Hello From Hong Kong

It's been a while. I've got other projects going on but hope to be back on a regular basis soon. In this episode Alan McGill and myself discuss in a general sort of way from the perspective of two writers/nerds the abilities of ai technologies in some parts of the creative industry.Show LinksYou can find Alan on Twitter at - https://twitter.com/AlanMcGill14His website is - https://www.alanmcgillbooks.orgwww.jonathanjk.comTwitter - JonathanJKPatreonThis Podpage link allows the downloading for any device, any platform - here TimeStamps0:00 - Introduction/General Thoughts on AI and Cloning0:55 - Using AI voice kinds of software1:47 - Defining Artificial Intelligence 6:12 - Recording with AI12:55 - Mimicking Human Voices16:59 - Using AI for Character Voices19:31 - The Role of AI in Editing26:30 - AI and Audio Engineering33:13 - CGI in Storytelling36:49 - Outdated Sci-Fi Movies43:41 - Using AI in Project Management46:34 - Hiring Voice Actors vs. Using AI50:16 - Offloading Work with AI59:52 - Writers Guild Strike1:11:50 - Criticism in Hollywood1:15:07 - Superhero Movie Fatigue1:19:29 - Lucas Films and Star Wars1:21:56 - Lack of Risk-Taking1:28:04 - Excitement About Future Possibilities with AI1:31:20 - Positive Aspects of Technology1:35:35 - Star Trek Strange New Worlds Discussion

Tatiana was a Russian student I taught in my time at an English language centre who was kind enough to come on the podcast and chat with me. This Podpage link allows the downloading for any device, any platform - here Timestamps below:3:29 - Intro to Krasnodar 8:09 - Back To Russia11:14 - How Do The Sanctions Affect Your Finances14:31 - Why Did You Come To HK?15:24 - Why Come To HK To Learn English?16:41 - Is There A Russian Community Here?19:36 - Differences In Food Culture23:26 - Life Changed: How?25:56 - Environment Shapes Lifestyle27:31 - How Has Hong Kong Helped You With Spiritualism?29:15 - 21 Days In Quarantine Was Good33:26 - When You Go Back To Russia What Will You Do?38:39 - Do People Get Excited To Meet A Russian?40:20 - Many People Think Russians Can't Be Spiritual42:16 - When Do You Plan to Come Back To Hong Kong?Show LinksTatiana's IGwww.jonathanjk.comTwitter - JonathanJKPatreonThis Podpage link allows the downloading for any device, any platform - here

I'm on this episode I speak with author/podcaster Alan McGill based in the US. Alan wrote and narrated ‘A Cry in the Moon's Night' audio drama. It's a fantasy story Alan has written and self-published along with producing the podcast version of the same story. The story was listed on Podbean's Top 10 in Fiction Drama in 2021.This episode by the way was recorded on New Year's day for myself and in the ultimate hour of 2021 for Alan. I don't usually release podcasts so long after they are recorded, but my schedule because of covid as been just one factor in its delay.Together we talk about the story, its success, of course the inspiration for the story and sequel. But we also talk about some things that surround writing or producing a piece of fiction, so naturally we discuss at length the creative process, receiving and giving feedback. This is because I myself am writing and producing my own audio drama. The conversation ends knowing what is Alan's next venture with writing. But in the Patreon bonus version we also talk more about editing audio and talk more about sharing criticism with other people's work. That conversation runs for an extra 30 minutes. If you'd like to get access to extended conversations and other extras, the Patreon is only an $1 a month and your support is kindly appreciated. Alan is the second guest on the podcast not living in Hong Kong, but I won't exclude a guest as I'm in Hong Kong and it still fits inside the theme of this podcast (Me saying ‘Hello' from Hong Kong). We don't mention anything about Hong Kong though as that's not the focus.Show LinksAlan's WebsiteTwitter - Alan McGillwww.jonathanjk.comTwitter - JonathanJKPatreonThis Podpage allows the downloading for any device, any platform - here

Show NotesI'm on location in this episode, and I sit down outside in a country park not far from where I live to soak in some of the atmosphere of the nature. My guest is a phillipine domestic worker and YouTuber living in Hong Kong. We discuss some of her domestic work here, English as a third language and her YouTube channel.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comTwitter - Hello From Hong KongTwitter - JonathanJK

In this episode I sit down with Anne from the Phillippines the day before she is due to leave Hong Kong and go back home after 8 years living here.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/tnTy8bjU_NUAnne's YouTube channel - https://youtube.com/channel/UClfVUHKzIyjT98vT4TGRdJwWe discuss:4:40 Anne is leaving HK, been here for 8 years, we talk about the restrictions, limitations with a domestic worker visa. 8:30 Typical working hours discussion, how limited it is. 11:40 Can't claim residency. What happens if you have a child here?14:40 Where have you visited in HK? First year was difficult due to lack of money, and working part time and working public holidays for double pay. Reasons for not being able to stay out and extra perks of Chinese new year. 20:00 what is the minimum wage? and is it a lot of money?23:40 Agency fees and repaying that money back. Working part time on days off to get more money. 27:30 Not being able to say more to family giving more pressure to dh workers. People back home don't understand how difficult life can be. Employers don't have consideration. 30:00 is there a shortage of women in Phillipeans34:05 Bonaqua water advert. 34:20 western bosses are more desirable because of their attitudes. 38:20 my view of Chinese homes as an english teacher. 41:10 Perspectives of people back home - raising other people's children. Growing up without parents. 54:10 Cultural traditions and expectations. Does religious beliefs play their part. 59:00 what will you do when you get back? Working on a YouTube channel. 1:01:40 now being the smartest person in the room.01:10:10 I watched a movie 01:10:00 we're leaving

We catch up with John and listen to his interview with Christian who is running an Indiegogo campaign and gets into detail about what the experience is like.

Hosting another host's conversation with johnmho.

A mini series digging deep into the lives of those who live in a village on the border with China in Hong Kong.

This episode marks the beginning of a new mini series exploring what life is like on the border with China through the eyes of the villagers living there.This episode is the full version containing the least amount of editing, (just to remove some errors or unwanted coughs and stutters) and is in both English and Cantonese for those who are bilingual and will understand the full context.Please note there are chapters available in this episode also.Timestamps13:25 - Beginning of Interview15:08 - Role As Chairman16:21 - How Did The Chairman Position Come To Be?17:15 - Duties in Detail18:39 - How Many Positions Exist Like This in Hong Kong19:18 - What Do You Need To Do Inside An Abandoned Village26:45 - Looking After The Land From Development 31:19 - Are Land Developments Here Sensitive?35:44 - What Did You Do Before Becoming Chairman?38:55 - Isn’t It Easier To Build Public Housing Outside The Controlled Area?42:06 - What Do Most Residents Do Here?43:35 - What Is Hakka?53:21 [The Chairman Take a A Break] - Side Chat59:30 - English Explanation of ‘Side Chat’01:02:36 - What IS Being Preserved Here?01:09:50 - [Recounting The Last Time I Was Here]01:11:18 - Media Representation01:14:16 - How Was The Village Area Created?01:17:24 - Was There A Difference With The Way The British Handled The Closed Area?01:21:18 - If There Was No Border What Would Have Happened Here?01:22:47 - If The Border Did Come Down What Would Happen?01:28:37 - Chung Ying Street - Half Hong Kong Half China01:30:04 - The Idea That Paperwork Separates People Is Weird

In this weekly edition of Hello From HK I share an article, a tweet thread and a podcast all relating to what’s happening on this side of the world.Show LinksArticle Linkshttps://www.axios.com/zoom-closes-chinese-user-account-tiananmen-square-f218fed1-69af-4bdd-aac4-7eaf67f34084.html?utm_campaign=organic&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=twitterhttps://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/26/zoom-key-profit-driver-ahead-of-ipo-engineers-in-china.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jun/03/zoom-privacy-law-enforcement-technology-yuanhttps://twitter.com/trevortimm/status/1244990579705958400Zoom Meetings Aren’t End-to-End Encrypted, Despite Misleading MarketingThe video conferencing service can access conversations on its platform.theintercept.comTweet Thread Linkshttps://twitter.com/Rover829/status/1271219336154247168https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/06/11/improving-our-policies-as-we-continue-to-enable-global-collaboration/Podcast Linkshttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hong-kong-today/id161573618

Podcast NotesIn this episode we help Apple Daily go Mainstream and discuss Carrie Lam's motivations for wanting to 'rule' Hong Kong.Podcast Linkshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Laihttps://hk.appledaily.comhttps://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1265992791923945472?s=20 https://omny.fm/shows/the-little-red-podcast/hong-kong-anything-we-say-could-be-a-crime?in_playlist=the-little-red-podcast!podcast

In this new episode format I will host a solo show to share an article, a tweet thread and a another podcast all centred around the goings on here.ArticleThreadPodcast

Thoughts from Maggie (Government Worker)Show NotesEach guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:1. How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?3. What does the future hold?4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?If you would like to be a guest on the show and you're in Hong Kong, please contact me with the Hello From Hong Kong twitter account. DM’S are open.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Thoughts from Cat (Software Engineer) Show Notes Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions: 1. How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong? 2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you? 3. What does the future hold? 4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left? 5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be? If you would like to be a guest on the show and you're in Hong Kong, please contact me with the Hello From Hong Kong twitter account. DM’S are open. Show Links www.jonathanjk.com https://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Show NotesThis episode contains both English and Mandarin answers, please check the podcast chapter or go to 7:50 for Mandarin. Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:1. How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?3. What does the future hold?4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?If you would like to be a guest on the show and you're in Hong Kong, please contact me with the Hello From Hong Kong twitter account. DM’S are open.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Show NotesThis episode contains both English and Cantonese answers, please check the podcast chapter or go to 8:51 for Cantonese. Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:1. How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?3. What does the future hold?4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?If you would like to be a guest on the show and you're in Hong Kong, please contact me with the Hello From Hong Kong twitter account. DM’S are open.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Show Notes今集我和Stella再次來到劉伯的小天地分享他的人生故事和經歷，並感謝Stella幫忙翻譯。自從有一次我和Stella 行山時在一個荒廢的廁所/休憩室遇到劉伯後， 我的好奇心已經驅使我想進一步了解劉伯如何建造自己的樹屋和小天地。起初我想跟劉伯談談有關他對某些香港歷史的看法， 但這些話題會留待下一次再跟劉伯詳談。因為劉伯當天很雀躍地先跟我們分享關於他和“借回來”的小天地的關係和歷史。 之後還展示了一些他所收藏的硬幣和分享其背後意義。如果大家有興趣知道有關劉伯的背景和經歷可以重溫第一回的訪問。Show LinksPart 1 with Mr Lauwww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Download from SpotifyDownload from iTunesShow NotesIn this episode Mr Lau returns. As does Stella, she was again kind enough to translate. The three of us sit down together to share more stories from our aged guest.We discuss the nature of Mr Lau’s self-created space in the forest. I personally was curious and wanted to discuss further about the tree house Mr Lau and the abandoned toilet/rest room where Stella and myself first met him.My original plan was to speak on a range of historical topics pertaining to Hong Kong. Those other questions will be asked in part 3. Mr Lau had a lot of say about the history pertaining to the borrowed spaces of his and then he shifts the conversation to his personal coin collection and shares his philosophy behind them.Please check the episode listings for part 1 where we are introduced to Mr Lau.今集我和Stella再次來到劉伯的小天地分享他的人生故事和經歷，並感謝Stella幫忙翻譯。自從有一次我和Stella 行山時在一個荒廢的廁所/休憩室遇到劉伯後， 我的好奇心已經驅使我想進一步了解劉伯如何建造自己的樹屋和小天地。起初我想跟劉伯談談有關他對某些香港歷史的看法， 但這些話題會留待下一次再跟劉伯詳談。因為劉伯當天很雀躍地先跟我們分享關於他和“借回來”的小天地的關係和歷史。 之後還展示了一些他所收藏的硬幣和分享其背後意義。如果大家有興趣知道有關劉伯的背景和經歷可以重溫第一回的訪問。Show LinksPart 1 with Mr Lauwww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Show NotesIn this episode Mr Lau returns. As does Stella, she was again kind enough to translate. The three of us sit down together to share more stories from our aged guest.We discuss the nature of Mr Lau’s self-created space in the forest. I personally was curious and wanted to discuss further about the tree house Mr Lau and the abandoned toilet/rest room where Stella and myself first met him.My original plan was to speak on a range of historical topics pertaining to Hong Kong. Those other questions will be asked in part 3. Mr Lau had a lot of say about the history pertaining to the borrowed spaces of his and then he shifts the conversation to his personal coin collection and shares his philosophy behind them.Please check the episode listings for part 1 where we are introduced to Mr Lau.Show LinksPart 1 with Mr Lauwww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

