October 1, 2019 • 29 mins
Today I’m speaking with Vy Vu. Apart from how much I love the economy of her name, I also love the story of how someone who was feeling lost in Shanghai can ultimately become part of a fitness movement that’s spreading across China and the world. You’ll hear about how FitFam is not just about making people in China fit, it’s also about making them confident, and making them into future leaders. We also talk about how to manage a volunteer organisation, and then how to grow it without compromising on its founding principles. Our conversation is a good advert in general about the benefits of living and working overseas, and how you can go from knowing no-one in a new city to being in a position which helps define who you are. Chapters 00:00 - Trailer & Intro 02:48 - Part 1 19:55 - Part 2 27:06 - Outro Instagram: www.instagram.com/oscology Facebook: www.facebook.com/mosaicofchina WeChat: www.mosaicofchina.com/wechat
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
[Trailer]VV: It really
(00:02):
made me realise this incredible networkof people that are in Shanghai. That are
so generous that they've sent methis lamp that is so obnoxious.
[Intro]OF: Welcome to Mosaic of China,
a podcast about people who are making theirmark in China. I'm your host, Oscar Fuchs.
(00:27):
So one big correction from last week's episodewith Michael Zee from Symmetry Breakfast:
apparently, you can see old people walking aroundin their pyjamas everywhere across China and not
just in Shanghai. But that's not to say it'scommon, there were some people on the WeChat
group who said they haven't seen it since the 90s.But the bigger debate was on why it happens. There
(00:47):
were a couple of people who looked to historicalreasons, where it was a symbol of status that you
didn't need to work. Then there were others wholinked it to the fact that older buildings still
might not have indoor plumbing. So it's common forpeople to pop out in their pyjamas to use shared
amenities. But that theory doesn't quite explainthe fact that you can still see it happening on
the main roads. And that might be explained ifyou're near a hospital. Most of these are on the
(01:08):
main roads, and it's common for people to takefresh air in their hospital pyjamas. But if none
of the above applies, it might just be becausesome older people view pyjamas in the same way
that younger people view sweatpants or loungewear.Just something to wear out of convenience,
if you can't be bothered to put on anythingelse. If you'd like to join the group on WeChat,
then please send me a friend request on my ID: mosaicofchina and I'll add you there myself. I (01:27):
undefined
promise it won't be about pyjamas every time,out of all the interesting things we discussed
last week, I would not have thought that it wasabout old people in Pyjamas that everyone would
have been talking about. But seeing as it's sopopular, maybe it's time for me to set up my own
Instagram account called Symmetry Pyjamas,and I'll give Michael a run for his money.
(01:48):
And so on to today's episode. Today I'mspeaking with Vy Vu. Apart from how much
I love her name - with just four letters, it’sthe most economical name that I know - what I
also love is her story, which shows how someonewho was feeling lost in Shanghai can ultimately
become part of a fitness movement that's spreadingacross China and the world. You'll hear about how
(02:08):
FitFam is not just about making people in Chinafit. It's also about making them confident, and
making them into future leaders. We also talkedabout how you manage a volunteer organisation,
when it's hard enough to motivate people who arebeing paid for their efforts. And then how to grow
it, without compromising on its founding ideals.And finally, it's a good advert in general about
the benefits of living and working overseas.And how you can go from knowing no-one in a
(02:32):
city which you find intimidating, to being in aposition which helps you define who you are. So if
you're someone who is thinking about making a bigchange in your life - either moving to a new city
or a new country, and especially if you're not anatural extrovert - then this episode is for you.
[Part 1]OF: Thank
you so much for coming.VV: Thanks for having me.
OF (02:51):
I am here with Vy Vu. And Vy is - apart from being in the fashion industry - a co-founder and
a community manager of FitFam here in Shanghai.VV: Thanks for having me. I'm really glad that you
asked me to come along and speak to you today.OF: Let us take a look, what is the object
that you have brought in? So tell us.VV: It is - and it is exactly what it
(03:16):
sounds like - a white ceramic monkey holding alight bulb. How this actually came to be in my
possession… I was on this work trip and I wasshopping in Galleries Lafayette, and looking at
(03:36):
the homewares in one of the buildings…OF: That's in Paris, right?
VV (03:40):
Yes, that's in Paris. And I had randomly seen this monkey and snapped a picture of it
and posted it on social media. And allI said was “This is a must-have lamp.”
OF (03:58):
Which was probably half in jest, was it? VV
I had a girlfriend messaged me and say “Oh, I knowsomeone that works there". And then when I got
(04:19):
home from this work trip a couple of weeks later,this box showed up on my door. And I opened it,
and here was this monkey that they had gotten sentover for me. It was an incredible surprise. He now
sits in my house. Definitely a talking pointfor everyone that comes over. But it really
(04:47):
made me realise this incredible network of peoplethat are in Shanghai, that are so generous that
they've sent me this lamp that is so obnoxious.OF: Well, I do get your point. Because there is
a funny thing about the interconnectivity of lifein Shanghai. You say something and then, you know,
(05:11):
two weeks later, it somehow materialises.And everyone's just one or two degrees of
separation away from each other. So there you are,snapping a photo of this thing in Paris. And then
somebody goes “Oh, I know somebody who works forthat same company”. I mean, what are the odds?
VV (05:24):
I know, absolutely. Halfway around the world as well. So it's incredible.
