For the last episode of Season 3 we answer questions from our listeners! What are our favorite (and least favorite) parts about running Date Night China? What drama happens in our WeChat groups? What is our love story? How do we manage and balance a media platform and our relationship? We also share our holiday plans to visit our home countries for the first time in 3 years!
Happy Holidays and see you all after Chinese New Year!
We’re nearly at the end of Date Night China season 3! In this episode, Rachel and Nathan take a look back at a few of their favorite episodes from this season, share some BTS of recording, and chat about the mishaps and memorable moments that happened along the way.
There is one more episode coming your way after this one before taking a short break. Send your questions in to ask us anything about Date Night China, making a podcast, life in China, etc. and let us know what topics you'd like to hear more in the future. We'll answer your questions in our last episode of the season!
Submit your question: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/M6yH1mY
Morag, from Scotland, and Waldo, from South Africa, are an expat couple leaving China at the end of November this year. They join the podcast this week to talk about how they prepared to leave China, their conversations around their personal goals and goals as a couple, and how they think life outside China will impact their relationship.
Follow Date Night China on WeChat, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories about dating and relationships in China.
Dr. Runze Ding joins the DNC hosts this week to talk about his studies on gay identity in China, the gay porn industry, and his experiences working with local gay organizations in Guangzhou and Beijing.
Dr. Runze has completed case studies on topics such as Chinese semi-professionally produced gay porn, the Uses and Gratifications of Blued (the gay dating app) in Mainland China, and queer male “sex influencers” on Twitter, to name a few. It was fascinating to talk to him and learn more about these taboo topics and how he has interviewed people for his studies.
About Dr. Runze:
As an emerging social scholar, Dr Runze Ding graduated with a Ph.D. in Media and Communication Studies at the University of Leeds. His research contributes original evidence and analysis to related fields such as LGBT studies, digital media research, cultural studies in the Chinese context, and more broadly, sociological and ethnographic approaches to media and identity. He is also one of the first researchers who has studied Chinese gay porn and sexual culture.
Happy Singles' Day 2022! This week the DNC hosts read out some cringy and funny China dating stories people sent in with a special guest: Beijing’s favorite F*ckboy, Martyn! We also share the survey responses for the weirdest & kinkiest things people have seen on Taobao, and discuss speed dating events in China. It's a fun chat that will bring some laughter to your Singles' Day - whatever you choose to do today, make sure you treat yo self!
Follow Date Night China on WeChat, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories about dating and relationships in China.
NSFW ALERT! We have a fun treat to follow last week's episode with comedians Donnie Fan and Kei Gambit. In this bonus episode Donnie Fan shares some of his werewolf erotica read by Kei Gambit. Hear what the DNC hosts and guests REALLY talk about when they think no one is listening...
Follow Date Night China on WeChat, Instagram, and YouTube for more stories about dating and relationships in China.
Check out more from Donnie and Kei:
Beijing comedians Donnie Fan and Kei Gambit join us this week to add their comedic lens to relationships and dating in China. They share some stories of their own forays in dating, their experiences voicing werewolf erotica, and how being a comedian has impacted their social life in China.
These two comedians are based in Beijing but have performed in shows across China in cities such as in Wuhan, Changsha, Ningbo, Nanjing and more. They also have an exciting upcoming project coming up with a major streaming platform where they will produce six English comedy headline shows for online distribution.
Stay tuned for the bonus episode where Donnie Fan shares some of his werewolf erotica read by Kei Gambit!
Visit their social media & websites to learn more:
This week DNC hosts Rachel and Nathan grab a deck of "Our Moments" conversation cards and ask each other about fictional characters they would take to tea, awards they've won, perfect road trip snacks, and the time Nathan studied martial arts in Shandong Province for 3 months.
Conversation cards have become a great icebreaker tool for people to connect with their partners or friends. They offer a framework to embrace vulnerability, develop better conversation habits, and also just have fun. This is not a sponsored ad, but we really enjoyed the questions and where the conversation lead, so we recommend giving "Our Moments" cards a try with your partner or friends!
Beijing therapist Rachel George continues last week's convo by diving into the difference between values and preferences when dating. She shares why it's important to make the connection between your actions and personal values, how to better evaluate dates, and why you should stop confusing pet peeves with deal breakers. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of great!
Listen to last week's episode for part 1 with Rachel George.
About Rachel George: Originally from Houston, Texas, Rachel George is a therapist and life coach with over 18 years of experience. Learn more at her site: https://heartinmindcoaching.com/
Rachel George, a licensed therapist and life coach in Beijing, joins us to give advice on the question we frequently get from people here: Why is dating in China so damn hard?! Rachel talks through challenges of dating in an expat bubble and how we are affected by uncertainty and dating burnout. She shares why we should "fuck the spark" when dating, and also how to own the pivot, reflect on self-values, and do something different: like have your friends run your Tinder account for you!
Stay tuned for Part 2 with Rachel next week!
About Rachel George: Originally from Houston, Texas, Rachel George is a therapist and life coach with over 18 years of experience. Learn more at her site: https://heartinmindcoaching.com/
Nicole and Andrei are an international couple who went from Tinder, to long-distance, to engagement & marriage, to now living in different countries again waiting to be reunited.
