THD美籍华人英语访谈秀

Today we talk to friends of the show Jackie Wang and Andrew Trapp.  We discuss Andrew's decision to leave China after over a decade and Jackie's renewed perspective after leaving to live abroad and now returning to Shanghai on a visit.  We talk about the factors behind Andrew deciding to move back to America and reflect on his time living in China; what he learned  enjoyed, will miss, and won't miss.  We also talk about the small day-to-day experiences and also bigger things like personal growth and worldview.  We share what brought us to China in the first place and how we've changed by being here.  We also talk about preparing for reverse culture shock when going back to the US after living abroad for so long.  We talk about the idea of rebuilding your life with a fresh start by moving to another country.  We joke about more practical matters like getting a car and figuring out tipping etiquette.  Aric and Jackie give emotional goodbyes to their close friend who will be missed.

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Today Justin and Aric reflect on inner demons or "old friends" that cause torment, such as self-doubt, unmet expectations, fear of repeating hurtful patterns, and the feeling of time slipping away.  We discuss acceptance vs being content, guilt vs shame, and mindfulness.  We talk about our awkward friendship and explore what makes a "one-on-one" friend.  We also talk about the limits of human perspective, when false assumptions collide and zooming out across time and space to see the larger context around people, events and conflicts rather than a narrow recent view.

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Today we talk about Baby Metal, a popular Japanese Kawaii-Metal band.  We talk about Asian countries re-appropriating Western culture such as Heavy Metal music and why its controversial to some.  We talk about the concept of "being cool" and the need to fit into a tribe during our youth.  We share our opinions on what "cool" actually means and talk about "artsy fartsy" people versus those truly rebelling against the status quo.  We also compare American players to European players in the NBA.  We speculate on the cultural differences that might account for the perceived difference in problematic behaviors on and off the court.  We get into the idea of American exceptionalism and question if that sort of attitude is really only unique to Americans. We ask if Americans are less humble today than they were in the past and how a rich economy attracts better talent.  We talk about the immigrant work mentality and if foreigners have an advantage over the local residents of a country like the US when it comes to chasing the American dream.   We also talk about growing up rich vs growing up poor and what we would change about the way we were raised.

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Gabor Holch is an intercultural leadership coach, speaker and author.  He has coached public leaders, CEO’s and high-level decision makers in some of the largest multinational companies in over 25 countries.  A former diplomat, he holds degrees in international relations, diplomacy and certifications in several assessment and coaching methodologies.  His latest book "Dragon Suit" is available now.  Today we discuss our human responses towards isolation, change, identity crises and technology.  We talk about its affect on our careers and personal life.  We talk about the power of confronting the very real question of "what is wrong with me?".  We get into the difficulties of adjusting back to normal life after an acute crisis, how it may strip you of self-confidence and how these changes result in a feeling of lost identity.  We talk about life's upward and downward curves, the "suit of armor" executives wear to hide their insecurities and when it might be good to show vulnerability at work and home. We are reminded of the difference between a temporary weakness in our abilities and who we are.  We discuss the perceived threats and benefits of AI, how many people have bosses that are now algorithms, and human facination with fear and technology.  We also get into Gabor's latest book "Dragon Suit" which exposes the complicated human stories of expat life in China over the last several years and the revealing lessons and struggles learned from his clients curated throughout his coaching career. 

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Debora Malito is an author and Assistant Professor.  Her work surrounds questions of sovereignty and inequality in international politics.  Her current research focuses on how information is produced, international interventions and the reordering of states and political orders.  She is the author of "Destabilising Interventions in Somalia".  Today we unpack the intricacies of international interventions and how they often fail with disastrous consequences. Debora argues interveners often create or worsen crises that then justify intervention, debunking the myth of the "benevolent intervention".  We talk about governance, inequality and the moral ambiguities of spreading democracy.  We reflect on the rising geopolitical tensions of our time, and with an optimistic lens, Debora hints at a world where growing multipolarity could champion genuine global accountability.  This episode was recorded right before the recent Israeli-Palestinian crisis.

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Today we learn about a series of misunderstandings that led to Aric's angry disappearance from the show last week.  This gets us talking about how petty misinterpretations can often lead to larger problems. We learn about concepts like fundamental attribution bias, actor/observer bias and how we act and react emotionally without always having all the information.  We talk about how we fill in the gaps with either positive or negative information, why we behave irrationally, and if the human condition has really changed since our beginnings.  We discuss the Netflix show "Beef" and how relatable the characters are.  We also talk about our issues with previous Asian-American casted shows and films and Asian/Minority representation in Hollywood.

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Today we have no idea where Aric is.  His disappearance gets us talking about what else we don't know.  As we explore the mysteries of the unknown, we talk UFO's, share personal ghost stories and things we've experienced that can't be explained.  We talk about sleep paralysis, deja vu and other dimensions beyond our own.  We dig into human intelligence and the human experience.  Whats the actual reality of how much we know versus don't know?

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Franklin Yao is the founder of Zrou, the plant-based meat alternative.  He leads a team of scientists, chefs and branding leaders to create tasty food solutions such as plant-based protein alternatives to pork, beef and chicken. Through healthy, sustainable processes his company’s mission is to represent China on the global food stage, with affordable, accessible and attractive food options while doing “More Good”.Today we eat his Zrou chicken nuggets while we talk about how he compares Zrou to meat, what people actually want when it comes to food, KFC, the plant-based meat hype and its bad first impression in China.We get into Buddhism, mass consumerism, animal welfare, food security and ghost kitchens.We discuss why Franklin rejects plant-based advocacy and thinks trying to lecture and convert people is a bad idea. We also talk about his shocking experiences with race relations while studying in the US, teaching his kids about China and America and living a meaningful life.

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Steve Shi is a psychotherapist, podcaster, personal growth and mental health educator and writer.  He is a Top 50 most influential psychology professional in China and is host of “史蒂夫说” podcast, winner of 2019 Apple Best Podcast in Chinese.He was also the official Chinese translator of Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules For Life”.  Today we dive into the psychology of relationships, our relationships with family, romantic partners and our relationship with culture, society, places and technology.We talk about emotional neglect, self neglect, confronting the emotional trauma within our parents and confronting repressive cultural values.We talk about “12 Rules For Life”, Jordan Peterson, social media and mental health.This one turned out to be a beautiful and chaotic commentary on modern life, hopefully we walked away with a few new rules to live by.

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Jonathan Rechtman is a communication coach and one of the worlds top Chinese-English simultaneous interpreters.  He has served as interpreter for multiple Presidents, Prime Ministers, Fortune 500 CEOs, celebrities and Nobel Prize winners.He has also coached some of the most influential business leaders helping them with high-stakes communication skills.He is a co-founder of Next Level Communication and Cadence Translate and is passionate about helping people cross more than just linguistic barriers, but to create connection, trust and find meaning in our pursuits.Today he shares stories about his career as an interpreter, we analyze how we’re interpreting the world around us, the idea of transmission loss and the quality of which we are interpreting our lived experience.We talk about being present, being aware and intentional with our life and the balance between being prepared and reactive.We talk about the widening gaps in our understanding of each other and the cycles of peace and war.We talk about high-stakes investor pitch meetings, remembering to be human and how AI may force all of us to find answers about ourselves sooner than we’d like.We also talk about interpreting what truly matters in your life and making meaning out of all the noise.

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