
- "Codependency": Bonus Episode from Mosaic of China with Oscar Fuchs, Season 03
We've reached the halfway point of Season 03. And following in the tradition from previous seasons, we're marking the occasion with a special bonus episode, and an extra special bonus guest. This particular guest has been a long time coming! The timing of this episode couldn't be better. Not only does it coincide with the New Year and the run-up to Spring Festival in China, it also coincides with an inflexion point in China as it pivots from Zero-COVID to a new period of openness and opportunity. What kind of emotions does this massive change generate in those of us who have spent the last three years in China? Well... it's complicated.
- The Incurable Optimist (s03e15: 'DAJIANG', Tourette's Advocate)
Yes, today's episode is all about what it's like to live in China with Tourette syndrome (妥瑞症). But what it's really about is neurodiversity. Some people still have a defensive attitude towards those of us with mental and neurological conditions, treating them as victims deserving of our fear, pity or even derision. But Dajiang's story reminds us that we should instead focus on dignity, happiness, and mutual understanding. This doesn't mean that all of us should celebrate our deficiencies, nor use them as excuses to avoid self-improvement. But at the same time, we don't need to 'see past' someone's disorders; we don't need to 'tolerate' someone's conditions. Listening to their stories and understanding their distinct points of view is not a sacrifice. It's a privilege. So a big thanks to Dajiang for being the last new guest of 2022, and ending the year on an uplifting note.
- The Compost Evangelist (s03e14: Alizée BUYSSCHAERT)
The environment is one of those topics that we all know we need to talk about, but at the same time desperately want to avoid. None of us want to be lectured on all the things we're doing wrong, and none of us need yet another reminder about how the human race is mismanaging its impact on the planet. So it's a breath of fresh air to have a conversation with someone who is not only passionate about the environment but also... fun. In today's episode, Alizée Buysschaert talks about the way she personally challenged herself to reduce 90% of the waste that she produced every day. And how this challenge led to a number of personal and professional reinventions.
- The Hotpot Comrade (s03e13: XIE Xiao)
There are two themes of today’s show: the first is location, and the second is identity. There exist derogatory stereotypes about both. Today's conversation touches on the intersectionality of these stereotypes in China, and the way in which we can either casually dispel them or defiantly embrace them. In either case, we can have fun joking about them and stripping them of their venom. As well as being involved in cinema projects, today's guest Xie Xiao participates in many other voluntary groups in China. And he has many stories that reflect his own personal background, as well as those of the people with whom he engages in China.
- The Sleep Coach (s03e12: Rumbiey MUCHENJE)
Is there anything more pathetically banal than talking about sleep? We all do it, so… who cares? Until recent years, that's what many of us would have said. But these days there's a growing recognition that sleep quality lies at the root of our holistic wellbeing, and is deserving of further investigation. That's where we encounter a brand new problem. Since issues with sleep do indeed speak to a broader holistic imbalance, how do we even start to deconstruct the cocktail of behavioural, hormonal, environmental, medical and emotional factors that might be at play? And once diagnosed, how then do we avoid the modern temptation to seek quick fixes, and truly develop new habits and long-term solutions? Step in Rumbiey Muchenje to discuss the world of sleep coaching in China, and the story that took her from adolescence in Harare to ‘Sleepless in Shanghai’.
- The Game Designer (s03e11: Simon CHAPUIS, Ubisoft)
There are some people who view video gaming at best as a time-wasting distraction, and at worst as a vice. But in listening to today's episode with the game designer Simon Chapuis, even detractors will understand the passion, creativity and teamwork that it takes to usher a game from conception to market. Simon's career has taken him from France to Germany, to Spain and finally to China, where he is now a Senior Game Designer at Ubisoft in the city of Chengdu. His story not only illustrates the dynamic and international nature of the gaming industry, but also the complexity and pressure that can accompany this collaborative endeavour.
- The Mongolian Teacher (s03e10: Tsogtgerel BUMERDENE)
The country of Mongolia [蒙古国 - Ménggǔguó] is sandwiched between Russia and China, and there are ethnic Mongolian areas in all three countries. So when talking about Mongolian people in China, it's not always clear whether you're talking about ethnic Mongolians from the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia [内蒙古 - Nèiménggǔ], or Mongolian nationals from across the border. Today's episode is with Tsogtgerel ("Tsogi") Bumerdene, a Mongolian national living in China, who wears this mantle of identity every day. But more than that, she's an artist, designer, teacher and mother. So we cover all of these facets in our casual yet wide-ranging conversation.
