Mosaic of China

Latest Episodes:

The Shibari Artist (’LAODAI’) [EXPLICIT Version] Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

Sometimes big themes can be tackled through the guise of performance art. In previous episodes of the 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 Shibari (縛り) has made its way from the world of BDSM to the world of Rope Art, and also 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 episode also includes a catch-up interview with:

Yang Yi from Season 01 Episode 21

https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-21-yang-yi

Chapters

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

01:50 - Part 1

27:37 - Part 2

35:42 - Outro

39:26 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:

https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-09-laodai

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The Film Director (Elaine HUANG, ’24 Flavors’) Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

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 episode also includes catch-up interviews with:
Björn Dahlman from Season 02 Episode 17
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-17-bjorn-dahlman
and
Maple Zuo from Season 01 Episode 02
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-02-maple-zuo
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:27 - Part 1
24:19 - Part 2
32:33 - Outro
37:15 - Catch-Up Interview [1]
42:46 - Catch-Up Interview [2]
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-08-elaine-huang
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The Robot Maestro (Andrew PETHER, Universal Robots) Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

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: Universal Robots. So he is perfectly placed to observe the world of innovation and competition in this unique space in China.
The episode also includes catch-up interviews with:
Michael Kinsey from Season 02 Episode 15
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-25-michael-kinsey
and
Srinivas Yanamandra from Season 01 Episode 15
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-15-srinivas-yanamandra
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:33 - Part 1
24:12 - Part 2
35:13 - Outro
39:05 - Catch-Up Interview [1]
42:53 - Catch-Up Interview [2]
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-07-andrew-pether
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The Child-Development Champion (Barbara POPPELL, Bright Futures) Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

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 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 episode also includes a catch-up interview with:
Louise Roy from Season 02 Episode 06
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-06-louise-roy
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:48 - Part 1
28:57 - Part 2
41:03 - Outro
43:43 - Catch-Up Interview
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-06-barbara-poppell
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The Rural Architect (CHEN Haoru) Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

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 episode also includes a catch-up interview with:
Jovana Zhang from Season 02 Episode 08
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-08-jovana-zhang
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:47 - Part 1
21:45 - Part 2
31:56 - Outro
36:28 - Catch-Up Interview
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-05-chen-haoru
Join the community:
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The Barre Star (Siri NORDHEJM, Z&B Fitness and MYbarre Fitness) Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

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 episode also includes catch-up interviews with:
Jo McFarland from Season 02 Episode 18
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-18-jo-mcfarland
and
Jorge Luzio from Season 01 Episode 05
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-05-jorge-luzio

Chapters

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

01:53 - Part 1

25:33 - Part 2

35:18 - Outro

39:40 - Catch-Up Interview [1]

45:43 - Catch-Up Interview [2]

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-04-siri-nordhejm

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The Gin Peddler (Fergus WOODWARD, Peddlers Gin) Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

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 episode also includes a catch-up interview with:

Sean Harmon from Season 02 Episode 09

https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-09-sean-harmon

Chapters

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

02:26 - Part 1

23:04 - Part 2

36:21 - Outro

39:48 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:

https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-03-fergus-woodward

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The Comics Custodian (Ashley HUANG, Comic Book Ren) Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

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.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with:
Yael Farjun from Season 01 Episode 12
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-12-yael-farjun

Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:45 - Part 1
22:57 - Part 2
34:05 - Outro
39:51 - Catch-Up Interview
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:
https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-02-ashley-huang

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The Metaverse Technologist (Eric LIU, DIGITWIN Technologies) Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

We may not understand it yet, but at this point we’ve all heard about the Metaverse. Some of us can’t wait to embrace it; others are already bitterly opposed to it. But it’s coming, whether we like it or not. In fact, the building blocks of Big Data and Augmented Reality (AR) are already here, we’re just waiting for technology companies to help converge them together.

That’s where today’s guest Eric Liu comes in. The CTO of the China-based company DIGITWIN Technologies (and its sister company Virspatial Technologies in Singapore), Eric is helping to usher in a new world where reality will coexist alongside its digital twin. Listen to today’s episode to understand how these technologies are already being applied both in China and around the world, and to ponder the moral and ethical implications behind them.

The episode also includes a catch-up interview with:

Casey Hall from Season 02 Episode 22

https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-22-casey-hall

Chapters

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

03:14 - Part 1

25:57 - Part 2

37:25 - Outro

40:23 - Catch-Up Interview

Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at:

https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-episode-01-eric-liu

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Mosaic of China with Oscar Fuchs: Season 03 Trailer Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

Hello, I’m Oscar. In this trailer, I introduce the new features of Season 03 of the Mosaic of China podcast, including the PREMIUM version of the show that's available on:

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/mosaic-of-china-premium-apple/id1574444302

Patreon
https://patreon.com/mosaicofchina

and 爱发电
https://afdian.net/@mosaicofchina

This PREMIUM version will include an average of 10-20 minutes of extra content for every episode, accumulating to over 10 hours of extra content over the course of the entire season. And of course it includes access to the full back-catalogue from previous seasons too.

I also introduce the new corporate supporters of the show this season, who are:

Shanghai Daily - the China news site;

Rosetta Stone - the language learning company;

naked Retreats - the luxury resorts company;

SmartShanghai - the listings and classifieds app; and

JustPod - the podcast production company.

A big thanks to everyone who managed to come to the Season launch party in Shanghai last week! Photos from the event can be found at:

https://www.mosaicofchina.com/events

Everyone who attended received a little gift bag, so to see silly photos of how they’re being used by listeners, go to:

https://www.mosaicofchina.com/photos

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