Foreign Somewhere

Daniel Tapsell, Zen Buddhist Monk, acupuncturist specializing in resilience through mentoring in compassion and mindfulness training guides you through a meditation and vision quest to allow you to imagine and envision the world you hope for beyond the uncertain times with the global coronavirus pandemic.

Daniel Tapsell didn't feel so well as he was leaving London in late February before the pandemic was fully realized. His vacation in Italy was supposed to be a relaxing retreat in a small northern Italian mountain town, Cortina d'Ampezzo, until he found out he had come down with coronavirus.  Ten weeks later, still feeling ill and fatigued, he explains his symptoms, and how his Zen Buddhist monk training has come in handy, even keeping him calm while he made out his will in case he experienced a deadly stroke from the virus. Follow-Up listening: POD Quest, a guided meditation Vision Quest for envisioning a way through the pandemic.

Sebastian, a contemporary dancer in Berlin received $5,000 euro in his bank account just three days after he applied for aid offered by the German government in the end of March. Hear about the German healthcare system, lockdown with friendly law-enforcement, and for a view into a capitalist society where the government takes a different approach than the U.S. to supporting their freelancers and small business owners during the economic downturn as a result of COVID-19.

After social distancing recommendations have relaxed, international friends living in Shanghai during the Coronavirus pandemic tell us about their experiences in China and in their home countries. While Sweden is shutting down the least, China and Korea have been more vigilant. Japanese people are wearing masks, but also seem to be going about business as usual. They talk about their experiences, opinions, and insights from the good, the bad, and the confusing parts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sophie talks with Jayden Ke, a Chinese citizen about how life is in Shanghai during the global pandemic. Jayden talks about how he's coping with the two plus months in Shanghai when most businesses have been closed, how the government has been involved, and what measures are being taken to contain the spread of the virus. Having lived in the U.S. for many years, Jayden also talks about some of the cultural differences between Chinese and American lifestyles.