Priscilla Harvey - Living the Questions on Substack

Get that Sweet Tea ready. So sweet you can stand a spoon up in it? Are you grinnin' like a possum eatin' a sweet tater'? Mmmm Hmmm.

Vanilla Club is in North Queensland, Australia. Yet as strange as it sounds, despite two mountain ranges, the Great Plains, a massive ocean, a great barrier reef, some 1000's of km's of separation, there's a subtle resonance between the two places. Aussies think of "the North" or "FNQ" as a yonder. It is a frontier, something akin to Tacitus' description of Germania, an ill-defined, sometimes scary (see the first scene of Gladiator) "zebra-shaded zone." Climatically we are quite similar (i.e. warmer). We are both less-populated than the big cities in the Northern North and the Southern South respectively, and have relatively more bucolic, outdoorsy settings. The accents in fact both have something of a "lean;" think of the contrast between the American Southern drawl and the clipped, received pronunciation of HRH King Charles whose words fire out like discrete cutout missiles. The Far North Queensland "twang" embraces the back country. It too was born on the bayou. Words sort of bathe in the mangroves, n' ride out in the sunset, like "maaaaate," "bloooody croooocccc." Obviously, there are vast differences, but I invite listeners to try and draw some fun parallels between the host and the guest's respective regions in this episode. Comment below what you think is similar in the South to the "Far North!"

Back to today's show---In this candid episode, writer Priscilla Harvey, 'Living the Questions' on Substack, shares her striking personal journey through addiction, faith, and recovery, offering insights that are as practical as they are heartfelt.

Raised in the American South’s “Bible Belt,” Priscilla describes her early disillusionment with Christianity. Drawing on her widely read essay Why I Call Myself a Christian, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Buddha, Living Christ, she explains how she stopped “skipping across traditions” and returned fully to Christianity. Priscilla speaks candidly about reclaiming Jesus’s radical message of love from the grip of patriarchy, nationalism, and capitalist distortion. She challenges the way many American Christians have merged faith with materialism and fear.

Upon asking Priscilla how motherhood has intersected with her journey, she simply exclaims, "How has it not?!" Motherhood, she explains, became her greatest teacher. She has learnt to release fear, to trust, and to foster a home where questions are welcome rather than punished. Her recent “dumb phone” experiment - thirty days without smartphone scrolling - quickly became a beneficial practice. She observes how, in just days, she began calling loved ones more, and noticing small acts of grace.

We also dig into Priscilla's recovery from alcoholism. She recounts years of denial and shame, and the reluctant walk through the doors of AA. Priscilla doesn't need to warm up to some of the viscera of problem drinking, telling us early about often stirring from blackout drinking episodes with vomit caked on her person. As someone with a history of problem drinking myself, your humble host is in a strong position to discuss with Priscilla about the struggle, "rock bottom," and the road to recovery. Priscilla emphasises how her faith and sobriety are intertwined, and lays a great foundation for us to get excited about her upcoming book on these and other related themes.

Refill that Sweet Tea (by now) and lock into this awesome episode!

We hope you enjoy.

Jenna Lee on IG
Jenna's website

In this episode, we explore the intersections of art, identity, and cultural heritage with Larrakia Indigenous artist and designer Jenna (Mayilema) Lee, whose work navigates history, personal ancestry, and contemporary Australian life.

I may have mispronounced Jenna's mob affiliations (dear Americans: "mob" doesn't mean mafia as in "the mob;" in Australia, "mob" is a collective noun to refer to a kinship group. It is perhaps most similar to the usage of the word "posse," or "band," like in the Old West.)

Drawing on her mixed heritage - Aboriginal, Asian, and Anglo-Australian - Jenna reflects on how art can be a tool for discovery identity, rather than just a tool to express it.

We consider the Makkassan trade route; a pre-European, Aboriginal x Sulawesian (i.e. Indonesian) trade network that goes way back, and links Australia to China, who were even then, interested in "trepang" the sea cucumbers known for medicinal (and let's be clear, culinary use too!) uses. This is a lovely place to start the conversation I thought, because it gives insight to 1) how Australia had a role in regional maritime trade routes in pre-colonial times; 2) gives a sense of how vast Australia as a continent is, and the variation between indigenous "mobs;" 3) is great fodder for alt-fiction too.

