This week, your host Kuan-wen would like to introduce the burgeoning comedy scenes in his native Taiwan - both in English and in Mandarin - as an example of how Asia is catching the stand up comedy fever (and catching up!). Since he has not lived in Taiwan for over a decade, the introduction is recorded through the eyes of an Englishman who has spent the last few years first in Shanghai and then in Taipei.

Outside comedy, Adam is a journalist who moved to Asia for work and perhaps for a bit of change of scenery. Then Covid happened and the lucky Adam enjoyed a relatively free year of 2020 in Taiwan. He was heavily involved in the English-speaking "expat scenes" in Taiwan, witnessing the growth of the parallel local scene and even started performing in Mandarin himself.

There are long queues for people who want to sign up to perform. Someone's first open mic gig may be in front of an audience of 180. But, occasionally, you perform to audience who are actually not that fluent in English and are introduced as, "here comes a white dude who performs stand up comedy."

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01:02 Intro

04:08 Kuan-wen and Adam swapped their homelands

07:05 Adam’s (West) Yorkshire accent

09:22 Adam’s Taiwanese sounding Mandarin accent

12:21 How Taiwanese and Chinese speak differently

13:54 Taiwan’s Mandarin and English Open Mic scenes

17:45 Avoiding references not relevant to audience in Asia

20:36 Why did Adam move to Shanghai first and Taiwan later

24:00 Adam spent 2020 Covid free in Taiwan

27:59 Comedy based on East Asian stereotypes

35:05 English comedy shows in Asia and “Expat scenes”

39:08 Adam’s social media

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe