Friday Favorites Remixed: Fun and Funny Stories

Discover your newest binge and get to know our staff a little better with the Asia Society Texas Center team's favorite ways to stay entertained indoors! In each post we'll share with you our picks for what to read, watch, listen to, and more.

Our Friday Favorites: Remixed series looks back at the dozens of suggestions our staff members have made over the last few months, collecting them by theme and adding a couple new suggestions to help you find exactly what you most want to nerd out to!

This week's remix surveys a range of fun and funny stories via movies, musical artists, TV shows, books, and more.

Novel: The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Recommended by Jennifer Kapral, Director of Education and Outreach

"Sisters Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirini have been tasked with completing a week-long pilgrimage to India on behalf of their mother following her death. As the British-born sisters navigate their first trip to India, they learn about the importance of family, traditions, and their cultural heritage. Balli Kaur Jaswal's writing is fun and energetic, full of depth, wit, and humor as she explores family drama, cross-cultural dynamics, gender roles, and how we see ourselves and the world."

Find it on: HarperCollins (with links to purchase)

Manga: Ouran High School Host Club

Recommended by Rebecca Becerra, Education, Outreach, and Data Coordinator

"Ouran High School Host Club is one of the first mangas that I read. I was so in love with the characters and the story that I would wait months for volumes to be released in the American market. The romantic comedy follows the down-to-earth Haruhi Fujioka as she navigates her life as a scholarship student at the prestigious academy for the rich, Ouran High School. Haruhi gets tangled up in the affairs of the schools' most eccentric yet elegant club, the Ouran High School Host Club, and has to learn to handle all of the silly escapades of these privileged students while in the process forming friendships (and perhaps more) with the members of the club. The story explores relationship and gender dynamics and has a satirical twist as it plays with the many cliches of shoujo manga. Bisco Hatori's characters are charming, witty, and endearing. Overall, the story is a natural feel-good pick-me-up and very refreshing."

Find it on: Viz (manga) | Netflix (anime) | Crunchyroll (anime)

TV Show: Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America!

Recommended by Stephanie Todd Wong, Performing Arts and Culture Director

"I first saw Ronny Chieng onscreen in the film Crazy Rich Asians playing Eddie Cheng, a smug and obnoxious character you just love to hate. He also appeared regularly on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, but it's his Netflix special Asian Comedian Destroys America! where I really grew to love his comedy. He has a hilarious outsider's view of so many pieces of American life we take for granted. If you're in need of some belly laughs this weekend, add it to your watch list; you won't be sorry!"

Find it on: Netflix (please note this show involves adult language and themes)

Film: Andaz Apna Apna

Recommended by Saleena Jafry, Director of Business and Policy

"Released in 1994, Andaz Apna Apna is a classic Bollywood comedy film and can be a wonderful picker-upper on any day or time of the year. The story centers around two men who do not know one another, but have a common aim of getting rich quickly. Each is constantly scheming on how to get rich, and their solution is to woo a rich woman to marry them. The men cross paths on a bus bound for Outy in India and decide to pursue the same rich heiress, who also has a friend who serves as her personal assistant. Their deceptive plan to pursue the rich heiress leads to a comedy of errors which leaves the viewer in fits of laughter. The film climaxes when the two men realize that they have genuinely fallen in love with the heiress and her assistant friend. Andaz Apna Apna is a lighthearted comedy of love, trust, and friendship."

Find it on: Netflix

TV Show: Kim's Convenience

Recommended by Chris Dunn, Marketing and Communications Manager

"Kim's Convenience is a highly approachable Canadian sitcom about a Korean Canadian family that runs a convenience store in Toronto. It's both funny and touching, and while there are very specific Korean/Asian 'moments' and references, the humor and plot points are accessible to a very wide audience."

Find it on: Netflix | Amazon

Podcast: They Call Us Bruce

Recommended by Mei Qi, Business and Policy Manager

"If you're semi-active in Asian American spaces online, you've probably heard of Angry Asian Man (i.e., Phil Yu). He and Jeff Yang (columnist and activist) have been in the podcast game for a few years, and engaged as outspoken Asian American voices for longer. They always have really interesting guests — not all of who mare celebs — and have helped introduce me to authors, artists, comedians, activists, etc., I might not otherwise know. Generally focused on pop culture and current events, and tends to be funny and engaging if not always lighthearted."

Find it on: They Call Us Bruce website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

Music: Sean Wasabi

Recommended by Alauna Rubin, Production Manager

"Shawn Wasabi is an incredible finger drummer and an amazing artist. There are a ton of reasons to be excited about Shawn, but I'm just in love with how cheerful and expertly crafted his music is. His songs are live-performed on a MIDI controller called the MIDI Fighter 64, which was created for him and later mass-produced as a result of fans creating a petition to have it made. He started out doing mashups, but he also does originals and collaborates with other artist, and I'm always impressed with the results. I can't stop listening to his song "Snack"; it's an absolute anthem. It's just so darn positive and catchy that I'm sure once you hear it, you'll be stuck on it like me."

Find it on: Shawn Wasabi's website

Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and United Airlines, Presenting Sponsors of Business and Policy programs; Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, and Leslie and Brad Bucher, Presenting Sponsors of Exhibitions; Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Milton D. Rosenau, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts and Culture; Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsor of Education & Outreach; and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Presenting Sponsor of the Japan Series. General support of programs and exhibitions is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Hearst Foundation, Inc., Houston Endowment, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, McKinsey & Company, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as Friends of Asia Society.

About Asia Society at Home

We are dedicated to continuing our mission of building cross-cultural understanding and uplifting human connectivity. Using digital tools, we bring you content for all ages and conversations that matter, in order to spark curiosity about Asia and to foster empathy.

About Asia Society Texas Center

With 13 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and West. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.