The beginning
It all started with a conversation between Kriztel and I, and the feeling of wanting to do something productive during our extended hard lockdown in Berlin (now at 5 months and counting).
We are both still very connected with our identity as Filipinos despite being far away from the country for 4 years (Dee) and 11 years (Kriztel). The podcast is, in a way, a space for us to connect with the Filipino community in Germany and feel a semblance of home during this tough time. We really want to highlight the stories of Filipinos who are thriving and succeeding in their respective fields. Stories like these don’t get the spotlight they deserve and, who knows, maybe it could inspire others too through the pod.
In almost every episode, we ask the question “how and why did you get here?”. Understanding one’s motivation for choosing to move is important. There is no one way to become an expat / migrant / OFW and there are also a lot of reasons why Filipinos leave the Philippines. We believe that every story is unique but there are similar threads to them and we hope to try weaving those together.
A giant disclaimer: we are not sources of official and legal advice. We can only tell you our first-hand experiences. Please approach your local embassies / consulates for your questions.
The tech side
I had zero knowledge or experience in almost everything that goes into producing a podcast. Kriztel has a media background but had not actually done this herself. We initially wanted to just record on our phones, for heaven’s sake. It was, as the metaphor says, the blind leading the blind. We are (still) learning the hard way: writing scripts, engaging our audience and guests, understanding how recording and microphones work, etc. Thank god for YouTube University and the brilliant tech skills of our producer – Karen – for guiding us towards the light. Haha!
Currently, we’re all set-up with nice sounding microphones, a podcast hosting platform with Anchor.fm, recording with Zencastr, editing with various audio tools, and now blogging with WordPress. A lot has happened these two months and it was a freakin’ journey!
I, personally, have learned so many things about myself these last couple of months. Particularly, which pieces of me I want to share publicly. I am also doing this on top of my day job. It’s honestly exhausting, but the feedback from our listeners keeps me going and pushes me to be a better podcast host.
If you are considering to move to Germany, check out the podcast and follow us on Instagram @kuchenzeitpod for the latest updates!
The beginning 
Planning 
Interview with Lea Millares-Sylvester (Ep. 2) 
Interview with Kelly Abagat (Ep. 4)