October 25, 2021 • 21 mins
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, there's always something new around the corner to keep you on your toes.
What is it about China that makes you feel the most surprised? It's scale? The pace of change? The way decisions are made here? Think carefully about how you would answer this question, and then see if it corresponds with any of the answers given in today's show.
Chapters
00:00 - Trailer & Intro
00:52 - Main
19:15 - Outro
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
[Trailer]Björn DAHLMAN: And they'd put in a face scanner,
you have to scan your face to get your toiletpaper. Does this machine calculate how much
paper I need?
[Intro]OF: Welcome to Mosaic of China, a podcast
about people who are making their mark inChina. I’m your host, Oscar Fuchs.
(00:23):
In our third special compilation episode fromSeason 02, we listen to how the guests answered
the question (00:29):
"Is there anything that still surprises you about life in China"? And anyone
living in China at any point over the lastdecade, be they Chinese or non-Chinese, will
understand the context of this question. There’salways something out there helping to keep
us all on our toes. So take a listen to thesesurprises, and I’ll be back at the end of
(00:49):
the episode with a couple of new ones to sharemyself.
[Main][Voiceover]
OF (00:53):
Jamie Barys, the street food expert from Episode 02.
[Clip]JB: Expats who just have not even remotely
invested in China. And they live here, theylived here for years… So I met a woman,
who had lived here for 13 years the otherday, she had never tried 煎饼 [jiānbing].
What? JB
(01:16):
me change your life, because it is the bestbreakfast food in the world.” But also “Just
what have you been doing for 13 years thatyou've never had the opportunity to try 煎饼
[jiānbing]?”OF: Yeah. And it just shows you how that first
step can be so hard. Like, you might havewalked past the 煎饼 [jiānbing] maker,
and just thought “Oh it’s so intimidatingto try and ask that person.” Like, good
(01:37):
for her for having been here 13 years, butthen having that first step with you.
JB (01:41):
Yeah. [Voiceover]
OF (01:43):
Michael Kinsey, the fire engineer from Episode 25.
[Clip]MK: I think one of the things which surprises
me still is how kind and welcoming peopleare, especially to foreigners. You know, from
when I have problems working out an app onmy phone, or I'm trying to pay for a bus ride,
someone will come and help me. And I haven'teven asked for it. It still amazes me.
(02:04):
I think this could also be a function of your exuding sincerity, Michael.
MK (02:08):
Well, I try and… Whatever I do, I try and do it with a smile. And, you know, and
just look clueless. I've hammered down theclueless look quite well now, so…
[Voiceover]OF: DJ BO, the DJ from Episode 23.
[Clip]BO: Recently, I just got an offer to go DJ
in a city in 江苏 [Jiāngsū] province thatI never heard of called ‘Zhenjiang’…
(02:31):
‘Zhanjing’… I don't even know. But like,I thought I was at the end of going to new
cities in China. And out of nowhere, I gota hit up from someone who had seen me at a
party in 南京 [Nánjīng]. And they said“We want you to come to our city” and
I said “Sure”. So maybe sometimes I getcomplacent, and I forget about things like
(02:51):
that. But I love that. That's great.[Voiceover]
OF (02:55):
Salome Chen, the investor and developer from Episode 24.
[Clip]SC: No, not really. Become my grandma always
taught me to keep calm and not be surprised.And I’ve got used to that attitude. If there
is anything new or very different happening,I will just try to analyse why. Yeah.
(03:16):
Yeah, that's definitely the scientific side of you.
[Voiceover]OF: Jo McFarland, the product sourcing leader
from Episode 18.[Clip]
JM (03:26):
It’s got to be the rate of change, particularly construction. Like, so for example, out of
our office window, there was a building thatwas just like a massive hole in the ground.
And now there’s, like a 30-storey building.And it's the same across the way from my apartment.
It's like one day, almost like there was anunveiling, it’s like “Oh my god, there's
a whole full apartment building”. And itjust happened so fast. Only China can do that.
(03:50):
Or you can go somewhere every day - to a restaurantor somewhere - and then you’ll turn up the
next day, and it's gone. And somehow it stillsurprises me every single time.
[Voiceover]OF: Katherine Wong, the Peruvian healer from
Episode 04.[Clip]
KW (04:06):
Change. Change, in terms of how fast there's buildings appearing, or disappearing. In my
street, in two or three months, they are,like, four coffee shops. New.
[Voiceover]OF: Wendy Saunders, the architect from Episode
(04:26):
12.[Clip]
WS (04:27):
You walk around the neighbourhood where you go every day, and you'll just see something
totally new, and something new popping up.Or you’ll notice something, people doing
something different than they did five yearsago. I was going for lunch, and I just passed
by this, this small little hole-in-the-wall.And you look in, and it's this super cool
(04:47):
little store. And it's like very trendy youngpeople in it, in the middle of nowhere. And
you think “Wow, you can't imagine that happeningeven five years ago.” And it's just always
this, kind of, never boring place.[Voiceover]
OF (05:03):
Vladimir Djurovic, the brand naming expert from Episode 13.