And it's an Italian brand as well. Soit's not even Chinese, or even French.
OF (05:35):
And so this brings me to ask you then about your your life in Shanghai,
which I guess this probably in someway epitomises. When did it all start?
VV (05:45):
I moved to Shanghai in 2013, from Hong Kong actually. So I'd spent a year
in Hong Kong, and came to Shanghai fora job opportunity. So I work in fashion,
as we've mentioned, and I now work for a Frenchbrand. And before I worked for a Chinese brand.
OF (06:07):
Right, so you've got an interesting mix of culture there. You are, obviously by your accent,
Australian. You work here in China.And you work for a French company. So
you must be in the middle of all three cultures.VV: Yeah, absolutely. It sort of made me realise
how accommodating you need to be, and how clearyour communication actually needs to be across
(06:31):
all three planes, actually. It's made me grow.And I know that I probably speak a lot slower,
with a lot more clarity. Because a lot of peoplehave actually mentioned to me that sometimes they
don't understand Australians. Because a lotof the time when you speak to an Australian,
(06:52):
they will slur all of their words together, orthey will use a lot of slang. And I used to do
that. But I know that a lot of friends that I'vehad for a long time probably didn't understand me
in the first two months of knowing them.OF: Right. They just nodded politely,
but… “What the hell is that girl saying?”VV: Exactly. Which is awful.
And so tell me about how you slowly evolved your life here in Shanghai. You
(07:18):
obviously came just for the job. But you'vegrown into so much more. So I want to know
exactly how that progressed with you.VV: I came here knowing no-one. And I
think a lot of other people are obviously in thatsame position, when they first come to China. I'd
come from Hong Kong, and I'd never actuallyeven visited Mainland China before I landed
(07:45):
a job here. You know, I genuinely did not thinkthat China would be anywhere as clean as it is,
as large as it is. I had gotten a job promotionfrom Hong Kong to come to Shanghai, so I took my
job very seriously when I first came. And I stillobviously do now. It took me about three months,
(08:14):
and the only places that I travelled in thatthree months was from work, to the grocery store,
home. Any one of those three combinations. SoI was so uncertain how to make friends. And I
had no connections in Shanghai, and I even hadthe secretary at work connect my WiFi for me,
(08:42):
because I just had no idea. I met somerandom people when I was apartment hunting,
actually. And we happen to get into an agent’s cartogether. They ended up finding me my apartment
in that first week, when I was looking. But Ididn't talk to them for the first three months.
(09:02):
We had a public holiday - it must have beenmaybe Dragon Boat Festival or something like
that - and I had a day off. And I did not knowwhat to do with myself. So I had messaged these
people. And the first thing that they saidto me was “Oh, we thought that you'd found
(09:23):
different friends”. I know it now, but I didn'tknow how open a city like this was. I didn't
realise that it was as easy as a text message. Iwas not even used to having WeChat. So the first
time that these people asked me for my WeChat,I felt like it was invading my privacy. Yeah,
(09:50):
so it sort of opened up a lot of other doors.So as it does in Shanghai, you meet one person,
then you meet two people, you get introduced totheir friends. And it was this incredibly eclectic
group of people that I would never have met indifferent fields. It was so social, and I didn't
(10:14):
realise that it's truly an incredible place.OF: And not many people would call you
‘shy and retiring’ now, would they?VV: No, not at all. But you know, this
is such a change from who I was. All of my 20s, Iwas in back-to-back relationships. For 10 years,
(10:40):
I was in a relationship, and I didn't realisehow much that defined me and the person that
I was. And so it was incredible to be in Asia,on my own, and just to see where life took me,
and basically discover my own identity.OF: Yeah, and knowing you as I do,
(11:06):
it's been the making of you. Especially withwhat you've done now in your spare time. So
above and beyond what you've just described,tell us about how this ‘FitFam’ thing started.
VV (11:17):
We started as a handful of friends just working out together at 卢湾 [Lúwān] Stadium,
way back in 2015. We motivated each other toget out there almost every single day. And we
bonded because of that. And we were out thereconsistently at 6am almost every day. We had a
(11:41):
rest day on Sundays. And we found that people wereinterested in what we were doing. So one person
would join, you would tell your friend, and thentwo other people would come. And all of a sudden,
it was 15-20 people on the field. And then someonemoved house. So with anything like fitness,
(12:07):
you want that to be convenient. So Igor and Katiehad moved house, and so they had taken FitFam with
them. And so they started a new location. I'dstarted 静安 [Jìng’ān] stadium with a couple of
different friends. And so we sort of organicallygrew basically out of convenience. And then,
(12:33):
over time, we realised how important and impactfulit was on our lives, and how that could actually
impact others. And it sort of just grew fromthere. So now we're at 32 locations in Shanghai,
and over 63 sessions a week. And then we'verecently gone into 10 other cities throughout the
world (13:03):
Beijing and 常州 [Chángzhōu] in China, and then we've got Hong Kong, Taipei, and then also
some in North America, Canada, Malaysia, France.OF: And so it's purely run on a volunteer basis?
