In this podcast episode we chat with Kelly Merks, a Texas expat who has lived abroad since 2011, in Japan and in the Netherlands. Her Twitter bio tells is: “A Texan full of fernweh (NOTE: “fernweh is a German word that means “ A Farsickness or Longing for Unseen Places.). Noob knitter and clay thrower. Fairy godmother of @WeAreXpats, a project of @xpatarchive: http://wearexpats.org “

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@WeAreXpats is how Kelly and I first met online and connected over discussions of place, social medianess and expat life. For those of you not familiar with rocur accounts, they are rotating accounts where usually 1 person in that category (in this case, an expat) tweets for a week and then the account will rotate to another person after that. Kelly started this rocur account while she was a volunteer at the Expatriate Archive Center in The Hauge where she now is their Public Relations Manager. Outside of the EAC, Kelly also is raising a tiny human with her husband and somehow finds time to write about her geographic pondering in her blog, Bullet Trains & Bike Lanes.

If you like this episode, feel free to buy me a coffee here: 

 Kelly’s Info:

https://xpatarchive.com/

http://wearexpats.org/

Kelly’s culture comparison blog: Bullet Trains and Bike Lanes

https://btabl.wordpress.com/about-the-author/

Show Notes:

-China Influencer Podcast : http://www.chinainfluencermarketing.com/

-U.S. centric websites that Kelly stopped using overseas: Hulu, Netflix

-Line: Japanese messaging app, which is also very popular in Thailand (Kelly says they have the best stickers but I, as a WeChat user in China, am very skeptical!)

-International Podcast Day WhatsAppinar presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUSZqdH5DDE

-Janeane Garofalo: “living every day like it’s my last is exhausting…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u03J-CelRaU

-Pico Iyer TEDTalk, “Where is Home?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m6dV7Xo3Vc

-Being Tokyo rocur account: https://twitter.com/beingtokyo?lang=en

-Yi-Fu Tuan, Geography Scholar who focuses on placelessness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi-Fu_Tuan

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

Where to find Virtual Expat Podcast: Virtual Expats Podcast website, Apple Podcasts page, subscribe on : iOS , Android devices, RSS, and our email list: for weekly podcasting updates

Music courtesy of Damon Castillo, https://www.damoncastillo.com/ , song "I Hope You Figured It Out" on the "Mess of Me" album

Check out all of our podcasts: https://stephfuccio.weebly.com/

This episode was created with:

My microphone, Samson Q2U

Remote video software, Zoom

Auphonic, leveling software

Podbean hosting site: Get 1 month free, https://www.podbean.com/virtualexpats

In this Changing Scripts podcast episode we chat with Lotta, a Finnish college student who lived in Shanghai, China between High School and University. During part of that time she took intensive Chinese language courses. Lotta has continued with her Chinese language learning even after returning to Finland by using TV shows and other media until she can take more language classes at her university.

Full episode notes:

https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopats-podcast/46-cultural-flexibility-in-mandarin-chinese-finnish-with-lotta

In this podcast episode we chat with China-United States Binational Documentarian Hao Wu about how his movement between these two countries has affected what he has done online, both in personal and professional capacities. Hao grew up in China and has had healthy movement from China to the U.S. and back in his adult life. Although he is currently based in New York City, he admits that he is most interested in stories about China.

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One of these China focused projects, People’s Republic of Desire, is about the Chinese live streaming platform YY and specifically about two popular Hosts on the platform. This documentary was screened in Shanghai, where I am currently living, earlier this year. Shannon Martin of Podbean and our local Host of the Podcast Brunch Club was there as well. In fact, during the screening and for days after the event, Shannon and I exchanged ideas, questions and ponderings about the documentary. We are very grateful that Hao was kind enough to agree to an interview so we could ask him about when the Internet became an integral part of his daily life, how creating a documentary about the trials and tribulations of live streaming for years affected his own online activities and the how his online tasks change, even now, when he flies from the U.S. to China and vice versa.    

Special Note: Hao’s new project, All In My Family, about his alternative family journey from within a traditional Chinese family structure, will be out on Netflix on May 3rd.

