In this episode, Paul and guests, Calvin Fernandez and Rob Velzeboer, share their experiences, challenges, and strategies for making friends while moving from one country to another. They reflect on what’s worked for them in building authentic and long-lasting friendships and offer tangible takeaways for men that are looking to get socially connected.
In this episode, we will cover:
- [00:01] Introduction
- [01:34] Calvin and Rob’s PhD research
- [03:40] Experiences of moving to and from different countries
- [08:00] What were your experiences making friendships in your country?
- [15:28] How have your connections changed as you’ve gotten older?
- [18:56] Are there any individuals that were particularly impactful on you?
- [21:36] Strategies to make friends
- [24:54] What qualities do you look for in a new buddy?
- [30:12] Be curious about other’s passions
- [32:00] Strategies to move from acquaintances to friends
- [37:28] Deeper connections among male friends
- [43:42] Last thoughts
- [46:54] Closing remarks
- [48:00] Outro
Meet Calvin Fernandez
Calvin Fernandez is a PhD Student in the School of Population and Public Health at The University of British Columbia with previous experience in health education and organization in Malaysia. His research focuses on the intersections of gender and health to address issues related to sexual and gender minority health in various contexts including relationship-building, mental health and sexual health.
Meet Rob Velzeboer
Rob Velzeboer is a PhD Candidate in the Interdisciplinary program at The University of British Columbia, focusing on Public Health and Marketing. His research interest is in male meat consumption, particularly psychological, moral, and cultural biases towards meat, and men’s attitudes towards emerging technologies to create plant-based and cultivated meats.