- The Rope Artist (s03e09: 'LAODAI')
Sometimes big themes can be tackled through the guise of performance art. In previous episodes of the Mosaic of China podcast, we have explored how drag performers can teach us to embrace our own weirdness, and how clowns can teach us to embrace our own fallibility. These stories may be specific to China, but they apply to us all. In today’s very special episode, we explore how the world of Rope Art has made its way from Japan to China. And we discover how this art form can make us think about the themes of communication, connection and consent.
- The Film Director (s03e08: Elaine HUANG, '24 Flavors')
The economic developments of the last three decades in China have propelled forward an entire generation. But when we strive for opportunity and prosperity, are we prepared for the knock-on effects on the people around us? Looking back at this era, how can we understand the human stories hiding in the profit charts? Elaine Huang is making an independent feature film which explores exactly these themes. In today’s episode, Elaine describes her experiences working in the film industry in China, and in so doing reveals a deeply personal family story of riches, rupture and redemption.
- The Robot Maestro (s03e07: Andrew PETHER)
Some people still have the outdated image in their heads of China as a country of grim sweatshops and cheap manual labour. In fact, China is the country which boasts the largest number of robots deployed in the world. And that makes it a prime location for one of the newest category of industrial robot: the 'cobot', or collaborative robot. Today's episode is with Andrew Pether, who has spent a decade in the field of robotics engineering in China, and over eight years working at the global vanguard in the world of collaborative robots. So he is perfectly placed to observe the world of innovation and competition in this unique space in China.
- The Child-Development Champion (s03e06: Barbara POPPELL)
They say it takes a village to raise a child. That doesn't just include parents, teachers and care-givers, in China it often also includes grandparents and domestic helpers. Indeed, the raising of kids impacts impatient childless podcasters whose everyday lives in the village also casually intersect with children, whether they like it or not. We all could use a little help, especially when it comes to knowing when to follow the best practices of our parents, and when it's time to break certain cycles. That's where today's guest Barbara Poppell steps in. And having lived exactly half her life in China, she can also speak to the global village of family and community services.
- The Rural Architect (s03e05: CHEN Haoru)
China is a country of cities, and mega-cities... and mega-mega-cities. But guess what folks, in between these cities is a whole bunch of countryside. And as we question whether our modern urban lifestyles are truly sustainable, sometimes we need to turn to those places where the answers have been waiting for us all along. Today's guest - the architect, Chen Haoru - has been searching for these answers from his base in 杭州 [Hángzhōu] for the last twenty years. And this journey has led him to establishing a model of communal living, to designing structures that define a philosophical movement, and to questioning our misplaced expectation about the permanence of architecture.
- The Barre Star (s03e04: Siri NORDHEJM, Z&B Fitness and MYbarre Fitness)
I would wager that all of us have stepped foot into a gym or a fitness studio, even if it was to immediately step out again. But that's the point of today's episode with Siri Nordhejm, Co-Founder of Z&B Fitness and MYbarre Fitness. What is it about fitness establishments that gets you passed that line, and what gets you coming back? And is it the same in China as in other places? As with all episodes of Mosaic of China, we discuss not only what the guest does, but who the guest is. So tune in to today's show to find out how someone finds themselves becoming a fitness entrepreneur in their early twenties, and finds the energy to stick with it for over a decade.
- The Gin Peddler (s03e03: Fergus WOODWARD, Peddlers Gin)
When you think of an alcoholic drink that’s made out of traditional Chinese ingredients, you might not immediately think of… gin. But that’s exactly what came to the mind of Fergus Woodward six years ago when he helped to create Peddlers Gin, China's first and leading craft gin brand. Today’s episode takes us through Fergus’ story of discovery and distillation, one that has resulted in a gin that proudly showcases both the unique botanicals of China, and the unique persistence of the team behind it.
- The Comics Custodian (s03e02: Ashley HUANG, Comic Book Ren)
You don't need to be a fan of comic books to understand their galactic-superhero-sized impact on the Zeitgeist. But what about in China? Are there fans of comic books here? And if so, who are they and what do they look like? The search for answers to these questions has taken the podcast to the city of 成都 [Chéngdū], to find the one and only shop in China totally dedicated to American-style comic books. And if you think that sounds like a unique story, just wait until you hear more about the shop's owner Ashley Huang, a member of the 土家 [Tǔjiā] minority ethnic group.