[Clip]VD: This week, I was driving back from a meeting
in 浦东 [Pǔdōng] and it got me to oneof the avenues in the north of Shanghai like
towards 常熟路 [Chángshúlù], 天目路[Tiānmùlù]. And I saw that the whole avenue
for kilometres was under reconstruction. Isaw China like that 20 years ago, I saw also
(05:28):
this 10 years ago. But in Shanghai, I meanthis year, I still see a lot of construction.
It keeps surprising me to see that that levelof undertaking.
[Voiceover]OF: Murray King, the public affairs leader
from Episode 29.[Clip]
MK (05:44):
There are definitely things that surprise me. But sometimes, surprise me in special
ways. I'll give you kind of a unique example.I remember when I first came here, you know,
I had the opportunity to travel domestically,and this was like 27 years ago. And in those
days, you got a boarding pass, you went toa small airport terminal. And then you would
be bussed out - or you'd walk out - to theaircraft on the tarmac. It wasn't anything
(06:07):
like it is now. And even though you had areserved seat, you know, there was a scrum
to get onto the flight. And I mean, it wasa rough scrum. And you knew you had your seat,
in theory. Sometimes you had to remind peoplewho got your seat that it was your seat, it
would always work out. And then, the samething on an escalator, everybody would just
(06:27):
push in. And there are a lot of reasons forthat, and it's not a criticism. But I remember,
it was like about eight years ago, I was onan escalator going up to the second floor
in my office building at the time. And I lookedup and I noticed that everyone was standing
to the right. Everybody, without exception.And it just made me realise, everything you
(06:50):
thought you knew was different. Because peopleare progressing, and society is changing so
quickly, and so dynamically. And it's justthe smallest of things, but it's exciting
to see it. And it's exciting to be part ofit. And I kind of almost felt like I was the
one who was kind of standing on the wrongside. So your perspective changes.
[Voiceover]OF: Seth Harvey, the education coach from
(07:11):
Episode 19.[Clip]
SH (07:12):
I was walking out of my office the other day, and there was a guy, and he had a turtle
on a stick. Like, I think some of us maybeknow what I'm talking about. But I think it's
his pet turtle. So he's got a string wrappedaround its shell, and on a stick. And he just
like carries it around with him and hangsout. You just never know what you're gonna
see. Every day, something new surprises meand like, I feel like that's a huge value.
(07:33):
It's one of the things that I really lovethe most here, is that it's a very unpredictable
place.[Voiceover]
OF (07:39):
Sean Harmon, the beer company CEO from Episode 09.
[Clip]SH: Recently, top of mind is for sure eCommerce.
The power in reach of a channel that's sonew. And how quickly everyone, it seems, has
adapted to it. Regardless of age, I mean,everyone is buying online, it feels like.
(08:01):
[Voiceover]OF: Danma Jyid, the Tibetan social enterprise
leader from Episode 10.[Clip]
DJ (08:08):
In my village people are following all kinds of social media. They also buy all kinds
of stuff, like from Taobao and 拼多多 [Pīnduōduō],you know, all these apps. And the 快递 [kuàidì]
delivery person would send stuff to us, liketo our soap production space, because that
is more convenient for them, rather than justgo to each household. Because in the nomadic
(08:31):
area, they all live far away from each other,right?
OF (08:35):
Right. DJ
So sometimes the families would ask us tobring stuff to them, you know “Oh, bring
my parcel, bring my parcel” you know. Soyeah.
Right, because I guess that is the most prominent address in the whole village, right?
DJ (08:52):
No, the delivery person is lazy. OF
Yeah. [Voiceover]
OF (08:57):
Chang Chihyun, the humanities professor from Episode 03.
[Clip]CC: Let me put it this way, using university
education. We know that for the past 20 years,Chinese universities are forcing university
lecturers and workers to publish academicpapers or journal articles. When we evaluate
(09:21):
our colleagues, they still use how many papersyou have published. Oh my god, yeah. Because
China is gigantic. So it's understandablewhen we need to manage this country, and this
scale of people - or universities - througha very quantitative way. But I am a person
(09:44):
who is in charge of evaluating people's talents.Every day, I have to recruit foreign talents.
I don't believe in quantitative standards,because it's impossible.
[Voiceover]OF: Noxolo Bhengu, the African community organiser
from Episode 14.[Clip]
NB (10:05):
How time moves differently here than the rest of the world. We’re on a whole other
planet. Time moves so quickly here. And I'vetested that out, because there was a time
I was living at home for a year, and I hadso much time. This city’s on steroids.
