Record of Change

Across Asia, "Ghost Kitchens" have popped up during the pandemic. We take a closer look at how they operate and their effects on local economies and people, with a focus on Taipei.

Students missed many months going to school in person. How are they coping with meeting in person again? Two teachers from USA and Germany share what they learned about the students, their families and about things that are more important than grades.

What lasting impact will the pandemic have on travel? A Canadian hospitality industry consultant and a travel enthusiast from Nepal discuss automated hotels, booking sites for rural Himalayan towns and why many beds could remain empty this coming season.

This episode is for readers and writers alike! A publishing industry expert shares how the publishing landscape is changing and what the pandemic's role is in it. A writer introduces us to her process of writing a novel and self-publishing.

If you have recently considered getting a dog, a cat or a bird, this episode is definitely for you! Our team talked to pet owners as well as staff at an animal shelter about the pandemic pet trend and what to take into consideration when adopting pets.

Ever want to quit your job to be a surf instructor? Want to tackle what life throws at you better? In this episode, the RoC team discusses pandemic transitions and how we can thrive in the New Year.

The pandemic has revealed unpleasant truths about digitalization in both India and Germany. Insufficient digital literacy has helped misinformation about the virus spread in India, while Germany's Covid response was slowed by a lack of tech adoption.

The team reflects on the past season and listens to voicemails from some of our previous guests, before we relaunch the podcast with a new concept in a few weeks.

Alan Rocha talks about his close calls with Covid during India's second wave, dating in the pandemic and getting a new cat companion.

Blanca shares how strictly her 5-year-old is following the health protocols and how she found her unborn son's name.

Cameroonian nurse Durance shares how Covid hit her in person. Also she talks about how little people in her central-African home care about the pandemic and how misinfomation lead to empty vaccination centers.

Katherine reflects upon her last months of her second job on the frontlines as a COVID-19 testing site worker.

Carina informs about the latest Covid outbreak in Taiwan, where life seemed to have gone back to normal just months ago, and how vaccination is politicized. She also talks about visiting Germany and being able to avoid escalated lockdowns in both places.

At the end of another season of the podcast, the Team gather to reflect and look forward and share our own stories of getting vaccinated (or not), making plans for the future and celebrating a wedding in a foreign country during the pandemic.

Santiago based lawyer Joaquín says he almost went insane spending much time home alone in lockdown with his cats. He shares how the pandemic hit Chile and how the coronavirus has made the socioeconomic challenges even more evident.

Moderated by Taiwan-based journalist Carina Rother, we share stories of making a Record of Change: Which voices have touched us most in the process? What strategies of coping with the pandemic have we encountered? What did we learn, from and about this new world, both connected and fragmented by a global crisis? This Bonus-episode listens back and reflects on what has happened so far.

Comedian Aaron Levene awaits his second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, he reports signs of a return to normalcy in his life, including getting haircuts and seeing loved ones.

Despite having more Covid-19 cases due to a small outbreak at the beginning of 2021, Vietnam has still been keeping a good record of condemning the pandemic. People’s daily life in the country still resume without big and constant disruptions and traveling for leisure has even been on high demand.

He also shares what the STAND-foundation which he had co-founded in 2020 in response to the precarity of the theater sector has achieved in the meanwhile.

While it was intimidating to initially change her work plans for 2021, McKenzie made "lemonade out of lemons" and found a way to both connect to her hometown and explore a new place.

Worried about earning a living wage, large groups of Cameroonians could not afford to socially distance or stay indoors for longer periods during lockdowns, according to Durance.

We're looking back at season 3, in which we added new voices to our roster of guests as well as a new member to the Record of Change team. Mumbai-based Nimish is the latest addition to our digital circle of friends.

Fidaa shares that those around her care very little about the virus now and what she personally has learned from this big challenge, especially after being infected herself.

While Lunar New Year in China is always about large family gatherings, this time many had to celebrate it in their small families. Wenni and her husband Dominic also reflect on the political situation in Hong Kong and their decision to emigrate to Canada.

Quito: A Positive Perspective

Transport engineer and shared mobility expert, Katherine Kortum found herself stuck in her DC apartment well beyond her comfort level. To reconnect with people and feel useful, she took an extreme leap--opting to become a frontline worker at a COVID-19 testing site.

The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the daily life of Taiwanese people are barely visible. Carina J. Rother considers herself lucky to be in Taipei – her long-term home – during the pandemic, her family is in a much different situation in Germany.

Didem says her hyperactive mind is like an angry Rottweiler ready to pounce on the next idea as if it were her prey. But she understands that unlike her, not everyone is able to write a book, shoot a documentary and develop an app during the pandemic.

With live standup comedy shows no longer being held and a more contagious COVID-19 variant spreading throughout his city and country, Aaron had to adjust to being at home and finding meaning and connection in other ways.

The Record of Change team reflect back on season 2, share some personal pandemic experiences and make plans for season 3 - and beyond.

In this episode, McKenzie will talk about her experience living and working in the American South, what it was like to work with Vote.org - a national non-partisan organization that helps to register and inform eligible voters across the country - during one of the most heated elections in the country's recent history, and what it’s like to grow up in a time of political division in the United States.

The pandemic has made Alan appreciate the smaller things in life. He says mindfulness (of self and the environment) is the primary lesson for humanity. With online Masses and restrictions on gatherings, he's gearing up for a socially-distanced Christmas.

Fidaa also highlights the crumbled healthcare system in Gaza, that actually frightens her more than being Covid-19 positive.

Even as he's optimistic about the second lockdown in Greece through November, Alkis shares his trepidation about the uncertainty looming around Christmas season. For now though, he's busy revamping his menu.

Vietnam has been one of the countries that has the Pandemic under control and life seems to be on its way back to the normal track. While international flights are still limited, domestic flights are allowed and have seen a sharp raise during the summer. Although the increase in domestic flights has elevated some pressure on the aviation industry, people working in the industry still have to face various challenges.

Mike shares how theater is shaped by the pandemic, how the South African scene is working on becoming less dependent on governmental subsidies and and how he envisions the twists international traveling might face in the long term future.

Wenni was infected with Covid-19 and lost her business as an insurance agent, but she rediscovered her passion as a social worker who helps people with mental illness.

Didem Tali returns with updates and talks about finishing up her book during the lockdown and finding a literary agent. She's not writing a pandemic book, she assures.

The hosts of Record of Change reflect on the challenges of making a podcast in a pandemic - with multiple interview subjects across the world - while confined within their living rooms.

A Gen Zer navigates the realities of graduating from high school during COVID-19. Despite the challenges and disappointments faced, McKenzie finds the courage to make big decisions and push for change amongst all of the uncertainty that surrounds her.

Fidaa Shurrab gives an insight into life before and during the pandemic, trying to sustain her work of supporting children and families and following her principle not to lose hope.

Alan spends the lockdown with his pets instead of his boyfriend, who lives in a different city. After six months, the relationship is put to a test. However, other than some of his queer friends, at least he can enjoy his privacy.

Mike van Graan, a well-established playwright and activist based in Cape Town, shares how the pandemic has struck the cultural scene in South Africa. Mike feels more busy than before the lockdown and helps make cultural practitioners more resilient.

Just as he opens his new restaurant in a busy part of Athens, Alkis has to shut it down due to restrictions imposed by the lockdown in Greece. Forced to slow down, he acquires new skills, including learning to sleep more.

When air travel comes to a halt in the Philippines, flight attendant Rey starts to learn how to make cappuccino and how to communicate with people, who are hearing impaired.

When Wenni and Dominic are ready to start their new life abroad, they test positive.

Journalist Didem Tali on how the pandemic threatened her career, meddled with her ADHD and the mechanisms she developed to cope with the lock down.

Probably never before have societies and individuals around the globe had to react to a crisis that affects everyone in similar ways. While the common narrative around the pandemic is one of social distancing, emphasizing the importance to isolate from other people, our podcast will focus on the under-reported flipside: we’re all in this together. This project picks up the uniqueness of this unprecedented situation and addresses the potentials of this common ground, beyond national or cultural borders.