My guest today is Lissanthea Taylor, who specialises in rehabilitation and pain management. We have a fasting conversation about the different ways in which China and the West handle the natural ageing process, short-term and persistent pain, and overall mental wellbeing. And beyond that, we make the distinction between how the brain handles pain versus danger, and how medical practitioners exercise ‘receptivity’ over ‘empathy’. 

Recorded many weeks ago, this episode also gives us many prescient insights into what we’re all experiencing today during the global pandemic crisis. We discuss how our brains are wired to go into a protective state when faced with a negative stimulus, and also observe how patients in China have had many years of experience in accepting enforced periods of rest and isolation.

Lissanthea Taylor’s object: These crazy pink socks. 

Lissanthea Taylor’s favourite WeChat sticker: Liz Lemon giving herself a High Five. （Add @oscar10877 on WeChat to join the Group and see the original sticker） 

Lissanthea Taylor: She is a supporter of the pinksocks organisation, which believes in putting the human at the centre of healthcare. 

Lissanthea Taylor: Action shots from her life in physiotherapy. 

Lissanthea Taylor: The road to a life free from persistent pain requires attention to habits and socialisation on top of the process of physical rehabilitation. 

Lissanthea Taylor: Modern thinking in pain relief challenge the notions about pain receptivity from Descartes. 

Lissanthea Taylor: Good bedside manner can't be about empathy; it’s about receptivity. 

If Lissanthea Taylor left China, she wouldn’t miss.... the pollen that rains down from the trees in the Shanghai Former French Concession. 

The thing that still surprises Lissanthea Taylor about life in China is the fact that the flavour of toothpaste in green packaging isn't mint, it's jasmine tea. 

Lissanthea Taylor’s favourite place to hang out: Cafe On Air. 

Lissanthea Taylor’s worst purchases in China: The outfits she impulsively had tailored at the fabric market. 

Lissanthea Taylor’s favourite song to sing at KTV （karaoke）: November Rain by Guns N’ Roses. The full 9-minute version. 

Lissanthea Taylor’s selfie with Oscar.