OF (10:21):
Yeah. NB
[Voiceover]OF: Zhao Huiling, the Africa travel vlogger
from Episode 28.[Clip]
ZH (10:32):
The pace of life. I still feel, on a daily basis, I have to learn a great deal to catch
up with the millennials. To know how to speaktheir language in order to communicate with
them.[Voiceover]
OF (10:46):
Ajay Jain, the car designer from Episode 21.
[Clip]AJ: I just came back from from Beijing Motor
Show. And do you know, this new cult of journalistsare all people with rigs around themselves,
holding cameras, and filming themselves nextto cars. They're like girls dressed up for
(11:07):
KTV, or a nightclub. They could be sellingcosmetics, you know. I wonder, are they scripted?
What do they say? You know, so it just…Everything, in every respect, felt out of
context with the rest of the world.[Voiceover]
Casey Hall, the fashion journalist from Episode 22.
(11:28):
[Clip]CH: I'm going to answer this in a little bit
of a less light-hearted way. I think thatfor my husband and I - who have been here
for such a long time - one of the things thatwe would say has been a surprise, over the
entire time we've been here, is that we don'thave that many close Chinese friends. And
we have some - and some wonderful, wonderfulfriends - but there is still a difficulty,
(11:51):
I think, with forming widespread meaningfulrelationships between foreigners and Chinese
people. My communication skills are quitegood, I can speak Chinese quite well, I feel
like it's not a language barrier. It is muchmore of a cultural barrier that is difficult
to overcome. I guess I thought that over time,it would become easier. But in many ways it
(12:12):
doesn't. Like, it’s easy to have a lot ofacquaintances, but a kind of more deeper-level
relationship with Chinese people, we’vefound really hard to execute.
Yes, I agree with you. I think there are a number of reasons for that. I think Shanghai
being a big imposing city is one of thosereasons. It would be the same if you were
(12:32):
in London. You know, if you were in London,you would gravitate towards other non-Londoners
basically.CH: True.
Because a lot of people in London would have friends since they were at school, and
they're not interested necessarily in newbies,who may be transient and might leave.
CH (12:45):
Yeah. OF
yeah, what you say is true. And it is somethingwhich I see especially with people who are
in relationships with other foreigners. Ithink if you have one of you who is Chinese,
then just naturally you tend to hang aroundwith more people who are Chinese. And it just
is a little bit more difficult when both ofyou are non-Chinese.
(13:06):
I think that it's very fair to say. OF
I don't know. I don't know. And it's something that has been, for a long time, something
that was surprising to both of us.OF: Yeah.
[Voiceover]OF: Jiyoung, the transgender teacher from
Episode 30.[Clip]
J (13:23):
Oftentimes people in the West look at China and be like "Oh, they're just a crowd of obedient
peoples”. And I must admit, sometimes Ihad that stereotype in my head, before I came
to China. And to see that being broken overand over and over again, is something that
surprises me. Because the way that they navigateobstacles, now that's replaced my paradigm
(13:44):
of how I view the cross-section of Chinesesociety.
[Voiceover]OF: Cocosanti, the drag performer from Episode
05.[Clip]
C (13:54):
China has grown so fast and so quickly, and so many cities have developed. But one
thing that will always surprise me - and somethingthat really **** me off - is the obstacles
that China puts in the way, that I think it'sjust for like people to get a kick out of.
Like, the only entrance into the Metro is,you have to walk all the way down here. And
(14:16):
we could open this stall up, but we're notgoing to do that. They're just minute, little
things that just don’t… it's not necessary.[Voiceover]
OF (14:28):
Michelle Qu, the improvisational comedian from Episode 20.
[Clip]MQ: You can borrow an umbrella in the metro
station.OF: Oh, how does that work? So you scan it,
you take the umbrella…MQ: Yeah. You take the umbrella, and in 24
hours you can give it back in any metro station.[Voiceover]
(14:51):
Cassandra Chen, the heavy metal bar owner from Episode 16.
[Clip]CC: A lot of things can surprise me. Ten years
ago, we didn’t even have smartphones. Andnow everybody does.
[Voiceover]OF: Zhang Yuan, the performance art exhibitor
from Episode 07.[Clip]
ZY (15:13):
Technology. But in a way you know I mean, I believe we cannot live without technology.
The philosopher who just passed away, BernardStiegler, he just said technology is the poison.
But on the other hand it’s the solution.So you have to get along with it.
[Voiceover]OF: Douglon Tse, the island businessman from
(15:37):
Episode 15.[Clip]
DT (15:38):
The thing that still surprises me is how Chinese people are able to copycat things,
and make it into creative products. Companiesthat chose to be in Tier One cities have now
outgrown the market. And people who decideto start their business in Tier Five cities
have now outgrown their market. So now they'refighting for the Tier 2,3,4 cities. And so
(16:01):
the foreign companies have to make their productscheaper. Companies that started in Tier Five
cities now have to improve their quality.So across the board, you're gonna see a whole
bunch of battles.[Voiceover]
OF (16:14):
Louise Roy, the childbirth and lactation specialist from Episode 06.
[Clip]LR: I was surprised the other day to learn
- from a bunch of nurses that I was talkingto - that you can get condoms on 饿了么
[Èleme] arrive at your door in 20 minutes.And then if it breaks, you can get the morning-after
(16:34):
pill 20 minutes after that. And I was like“Maybe you should just stop buying condoms
on 饿了么 [Èleme]”.[Voiceover]
Alex Shoer, the clean energy entrepreneur from Episode 11.
[Clip]AS: How a city of almost 30 million people
can feel like a village, or even a collegecampus at times. Something about the neighbourhoods
(16:56):
of Shanghai, and the districts of Shanghai,and how contained they feel, how little you
really need to leave your neighbourhood. Youhave health care, you have food, you have
social activities, you have exercise, youhave friends, you have parks, and this walkability.
[Voiceover]OF: Stéphane Wilmet, the head of consumer
(17:17):
insights at L'Oreal from Episode 01.[Clip]
SW (17:21):
Every day, all the time. Because again, when I think I finally figured out why or
what this means, that's exactly when the cardsturn. And I realise, I don't know. So I'm
every day constantly amazed and reminded.[Voiceover]
OF (17:41):
Björn Dahlman, the Swedish clown from Episode 17.
[Clip]BD: So I do Kung Fu in People's Park. And
I just remember going to the public bathroomthere, and they'd put in a face scanner, you
have to scan your face to get your toiletpaper. I understand the logic of it, because
I hear people just take the toilet paper andthey bring it back home to save money. But
(18:02):
it's just… it's so bizarre. It's so manysteps that’s like "Could this have been
done in another way?” No, they put in facescanners for toilet paper. Does this machine
calculate how much paper I need? Does it seemy chubby Western face? And it gives me a
lot.[Voiceover]
Jovana Zhang, the handicrafts designer from Episode 08.
(18:25):
[Clip]JZ: It was Spring Festival a few years ago,
we were eating in Lei’s parents’ homein 杭州 [Hángzhōu]. And his family from
天津 [Tiānjīn] was visiting, Lei’s sister,Lei’s mum’s brother with his wife, and
their daughter, so it's like three generations.I just sat to eat, I wanted to put the thing
in my mouth, and then the kid who was, like,about three years old, she suddenly said “I
(18:51):
need a sh*t”. And then three of them - themother, the grandma and grandpa - ran to the
kid, took off her panties and trousers, andlet her sh*t in the middle of the living room.
And I was like “What the hell is this?”And the toilet is just two metres beside.
Wow. JZ
You don't see that so much… JZ
(19:12):
me anymore.
[Outro]OF: So those were the surprises from the guests
of Season 02, I hope you enjoyed that compilation.I said at the beginning of the episode that
I also had a couple of new surprises up mysleeve to share. Well the first of these is
that, as of October 1st, the podcast has justcrept over the threshold of 100,000 downloads.
(19:37):
So let me say a big thank you to you for contributingto that number, I’m grateful for every single
one of those listens.
And speaking of gratitude, I’m also gratefulto my husband Denny Newell for the second
surprise, which is the new banner image forMosaic of China that he designed. As I’m
releasing this compilation, I’ve actuallyspent the last couple of weeks traveling around
(19:59):
China recording some of the new conversationsfor next Season, so hopefully I’ve managed
to successfully upload the new banner imageto all the online accounts for the podcast
by the time you’re listening to this. Ifnot, then hey ho I guess that counts as a
surprise too.
Mosaic of China is me, Oscar Fuchs, with artworkby Denny Newell. The next compilation episode
(20:20):
coming up will be on the topic of China facts,so it'll be a good chance to brush up on your
China trivia. See you again in another 2 weeks!
[Clips]SW: Thank you very much.
JB (20:33):
Thank you, it’s been a pleasure. CC
KW (20:35):
Thank you so much. C
LR (20:37):
Thank you very much. ZY
JZ (20:40):
Thank you. SH
DJ (20:42):
Thank you. AS
WS (20:43):
Thank you. VD
NB (20:44):
Thank you. DT
CC (20:46):
Thank you. BD
JM (20:48):
Thank you very much. SH
MQ (20:50):
Thank you. AJ
CH (20:52):
Thank you. BO
SC (20:53):
Thank you. MK
CM (20:54):
Thank you. VF
ZH (20:55):
Thank you for having me. MK
J (20:57):
Thank you so much.
