Mosaic of China 英语脱口秀

This is a re-release of Season 01 Episode 28: The Pain Whisperer (Lissanthea Taylor, Pain Management Practitioner).

This is a re-release of Season 01 Episode 14: The Aquarium Queen (Emily Madge, Asia Head of Conservation, Sea Life).

This is a re-release of Season 02 Episode 17: The Swedish Clown (Björn DAHLMAN, Clowns Without Borders). 

This is the full version, including content that was previously only available on the PREMIUM version of Mosaic of China.

Around the same time as launching Mosaic of China, I also embarked on a period of study at Shanghai Jiaotong University, starting with a course in Mandarin language followed by a Masters in Modern Chinese Studies. In today's special bonus episode, I discuss a little of what I learnt with Jason Smith and Beibei from CGTN's 'The Bridge' podcast. In our chat recorded earlier this year, we talk about Chinese philosophy, as well as some of the similarities and differences between life in China versus Singapore.

A big thanks to Jason and the team at The Bridge for giving me permission to share this edited version on the feed for Mosaic of China. 

In three seasons of the Mosaic of China podcast, we've already covered a large chunk of the A-Z of life in China. In today's episode, we're fast-forwarding to the end, not just because Zhou Yan's name starts with a 'Z', but because we're talking about the subject of death. 

In her work as a volunteer in hospices and 'Death Cafés' in Shanghai, Zhou Yan is doing more than just dispelling the superstition and stigma that surrounds the subject of death in China. She also demonstrates how to live life with more intention, and with more reverence to those around us.

To many, the image of an airline pilot conjures up thoughts of confident commanders in crisp tailored uniforms, living a life of excitement, romance and adventure. But what about the life of an airline captain in China?

In today's episode with Michael Hundegger, we have a good-humoured conversation about the culture of commercial aviation in China. Yes, there's still the romance and the adventure. Of course there's also the procedures, the strict hierarchy, and the grunt-work. But more than that, there's a fascinating window into the nature of authority, discipline and education in China.

There's a field of academic study that sits at the intersection of geology and fashion, and that's gemology: the study of gemstones. Identifying, categorising and grading gemstones is a specific skillset, but valuation can be more subjective, particularly when it comes to regional variances such as with the inordinate popularity of jade in China.

Christina Chao is a gemologist and jewellery designer in Shanghai, who is passionate about translating the science of gems into the art of jewels. And as she describes in today's episode, that's a skill she often puts into practice when advising nervous men looking for engagement rings for their girlfriends. Or indeed nervous podcasters who don't know the first thing about gemstones. 

In the 1840s, French missionaries attempted to enter Tibet, and kept getting pushed back to an area at the Northwestern tip of modern-day 云南 [Yúnnán] Province. Today, this region preserves an astonishing and unique mix of Tibetan, Chinese, French and Catholic traditions.

As part of that legacy, there are now villages that have perpetuated the art of winemaking first bequeathed to them over almost two centuries ago. And in today's episode, Bertrand Cristau explains how he first discovered this region, and how he ended up working together with the villagers to make prize-wining Himalayan wine.

Things are finally looking up for international sportswear brands in China in 2023. For the previous few years, almost all brands were suffering due to instability of the market during COVID and the rise in popularity of Chinese domestic competitors. 

With this as the backdrop to our conversation - recorded last year - a big thanks goes to today's guest Kim YoungAh for offsetting these heavier topics with a very lighthearted and cheerful conversation about her career in merchandising at Nike, adidas, Fila, Gap and Crocs.

In 1996, China acquired a decommissioned Soviet aircraft carrier, with the express intention of using it as the centrepiece of a theme park in the city of 天津 [Tiānjīn]. Today, the 濱海 [Bīnhǎi] Aircraft Carrier Theme Park is still operative, and the enormous ship stands as the backdrop of a pirate stunt show. 

Today’s episode is with Frank Abel, who has been coordinating these stunts since 2012, as well as building and maintaining the modified stunt vehicles on display. A veteran stunt man, Frank has a lifetime of tall tales from the worlds of movies and theme parks, both in the U.S. and China. So it was a unique pleasure to include just a few of these in today’s episode.