads, Expats, etc. I'm your host, Tae Levi Um, a Third Culture Kid with a Korean passport but without a sense of belonging. If you're not a fan of the "Where are you from?" question, or are still processing your multi-cultural upbringing experience, just join the club. It's free. ⠀ If you enjoyed the show—save it, share it, and comment on it. If you want to give feedback or connect with me, find me on Instagram: @thechameleonclubpod for more!

Information

  • Creator
    Tae Levi Um
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tae Levi Um
  • Show Website
    The Chameleon Club