Did you blog your way through your first experiences in a new place? Our guest in episode 6 and this episode, Shannon Martin does this. She is an American who has lived in Shanghai, China for 6 years. In this two part interview she shares her first impressions of China via a blog post she wrote in 2012 with her current life in Shanghai. Shannon brings up many nuanced aspects of daily life in Shanghai that often get overlooked like personal space differences, cartoon patterned bed sheets, books, quiet places and more.

Shannon's Two Who Travel Blog: http://www.twowhotravel.com/

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/reflections/8-shanghai-china-then-and-now-reflections-with-shannon-martin-of-two-who-travel-blog-part-2-of-2

In this episode we chat with Angie, Creator of the T(h)ree of Books YouTube channel. Angie is from Germany and had a few languages under her belt before moving to Shanghai, China and studying Mandarin Chinese. ​​Angie decided to take the time to study Mandarin Chinese in a classroom setting the first few months she was in the city and that is what our conversation revolves around. I have been curious about Chinese language classes in China so her description really kept my attention. She also shares tips, comparisons to her previous languages and her potential future in Mandarin Chinese as well. 

Episode notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatslanguage/7-german-chinese-languages-in-shanghai-with-bookish-youtuber-angie-dumas

Did you blog your way through your first experiences in a new place? Our guest in this and and episode 8, Shannon Martin does this. She is an American who has lived in Shanghai, China for 6 years. In this two part interview she shares her first impressions of China via a blog post she wrote in 2012 with her current life in Shanghai. Shannon brings up many nuanced aspects of daily life in Shanghai that often get overlooked like documentation satisfaction with chops & audiovisual changes in the city landscape via laundry, honking and scooters. Inevitably we also cover expat topics like the accumulation of stuff, how quickly the unusual becomes the norm and winning at bargaining.  

Shannon's Two Who Travel Blog: http://www.twowhotravel.com/

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/reflections/6-shanghai-china-then-and-now-flashback-with-shannon-martin-of-two-who-travel-blog-part-1-of-2

This is the conversation that started the Changing Scripts Podcast. Phil and I initially did this interview for the Changing Scripts YouTube channel but it felt like too long of an experience for a video. It felt like a podcast. So here we are. Phil's journey learning Mandarin Chinese is nothing less than impressive. But he is humble and shares not only his experiences but very practical tips and resources that he has found along the way.

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatslanguage/4-language-reading-science-fiction-in-mandarin-chinese-with-british-expat-in-china-phil

This is the conversation that started the Changing Scripts Podcast. Phil and I initially did this interview for the Changing Scripts YouTube channel but it felt like too long of an experience for a video. It felt like a podcast. So here we are. Phil's journey learning Mandarin Chinese is nothing less than impressive. But he is humble and shares not only his experiences but very practical tips and resources that he has found along the way.

Full show notes: https://www.stephfuccio.com/geopatslanguage/4-language-reading-science-fiction-in-mandarin-chinese-with-british-expat-in-china-phil

This week we expat chat with Xing Zhao, a Chinese Writer, Translator and former expat in Edinburgh, Scotland. Xing shares with us a blog post, Kapa Zhou, that he wrote during his first year studying in Scotland. He goes on to reflect on how his memories of that time period and how they are not fully represented in the blog entry. Xing also shared a post he wrote on the Chinese language version of this blog as advice to other international students. As someone who has taught international students both in Asia and in my passport country of the U.S, this was interesting insight to get first hand indeed.  

Show Notes available here: http://www.stephfuccio.com/1/post/2018/05/2-chinese-expat-in-edinburgh-scotland-xing-kapa-zhou.html

Have your expectations about a place ever gotten you into trouble? American expat Evan was kind enough to be our first guest on the Expat Rewind show back in 2017. He shared a group email that he wrote to his family and friends back home with us.

Show notes available here: 

https://www.stephfuccio.com/reflections/1-teaching-english-in-korea-in-2003-evan-simpson

Have your expectations about a place ever gotten you into trouble? American expat Evan was kind enough to be our first guest on the Expat Rewind show back in 2017. He shared a group email that he wrote to his family and friends back home with us.

Show notes available here: 

https://www.stephfuccio.com/reflections/1-teaching-english-in-korea-in-2003-evan-simpson

Racism is touched on in this episode via The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah’s geopat lens AND English teachers in Taiwan experience circa 2004. We also cover slow fast food, inspiringly fluent Chinese language speakers, Chinese New Years boyfriends for hire and more expat and geopat goodness for everyone.

----more----

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

 1:02   Announcements: podcast email list AND Shanghai moving over

Podcast Brunch Club

10:18 Language segment (NEW)

Lena’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSQkHuHoI0

29:03 Taiwan blog reading, "Me in Taiwan", June 9, 2004

&

38:30 Current day Shanghai, China geopat reaction to blog reading

Needing different before deciding if I liked the present location

48:09 China segment: an ode to Chinese New Year / Spring Festival

https://chinesenewyear2018.com/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-chinese-ne

w-year/

Al Jazeera fake boyfriend video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqRt5boELkQ

1:20:45  OVER THEREness SEGMENT: Trevor Noah; A Geopat in his own land?

The Daily Show

Born a Crime book

Grey’s Anatomy “the talk” segment

Stand up shows:

In the U.S. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3XCxV_pSBA&t=796s

In South Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFJHRUgPUeE

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

We are addressing leaving on a few levels in this episode starting with friend leaving fatigue in the expat/geopat community. The Chinese telecom giant Huawei and its ability to leave the Chinese market and enter the U.S. one is debated. And finally we visit many ancient Japanese tombs via the soon to be expat/geopat Jay’s Japan Kofun YouTube channel.

1:28   Announcements: Welcome Spotify and Stitcher folks!

5:50 My Shanghai Geopat Update

Media Bistro’s Podcasting Class

Overcast FM

23andme Genetic Testing

Rhonda Patrick’s Found My Fitness 23andme interpretation service

18:13 Taiwan blog reading, "Me in Taiwan", June 8, 2004

&

25:48 Current day Shanghai, China geopat reaction to blog reading

Giving up, friend leaving fatigue, advice on teaching English overseas

48:09 China segment

Slate Money Podcast, The Down the IGWEL Edition

Huawei Company website

Song by  刘佳   Liu Jia ; from JoannieChinese Instagram feed

Cute version of video (described in podcast)

Lyrics with Chinese language (hanzi characters only)

Lyrics with pinyin (romanization of Chinese language & English translation)

1:07:00 OVER THEREness SEGMENT: Jay’s  “Japan Kofun” YouTube channel

Jay’s music reviews:

Example 1: uMaNg :: The Revisited :: Bandcamp

Example 2: effect & dang :: You Don't Love Me And I Don't Care :: Los Wunder Twins Del Record Label/Bandcamp

VIDEO 1A:  

Atagojinjaura Kofun - 愛宕神社裏古墳 - Japanese Ancient Tomb

 Video 1B:Music + history connection:

Fun music here;1st part of video music is fun- is this Japanese or Italian?

Kinkanzuka Kofun - 金冠塚古墳 - Japanese Ancient Tomb

VIDEO 2: Subtitles to this one are funny/humorous:

(Sōja) Futagoyama kofun - （総社）二子山古墳 - Japanese Ancient Tomb

VIDEO 3: Small spaces

(Sōja) Futagoyama kofun - （総社）二子山古墳 - Japanese Ancient Tomb

 Video 4: About 3 minutes in....just wow!

Hodota Hachimanzuka Kofun - 保渡田八幡塚古墳 - Japanese Ancient Tomb

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