Wondering Zoe

Hiddo - 从荷兰到日本工作，我并没有太多犹疑

英文之后就是中文播客简介啦！

In this episode, Wondering Zoe invites Hiddo, who lives in Higashihiroshima, Japan, to share his life experiences since moving from the Netherlands to Japan. As a nearly two-meter-tall Dutchman, what made him decide to live in Japan? And how has he adapted to a culture and lifestyle so different from his own?

Tune in to hear Hiddo’s fascinating stories from Japan - including his hilarious take on Japan’s “bizarre” COVID testing method, how he survived a scorching summer mountain hike with spring water, and his lighthearted complaints about how Japanese people ride bicycles (classic Dutch humor!).

After listening to Hiddo’s story, you might also want to check out Felicia’s episode. Felicia, who now lives in the Netherlands and once worked in Tokyo, offers a different perspective on life in Japan.

This is Season 1, Episode 7 of Wondering Zoe. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their emotional journeys as foreigners living abroad.

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment or message — your encouragement helps me keep going. Thank you!

Sound Engineer: Jialin
Music: “Eyes They’re Closed” by Kaytsak (licensed use)

在这期节目中，Wondering Zoe邀请了身在日本东广岛市的Hiddo，与大家分享了他从荷兰来到日本的生活经历。作为一个身高接近两米的荷兰人，他为什么会选择来到日本生活呢？他又是如何适应这个与荷兰截然不同的文化和生活呢？点击本集，听他在日本的有趣经历，包括他描述的日本巨奇特COVID测试法，如何三伏天在爬山途中用山泉水续命，以及他是如何吐槽日本人骑自行车的（老Dutch啦）。

收听完Hiddo的经历，也许你可以再听听Felicia的这一集 。Felicia现居荷兰，曾在东京工作过，她的经历和Hiddo的相比有所不同。如果你感兴趣的话，可以听听Felicia的讲述。

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第7期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

音效工程师：嘉琳

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用

Carmen - 隐秘的挣扎：我家是这个荷兰小镇上唯一的亚洲家庭

英文下面就是中文播客简介啦！

Welcome to Carmen’s world. Born in the Netherlands to Chinese parents, she grew up as part of the only Asian family in her small Dutch town. Before she even understood what race meant, she could already sense her difference - a quiet awareness that something set her apart. From the streets of her town to the hallways of her school, whether with family or among her white Dutch friends, the strange comments never seemed to stop, subtly shaping who she became.

Carmen also spent a year and a half living in the UK, where she experienced the cultural contrasts between Britain and the Netherlands. Today, she is in Hong Kong, reunited with her family. When we recorded this episode, I was in Helsinki and she was in Hong Kong - we connected remotely for the recording.

This is Season 1, Episode 6 of Wondering Zoe. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their inner journeys as foreigners living abroad.

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment or message - your encouragement helps me keep going. Thank you!

Music: “Eyes They’re Closed” by Kaytsak (licensed use)

欢迎走进卡门的世界。她是荷兰出生的华裔，来自这个荷兰小镇里唯一的亚洲家庭。在她明白种族为何物之前，她迷惑地感知着自己的不同。从小镇的街道，到学校的走廊，无论是和家人在一起，还是和白皮肤的荷兰朋友在一起，那些奇怪的声音似乎从来没有停止过，她的性格也被无声地改变。

她也在英国生活了一年半的时间，感知到英国和荷兰的文化差异。如今，她正在香港与亲人团聚。我们录制这期节目的时候，我在赫尔辛基，她在香港，通过远程方式完成了这次录制。

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第6期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用

Felicia - 新加坡，日本再到荷兰，从金融到UX设计，不试试怎么知道自己喜不喜欢？

英文后面是中文本集简介哦！

Felicia said, I studied Japanese for ten years, and when I finally fulfilled my dream of working in Japan… I walked into the office on my very first day and found a colleague watching porn…

Felicia, originally from Singapore and now living in the Netherlands, is a UX (User Experience) designer. With a background in finance, she naturally started her career in Singapore’s financial industry. But after backpacking in Europe for a month, she realized how big the world was - and decided she wanted to see more. So, she quit her prestigious job and spent five months backpacking across Asia.

Her long-held dream of living in Japan came true when she landed a job there, but after a year and a half, she began to feel stuck. What brought her to the Netherlands afterward? What gave her the courage to make another career change? And how does she see the differences between Japanese and Dutch cultures? Tune in to hear Felicia’s story.

This is Season 1, Episode 5 of Wondering Zoe. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their emotional journeys as foreigners living abroad.

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment or message - your encouragement keeps me going. Thank you!

Music: “Eyes They’re Closed” by Kaytsak (licensed use)

Felicia说，我学了10年日语，终于梦想成真来到日本工作…没想到入职第一天就撞见同事在办公室里看黄片…

Felicia，新加坡人，现居荷兰，UX（用户体验）设计师。金融专业的她顺理成章地在新加坡金融行业工作，去欧洲当了一个月的背包客后，觉得世界真大，我要多去看看，于是辞去了光鲜的工作，一口气在亚洲做了5个月的背包客。

一直想去日本的她，竟然天赐良机，到了日本工作，却没想到做了一年半就觉得自己被卡住了。之后她为什么来到了荷兰？是什么让她有勇气再次作出职业转型？在她眼中日本和荷兰文化是什么样的呢？点进来，听Felicia讲她的故事吧。

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第5期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用

James - 从多雨的伦敦到断网的沙漠

英文下面就是中文本集播客介绍哦！

James said that before experiencing it himself, he never realized how hard it could be to start a life in a completely foreign country.