Andrei (from Russia and currently living in Dalian) and Nicole (from Guangzhou and currently living in Poland) join us to chat about how they met on Tinder in Beijing just 17 days before Nicole was leaving for a job in Ukraine. They share how they stayed in touch and started dating, how they overcome the challenges of being long distance (twice), and how they got married in China.
Jiovani del Toro, AKA Cocosanti, is a drag artist and MC based in Shanghai. You’ll find them hosting many events at Pearl Theater, where they play hostess for a variety of showcases, including Drag Extravaganzas, Cabaret and Burlesque shows, and (their personal fav) Magic Mike.
Jiovani joins us to share about their inspiration for becoming a drag artist, and how the drag scene differs in the U.S. versus China. They also share how being a drag artist and performer has impacted their dating life, and the Queer beauty perspective in drag and in China.
Date Night China Anonymous: Every month we’ll share 4 new story prompts for you to respond to about dating, relationships, and community in China. http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zcuqgMW
Valentine and Haydn are advocates for speaking openly on men’s mental health and community, and host their own personal projects in China to help these initiatives. Masculinity in and of itself is a big topic, but this week they join us to chat about their personal experiences with forming close male friendships, stereotypes and stigmas men face in today's society, mental health and depression, and more.
Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Fill out our media interview form: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zwpDxYL
Raz Galor, co-founder of the new media company YChina, is a key public figure in China’s media world – but today we get to know more about a lesser seen side of him: his personal and romantic life. Raz and his fiancé Tal Shalev join us to talk about meeting first in China then reconnecting in Israel, their hilarious first impressions of each other, and their shared values in faith and family.
They also discuss the challenges of dating a public figure, how they like to go offline in their personal time, and Raz teases Tal about taking more photos of food than photos of them together. We also hear the story of their proposal and how it got 4M+ views on social media! YChina (歪果仁研究協會) is a media platform founded in December 2016 with the theme of interviewing foreigners in China on pop culture, trends, and more. Find them on Bilibili, Weibo, Douyin, WeChat, and YouTube.
Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Fill out our media interview form: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zwpDxYL
Winxi and Diana, two co-founders of the Oh Collective, join us to chat about female pleasure, the intimate wellness industry in China, and how to spice up your sex life - with or without a partner.
They also share about growing up with both Western and Eastern cultures, their own experiences dating in China, and how they combat taboos and stigmas around sex and pleasure for women.
About the Oh Collective: Four friends created the Oh Collective to inspire all women to be confident and happy with their intimate selves by recognizing their physical needs and their own definition of "pleasure." They believe you don't need to be ashamed or shy to explore your body, and they help provide women with safe and reliable products, a trusted community and content that offers 100% good vibes only!
Paul and Kelaeni, an expat couple in China, have been waiting for 3 years to get married – and were finally able to do so at the British Consulate in Beijing in July 2022! They share more about meeting in a small city in Shandong Province, trying to plan multiple weddings during the pandemic, and what their wedding day at the consulate was like.
And in a fun twist of events, DNC hosts Nathan and Rachel actually attended this wedding as the witnesses and share their experience of the day.
Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Fill out our media interview form: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zwpDxYL
Martyn, a self-professed f*ckboy when it comes to dating, candidly shares his approach on relationships, how he keeps his friends separate from his dating life, and how he is honest with guys about what he is looking for.
He then dives into his relationship history, sharing the heartbreak that made him become a f*ckboy and the self-reflections he’s had since then.
Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Fill out our media interview form: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zwpDxYL
In part 2 of Practicing Polyamory, Kat is back with one of her other partners in China, Dave from the US. Kat and Dave share how they met, how they handle feelings of jealousy, and how to give space for your partner to process their feelings. Dave talks about the first time he met Kat’s nesting partner Hadyn (his metamour), and the boundaries they discussed before the three of them attended their first party together.
Kat and Dave also stress the importance of complete honesty and communication, and how you need to give each person their own choice and agency to fully make their own decisions. At the end they also share a fun and interesting way they talk through situations.
Listen to Ep. 9 to hear Part 1 with Kat and Haydn, polyamorous individuals and nesting partners in China.
Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Fill out our media interview form: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zwpDxYL
Samantha, co-host of ‘From Tops To Bottoms’ podcast, joins us this week for a hilarious, open, and honest chat about her Tinder fails and sexual explorations in China. She shares how she left a long-term relationship in the UK and went on her first Tinder date in Beijing (which her co-host Cassie followed her on in disguise), how she went on a date with a guy who turned out to be extremely racist, and other dating experiences she's had.
She also talks about fatphobia in China, how working at a kindergarten has given her thick skin, and the thin line between appreciating a body and fetishizing. The DNC hosts and Samantha also talk about how moving to China gives people freedom to explore their identity outside of their home country, how some truly terrible and traumatic dates are funnier in hindsight than they are in the moment, and why women have a difficult time saying no in uncomfortable situations (but should just say f*ck that!). Also, Nathan starts a drinking game where everyone needs to drink anytime someone says “transient” on the podcast.
Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Fill out our media interview form: http://dncsurveys.mikecrm.com/zwpDxYL