When people ask, “Why do you have two names?”, it sounds like a simple question—but it rarely feels simple to answer. This episode explore what it means to constantly explain who you are—and what starts to shift when you realise you don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules but your own.

Cantonese Classroom

ch 送氣音 (aspirated sounds) is not like the “ch” in church. In English, ch is one sound—like “ch-” in chair. But in Cantonese, this sound is completely different.

👉 “ch” is a 送氣音—an aspirated sound, meaning there’s a strong puff of air.

It actually sounds closer to:

• “ts” with air not
• “ch” (as in church)

What does it really mean to be “乖gwaai1”—the good, quiet, well-behaved child so many of us were praised for? Drawing from my work as a teacher and children’s therapist, I explore how being “good” can sometimes silence curiosity, identity, and voice—and how we might begin to redefine respect, 孝順 haau3 seon6, and what it means to stay true to ourselves without losing connection to where we come from

How do you choose the right therapist—and does it matter if they share your cultural background?

Cantonese Classroom: therapist 治療師 zi6 liu4 si1，師si1 a suffix for licensed professionals.

In this episode, I sit with the question of what really makes therapy “work,” and whether feeling understood is about identity… or something deeper. I also explore what it means for diasporic Cantonese therapists to re-learn Cantonese—not just as a language, but as a way of reconnecting with culture, emotion, and parts of themselves that were never fully spoken.