In this episode we sit down and get casual with Gregory Rivers of TVB fame for a 3rd time.We open with replying to some of the best YouTube comments from our previous two meetings. This is just a casual chat who is a superstar in Hong Kong. We were recording live on location in Pop Corn Mall in TKO. Be aware of the background noise and there is a baby crying in the first few minutes. This episode is also adapted from a YouTube episode to be released at a later date.Topics DiscussedYouTube Comments Q&A. We talk about languages (because Gregory knows so many), we talk about:Gregory’s heart condition, showing the reality of one’s lifeWearing dog make-up,Future concerts planned in Hong Kong,The Utility of using the Apple Watch,Engaging online, being careful what to share because of perceptionsNot getting our movie references,Saving water in Hong Kong,Asian roles in mainstream cultureDrawing references to Kim Kardashian and so much more.Previous episodes here:First guestingSecond guesting

Show NotesHello there and welcome to Hello from Hong Kong, this episode sees a return to our normal format, in between finding guests to share their views with regard to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, I’m still meeting other people for regular conversations, highlighting an individual who wants to share themselves on the podcast. I’ll do my best to do both.With that said, today we’re going to meet Sofia, a chocolatier living and working in hong kong. She sells chocolate without all the guilt, they are raw, organic, gluten free, plant based with no added sugars and there is no plastic packaging. Her IG is suphias.functional.foods and you can check out all the goodness there.Together we talk about how she started, what were her motivations, her product over coming some hurdlesSophias philosophy towards making foods and turns out she makes other things besides. This is a fun conversation, which I might add was recorded on location so there is some background noise and towards the end there is literally a mic drop moment so the audio suffers a bit, but not too much.I think more suffering comes from eating her chocolate, as soon as you buy them, they’re eaten right away, that’s the true tragedy here.Anyway, thanks for listening.Topics coveredWhy is the answer to that, to make delicious chocolate?Can you break down how you came up with the idea and then turned it into a reality?What were the biggest hurdles to starting?Because apartment are so small, how do the logistics work? How do you plan your space for example and surely the problem would get worse as you get busier?You’re a one woman operation if I remember correctly? How many bars can you make, how long does it take?Where did you learn how to make chocolate bars?They are homemade but the consistency is well consistent across the differing bars, because some are crunchy and some are soft, how easy is that for you?Okay let’s talk about the bars, you have 6 flavours, peanut and sesame, crunchy mocha, black sesame and almond, cacao coconut butter, matcha and Goji Berry and cacao banana.Why those flavours, some seem to overlap also, but having tried a few, they are different enough.I’m going to read the ingredients of one of my favourite bars, Matcha Goji - cashew, medjool dates, pea protein, almonds, coconut oils, Matcha, sunflower seeds, goji berries, coconut, chia seeds, coconut milk powder, flax seeds, vanilla extract and himalayan salt. All healthy stuff, Now this one costs a little bit moreNow the bars have to be kept chilled in the fridge, can you explain why to the audience listeners.How do you decide the flavours how much tasting and testing to do you?Now the packaging is zerowaste, was that by design?Last time we met, you also told me you have to sell the food in cardboard for legal reasons, can you explain some of that?One of the criticisms against foodstuffs, especially the new age stuff is the clarify that no added sugars have been added, but mostly because when you check the label, enough sugar exists naturally in the first place. Your bars however don’t taste overly sweet.Did you learn how to cook yourself or did you go to school?Where do you see yourself going with the product? At the moment you have to be careful with its storage right so you’re limited to the more eco-friendly shops with fridges.Why is there typically so much sugar in a bar of chocolate?Besides your own bars of chocolate, what are your favourite chocolates?

