The ProgrezTribe Podcast

Masaki Seto

0.0 (0)
Education
Updated Biweekly

ProgrezTribe is a community of queers, feminists, and progressives living in or have connections to Japan. progreztribe.substack.com

May 23

Podcast #010 - Overwhelmed, obligations, and dreaming of Thailand

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * Masaki’s restaurant gas tank running out, the difference between piped gas and tank gas, and what “full-fledged restaurant” means. * Kinoko’s exhausting move to the new sharehouse, dealing with old furniture, and the concept of a “not-to-do list” to avoid being overwhelmed. * The word “overwhelmed” (too many tasks, feeling flooded) and the importance of taking a “chill pill” – intentionally scheduling rest. * Kinoko’s upcoming camping trip in Wakayama to do nothing, listen to the sound of waves (shiosai), and relax. * The difference between tasks, appointments, and “obligations” (things you have to do but don’t necessarily enjoy, like social or family duties). * Dream retirement destinations: Kinoko would choose Thailand (Chiang Mai), where many retired white people (farang) live a slow life. Masaki is curious about Greece and Egypt. * Masaki renewing his passport after eight years to visit a sick friend in the US, and his partner’s dislike of international travel. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

32 min
May 18

Podcast #009 - A new sharehouse, a packed schedule, and learning to take a chill pill

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * Kinoko’s frantic search for a new sharehouse, signing a contract without seeing it first due to high demand, and the rent being almost twice as expensive as her current place. * The new sharehouse’s location near Minowa and the largest red-light district in Japan, and her call for new residents (queer-friendly, foreigner-friendly, safe). * Masaki’s past experience with random roommates in Chicago and the serendipity of forming meaningful friendships with progressive, interesting people. * The idea that “you are the average of the five people you’re closest to,” and how outliers (like Kinoko) pull your average in interesting directions. * Kinoko’s overwhelmingly busy May: forming her own company, moving into the new sharehouse, trips to Fukuoka, Wakayama (camping), and Okinawa (campaign), leaving her exhausted and in need of rest. * The phrase “take a chill pill” and the importance of intentionally scheduling rest and relaxation as a task. * Sedentary lifestyles, standing out in a Japanese work environment, and the reluctance to stretch at work because “no one else does it.” Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

40 min
May 8

PT Podcast #8 - Fire breathing, sharehouse dreams, and building our own safety nets

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * Kinoko’s three-day fire performance workshop in Gunma, including fire eating, fire breathing, vapor tricks, contact staff, sword fighting, and a burnout competition, with about 100 participants and top performers from Japan. * The physical exhaustion from the workshop and the mental exhaustion from searching for a new house to use as a sharehouse, including the possibility of buying a property and starting a proper business (with all the dreaded paperwork). * Language tips: avoiding jargon by paraphrasing (e.g., “monolingual” → “speak only one language”), and the usage of “twice as big” vs. “twice bigger.” * Masaki’s restaurant business growth, the consideration of forming a company for tax reasons, and the frustration of tax money funding wars and being invested in Israeli companies via pension funds. * The idea of peer-supported alternatives: microfinance systems used by Zainichi Koreans, a proposed queer event transportation reimbursement system, and an “activism scholarship” to help people attend events outside major cities. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

42 min
Apr 24

PT Podcast #7 - Aid tickets, Burning Man, and the gift economy

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * Kinoko’s excitement about receiving a ticket to Burning Man through the aid ticket program for people with lower income (under 5 million yen), and how many Japanese people are eligible. * The application process: explaining why you can’t afford a regular ticket (which costs around $650), providing tax papers as proof of income, and describing what you can contribute to the community (cleaning, cooking, kinbaku, pole dance, etc.). * Kinoko’s personal situation: being neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and how having a stable, sufficient income is difficult in Japan. * What Burning Man is: a week-long camping festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert with about 70,000 participants, where people build a temporary village and burn a large wooden statue (”the man”) and a temple on the last day. * The no-money rule inside Burning Man: a social experiment where participants exchange gifts, skills, or help instead of using cash. Water can be pre-purchased with a water ticket, but food and drinks are given freely by other participants. * The importance of consent in all exchanges, and the presence of sheriffs and police to handle any violence or crime. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

29 min
Apr 22

PT Podcast #6 - Time management struggles and the guilt of practicing English with friends

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * Forgetting appointments and daily tasks * The difficulty of multitasking and context-switching * Working on laptops in trains: what are they working on? * How clothing and hair color affect people’s perceptions, and the Japanese cultural pressure to be “transparent” and blend in * The dichotomy of renshu (practice) vs. honban (real performance) in language learning, and the guilt of feeling like you’re using friends as practice tools Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

47 min
Apr 6

PT Podcast #5 - Musical chairs of affection vs. the dance floor

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * The speaker’s excitement and anxiety about reuniting with a long-term partner after two years of forced platonic distance due to his monogamous relationship with someone else. * The “musical chairs” dynamic of affection, where a monogamous person can claim the only available “chair” (partner status), shutting others out of intimacy. * Societal assumptions that polyamorous people should be “fine” losing one relationship because they have others, and that monogamous feelings automatically take priority. * The speaker’s rejection of rigid labels (friend, partner, f**k buddy), seeing every person as unique and irreplaceable. * The ideal of a “dance floor” where there are no chairs—or many chairs—allowing affection to flow without competition or exclusivity. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