If you like this episode, feel free to 

GUEST Hao Wu:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/beijingloafer

Overview of Hao’s work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hao_Wu_(director)

CO-HOST Shannon Martin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmartinwrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/twowhotravel?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannonmartinsamie

SHOW NOTES:

“All in My Family” trailer and info

https://www.netflix.com/hk-en/title/80208662

http://bit.ly/2vrutgL

 Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club:

https://www.shanghaifcc.org/

Computer screen color history, https://www.pcworld.com/article/209224/historic-monitors-slideshow.html#slide15

KOL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_opinion_leader

 WHO gaming disorder, https://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/

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

Where to find Virtual Expat Podcast: Virtual Expats Podcast website You can subscribe on : iOS , Android devices, RSS, and our email list: for weekly podcasting updates

Music courtesy of Damon Castillo, https://www.damoncastillo.com/ , song "I Hope You Figured It Out" on the "Mess of Me" album

Check out all of our projects here: https://stephfuccio.weebly.com/

 This episode was created with:

My microphone, Samson Q2U

Remote video software, Zoom

Auphonic, leveling software

Podbean hosting site: Get 1 month free, https://www.podbean.com/virtualexpats

In the podcast episode we chat with Evo Terra . Some of you might remember him from season 2 of the Bangkok Podcast with Co-Host Greg Jorgensen, However, Evo’s podcast history goes back much farther than this. In fact, one of his podcasts was the 40th podcast of all time (there are rumored to be about 700,000ish podcasts listed in Apple Podcasts right now) and he wrote the first Podcasting for Dummies books. We recorded this interview about the time of his one year reverse culture shock anniversary (exexpatsary?) returning to the U.S. after living in Bangkok, Thailand for a few years. He selected the book, Working With The Thais to talk about.

Full show notes here: 

https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatsbookshow/44-books-podcasting-futurist-evo-terra-on-a-book-cure-for-his-thai-culture-shock

In the Changing Scripts podcast episode, we talk to Taylor, an American Marketing Professional who grew up with a strong language learning curiosity. Mandarin Chinese was one of her first language loves and one that she has kept in contact with. I am using people analogies because Taylor used them in the interview and it is simply a brilliant way to see the time, energy and commitment that it takes not only to learn a language but to maintain it over the years as well.

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatslanguage/43-language-american-polyglot-taylor-thinks-of-languages-as-family-members

In this podcast episode we chat with long term China Expat Andy Curtain about his geographical movement from Melbourne, Australia to Shanghai, China and what effect it had on his online activities/presence. Even though he was online quite early in Australia with IRC and ICQ, he admits that most of his current online activities have been utility based, focusing on his stand up comedy promotions and community building. 

NOTE: This is the pay per listen full episode. To hear the free, short episode click here:

https://geopats.podbean.com/e/geopats-42s-andy-curtain-australian-comedian-and-podcaster-in-shanghai-china/

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As a fellow Content Creator (and Influencer, lol), I find it very interesting that the making of his podcast, Stuck in the Middle, helps him process his own comedic material. There is so much to say about Andy, the deep impression he has made on the stand up comedy scene in China and his own business savvy that has impacted how I think of my own creative endeavors on and offline in the short time since this interview took place. But for now I will just say thank you Andy for coming on the show and sharing your story.   

If you like this episode, feel free to 

Andy’s Info:

-Kung Fu Komedy, http://www.kungfukomedy.com/

-Stuck In The Middle Podcast, http://www.kungfukomedy.com/series/stuck-middle/

-More background on Kung Fu Comedy and its impact on Stand up in Shanghai & China, https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/asia/shanghai-comedy-clubs-stand-up-china-mandarin-asia-kung-fu-komedy-a8489976.html

-Mamahuhu , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmH8FWFRkbfsYj-zXsEvypQ

Show notes:

-IRC, Internet Relay Chat, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat

-ICQ, https://www.techspot.com/article/1771-icq/

-WeChat , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeChat

-M2M, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_to_machine Versus Internet of things

-aughts (2000’s) , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aughts

-DR Bar (Shanghai): http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/3244/DR_Bar_shanghai

-Alessio Avezzano, MamaHuhu, http://www.alessioavezzano.com/mamahuhu

-Poly morph self , http://www.polymorphself.com/

-Donny Does YouTube , https://www.youtube.com/user/DonnieDoesIt/featured

-Barstool Sports, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5PrkGgI_cIaSStOyRmLAKA

-Rent a boyfriend Mamahuhu video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hdA-Wd-b9M

-Andy’s podcast episode with Dean Edwards, https://soundcloud.com/futhamuckinprotocol/the-futhamuckin-andy-curtainkung-fu-komedy-episode-road-warrior-sessions-vol-23

-Nigerian drug dealer episode: http://www.kungfukomedy.com/podcasts/ep-18-sam-high-times/

-Blackstone Magic  Bar, Shanghai, China, https://www.blackstonemagicbar.com/

-Joe Shaffer, http://joe-shaffer.com

-Melbourne International Comedy Festival, https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019

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

Geopats Podcast: 

Would love to hear from you! Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn  & you can even leave a voice message on Speakpipe. Where to find the Geopats Podcast website, Apple Podcasts page, subscribe on : iOS , Android devices, RSS. Check out all of our projects: https://stephfuccio.com/

Music courtesy of Damon Castillo,https://www.damoncastillo.com , from the "Mess of Me" album.

