Mosaic of China

Latest Episodes:

The Beats Collector (”DJ BO”, International DJ) Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

What can anyone learn from a DJ? It turns out… a helluva lot, especially when the DJ in question is DJ BO. Based in China for the last decade, DJ BO has led a peripatetic life which has taken him on countless adventures in the pursuit of sharing his love of eclectic music, most famously becoming the first international DJ to ever play a set in North Korea.
DJ BO's roots in Asia stem from his early years living in Mongolia, and he now also devotes energy into advancing the knowledge and appreciation of Mongolian culture in China. And while obsessively curating and showcasing music from this and other overlooked corners of the world, his story also teaches us the importance of respecting the art and culture on your own doorstep.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Abe Deyo from Season 01 Episode 27. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-27-abe-deyo).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:26 - Part 1
24:05 - Part 2
31:07 - Outro
34:09 - 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-02-episode-23-dj-bo.

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The Fashion Journalist (Casey HALL, The Business of Fashion) Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

We started off Season 02 of the podcast with a chat with the Chief Consumer Officer of L'Oréal China. And now that we've reached Episode 22 of the season, it's time to revisit the Chinese consumer from a different angle. Our guest today is Casey Hall, who has spent the last 14 years in China as a journalist, both as the Managing Editor of a city lifestyle magazine network, and most recently as the Asia Correspondent at The Business of Fashion.
Focusing on business and lifestyle topics has allowed Casey to build a career covering China news in a way that is nuanced, and based on issues affecting society and culture. And through the lens of the fashion industry, we can learn a lot about the way Chinese people - be they from different generations, or from different regions - develop their tastes, and live their lives.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Vy Vu from Season 01 Episode 08. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-08-vy-vu).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:12 - Part 1
19:31 - Part 2
29:32 - Outro
32:55 - 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-02-episode-22-casey-hall.

The Car Designer (Ajay JAIN, Geely) Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

China is the world's largest vehicle market, both by manufacturing output and by annual sales. And at the heart of that business is the strategic car designer, someone who can not only plot a future design vision for the company, but can also work in collaboration with engineers and marketers to turn that vision into a reality.
Ajay Jain has been designing cars since he could hold a pencil, and it was this passion that ultimately led him to becoming a strategic design manager for the electric vehicle range at Geely, the largest privately held automotive company in China. Having spent half his career in China (at Geely and previously at SAIC) and the other half in Europe (at Opel, Ford, Saab and Renault), Ajay is uniquely qualified to talk about the world of car design, and China's increasingly influential position in that world.
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:18 - Part 1
25:41 - Part 2
34:47 - Outro
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-21-ajay-jain.

The Improv Artist (Michelle QU, The Improviser Alliance) Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

To make friends with other people, it helps if you share the same sense of humour. So it can sometimes be a challenge to make meaningful friendships with people from other cultures, with whom you don't share the same historical background, comic sensibilities, or even speech patterns. This might be a common story for some people in China, but have no fear, because Michelle Qu is here to explain some of the things that make Chinese people laugh.
As an improvisational comedian, Michelle also talks us through her own personal journey in discovering this relatively new form of expression in China. For a start, the art of improv has helped her to entertain Chinese audiences. "Yes, and..." it has helped her to communicate, collaborate and place trust in others. "Yes, and..." it has opened up her world to be more accepting, more respectful, and more open to a lifetime of new experiences.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Sabrina Chen from Season 01 Episode 26. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-26-sabrina-chen).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:21 - Part 1
18:12 - Part 2
26:50 - Outro
29:22 - 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-02-episode-20-michelle-qu.

The Student Strategist (Seth HARVEY, Education Coach) Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

The image of the foreigner teacher in China stands for two things. Firstly, it represents one of the most popular ways that someone seeking experience overseas can find their first footing, especially in a place like China. For some people it's a stepping stone into something else in that new country, and for others - like today's guest Seth Harvey - it becomes a gateway into a longer-term career in education.
The second thing it represents is a position at the interface of a culture. Working with young adults offers teachers a window into the society in which they operate, and where that society might be heading in the future. This is true for teachers in every part of the world. But when your job entails working with Chinese students seeking admission into American universities, you are uniquely placed to observe the contrast between the attributes produced by one education system, and those valued by another.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Lissanthea Taylor from Season 01 Episode 28. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-28-lissanthea-taylor).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:23 - Part 1
21:25 - Part 2
28:08 - Outro
31:11 - 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-02-episode-19-seth-harvey.