VV (13:19):
Yes. There are about 90 active leaders that lead workouts across all of those locations,
and globally as well. So 100% volunteer-run,non-profit. Yeah, we've grown a lot in
the last couple of years, actually.OF: And you having also worked in a
(13:43):
more corporate environment, what would you say arethe differences - or maybe just the similarities -
between that and running a volunteer organisation?VV: Volunteer engagement is probably one of the
most difficult things. Because the reasons whyI FitFam and you FitFam might be different. And
(14:04):
also, not having it rely on one person - andone person only - for me at the start… And
for those that know, and have worked with me,I'm a control freak… So it was hard for me to
share until it was really, absolutely, necessary.Because it was almost detrimental to the growth
(14:34):
of what FitFam is today. For me to not feellike something was a burden to someone else,
I would do something myself. And when it becomesthat ‘I'll do something myself’ for thousands of
people, obviously that is an enormous workload.And then some of that fun actually gets sucked
(14:55):
out of it, if it's only just you.OF: It's quite a levelling factor,
you know, you could be a secretary whois doing FitFam next to the CEO, right?
Yeah, absolutely. And I think that that is one of the most exciting things,
actually. When you wake up - and I and I wake upat 5:20 most mornings - but when you wake up at
(15:19):
5:20, and you roll out of bed - and honestly, Ireally hate mornings - but you roll out of bed,
disliking life, and you show up on the field,naked face, your raw self, nothing is more
comforting than seeing 20-30 other people on thefield, also the same. And you know, getting that
(15:46):
workout done before anyone else has even wokenup is so powerful. And that high five at the end,
because you got through it all together, there isnothing like that feeling. I've been so so proud
to see some of our participants graduate, and nowlead these workouts, they're just such powerhouses
(16:15):
within FitFam. So we probably have maybe 40%Chinese leaders - or at least bilingual - And then
60% foreigners. We would like to probably evenit up a little bit, because we want it to be able
to give workouts to more and more people. I haveseen mothers that haven't worked out in 10 years,
(16:47):
come every day, then run their first marathon,then become triathletes and run ultramarathons.
And obviously, that's an extreme story. But justin general, I've seen people be so shy when they
(17:09):
first come in, and then gain confidence. And I'mso incredibly proud of these people that have
gone from zero to 100. And then some of them havebecome personal trainers, and all of this sort of
stuff. And you would never have guessed somethinglike FitFam could influence their own life, let
(17:33):
alone allow them to be able to do it for others.OF: That leads me to ask you, what is the future?
What is the the goal for FitFam, and where doyou see this going into in the next few years?
Everybody has always asked whether we would monetise. And for us, that is not important for
(17:55):
the time being. The experience that FitFam is, wewould really really love to give that to as many
people as possible. What has been magic for us isthat when a different location has been started,
it's probably been started by someone who was anoriginal in Shanghai. So they understand. They
(18:19):
understand our values and why we do it. Andthey you know, we do it because we love it.
And we give our time, because we want to.OF: I guess my last question, knowing you
and your background as I do… Because yourfamily were traditional Vietnamese, they
were refugees into Australia. And they've trackedyour course over the last few years. What do they
(18:46):
think about your life now here in Shanghai?VV: Look, my mum was uncertain. I was a very
defiant child, the black sheep of the family,because I went into arts and design in the first
place. So for quite some time when I movedto Asia, my parents were very cautious. But
(19:10):
then my other siblings had children, so thenthey just let me be. But eventually, I mean,
they can see how happy I am, and how much I don'twant to come home. Not ‘want to come home’ because
Melbourne is an incredible place to live. Butjust the opportunities, the big smile on my face,
(19:37):
that genuine happiness. That's what they wereprobably looking for, for a long time, for me.
OF (19:44):
Well look, thank you so much. Let's move on quickly, then, to our second part,
which is… the 10 quick questions.VV: OK, great.
[Part 2]OF: So let's start. Number 1,
what's your favourite China-related fact?VV: Well, everybody knows the four great
(20:05):
inventions, which were gunpowder, the compass,paper and printing. But no one knows that they
also invented the fishing reel, thewheelbarrow, kites and the umbrella.
And the umbrella? VV
But it rains so much in Europe, what the hell were they doing? Do you have a favourite
word or phrase in Chinese?VV: 麻烦 [Máfan]. It
(20:27):
describes every every single situation.OF: And for those who don't know Mandarin,
explain what that means.VV: It's a word that
sort of means ‘troublesome’.OF: And if something that’s just a
little bit too difficult, but you don't quitewant to say ‘no’, you can just say 麻烦 [máfan].
VV (20:45):
Yeah, exactly, exactly. OF
destination to travel to, within China?VV: I am gonna say my own street. I live
in 长宁 [Chángníng] district, and I recently did awalking tour with Duncan from SHANGHAI FLANEUR,
and looked at all this architecture that wasjust right in front of my nose. I've been living
(21:14):
in my apartment for five years, and I neverrealised that this was just under my nose. And
how much I did not know about where I lived.OF: If you left China, what would you miss
the most, and what would you miss the least?VV: Probably the convenience actually. And
this is my ‘miss most’ and my ‘miss least’because I think that it's incredible that
(21:40):
everything comes to your door. You run out oftoilet paper, you run out of oil to cook your
eggs, it's all just honestly a couple ofclicks away. Which is incredible, really.
OF (21:55):
And the downside of the same thing? VV
everything being 快递 [kuàidì]’d to your door…OF: … And 快递 [kuàidì] being the Chinese
for ‘fast delivery’ right?VV: Yes. And so it means that
there's packaging, and a lot of packaging. Andso I've been really conscious of that lately.