33 min
Mar 24

PT Podcast #4 - The pressure to fit in and finding energy in our own way

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * Changing hair color with products like color shampoo and treatment, and reminiscing about having vivid hair colors in the past. * The social perceptions of having unconventional hair, particularly how it can be viewed differently based on age, gender presentation, and cultural environment (such as in Japan versus abroad). * Navigating middle age, including feelings of being “on the verge” of aging, the balance between holding onto youth and accepting the aging process smoothly. * Physical challenges and new activities, such as pole dancing and fire performance (including fire eating), and the bruises that come with practice. * The concept of introversion versus extroversion, with one speaker identifying as a talkative introvert who needs alone time to recharge, while the other identifies as more outgoing and energized by social activities and new experiences. * Learning new vocabulary, including the words “verge,” “click” (as in forming a connection), “allocate,” and the difference between “introvert” and “extrovert.” * Running a restaurant business, managing multiple roles (server, bartender, problem-solver), and the goal of allocating tasks to new hires to balance the workload. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

38 min
Mar 16

PT Podcast #3 - Learning environments, different accents, and the swiftness required in today's activism

Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: * The benefits of practicing English in various real-life environments, not just in a quiet, ideal setting. * Personal stories about how accents can change unconsciously when moving to different places or spending time with people from different regions (e.g., Hawaiian English, Kiwi English, California English, Kentucky English). * Kinoko’s three personal principles as an activist * The negative impact of social media on activism and public discourse: the pressure for perfection and immediate responses Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you'd like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

39 min
Mar 12

PT Podcast #2 - Kinoko's trip to Georgia

Kinoko is the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. In today’s lesson with Kinoko, we covered the following topics: * What Kinoko loves about Georgia (the country) * Georgia’s political landscape * What is it like to be queer in Georgia? * The cultural connotation of the phrase 'I met someone' * Traveling in the time of war * Dream countries to visit * Ayahuasca in Peru Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you'd like to read along. You can learn more on being queer in Georgia by visiting the ジョージア情報局 website and reading Kinoko-san’s guest post here. Connect with Kinoko-san * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 More episodes Tap #Kinoko’sLessons to see more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

32 min
Mar 3

PT Podcast #1 / きのコさんとのレッスンをポッドキャストで配信することになりました

The other day, Kinoko-san, a student in my private lessons (currently closed to new students), suggested: “Why don’t we turn the lesson archive videos into a podcast!?” It sounded like so much fun that we got excited and decided to start publishing from this lesson onward. * Private lessons: https://progreztribe.substack.com/p/lessons * Kinoko-san’s X: https://x.com/kinoko1027 * Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ Kinoko-san is the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, and at the end of last year, her interview article went viral. * Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA * Interview article: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 In this lesson, we cover the following topics: * Instagram accounts recommended for English learners * https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/ * https://www.instagram.com/english_coach_adam/ * Simple English is better than fluent English for communication purposes * How we tend to cram in too much information * Different learning styles for different people * Inclusive language vs. “going viral” * What Kinoko-san pays attention to at her events If you find the English hard to follow, try turning on the automatic transcript feature! #Kinoko’sLessons 『わたし、恋人が2人います。〜ポリアモリーという生き方〜』を書いたきのコさんと一緒に、レッスンの様子を配信します。英語でいろんな話をするポッドキャストになりそうです。先日個人レッスン（現在新規停止中）の生徒さんであるきのコさんから「レッスンのアーカイブ動画をポッドキャストにしちゃいませんか！？」というご提案をいただきました。え〜面白そう！と盛り上がり、さっそく今回のレッスンから公開することになりました。個人レッスン案内: https://progreztribe.substack.com/p/lessonsきのコさん X: https://x.com/kinoko1027きのコさんブログ: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/きのコさんは『わたし、恋人が2人います。〜ポリアモリーという生き方〜』という本の著者で、昨年末にはこちらのインタビュー記事が話題になりました。本: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvAインタビュー記事: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196今回のレッスンでは、次のようなトピックを話しています。 * 英語学習者におすすめのインスタアカウント * https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/ * https://www.instagram.com/english_coach_adam/ * コミュニケーションに大事なのは流暢な英語よりシンプルな英語 * 情報を詰め込みがちな私たち * 人によって異なる学習スタイルについて * 誰も取りこぼさない語りと「バズる」の相性の悪さ * きのコさんのイベントで何に気をつけているか英語の聞き取りが難しい人は、自動文字起こしをONにして聴いてみてくださいね。 #Kinoko’sLessons This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progreztribe.substack.com/subscribe

35 min

10 Episodes

ProgrezTribe is a community of queers, feminists, and progressives living in or have connections to Japan. progreztribe.substack.com

Creator

Masaki Seto
Years Active

2K
Episodes

10
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Masaki Seto
Show Website

The ProgrezTribe Podcast