In this episode, Ula sits down with new Mandarin Monkey teacher Yating for a fun first conversation together.

They discuss the kinds of questions Taiwanese people always ask when meeting someone new, including where you’re from, your star sign, and whether you’re an I person or a J person. The conversation also explores life abroad, cultural differences between Taiwan, the UK, and Sweden, and the small daily habits that become surprisingly emotional when living overseas.

Topics include:

• Taiwanese social culture
• Astrology and personality types in Taiwan
• Introvert vs extrovert (I vs E)
• Planning personalities (J vs P)
• Shoes inside the house
• Food hygiene differences
• Public changing rooms in Sweden
• 
  

A relaxed and natural Mandarin conversation for learners who enjoy culture, personality discussions, and everyday life topics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back on another Friday walk, this time heading to buy pizza for the kids before their disco.

Along the way we talk about rats, squirrels, Dungeons & Dragons, steak names in Mandarin, private and public schools, and the differences between education in Taiwan and the UK.

We also discuss how children discover their interests, whether schools should focus more on individual passions, and what parents can do to support their kids’ happiness and future choices.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 463, we take the podcast outside again for a relaxed walk around our local area. We chat in Mandarin and English about spring weather, birds, nettles, dandelions, dog poo bags, new housing developments, finding a £2 coin, and spotting a rat in the bushes.

We also talk about our upcoming camping trip to the Cotswolds, bank holiday weather, funny local pub experiences, and some of our recent Mandarin Monkey short videos — including GATAO and Sherlock.

A casual bilingual walking episode for Mandarin learners who enjoy real conversation, natural listening practice, and a little bit of chaos.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.