We get into the theme of complexity before too long; this is the Vanilla Club after all, and the show wouldn't be the show if we didn't attempt to raid for some hidden complexities! Jenna examines how Aboriginality, Asian heritage, and queer identity intersect, reflecting on generational struggles and activism that have shaped her freedom to explore these aspects openly. By sharing personal and family histories, she aims to demystify mixed Aboriginal families and create space for representation and connection.

Residencies and international exhibitions have played a significant role in Jenna's art career. From Japan and Bali to Singapore and the U.S., she investigates global perceptions of Australian Aboriginal culture, exploring how histories and contemporary narratives are understood abroad, and giving us some insight into how little quirks in development lead to major differences in how contemporary folks can perceive the same thing.

The episode also addresses the challenges newcomers face in engaging with Aboriginal culture, discussing exhibitions like The Neighbour at the Gate at the National Art School, which fosters dialogue between Aboriginal artists and the Asian diaspora. She emphasises the importance of respectful engagement, recommending First Nations art fairs while acknowledging the gaps in available information and resources. We also touch on some politics and the confronting White-Power march that occurred recently in Melbourne, and how and where politics pops up in Jenna's work.

Through it all, her work embodies the duality of Australia, ancient and young at the same time--- with a wry sense of humour that pops up here and there--- wait for it! Check out Jenna's amazing instagram, where she actively posts updates on exhibitions and installations!

We hope you enjoy.

In this episode, we welcome Bree Bullock, Managing Associate at Armstrong Legal in Brisbane QLD, to help us understand when poor taste and loose lips can potentially trip into tangible legal consequences.

Bree, a criminal law expert with over a decade of experience, shares her insights sparked by a recent case involving a Cairns, Queensland Police Officer whose social media comments overseas raised questions about racial insensitivity and unbecoming conduct.

We explore the responsibilities of sworn officers, the broader impacts of public statements on community trust, and how ethical obligations shape behaviour both in and out of uniform. Bree draws parallels between the legal and police professions, noting the importance of accountability, and walking us through the pitfalls were accountability in the justice system ever to be eroded (hint: sworn officers should be held to a higher standard than private citizens).

The conversation then shifts to criminal defence work, where Bree explains the nuances of her role in protecting clients’ rights, ensuring fairness, and upholding ethical standards in court. She discusses what it takes to become a skilled practitioner - communication, critical reasoning, public advocacy - and reflects on how personal values and a sense of justice guide her work every day.

We also dive into practical advice for navigating the justice system, including the importance of seeking expert legal advice, the perils of consulting AI for legal guidance, and understanding the complex relationships between clients, lawyers, and courts. Bree highlights Armstrong Legal’s focus on local expertise (the legal fraternity in a city even the size of 1 million + is still small), despite having national reach as a firm, a balancing act that all medium-to-large law firms have to navigate.

Finally, Bree shares some personal perspectives on working with clients under stress, emphasising empathy, patience, and professionalism while maintaining personal integrity. Bree gives background as to what traits and core skills make for a good solicitor (ps. comfort in public speaking is virtually a must!), and how her own moral compass that pulls her towards a justice framework to view the world made her initial career direction rather a fait accompli.

Don't miss this one!

Expat Prep on Substack

GUS: If push came to shove, I was wondering how soon you might be able to take over the lab yourself. You, and an assistant.

Gale thinks for a moment.

GALE: Why would... Why would push come to shove?

This was an exchange between the methodical, predatory Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) of Los Pollos Hermanos fame, and plucky Gale Boeticcher, played by David Costabile, who has just performed living room karaoke with the revival classic Crapa Pelada: the episode, #13, the grand finale of Breaking Bad Season 3.
Gus knows a lot, he is functionally omniscient as the instigator, the storm maker, the shover. Gale knows less than we as viewers know, and instinctively he is incredulous in the absence of information. This makes for heightened tension.
We begin the pod in media res. And that very question is the one that underpins the timely, incisive work undertaken by "Expat Prep" in his eponymous substack: why would push come to shove?

In this episode of Vanilla Club Podcast, Jason S.C. Fung goes deep with U.S. midwesterner, legal and financial planning savant Expat Prep to go beyond the clichés and rosier takes of digital nomadism to explore the tough choices, trade-offs, family and cultural cohesion issues involved with expatriation under potential duress.

Expat Prep shares candid insights from personal experience: scouting trips, language immersion with a kindergartener, and the careful planning required to ensure a smooth transition. We dig into the difference between expats seeking adventure and families seeking long-term cultural continuity—and why these distinctions matter when deciding where to live next.