(22:22):
So if I need to go get something to eat, Iwill make the effort of leaving the home.
Is there anything that still mystifies you about life in China?
VV (22:34):
I mean, we talked about it before, but 28 million people.
OF This is just Shanghai, right?VV: Yeah. And this is the entire population
of Australia, packed into this one city.OF: Oh, well that puts it into context.
Yeah, and just how well Shanghai is able to move people from A to B
(22:59):
so efficiently. It is really phenomenal.OF: Where is your favourite place to go,
to eat, to drink, to hang out?VV: Blackbird, actually. Have you been there?
OF (23:09):
Oh, in Columbia Circle? VV
Columbia Circle actually. But it's the perfectmix of everything. You've got great food on the
lower floor. You've got great cocktails in themiddle. And then you've got this gorgeous terrace
where they play movies and everything. But it'sjust this really great gorgeous space. You know,
(23:35):
it's a shame that Colombia Circle hasn't actuallytaken off as yet. But I'm really liking Blackbird.
What is the best or the worst purchase you have made in China?
VV (23:50):
Probably my most expensive, and best, is my scooter actually.
You know, I can't Shanghai without it.OF: What is your favourite WeChat sticker?
Gosh, people are gonna hate me when I say this, but I actually don't use WeChat stickers.
OF (24:10):
Get out. VV
talk about my most used emoji.OF: OK.
VV (24:19):
But it's actually the cleaver, the knife. And don't think that I'm a serial killer,
but I actually use it in a tongue-in-cheek kind ofway. So actually I use the phrase “or else” - and
then I'll throw in three cleavers - a lot. Sothis will just be in a regular social context,
(24:42):
like “I'll see you tomorrow… or else” and thenI'll throw those in. So the cleaver is my go-to
and my most recently used emoji. All the time.OF: OK, it's not a sticker, but I do like it.
So I'll let this pass. Just. But I am quitescared of you when you say that too. What
(25:03):
is your go-to song to sing at KTV?VV: This is really embarrassing,
but anything by Mariah Carey. Apparently Iknow all the words. And as soon as a song
comes on, I'm just belting it.OF: This is a telling question
because that is a very adventurous andambitious goal. And I believe you to be a
very adventurous and ambitious person. I thinkthat speaks volumes about you, that question?
(25:28):
Oh gosh. Don't invite me to KTV. OF
media or sources of information do you rely on?VV: I've been listening to a lot
of China History podcasts.OF: I know the one you mean.
Yeah. So that's quite good. And I actually really like it when it's
a little bit entertaining. So that whatI listen to. And then also Inside China,
(25:56):
that's a bit similar as well. So that sort ofgoes through the history of, for instance, how
the dumpling came about, and that sort of thing.OF: Oh, wait, I don't think I knew that one. OK,
I’ll have to check that out.VV: There aren’t a lot of episodes,
but that's quite a good one.OF: The final question in this
podcast is, who would you recommend thatI interview from your friendship circle,
(26:16):
next on Mosaic of China?VV: I'm going to nominate
Miao Wang. I actually met her about two orthree years ago. But she more recently has
been raising awareness for shark conservation,actually. So she started this incredible project,
where she is talking about educating the generalpublic about underwater life in general. But she
(26:48):
also has launched a swimwear label, and it'sactually made from recycled fishing nets.
OF (26:57):
That's awesome. I look forward to meeting Miao. And thank you so much for
your time Vy, it was a real pleasure today.VV: Thank you so much for having me.
[Outro]OF: So that was Vy’s story. The way she
described her network growing in Shanghai will bequite familiar to people here. I've lived in quite
a few cities in Asia, such as Tokyo, Singapore,and Hong Kong. But there's something unique about
(27:19):
how connections and introductions are made soopenly in China, and especially in Shanghai. In
fact, I can still remember the person who firstintroduced me to Vy. It was Gabby Gabriel, who is
one of those people who is very generous with herintroductions. So a special thank you to Gabby.
Since this recording was made, FitFam groupshave since popped up in 杭州 [Hángzhōu],
无锡 [Wúxī], 温州 [Wēnzhōu] and Mexico City. You cansee more on the Instagram account @fitfamchina.
(27:43):
Vy made a reference to the Dragonboat holiday inChina. This happens every year in June, and I just
heard the other day actually that it goes back tothe ancient state of 楚 [Chǔ] around 300 BCE. You
don't need to know any of that really, all youneed to know is that you get the day off work,
and you're supposed to eat a snack called 粽子[Zòngzi], which is sticky rice wrapped in bamboo
(28:04):
leaves. Speaking of historical China, Vy alsomentioned the four great inventions that China
brought to the world (28:09):
paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass. I wanted to mention actually that
this concept originated from a Western scholar.Chinese scholars prefer to highlight other
inventions, and there's a whole debate which youcan find online. Vy also mentioned her scooter,
that's the third scooter now after Philippe andJorge. She also mentioned a place which has a
terrace as her favourite place to hang out.And that's the fourth mention of a terrace
(28:33):
There's definitely a terrace conspiracy going onthis podcast. This one was on top of Blackbird,
so there's a photo of that on social media.Just look for @mosaicofchina_ on Instagram
and @mosaicofchina on Facebook. There's also abizarre graph I happen to find which illustrates
the population of Shanghai versus Australia,which is something Vy mentioned. And then finally,
there is a picture of her favourite WeChat emojisrather than WeChat stickers, which were those
(28:58):
bloody meat cleavers, three in a row. There aren'tactually that many emojis on WeChat - maybe 100 or
150 - so I have no idea why a bloody meat cleavershould be one of them. Does anybody else know?