[Trailer]Björn DAHLMAN: And they'd put in a face scanner,
you have to scan your face to get your toiletpaper. Does this machine calculate how much
paper I need?
[Intro]OF: Welcome to Mosaic of China, a podcast
about people who are making their mark inChina. I’m your host, Oscar Fuchs.
(00:23):
In our third special compilation episode fromSeason 02, we listen to how the guests answered
the question (00:29):
"Is there anything that still surprises you about life in China"? And anyone
living in China at any point over the lastdecade, be they Chinese or non-Chinese, will
understand the context of this question. There’salways something out there helping to keep
us all on our toes. So take a listen to thesesurprises, and I’ll be back at the end of
(00:49):
the episode with a couple of new ones to sharemyself.
[Main][Voiceover]
OF (00:53):
Jamie Barys, the street food expert from Episode 02.
[Clip]JB: Expats who just have not even remotely
invested in China. And they live here, theylived here for years… So I met a woman,
who had lived here for 13 years the otherday, she had never tried 煎饼 [jiānbing].
What? JB
(01:16):
me change your life, because it is the bestbreakfast food in the world.” But also “Just
what have you been doing for 13 years thatyou've never had the opportunity to try 煎饼
[jiānbing]?”OF: Yeah. And it just shows you how that first
step can be so hard. Like, you might havewalked past the 煎饼 [jiānbing] maker,
and just thought “Oh it’s so intimidatingto try and ask that person.” Like, good
(01:37):
for her for having been here 13 years, butthen having that first step with you.
JB (01:41):
Yeah. [Voiceover]
OF (01:43):
Michael Kinsey, the fire engineer from Episode 25.
[Clip]MK: I think one of the things which surprises
me still is how kind and welcoming peopleare, especially to foreigners. You know, from
when I have problems working out an app onmy phone, or I'm trying to pay for a bus ride,
someone will come and help me. And I haven'teven asked for it. It still amazes me.
(02:04):
I think this could also be a function of your exuding sincerity, Michael.
MK (02:08):
Well, I try and… Whatever I do, I try and do it with a smile. And, you know, and
just look clueless. I've hammered down theclueless look quite well now, so…
[Voiceover]OF: DJ BO, the DJ from Episode 23.
[Clip]BO: Recently, I just got an offer to go DJ
in a city in 江苏 [Jiāngsū] province thatI never heard of called ‘Zhenjiang’…
(02:31):
‘Zhanjing’… I don't even know. But like,I thought I was at the end of going to new
cities in China. And out of nowhere, I gota hit up from someone who had seen me at a
party in 南京 [Nánjīng]. And they said“We want you to come to our city” and
I said “Sure”. So maybe sometimes I getcomplacent, and I forget about things like
(02:51):
that. But I love that. That's great.[Voiceover]
OF (02:55):
Salome Chen, the investor and developer from Episode 24.
[Clip]SC: No, not really. Become my grandma always
taught me to keep calm and not be surprised.And I’ve got used to that attitude. If there
is anything new or very different happening,I will just try to analyse why. Yeah.
(03:16):
Yeah, that's definitely the scientific side of you.
[Voiceover]OF: Jo McFarland, the product sourcing leader
from Episode 18.[Clip]
JM (03:26):
It’s got to be the rate of change, particularly construction. Like, so for example, out of
our office window, there was a building thatwas just like a massive hole in the ground.
And now there’s, like a 30-storey building.And it's the same across the way from my apartment.
It's like one day, almost like there was anunveiling, it’s like “Oh my god, there's
a whole full apartment building”. And itjust happened so fast. Only China can do that.
(03:50):
Or you can go somewhere every day - to a restaurantor somewhere - and then you’ll turn up the
next day, and it's gone. And somehow it stillsurprises me every single time.
[Voiceover]OF: Katherine Wong, the Peruvian healer from
Episode 04.[Clip]
KW (04:06):
Change. Change, in terms of how fast there's buildings appearing, or disappearing. In my
street, in two or three months, they are,like, four coffee shops. New.
[Voiceover]OF: Wendy Saunders, the architect from Episode
(04:26):
12.[Clip]
WS (04:27):
You walk around the neighbourhood where you go every day, and you'll just see something
totally new, and something new popping up.Or you’ll notice something, people doing
something different than they did five yearsago. I was going for lunch, and I just passed
by this, this small little hole-in-the-wall.And you look in, and it's this super cool
(04:47):
little store. And it's like very trendy youngpeople in it, in the middle of nowhere. And
you think “Wow, you can't imagine that happeningeven five years ago.” And it's just always
this, kind of, never boring place.[Voiceover]
OF (05:03):
Vladimir Djurovic, the brand naming expert from Episode 13.
