Geopats Abroad : Chats with expats, immigrants, and locals

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How do you balance the millions of decisions that need to be made during that first year of podcasting? 

In this conversation we discuss these decisions with Mete Yurtsever of the Değer Yaratmanın Formülü podcast. Mete is from and in Turkey now but that hasn't always been the case. He has over 25 years of experience in Marketing and in 13 of those years he was working and lived in 5 different countries: Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine & Moldova. Now he’s an Independent Consultant helping companies create value through design thinking, facilitating workshops, and providing training.  

In this conversation we chat about:

• what types of podcasts are popular in Turkey
• what languages and apps are the most commonly used in Turkey
• why he started his own podcast & what the goals are for it
• what he learned after doing a listener survey for his business podcast
• how to prioritize the many podcasting decisions like sound treatment, transcripts, marketing, and social media
• his advice to new Podcasters in Turkey

🤸🏽Americans moving abroad, you'll need this postal service. Trust me!
https://travelingmailbox.com/?ref=3422

😋Create your own podcast!
Host on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2022201
(These are affiliate links to services I love!)

🤸🏽Music from Key Frame Audio:
https://keyframeaudio.com/

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Liv is in an interesting language experience right now. She grew in New York City using Cantonese with her Southern Chinese mother and some Mandarin Chinese with her Taiwanese father. She then picked up Spanish and English in her diverse NYC environment. She has traveled extensively and has learned a few more languages along the way. But it is now, while living and working in Shanghai, China, that she is faced with a myriad of language AND cultural obstacles that she feels the most challenged by.

Original publication date: June 16, 2018

 🌍 Tools & resources for living, traveling, and working abroad: https://geopatsabroad.substack.com/p/living-abroad-resources

🛍️ Geopats Abroad Stationary Store: https://geopatsabroad-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=geopats_shop&utm_content=episode_description

🛠️ Podcast & creator tools I use: https://podcaststeph.substack.com/p/podcast-tools-i-use

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geopatsabroad/

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfWdoMjmqpcbULZw-hVgew

Kavein is a blind man with a passion for learning and podcasts.  During this conversation, we talk about accessibility as a blind podcast listener, his podcast listening habits, listening groups, apps, Big History, and his favorite podcasts.

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738

How can a blind person learn and engage with language? Kavein, who has been blind since birth, is here to help us understand more about language learning and usage while being blind. We als touch on accessibility issues with technology, specifically screen readers. Kavein grew up using 3 languages in Malaysia: Tamil, Bahasa Malay and English. He has a fascination with the evolution and history of language. We also dive into a really fun tangent about emojis that I think you'll enjoy. The second part of this episode is about Kavein's podcasting obsession and will be on Geopats Podcasting next week. 

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738

Have you seen season 5 of The Expanse, read Leviathan Wakes or ever wondered what it'd be like to live on a different planet?

If so, then this conversation is for you. Stargate Pioneer of Better Podcasting & the Gonna Geek Network and I chat about the book Leviathan Wakes. We discuss the characters, the plot, the geopoliticalness of the worlds in the book but we also compare living off your home planet to living away from your home country. ​

More episode information: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatspodcasting

Would love to hear from you! Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn & you can even leave a voice message on Speakpipe.

Ways to Support Geopats Books:

-Sign up for the stephfuccio.com newsletter: www.stephfuccio.com

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🐉 Work with Steph: https://www.stephfuccio.com/workwithme.html

🪐 Podcasting webinars: https://stephfuccio2022.gumroad.com/

Stephen is a massive advocate for hobby podcasters and focuses on the joy of the experience in everything he does in his podosphere. 

In this conversation, we chat about:

• the podcasting scene in Canada
• his background in audio and video
• the origin stories of both the Gonna Geek network AND the co-hosted Better Podcasting podcast.

For those of you following the Geopats Books podcast, Better Podcasting will sound familiar because Stephen’s Co-Host, SP was our most recent guest on that podcast where we talked about the book that started the Expanse TV series, Leviathan Wakes.  

​The link for that books episode and everything we mention in this podcasting conversation will be in your podcast app notes and at https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatspodcasting/23 

Lastly, I’d love to hear from you! Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn & you can even leave a voice message on Speakpipe.

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738

About 6 months into podcasting many Podcasters hit a wall.

What am I doing?

Why am I doing this?

And other large, podcastery questions start haunting them.

The inevitable episode of doubt happens and then there is either podfade or a shift in content. 

This is exactly the type of episode that I heard Dakota do on his Language Learning Lounge podcast. Because Dakota and I already knew each other, I decided that instead of just listening I would reach out and try to help. Or at least, ask a lot of questions to find out why this keeps happening to lovely Podcasters like him. This is the conversation that we had. 

Dakota's info: Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelllounge

​Music courtesy of ​Damon Castillo.The song in this episode is “Saint Cecilia" from the "Mess Of Me" album. http://www.damoncastillo.com/

🤸🏽Music from
Damon Castillo (earlier episodes): https://www.damoncastillo.com/
and
Key Frame Audio (more recent eps) :https://keyframeaudio.com/

Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries (mostly for Americans): Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission.

🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches.
https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

🔥Chase Sapphire Credit Card: annual fee, NO currency conversion fee. Used this in many countries globally.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19Q/MDNYO68N38

🔥 Stackry: Shop in the U.S. and have the items shipped internationally.
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7118738

Send us Fan Mail

In December 2019 my dear friend Shannon Martin and I sat down and recorded an episode about The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. We were so intrigued with the book that we wanted to repeat the process with the more autobiographical version of the book, A Moveable Feast.

