Meet Nikolas, one of the many people in China I have met “by accident”, a fortunate coincidence of us heading to the same event! Nikos is Shenzhen’s youngest blood, having arrived in the city a bit over a month to pursue his postdoctoral research position in Marine science at one of many universities in the area.
Before coming to China, Nikos lived in Saudi Arabia for many years during his PhD, and there was where the opportunity of coming to China appeared. Having lived abroad and with both parents from distinct nationalities (Finish and Greek), Nikos is able to embrace the world with unique lenses.
From being used to bake his own sourdough bread every Sunday to not having an oven here, we speak a lot about Chinese food and how challenging or easy it is for him being a vegan, to adapt to the local food options. We also touch basis onlearning languages, creating connections, and making the best of our experience no matter where we are.
Since he is new to China, we chat a lot about first impressions, expectations, stereotypes and comparisons to places he’s been before. Nikos also shares the main thing that has bothered him since he arrived in the country and some societal aspects that called his attention. We also discuss a few big topics, such as freedom, people’s beliefs and media influence.
This was a very insightful and open-hearted conversation that I hope you enjoy as much as we did recording it!
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Instagram: @nikolaos90p
What’s up guys!
Today’s solo episode is in the topic of “creating a village” where you live, which is something I have struggled with in the past and eventually found the best ways to do so. As I speak in the episode, having a community is not a WANT, it is a NEED, from my point of view.
If you are like me and live in a distant land from where you grew up, this episode is for you. If you are considering moving countries or even cities, this episode is for you. If perhaps you know people who are new to your city or community, thisepisode is for you. This episode is for every human being out there who is trying their best every day to connect to people and feel like they belong.
Please share your insights and views on this topic and all the topics to come! I love having feedback and to know if you are enjoying the content I’m putting out there. Also, please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't done yet, please subscribe to the podcast on
Meet Kinga (AKA Kanusa), named after a Hungarian princess who married a Polish king! Not only her name origin has an interesting story background, but her nationality is also unusual. She was born in Poland, to Polish parents but her great-grandfather was actually born in the United States and was able to pass citizenship to the future generation.
Coming from a culturally diverse family, Kinga always had a broader vision of the world and knew the world was too big to stay in one place only. She graduated with an architecture and urban design degree, engineering focused. Pretty much theentire time she’s been in China she has been working as an urban designer, which is not a very prominent field in Poland. Also, large architectural projects don’t happen often in Europe, only in major cities, whilst in China, it happens everywhere and all the time. She had many job experiences in China and at the moment, she is working as an English teacher.
She came to China first time at the end of 2013 with the intent of stay two or three years and go back to the United States, but like many foreigners that come to China, she ended up staying since her sister was already here! (You will have to listen to find out the background story). After going back to Poland for a bitduring the pandemic, she found herself missing China very much and knew she had to go back!
Kinga has been living in China for more than 8 years now. We chat the differences in working in China compared to Poland, which was one of the reasons she decided to come back here, as well as how she is able to get out of her shell more and expand her social life in a way she feels freer than in back home. We alsotouch on delicate subjects such as politics and social structures of the country that can be beneficial or not for foreigners.
On this episode you will learn a very important tip if you are coming to China for work and how is the dating scene in the country for foreigners.
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Meet Anne, a bright and beautiful young lady fromGermany, who is doing big things here in China! After graduating from her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Munich, and traveling around Europe, she felt a desire to explore other parts of the world and have a new adventure! That’s when China came into play!
Anne has a PHD in Science, which allowed her to get a very unique and interesting opportunity to work here in China as a Postdoc utilizing her engineering, chemistry and physics background to advance research in a very specific area (listen to find out more!)
Having never travelled to Asia before, this part of the world really surprised her in many aspects. What was supposed to be a two year adventure turned into three years and perhaps even longer. One of the first things she noticed when she arrived in China was how it is extremely organized considering the number of inhabitants of a city.
Anne is a self-taught person as well, studying herself up to the Level 4 of Chinese proficiency. We chat about how the German language can be compared to Mandarin in terms of logics and composition of the words.
We also expand on some cultural and society differences that Anne illustrates through some personal stories that happened to her, which is funny in a sense, but it really points out the differences of society norms and expectations between theEast and the West. Anne shares her personal take on the international community in the city, the perks and the challenges of creating a stable group of friends in a foreign country and what she misses the most about home!
This was a very refreshing and fun conversation I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
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LinkedIn: Anne Imig
Meet Daiana, an outgoing and sweet “fake” Brazilian Imet during mandarin class. Even though she is Russian, she is married with a Brazilian and speaks Portuguese almost as a native! A fun fact about her husband is that he is from the same place as me in Brazil, in the very south, and I actually have family members from the city he is from!
From leaving her home country at 18 years old to study in the United States, Daiana started her life abroad with an opened mind and heart. In one of her trips she traveled to Brazil and fell in love with the country, she wanted to move there. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering and because she can speak multiple languages, she was able to get a job in a big Brazilian company that needed someone to come work in China. It was a perfect opportunity for her that blended Brazil, Russia and China!
After 13 years in China, she fell in love with the country. She shares her struggles with learning mandarin, and why it is not the same way of learning other languages, even though she can speak almost fluently 5 other languages. Daiana is also a mother and she shares her experience of having children growing up in China and how is the education system for international kids in the country, as well as the peculiarities, perks and expectations of kids in the Chinese society.
From being a daughter of the world, Daiana has a vast understanding of cultures and how to adapt in different societies. We chat about the cultural aspects that stood outthe most to her when she first arrived here and how now she implemented a few Chinese habits to her lifestyle. We expand on stereotypes, society systems and expectations, safety, accessibility and all the specificities that make this country her choice of living for the foreseeable future.
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Meet Tom, an incredibly kind and wise man with a very distinctive background. From dropping out of school and being an engineer at 23 years old, he knew inside of him he always wanted to become a teacher. He then, at the age of 29, pursued university to make his dream come true, which eventually would lead him to teaching opportunities internationally and open possibilities for him to come to China to be a principal at international schools!
If being a principal wasn’t enough, because of his extensive background experience, Tom was asked to start and develop brand new schools around China, which started 15 years ago, and gave him the possibility of living and experiencing manydifferent cities around the country. His son eventually got interested in mandarin and wanted to join him in China to go to school to learn the language.
Tom also shares his own journey on learning mandarin and why it has been a struggle for him, even after all these years. He actually makes a very interesting comparison with Chinese kids learning English versus English speakers learning mandarin, which he believes it has to do with the way kids are taughtmathematics and logical thinking in general (a similar comparison my friend Anna, who came on the podcast a few weeks ago, also pointed out).
Without having planned all these past 15 years in China, and not even having to actually apply for jobs, everything seemed to perfectly unfold by itself. Unexpectedly, Tom also found love in China, and have been married with a local woman for a few years now. After having lived in a few different places inChina and traveled a lot around the country and the world, Tom decided that Shenzhen would be his place of retirement.
We chat cultural differences, society expectations and personal growth. Tom is an example of how despite coming from a very humble background you can still make a difference, create something incredible, and become the best version you can be of yourself.
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Meet Ellie, an incredibly talented woman with a very interesting and inspiring background. She was born in Russia but her parents are both from Kyrgzstan, but it was in China that she ended up finding her true purpose.
She studied architecture in Russia and that was the beginning of her journey into the arts and creative world, which opened her the doors to the amazing and chaotic architectural industry here in China. And it would later, turn into her own personal business endeavor!
A very interesting point she brings up is that even without speaking fluent mandarin, she was able to navigate smoothly through her job because the architectural world kind of speaks the same language, which is through shapes, designs anddrawings. This proves us that there are multiple ways of communicating with others and not always through speech, sometimes an image can convey a thousand words.
After many years working and hustling as an architect in the country, it was through dancing as a leisure activity that sparked in her a possibility of a different path in life, but still in the subject of arts, design and creativity! Now with her own studio, she is able to pass along all her knowledge and experience to people from all kinds of background, from children to adults.
Ellie has been in China for 10 years and has achieved immense success and satisfaction personally and professionally. We chat on the highs and the lows of living in the country and how the life she is living now fulfills her sense of success with a of joy, nurture, satisfaction and connection.