[Clip]VD: This week, I was driving back from a meeting
in 浦东 [Pǔdōng] and it got me to oneof the avenues in the north of Shanghai like
towards 常熟路 [Chángshúlù], 天目路[Tiānmùlù]. And I saw that the whole avenue
for kilometres was under reconstruction. Isaw China like that 20 years ago, I saw also
(05:28):
this 10 years ago. But in Shanghai, I meanthis year, I still see a lot of construction.
It keeps surprising me to see that that levelof undertaking.
[Voiceover]OF: Murray King, the public affairs leader
from Episode 29.[Clip]
MK (05:44):
There are definitely things that surprise me. But sometimes, surprise me in special
ways. I'll give you kind of a unique example.I remember when I first came here, you know,
I had the opportunity to travel domestically,and this was like 27 years ago. And in those
days, you got a boarding pass, you went toa small airport terminal. And then you would
be bussed out - or you'd walk out - to theaircraft on the tarmac. It wasn't anything
(06:07):
like it is now. And even though you had areserved seat, you know, there was a scrum
to get onto the flight. And I mean, it wasa rough scrum. And you knew you had your seat,
in theory. Sometimes you had to remind peoplewho got your seat that it was your seat, it
would always work out. And then, the samething on an escalator, everybody would just
(06:27):
push in. And there are a lot of reasons forthat, and it's not a criticism. But I remember,
it was like about eight years ago, I was onan escalator going up to the second floor
in my office building at the time. And I lookedup and I noticed that everyone was standing
to the right. Everybody, without exception.And it just made me realise, everything you
(06:50):
thought you knew was different. Because peopleare progressing, and society is changing so
quickly, and so dynamically. And it's justthe smallest of things, but it's exciting
to see it. And it's exciting to be part ofit. And I kind of almost felt like I was the
one who was kind of standing on the wrongside. So your perspective changes.
[Voiceover]OF: Seth Harvey, the education coach from
(07:11):
Episode 19.[Clip]
SH (07:12):
I was walking out of my office the other day, and there was a guy, and he had a turtle
on a stick. Like, I think some of us maybeknow what I'm talking about. But I think it's
his pet turtle. So he's got a string wrappedaround its shell, and on a stick. And he just
like carries it around with him and hangsout. You just never know what you're gonna
see. Every day, something new surprises meand like, I feel like that's a huge value.
(07:33):
It's one of the things that I really lovethe most here, is that it's a very unpredictable
place.[Voiceover]
OF (07:39):
Sean Harmon, the beer company CEO from Episode 09.
[Clip]SH: Recently, top of mind is for sure eCommerce.
The power in reach of a channel that's sonew. And how quickly everyone, it seems, has
adapted to it. Regardless of age, I mean,everyone is buying online, it feels like.
(08:01):
[Voiceover]OF: Danma Jyid, the Tibetan social enterprise
leader from Episode 10.[Clip]
DJ (08:08):
In my village people are following all kinds of social media. They also buy all kinds
of stuff, like from Taobao and 拼多多 [Pīnduōduō],you know, all these apps. And the 快递 [kuàidì]
delivery person would send stuff to us, liketo our soap production space, because that
is more convenient for them, rather than justgo to each household. Because in the nomadic
(08:31):
area, they all live far away from each other,right?
OF (08:35):
Right. DJ
So sometimes the families would ask us tobring stuff to them, you know “Oh, bring
my parcel, bring my parcel” you know. Soyeah.
Right, because I guess that is the most prominent address in the whole village, right?
DJ (08:52):
No, the delivery person is lazy. OF
Yeah. [Voiceover]
OF (08:57):
Chang Chihyun, the humanities professor from Episode 03.
[Clip]CC: Let me put it this way, using university
education. We know that for the past 20 years,Chinese universities are forcing university
lecturers and workers to publish academicpapers or journal articles. When we evaluate
(09:21):
our colleagues, they still use how many papersyou have published. Oh my god, yeah. Because
China is gigantic. So it's understandablewhen we need to manage this country, and this
scale of people - or universities - througha very quantitative way. But I am a person
(09:44):
who is in charge of evaluating people's talents.Every day, I have to recruit foreign talents.
I don't believe in quantitative standards,because it's impossible.
[Voiceover]OF: Noxolo Bhengu, the African community organiser
from Episode 14.[Clip]
NB (10:05):
How time moves differently here than the rest of the world. We’re on a whole other
planet. Time moves so quickly here. And I'vetested that out, because there was a time
I was living at home for a year, and I hadso much time. This city’s on steroids.
