China Chats
By Clodagh Graham
China ChatsOct 10, 2023
Ep 8 Luba Diasamidze on raising third culture kids, her career and being an entrepreneur
Become a coach
https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/
Find Luba on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luba-diasamidze/
Luba’s company’s website
My guest today is Luba Diasamidze. She has lived in China for the past 13 years and is a certified executive and team coach. She is the founder of UpThink Coaching, a coaching and coach training company, providing ICF-accredited coach training programs.
As a coach she works with multicultural teams and their leaders to help them improve intercultural leadership skills, team performance, relationships and engagement. She is a regular speaker at local and global events and conferences.
Luba and her partner have 2 children that were born in China and are attending Chinese school where they all live in Foshan, China.
Ep 7 Kara Wutzke - China stories, Balance and Being the Ultimate You
Kara Wutzke is the number 1 weight loss coach for expats in Asia. She is a Canadian that has been an expat for many years. Not only has she been a coach for 23 years but along with her team of coaches at K2Fit they have coached over 9000+ people to achieve their fitness goals. In today’s conversation we dig deep and get honest, Kara talks about what body building naturally is really like, and doing it while living in China no less. We chat all things fitness, lifestyle, career, language and have a few funny moments in there for good measure.
- Kara’s Website, where you’ll find her coaching info https://k2fit.com/
- Kara’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kara.wutzke/
- Kara’s new podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/5upLDi8M42aw74nrVyhORk?si=e4d6c6d4062a4290
- Kara’s Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/kara_wutzke_the_key_to_fitness_is_not_what_you_think
Music Credit:
Song: China-P
Artist: 徐梦圆
Album: China Series
Ep 6 Sara Jaaksola on being studying in China, teacher and PHD student
Having done both her Bachelor and Master degrees in China she shares her study tips and talks to us about recently embarking on her PHD.
Sara's blog details really useful information on cross cultural relationships and how to navigate Chinese in law relationships.
Being a working mum isn't easy and Sara tells us how she juggles having so many demands on her time.
Sara’s Website, where you’ll find her blog sarajaaksola.com/
Sara’s YouTube Channel youtube.com/@sarajaaksola
Sara's Teaching business - Expat Chinese Website www.expatchinese.com/about/
Music Credit:
Song: China-P
Artist: 徐梦圆
Album: China Series
Ep 5 China's Singles's Day Explained 11:11
I explain what Singles' Day is, where China's biggest online shopping came from and what exactly happens on November 11th every year.
Every year China's Singles' Day sales dwarfs Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.
But why are people spending so much on November 11th? And what exactly are they buying?! And what does this all have to do with Taylor Swift?
Music Credit:
Song: China-P
Artist: 徐梦圆
Album: China Series
Ep. 4 Anastasia Koss on being a Singer and Actress in Hong Kong and New York
This week Anastasia Koss shares her journey of navigating the world of Singing and Acting in both New York and Hong Kong.
She talks about the release of her brand new Single and it's Music Video you can check out here
https://tr.ee/aPJgCKD8_3
https://tr.ee/gQSzETcjFJ
Anastasia describes how staying with a host family in China showed her how different styles of communication can be in China.
You can follow Anastasia across her social media platforms here;
Chinese Tiktok (抖音): AKmaomaochong
Music Credit:
Song: China-P
Artist: 徐梦圆
Album: China Series
Mandarin Study Influencer, AI and TikTok tips with Jen Tomski
Jen is a marketing professional and a content creator in Edmonton Canada. With over 110,000 followers across her social media channels.
In today's episode we chat about how she garnered a loyal following on YouTube sharing her journey learning Mandarin, travels across China and covers of Chinese songs. We also discuss her work in AI and her recently established communications company specializing in social media management, video production and influencer management among other services.
Jen’s Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thatsreallyjen/
Jen's Marketing Business' Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kai.communications/
Jen’s Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/c/ThatsReallyJen
Jen’s Bilibili (Chinese Version Of YouTube)
space.bilibili.com/526040247
Jen’s Weibo
weibo.com/7425795652/profile?rightmod=1&wvr=6&mod=personinfo&is_all=1
Links to scholarships to study in China
More information about scholarships to study in China
Raising bilingual kids, a blended culture family and the reality of teaching in China with Kimberly Xie-Smith
On today's episode I chatted with Kimberly Xie-Smith. Originally from the UK, in our conversation she describes what moving to China over 10 years ago was like. As Kimberly's husband is Chinese, we discuss blended culture families and she shares her philosophy on raising your kids to be bilingual. Kimberly gives us an insight into pivoting your career in China and why the the Chinese concept of 关系 "Guanxi" plays a vital role in job hunting.
- Kimberly's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyyjo/
- You can find Kimberly's blog EnglishWorks on wechat https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/KCNRP_X241OT3n2HUtDOrQ
- Kimberly and her Husband's Photography page https://www.instagram.com/xie.smith/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ%3D%3D
A bit more context on the concept 关系 "Guanxi"
Guanxi loosely translates as personal connections, relationships or social networks. It implies trust and mutual obligations between parties, and it operates on personal, familial, social, business and political levels. Having good, bad or no guanxi impacts one’s influence and ability to get things done.
Music Credit:
Song: China-P
Artist: 徐梦圆
Album: China Series
Meet your host - Clodagh!
Hi, I'm Clodagh and this is my China origin story. From studying Mandarin in University, and going on to spend 6 years in China I want to share my Mandarin learning journey with you and how that has impacted my career. If you're considering learning a foreign language or curious about China, I hope you enjoy this episode!
Music Credit:
Song: China-P
Artist: 徐梦圆
Album: China Series
Trailer
Join me on an unforgettable journey through China as we explore the captivating stories and experiences of people who have lived, worked, and traveled in this extraordinary country. From learning a new language to adjusting to life in a new country 'China Chats' is your passport to a world of fascinating encounters and cultural insights. Get ready to learn about marketing and social media trends in one of the world's most advanced e-commerce economies. Welcome to 'China Chats,' where every episode is a window into life in the Middle Kingdom.