Taiwan Talk

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!

Dr. Lin Li-Jiang is the Department-Director of painting, calligraphy, rare books, and historical documents, at Taiwan's National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院). ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Dr. Lin about the Palace Museum's latest exhibit on the life of Wang Shi-Zhen (王世貞), one of China's most prolific writers, historians, and critics. Dr. Lin also talks about the museum's oldest artifacts, the evolution of Chinese literature and art, and all kinds of crazy stories from China's history. The National Palace Museum's current exhibition will be open until December 25th, 2022, and will reopen with new artwork from December 28th through March 21st of 2023. You can find more information about the exhibit on the National Palace Museum's website: https://www.npm.gov.tw/ If you enjoy today's episode, feel free to share it with a friend :] Thanks so much for listening!

Cheng Ming-Dean (鄭明典) is the Director-General of the Central Weather Bureau (氣象局), or the CWB, which researches and forecasts weather, ocean conditions, seismology (basically earthquakes), and even astronomy! ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Mr. Cheng about Taiwan's record-setting rainbows, weather forecast technology, the effects of climate change on Taiwan's weather, rising sea levels, how typhoons are named, and whether a giant dehumidifier could save Taiwan from drought. You can find all kinds of information on Taiwan's atmosphere on the Central Weather Bureau website: https://www.cwb.gov.tw/eng/ And if you'd like some occasional updates on Taiwan's weather phenomena, you can follow Mr. Cheng himself! https://www.facebook.com/mdc.cwb And if you enjoyed this episode of Taiwan Talk, feel free to leave us an iTunes, or share it with a friend :] Thanks for listening!

This week, ICRT's Tim Berge talks to some of the candidates and their campaigns in the run up to Taiwan's 2022 mayoral elections.

Liam Fanning is the organizer of the upcoming "Taipei Shorts V", the fifth installment of a series of short theater plays, produced by the local performance community, set to debut from Friday, November 11th, for two weekends! ICRT's Trevor Tortomasi chats with Liam about this year's list of plays, their production process, and the future of multi-language theater in Taiwan. You can get tickets for Taipei Shorts here: https://tickets.udnfunlife.com/application/UTK02/UTK0201_.aspx?PRODUCT_ID=N27GD1OV And you can follow Taipei Shorts on social media, for more performances in the years to come! Instagram: @taipeishorts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaipeiShorts Thanks for listening!

Enoch Wu (吳怡農) is the Director of the Forward Alliance, and was named one of Time's 100 Next 2022. Hope Ngo chats with Enoch about the experiences that shaped him, the dreams that inspire him, and the passions that keep him moving ahead. You can find Wu on Twitter: @Enoch_TW Thank you for listening!

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!