OF (10:21):
Yeah. NB
[Voiceover]OF: Zhao Huiling, the Africa travel vlogger
from Episode 28.[Clip]
ZH (10:32):
The pace of life. I still feel, on a daily basis, I have to learn a great deal to catch
up with the millennials. To know how to speaktheir language in order to communicate with
them.[Voiceover]
OF (10:46):
Ajay Jain, the car designer from Episode 21.
[Clip]AJ: I just came back from from Beijing Motor
Show. And do you know, this new cult of journalistsare all people with rigs around themselves,
holding cameras, and filming themselves nextto cars. They're like girls dressed up for
(11:07):
KTV, or a nightclub. They could be sellingcosmetics, you know. I wonder, are they scripted?
What do they say? You know, so it just…Everything, in every respect, felt out of
context with the rest of the world.[Voiceover]
Casey Hall, the fashion journalist from Episode 22.
(11:28):
[Clip]CH: I'm going to answer this in a little bit
of a less light-hearted way. I think thatfor my husband and I - who have been here
for such a long time - one of the things thatwe would say has been a surprise, over the
entire time we've been here, is that we don'thave that many close Chinese friends. And
we have some - and some wonderful, wonderfulfriends - but there is still a difficulty,
(11:51):
I think, with forming widespread meaningfulrelationships between foreigners and Chinese
people. My communication skills are quitegood, I can speak Chinese quite well, I feel
like it's not a language barrier. It is muchmore of a cultural barrier that is difficult
to overcome. I guess I thought that over time,it would become easier. But in many ways it
(12:12):
doesn't. Like, it’s easy to have a lot ofacquaintances, but a kind of more deeper-level
relationship with Chinese people, we’vefound really hard to execute.
Yes, I agree with you. I think there are a number of reasons for that. I think Shanghai
being a big imposing city is one of thosereasons. It would be the same if you were
(12:32):
in London. You know, if you were in London,you would gravitate towards other non-Londoners
basically.CH: True.
Because a lot of people in London would have friends since they were at school, and
they're not interested necessarily in newbies,who may be transient and might leave.
CH (12:45):
Yeah. OF
yeah, what you say is true. And it is somethingwhich I see especially with people who are
in relationships with other foreigners. Ithink if you have one of you who is Chinese,
then just naturally you tend to hang aroundwith more people who are Chinese. And it just
is a little bit more difficult when both ofyou are non-Chinese.
(13:06):
I think that it's very fair to say. OF
I don't know. I don't know. And it's something that has been, for a long time, something
that was surprising to both of us.OF: Yeah.
[Voiceover]OF: Jiyoung, the transgender teacher from
Episode 30.[Clip]
J (13:23):
Oftentimes people in the West look at China and be like "Oh, they're just a crowd of obedient
peoples”. And I must admit, sometimes Ihad that stereotype in my head, before I came
to China. And to see that being broken overand over and over again, is something that
surprises me. Because the way that they navigateobstacles, now that's replaced my paradigm
(13:44):
of how I view the cross-section of Chinesesociety.
[Voiceover]OF: Cocosanti, the drag performer from Episode
05.[Clip]
C (13:54):
China has grown so fast and so quickly, and so many cities have developed. But one
thing that will always surprise me - and somethingthat really **** me off - is the obstacles
that China puts in the way, that I think it'sjust for like people to get a kick out of.
Like, the only entrance into the Metro is,you have to walk all the way down here. And
(14:16):
we could open this stall up, but we're notgoing to do that. They're just minute, little
things that just don’t… it's not necessary.[Voiceover]
OF (14:28):
Michelle Qu, the improvisational comedian from Episode 20.
[Clip]MQ: You can borrow an umbrella in the metro
station.OF: Oh, how does that work? So you scan it,
you take the umbrella…MQ: Yeah. You take the umbrella, and in 24
hours you can give it back in any metro station.[Voiceover]
(14:51):
Cassandra Chen, the heavy metal bar owner from Episode 16.
[Clip]CC: A lot of things can surprise me. Ten years
ago, we didn’t even have smartphones. Andnow everybody does.
[Voiceover]OF: Zhang Yuan, the performance art exhibitor
from Episode 07.[Clip]
ZY (15:13):
Technology. But in a way you know I mean, I believe we cannot live without technology.
The philosopher who just passed away, BernardStiegler, he just said technology is the poison.
But on the other hand it’s the solution.So you have to get along with it.
[Voiceover]OF: Douglon Tse, the island businessman from
(15:37):
Episode 15.[Clip]
DT (15:38):
The thing that still surprises me is how Chinese people are able to copycat things,
and make it into creative products. Companiesthat chose to be in Tier One cities have now
outgrown the market. And people who decideto start their business in Tier Five cities
have now outgrown their market. So now they'refighting for the Tier 2,3,4 cities. And so
(16:01):
the foreign companies have to make their productscheaper. Companies that started in Tier Five
cities now have to improve their quality.So across the board, you're gonna see a whole
bunch of battles.[Voiceover]
OF (16:14):
Louise Roy, the childbirth and lactation specialist from Episode 06.