 This episode was created with:

Both microphones, Samson Q2U

Remote video software, Zoom

Auphonic, leveling software

Podbean hosting site: Get 1 month free, https://www.podbean.com/virtualexpats

Focusrite 2i2, a 2 microphone mixer, https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T56EA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1441D7KSR3FED&keywords=focusrite+scarlett+2i2&qid=1554702930&s=gateway&sprefix=focusrite%2Caps%2C924&sr=8-3

In the Podcast episode, we talked to Tanya Crossman, author of Misunderstood The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century  about her experiences learning and using Mandarin Chinese since she was a teenager. Tanya has a deep connection both to Chinese culture and language but her language story does not stop there.

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatslanguage/41-language-adult-third-culture-kid-tanya-crossman-author-of-misunderstood-learned-mandarin-chinese-on-3-continents

In this podcast episode we chat with Eva Yoo, a Korean Tech Journalist who has lived in the U.S., the UK, Ecuador, Israel and China. Last year she completed an 8 month cycling trip from Shanghai, China to the UK, along the ancient Silk Road.

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During this trip she did many interviews with people working in startups. But Eva is so much more than the sum of these actions: she is a kind, thoughtful and curious person who makes the balancing of IRL and VRL (offline and online lives) look easy and I greatly admire her for that.  

If you like this episode, feel free to 

 Eva’s info:

Eva’s bike trip site, https://www.seekroad.co/

https://twitter.com/evayooare?lang=en

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-chaewon-yoo-b645aa6b/

Her blog (in Korean): https://evaisup.blogspot.com/

Show notes:

-Podcast Brunch Club, thanks Adela for creating it AND to our local host in Shanghai,  Shannon. This is where Eva and I met.

-TVXQ (music group Eva talked about),  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVXQ

-Cyworld, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyworld

-Naver, like Baidu in China and Google internationally, https://searchengineland.com/naver-the-google-of-south-korea-11627

-Kakao Talk, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KakaoTalk

-Meaningful Discussion Meetup Group (Shanghai, China), https://www.meetup.com/meaningfuldiscussions-shanghai/

-The Story of Stuff , the consumerism video Eva talked about

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

Where to find Virtual Expat Podcast: Virtual Expats Podcast website You can subscribe on : iOS , Android devices, RSS, and our email list: for weekly podcasting updates

Music courtesy of Damon Castillo, https://www.damoncastillo.com/ , song "I Hope You Figured It Out" on the "Mess of Me" album

Check out all of our projects here: https://stephfuccio.weebly.com/

 This interview was created with:

Steph’s mic, Samson Q2U

Remote video software, Zoom

Auphonic, leveling software

Podbean hosting site: Get 1 month free, https://www.podbean.com/virtualexpats

In this episode we chat with Expat Mo from the More Sibyl Podcast. She describes this show as “a podcast about culture and cultural nomads designed for Blacks and Asians and those who love them.” Mo is a Nigerian-born, US-educated, Korean-speaking, Struggling Intellectual.

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/reflections/39-reflections-nigerian-expat-in-the-us-motolani-ogunsanya-of-the-more-sibyl-podcast-on-her-1st-year-in-her-new-country

In this episode we continue our conversation from episode 8 with Eric Olander about his 33 year Mandarin Chinese language learning experience. Eric is a Journalist, Blogger, Media Executive, and Co-Founder and Managing Editor of the China Africa Project which includes the China in Africa Podcast, which he co-hosts weekly with Cobus Van Staden. Last time we chatted with Eric in episode 8 he shared his controversial learning methods but this time we dig into more of the cultural side of the Mandarin Chinese. We learn about how learning about how the time indicator 了 (le) can be thought of as a time bridge, how he knew he achieved a certain level of language learning competency when he got yelled at in Chinese and so much more.

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatslanguage/38-language-american-expat-in-asia-eric-olander-of-the-china-in-africa-podcast-on-mandarin-chinese-learning-as-a-lifelong-relationship-part-2