Geopats Abroad : Chats with expats, immigrants, and locals

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Living abroad can make WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media essential for staying connected to family, culture, work, and identity across countries. After 12 years in China, Venezuelan designer and Creativity Roots host Ronald Paredes explains how Chinese internet restrictions, expat life, online creativity, and social media changed the way he communicated, created, and stayed connected across borders.

Ronald's website:

https://mundosantoart.wordpress.com/

Original publication date: September 4, 2018

What You’ll Learn About Expat Social Media, China, and Online Creativity

• How expats use WhatsApp and Facebook to stay connected across countries
• How living in China changes access to social media
• Why Chinese social media can be difficult for foreigners
• How Instagram and YouTube changed online creativity
• Why creativity isn't limited to artists
• How failure affects creative confidence
• Why creativity doesn't require completely original ideas
• How to use social media without letting it control you

How Expats Use WhatsApp and Facebook to Stay Connected Across Countries

Paredes’s sister lived in Mexico, his brother in Peru, his mother in Caracas, and he was in Nanjing. Their WhatsApp family group, marked by four country flags, helped keep the Venezuelan family connected across continents.

That connection became especially important when Paredes learned about his father’s death through Facebook and immediately turned to WhatsApp to reach family.

How Living in China Changes Social Media Access for Foreigners

Paredes met the woman who became his first wife through High Five around 2005, and their relationship continued through Skype before bringing him to China. He lived in Nanjing for 12 years while continuing his work as a graphic designer and artist.

He remembers using Facebook in China around the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As international platforms later became harder to access, VPNs and internet restrictions became part of staying connected outside China.

How Instagram and YouTube Changed Online Creativity

Working on a social venture taught Paredes that Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram served different audiences and needed different strategies. As a visual artist, Twitter eventually stopped fitting his work, while Instagram did.

He sees Instagram as doing for photography what YouTube did for video: opening creative publishing to far more people.

Why Creativity Isn’t Limited to Artists

Paredes rejects the idea that only artists, musicians, writers, and designers are creative. An accountant can be creative, and so can someone cleaning a street.

His distinction is simple: everyone is creative, while creators are people who produce creative work as part of what they do.

How Fear of Failure Can Reduce Creativity

Paredes believes education can train people to distrust creativity by rewarding correct answers and punishing mistakes. He uses his son learning to walk as a reminder that falling wasn't proof he couldn't walk. It was part of learning.

He also rejects the pressure to create something completely original. People build from existing ideas, experiences, culture, and other people's work.

Why Chinese Social Media Is Difficult for Foreigners

Paredes used WeChat but found Chinese social media difficult for reasons beyond language. Memes, jokes, trends, cultural references, and website design reflected local habits that foreigners could miss even when they understood the words.

For him, the challenge wasn't simply translation. It was culture.

How to Use Social Media Without Letting It Control You

Paredes jokes that he “lost my virginity to social media in China” because his online life and expat life developed together. The internet helped him meet his future wife, stay connected to Venezuela, reach family across continents, promote creative work, and build a podcast in English.

His final warning is simple: “Don’t get used by it. You use it.” Social media can connect people and open creative opportunities, but only when the technology remains the tool.

 🌍 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

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We started this podcast with Jo, a British expat who was living in Shanghai, China. Her wisdom, insight, humour and down to earth advice to other expats about how their online and geographical selves can, should, may and might influence each other is very inspiring. 

Original publication date: September 2, 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

In this episode I am pleased to welcome Cameron, Host of the Mandarin By Mistake podcast. Cam is an Australian man learning Mandarin Chinese for business purposes. Cam and I had this conversation a few weeks ago and the video is already available on the Changing Scripts YouTube channel: -YouTube version of this interview on the Changing Scripts YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOiOPtkD1vM&t=1193s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOiOPtkD1vM&t=1193s) but I also wanted to add it to the Geopats Podcast Changing Scripts show as well, thus this replay of sorts. I have talked about him and his podcast on Changing Scripts before because his approach to language learning and his podcast are unique. As you may guess from his podcast’s name, he focuses on mistakes that he makes when learning Chinese. He even has a section of the podcast dedicated to the mistake of the week. The emphasis by doing this is by practicing a lot and letting go of the idea of perfection. 

🤸🏽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

🚀 Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, Steph

Many of you have heard of Podcast Brunch Club but may not know much about the Founder and Co-Host of the PBC Podcast, Adela. Adela is from Chicago and is back living there now but there was a time period when she traveled extensively for work. In fact, she even lived overseas for part of this time period. As we do, we chatted with Adela about her online activities before, during and after this time abroad. There are some pretty interesting trends in how she kept in touch with her home country and traveling/expat friends and in how all of these virtual behaviors shaped what she does with the huge Podcast Brunch Club community of 65+ chapters globally. 