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Instagram: @elvira.inspire
Meet Simon, a very enthusiastic and friendly guy from Felixtowe, which is the biggest container port town in England. I’ve had the chance to meet him over one of the many group chats I am a part of here in China.
I started the conversation by asking him what were his thoughts on so many British people coming to work in China, and he shares many important points on why that is thecase in his perspective in terms of what both countries have to offer for teachers’ jobs. He sums it up in terms of how being a teacher in the United Kingdom is equal to insanity!
He has a long background with teaching internationally, since the early 2000s actually. Having lived in Canada, Abu Dhabi, Peru and many other places, his exposure to an international setting in his professional as well as personal life prepared himto start his new journey in China. Although, from his experience, teaching in the UAE was way more challenging than teaching in China. He puts his experience with teaching in the UAE as a massive cultural shock.
Simon expresses how much he enjoys living in China. He first arrived in Hainan, and since then he lived in Guangzhou and now Shenzhen, being the latest his favorite city by far. He also touches on the importance of embracing the culture of the country you are in and really giving that country a chance inorder to empathize and respect the people of that place. If not, you’ll live in a bubble forever.
We discuss a multitude of topics, including where you can find the best British dishes around the area and why Wechat groups are a must have as a foreigner in the country!
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(Simon is an exception to the rule and chooses not to have social media, good for him!)
Meet Nicole, one of the first girlfriends I’ve had in China and one of my favorite South African in town! In searching for a new adventure to take on, her and her husband decided to come to China, where they’ve been for six years and counting! After living in Chengdu for two years before moving to Shenzhen, we chat about how different life is from one city to another, from the lifestyle, city vibes, weather, activities and overall pace of the place, she definitely found her ground here in Shenzhen!
Because of the extensive school systems in China, Nicole had the opportunity of working in different types of schools and finally getting the opportunity of teaching smaller kids, which was something she’s always wanted to pursue back in herhome country. And she actually points out the fact that she feels teaching in China is easier than teaching in her home country.
We also touch on the topic of why she stopped learning Mandarin, which was a language she studied for quite some time but because of her job and life situations she ended up slowing down on learning it. Expending on culture as well, sheexplains the “bad” habits she ended up picking up because of living here and how her family notices it every time she goes back home.
From the challenges on socializing in the country, which is something I personally struggle with and I know many expats do also, to the perks of having a very outgoing husband, we chat about how she finds the right situations and activities tomeet people. We finish up chatting on the fact her family came to visit her for the first time, and they had a blast!
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Instagram: @nicdav1s
Facebook: Nicole Anthea Davis
Meet Anna, a very sweet and smart blondie from “the middle of Europe”, can you guess which country she is originally from?
Her interest in linguistics opened her curiosity to the Chinese language, in which she has a very unique perspective on. And it was because of this curiosity that she embarked on a one year scholarship to study mandarin in the mother language country. One year turned into another year of studying the language, which turned into a living and working in China full time.
By working for a company from her home country, which was looking for a person with the ability of speaking mandarin to expand and grow the business to China, Anna is an example of the power of knowing another language besides your native one. That ability opened to her the doors to a whole new world of opportunities.
We chat a lot about the cultural differences between Europe and Asia and how that affects our professional and personal lives. We also expand on different perceptions and experiences about this complex culture that is many times very hard for us foreigners to relate to, and what are her views on friends and romantic relationship within the country.
From admiring the elder generation of Chinese and learning how to create a happier life during retirement, Anna has a very distinct understanding of the local culture and how it impacts her life here as a foreigner. She also shares an interest take on the working scene in her home country compared to China, andgives a practical idea on how to switch gears towards a more enjoyable work-life balance.
This was an insightful and meaningful conversation about the many nuances that it is to be a foreigner in China.
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Instagram: @blondstateofmind
Meet Bruna, who after living in China for ten years has decided it was time to leave and start a new life chapter. She is a translator, majored in French with a minor in Italian translation and knew since a young age that she was destined to explore the world. This mindset is exactly what had brought her to China as well as what is making her leave China.