Mosaic of China is me Oscar Fuchs,editing by Milo de Prieto, artwork
by Denny Newell and China technical supportfrom Alston Gong. See you again next week.
[Trailer]VV: It really
(00:02):
made me realise this incredible networkof people that are in Shanghai. That are
so generous that they've sent methis lamp that is so obnoxious.
[Intro]OF: Welcome to Mosaic of China,
a podcast about people who are making theirmark in China. I'm your host, Oscar Fuchs.
(00:27):
So one big correction from last week's episodewith Michael Zee from Symmetry Breakfast:
apparently, you can see old people walking aroundin their pyjamas everywhere across China and not
just in Shanghai. But that's not to say it'scommon, there were some people on the WeChat
group who said they haven't seen it since the 90s.But the bigger debate was on why it happens. There
(00:47):
were a couple of people who looked to historicalreasons, where it was a symbol of status that you
didn't need to work. Then there were others wholinked it to the fact that older buildings still
might not have indoor plumbing. So it's common forpeople to pop out in their pyjamas to use shared
amenities. But that theory doesn't quite explainthe fact that you can still see it happening on
the main roads. And that might be explained ifyou're near a hospital. Most of these are on the
(01:08):
main roads, and it's common for people to takefresh air in their hospital pyjamas. But if none
of the above applies, it might just be becausesome older people view pyjamas in the same way
that younger people view sweatpants or loungewear.Just something to wear out of convenience,
if you can't be bothered to put on anythingelse. If you'd like to join the group on WeChat,
then please send me a friend request on my ID: mosaicofchina and I'll add you there myself. I (01:27):
undefined
promise it won't be about pyjamas every time,out of all the interesting things we discussed
last week, I would not have thought that it wasabout old people in Pyjamas that everyone would
have been talking about. But seeing as it's sopopular, maybe it's time for me to set up my own
Instagram account called Symmetry Pyjamas,and I'll give Michael a run for his money.
(01:48):
And so on to today's episode. Today I'mspeaking with Vy Vu. Apart from how much
I love her name - with just four letters, it’sthe most economical name that I know - what I
also love is her story, which shows how someonewho was feeling lost in Shanghai can ultimately
become part of a fitness movement that's spreadingacross China and the world. You'll hear about how
(02:08):
FitFam is not just about making people in Chinafit. It's also about making them confident, and
making them into future leaders. We also talkedabout how you manage a volunteer organisation,
when it's hard enough to motivate people who arebeing paid for their efforts. And then how to grow
it, without compromising on its founding ideals.And finally, it's a good advert in general about
the benefits of living and working overseas.And how you can go from knowing no-one in a
(02:32):
city which you find intimidating, to being in aposition which helps you define who you are. So if
you're someone who is thinking about making a bigchange in your life - either moving to a new city
or a new country, and especially if you're not anatural extrovert - then this episode is for you.
[Part 1]OF: Thank
you so much for coming.VV: Thanks for having me.
OF (02:51):
I am here with Vy Vu. And Vy is - apart from being in the fashion industry - a co-founder and
a community manager of FitFam here in Shanghai.VV: Thanks for having me. I'm really glad that you
asked me to come along and speak to you today.OF: Let us take a look, what is the object
that you have brought in? So tell us.VV: It is - and it is exactly what it
(03:16):
sounds like - a white ceramic monkey holding alight bulb. How this actually came to be in my
possession… I was on this work trip and I wasshopping in Galleries Lafayette, and looking at
(03:36):
the homewares in one of the buildings…OF: That's in Paris, right?
VV (03:40):
Yes, that's in Paris. And I had randomly seen this monkey and snapped a picture of it
and posted it on social media. And allI said was “This is a must-have lamp.”
OF (03:58):
Which was probably half in jest, was it? VV
I had a girlfriend messaged me and say “Oh, I knowsomeone that works there". And then when I got
(04:19):
home from this work trip a couple of weeks later,this box showed up on my door. And I opened it,
and here was this monkey that they had gotten sentover for me. It was an incredible surprise. He now
sits in my house. Definitely a talking pointfor everyone that comes over. But it really
(04:47):
made me realise this incredible network of peoplethat are in Shanghai, that are so generous that
they've sent me this lamp that is so obnoxious.OF: Well, I do get your point. Because there is
a funny thing about the interconnectivity of lifein Shanghai. You say something and then, you know,
(05:11):
two weeks later, it somehow materialises.And everyone's just one or two degrees of
separation away from each other. So there you are,snapping a photo of this thing in Paris. And then
somebody goes “Oh, I know somebody who works forthat same company”. I mean, what are the odds?
VV (05:24):
I know, absolutely. Halfway around the world as well. So it's incredible.
And it's an Italian brand as well. Soit's not even Chinese, or even French.
OF (05:35):
And so this brings me to ask you then about your your life in Shanghai,
which I guess this probably in someway epitomises. When did it all start?
VV (05:45):
I moved to Shanghai in 2013, from Hong Kong actually. So I'd spent a year
in Hong Kong, and came to Shanghai fora job opportunity. So I work in fashion,
as we've mentioned, and I now work for a Frenchbrand. And before I worked for a Chinese brand.
OF (06:07):
Right, so you've got an interesting mix of culture there. You are, obviously by your accent,
Australian. You work here in China.And you work for a French company. So
you must be in the middle of all three cultures.VV: Yeah, absolutely. It sort of made me realise
how accommodating you need to be, and how clearyour communication actually needs to be across
(06:31):
all three planes, actually. It's made me grow.And I know that I probably speak a lot slower,
with a lot more clarity. Because a lot of peoplehave actually mentioned to me that sometimes they
don't understand Australians. Because a lotof the time when you speak to an Australian,
(06:52):
they will slur all of their words together, orthey will use a lot of slang. And I used to do
that. But I know that a lot of friends that I'vehad for a long time probably didn't understand me
in the first two months of knowing them.OF: Right. They just nodded politely,
but… “What the hell is that girl saying?”VV: Exactly. Which is awful.
And so tell me about how you slowly evolved your life here in Shanghai. You
(07:18):
obviously came just for the job. But you'vegrown into so much more. So I want to know
exactly how that progressed with you.VV: I came here knowing no-one. And I
think a lot of other people are obviously in thatsame position, when they first come to China. I'd
come from Hong Kong, and I'd never actuallyeven visited Mainland China before I landed
(07:45):
a job here. You know, I genuinely did not thinkthat China would be anywhere as clean as it is,
as large as it is. I had gotten a job promotionfrom Hong Kong to come to Shanghai, so I took my
job very seriously when I first came. And I stillobviously do now. It took me about three months,
(08:14):
and the only places that I travelled in thatthree months was from work, to the grocery store,
home. Any one of those three combinations. SoI was so uncertain how to make friends. And I
had no connections in Shanghai, and I even hadthe secretary at work connect my WiFi for me,
(08:42):
because I just had no idea. I met somerandom people when I was apartment hunting,
actually. And we happen to get into an agent’s cartogether. They ended up finding me my apartment
in that first week, when I was looking. But Ididn't talk to them for the first three months.
(09:02):
We had a public holiday - it must have beenmaybe Dragon Boat Festival or something like
that - and I had a day off. And I did not knowwhat to do with myself. So I had messaged these
people. And the first thing that they saidto me was “Oh, we thought that you'd found
(09:23):
different friends”. I know it now, but I didn'tknow how open a city like this was. I didn't
realise that it was as easy as a text message. Iwas not even used to having WeChat. So the first
time that these people asked me for my WeChat,I felt like it was invading my privacy. Yeah,
(09:50):
so it sort of opened up a lot of other doors.So as it does in Shanghai, you meet one person,
then you meet two people, you get introduced totheir friends. And it was this incredibly eclectic
group of people that I would never have met indifferent fields. It was so social, and I didn't
(10:14):
realise that it's truly an incredible place.OF: And not many people would call you
‘shy and retiring’ now, would they?VV: No, not at all. But you know, this
is such a change from who I was. All of my 20s, Iwas in back-to-back relationships. For 10 years,
(10:40):
I was in a relationship, and I didn't realisehow much that defined me and the person that
I was. And so it was incredible to be in Asia,on my own, and just to see where life took me,
and basically discover my own identity.OF: Yeah, and knowing you as I do,
(11:06):
it's been the making of you. Especially withwhat you've done now in your spare time. So
above and beyond what you've just described,tell us about how this ‘FitFam’ thing started.
VV (11:17):
We started as a handful of friends just working out together at 卢湾 [Lúwān] Stadium,
way back in 2015. We motivated each other toget out there almost every single day. And we
bonded because of that. And we were out thereconsistently at 6am almost every day. We had a
(11:41):
rest day on Sundays. And we found that people wereinterested in what we were doing. So one person
would join, you would tell your friend, and thentwo other people would come. And all of a sudden,
it was 15-20 people on the field. And then someonemoved house. So with anything like fitness,
(12:07):
you want that to be convenient. So Igor and Katiehad moved house, and so they had taken FitFam with
them. And so they started a new location. I'dstarted 静安 [Jìng’ān] stadium with a couple of
different friends. And so we sort of organicallygrew basically out of convenience. And then,
(12:33):
over time, we realised how important and impactfulit was on our lives, and how that could actually
impact others. And it sort of just grew fromthere. So now we're at 32 locations in Shanghai,
and over 63 sessions a week. And then we'verecently gone into 10 other cities throughout the
world (13:03):
Beijing and 常州 [Chángzhōu] in China, and then we've got Hong Kong, Taipei, and then also
some in North America, Canada, Malaysia, France.OF: And so it's purely run on a volunteer basis?
VV (13:19):
Yes. There are about 90 active leaders that lead workouts across all of those locations,
and globally as well. So 100% volunteer-run,non-profit. Yeah, we've grown a lot in
the last couple of years, actually.OF: And you having also worked in a
(13:43):
more corporate environment, what would you say arethe differences - or maybe just the similarities -
between that and running a volunteer organisation?VV: Volunteer engagement is probably one of the
most difficult things. Because the reasons whyI FitFam and you FitFam might be different. And
(14:04):
also, not having it rely on one person - andone person only - for me at the start… And
for those that know, and have worked with me,I'm a control freak… So it was hard for me to
share until it was really, absolutely, necessary.Because it was almost detrimental to the growth
(14:34):
of what FitFam is today. For me to not feellike something was a burden to someone else,
I would do something myself. And when it becomesthat ‘I'll do something myself’ for thousands of
people, obviously that is an enormous workload.And then some of that fun actually gets sucked
(14:55):
out of it, if it's only just you.OF: It's quite a levelling factor,
you know, you could be a secretary whois doing FitFam next to the CEO, right?
