The Bridge to China

Generational divides may suggest that younger men are taking presentation to a new level. According to CNN and Statista, “the global male grooming market is expected to be worth $115 billion by 2028.” What's driving the new game of grooming?

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James Wood has a background in information technology. Before moving to China's mainland, he lived in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. Now living in Fuzhou, he describes himself as an amateur earth scientist, linguist and photographer. We ask him about what he really thinks of life in China.

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Some are calling the Maui fires the worst natural disaster in US history. With Canadian fires polluting New York city, recent flooding in Northern China and in Slovenia and Georgia, evidence of extreme weather abounds. Are people around the world really waking up to climate change?

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Will using paper straws save our oceans? Does caving to single-use plastics make you feel dispirited? If you spend hours reading the headlines, you might become so paralyzed by climate change that you simply want to give up. New mental health research suggests that Eco-anxiety and doomscrolling are making us too depressed to go green.

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Artists in the US are suing companies responsible for AI. Has AI been stealing from our artists? Can Hollywood writing be replaced by robots? What will happen to our most creative storytellers, painters, and musicians if their ideas can just be sucked up by massive databases and reproduced in part by anyone at will? Even comedians are saying the robots are coming for their jobs…

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The fire, the aftermath and a community in calamity, we invite a resident of Maui, Polina Marian onto the show. She discusses the fire, and how the community has come together. She describes the heroes, the losses, the plight of survivors, and how we can help.

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With the world sweltering under the summer sun, it's time for a more creative take on what it means to stay cool and how. Did the ancient Chinese get it right? The Indians? How severely are air-conditioners being used in China compare to that in the US?

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Inflation tops the chart of issues plaguing America, with 77% of Republicans and 52% of Democrats saying it is a ‘very big problem’ according to recent research. While the economy is roaring for the rich, the least well-off are worse off than any other time in recent history. Will this be the new norm of inequality in America?

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Author, journalist, and key opinion leader Nury Vittachi joins us on the show. He discusses how children's literature can incubate the next generation of scientists with cross cultural insights that transcend contemporary disputes. We talk about Taoism, literature, physics and the distorted lens through which China is sometimes seen. Listen in as Nury explains his key tip for understanding the media: skepticism. 

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According to a new 2023 publication by Deloitte, amid glimpses of progress, problems regarding working women’s mental health are still waiting to be addressed. And the BBC reports “a precarious economy and employment instability may be making the problem worse.” Would you put yourself in jeopardy to report a rotten boss?

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