Central to the conversation is the concept of optionality. Expat Prep introduces an option pricing framework to help listeners, especially those who are not totally incredulous about the possibility of a "shove" occurring, discover ways to create options in the future, whether that is residency, or linguistic facility, or having bank accounts set up, or even getting your house semi-prepared for sale, at a low price, now. Expat Prep does a great service in introducing this idea, namely because the idea of an exit is so overwhelming that many just can't imagine taking the first, or any steps. Furthermore, the option pricing framework is especially useful because it helps people identify what is easy (or cheap) right now, and thus if the chance of those options becoming more valuable in the future is even slight-to-medium, they may be attractive; and if they are cheap, and have dual-use (i.e. learning Spanish is useful even if the political situation improves), then perhaps they are great "buys."

Along the way, Jason and Expat Prep touch on ideas like cultural identity, civic responsibility, and the psychological impact of living under political or societal pressure. Expat Prep imbues this episode with wit and humour; he is a real guy, who amidst the worsening political outlook in the States still manages to bring good cheer.

If you’re contemplating life abroad, this episode gives you insights that would cost $$$ from the white shoe advisories like Henley and Partners. Expat Prep is giving frameworks that are the sum total of decades of legal and financial bona fides combined with the earnestness of a patriot who is doing this as a public service. Don't miss this episode!

Dr. Hasinika Gamage is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives (FAAB) in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. In this episode, we begin exploring the meta theme of Gut Health, a crucially important subject of our time. Feeling good? Feeling down? Lend me your ears, 'cause I got news for ya: serotonin is produced in the gut! Are you in prison and feeling violent (I hope not! On both counts!); but if so you might want to take some probiotics, as they have been proven in peer-reviewed studies to reduce violent tendencies (prisoners have been shown to have deficient microbial allocations). Rapidly becoming cliché is the notion that the gut is the second brain, a concept borrowed from Ayurveda; so, so many of our feelings emanate from the complex brew stirring up in the depths. The gut is fundamentally the place where mood origination happens; we are coming to realise it is the interface to everything; and we couldn't be with a better guest today to help us understand the contours of this fascinating (and still much unknown) space.

As a non-physician, Dr. Hasinika is clear to disclaim any statements that suggest medical advice; which is an important footnote. However, as she she uses molecular microbiology, sequencing, bioinformatics, and various coding and data analysis tools to do her work, there is a very important emergent theme here. That is, the gut is so complex, that nothing less than a multidisciplinary approach, perhaps one that uses combinatorial methods and/or is comfortable with large data sets and maths, is suitable to make any sweeping statements. Dr. Hasinika reminds us that at play are microbial communities, each with computationally vast oceans of interactions between them. This is wild!

We quickly learn from Dr. Hasinika that balance is an important metaphor when thinking about our microbiomes. We walk through the literal human "viscera" with Dr. Hasinika, who makes notes about the varying pH levels at different stages of the human digestive system, noting that different bacteria and even fungus populate different specialised nodes, for example, in the stomach and the large intestine the pH gets extremely acidic, limiting the potential candidates (bonus points for puns about candida? Haha, no!). Our diet, lifestyle, and even the timing of our meals shapes these microbial communities, and as a result, our overall health. From the role of the intestinal mucus layer (sexy, I know) and dietary fibre, to the emerging science of prebiotics, probiotics, and "postbiotics" (a new one for us, too,) we explore how different microbes thrive and interact.

Dr. Hasinika explains why diverse, whole-food diets are crucial for microbial balance, how modern processed foods can reduce gut diversity, and why extreme diets may have unintended consequences. We also discuss the influence of circadian rhythms and meal timing on gut health and metabolism, showing that it’s not just what we eat, but when we eat it. All of the strict science is held in tension at certain moments, where Dr. Hasinika also reveals that she has an Ayurvedic family background, and shares some personal vignettes of her "healer" relatives in Sri Lanka. We explore "common sense" as an idea in light of imperfect knowledge in a very complex field.

Get some kimchi and sauerkraut juice, kick back and enjoy this episode!

Seapunk Studios

Join me your host, Jason S.C. Fung, with guests Jules Yim, and Sam Chua as we explore the future of education, entrepreneurship, and culture through a global + specifically Southeast Asian lens. This is a special "two-fer" episode, which brings together guests who overlap in their interests and experiences, who are totally unabashed about telling it like it is.