Yeah, absolutely. And I think that that is one of the most exciting things,
actually. When you wake up - and I and I wake upat 5:20 most mornings - but when you wake up at
(15:19):
5:20, and you roll out of bed - and honestly, Ireally hate mornings - but you roll out of bed,
disliking life, and you show up on the field,naked face, your raw self, nothing is more
comforting than seeing 20-30 other people on thefield, also the same. And you know, getting that
(15:46):
workout done before anyone else has even wokenup is so powerful. And that high five at the end,
because you got through it all together, there isnothing like that feeling. I've been so so proud
to see some of our participants graduate, and nowlead these workouts, they're just such powerhouses
(16:15):
within FitFam. So we probably have maybe 40%Chinese leaders - or at least bilingual - And then
60% foreigners. We would like to probably evenit up a little bit, because we want it to be able
to give workouts to more and more people. I haveseen mothers that haven't worked out in 10 years,
(16:47):
come every day, then run their first marathon,then become triathletes and run ultramarathons.
And obviously, that's an extreme story. But justin general, I've seen people be so shy when they
(17:09):
first come in, and then gain confidence. And I'mso incredibly proud of these people that have
gone from zero to 100. And then some of them havebecome personal trainers, and all of this sort of
stuff. And you would never have guessed somethinglike FitFam could influence their own life, let
(17:33):
alone allow them to be able to do it for others.OF: That leads me to ask you, what is the future?
What is the the goal for FitFam, and where doyou see this going into in the next few years?
Everybody has always asked whether we would monetise. And for us, that is not important for
(17:55):
the time being. The experience that FitFam is, wewould really really love to give that to as many
people as possible. What has been magic for us isthat when a different location has been started,
it's probably been started by someone who was anoriginal in Shanghai. So they understand. They
(18:19):
understand our values and why we do it. Andthey you know, we do it because we love it.
And we give our time, because we want to.OF: I guess my last question, knowing you
and your background as I do… Because yourfamily were traditional Vietnamese, they
were refugees into Australia. And they've trackedyour course over the last few years. What do they
(18:46):
think about your life now here in Shanghai?VV: Look, my mum was uncertain. I was a very
defiant child, the black sheep of the family,because I went into arts and design in the first
place. So for quite some time when I movedto Asia, my parents were very cautious. But
(19:10):
then my other siblings had children, so thenthey just let me be. But eventually, I mean,
they can see how happy I am, and how much I don'twant to come home. Not ‘want to come home’ because
Melbourne is an incredible place to live. Butjust the opportunities, the big smile on my face,
(19:37):
that genuine happiness. That's what they wereprobably looking for, for a long time, for me.
OF (19:44):
Well look, thank you so much. Let's move on quickly, then, to our second part,
which is… the 10 quick questions.VV: OK, great.
[Part 2]OF: So let's start. Number 1,
what's your favourite China-related fact?VV: Well, everybody knows the four great
(20:05):
inventions, which were gunpowder, the compass,paper and printing. But no one knows that they
also invented the fishing reel, thewheelbarrow, kites and the umbrella.
And the umbrella? VV
But it rains so much in Europe, what the hell were they doing? Do you have a favourite
word or phrase in Chinese?VV: 麻烦 [Máfan]. It
(20:27):
describes every every single situation.OF: And for those who don't know Mandarin,
explain what that means.VV: It's a word that
sort of means ‘troublesome’.OF: And if something that’s just a
little bit too difficult, but you don't quitewant to say ‘no’, you can just say 麻烦 [máfan].
VV (20:45):
Yeah, exactly, exactly. OF
destination to travel to, within China?VV: I am gonna say my own street. I live
in 长宁 [Chángníng] district, and I recently did awalking tour with Duncan from SHANGHAI FLANEUR,
and looked at all this architecture that wasjust right in front of my nose. I've been living
(21:14):
in my apartment for five years, and I neverrealised that this was just under my nose. And
how much I did not know about where I lived.OF: If you left China, what would you miss
the most, and what would you miss the least?VV: Probably the convenience actually. And
this is my ‘miss most’ and my ‘miss least’because I think that it's incredible that
(21:40):
everything comes to your door. You run out oftoilet paper, you run out of oil to cook your
eggs, it's all just honestly a couple ofclicks away. Which is incredible, really.
OF (21:55):
And the downside of the same thing? VV
everything being 快递 [kuàidì]’d to your door…OF: … And 快递 [kuàidì] being the Chinese
for ‘fast delivery’ right?VV: Yes. And so it means that
there's packaging, and a lot of packaging. Andso I've been really conscious of that lately.
(22:22):
So if I need to go get something to eat, Iwill make the effort of leaving the home.
Is there anything that still mystifies you about life in China?
VV (22:34):
I mean, we talked about it before, but 28 million people.
OF This is just Shanghai, right?VV: Yeah. And this is the entire population
of Australia, packed into this one city.OF: Oh, well that puts it into context.
Yeah, and just how well Shanghai is able to move people from A to B
(22:59):
so efficiently. It is really phenomenal.OF: Where is your favourite place to go,
to eat, to drink, to hang out?VV: Blackbird, actually. Have you been there?
OF (23:09):
Oh, in Columbia Circle? VV
Columbia Circle actually. But it's the perfectmix of everything. You've got great food on the
lower floor. You've got great cocktails in themiddle. And then you've got this gorgeous terrace
where they play movies and everything. But it'sjust this really great gorgeous space. You know,
(23:35):
it's a shame that Colombia Circle hasn't actuallytaken off as yet. But I'm really liking Blackbird.
What is the best or the worst purchase you have made in China?
VV (23:50):
Probably my most expensive, and best, is my scooter actually.
You know, I can't Shanghai without it.OF: What is your favourite WeChat sticker?
Gosh, people are gonna hate me when I say this, but I actually don't use WeChat stickers.
OF (24:10):
Get out. VV
talk about my most used emoji.OF: OK.
VV (24:19):
But it's actually the cleaver, the knife. And don't think that I'm a serial killer,
but I actually use it in a tongue-in-cheek kind ofway. So actually I use the phrase “or else” - and
then I'll throw in three cleavers - a lot. Sothis will just be in a regular social context,
(24:42):
like “I'll see you tomorrow… or else” and thenI'll throw those in. So the cleaver is my go-to
and my most recently used emoji. All the time.OF: OK, it's not a sticker, but I do like it.
So I'll let this pass. Just. But I am quitescared of you when you say that too. What
(25:03):
is your go-to song to sing at KTV?VV: This is really embarrassing,
but anything by Mariah Carey. Apparently Iknow all the words. And as soon as a song
comes on, I'm just belting it.OF: This is a telling question
because that is a very adventurous andambitious goal. And I believe you to be a
very adventurous and ambitious person. I thinkthat speaks volumes about you, that question?
(25:28):
Oh gosh. Don't invite me to KTV. OF
media or sources of information do you rely on?VV: I've been listening to a lot
of China History podcasts.OF: I know the one you mean.
Yeah. So that's quite good. And I actually really like it when it's
a little bit entertaining. So that whatI listen to. And then also Inside China,
(25:56):
that's a bit similar as well. So that sort ofgoes through the history of, for instance, how
the dumpling came about, and that sort of thing.OF: Oh, wait, I don't think I knew that one. OK,
I’ll have to check that out.VV: There aren’t a lot of episodes,
but that's quite a good one.OF: The final question in this
podcast is, who would you recommend thatI interview from your friendship circle,
(26:16):
next on Mosaic of China?VV: I'm going to nominate
Miao Wang. I actually met her about two orthree years ago. But she more recently has
been raising awareness for shark conservation,actually. So she started this incredible project,
where she is talking about educating the generalpublic about underwater life in general. But she
(26:48):
also has launched a swimwear label, and it'sactually made from recycled fishing nets.
OF (26:57):
That's awesome. I look forward to meeting Miao. And thank you so much for
your time Vy, it was a real pleasure today.VV: Thank you so much for having me.
[Outro]OF: So that was Vy’s story. The way she
described her network growing in Shanghai will bequite familiar to people here. I've lived in quite
a few cities in Asia, such as Tokyo, Singapore,and Hong Kong. But there's something unique about
(27:19):
how connections and introductions are made soopenly in China, and especially in Shanghai. In
fact, I can still remember the person who firstintroduced me to Vy. It was Gabby Gabriel, who is
one of those people who is very generous with herintroductions. So a special thank you to Gabby.
Since this recording was made, FitFam groupshave since popped up in 杭州 [Hángzhōu],
无锡 [Wúxī], 温州 [Wēnzhōu] and Mexico City. You cansee more on the Instagram account @fitfamchina.
(27:43):
Vy made a reference to the Dragonboat holiday inChina. This happens every year in June, and I just
heard the other day actually that it goes back tothe ancient state of 楚 [Chǔ] around 300 BCE. You
don't need to know any of that really, all youneed to know is that you get the day off work,
and you're supposed to eat a snack called 粽子[Zòngzi], which is sticky rice wrapped in bamboo
(28:04):
leaves. Speaking of historical China, Vy alsomentioned the four great inventions that China
brought to the world (28:09):
paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass. I wanted to mention actually that
this concept originated from a Western scholar.Chinese scholars prefer to highlight other
inventions, and there's a whole debate which youcan find online. Vy also mentioned her scooter,
that's the third scooter now after Philippe andJorge. She also mentioned a place which has a
terrace as her favourite place to hang out.And that's the fourth mention of a terrace
(28:33):
There's definitely a terrace conspiracy going onthis podcast. This one was on top of Blackbird,
so there's a photo of that on social media.Just look for @mosaicofchina_ on Instagram
and @mosaicofchina on Facebook. There's also abizarre graph I happen to find which illustrates
the population of Shanghai versus Australia,which is something Vy mentioned. And then finally,
there is a picture of her favourite WeChat emojisrather than WeChat stickers, which were those
(28:58):
bloody meat cleavers, three in a row. There aren'tactually that many emojis on WeChat - maybe 100 or
150 - so I have no idea why a bloody meat cleavershould be one of them. Does anybody else know?
Mosaic of China is me Oscar Fuchs,editing by Milo de Prieto, artwork
by Denny Newell and China technical supportfrom Alston Gong. See you again next week.
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