Bruna is polyglot, speaking five languages and counting! She shares how her love for languages developed since the age of eight years old and how her father’s music taste influenced her on listening to international bands and singers. But it wasn’t util she fell in love with the band Simple Plan that she realized shewas destined for a worldly experience of cultures abroad.
We go over her experience of living in China for so many years, from the challenges of getting used to the local food and being one of the few foreigners in a small city when she just arrived, to moving to Shenzhen, and the perks of all the amazing connections she has made in the country and how it shaped her into the woman she is today.
We go deep into how much China means to her and how a country that has many times an erroneous image abroad has gave her the tools and the confidence to go and explore other parts of the world. From visiting new places, creating newconnections and developing a deeper meaning of self-growth, we finish up chatting about her next moves and the experiences she is most excited about going into this new life adventure. Where will she end up next? Only time willtell.
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Instagram: @brunamalacrida
LinkedIn: Bruna Malacrida
Hello everyone! I have decided to record solo episodes every time I feel there is some specific topic that I would like to throw out there for discussion! As we all know, there are a lot of subjects in life that we don’t get to share thoughts on or even think too much far into, and I believe they should be discussed and brought into light. So, this will be the first topic in discussion, ACCENTS, even better, WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE AN ACCENT.
“Hi, my name is Veronika! What’s your name?”
“Oooh, where are you from? I hear an accent!”
If you have experienced this short dialogue before, this one is for you! In this episode you will listen to me rant about how much having an accent does not matter and how you should actually perceive it as. As it is, simply an accent.
Please share your insights and views on this topic and all the topics to come! I love having feedback and to know if you are enjoying the content I’m putting out there. Also, please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't done yet, please subscribe to the podcast on
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Meet Julia Liu, a very good friend of mine here in China that has an extremely unique and interesting background! Starting with her mother, who has at least four different bloods running through her veins, Julia herself is a mixed baby, having Chineseroots as well!
She shares her incredible Chinese family’s history on how her grandparents met each other during one of China’s revolutions, being both of them very famous artists in the country at the time, and how everything unfolded to create a very distinctand incredible family tree! From basically having not only two, but three grandmothers, Julia definitely inherited the creative background form her past generations and even learnt with one of them how to make the traditional Chinese handcrafted paper cuts.
We chat a lot about the blend of multiple cultures and how was growing up in Europe compared to coming to China as an adult. Having extended family here in the country, she is actively involved in the Chinese society and explains how she perceives the North of China to be very similar to Ukraine in terms of food and habits!
Julia is polyglot, speaking four languages fluently. She expands on her current work as the bridge between Europe and Asia, and how knowing different languages and understandingdifferent cultures assist her on this position. She plays a big part on making sure business flows smoothly for both sides.
We touch on the importance of respecting other cultures and how we have the responsibility of setting an example of our people into a new society. How society view us is how it views our country.
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Instagram: @jullyu
Meet Jonnise, a vibrant and spirited American girl from the “Mall of America”, can you guess what state she is from? Wechat all about how Disney, yes Disney, has brought her to China and how 14 months became 7 years of living here!
We expand on her journey of making local friends and how a hairdressers’ appointment can get you on a date, even if you do not speak the same language! From food adventures that are not for the faint of heart to the best activity one mustengage in if ever visiting China, it is a one-time opportunity to experience the culture at its best!
In this episode, you might feel inspired to finally come visit the country and enhance your lifestyle, habits and not only your palate but also your sense of smell! Find out the secrets of living longer and happier and what we can take as example for own livelihoods when observing the natives’ approach to life.
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Instagram: @jonnisehazuka
Meet Kauê, an open minded and adventurous fellow Brazilian who cannot decide where is home for him. From having a very mixed cultural background and moving extensively growing up he ended up coming to China at the age of 20 because of ajob opportunity that came his way with three specific requirements, and he met all of them.
We get into the intrinsics of his job in China and how multifaceted it can be with time differences, daily dynamics, and technical skills. Besides his native language,he also has the ability to speak two languages in a very high level. He explains how knowing Japanese assisted him on getting the job and how the language compares to Mandarin in reading and speaking. We discuss very helpful tips on how to learn new languages, that I will probably be implementing in my own learning process!
