This is a re-release of Season 01 Episode 28: The Pain Whisperer (Lissanthea Taylor, Pain Management Practitioner) Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:20 - Part 1 17:52 - Part 2 Subscribe to the PREMIUM version,...

This is a re-release of Season 01 Episode 14: The Aquarium Queen (Emily Madge, Asia Head of Conservation, Sea Life). Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:20 - Part 1 18:28 - Part 2 Subscribe to the PREMIUM version,...

This is a re-release of Season 02 Episode 17: The Swedish Clown (Björn DAHLMAN, Clowns Without Borders). This is the full version, including content that was previously only available on the PREMIUM...

Around the same time as launching Mosaic of China, I also embarked on a period of study at Shanghai Jiaotong University, starting with a course in Mandarin language followed by a Masters in Modern Chinese...

In three seasons of the Mosaic of China podcast, we've already covered a large chunk of the A-Z of life in China. In today's episode, we're fast-forwarding to the end, not just because Zhou Yan's name starts...

To many, the image of an airline pilot conjures up thoughts of confident commanders in crisp tailored uniforms, living a life of excitement, romance and adventure. But what about the life of an airline...

There's a field of academic study that sits at the intersection of geology and fashion, and that's gemology: the study of gemstones. Identifying, categorising and grading gemstones is a specific skillset, but...

In the 1840s, French missionaries attempted to enter Tibet, and kept getting pushed back to an area at the Northwestern tip of modern-day 云南 [Yúnnán] Province. Today, this region preserves an astonishing and...

Things are finally looking up for international sportswear brands in China in 2023. For the previous few years, almost all brands were suffering due to instability of the market during COVID and the rise in...

In 1996, China acquired a decommissioned Soviet aircraft carrier, with the express intention of using it as the centrepiece of a theme park in the city of 天津 [Tiānjīn]. Today, the 濱海 [Bīnhǎi] Aircraft Carrier...

By now you've probably heard about Burning Man, the festival that in recent years attracts over 80,000 participants to the deserts of Nevada. But did you know that there's an equivalent event in China called...

I don't often talk about my career before podcasting. But in today's special bonus episode, I had the excuse to do just that with Francis Kremer from the China Flexpat podcast. In our chat, recorded back in...

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...

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...

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...

There are two themes of today’s show: the first is location, and the second is queer identity. There exist derogatory stereotypes about both, which could be described as either xenophobic or homophobic....

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...

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...

The country of Mongolia 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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

Being locked into our compounds hasn't been a fun experience for the residents of Shanghai over the last month. But we will survive this inconvenience, and we will hopefully be all the more grateful for the...

If language is one of the most important keys to unlocking a culture, then today's tenth and final compilation episode from Season 02 of the show perhaps represents the epitome of what I’m trying to achieve...

In today’s penultimate compilation episode from Season 02, we’re talking about the favourite places people like to frequent in China. Whether you’re looking for recommendations of street food, high-end...

We're coming up to the Spring Festival in China, so please consider this to be your Chinese New Year gift. It's the compilation episode of the favourite WeChat stickers from the guest of Season 02. With...

In today's special compilation episode from Season 02 of the show, we listen to how 30 people answered the question: “If you left China, what would you miss the most, and what would you miss the...

To mark the final episode of 2021, we're switching away from our usual programming to include an edited version of the discussion that Oscar had on The Honest Drink podcast. Recorded a few weeks ago, the...

Today’s special compilation from Season 02 is all about where people get their news and information from about China. Around the world, news and journalism continues to get more consolidated, more...

It's that time of year where our thoughts turn to... buying stuff we don't really need. In China, we've just had the annual Singles' Day online shopping bonanza. And the U.S. equivalent of Cyber Monday is...

Do you know why Chinese politicians have lustrous black hair? Do you know why you wouldn’t write '1,000,000' in China? And do you know why pandas do handstands? If the answer to any of those question is...

This week's compilation episode from Season 02 is about the things which surprise people the most about life in China. No matter whether you're a China outsider or someone who's been living here for decades,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Crystyl Mo has been reporting on the world of restaurants 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...

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...

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...