James, a physicist from London, is currently in the deserts of New Mexico, USA, working on optical telescopes. Before this job, he had never lived abroad for an extended period. Even though language isn’t a barrier, he still faces plenty of unexpected challenges - from food and transportation to finding housing. Now, he lives in a spacious three-bedroom house without cable internet or a washing machine.

This is Season 1, Episode 4 of Wondering Zoe. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their emotional journeys as foreigners living abroad. (By the fourth episode, I realized - all my interview guests so far have PhDs! 😂)

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment or message - your encouragement helps me keep going. Thank you!

Music: “Eyes They’re Closed” by Kaytsak (licensed use)

James说，自己亲身尝试之前，从没想过原来到一个陌生的国度生活，是一件多么艰难的事情。

James，伦敦人，物理学家，正在美国新墨西哥州的沙漠制作光学望远镜。在来到这里工作之前从未在英国以外的国家长期生活过。即使语言上完全没有障碍，但是仍然有很多意想不到的挑战：食物，交通，找房子……现在的他，过上了没有有线网络，没有洗衣机，坐拥三个卧室的大房子的生活。

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第4期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。（做到第4集才发现，我现在所有的采访对象都是有博士学位的朋友😂）

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用

Zephyr - 一觉醒来发现那天是“出柜日”，我就出柜了

英文下面是中文本集介绍哦！

Zephyr, from London, is an astronomer who, after graduating from the University of Cambridge, pursued a PhD at Columbia University. Life in New York led them to begin exploring their gender identity. From New York to Cambridge, even though they knew deep down how much they despised being labeled “male,” Zephyr still struggled to fully express their true self.

Their first time wearing women’s clothing was in the Netherlands - a moment filled with both caution and joy. Zephyr said, “Those labels are part of you. When you see them, accept them, and stop fearing them, they cease to be labels - they simply become who you are.”

This is Season 1, Episode 3 of Wondering Zoe. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their inner journeys as foreigners living abroad.

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment or message - your encouragement helps me keep going. Thank you!

Music: “Eyes They’re Closed” by Kaytsak (licensed use)

Zephyr，伦敦人，天文学家，剑桥大学毕业后前往哥伦比亚大学攻读博士学位，在纽约的生活让ta开始探索自己的gender identity。从纽约到剑桥，即使内心坚定地知晓，“男性”这个标签是怎样让自己深恶痛绝，但ta依旧彷徨，无法在这里展露自己真实的模样。

第一次穿女装是在荷兰，有些小心翼翼，但是真的非常快乐。Zephyr说，那些标签是你的一部分，你看到了它们，接纳了它们，不再为之感到恐惧，那它们就不再是标签，而是你本身。

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第3期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用

Sarah - 从澳大利亚到欧洲，不愿再过随波逐流的生活

英文下面是中文本集介绍哦！

Sarah, an astronomer from the coastal city of Perth, Australia, moved to Germany for graduate school with her then-husband before settling in the Netherlands for work.
After her marriage ended, Sarah became very clear about what she didn’t want in life - but found it harder to define what she truly did want. Once carried by the current, she now feels it’s time to make some real changes.

This is Episode 2 of Wondering Zoe Season 1. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their stories of life as foreigners.

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment - your encouragement helps me keep going. Thank you!
Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak (used with permission)

Sarah，来自澳大利亚的海边城市Perth，天文学家。和前夫从澳大利亚搬到德国求学，然后来到荷兰工作。离开婚姻后的Sarah清楚地知道自己不喜欢什么，不想要的是什么，但是自己到底喜欢什么，想要的是什么，Sarah自己也说不清楚。曾经的随波逐流，顺风顺水，到现在，需要做一些改变了。

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第2期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用

内向者Monica - 异国生活教我设立自己的边界

英文下面就是中文的本集介绍啦！

Monica, a university researcher, was born in Taiwan, studied in the United States, and now works in the Netherlands. Though she appears lively and outgoing, she’s actually a true introvert at heart.
As an introvert, how does she adapt to life in a foreign country? And how does she find her inner peace within the strong and often extroverted culture of the U.S.?

This is Episode 1 of Wondering Zoe Season 1. In this season, Zoe invites eight friends with cross-cultural experiences to share their inner journeys as foreigners.

If you enjoy this series, please leave a comment - your encouragement keeps me going. Thank you!
Music: “Eyes They’re Closed” by Kaytsak (used with permission)

Monica，高校科研工作者，台湾出生，美国读书，荷兰工作，她看起来十分活泼，却是个不折不扣的内向者。作为一名内向者，她是如何适应在异国他乡的生活的？如何在强势的美国文化下，仍然找到内心的一方净土？

这是Wondering Zoe的第1季，第1期。在这一季，Zoe会邀请8位有异国文化经历的朋友谈一谈他们作为异乡人的心灵体验。

如果你喜欢这个系列，欢迎你留言，鼓励我继续做下去。谢谢！

Music: "Eyes They're Closed" by Kaytsak，授权使用