Have you ever been midway through the delightful TSA experience and thought, "a screaming cat would really make this moment more memorable"? Well, let us assure you: it is DEFINITELY more memorable than your average, run-of-the-mill international flight. In addition to being more memorable, it also adds many layers of complexity to traveling (or moving) … Continue reading Episode 36: Traveling with Pets
The year of the pig will soon be upon us! This year's Lunar New Year falls on February 5th, and we are helping you to prepare by bringing you traditions from all over Asia. Lunar New Year, otherwise known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important holiday of many cultures that … Continue reading Episode 35: Lunar New Year
To ring in the (solar) new year, we have a special episode for you on endangered languages.
An honest look at Chinese culture from my experience so far, living in Shenzhen for 10 months.
Have you ever gone to a different country and/or culture for the first time and thought, "man, I really know what I'm doing and totally blend in!"* If so, then you either don't need to listen to this episode, or you were wrong. There are a lot of things we do and don't think about … Continue reading Episode 33: Travel Faux Pas to Avoid
This week, we listen to a couple friends who have experienced different cultures as gay individuals -- China and the West. We really wanted to know how their experiences differed, and what they thought about it. A million thanks to Garry and Haochen for opening up on some topics that aren't normal conversation in everyday … Continue reading Episode 32: The Queer Experience Across Cultures
This week we have a little fun looking at idioms from around the world! One of our favorite examples: the Swedish "if there's room in the heart, there's room for the butt" meaning, basically, "if we like you, we'll make room for you." We explore where idioms come from and how they are related to … Continue reading Episode 31: Idioms
This week we have a little advice about how to make your trip the most interesting, personal one you can -- by getting off the beaten path! Although covering the famous sights in a travel destination is awesome too, it can be really fun and adventurous to go see things less-traveled. We have some tips … Continue reading Episode 30: Getting Off the Beaten Path
(Patrice had a little mic trouble for the first third of this episode. Please bear with us until about minute 13, when she mysteriously shifts to much better audio quality) "Saving face" is an idea that is very difficult to grasp for people who don't grow up around it. It is a collectivist, high-context concept … Continue reading Episode 29: Saving Face
Iceland -- is it in North America or Europe? Is it a land, or made of ice? Why doesn't Björk seem to have a last name? These are all questions. Do we answer them? Maybe. But we definitely talk about the Icelandic language: an anomaly among languages, this baby has been consistent for forever (OK, … Continue reading Episode 28: Icelandic