The Bridge

John opens the show with a story he read about Voyager 1 that was launched the same year he graduated from high school, and how it's still sending back information, 44 years later-including a loud humming noise that has yet to be identified. Liu Yan mentions Bill Nye "The Science Guy" and how important it is to listen to experts with a true scientific background when it comes to bigger questions of life. Finally, they talk about who gets to determine the true value of things, and how often we think ourselves into a corner because we over value so much, that we actually diminish the value of just about everything.

After once again addressing the "time warp" that takes place while creating another episode of The Bridge, John and Liu Yan cover a range of subjects, including the "adversarial radio" concept that is more about arguing opinions than finding common ground solutions. Also, there's a robust discussion about tennis legend Rafael Nadal, how fans can get overly fanatical in any sport and the ongoing challenge of information overload in the 21st century.

After admitting he's just downed a serious piece of chocolate cream pie, John shares the story of a woman he read about, who suffered a serious stroke, which revealed a talent for art that she never had before, and this life changing event has brought her worldwide attention. BeiBei recalls the woman who left her abusive husband to travel around China in search of peace, and her true self. They discuss how the chaos of life might just be needed, at times, to find the hidden opportunity buried in what appears to be a liability.

First up is the recognition that the team behind The Bridge is not just diverse, but also busy doing other things, all of which gets moved aside when it's time to create the show. BeiBei shares her thoughts about how much has changed over the years, when it comes to finding work in the world, and John chimes in from the educational perspective, in terms of working from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the heap-so to speak. Shifting gears BeiBei speaks to the differences when it comes to parenting, and how the ripple effect (for better or for worse) is always in play, when it comes long-term life experiences. John talks about the influences in his early life, that laid out his path for the rest of his life.

After a few minutes on the joys of being outside, spending time a farm and keeping a veggie garden, BeiBei introduces a story about a Chinese grandmother, who began traveling around China. After enduring decades of abuse from her husband she decided to leave it all behind and strike out on her own, and became a hero of sorts, to many women who find themselves in a similar situation. The conversation hits closer to home as John & BeiBei discuss the challenges of being a marriage, and how so often we have to confront our unfinished business in relationships.

After a short hiatus, Super Producer of Cimcie is back in her regular slot. The conversation launches with an in-depth conversation about fruits and veggies, that somehow morphs into a mini-music class for BeiBei, with John dropping the needle on a couple of songs from the 60s, to bring a little perspective to the concept that music truly makes the world go around. It's a retrospective back to a time when people would attend "listening parties" when their favorite performers would release a new album, and vinyl records ruled the day. Finally, BeiBei is wondering about the "disco age" and that leads to some thoughts on the time when Saturday Night Fever was an anthem for the dance crowd.

It's the weekly songfest that has Heyang bringing some of her favorites to the show, including Hedgehog Band, Train and the long version of "Stairway to Heaven" from Led Zeppelin. John drops the needle on one of the 2021 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-The Go-Go's, as well as Glen Miller and KT Tunstall, who will be guest on a future episode of Music Monday. The Bridge- bringing the world together, one song at a time.

It's one of the rare days that John & Liu Yan are actually connecting on the same date-even though they are thirteen hours apart. The early conversation is about their ongoing efforts to use their respective radio backgrounds to continue to "bring the world together, one conversation at a time." John shifts gears as he is more than a little fascinated by how much attention that the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce is getting in China, so Liu Yan attempts to explain the attention from a human behavior perspective. Finally, John shares his excitement on singer/songwriter KT Tunstall joining The Bridge as an upcoming guest for Music Monday, and drops the needle on a couple of her hits.

John is on an early rant about the amount of information and news-we-can't-use, which includes a mention of how there is a serious uptick of women in China who are taking lessons to become... a mermaid. As it turns out, Cimcie has taken lessons on the mermaid thing! From there the show keeps flowing forward, John shares a memory of "heading to the mountains" back in 1983, and Cimcie adds that she recently took a hiatus to recharge her batteries, and finally John's admission of how a song snuck up on him and had him more than emotionally drained, to which Liu Yan adds his perspective on how emotions can linger for years after a loss.

The media platforms have changed dramatically since John broke into radio back in 1997, and BeiBei wonders if the "new media" is a stable broadcasting model. The conversation turns to the concept that being one's own boss is a double-edged sword, and while it's a good thing to call the shots, it also takes a major amount of commitment to pull it off. However, BeiBei insists that it was her experiences on Wall Street, that confirmed that being the boss is a far better route than sitting in a cubicle suffering from the pressures of the corporate structure.