[Clip]LR: I was surprised the other day to learn
- from a bunch of nurses that I was talkingto - that you can get condoms on 饿了么
[Èleme] arrive at your door in 20 minutes.And then if it breaks, you can get the morning-after
(16:34):
pill 20 minutes after that. And I was like“Maybe you should just stop buying condoms
on 饿了么 [Èleme]”.[Voiceover]
Alex Shoer, the clean energy entrepreneur from Episode 11.
[Clip]AS: How a city of almost 30 million people
can feel like a village, or even a collegecampus at times. Something about the neighbourhoods
(16:56):
of Shanghai, and the districts of Shanghai,and how contained they feel, how little you
really need to leave your neighbourhood. Youhave health care, you have food, you have
social activities, you have exercise, youhave friends, you have parks, and this walkability.
[Voiceover]OF: Stéphane Wilmet, the head of consumer
(17:17):
insights at L'Oreal from Episode 01.[Clip]
SW (17:21):
Every day, all the time. Because again, when I think I finally figured out why or
what this means, that's exactly when the cardsturn. And I realise, I don't know. So I'm
every day constantly amazed and reminded.[Voiceover]
OF (17:41):
Björn Dahlman, the Swedish clown from Episode 17.
[Clip]BD: So I do Kung Fu in People's Park. And
I just remember going to the public bathroomthere, and they'd put in a face scanner, you
have to scan your face to get your toiletpaper. I understand the logic of it, because
I hear people just take the toilet paper andthey bring it back home to save money. But
(18:02):
it's just… it's so bizarre. It's so manysteps that’s like "Could this have been
done in another way?” No, they put in facescanners for toilet paper. Does this machine
calculate how much paper I need? Does it seemy chubby Western face? And it gives me a
lot.[Voiceover]
Jovana Zhang, the handicrafts designer from Episode 08.
(18:25):
[Clip]JZ: It was Spring Festival a few years ago,
we were eating in Lei’s parents’ homein 杭州 [Hángzhōu]. And his family from
天津 [Tiānjīn] was visiting, Lei’s sister,Lei’s mum’s brother with his wife, and
their daughter, so it's like three generations.I just sat to eat, I wanted to put the thing
in my mouth, and then the kid who was, like,about three years old, she suddenly said “I
(18:51):
need a sh*t”. And then three of them - themother, the grandma and grandpa - ran to the
kid, took off her panties and trousers, andlet her sh*t in the middle of the living room.
And I was like “What the hell is this?”And the toilet is just two metres beside.
Wow. JZ
You don't see that so much… JZ
(19:12):
me anymore.
[Outro]OF: So those were the surprises from the guests
of Season 02, I hope you enjoyed that compilation.I said at the beginning of the episode that
I also had a couple of new surprises up mysleeve to share. Well the first of these is
that, as of October 1st, the podcast has justcrept over the threshold of 100,000 downloads.
(19:37):
So let me say a big thank you to you for contributingto that number, I’m grateful for every single
one of those listens.
And speaking of gratitude, I’m also gratefulto my husband Denny Newell for the second
surprise, which is the new banner image forMosaic of China that he designed. As I’m
releasing this compilation, I’ve actuallyspent the last couple of weeks traveling around
(19:59):
China recording some of the new conversationsfor next Season, so hopefully I’ve managed
to successfully upload the new banner imageto all the online accounts for the podcast
by the time you’re listening to this. Ifnot, then hey ho I guess that counts as a
surprise too.
Mosaic of China is me, Oscar Fuchs, with artworkby Denny Newell. The next compilation episode
(20:20):
coming up will be on the topic of China facts,so it'll be a good chance to brush up on your
China trivia. See you again in another 2 weeks!
[Clips]SW: Thank you very much.
JB (20:33):
Thank you, it’s been a pleasure. CC
KW (20:35):
Thank you so much. C
LR (20:37):
Thank you very much. ZY
JZ (20:40):
Thank you. SH
DJ (20:42):
Thank you. AS
WS (20:43):
Thank you. VD
NB (20:44):
Thank you. DT
CC (20:46):
Thank you. BD
JM (20:48):
Thank you very much. SH
MQ (20:50):
Thank you. AJ
CH (20:52):
Thank you. BO
SC (20:53):
Thank you. MK
CM (20:54):
Thank you. VF
ZH (20:55):
Thank you for having me. MK
J (20:57):
Thank you so much.
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