The Supermarket Sourcer (Jo MCFARLAND, Sainsbury’s/Argos) Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Most of us are guilty of putting items in our shopping trolleys without giving one moment's thought as to where they came from. Jo McFarland doesn't have that luxury, because she's the one in charge of sourcing thousands of items - from around 500 factories in China - for two of the most famous high-street retail names in the United Kingdom, Sainsbury's and Argos.
Sourcing manufactured goods may sound a little prosaic, but Jo's story brings the world of factories in China directly to our doorstep. And it's a world that has defined China's integral position in the global retail supply chain for the last two decades.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Jorge Luzio from Season 01 Episode 05. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-05-jorge-luzio).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
00:58 - Part 1
16:57 - Part 2
26:37 - Outro
29:42 - 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-02-episode-18-jo-mcfarland.

The Swedish Clown (Björn DAHLMAN, Clowns Without Borders) May 25, 2021

Show notes

Any speechwriter will corroborate that you can use the art of self-deprecation to engage an audience in ways that cannot be achieved through other rhetorical tricks. But if you adopt the wrong tone, it can come across as inauthentic, unfunny, and - worst of all - creepy. It takes a surprising amount of thoughtfulness, skill and intelligence to make yourself the subject of derision.
Clowns are the monarchs of self-mockery, and today's guest is the King. The Frog King, to be precise. Björn Dahlman's story takes him from the suburbs of Sweden to the mountains of the Middle Kingdom, where he performed the first ever Clowns Without Borders project in China. And in a culture where it is very difficult to celebrate your mistakes, he teaches us all a valuable lesson in the dignity of laughter.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Maple Zuo from Season 01 Episode 02. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-02-maple-zuo).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:32 - Part 1
21:26 - Part 2
30:57 - Outro
34:12 - 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-02-episode-17-bjorn-dahlman.

The Metal Head (Cassandra CHEN, Inferno Bar) May 18, 2021

Show notes

We can all be guilty of making sweeping generalisations about nationalities and cultures. But not all Dutch are liberal; not all Brazilians can dance, and not all New Zealanders like rugby. So it should come as no surprise to you that not all Chinese people are into pop music. Especially when it comes to Cassandra Chen, who owns 'Inferno', the one and only bar in China that's 100% dedicated to heavy metal.
In today's episode, Cassandra discusses the history of Inferno, and it's status as a hub for the close-knit community of metalheads in China. And in so doing, she also demonstrates a great deal of patience and nonchalance with a nervous and uncool interviewer who is completely out of his depth.
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
02:32 - Part 1
14:18 - Part 2
21:29 - Outro
24:43 - 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-02-episode-16-cassandra-chen.

Mosaic of China with Oscar Fuchs: Bonus Episode on ’Connectivity’ Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

Sometimes you don't know quite what you're doing and why you're doing it, until you sit down one day and take the time to evaluate it. And that's the day you might realise that the meaning of your work has somehow morphed into something you hadn't planned.
In order to reach this realisation, it helps to be interviewed by a professional journalist! Thank you to Rebecca Kanthor for speaking with me on this special bonus episode to mark the midway point of Season 02. We discuss the ways in which Mosaic of China has evolved since its initial conception as a community that could bridge the gap between China and the rest of the world. And we throw in some fun by including some questions from a few of the Patreon/爱发电 supporters too.
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:11 - Main
19:26 - Outro
Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-bonus-connectivity.

The Island Investor (Douglon TSE, Microdistrict) Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

Some say that young people are impatient, and are only on the look-out for short-term gratification. Not so with Douglon Tse, who spent his formative years pursuing a long-term vision for his life. This pursuit has led him and his wife to a unique island in China, which he describes very vividly in today's episode.
At 30 years old, Douglon is also one of the youngest guests in Season 2 of the podcast. So if you're also young and are thinking about how to make your mark in China, you should find a large seafood platter of inspiration in Douglon's story.
The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Octo Cheung from Season 01 Episode 30. (https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-30-octo-cheung).
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
01:03 - Part 1
19:36 - Part 2
27:28 - Outro
30:29 - 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-02-episode-15-douglon-tse.

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