And then we both left China and you know what happened.

We did record this follow up episode in mid-2020 but life was still hectic. So here it is, nearly a year later. Thank you to Shannon for being so patient during this time.

Original publication date: June 5, 2021

Shannon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twowhotravelsam/

 🌍 Tools & resources for living, traveling, and working abroad: https://geopatsabroad.substack.com/p/living-abroad-resources

🛍️ Geopats Abroad Stationary Store: https://geopatsabroad-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=geopats_shop&utm_content=episode_description

🛠️ Podcast & creator tools I use: https://podcaststeph.substack.com/p/podcast-tools-i-use

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geopatsabroad/

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfWdoMjmqpcbULZw-hVgew

Send us Fan Mail

Love, loss,new beginnings, it's what we think of when we dream of moving abroad. But what about expat circle gossip or food culture shock moments. We rarely talk about those moments. Author Antonella does though, in her touching book, Parsley & coriander: Life in China with Italian flavor, which is set in Suzhou, China. Join us for the wild ride. 

Original publication date: December 20, 2020

Antonella's blog: https://parsleyandcoriander.blogspot.com/

📬 Traveling abroad long-term? Traveling Mailbox gives you a permanent US mailing address you can access from anywhere: https://travelingmailbox.com/geopats/?ref=3422

💰Need a global bank account: I use Wise for multiple currencies https://wise.com/invite/dic/debrad107

📸 Instagram reels from my past and present life abroad: https://www.instagram.com/geopatsabroad/

🎥 Daily video clips from my life abroad: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfWdoMjmqpcbULZw-hVgew

🎙️Start your own podcast. The podcast host I recommend most often is Buzzsprout. Use this link and get a bonus when you upgrade:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2022201

📬 Weekly podcast discoverability tips to help your older episodes keep getting found:  https://podcaststeph.substack.com/

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If your picture of German culture still comes mostly from stereotypes about coldness, efficiency, or bluntness, Rebecca Schuman offers a much more human way in. In this warm, funny conversation, the author of Schadenfreude, A Love Story and former Fulbright scholar uses her years in Germany and Austria to explore German hospitality, language, family life, academia, and belonging, showing how much more complicated a place becomes once you live inside it.

READ HER BOOK: REBECCA SCHUMAN

Schadenfreude, A Love Story 

Original publication date: July 27, 2020

Listen for:

•  How German hospitality differs from American friendliness 
•  How expat life in Germany changes everyday habits and culture shock 
•  Why expats leave Germany even when they prefer life abroad 
•  How family life in Germany and Austria differs from the United States 
•  How Schadenfreude, A Love Story explores German culture, Kafka, and belonging 

How Does German Hospitality Differ From American Friendliness?

German hospitality can be far warmer than German small talk suggests. Rebecca Schuman jokes that you might barely know a German beyond one heated argument about politics or soccer, yet mention visiting their town and they may insist you stay for two weeks. Years in Germany changed Schuman too: after returning to the United States, she kept the instinct to offer visitors a place to stay. For expats in Germany, reserve doesn’t necessarily mean rejection.

How Does Expat Life in Germany Change Everyday Habits and Culture Shock?

Living in Germany can permanently change what an expat considers normal, especially around transportation. Rebecca Schuman first studied German in Münster, later lived in Berlin for roughly eight or nine months, and eventually spent a year in Vienna as a Fulbright scholar. One habit stuck: if somewhere is less than about 10 kilometers away, Schuman would rather bike than get into a car “for no reason.” Returning home can create its own culture shock when old habits no longer make sense.

Why Do Expats Leave Germany Even When They Prefer Life Abroad?

Some expats leave Germany because family and career realities outweigh preference. Rebecca Schuman believed being a non-native German speaker made teaching German literature at a German university an unlikely career path. Family mattered even more: Schuman wanted her daughter near her grandparents, and after her father died, staying close to her mother in Oregon became important. Germany and Austria still remained part of her future.

How Does Family Life in Germany and Austria Differ From the United States?

Family life in Austria felt more integrated into public life for Rebecca Schuman. While living in Vienna with her husband and young daughter, she remembers what felt like a playground on every block, free activities for children, and public spaces where bringing a child seemed normal. The experience made Schuman question the gap between how strongly American culture celebrates children and how difficult daily life can be for parents.

How Does Schadenfreude, A Love Story Explore German Culture, Kafka, and Belonging?

Schadenfreude, A Love Story connects Rebecca Schuman’s fascination with German culture and her difficult relationship with academia through Franz Kafka. Schuman describes her relationship with Kafka as moving from schoolgirl infatuation to codependent misery and finally to peace. Kafka wrote in German without being German, echoing Schuman’s own connection to German language and culture while remaining partly outside it. Academia created a similar tension, giving the memoir’s two stories a shared theme of belonging.

READ HER BOOK: REBECCA SCHUMAN

Schadenfreude, A Love Story 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Schadenfreude, A Love Story | Rebecca Schuman | German culture | expat life in Germany | Berlin | Münster | Vienna | Austria | German hospitality | German language | Franz Kafka | academia | Fulbright | culture shock | parenting abroad

 🌍 Tools & resources for living, traveling, and working abroad: https://geopatsabroad.substack.com/p/living-abroad-resources

🛍️ Geopats Abroad Stationary Store: https://geopatsabroad-shop.fourthwall.com/en-eur?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=geopats_shop&utm_content=episode_description

🛠️ Podcast & creator tools I use: https://podcaststeph.substack.com/p/podcast-tools-i-use

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geopatsabroad/

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfWdoMjmqpcbULZw-hVgew