Podcast Ep. #3: Pollution, Life in China & Uber

After a long hiatus, a new episode of the Chengdu Living podcast is finally available. Recorded just a week ago with Dan Engel and Eli Sweet in a Yulin apartment, this is a 55 minute podcast about pollution, life in China, and Uber being recently banned.

The topics discussed in the podcast are:

Pollution in Chengdu

  • Causes of pollution, and the seasonal nature of this problem
  • What’s being done about the pollution
  • How local residents are reacting
  • What you can do to protect yourself, including specific information about useful products and practices

Uber Ban in China

  • About China’s investment in Uber and in ride-sharing apps
  • Reports from Uber rides in Chengdu
  • Details about why Uber is banned and the circumstances surrounding the ban
  • Discussion about the future of Uber and ride sharing in China

“Is Life in China Real?”

  • Analyzing the roles we assume as expats transitioning from temporary to long-term residents
  • Discussion about engaging and interacting with local culture in meaningful ways
  • Explaining the draw of China to friends and family who don’t understand

Download & Stream Links

Download Podcast #3

Or click below to listen to the podcast now through your browser.

You can also search for the podcast in your favorite podcasting app (mine is Overcast, which I highly recommend for iPhone users).

Links Mentioned in the Podcast

Links to things mentioned in the podcast:

Posts & Articles

Websites:

Apps

Lastly, we used a Gold Panda song titled “Same Dream China” (which we love) for the intro and outro of this podcast. Check out Gold Panda on iTunes. Here’s a fan-made music video for this song on Youtube:

If you have any comments or feedback on this podcast or on topics you’d like us to discuss in the future, leave a comment below. If you enjoy the podcast, please share it! We look forward to recording more of these and continuing to chronicle and share the story of life in Chengdu.

6 thoughts on “Podcast Ep. #3: Pollution, Life in China & Uber”

  1. Solid return to an old, oft mentioned format for diffusion of China and Chengdu related news. I like the Uber section, but I thought you could have been more incredulous that they are even here.

    How about a podcast on Green Chengdu, How Hi Tech Works in Chengdu, The Logistics Game, Women and Men, How much We Miss Sascha.

    I’d listen to those.

    Reply
  2. Great addition to ChengduLiving. More podcasts will certainly be appreciated.

    At Natooke Chengdu we get many inquiries from people just looking for guidance about living in China and Chengdu. Mostly about cycling, obviously, but also about things like dealing with pollution or other commonly encountered issues.

    Similar types of podcasts that share knowledge of how to understand, enjoy, or use some of the great things Chengdu has to offer, both new and old, will make Chengduliving an even better resource than it already is.

    A series on “how stuff works in China” would be interesting, focusing on differences in areas like business and commerce, general customs, Chinese law, traffic customs, etc. It would at least provide some clarity about potential sources of frustration for expats.

    Reply
  3. Good stuff. re: “Is Life In China Real?” excellent point about the ease of slotting in to a comfortable (in terms of income) lifestyle here. I’m looking to return home with my Chinese gf, and I’m conscious of stressing to her not only the benefits (ie. clean air/ space/freedom) but also some of the downsides, the major one being that we will be living on a pretty tight budget. Actually having to interview for a job, rather than pretty much getting it upon turning up, will also take some getting used to!

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