Podcasts about Mandarin

in this episode, Jared sits down with Alexander Brose, President & CEO of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, to trace his remarkable journey learning Chinese and how it shaped his life and career in unexpected ways.From his early years living in South Korea with his family, to choosing Mandarin over Cantonese at an international school in Hong Kong, Alex shares how Chinese gradually became part of his identity. He continued studying the language through high school and later majored in Asian Studies at Cornell University. A pivotal summer in Harbin with the CET immersion program further deepened both his language skills and cultural connection to China.Alex's path led him to build cross-cultural musical collaborations between China and the U.S., eventually becoming the founding Executive Director of the Tianjin Juilliard School. He reflects on how speaking Chinese created unique professional opportunities, opened doors to deep cultural understanding, and enabled him to be at the forefront of classical music education in China.Throughout the episode, Alex offers thoughtful reflections on the value of immersion, the challenges of maintaining language confidence, and the power of music as a bridge between cultures.Links from the episode:Alexander Brose | Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada)Mandarin Companion Graded ReadersCET Academic ProgramsFrom Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China | IMDB 

Gen 35:1-36:43, Matt 12:1-21, Ps 15:1-5, Pr 3:21-26

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lantern Lights and Family Bonds: A Night of Reconciliation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-17-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在这寒冷的冬天，柳园的灯笼节如约而至。En: In this cold winter, the Liuyuan Lantern Festival arrived as expected.Zh: 柳园布满了五光十色的灯笼，灯光温暖地洒在石板路上，空气中弥漫着传统节日食品的香味，四周满是欢声笑语。En: Liuyuan was filled with colorful lanterns, the warm light spreading over the cobblestone streets, and the air was permeated with the aroma of traditional festival foods, surrounded by laughter and cheerful voices.Zh: 连漫步在灯笼之下，她的心情有些忐忑。En: Lian was strolling under the lanterns, feeling a bit apprehensive.Zh: 连是一个深思熟虑且内敛的人，但今天她鼓起勇气来到这里，因为她想与家人和解。En: Lian is a thoughtful and introspective person, but today she gathered the courage to come here because she wanted to reconcile with her family.Zh: 自从那次争吵后，她与家人之间隔着一层无法穿越的墙。En: Ever since that argument, there had been an unbreachable wall between her and her family.Zh: 在大红灯笼旁，连看见了勇和美。En: By the big red lantern, Lian saw Yong and Mei.Zh: 他们站在一颗大树下，似乎在观看花灯。En: They were standing under a large tree, seemingly admiring the lanterns.Zh: 连深吸一口气，走近他们。En: Lian took a deep breath and walked towards them.Zh: 她带来了一份礼物，一盏精致的荷花灯，希望它象征着和解与团聚。En: She brought a gift, an exquisite lotus lantern, hoping it would symbolize reconciliation and reunion.Zh: “勇，美，我很抱歉。”连轻声说道。En: "Yong, Mei, I'm really sorry," Lian said softly.Zh: 她把荷花灯递给他们。En: She handed them the lotus lantern.Zh: 灯盏在风中微微晃动，柔和的光照亮了他们三人的面庞。En: The lantern swayed slightly in the wind, its gentle light illuminating the faces of the three.Zh: 勇皱起了眉，似乎还在思考过去的争执。En: Yong frowned, seemingly still contemplating past disputes.Zh: 美则望着连，目光中有些复杂。En: Mei looked at Lian, her gaze somewhat complex.Zh: 连继续说道：“我不希望争吵再继续下去。En: Lian continued, "I don't want the quarrels to continue.Zh: 我想要一个温暖的家，一个我们都能好好相处的地方。”En: I want a warm home, a place where we can all get along."Zh: 灯笼的光晕下，连的声音满是诚恳。En: Under the halo of the lanterns, Lian's voice was full of sincerity.Zh: 她知道自己的戒心，但愿能打破这段僵局，重新建立家人之间的信任。En: She knew her own reservations, but hoped to break through the stalemate and rebuild the trust between family members.Zh: 勇叹了口气，伸出手轻握住连的肩膀。En: Yong sighed, reaching out to gently grasp Lian's shoulder.Zh: “过去的事情，谁都不想再提。”他说，目光温柔了一些。En: "No one wants to mention the past again," he said, his eyes softening a little.Zh: 美也放下心中的芥蒂，点了点头。En: Mei also let go of her inner grudges and nodded.Zh: “我们都应该向前看。”En: "We should all look forward."Zh: 在这个灯火辉煌的夜晚，三人紧紧抱在一起。En: On this bright and bustling night, the three hugged each other tightly.Zh: 过去的误会与怨恨在灯笼的光辉下化作云烟消逝。En: The past misunderstandings and resentments dissipated like smoke in the glow of the lanterns.Zh: 连感受到了心灵的释放和归属感，她终于鼓起勇气，治愈了心中的伤痛。En: Lian felt a release and a sense of belonging in her heart, finally summoning the courage to heal her inner wounds.Zh: 灯笼节的夜晚依旧热闹非凡，但对于连、勇和美来说，今天是特别的一天。En: The Lantern Festival night remained lively as ever, but for Lian, Yong, and Mei, today was special.Zh: 在这个特别的节日，流逝的旧时光被温暖的光芒替代，他们决定珍惜当下，携手迎接未来。En: On this special day, the warmth of the glowing lights replaced the bygone times, and they decided to cherish the present and face the future together. Vocabulary Words:apprehensive: 忐忑introspective: 内敛reconcile: 和解unbreachable: 无法穿越exquisite: 精致swayed: 晃动illuminating: 照亮contemplating: 思考quarrels: 争吵stalemate: 僵局sincerity: 诚恳trust: 信任grudges: 芥蒂resentments: 怨恨dissipated: 消逝release: 释放belonging: 归属感courage: 勇气glowing: 辉煌cherish: 珍惜admiring: 观看halo: 光晕reservations: 戒心permeated: 弥漫surrounded: 四周strolling: 漫步argument: 争执symbolize: 象征release: 释放heal: 治愈