🤸🏽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/

🚀 Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, Steph

In this podcast episode, it was such a delight to chat with Drew Pells of On The Counter Podcast. If you’ve listened to the Geopats Podcast before you know the topics I usually talk about: sports is just not one of them. I do like the cultural side of the World Cup but that’s it. The first time I connected with Drew, I thought my lack of interest in his passion project, his sports podcast, might impact the conversation that we would have. But then I listened to the first few minutes of On The Counter and I knew that this would not be a problem at all. Drew is a funny, curious and friendly person who has a serious passion for what he does and can talk to anyone about anything.

🤸🏽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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How sound sensitive are you? Our guest today, Phoebe, grew up with Mandarin Chinese but has learned a myriad of languages including English, Finnish, German & more. But her sound talent goes far beyond languages into sound and voice research in her current PhD life in Ireland. She is currently researching the connection between recorded voices and listeners’ emotional responses to them. This sensitivity and Phoebe’s general curiosity touch every aspect of language that we discuss in this conversation. 

Original publication date: December 27, 2019

 🌍 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

In August we are spelunking through our creative input and output in a two part episode. This episode is where we are stumbling around in a dark creative cave, trying to figure out how to turn our creative flashlights (creative flow), what spotlight is best (quality), and which tunnel to follow (audience feedback). Was that analogy a step too far (pun intended)? Maybe. But it feels like a lot of this creative talking out of things is such a new skill. Personally, I (Steph) have only really talked to myself about most of these things my entire creative life, so there is a lot of finding my creative vocals in terminology and definity (if that isn’t a word, it should be!) We started with the question: How do you know if you are moving forward and what does that even mean? And went wherever our creative pitch forks took us. In the next episode, coming out the 3rd Friday in August, we approach the light at the end of the tunnel (final product). But wait, is it the outside (success) OR is it another creative spelunker also looking for the exit (recognition and the right audience).

Rabbit Holes:

Steph:

-Mobile phone options (font size, notifications, font type)

-Audible options with saving audio clips for “Upheaval” by Jared Diamond

https://www.audible.com/pd/Upheaval-Audiobook/1980024987

Summer:

Pico Iyer’s Twitter account, https://twitter.com/PicoIyer

“Everything important takes place somewhere between the grubbiness of deals and the unreality of ideals” from Pico’s Twitter posts 

(Bookish Expats episode where Summer and I talk about his book “The Global Soul”

https://bookishexpats.podbean.com/e/ep-17-two-podcasting-geopats-discuss-the-global-soul-by-pico-iyer/)

 Links:

-Blinkist, book summary app, https://www.blinkist.com/

Quotes:

“It’s striking me right now that it’s the opposite of photos, when I look at photos from 5 or 10 years ago, I think holy cow, I did not know I looked like that. I actually look a lot better than now. Whereas with the creative process it feels like it’s the opposite, where you don’t know how bad you are but you’re confident in moving forward because you think it’s good but it actually was probably crap.” -Steph

www.stephfuccio.com

Producer, Host, Editor: Stephanie Fuccio: https://www.stephfuccio.com/contact.html

questions for audio creatives newsletter: https://stephfuccio.ghost.io/

Geopats YouTube channel: under construction

This podcast was created with (affiliate links):

• Streamyard for recording, going live, and distributing FULL videos to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube: https://streamyard.com?pal=5673660346007552
• Buzzsprout for podcast hosting: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1907332
• Acon Digital's DeVerberate to reduce echo: https://a.paddle.com/v2/click/11427/147398?link=3691
• Tube Buddy to optimize YouTube: https://www.tubebuddy.com/globalpodcasteditors

In this podcast episode we chat with Actor and YouTuber Danny Salay. He is an Actor that got frustrated by the gatekeepers in the Entertainment Industry in the U.S. so he did what many expats do, he changed countries to increase his range of opportunities. And it worked like a charm. Not only did he get a lot of acting work during his 6 years in China but he started his YouTube channel, Travel Man Dan, as well. In this episode we dive into how his online activities changed when he made this move from the U.S. to China and back. No matter where Danny has been geographically or virtually; his positive attitude, hard work ethic and patience to build his dream one step at a time is inspirational. More on our conversation down below, but first let’s talk money. ​

🤸🏽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

Eric (his English name) grew up partly outside of Shanghai, China and then in Shanghai. He is now a Software Engineer that maneuvers through his Shanghai life in a multitude of languages including Mandarin Chinese, Shanghaiese, English, Japanese and French.

Original publication date: July 10, 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

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we talk to  沃维薇 (Wò wéi wēi), also known as Liz, about her dual Mandarin Chinese-English language experiences. Liz grew up in Shanghai, China with a passion for books and languages, which explains why and how she was reading English Sci-Fi at 14 years old. She is now a Simultaneous Interpreter, which is someone that is translating one language to another during a conversation at regular conversational speed. Yes, wow is the correct response to that.

original publication date: December 18, 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