Today's special guest is Louisa (張慶玉), an adjunct sociology professor at Fu Jen Catholic University who also has seven years of experience working as a flight attendant for China Airlines under her belt. Louisa's past work has had a large influence on her research - she focuses on gender issues including Asian femininity, gendered emotional labor, and gender roles in Taiwan. She has also given a TED talk on her research on Taiwanese female flight attendants. In this episode we discuss her resear...
Jun 28, 2023•23 min
For today's episode of Hot Stuff, I am joined by SVP and General Manager of BBC Studios across Asia, Phil Hardman. I spoke with Phil following his first visit to Taiwan for PTS' 2023 International Symposium where he was a speaker. In this episode we discuss Phil's career transition, more about his role, and the challenges that come with navigating content distribution in Asia. We also talk about the role of BBC Studios in Taiwan and why Phil thinks there is such a bright future ahead!
Jun 21, 2023•24 min
The #MeToo movement first gained widespread attention back in 2017, when claims of sexual harassment and abuse consumed Hollywood and encouraged women worldwide to come forward about their experiences. However, in Taiwan nothing at that time happened on the same scale. Fast forward to June 2023, Taiwan's own #MeToo movement has started to grow. For today's episode of Hot Stuff I spoke with Darice Chang, who is an ambassador for Women's March Taiwan. We spoke about the factors that sparked Taiwan...
Jun 14, 2023•24 min
On this episode of Hot Stuff, I sat down with Sharon to discuss a recent incident that went viral on social media in Taiwan. From creations of memes to outrage at police behaviour, Taiwanese people were quick to react to the incident. In this episode we talk about the response amongst the Taiwanese people, how the police are perceived in Taiwan, and our own experience with the police here. We’ll also be discussing how the police compares to forces in the UK and US....
Jun 12, 2023•24 min
Taiwan is full of exciting events and creative experiences and the 2023 Formosa International Tattoo Expo in Taichung was not one of them to miss! Tune in to today's episode of Hot Stuff to hear me speak to Larry Wang, exhibitor and organizer of the convention, along with visitors and tattoo artists who came from all over Taiwan and the world. Find out what drew people to attend the expo, what brought artists to exhibit, and learn about the unique styles of tattoo art that were on show....
Jun 12, 2023•21 min
A staunch friend or fighting for relevancy? On today's episode of Hot Stuff, we'll be getting into shortest-serving UK Prime Minister Lizz Truss' motives behind her recent visit to Taiwan, how the visit was recieved in the UK and Taiwan, and insights into her political career that don't seem to be being highlighted in Taiwanese media. We'll also be discussing another topic that's been hitting headlines - same-sex married couples can now adopt in Taiwan! How friendly is Taiwan to the LGBTQ+ commu...
Jun 12, 2023•24 min
For part two of our interview Brian Hioe and I chat Taiwanese politics. In this episode Brian breaks down the roots and history behind the two main political parties in Taiwan and shares his insights on how Cross-Strait tensions affect domestic politics. We also discuss what the 2024 presidential election results could mean for China-Taiwan relations and the links between organised crime, politics, and religion in Taiwanese society. You can follow Brian on Twitter here . You can read New Bloom M...
May 16, 2023•24 min
For today's episode of Hot Stuff, I spoke with Brian Hioe. Brian is a writer, activist, and one of the founding editors of online magazine New Bloom which covers politics, activism, and social issues in Taiwan and the Asia Pacific region. His writing has been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Nation. He has also made numerous television and radio appearances including on Al Jazeera, the BBC World Service, Channel News Asia, and Netflix. Brian previously ...
May 09, 2023•24 min
For today's episode of Hot Stuff, Sharon and I discuss beauty standards in Taiwan and beyond. How is beauty defined in Taiwan and what are the origins behind it? Hit play to hear us share our experiences of dealing with body image growing up in Taiwan and the UK. We'll also discuss how definitions of beauty differ in Western countries to those in East Asia, the influence of advertisements and celebrity culture, and to what extent beauty standards have changed over time. (Photo: Pixabay)
Apr 25, 2023•24 min
For today’s episode of Hot Stuff you can listen to part 2 of my interview with language activist, A-Hôa. We talk more about what it means to be Formosan, the impact of marshall law on religion in Taiwan, and who should take responsibility to ensure the survival of Taiwanese. To wrap up the last four episodes where we've explored Taiwanese and its history, I’ll also be teaching you some daily Taiwanese phrases. So what are you waiting for - hit play! Check out A-Hôa's YouTube channel for more Tai...
Apr 18, 2023•21 min
In today's epsiode of Hot Stuff I am joined by A-hôa. A-hôa continues to be outspoken about the importance of speaking and preserving the Taiwanese language. Part of his efforts to do this include making incredibly informative videos and lessons which you can find on his YouTube channel ( 足英台三聲道磅米芳 ) where he has amassed over 50,000 subscribers. There's content from daily conversations with his family in Taiwanese, to a very useful series called 英台EXPRESS, where with A'ióng who joined us last ep...
Apr 11, 2023•24 min
Today, I will be bringing you part 2 of my interview with Youtuber, A'ióng (阿勇). In this episode, we discuss the important and complex history of the Taiwanese language. We were unfortunately not able to cover all the nuances and aspects that deserve our attention but A'ióng provides a great brief history. If your understanding regarding this topic had been limited before, I hope that after listening you will be able to appreciate the importance in the revival of Taiwanese, as well as have a gre...
