Taiwan Talk

John Murn is the executive director and a co-founder of All Hands Taiwan, a non-profit helping people and organizations all over the island to network and foster professional connections. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with John about forging career paths for both locals and expats alike, finding sustainability for All Hands, and what Taiwan can do to attract more foreign talent. Check out the All Hands website: https://www.allhandstaiwan.org/ And follow them on Instagram: @allhandstw Thanks for listening!

Taiwan might know Frederic Laplanche as a diplomat and former head of the European Economic and Trade Office. But Mr Laplanche will also remembered for something else -- as the author of a book that provides a bird's eye view of 300 years of Taiwan history seen through French eyes. Thank you for listening.

Bryan D. Hopkins is a filmmaker living in Taiwan, who recently returned from filming a documentary in Ukraine. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Bryan about how Ukrainians are coping with Russia's invasion, how it compares to the relationship between Taiwan and China, and what Taiwan can do to prepare itself amid constantly-changing geopolitics. You can find Bryan's previous documentary about the 2010 BP Oil Spill, "Dirty Energy", on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf7B_SPj1s8 And you can keep up with Bryan on Instagram: @bryanoutside76 And in you're in Taipei, you can get DELICIOUS bread at his bakery "Flavor the World": 新北市新店區三民路94巷14號 No. 14, Lane 94, Sanmin Rd, Xindian District, New Taipei City (Seriously, he brought a loaf of sourdough bread to the interview. It was awesome. Get some.) And that's it for this episode… thanks for listening!

Joe Zhuang is the former Deputy Manager of the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation, or IPCF, an organization that shares and celebrates indigenous news, music, art, documentaries, and cultural events. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi speaks with Joe about the IPCF's TV and radio channels, fighting cultural stereotypes, and keeping Taiwan's many indigenous languages alive. Check out the IPCF website, for info on their various media and events: www.ipcf.org.tw Thanks for listening!

Sascha Zeegers is an astronomer researching interstellar dust, with Academia Sinica in Taiwan and scientists around the world. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Sascha about her upcoming project with the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, and how these tiny dust particles throughout our galaxy play an important role in the birth of stars. Thanks for listening!

Liting Tan, also known as “Uncle Southside”, is a seasoned performer organizing an upcoming show for Taipei’s Fringe Festival, a city-wide cultural season for all kinds of performing arts. ICRT’s Trevor Tortomasi speaks with Liting about their show “Journey to the Jest”, a wild adaptation of the well-known myth that starred such characters as Wu Kong, the Monkey King… and a horse?! “Journey to the Jest” will be performed in Mandarin, with English subtitles, at "Venue" (濕地), on the evenings of September 1st and 2nd. "Venue" address: Taipei City, Zhongshan District, Linsen North Road, Lane 107, No. 10 Liting also has an earlier show this weekend, “Drag Mania”, at Two Three Comedy, on Saturday, August 20th. Check out their shows soon, and follow Uncle Southside on Instagram: @southside.tingles.king Thanks for listening!

Debbie Liu is an animal lover, DJ, and co-owner of one of Kaohsiung's most popular hang out spots. She talks about rising through the ranks at Brickyard, managing the business during COVID-19, and her family's experience trying to evade Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Join ICRT's Paz Bueno in her first rendition of Taiwan Talk.

Jenna Lynn Cody is the writer behind the blog "Lao Ren Cha", a commentary and resource hub for English speakers here in Taiwan. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi speaks with Jenna Lynn Cody about finding resources for English speakers in Taiwan, literature about the island's history, and a better future for foreign teachers in the country. You can find the Lao Ren Cha blog here: https://laorencha.blogspot.com And you can find Jenna on Twitter: @laorenchanna You can also find her work on Ketagalan Media: https://ketagalanmedia.com/author/jenna-lynn-cody/ Jenna is also an admin for "Super Awesome Taiwan Women" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1162094783892835/ Thanks for listening!

Achim Hake has been in Taiwan since the 1990s, and has seen Taiwan's hotel industry grow and evolve into what it is today. He shares the more memorable moments of his career with ICRT's Hope Ngo, along with insight into what he feels will be the future of Taiwan tourism as we emerge from aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks for listening.

Manav Mehta is the curator and host of Red Room Rendezvous, a.k.a. R3, a restaurant, bar, and event space in Taipei. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Manav about the history of Red Room, international communities in Taipei, and Manav's current adventures with a percussion instrument called a "handpan". You can find Red Room Rendezvous on Instagram: @r3.taipei Follow Manav on Instagram as well: @aspiring_azul Thanks for listening!

Ashley Tong was just eight when she first played with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. Today she is one of a three-person group known as the Heathcliff Trio, which went on to win first prize at the 9th International Johannes Brahms Chamber Music Competition. ICRT's Hope Ngo speaks to Tong about the path from child violinist to award-winning musician. Visit the Heathcliff Trio here to learn more about this talented group. Thanks for listening.

Lukas Engstrom is a Swedish YouTuber based here in Taiwan, who has collaborated with various content creators all over the island. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Lukas about what it's like living with YouTubers, and which videos seem to appeal to which audiences so far. You can check out Lukas' channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3LxWTmKK24 And you can also find him on Instagram: @lukasengstrom Thanks for listening!

Rifat, also known as 吳鳳 (Wu Feng), is a Turkish-Taiwanese host, comedian, and actor in Taiwan, and the first foreigner to win Taiwan's Golden Bell Award, in 2012. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Rifat about his experiences as a bridge between Taiwan and his home country of Turkey, as well as his recent collaboration with TaiwanPlus, on shows such as "Live From Taiwan" and "Legit Mando". You can find more from Rifat online: Instagram: @rifatkarlova YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/%E5%90%B3%E9%B3%B3Rifat Thanks for listening!

Sam Yarbs is a co-founder of the Two Three Comedy Club in Taipei, and a standup comedian with international accolades. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi speaks with Sam about his work on The Night Night Show (博恩夜夜秀), comedy across the language barrier, and the future of standup in Taiwan. You can find info on Two Three Comedy's upcoming shows: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwoThreeComedy Instagram: @twothreecomedy And you can find Sam on Instagram: @sam.yarbs Thanks for listening!

Taiwanese-American food blogger Frankie Gaw walked away from a successful career in tech and became a rising star within the highly competitive world of food blogging. ICRT’s Hope Ngo speaks to Gaw about what enticed him to swap a successful career in tech for food, and what he did to get his new cookbook “First Generation” ready for publication. Thanks for listening! You can find and follow Frankie on his blog, Little Fat Boy or on Instagram.

William Stanton served as Director for the American Institute in Taiwan -- the organization charged with maintaining relations between the U.S. and Taiwan -- between 2009 to 2012. ICRT's Hope Ngo speaks to Stanton about what inspired him to enter the foreign service, how he feels about being a teacher at this critical juncture in modern history, and how he feels about China, and his country's exchanges with Taiwan today. Thanks for listening!

Matan Shelomi is a professor of entomology (the study of insects) at National Taiwan University, and the first guest to make a return appearance on Taiwan Talk, after our previous journey through the world of insects in late 2020. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Matan to learn about why some people get bitten by mosquitoes more often, which insects taste the best, and why insect species are disappearing at such an alarming rate. Thanks for listening!

Stephen Rong is a renaissance man of performance, as an actor, singer, dancer, model, podcaster, and radio DJ. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Stephen about his role in the acapella group "Awkwapella", and its stark contrast with his murder-mystery podcast, "The Dark Forest". You can find Stephen on Instagram: @therongone And you can find his acapella group here: @awkwapella And if you understand Chinese, you can check out his podcast, 【暗黑森林 The Dark Forest】: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qKknXOhcJS0hxrKUSkNeB Thanks for listening!

Professor Joseph Allen's book "Taipei: City of Displacements" tells the story behind Taiwan's unique architecture -- from the Japanese colonial era to the current time. ICRT's Hope Ngo invites Professor Allen on an imaginary walk along the streets leading to Taipei's Ketagalan Boulevard, to tell audiences about two of the most distinctive buildings in the area. Thanks for listening!

Kassy Cho is an independent journalist and founder of Almost.co, a media outlet focused on getting news stories to the internet's younger generations. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Kassy about internet journalism, and thinking visually to present stories to new audiences. You can find Kassy's news pages on Instagram: English: @almost.co Chinese: @almost.ch Or her personal page here: @kassy You can also find the Instagram page she worked on with Buzzfeed here: @world Thanks for listening!