Mandarin Monkey Podcast Podcast #27 - Special guest IRENE
Apr 2, 2019
A wide-ranging two-hour chat covers cultural differences between Taiwan and the UK. They talk about schooling, career choices, and the tension between practical skills and creative passion. Conversations touch on language use, customer service and occasional racism abroad. They also discuss parenting customs, everyday courtesy, and a creative poster project exploring cultural conflict.
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Use Your 18–30s To Experiment
- Do use your 18–30s to experiment and fail because you have time to recover.
- Tom advises taking risks early (quitting stable jobs, trying creative paths) to avoid long-term regret from playing it safe.
Exam Scores Don't Equal Conversation Ability
- Languages taught for exams often fail conversational needs; test scores don't equal speaking ability.
- Ula and Tom note Taiwanese students score high on TOEIC yet struggle in real-life English conversations abroad.
Cultural Pressure Pushes Practical Choices
- Parental pressure and cultural expectations can shift priorities toward stability and family.
- Irene feels pressure at 27 to settle down and choose practical careers rather than explore creative skills.