Apr 04, 2023•24 min
For today's episode of Hot Stuff, I am joined by A'ióng (阿勇) whom you may recognise from his YouTube channel, A'ióng Tâigí (阿勇台語). Through his videos, A'ióng - an American native - aims to help other people learn Taiwanese, and he has now gained almost 40,000 YouTube subscribers. As someone who has struggled with trying to learn Taiwanese myself I was very excited to sit down with A'ióng and learn more about how he started learning Taiwanese, study materials he recommends, as well as some useful...
Mar 30, 2023•24 min
Today I'm bringing you part 2 of my interview with lifestyle content creator Anni, or as she is also known, strawbanni. In this episode we get down to the ins and outs of what it's like to be a content creator. Some of the topics we discuss include what an average day looks like, how content creators generate income, and how becoming a content creator minimised the negative impacts of social media for her. Anni also addresses her plans for rebranding and how social media has helped her develop t...
Mar 23, 2023•24 min
In today's episode of Hot Stuff I am joined by Anni, or as you might also know her: @strawbanni. Anni is a lifestyle content creator who has amassed more than 10,000 subscribers on Youtube, and over 46,000 followers on Instagram. Anni is Taiwanese Canadian and moved to Taiwan over a year ago where she has since released a lot of Taiwan-related content, from traveling in Taiwan and apartment vlogs, to teaching English and visiting night markets. Want to know more about life in Taiwan - Anni's cha...
Mar 23, 2023•24 min
In celebration of International Women’s Day tomorrow, I decided to invite some of the lovely women in my life on the show - Alice and Issy. Join us as we share our experience and tips for learning Chinese in Taiwan, what it's like to live here as an international student, and how it compares to the UK. Not sure which Chinese course to choose in Taiwan, or want to know where you should be exploring? Whether you’re already in Taiwan or are thinking about coming, this will be a useful episode for y...
Mar 23, 2023•24 min
Tap play to listen to part 2 of our interview with Seán McCormack and Judy Hsu from Animal Care Trust. In this episode Seán and Judy share more about the illegal and brutual snares that are causing dogs to lose limbs all over Taiwan. We also discuss the lengths that ACT go to when carrying out a rescue, the emotional impact of working in rescue, and a very sad story about a little puppy, called Luna. Want to know how you can help or want to read more about the great work that ACT does? Click her...
Mar 23, 2023•24 min
For today's episode of Hot Stuff, we have Seán McCormack and Judy Hsu from Animal Care Trust in the studio! Seán has been involved with rescuing animals and preventing animal suffering for more than 23 years, whilst Judy started feeding stray dogs since she was just ten years old. Click play to hear us discuss how their journey began, about Seán's meeting with Jane Goodall, what a typical day looks like in animal rescue, as well as some of the ups and downs. Stay tuned for part 2 next Tuesday! Y...
Mar 23, 2023•24 min
Today I'm joined by Brendan Wong for a Valentine's special. In the Western calendar, the special day to celebrate loved ones is on February 14th, but if you're in Taiwan or elsewhere in Asia you could be celebrating up to three times a year! Hit play to find out more about how Valentine's Day is celebrated in Taiwan, Qixi Festival and White Valentine's Day. We'll be delving into history, mythology, and traditions, as well as bringing it back to today with a discussion of modern-day dating cultur...
Mar 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 7
From Twitch to Youtube, Facebook to Instagram, the platforms on which you can consume livestream content are numerous. But why are people drawn to watching livestreams and why has it become such a popular and idealised job? Is it really as lucrative as people think? In today's episode we'll discuss this and more, as we take a look behind the rose-tinted facade of livestreaming.
Mar 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Low birth rates and aging populations are current problems that many governments around the world are trying to grapple with. For today's episode Michelle and Issy will be discussing the situation in Taiwan. Why are fewer people wanting to have kids? What should the government do to aid this problem? We'll also take you through a brief history of family planning policies in Taiwan and share what areas of law we think need to be revised.
Mar 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Kassy Cho is an independent journalist and audience strategist. In 2020 she founded Almost an Instagram-first media outlet that focuses on informing young people of world news. She has worked at Bloomberg and Buzzfeed News, and with other companies such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Channel 4 News. Hit play to hear how Kassy got into journalism, the importance of news, and how social media can have a positive impact on younger generations.
Mar 23, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Alexis Liu has over 20 years of experience working in digital marketing, sales, and business development in the UK and Taiwan. On today's epsiode she will be sharing her insights on the marketing landscape in Taiwan, the metaverse, and how AI is changing the game for the fashion and textiles industries.
Mar 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Tsai Ing-wen made the decision to lengthen military service from four months to one year. Today we'll be discussing these changes and what it could mean for future generations of Taiwanese youth. Curious about what military service actually entails? Brendan will also be sharing his own experience of military training that he completed last year.
Mar 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The first episode of Hot Stuff is here! Hit play and we'll take you through some inspiring, fun, and heated topics that got our attention in the last week. You'll be hearing about the female pilots protecting Taiwan's skies, an extravagant marketing strategy for a Japanese drama, and continued controversies around TikTok.
Mar 08, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1