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Guiding Democracy: A Brother's First Vote in Taiwan Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-17-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 台北的投票站，一片繁忙的景象。En: The voting station in Taipei was a scene of bustling activity.Zh: 冬天的寒风在外面轻轻吹拂，墙上挂着的公民骄傲横幅增加了一种庄重的气氛。En: The cold winter wind gently blew outside, and the citizen pride banners hanging on the walls added a solemn atmosphere.Zh: 美丽和双庆正走进这里。En: Meili and Shuangqing were walking in together.Zh: 美丽比双庆大几岁，她总是感觉有责任去指导这个刚满20岁的小弟弟。En: Meili was a few years older than Shuangqing, and she always felt responsible for guiding this younger brother who had just turned twenty.Zh: 今天是双庆第一次投票。En: Today was Shuangqing's first time voting.Zh: 他对台湾的总统大选感到兴奋，也有点紧张。En: He was excited and a bit nervous about Taiwan's presidential election.Zh: “美丽，万一我投错了怎么办？En: "What if I vote incorrectly, Meili?"Zh: ”双庆在进门前小声问。En: Shuangqing asked quietly before entering.Zh: 美丽微笑，拍拍他的肩膀。En: Meili smiled and patted his shoulder.Zh: “别担心，双庆。En: "Don't worry, Shuangqing.Zh: 我们一起看看候选人的信息。En: Let's review the candidates' information together.Zh: 你会发现这不难。En: You'll find it's not difficult."Zh: ”她领着他找到信息展示台，耐心地解释每一个候选人的主张和计划。En: She led him to the information display table and patiently explained each candidate's policies and plans.Zh: 双庆认真地听，逐渐放松下来。En: Shuangqing listened attentively, gradually relaxing.Zh: 投票站里充满了窸窸窣窣的谈话声和纸张的翻动声。En: The voting station was filled with the rustling sounds of conversations and the flipping of papers.Zh: 人们排着长队等着投票，美丽和双庆也在队伍中。En: People lined up long to vote, and Meili and Shuangqing were in line, too.Zh: 美丽继续鼓励双庆，“投票是我们的权利，你的选择很重要。En: Meili continued to encourage Shuangqing, "Voting is our right, and your choice matters."Zh: ”终于轮到双庆了。En: Finally, it was Shuangqing's turn.Zh: 他走到投票间，看着面前的选票，还是有些犹豫。En: He walked to the voting booth and looked at the ballot in front of him, still a bit hesitant.Zh: 美丽站在他旁边，用坚定的眼神看着他，给他无声的支持。En: Meili stood beside him, looking at him with a determined gaze, providing silent support.Zh: 双庆深吸一口气，心里默念美丽的话。En: Shuangqing took a deep breath, silently repeating Meili's words in his heart.Zh: 他微微一笑，坚定地做出选择。En: He smiled slightly and made his choice with confidence.Zh: 走出投票站，阳光洒在妙丽和双庆身上。En: As they walked out of the voting station, sunlight fell on Meili and Shuangqing.Zh: 双庆感觉内心充满了自豪，也有一种新的力量。En: Shuangqing felt a sense of pride and a newfound strength.Zh: 他感谢妙丽的帮助。En: He thanked Meili for her help.Zh: 美丽点头，“你做得很好，双庆。En: Meili nodded, "You did great, Shuangqing.Zh: 以后你会发现，每次投票都很重要。En: You'll find that every time you vote, it matters."Zh: ”双庆微笑着，心里明白了一件事：他的声音是有力量的，是值得被听到的。En: Shuangqing smiled, understanding one thing in his heart: his voice is powerful and deserves to be heard.Zh: 他知道，今天的经验是他未来民主参与的开始。En: He knew that today's experience was the beginning of his future participation in democracy. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 繁忙的atmosphere: 气氛solemn: 庄重的guiding: 指导responsible: 有责任的candidate: 候选人nervous: 紧张ballot: 选票hesitant: 犹豫attentively: 认真地review: 查看policies: 主张lining: 排着rustling: 窸窣flipping: 翻动determined: 坚定的gaze: 眼神support: 支持confident: 坚定地choice: 选择participation: 参与democracy: 民主pride: 骄傲experience: 经验voice: 声音powerful: 有力量的sunlight: 阳光newfound: 新的strength: 力量flip: 翻动

In this episode of Dashu Mandarin, we dive headfirst into the AI revolution. We're joined by our dear friend and tech-savvy educator, Pei Pei (Real Talk Mandarin), to showcase how Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally changing how we teach and learn Mandarin.Is it just about translation and grammar? Far from it. From building interactive "Zootopia" courseware in seconds to using AI for crypto investment strategies, we explore the "AI Spectrum" of four different creators

