These days you don't *need* to be a fan of KTV (karaoke) to thrive in China. But it certainly helps to have a favourite song prepared, just in case your friends, colleagues or clients force you to join them for an evening of merriment and microphones...   In today's compilation episode from Season 02 of Mosaic of China, we hear from 30 people about their strategies for symphonic survival. Do you agree with any of them? Be sure to get in touch to share your own favourite KTV choices.   Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-compilation-02-ktv-songs   Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

Mosaic of China

Season 02 Compilation: KTV Songs

As we come up to the October ‘Golden Week’ holidays in China, wouldn’t you like to hear the opinions of 30 people on their favourite travel destinations within Mainland China? Your wish is my command! In today’s special compilation episode from Season 02 of Mosaic of China, we showcase the guests’ travel recommendations, from the beaches of 海南 [Hǎinán] to the mountains of 云南 [Yúnnán]; from the city of 重庆 [Chóngqìng] to the grasslands of 内蒙古 [Inner Mongolia]; and from the wine country of 宁夏 [Níngxià] to the bamboo forests of 安吉 [Ānjí]. So my question for you today is... where would be *your* favourite travel destination within mainland China? Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-compilation-01-china-destinations Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

Season 02 Compilation: China Destinations

It's time to reflect on Season 02 of Mosaic of China. So for today's special Wrap-Up episode, I invited Logan Brouse from Tacolicious to interview me, and to share his thoughts on podcasting in China, in the context of the launch of his own upcoming show: 'China on the Rocks'.   As well as discussing the past legacy and future development of Mosaic of China, we also discuss the thorny issues of authenticity, profanity, and... the correct way to pronounce 'cicada'.   Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-wrap-up   Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

Mosaic of China with Oscar Fuchs: Season 02 Wrap-Up

One of the themes that comes up a lot in Mosaic of China is the idea that people who can span different cultures can often gain a certain superpower when it comes to analysing their own culture. It's that inside/outside perspective that becomes honed when you venture outside the comforts of your cultural paradigm. In today's episode, we extend that idea beyond the realm of cultural identity, and into the realm of gender identity. It's a very special episode with a very special guest, who will be talking about the transgender experience in China. Before this conversation, I thought I knew quite a lot about all this. But it turns out, I didn't know the half of it. Stick around until the end of the episode to hear how this conversation inspired me in particular. But I hope it in some way inspires you too. Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-30-jiyoung Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Transgender Teacher (”Jiyoung”)

Murray King is one of those people who took an early bet on China, and applied for a Beijing posting with the Canadian diplomatic service in the 1990s. Fast forward two decades, and he was part of the team that was bringing the Disney experience to China. In today's episode, Murray shares how he continues to apply his experience in negotiation and public relations to his role as the Head of Public Affairs for the Shanghai Disney Resort. We end our discussion on a question that might resonate with all the other people out there who have spent decades living in Asia: What's your end game? And Murray actually has an inspired answer to that question. Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-29-murray-king Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Emily Madge from Season 01 Episode 14. https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-14-emily-madge

The Protocol King (Murray KING, Shanghai Disney Resort)

Zhao Huiling was born in Shanghai, and spent the formative years of her life in West Africa. The experience changed her life, and still informs her work - and her world view - to this day. So it's useful for listeners to Mosaic of China to be reminded that culture clashes are not binary; they can happen no matter where you're from, and no matter with what new culture you're confronted. More than just that, Huiling also represents the mindset of the worldly young Shanghainese professional. These are people who have enjoyed all the benefits of modern luxury that China's economic progress has given them, and are now asking themselves "What does it all mean"? Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-28-zhao-huiling Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Eric Olander from Season 01 Episode 03. https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-03-eric-olander

The Africa Vlogger (ZHAO Huiling, HuilinginAfrica)

We all know the old stories about fake goods in China. But the parallel worlds of intellectual property infringement and anti-counterfeit regulation have changed a great deal over the last decade. In today's episode, I talk with the lawyer Vittorio Franzese to reminisce about what it was like when this cat-and-mouse game was at it's peak. Who were the counterfeiters? What actions could the lawyers take against them? How did the high-profile police raids come about? And what part did the big e-commerce platforms play in all this?   If that wasn't enough, to top it all off, not only do we talk about law courts, we also end up talking about tennis courts. Perfettissimo!   Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-27-vittorio-franzese Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).   The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Gigi Chang from Season 01 Episode 24. https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-24-gigi-chang

The Italian Lawyer (Vittorio FRANZESE, Business & Intellectual Property Lawyer)

Crystyl Mo has been reporting on the world of resturants in China for over twenty years, so she has borne witness to the phenomenal growth of the modern Chinese fine dining experience. Now, as an Academy Chair at The World's 50 Best Restaurants, she has also been able to contextualise China's culinary scene on the global stage, and she shares some of her insights in today's episode. Apart from that, Crystyl is an American national who has been stranded for 18 months outside her home of China, and Oscar is a British national who has been confined within the borders of China for the same period. So in the second half of the conversation, they can’t help but discuss some of the parallels and contrasts between British, American and Chinese cultures. Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-26-crystyl-mo Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Michael Zee from Season 01 Episode 07. https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-07-michael-zee

The Gourmet Coach (Crystyl MO, The World's 50 Best Restaurants)

Hot off the press, today’s episode is with the Fire Engineer, Michael Kinsey. Like a moth to a flame, I was fascinated to learn what his job entails. It was a slow burn, but I was soon fired up, and all guns blazing to learn more. To add fuel to the fire, Michael explains in glowing detail how he has blazed a trail in the research between human behaviour and the development of fire-safety guidance for the super high-rise buildings that increasingly adorn the city skylines of China. Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-25-michael-kinsey Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Srinivas Yanamadra from Season 01 Episode 15. https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-15-srinivas-yanamandra

The Fire Engineer (Michael KINSEY, Arup)

Coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, it's fitting that today's episode includes a family history that spans a similar historical timeframe. Salome Chen is a child of the 清 [Qīng] and 明 [Míng] Dynasties, as well as a child of the modern Chinese property boom. So in many ways she personifies the quirky mix of tradition and moderniity of today's China. Subscribe to the PREMIUM version, see the visuals, and/or follow the full transcript for this episode at https://mosaicofchina.com/season-02-episode-24-salome-chen Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). The episode also includes a catch-up interview with Lori Li from Season 01 Episode 10. https://mosaicofchina.com/season-01-episode-10-lori-li

The Investment Maven (Salome CHEN, Property and Technology Developer)

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. 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 Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). 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   Sorry for the delay in publishing this episode. There was a problem posting last week's episode in China, so we took an unscheduled week off so that both versions could continue to be released concurrently.

The Beats Collector ("DJ BO", International DJ)

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. 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. Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). 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

The Fashion Journalist (Casey HALL, The Business of Fashion)

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. 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 Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat).

The Car Designer (Ajay JAIN, Geely)

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. 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 Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). 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

The Improv Artist (Michelle QU, The Improviser Alliance)

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. 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 Join the community on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mosaicofchina_), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosaicofchina), Facebook (https://facebook.com/mosaicofchina) or WeChat (https://mosaicofchina.com/wechat). 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).

The Student Strategist (Seth HARVEY, Education Coach)

An English-language podcast showcasing people who are making their mark in China.

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Mosaic of China

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