Show NotesA new mini-series sharing the thoughts of Hong Kong during their protests to get the government to withdraw the extradition bill.Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?What does the future hold?Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?If you would like to be a guest on the show and you're in Hong Kong, please contact me with the Hello From Hong Kong twitter account. DM’S are open.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?3. What does the future hold?4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?If you would like to be a guest on the show and you're in Hong Kong, please contact me with the Hello From Hong Kong twitter account. DM’S are open.Show LinksTwitter: Antony DapiranTwitter: Hello From Hong Kong

Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?3. What does the future hold?4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?2. Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?3. What does the future hold?4. Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?5. If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

This paragraph was originally posted to Facebook. Titled “Voice from Our Hearts”.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?What does the future hold?Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?What does the future hold?Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Show NotesA new mini-series sharing the thoughts of Hong Kong during their protests to get the government to withdraw the extradition bill.Each guest gets to make a statement and is then asked 5 questions:How do you feel about what’s happening or whats happened in Hong Kong?Which one incident has given you a lot to think about, have the protests affected you?What does the future hold?Do you want to stay or leave Hong Kong, when would you leave, where would you go if you left?If there's one thing you could change, what would it be?Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Zach - Journalist (Season 2, Episode 5)In this month’s episode I sit down with my very own housemate, someone I carefully selected amongst millions of potential other room mates to live with me in my humble apartment in Hong Kong. What’s interesting is that Zach hails from Taiwan and is a journalist, so we get his insight into his role here, studying in the Phillipeans and growing up in Taiwan.Naturally we get into a discussion that involved understanding the differences between the PRC (China) and the RC (Taiwan, but also China), what is it like to live as a Taiwanese in Hong Kong and Zach came here while at the same time many Hong Kong people are leaving Hong Kong for Taiwan itself to escape the politics that are an ever growing presence on life here.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

In this special episode I sit down with Stella and Mr Lau. Stella was kind enough to join me and help translate and share our guest’s story by Mr Lau in our first dual language episode. This is the full version where we share portions of Mr Lau’s life story. I’m happy Mr Lau could share his time with us.Some background, Mr Lau came from China to Hong Kong in the 1950s where he started to aspire to work his way through various jobs and achieve his life goals. We talk about what life was like in Hong Kong and along the border, the jobs he held and how he lived before retiring from his last job in the late 1980s.This is part 1 and hopefully we can speak to Mr Lau again soon.今次除了我，還有Stella和劉伯跟我一同參與這次節目。這亦是我首個以廣東話及英語廣播的訪問，藉此要多謝Stella當日義務擔任我的翻譯員與劉伯細談他過去的心路歷程和點滴。我亦很感謝劉伯願意抽空跟我們分享他的故事，讓大家知道一些舊香港的事蹟。劉伯於50年代由中國來到香港。透過訪問可以知道劉伯過往在邊界以及來港後的生活。初到香港，他透過同鄉介紹於現時仍屹立於油麻地的美都餐廳當過清潔及外賣。再輾轉經介紹做過其他工作。最後他在油麻地渡輪公司工作了30多年，直到94年退休享受自由自在的生活。從訪問中，可得知劉伯對工作的熱情和他對人生及生活所追求的目標。希望大家喜歡劉伯的故事，我們期待劉伯很快跟我們再分享更加多的故事。Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

今次除了我，還有Stella和劉伯跟我一同參與這次節目。這亦是我首個以廣東話及英語廣播的訪問，藉此要多謝Stella當日義務擔任我的翻譯員與劉伯細談他過去的心路歷程和點滴。我亦很感謝劉伯願意抽空跟我們分享他的故事，讓大家知道一些舊香港的事蹟。劉伯於50年代由中國來到香港。透過訪問可以知道劉伯過往在邊界以及來港後的生活。初到香港，他透過同鄉介紹於現時仍屹立於油麻地的美都餐廳當過清潔及外賣。再輾轉經介紹做過其他工作。最後他在油麻地渡輪公司工作了30多年，直到94年退休享受自由自在的生活。從訪問中，可得知劉伯對工作的熱情和他對人生及生活所追求的目標。希望大家喜歡劉伯的故事，我們期待劉伯很快跟我們再分享更加多的故事。Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

In this special episode I sit down with Stella and Mr Lau. Stella was kind enough to join me and help translate and share our guest’s story by Mr Lau in our first dual language episode. This is the english version where we share portions of Mr Lau’s life story as translated by Stella. I’m happy Mr Lau could share his time with us.Some background, Mr Lau came from China to Hong Kong in the 1950s where he started to aspire to work his way through various jobs and achieve his life goals. We talk about what life was like in Hong Kong and along the border, the jobs he held and how he lived before retiring from his last job in the late 1980s.This is part 1 and hopefully we can speak to Mr Lau again soon.Show Linkswww.jonathanjk.comhttps://twitter.com/HelloFromHK

Welcome to the podcast, where I sit down with someone related to Hong Kong and share their relationship with the city, with you. In this episode I sit down with the founder of HarmlessHK, a small company that is making and selling a straw that is entirely made of paper. Now I know what you’re thinking, a paper straw is probably going to collapse after the first sip. Well Gabriel rated his straw as having a 2 hour ability to satisfy your consumption of liquids and I put that to the test without his knowledge. There is a youtube video I made in the show notes showing the outcome of that test. Spoilers, it passed.Together we discuss why his straw is necessary when there are movements underway to remove ourselves from our use of single use items, his motivations for starting his company and how does Gabriel though his company hope to contribute towards helping the environment.Before we begin, if you enjoy this podcast and many of its episodes, please don’t forget to give it a short review and rating on iTunes. Also if you’d like to support the podcast, consider the patreon which opens up other benefits and allows me to put more time into preparing and getting interesting guests for the podcast. Or just share it, on your timeline, you never know who else will be interested.Having said all that, Thanks for listening, and Hello from Hong Kong.Show NotesYouTube versionHarmlessHKTesting the strawHello From Hong Kong on TwitterHello From Hong Kong on Reddit

Welcome to episode 28 with Raphael, the owner of a zero waste store called Edgar’s in Hong Kong.Together we sit down and chat about zero waste, what it is and how to do it in while shopping and at home. As an aside, its basically about trying to buy things without creating any waste, with recycling NOT being the solution, for most people you have recycling and then normal waste. With zero wasters its about removing waste entirely if at all possible so that you throw less out and recycle less because recycling isn’t the whole answer to our environmental issues.This does mean doing more work so the sake of conveince to purchase things without taking home various types of plastic and paper to just then dispose of. The convince isn’t there to wholly serve you either, its to the benefit of businesses and corporations who can manufacturer more stuff as easily and as cheaply as possible.Coincidentally, I have just started a new podcast about helping others get into zero waste, the episodes are much shorter than what you’re used to here with hello from hong kong and if you want to save some money i of course recommend downloading it. Link is in the show notes.By the way, the environmental bent that one would expect to have with such a podcast is kept to a minimum, the focus is on helping you save money by being more conscious of your spending habits. If you know you’re saving money by the end of the month following the suggestions and ideas, then that’s what’s important, the environment will benefit of course, but you’re not burdened with wondering about the outcomes of living a zero waste lifestyle when considering the environment, what I mean is, how do you know you have lessened your impact on the world at the end of the month if you went zero waste? You can’t really, all you can measure is whether your wallet is getting healthier and that’s what I focus on in the zero waste podcast.Back to this episode however, we also learn what its like to run a store selling zero waste to people who may have never heard of it before. Its also very informative to hear from Raphaels point of view how he has to over come many of the obstacles with running such a store especially when customers don’t have the benefit of product labels and packaging to help them in their purchase. We also talk about practising zero waste in the home and some of the limitations of these new types of stores at their current stage of development.That’s about it, I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did, after recording this particular episode Raphael did mention he’d be interested in more collabs and i would like him to make regular guest appearances on my new podcast, so if you enjoy his style, stay tuned for more.Show LinksMy Zerowaste podcast

In this episode I sit down with some long time viewers of my Periscope channel. Two Californians who used to live here in Hong Kong way back in the 1970s. Together we talk about what life was like for them both while here, how they met, how much has Hong Kong changed and much more.NOTE: I’m not wearing a mic, so my voice is lower than Victoria’s and Jay’s.

In this episode I sit down with Jeff Rotmeyer, the founder and director of ImpactHK, a charity he created that iams to help the homeless of Hong Kong. Jeff’s charity is a no-nonsense approach where people aren’t pressured to come to the aid of the services he provides. It begins with a simple act of kindness by giving something to a homeless person on the street and any future engagement is undertaken by the person who feels they are in need. The hope is, a simple kind act will create trust and then enable those in need, to seek out further assistance on their own volition.Together we sit down and touch on the many topics surrounding homelessness in Hong Kong. Hopw Impact HK started, their philosophy, how many are homeless in HK and the media narratives surrounding homeless people.Show Linkswww.impacthk.org

In this episode I sit down with Jenny and Grace of the HummingFish foundation to discuss how their charity works with farmers to create a sustainable farming practice for coffee growing.What interested me most is knowing that there are charities in Hong Kong that help other countries and I’d neer know about them in the mainstream media.I met Jenny at a coffee day at PMQ and her responses to my questions were really interesting that I asked them to come on the podcast.Together we get in depth with knowing about what they do, what is Timor Leste all about, how wasn’t coffee growing sustainable in the first place and against their efforts is the ever approaching threat of global warming and what will that do to coffee production, not just in Timor Leste but the world.Links:http://hummingfish.org

In this episode I’m sat down with a Hong Kong local by the name of Eunice, she’s a student nurse with an open mind to discuss taboo subjects pertaining to Hong Kong, especially with regard to gender. Eunice has some questions for me and together we sit down for an hour to discuss them.The episode was filmed live with an audience from Periscope. Towards the end I have an audio issue and the quality is changed slightly, so please be aware of the shift in audio.

In this episode we sit down with Parker Chen, someone who left the finance industry to work in photography.Talk about his early life, the pressure of the finance industry for him and those he knew, what his parents thought and how he’s made the transition.Show LinksSupport the show - www.ko-fi.com/jonathanjkhttps://www.pscp.tv/Jonathanjk/1zqKVLomzjVJBhttps://www.fastcompany.com/3046257/why-finance-and-insurance-workers-among-the-unhappiest-employeeshttps://byrslf.co/how-a-4-am-phone-call-made-me-quit-finance-and-changed-my-life-forever-e79f06509befhttps://www.themuse.com/advice/why-lawyers-and-bankers-are-leaving-their-jobs-and-where-theyre-goinghttp://www.adamgrant.net/originals

Show Linkswww.coastermag.comSubscribe and watch on YouTube.Hello to those interested in Hong Kong. I recently put out a message on reddit asking if anybody wanted to collaborate with me on the podcast.One of the comments on reddit introduced themselves as the president of the craft beer assiociation here in Hong Kong. So I sat down with Sandra and talked about all things beer.For those that don’t know, I don’t drink beer. I found making this episode a treat, it has much to do with Sandra’s outward personality and engagement with the topic, this enthusiam is really something to share and I’m really happy she reached out and wanted to be on the show. I hope you like this one as well, I did. Together we talk of course about beer, mainly craft beer and home brewing scene in Hong Kong and the Asia region.We touch on the perceptions of being a woman in the beer industry, name drop coaster magazine a few times, the perception of craft beer in HK, and we also touch on the best way to drink and bottle a beer. Again I don’t drink and I found this episode highly informative. Of course you probably do drink, so I hope you enjoy this episode.This episode comes with a free drinking game. Drink every time I make a bad joke, have fun!Support the Showwww.ko-fi.com/jonathanjk

Welcome to episode 22 of Hello from Hong Kong, I want to preface this episode by saying it’s an older discussion I’ve had sitting on the Periscope archive for over a year now. I’ve just uploaded the video version to YouTube and this month’s episode is with Jill and John from Clyde, New Zealand. Jill by the way is a Horticultural Scientist. You can find her on Twitter @apricotqueenThe episode that should have come out has some technical quirks I’m trying to resolve and if they are, it’ll be released for July, stay tuned for that one as it’s about craft beer pertaining to the Hong Kong region.I met Jill and John while making a live-stream in a high end supermarket and the three of us weren’t really shopping as our primary purpose for visiting. I took advantage of the situation and invited them to the show, they accepted and we sat down for nearly an hour talking about the quality and selection of international food in Hong Kong compared to other parts of the world, especially with New Zealand. We talked about Japanese food, the frustration of exporting produce to China, clearing up some of the misconceptions from China, tourism in New Zealand and what’s the deal with Manuka honey?As we converse, we also take questions from the live audience on Periscope so be aware of that.Support the Showwww.ko-fi.com/jonathanjkwww.patreon.com/jonathanjk

In this episode, I sit down and chat with Trianne about upcycling, at the beginning I actually talk about the effectiveness of instagram before getting into the green meaning topic of upcycling and other quick discussions around living a greener life.https://www.upcyclethat.comhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling00:20 - Is Instagram Effective?01:36 - Who do you reach on Facebook?02:29 - What is upcycling?03:08 - An example of upcycling.03:20 - Why did you start upcycling?06:16 - How do you communicate upcycling?08:21 - Where do the ideas come from?10:54 - Raising awareness.12:45 - Who are you?13:15 - What else have you upcycled?15:24 - When did you start upcycling?15:49 - What's next to upcycle?17:08 - On Raising awareness18:25 - What does it take to upcycle?20:03 - What other countries are doing.22:24 - What else do you do?23:00 - What can Hong Kong do?24:05 - Doing more isn't easy.

In this episode I'm take the podcast to Mongolia, and we meet and get to know Edwin and Dulguun, both who live and work in the capital of Ulan-Bator.Together we discuss how Edwin came originally as a peace core volunteer, Dulguun grew up in the country and the city, so she has kept her nomadic roots and through her we learn a little bit about the nomadic lifestyle and eating wolf. Yes, you read that correctly.We also get some insight into gender equality, how women are treated, talk about marriage rites, touch on gay culture, the Russian influence and history and the Korean links to Mongolia.If you're thinking of travelling to Mongolia maybe you'd be interested in knowing how easy is it to get around Mongolia just using English and the cost of living in this country.At the very end we also share the secret to retiring early.Amazon

In this brief episode sort of like a conclusion to the previous meeting we had together in episode 8, we find out why is Nate moving back to the US, we also talk briefly about the quality of the jazz scene in Hong Kong and New York, where Nate has gigged and we discuss a bit about canto pop dying and why?Show LinksVisage One - https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/music/visage-one-1YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nate+wong+music+

I'm back with Gregory Rivers (河國榮) and we basically pick up where we left off when we last met in 2016. It's been that long, but seems shorter since Gregory was in episode 13.In this episode I do some housekeeping, so skip the first 6 minutes if you don't want to listen to me and just get to the meat. Gregory starts around the 7 minute mark and we discuss where did Gregory learn Cantonese?, Who does he work with in HK now? We talk about online shopping in Hong Kong (It's a bit pants), discuss Australia's BIG things and how famous Gregory is in Mainland China along with cultural Appropriation and the difficulties with promoting oneself today.Subscribe on iTunes.

Show NotesFor a while I thought ‘Sam’ was an actual person. It wasn’t after I met one of the members of the company that Sam is actually just part of the name for the business run by Anita and Maggie of Sam the Local. A personal guide service for tourists to Hong Kong.Together we get to know Anita and Maggie some more and discuss how their business operates in front of a live audience. We also talk about what its like to be female and broadcasting.Show LinksSam the Local on TwitterOn PeriscopeWebsite

Show NotesThis is episode 14 of hello from Hong Kong, in this episode I sit down with Dany a very open minded and forthright lady who hails from Cameroon. Danny has travelled and lived in four different continents and together we discuss what's that like for someone is isn’t typically seen as a world traveller. Together we get into the discussion of race having lived on four continents and understand a little bit better how she differed and had to conform to the narratives within each of her homes.I found Dany took her hardships in her stride, compared to say the 'difficulties' that white travellers face so it's an important perspective to share.By the way, you are treated to two introductions before we get into the main discussion, this is a long episode.Show LinksUnregistered PodcastMy Patreon

In this episode we sit down at the courtesy of The Mahjong in Hong Kong to chat with Melody Leung, a competitive natural body builder. Together we discuss Melody's early days, hitting failure in competitions, we talk about philosophy and goals, the causes and effects of both positive and negative influences on the body.SHOW LINKSThe MahjongPatreon

Show NotesIn this episode I sit down with Gregory Rivers, an Australian actor living and working in Hong Kong for the past 30 years. Gregory Rivers has made himself a career as the go to man to represent a white character in a drama or TV show. It helps that Gregory is fluent in Cantonese.We start talking about the errors in Rivers’ wikipedia page, his time spent learning Cantonese and issues using it for work. Did you know Yale University produces more accurate translation material than Hong Kong University when it comes to producing cantonese language books. Gregory shares his earliest days working as an actor; the pressure of his first job, the various roles he’s been in over the years, dealing with his fame on the street and not taking it too seriously. Topics soon switch to the local economy for locals and tourists and Gregory’s 30 history with Hong Kong.For more information go here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Charles_Rivers