Taiwan Talk

Kevin Magee is the former Australian Representative in Taipei, having effectively served as an Australian ambassador, but under the complicated dynamics of the "One China Policy". ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Mr. Magee about his work as an Australian diplomat in Taiwan, China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, and the fascinating situations and people he has encountered in his decades in the foreign service. Thanks for listening!

Barry Martinson is known for his books, his music, and his work with stained glass. Even with his accomplishments, it is difficult to quantify how much Jesuit priest Barry Martinson and his brother Jerry (aka KPS' "Uncle Jerry") have done for the lives they touched. Martinson reminisces about his brother Jerry, and the brothers' legacy of service for the benefit of Taiwan. Note: the interview was recorded at Fr Barry's parish in Qingquan, Hsinchu County

How do Taiwan's white-collar workers compare with other labor pools in other markets? What can you do to get ahead -- whether you're new to the job market, or looking for work? John Winter, Taiwan Country Manager for global recruitment specialist Robert Walters gives us his take on what makes Taiwan's labor force stand out, and whether there are areas it can improve. *

Musa (明馬丁) is a veteran music producer from Argentina and naturalized Taiwanese citizen, who has worked with some of Taiwan's most recognized musicians, while releasing his own music along the way. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Musa about the use of AI in production work, what we need to hear from Taiwan, and how to stay sincere in a noisy world. You can find Musa on Instagram: @musa_keys And you can check out his collaboration with Taiwan's indigenous singer ABAO (阿爆) on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQVF15jJVCk Thanks for listening!

Churchill's is best known to its fans for its line of sausages and easy-to-reheat food. The company's founders, Lee Thomas and Dom Grant, talk about what its like to start a food business and sustain it during the pandemic years. Note: recorded on location at the Churchill's kitchen in Tienmou

Faye Angevine is a French-American who has lived and worked in Taiwan since 1974, and works with numerous non-profit organizations here on the island. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Faye about Taiwan's animal welfare initiatives, local community centers, what it's like to live with 23 dogs, and her fascination with Taiwan's history and antiques. You can find more information on adopting rescue dogs in Taiwan from the PACK Sanctuary: https://packtw.org/ And you can check out Faye's antique showroom, the Bai Win Collection, in Tianmu, Taipei City: https://baiwincollection.com/ Thanks for listening!

From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, Corbett Wall was Taiwan's Prince of the Saxophone. And while music is still very much a part of Wall's life, his priorities have changed; he now works with the indigenous youth to develop their skills in arts and culture. To learn more about the program's award winning film, visit COU175586 Little Warrior. To find out more about Wall's non-profit and you can help, visit Being Present Youth Support.

Former CNN Beijing Bureau Chief and Senior Fellow at the USC US-China Institute Mike Chinoy talks about the inspiration and genesis of his latest book, which tells the story of how U.S. journalists covered China: from the time of the civil war in the 1940s to the coronavirus pandemic.

Andrew Chau (周厚安) is a long-time actor of film, TV, and theater in Taiwan, and a co-host of two different shows on TaiwanPlus. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Andrew about the hardest parts of acting, changing his accent and appearance for character roles, and his hilarious travels around Taiwan with fellow actor Fabio Grangeon. You can see Andrew and Fabio's travel show on TaiwanPlus: https://www.taiwanplus.com/originals/fabio-and-andrews-outdoor-adventures/221003010/fabio-and-andrews-outdoor-adventures You can check out "Wow! Taiwan", with Andrew and Patty Lee: https://www.taiwanplus.com/originals/wow-taiwan/230303009/wow-taiwan-ep17-dive-into-six-sea-wonders You can see what else Andrew has been a part of on his IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7563749/ And check out our bilingual interview (雙語的訪談) with Andrew and the cast of Seqalu… …on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taiwan-talk/id572456881?i=1000533479853 …on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4VwAlMAn1PGXOpNut

Amy Ma is a producer of many films and TV series here in Taiwan, such as the award-winning "American Girl" 【美國女孩】, and a manager for a bunch of Netflix's Chinese-language content. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Amy about communicating between all levels of film production, the work that goes into making local and international projects, and the kinds of films she hopes to see Taiwan make next. You can find Amy Ma on IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6183849/ And check out her podcast, "Come to Maamy", wherever you normally download podcasts… Thank for listening!

Alex Khomenko first made headlines in Taiwan by being the first -- and only -- protester outside the Russian offices in Taipei, immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Since then, he continues in his quest to keep the issue on top of mind for Taiwan. He talks about all that was achieved, and what Taiwan Stands with Ukraine hopes to achieve, as the war continues to mark grim milestones.

Vincent Soberano is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, writer, and martial artist, based in Taiwan and the Philippines. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Vincent about the action film genre, his experience with martial arts and rigging stunts, the struggles of script-writing, and what it's like working in the film industry together with his wife, actor Sarah Chang. You can find Vincent's newly-opened production studio, Scene 8 Studio: https://scene8studio.wixsite.com/home And you can find more info on Vincent's films on his IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6977819/ You can also check out our past interview with Sarah Chang, "The Kung Fu of Being a Parent", back in September of 2021, on your podcasting app. Thanks so much for listening!

Professor H. H. Michael Hsiao is Chairman of Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation and Chairman of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at National Chengchi University. He is also an Adjunct Research Fellow, Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, He spoke to us about the evolution of Taiwan studies as an academic pursuit

Irene Liao's storied career reads like a business fairy tale. After a stint at high-end luxury goods company LVMH (Moët Hennessy) in Hong Kong, she returned to Taiwan to take the helm of her family's high-profile snack food firm Kuai Kuai. But she's since branched out and now leads her own, newly launched nutritious food startup, Vegan Joy. This is her story.

J.J. Chen is a French-Belgian-Taiwanese artist and veteran of the animation industry, both in Taiwan and Europe. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Jean-Jacques about his experiences as an animator, Taiwan animation's place in the world, and a deep, deep breakdown of the animation process, from start to finish. Seriously, I learned a LOT this episode! You can find some of J.J.'s past projects on his vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/channels/303090 Here's some of his photography: https://500px.com/p/lapprentiroidessinges And here's an article he wrote on Taiwan's "On Happiness Road": https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3341091 You can also find J.J. on IG: @apprentiroidessinges Thanks so much for listening!

Hermione Lee is an author who has already published eight books by the age of 18 years old. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Hermione about finding motivation, writing 6,000 words per day, and challenging oneself to write as many kinds of stories and characters as possible. You can find Hermione's books here: https://www.amazon.com/Hermione-Lee/e/B097P7LZB4/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 And she has shared her Facebook fan page, as well! https://www.facebook.com/authorhermionelee Thanks for listening!

(下面的連結也包括中文版的！) Satoki Matsushita is an astrophysicist (天體物理學家) studying black holes (黑洞), and a research fellow at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics here in Taiwan. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Satoki about how we turned Earth into a giant telescope, to take a picture of Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of our galaxy. We also chat about what we've learned from the image, what's next for telescope technology, and the future of science education in Taiwan. 2022年的黑洞畫面： You can see the image of Sagittarius A* here: https://www.sinica.edu.tw/ch/news/7177 2019的黑洞畫面： And you can see humanity's first image of a black hole, M87, here: https://www.sinica.edu.tw/ch/news/6191 Both links should also have English versions available! 這裡也可以看中文版的黑洞科學解釋： https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQB_-kT6obo Thanks for listening!

The success Taiwan enjoyed with its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic didn't come without an environmental cost. Veteran environment researcher Nate Maynard breaks down the issues which arose as a result of the pandemic. You can follow Nate on Twitter here.

Ann Zheng and Dray Yang are award-winning board game designers from the company "Play With Us Design". ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Ann and Dray about developing tabletop games, working with feedback, and bringing more tabletop experiences to a Taiwanese audience. You can find Play With Us Design on social media here: https://linktr.ee/PWUDesign And you can catch Ann and Dray and PWUD at the Taipei Game Show (台北電玩展) and the Taipei International Book Faire (台北國際書展) in January and February of 2023! Thanks for listening!

Alex Kunz is a leading researcher of microplastics (微塑料) in Taiwan's rivers and oceans. ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Alex about where microplastics come from, where they go, and what we can do about them. Thanks for listening!