Gen 32:13-34:31, Matt 11:7-30, Ps 14:1-7, Pr 3:19-20

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: High-Stakes Showdown: A Gambler's Quest for Family Honor Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-16-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 澳门的冬天，虽没有北方那般寒冷，但微凉的海风依然能让人感受到季节的更迭。En: The winter in Macao, although not as cold as the north, still allows people to feel the change of seasons with the slightly cool sea breeze.Zh: 豪华赌场内，红灯笼和金灿灿的剪纸随处可见，为即将到来的春节增添了几分喜庆。En: Inside the luxurious casinos, red lanterns and golden paper cuttings are everywhere, adding a touch of festivity to the upcoming Spring Festival.Zh: 然而，在这热闹的氛围中，赌桌旁却弥漫着紧张的气息。En: However, amidst this lively atmosphere, a tense air hangs around the gambling tables.Zh: 李伟坐在桌前，神情专注。En: Li Wei sat at the table, his expression focused.Zh: 他是一个精明而有经验的生意谈判专家，以策略和冷静著称。En: He is a shrewd and experienced business negotiation expert, renowned for his strategy and calm demeanor.Zh: 今晚，他坐在这高风险的扑克牌桌前，不仅仅为了赢得一场游戏，更是为了家族生意的存亡。En: Tonight, as he sits at this high-stakes poker table, he's not just playing to win a game; he's playing for the survival of his family business.Zh: 近来，李家生意每况愈下，他知道这个赌局将决定未来的走向。En: Recently, the Li family business has been deteriorating, and he knows this gamble will determine the future direction.Zh: 对手们亦不容小觑。En: The opponents are not to be underestimated.Zh: 陈荣，扑克老手，善于隐藏自己的真实意图。En: Chen Rong, a veteran poker player, is skilled at concealing his true intentions.Zh: 张明，则像是一只伺机而动的猎豹，总能在关键时刻出其不意。En: Zhang Ming, like a leopard waiting to strike, always manages to surprise at critical moments.Zh: 此时的牌局不仅仅是纸牌游戏，更是三位高手的心理博弈。En: The card game at this moment is not just about playing cards, but a psychological battle among three masters.Zh: 李伟心中的压力与日俱增，春节临近，家中长辈们寄予厚望。En: The pressure in Li Wei's heart increases by the day, with the Spring Festival approaching and the elders at home with high expectations.Zh: 他需要在这场牌局中赢得一项至关重要的商业合作，挽救家族企业。En: He needs to win a crucial business partnership in this card game to save the family enterprise.Zh: 决胜时刻，他一面考虑着保守策略，一面又掂量着放手一搏的代价。En: At the decisive moment, he considers a conservative strategy while also weighing the cost of taking a risk.Zh: 轮到李伟发牌，他摸到了一手好牌，却仍不确定对手的策略。En: When it was Li Wei's turn to deal, he received a good hand but was still unsure of his opponents' strategies.Zh: 对手的微表情、轻微的动作，他都一一收入眼中。En: He meticulously observed their micro-expressions and subtle movements.Zh: 最终，李伟深吸一口气，眼神坚定，推上所有筹码，选择了全压。En: Finally, Li Wei took a deep breath, his eyes firm, and pushed all his chips forward, choosing to go all in.Zh: 这一举动出乎意料，四周的人屏住呼吸，等待着结果。En: This unexpected move made everyone around hold their breath, waiting for the outcome.Zh: “赢了！”在荷官宣布结果的瞬间，全场爆发出欢呼声。En: "Won!" At the moment the dealer announced the result, the entire crowd erupted in cheers.Zh: 李伟胜出，不仅赢得了合约，也赢得了对手的尊重。En: Li Wei not only won the contract but also gained the respect of his opponents.Zh: 他心中长舒一口气，战略与勇气的结合令他在这场游戏中崭露头角。En: He let out a long breath of relief, as the combination of strategy and courage had made him stand out in this game.Zh: 这一次，李伟不仅为家族争取到了生存的机会，也在业务界树立了全新的形象。En: This time, Li Wei not only secured survival for the family but also established a new image in the business world.Zh: 他意识到，适时的勇气与谨慎至关重要。En: He realized that timely courage and caution are crucial.Zh: 新一年，他将继续以自己的方式，开创出属于李氏家族的新篇章。En: In the new year, he intends to continue paving a path for the Li family in his own way.Zh: 随着窗外鞭炮声的响起，澳门的夜色愈发绚丽。En: As the sound of firecrackers rang out outside the window, the night in Macao became even more magnificent.Zh: 李伟望向远方的天空，心中涌起无限希望。En: Li Wei looked towards the distant sky, filled with boundless hope.Zh: 春节，为他带来新的开始，也预示着好运的降临。En: The Spring Festival brings him a new beginning and heralds the arrival of good fortune. Vocabulary Words:luxurious: 豪华festival: 节日atmosphere: 气氛tense: 紧张shrewd: 精明renowned: 著名的deteriorating: 每况愈下opponents: 对手concealing: 隐藏intentions: 意图leopard: 猎豹psychological: 心理的battle: 博弈pressure: 压力crucial: 至关重要的partnership: 合作decisive: 决胜conservative: 保守的meticulously: 一一micro-expressions: 微表情subtle: 轻微的breath: 呼吸unexpected: 出乎意料的relief: 长舒一口气courage: 勇气secured: 争取到heralds: 预示着survival: 存亡contract: 合约established: 树立了

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Soulful Bargain: Lian's Quest for the Jade Dragon Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-16-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在寒冷的冬夜，连走进了熙熙攘攘的夜市。En: On a cold winter night, Lian walked into the bustling night market.Zh: 红色的灯笼在头顶轻轻摇曳，温暖的光芒照亮了石板街道。En: Red lanterns gently swayed overhead, and their warm glow illuminated the cobblestone streets.Zh: 人群中充满了忙碌和期待，大家都为即将到来的春节准备着。En: The crowd was filled with busyness and anticipation as everyone prepared for the upcoming Spring Festival.Zh: 连是个喜欢古董的人，他知道自己需要找到一件特殊的宝物。En: Lian is someone who loves antiques, and he knew he needed to find a special treasure.Zh: 今年，他想要一尊罕见的龙玉雕，它象征着好运和和谐，可以为他的家带来繁荣。En: This year, he wanted a rare jade dragon sculpture, which symbolizes good fortune and harmony and could bring prosperity to his home.Zh: 龙的形象在中国文化中代表着力量和好运，连心中充满了渴望。En: The dragon's image in Chinese culture represents strength and good luck, and Lian was filled with longing.Zh: 然而，那位贩卖者秀是个精明的商人。En: However, the vendor Xiu was a shrewd businesswoman.Zh: 她的摊位前挂着一块标价牌，价格高得让人咋舌。En: A price tag hung in front of her stall, with a price so high it made people gasp.Zh: 连知道，若想要那个龙玉雕，他必须好好谈判。En: Lian knew that if he wanted that jade dragon sculpture, he needed to negotiate well.Zh: 而就在这时，魏也在摊位前出现，他也在打量那件雕塑。En: Just then, Wei appeared at the stall, also eyeing the sculpture.Zh: 连看着魏，与他交换了一个心照不宣的眼神。En: Lian looked at Wei and exchanged a tacit glance with him.Zh: 然而，他无法忽视他的内心的渴望。En: However, he couldn't ignore his inner desire.Zh: 他轻轻走近秀的摊位。En: He gently approached Xiu's stall.Zh: “这个龙玉雕很漂亮。”连说道，假装不太在意。En: "This jade dragon sculpture is very beautiful," Lian said, pretending to be indifferent.Zh: “是啊，手工雕刻，非常精美。”秀回答，她的语气透露出这雕纹的珍贵。En: "Yes, it's handcrafted, very exquisite," Xiu replied, her tone revealing the sculpture's preciousness.Zh: 魏插话道：“我也对它很感兴趣。”En: Wei interjected, "I'm also interested in it."Zh: 气氛瞬间紧张。En: The atmosphere instantly became tense.Zh: 连意识到必须做出明智的决定。En: Lian realized he needed to make a wise decision.Zh: 他决定揭露自己的真实想法：“秀，这件龙玉雕对我来说不仅仅是一件物品。En: He decided to reveal his true feelings: "Xiu, this jade dragon sculpture is more than just an item to me.Zh: 春节就快到了，我想把它放在家里做我们家的中心，它将带来好运。”En: The Spring Festival is coming soon, and I want to place it in my home as our centerpiece; it will bring good luck."Zh: 秀微微思索，显然被连的话打动了。En: Xiu pondered slightly, clearly moved by Lian's words.Zh: 她重视传统，也忠于家族的价值观。En: She valued tradition and was loyal to her family's values.Zh: 在最后一刻，连加了一句：“如果我能用它来庆祝新年，那将是无价的。”En: At the last moment, Lian added, "If I can use it to celebrate the New Year, it would be priceless."Zh: 最终，秀微笑着说：“我想这龙应当跟随你的家人过新年。”En: In the end, Xiu smiled and said, "I think this dragon should accompany your family for the New Year."Zh: 她降了价，连成功买下了龙玉雕。En: She lowered the price, and Lian successfully bought the jade dragon sculpture.Zh: 连面带笑意，感到格外满足。En: Lian smiled with satisfaction, feeling particularly fulfilled.Zh: 他意识到，真正的价值不仅存在于物品本身，更在于人与人之间文化和情感的交流。En: He realized that true value lies not only in the item itself but also in the cultural and emotional exchange between people.Zh: 在走回家的路上，连的心中充满了对即将到来的新年的期待。En: On the way home, Lian's heart was filled with anticipation for the upcoming New Year.Zh: 他不仅带回了一件珍贵的古董，更学会了如何透过传统连接内心的热情。En: He not only brought back a precious antique but also learned how to connect his inner passion through tradition. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 熙熙攘攘cobblestone: 石板antiques: 古董jade: 玉sculpture: 雕prosperity: 繁荣shrewd: 精明vendor: 贩卖者negotiate: 谈判tacit: 心照不宣exquisite: 精美interjected: 插话道tension: 紧张decision: 决定pondered: 思索tradition: 传统loyal: 忠于centerpiece: 中心precious: 珍贵indifferent: 不太在意illuminated: 照亮overhead: 头顶anticipation: 期待symbolizes: 象征fortune: 好运longing: 渴望gasp: 咋舌revealing: 透露出emotional: 情感passion: 热情

Gen 31:17-32:12, Matt 10:24-11:6, Ps 13:1-6, Pr 3:16-18

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Tension to Triumph: A Team's Journey to Success Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-15-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 忙碌的办公室里，玻璃墙闪烁着光芒，盆栽植物点缀其间，气氛中弥漫着春节将近的兴奋情绪。En: In the bustling office, the glass walls shimmered with light, and potted plants adorned the space, with an atmosphere filled with the excitement of the approaching Chunjie (Spring Festival).Zh: 在这样的背景下，梅琳、君和晓玉正埋头于一个重要的项目。En: Against this backdrop, Meilin, Jun, and Xiaoyu were engrossed in an important project.Zh: 他们要在春节前完成并向董事会展示一个新颖的提案。En: They needed to complete and present an innovative proposal to the board before Chunjie.Zh: 梅琳是项目经理，目标明确。En: Meilin was the project manager, with clear goals in mind.Zh: 她知道这个项目的重要性，希望通过它在公司高层面前展现实力。En: She understood the significance of this project and hoped to demonstrate her capabilities to the company's senior management.Zh: 君是团队里经验丰富的成员，但他一直比较谨慎，不愿冒险。En: Jun was an experienced team member, but he was always rather cautious and reluctant to take risks.Zh: 晓玉则充满创意，尽管他对自己的想法不太有信心。En: Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was full of creativity, though he wasn't very confident in his ideas.Zh: 三人之间的合作并不总是顺利。En: The collaboration among the three was not always smooth.Zh: 梅琳感觉到压力，她要寻找一个平衡点，在创新和稳妥之间徘徊。En: Meilin felt the pressure of finding a balance between innovation and caution.Zh: 每当晓玉提出一些新奇的创意，君总是先持怀疑态度，担心这些想法太冒险。En: Whenever Xiaoyu brought up novel ideas, Jun was always initially skeptical, worried that these ideas were too risky.Zh: 面对这样的情况，梅琳决定勇敢一试，支持晓玉的创意，同时也要说服君。En: Faced with this situation, Meilin decided to be brave and support Xiaoyu's creativity while also persuading Jun.Zh: 随着项目截止日期的临近，团队内部的紧张程度也在增加。En: As the project deadline loomed closer, the tension within the team also increased.Zh: 一天晚上，办公室里只剩下梅琳、君和晓玉。En: One night, only Meilin, Jun, and Xiaoyu remained in the office.Zh: 他们一起定稿，准备第二天的展示。En: They finalized the draft together, preparing for the next day's presentation.Zh: 梅琳耐心地倾听，协调两人之间的争议，努力让大家拧成一股绳。En: Meilin patiently listened, mediated the disputes between the two, and worked hard to unite everyone.Zh: 终于到了展示日，董事会成员坐定。En: Finally, the day of the presentation arrived, and the board members took their seats.Zh: 梅琳带着自信走上前，项目信息一一呈现。En: Meilin confidently stepped forward, presenting the project details one by one.Zh: 然而，正当晓玉演示他的创意时，技术故障突然出现，投影仪停了下来。En: However, just as Xiaoyu was demonstrating his creative ideas, a technical glitch suddenly occurred, and the projector stopped.Zh: 梅琳迅速冷静下来，让团队临时切换到备用方案。En: Meilin quickly regained her composure and had the team switch to a backup plan.Zh: 她机智地讲述，君也在一旁传递重要的数据，晓玉则用手绘图解释他的设计。En: She skillfully narrated the points, Jun assisted by providing crucial data, and Xiaoyu used hand-drawn diagrams to explain his design.Zh: 团队的努力没有白费。En: The team's efforts were not in vain.Zh: 演示结束时，董事会给予了他们热烈的掌声，特别是对晓玉创意性的认可。En: By the end of the presentation, the board gave them a rousing applause, particularly recognizing Xiaoyu's creativity.Zh: 他们的提案成功通过，团队的声誉也得到了提高。En: Their proposal was successfully approved, and the team's reputation was also elevated.Zh: 梅琳学会了如何在不同观点之间取得平衡，增强了对自己决定的信心。En: Meilin learned how to balance differing viewpoints, gaining confidence in her decisions.Zh: 君变得更为接受新想法，而晓玉则找到了信心。En: Jun became more open to new ideas, and Xiaoyu found his confidence.Zh: 办公室内外的风雪逐渐消散，带来了节日的温暖。En: The snow and wind outside the office gradually dissipated, bringing the warmth of the festival.Zh: 而他们的收获，不仅是一个成功的项目，还有一份更加紧密的合作关系。En: Their rewards were not only a successful project but also a stronger collaborative relationship. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 忙碌的shimmered: 闪烁adorned: 点缀engrossed: 埋头significance: 重要性capabilities: 实力reluctant: 不愿cautious: 谨慎creativity: 创意novel: 新奇skeptical: 怀疑态度persuading: 说服loomed: 临近mediated: 协调disputes: 争议glitch: 故障composure: 冷静narrated: 讲述crucial: 重要的applause: 掌声elevated: 提高viewpoints: 观点confidence: 信心dissipated: 消散warmth: 温暖collaborative: 合作proposal: 提案innovative: 新颖senior management: 高层backup: 备用

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Team Triumph: How Li Ming and Xiaolei Beat the Clock Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-15-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在繁忙的冬季，临近春节的脚步如同雪花般匆匆而至，公司的办公室里充满了紧张的气氛。En: In the busy winter season, the approach of the Chunjie felt as swift as falling snow, and the office was filled with a tense atmosphere.Zh: 电脑嗡嗡作响，键盘声此起彼伏。En: The computers hummed, and the sound of keyboards was constant.Zh: 李明坐在他的办公桌前，思索着。En: Li Ming sat at his desk, deep in thought.Zh: 他是一位勤奋的项目经理，最近却被迫承受着巨大的压力。En: He was a diligent project manager, but recently, he had been under a lot of pressure.Zh: 他们的团队项目将在春节前需要完成，时间紧迫。En: Their team's project needed to be completed before Chunjie, and time was tight.Zh: 李明望向一旁的同事小雷。En: Li Ming glanced at his colleague Xiaolei next to him.Zh: 小雷才能很出众，但最近的工作进度却总是不尽如人意。En: Xiaolei was talented, but his recent work progress was not satisfactory.Zh: 对于即将到来的展示会，小雷也感到忐忑不安。En: He was also anxious about the upcoming exhibition.Zh: 为了提升在公司里的地位，他必须做好自己的部分。En: In order to enhance his position in the company, he needed to perform well.Zh: 离项目截止日期还剩三天，李明不断在考虑自己是否应该独自承担更多工作，或者，是时候与小雷摊开话题，正面沟通。En: With three days left until the project deadline, Li Ming continually pondered whether he should take on more work alone or if it was time to have an open conversation with Xiaolei.Zh: 在此之前，小雷的工作一直没有跟上计划，这让李明的内心充满了矛盾与焦虑。En: Until now, Xiaolei's work had always been behind schedule, filling Li Ming with inner conflict and anxiety.Zh: 终于，时间走到了关键的前一晚。En: Finally, the time came to the crucial night before the deadline.Zh: 李明意识到再也不能这样拖延下去了。En: Li Ming realized he could no longer delay.Zh: 会议室静悄悄的，只有几盏昏黄的灯还亮着。En: The meeting room was silent, with only a few dim lights still on.Zh: 他叫小雷来参加一个小会。En: He called Xiaolei for a small meeting.Zh: “我们需要谈谈，”李明说，声音中带着一丝焦急。En: "We need to talk," Li Ming said with a hint of urgency in his voice.Zh: 小雷有些尴尬，但还是坐了下来。En: Xiaolei felt a bit awkward but sat down nonetheless.Zh: 经过一番交流，小雷坦诚了自己的问题：“我真的需要帮助。En: After some discussion, Xiaolei admitted his problems: "I really need help.Zh: 我想我需要一些有序的计划。”En: I think I need some orderly planning."Zh: 李明深思熟虑后，决定和小雷一起彻夜工作。En: After careful consideration, Li Ming decided to work through the night with Xiaolei.Zh: 他们制定了一个紧凑的清单，分配了职责，明确了每一个步骤。En: They devised a compact list, assigned tasks, and clarified each step.Zh: 随着灯光从办公室的一边亮到另一边，李明和小雷的合作也渐渐顺利起来。En: As the lights switched on one end of the office to the other, their cooperation gradually smoothed out.Zh: 第二天早晨，团队成员疲惫但兴奋地走进会议室，En: The next morning, team members walked into the meeting room, exhausted but excited.Zh: 他们的设计和计划获得了管理层的极大赞赏。En: Their design and plans received great acclaim from the management.Zh: 成功不仅带来了喜悦，也带来了一份值得信任的团结。En: The success not only brought joy but also a trustworthy unity.Zh: 春节来临时，李明明白了团队支持与沟通的重要性，En: When Chunjie arrived, Li Ming understood the importance of team support and communication.Zh: 他决定不再一个人承担所有重担，而是善于借助团队的力量。En: He decided not to bear all burdens alone but to effectively utilize the power of the team.Zh: 小雷学会了如何更好地管理时间，并在团队的支持下，勇敢地寻求帮助，变得更加自信。En: Xiaolei learned how to better manage his time and, with the team's support, bravely sought help, becoming more confident.Zh: 华灯初上，节日的氛围充盈着整个城市。En: As the festive lights lit up, the festive atmosphere filled the entire city.Zh: 李明和小雷站在窗前，望着窗外的雪景，心中满是新一年的愿景和期待。En: Li Ming and Xiaolei stood by the window, looking at the snowy scene outside, their hearts full of hopes and expectations for the new year. Vocabulary Words:approach: 临近swift: 匆匆diligent: 勤奋pressure: 压力satisfactory: 不尽如人意exhibition: 展示会enhance: 提升pondered: 思索delayed: 拖延crucial: 关键urgency: 焦急orderly: 有序compact: 紧凑assigned: 分配clarified: 明确cooperation: 合作acclaim: 赞赏trustworthy: 值得信任unity: 团结utilize: 借助manage: 管理confident: 自信festive: 节日atmosphere: 氛围exhausted: 疲惫glanced: 望向anxiety: 焦虑admitted: 坦诚scenario: 场景expectations: 期待

Gen 30:1-31:16, Matt 10:1-23, Ps 12:1-8, Pr 3:13-15

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: The Snowflake Letters: Unveiling Artful Secrets in Beijing Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-14-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在北京的一个寒冷冬夜，飞舞的雪花轻轻飘落，覆盖着整个居民小区。En: On a cold winter night in Beijing, fluttering snowflakes gently fell, covering the entire residential community.Zh: 这个小区安静而祥和，四周围着高大的围墙，像是一个独立的小世界。En: This neighborhood was quiet and peaceful, surrounded by tall walls like a self-contained little world.Zh: 春节就要到了，家家户户都挂上了红色的灯笼和喜庆的饰品。En: With the Spring Festival approaching, every household hung up red lanterns and festive decorations.Zh: 此刻，小区的每个角落都充满了节日的气息。En: At this moment, every corner of the community was filled with a festive atmosphere.Zh: 然而，在这欢乐的氛围中，一件神秘的事情令小区居民们心生忐忑。En: However, amidst this joyful ambiance, a mysterious occurrence made the residents of the community feel uneasy.Zh: 每到夜深人静的时候，会有一封封神秘的信悄悄出现在家门口。En: Late at night, mysterious letters would quietly appear at the doorsteps.Zh: 这些信没有署名，却总是带来不一样的思考与感悟。En: These letters were unsigned, yet they always brought different thoughts and insights.Zh: 居民们纷纷猜测，这些信的背后会是怎样的人呢？En: The residents speculated about what kind of person could be behind these letters, and what their purpose might be.Zh: 而他们的目的又是什么？En: Ming was a middle-aged writer living in the neighborhood.Zh: 明，是小区里的一位中年作家。En: Recently, he had been struggling with writer's block, his words seemed frozen.Zh: 最近，他陷入了写作的困境，笔下的文字如同冻结了一般。En: He was somewhat anxious, hoping that this mystery could bring him inspiration and also prove his worth.Zh: 他略显焦躁，渴望这个谜团能给他带来灵感，同时也是为了证明自己的价值。En: Ming started thinking, deciding to stay alert and secretly observe by the window, hoping to find some clues.Zh: 明开始思索，他决定保持清醒，偷偷留在窗边观察，希望能找到蛛丝马迹。En: Late at night, Ming quietly watched by the window.Zh: 夜深时分，明静静守在窗前。En: The cold wind howled, the street was empty and silent.Zh: 寒风凛冽，街道空旷无声。En: Suddenly, in the faint light of a streetlamp, a small figure appeared.Zh: 忽然，影影绰绰中，一个小小的身影出现在路灯昏暗的光芒下。En: Ming's eyes lit up, and he decided to act.Zh: 明的眼睛一亮，他决定行动。En: He put on his coat and quietly followed the figure, finally discovering the answer at the edge of the community.Zh: 他穿上外套，敛声细步地跟随那身影，终于在小区的尽头发现了答案。En: It turned out the author of these mysterious letters was a small artist in the community named Xiao.Zh: 原来，这些神秘信件的作者是小区中一个名叫肖的小艺术家。En: He used this method to convey his thoughts and artistic inspiration, hoping to bring some beauty to everyone during this holiday.Zh: 他用这种方式传达自己的思考和艺术灵感，希望在这个节日里给大家带来一些美好。En: Ming was moved.Zh: 明心中一动，他突然明白，创作并不一定需要声名远扬，安静的贡献同样有其价值。En: He suddenly understood that creating doesn't always need widespread fame; quiet contributions have their own value.Zh: 他选择保守这个秘密，并帮助肖组织了一次艺术展示，让大家感受到这些作品的美。En: He chose to keep this secret and helped Xiao organize an art exhibition to let everyone feel the beauty of these works.Zh: 在这个特别的春节，小区中的人们互相分享着艺术所带来的欢乐与感动，邻里之间更增添了几分暖意。En: During this special Spring Festival, the people in the community shared the joy and emotion brought by art, and the warmth between neighbors grew.Zh: 明也从中获得了新的创作灵感，不再苦恼于那块“创作瓶颈”。En: Ming also gained new inspiration for his writing and was no longer troubled by the “creative block.” He realized that true value doesn't lie in widespread recognition, but in the heartfelt process of creation.Zh: 他意识到，真正的价值不在于广泛的认同，而在于用心创造的过程。En: The community, under the warm glow of the lights, regained its vitality.Zh: 小区在暖暖的灯光中重新焕发了活力，大家一起迎接着新年的到来，把对未来的期许写在夜空中。En: Everyone welcomed the arrival of the New Year together, writing their hopes for the future across the night sky.Zh: 雪花仍在飘着，但每个人的心中都感受到了一种温暖的平和。En: The snowflakes continued to fall, but a sense of warmth and peace filled every heart. Vocabulary Words:fluttering: 飞舞的snowflakes: 雪花residential: 居民quiet: 安静surrounded: 围着joyful: 欢乐的ambiance: 氛围mysterious: 神秘occurrence: 事情unsign: 没有署名speculated: 猜测purpose: 目的middle-aged: 中年struggling: 挣扎frozen: 冻结anxious: 焦躁inspiration: 灵感alert: 清醒observe: 观察clues: 蛛丝马迹howled: 凛冽streetlamp: 路灯figure: 身影convey: 传达artist: 艺术家exhibition: 展示contributions: 贡献vitality: 活力warmth: 温暖peace: 平和

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Harmony in Tradition: A Modern Spring Festival Blend Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-14-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 梅看着窗外的雪花，微笑着想到了春节的欢庆。En: Mei looked out at the snowflakes outside the window and smiled as she thought of the festive Spring Festival.Zh: 小区里安静祥和，偶尔有孩子的欢笑声传来。En: The community was peaceful and harmonious, with the occasional sound of children's laughter.Zh: 这个社区一向注重现代化，但是梅心里一直以来有一个愿望：让大家一起过一个传统而热闹的中国新年。En: This neighborhood has always focused on modernization, but in Mei's heart, there has always been a wish: to have everyone celebrate a traditional and lively Chinese New Year together.Zh: 梅是个热心肠的人，她觉得春节是一个能把大家凝聚在一起的好机会。En: Mei is a warm-hearted person, and she felt that the Spring Festival is a great opportunity to bring everyone together.Zh: 于是，她决定在这个冬天的居民委员会会议上提议这个想法。En: So, she decided to propose this idea at the residents' committee meeting this winter.Zh: 在社区的中心活动区，白雪覆盖的草地显得异常宁静。En: In the community center activity area, the snow-covered lawn looked particularly serene.Zh: 会议当天，梅早早地来到现场，调整着自己的发言稿。En: On the day of the meeting, Mei arrived early, adjusting her speech.Zh: 居民代表陆续到来，金也在其中。En: Residents began to arrive one after another, including Jin.Zh: 金是一个实用主义者，他认为传统的骄闹并不符合社区的现代生活方式。En: Jin is a pragmatist and believes that the noise of tradition does not align with the community's modern lifestyle.Zh: 对于梅的提议，金表示了他的担忧。En: He expressed his concerns about Mei's proposal.Zh: “我们可以过个安静的春节，”金坚定地说，“这样既不扰民，也能更现代化。En: "We can have a quiet Spring Festival," Jin said firmly, "that way, it doesn't disturb the residents and can be more modern."Zh: ”梅感到有些挫败，但她并不想放弃。En: Mei felt a bit frustrated, but she didn't want to give up.Zh: 她在会上诉说着传统春节的意义和家庭团聚的重要性，希望能得到大家的支持。En: At the meeting, she spoke about the significance of traditional Spring Festival and the importance of family gatherings, hoping to gain everyone's support.Zh: 一场激烈的讨论随即展开，气氛有些紧张。En: A heated discussion ensued, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.Zh: 就在这时，慧站出来，她是社区里一个善于调节矛盾的人。En: At that moment, Hui stood up; she is someone in the community known for resolving conflicts.Zh: “梅的提议是好的，金的担忧也有道理，”慧平和地说，“我们为何不将传统和现代结合起来呢？En: "Mei's proposal is good, and Jin's concerns are valid too," Hui said calmly, "Why not combine tradition and modernity?Zh: 举行一个融合两者的春节庆祝活动，不仅有传统的习俗，也可以融入一些现代元素。En: Hold a Spring Festival celebration that incorporates both, featuring traditional customs as well as some modern elements."Zh: ”这个提议得到了梅的支持和金的赞同。En: This proposal received support from Mei and agreement from Jin.Zh: 大家决定筹办一个既有舞狮，又有现代音乐表演的活动。En: Everyone decided to organize an event that included both lion dances and modern music performances.Zh: 在这个寒冷的冬天，居民们为这个即将到来的节日准备着，期待着一个别样的春节。En: In this cold winter, residents prepared for the upcoming festival, looking forward to a unique Chinese New Year.Zh: 当春节真正到来时，邻里之间欢声笑语不断。En: When Spring Festival finally arrived, laughter and joy filled the neighborhood.Zh: 孩子们放着烟花，舞狮队在敲锣打鼓中经过，现代的音乐声也在空中飘扬。En: Children lit fireworks, the lion dance team paraded through the sound of gongs and drums, and modern music floated in the air.Zh: 梅看着这一切，明白了妥协和包容带来了怎样的变化。En: As Mei watched it all, she understood the changes that compromise and inclusiveness had brought.Zh: 她心里感到无比温暖，因为她知道，将传统与现代结合，不仅满足了她的愿望，也将社区更紧密地联系在了一起。En: Her heart felt incredibly warm because she knew that combining tradition with modernity not only fulfilled her wish but also brought the community closer together.Zh: 这个春节，是她记忆中最难忘的一个。En: This Spring Festival was the most unforgettable one in her memory. Vocabulary Words:festive: 欢庆harmonious: 祥和modernization: 现代化pragmatist: 实用主义者align: 符合proposal: 提议significance: 意义ensued: 随即展开tense: 紧张resolving conflicts: 调节矛盾inclusiveness: 包容compromise: 妥协unique: 别样serene: 宁静fireworks: 烟花tradition: 传统customs: 习俗integrate: 结合incorporates: 融合inclusive: 融入exceptionally: 异常warm-hearted: 热心肠proposal: 提议heated discussion: 激烈的讨论gatherings: 团聚parade: 经过residents: 居民lively: 热闹incorporate: 融入expressed: 表示

Gen 28:1-29:35, Matt 9:18-38, Ps 11:1-7, Pr 3:11-12

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Snowy Delays and Heartwarming Decisions: A Journey Home Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-13-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在北京首都国际机场，寒风吹拂着出口，外面雪花纷飞。En: At Beijing Capital International Airport, the cold wind swept through the exit, and snowflakes were fluttering outside.Zh: 旅客们在大厅里来来往往，有的拖着大包小包回家过年，有的不停地查看航班信息。En: Travelers were coming and going in the hall; some were towing large bags to go home for the New Year, and others were continually checking their flight information.Zh: 李娟站在机场大堂，手紧紧握着手机，看着航班延误的通知，不由得长叹了一口气。En: Li Juan stood in the airport lobby, tightly gripping her phone, looking at the flight delay notification, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.Zh: 这是个特别繁忙的季节。En: This was an especially busy season.Zh: 春节快到了，每个人都期盼着与家人团聚。En: The Spring Festival was approaching, and everyone was looking forward to reunions with their families.Zh: 但对李娟来说，她此刻面临着一个艰难的决定。En: But for Li Juan, she was facing a difficult decision at this moment.Zh: 新加坡的重要商务会议就在眼前，如果成功，她的事业将更进一步。En: An important business meeting in Singapore was just around the corner; if she succeeded, her career would advance further.Zh: 但这场大雪让她的航班推迟，而她的心正在动摇——是留下来与家人过节，还是飞往新加坡去完成她的职业目标？En: However, the heavy snow had delayed her flight, and her heart wavered—should she stay and celebrate the holiday with her family, or should she fly to Singapore to achieve her professional goals?Zh: “小明，这么冷的天，你过来看我，真不容易。”李娟轻声对身边的朋友小明说。En: "Xiao Ming, on such a cold day, it's really not easy for you to come see me," Li Juan softly said to her friend Xiao Ming beside her.Zh: 小明是她的老同学，总是在她需要帮助的时候出现。En: Xiao Ming was her old classmate who always appeared when she needed help.Zh: “李娟，我知道这个决定很重要。不过，春节一年只有一次。”小明看着她，语重心长地说。En: "Li Juan, I know this decision is important. But Spring Festival only comes once a year," Xiao Ming looked at her and said earnestly.Zh: 就在此时，李娟的手机响了。En: At that moment, Li Juan's phone rang.Zh: 是女儿小美打来的。En: It was her daughter Xiao Mei calling.Zh: “妈妈，你什么时候回来呀？我好想您。”电话另一头，小美兴高采烈。En: "Mom, when are you coming back? I miss you so much," Xiao Mei said cheerfully on the other end of the line.Zh: 李娟的心里一暖，女儿的声音轻轻触动了她心底最柔软的部分。En: Li Juan's heart warmed; her daughter's voice gently touched the softest part of her heart.Zh: “对不起，小美，妈妈有点忙。”她心里很难过。En: "I'm sorry, Xiao Mei, mommy is a bit busy," she felt quite sad inside.Zh: 挂了电话后，李娟陷入了深深的沉思。En: After hanging up the phone, Li Juan fell into deep thought.Zh: 她一直以来都把事业放在第一位，错过了很多家庭时光。En: She had always put her career first, missing out on a lot of family time.Zh: 现在，小美的这通电话让她重新审视了自己的优先次序。En: Now, this call from Xiao Mei prompted her to reassess her priorities.Zh: “我要回去。”李娟下定决心，声音坚定。En: "I want to go back," Li Juan made up her mind, her voice firm.Zh: 小明微微一笑：“我想，你做了个很好的选择。”En: Xiao Ming smiled slightly, "I think you made a very good choice."Zh: 李娟决定和家人一同过年，并将会议重新安排。En: Li Juan decided to spend the holiday with her family and reschedule the meeting.Zh: 她意识到，家庭的幸福比任何事业成就都重要。En: She realized that family happiness is more important than any career accomplishment.Zh: 或许，只有这样的平衡，才是真正的成功。En: Perhaps only this kind of balance is true success.Zh: 机场的广播继续播报着航班信息，但李娟的心已经不再摇摆。En: The airport broadcast continued announcing flight information, but Li Juan's heart was no longer wavering.Zh: 在这个冰雪覆盖的冬季，她得到了心灵的温暖和新的启示。En: In this snow-covered winter, she gained warmth and new insight for her soul.Zh: 随着李娟踏上回家的旅途，她发誓要珍惜每一个与家人共度的时刻，让自己的生活更加完整。En: As Li Juan embarked on her journey home, she vowed to cherish every moment spent with her family, making her life more complete. Vocabulary Words:swept: 吹拂fluttering: 纷飞towing: 拖着continually: 不停地gripping: 握着notification: 通知sigh: 叹气reunions: 团聚advance: 进一步delayed: 推迟wavered: 动摇earnestly: 语重心长地cheerfully: 兴高采烈prompted: 促使reassess: 重新审视firm: 坚定accomplishment: 成就balance: 平衡broadcast: 广播wavering: 摇摆insight: 启示cherish: 珍惜complete: 完整hall: 大厅decision: 决定career: 事业approaching: 快到了celebrate: 过节vow: 发誓soul: 心灵