From travelling on the plane for the very first time, to really appreciating his own personal growth coming to China, we chat about many cultural “clichés” and what is a very traditional aspect of the local culture that he appreciates deeply and ended up adhering to his own daily routine. In this episode you will learn that having courage is your door to the world.
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Instagram: @kaue.cn
Meet Omar, a fellow Latin American that created roots in China! His passion and dedication for volleyball followed him all the way from Mexico, where he grew up playing the sport, and opened the opportunity for him to start a volleyball group for foreigners here in Shenzhen.
Although, what made him stay was a combination of engineering, opportunity, kindness and love. His engineering knowledge allowed him to work in a Chinese environment and eventually to become an entrepreneur, dealing directly with Chinese manufacturers and breaking the “made in China” stigma. From experiencing challenges since the first day he stepped a foot into the country, it was the kindness of a stranger that showed him that he was meant to be in China.
He lived first-hand the changes and innovations in the country and reminds us that having a problem-solving mindset and being opened to the new and unknown can bring us life changing experiences we will forever be thankful for.
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Instagram: @omarkstro777
Facebook: Omar Castro
Meet Eledir Busanello, a lovely Brazilian from the same state as me in Brazil! She fell in love with China since the first time she stepped into the country more than 10 years ago! Coming here for work at first, she never expected to have such a strong connection to the country that would makeher want to stay!
We discuss the learning curve she experienced from havingstudied Mandarim in Brazil to applying her knowledge of it in China and how she perceives her growth and battles with this complex language. She opens up about a few Chinese habits she picked up through the years and does not let go of, aswell as a few habits she does not understand and struggles to get used to.
From sharing our thoughts on the food culture in China compared to how we grew up in Brazil having European family upbringings, we expand on the different dishes and dynamics that happen on the table. We also discuss the experience of owning a pet in the country and a very peculiar type of “petshop” you can find in many malls in China!
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Instagram: @eledirb
Meet Shayna Marie, a southern girl from the United States with whom I share a lot in common! Her focused area of studies in International Relations and Latin American Politics plus her courageous and risk taker personality pushed her to move toChina on a leap!
She never thought she would fall in love with China, literally and figuratively speaking! We expand on the dating scene in the country, particularly with locals and how does the language impacted her ability to meet people. She also shares howliving in China has changed her perceptions of the world and how it impacted her personal journey.
In this episode, you will get tips and advice for improving your learning curve of Mandarin and opportunities for foreigners to insert themselves in the culture that I was not aware of! Such as 潘家园(Pān jiāyuán), which is THE PLACE to go in Beijing that will make you feel free, connected and be almost “forced” to chat with the locals!
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Instagram: @shayexists
Meet Hattie Gordon, a blondie from the southwest in the UK! She is one of the many people I’ve met through Kade, who was my first guest on the show. She is also extremely creative and artistic, having launched her own brand of handcrafted earrings! (Tagged down below)
Hattie shares her experience of living in Beijing for many years and how she compares life there to now living in Shenzhen. From the challenges of making friends in a foreign country to actually creating meaningful relations, she expands on herpersonal strategies for meeting people and building friendship.
In this episode, you will learn the truth about the public bathrooms at the 胡同 (hútòng) in Beijing and what is the best nonvegetarian tofu dish you’ll ever taste! Which is called 麻婆豆腐 (Má pó dòufu), in case you are wondering.
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Instagram: @hattie_gordon25
(Jewelry brand) @hattiemaysclays
Meet Kade Maijala, an American from Seattle, UnitedStates, who thought he would be in China for only a short term, but life had other plans for him! His opened minded approach and free spirit personality exposed him to many different experiences that he would never have thought of living if he stayed in the United States.
Kade is also one of my best friends here in China, andhaving the opportunity to sit down with him to share our views and opinions about this country was a great way to take our friendship to the next level and to kick off the podcast with a very insightful and fun interview!
In this episode, you will hear us tell interesting stories, share personal opinions and experiences; all with good humor, laughs and jokes.
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Instagram: @kademaijala
LinkedIn: Kade Maijala