Seapunk Proto-College (SPC) is a one-week pop-up in Kuala Lumpur (Sept 15–20) where rebels, thinkers, and storytellers hack new systems and present new imaginations and narratives for Southeast Asia’s future. Expect protocol deep dives, wild ideas, and public symposia, with some dolphins maybe too. If you ask me to conjure Seapunk aesthetically I think of a mashup of Super Nintendo's Pilotwings with the language and colour palette of Ninka and Yalandi from Chappie. Either way it is cool, it is happening, and we get to engage with same in situ, the prototype college is live as we recorded.

With the spirit of "punk" in mind, the trio of us dive into questions about navigating an overwhelming digital landscape, what the world looks like from a "middle-power" perspective, reimagining mental models for collaboration, and addressing historical narratives that shape Southeast Asia’s future.

With candid reflections on the risks of traditional venture funding, mental health considerations for founders, the problems of scaling, the cultural pressure to not "enter the wrong profession" in a career landscape upended by AI, scale, the dilemma for founders who are pushed to grow beyond their inherent intentions, and the need for new educational frameworks, this conversation is a look into how to build solutions that truly resonate with unique lived experiences.

We end on a note exploring a potential event at Vanilla Club, perhaps in 2026–2027 designed to bring together innovators, educators, and cultural thinkers.

If you’re interested in cultural entrepreneurship, regional wisdom, and designing new ways of learning and leading, this episode is for you!

We hope you enjoy.

Wendy Mak on Instagram
Veera Brave Girl

In 2025, it's estimated that we see at least 4,000 ads, every single day. And the lines are becoming more and more blurred between what is "real" and what is AI generated.

In an era where the use of AI has become commonplace, what is the correct balance between increasing productivity and maintaining consumer trust?

Wendy Mak is the Chief Marketing Officer at MUFG Pension & Market Services, and is a regular speaker on topics such as AI, tech, and communications. In this episode, we also discovered that Wendy is an influencer on her personal Instagram page, where she shares content on fashion, beauty, and fitness.

Having the dual perspective of both a marketer and an influencer has granted Wendy a unique lens on the way that AI is used today. Wendy believes that using AI is important to promote innovation. However, she is also an advocate for clear labelling of Gen AI in advertising, arguing that this honesty is essential to maintain consumer trust.

Wendy also shares with us her work with 'Veera Brave Girl', a non-profit organisation that provides resources for migrant women.

We hope you enjoy.

Gabrielle Feather - Holding Both on Substack

This is one of the most intense interviews I’ve done. Surely.

Please check out our new Substack, which is an audio and textual hub for all things Vanilla Club Podcast, where we interact and engage with complexity in order to better appreciate simplicity.

This episode is a continuation of a run of episodes with Substackers whose writing we admire. Gabrielle Feather is a brilliant guest, who as you’ll see, brings a warmth and sensitivity and a remarkable emotional range to this special episode.

Gabrielle is known as 'Holding Both' on Substack, and describes her page as a space for the "in-between" - grief and awe, collapse and becoming, motherhood and undoing, hope and rage.

She is also a PhD Candidate at the University of Tasmania, working in the field of psychology, with a niche specifically in “climate and collapse aware psychology.”

In this episode, Gabrielle was prompted with some open-ended questions (sometimes these “simple” questions are the very hardest to answer), relating to the state of the climate, and the general proximity of the looming and intersecting crises we are facing.

We talk about how folks in their 30s and 40s today are the bridging generation between the old world and the new. We speak about how collapse is in fact a process, not a singular event. And that matters because we all play a part in life processes, day in and day out; we can’t therefore be fatalistic even in the face of crisis.

Gabrielle walks us through her own healing journey, her choice to have children, and the life and times of a young activist at the Wilderness Society. She speaks of struggling to find her life purpose in a system that she didn't believe in, and finding disillusionment at every turn, to then embracing the disillusionment, and finding joy on the other side of it.

Gabrielle also tells us about an experience she had with Ayahuasca, where the plant told her that emotional regulation is the number one thing that humanity needs to cultivate. Psychedelics are a smitch out of my wheelhouse but to hear the “pro” case for them and for mysticism writ large was thought-provoking and worthy of further reflection.

We were delighted to record and produce this episode. We hope you enjoy.