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Homeward Bound: Ming's Journey and the Gift of Kindness Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-13-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京首都国际机场灯火辉煌，迎接即将到来的春节。En: Beijing Capital International Airport is brilliantly lit, welcoming the approaching Chinese New Year.Zh: 红色和金色的装饰遍布整个机场，浓浓的节日气氛扑面而来。En: Red and gold decorations are spread throughout the airport, engulfing everyone in a festive atmosphere.Zh: 寒冷的冬季空气和机场内热闹的人群形成鲜明对比，旅客们行色匆匆，期盼着与家人团聚。En: The contrast between the cold winter air and the bustling crowds inside the airport is striking, as travelers move hastily, eager to reunite with their families.Zh: 明是一名年轻女性，一年前搬到了美国。En: Ming is a young woman who moved to the United States a year ago.Zh: 今年春节，她第一次回国，心情既紧张又兴奋。En: This year, she is returning home for the first time for Chinese New Year, feeling both nervous and excited.Zh: 她想念家人，期待着除夕夜的团圆饭。En: She misses her family and looks forward to the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.Zh: 明拖着行李箱，在人群中穿梭。En: Ming weaves through the crowd, dragging her suitcase behind her.Zh: 然而，空气中弥漫的香水味和紧张的情绪让她感到呼吸困难。En: However, the scent of perfume lingering in the air and her tense emotions make breathing difficult.Zh: 她知道自己的哮喘发作了。En: She realizes her asthma is acting up.Zh: 就在明努力挣扎时，连，一个机场的工作人员，注意到了她的状况。En: As Ming struggles, Lian, an airport staff member, notices her situation.Zh: 连在这个繁忙季节工作时间长，但她非常认真。En: Despite working long hours during this busy season, Lian is very dedicated.Zh: 她看到明逐渐加重的呼吸困难，连忙上前询问：“您好，需要帮助吗？En: Seeing Ming's breathing difficulties worsening, she quickly approaches and asks, "Hello, do you need help?"Zh: ”明用力点头，努力控制自己的呼吸。En: Ming nods vigorously, trying hard to control her breathing.Zh: 连马上带明去找附近的医务室，并帮助她进行快速疗程。En: Lian immediately takes her to the nearby medical room and helps her receive quick treatment.Zh: 时间一分一秒过去了，明担心错过接下来的航班会耽误回家。En: As time ticks by, Ming worries about missing her connecting flight and the delay it might cause in getting home.Zh: 连没有放弃，利用自己的关系，确保明能够快速办理登机手续。En: Lian does not give up, using her connections to ensure Ming can quickly complete her boarding procedures.Zh: 连的努力没有白费。En: Lian's efforts do not go to waste.Zh: 明得到了及时的治疗，感觉好多了。En: Ming receives timely treatment and feels much better.Zh: 她感激地看着连说：“谢谢你，我不知道该怎么办，没有你的帮助。En: Gratefully, she looks at Lian and says, "Thank you, I don't know what I would have done without your help."Zh: ”最终，明顺利登上了飞机。En: In the end, Ming boards the plane smoothly.Zh: 飞机起飞的时候，她透过窗户看着渐渐远去的城市灯光，心里满是感激和温暖。En: As the plane takes off, she gazes out the window at the receding city lights, her heart full of gratitude and warmth.Zh: 她意识到旅途中，陌生人的善意是如此珍贵。En: She realizes how precious the kindness of strangers can be during a journey.Zh: 在进入梦乡前，她想着能够与家人一同庆祝春节，倍感幸福。En: Before drifting into dreams, she thinks about celebrating the Chinese New Year with her family, feeling immensely happy.Zh: 明这一趟旅程，她不仅仅是回家。En: This journey was not just about returning home for Ming.Zh: 她领悟了善良的力量，也更深地感受到了对自己文化传统的珍视。En: She came to understand the power of kindness and felt a deeper appreciation for her cultural traditions.Zh: 在明心中，团圆和家的重要性从未如此清晰。En: In Ming's heart, the importance of reunion and home has never been clearer. Vocabulary Words:capital: 首都brilliantly: 辉煌engulfing: 扑面而来contrast: 对比bustling: 热闹hastily: 匆匆reunion: 团聚dragging: 拖weaves: 穿梭lingering: 弥漫tense: 紧张emotions: 情绪breathing: 呼吸asthma: 哮喘struggles: 挣扎dedicated: 认真worsening: 加重connections: 关系timely: 及时gratefully: 感激smoothly: 顺利receding: 渐渐远去precious: 珍贵dreams: 梦乡celebrating: 庆祝immensely: 倍感appreciation: 珍视importance: 重要性realizes: 意识到understand: 领悟

In this episode, 10 Family Office Myths exposed (and debunked). https://youtu.be/j1cgcZZcRBM Welcome back and Happy New Year on the Wealth Actually podcast. I’m Frazer Rice. We have a fun show today where we talk about 10 myths in the family office space. Mark Tepsich, who runs the family office governance practice at UBS is here as we dish into the ideas and concepts that are misunderstood in the family office world. Summary This conversation delves into the complexities and myths surrounding family offices, exploring their structure, governance, and the unique challenges they face in wealth management. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the specific needs of families and the role of family offices in managing complexity and preserving wealth across generations. It also addresses common misconceptions about family offices, including their necessity, governance, and their relationship with institutional investors. Takeaways Family offices are established to manage complexity in wealth.Not all family offices are the same; each has unique needs.Governance frameworks are essential for effective family office management.Many family offices outsource functions rather than internalizing them.The myth that 85-90% of family offices shouldn’t exist is false.Shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves is a debated concept in wealth preservation.Family offices need to adapt to the evolving needs of families.Investment functions in family offices are often secondary to administrative roles.Family offices are driven by complexity rather than just size.The future of family offices may involve more direct investment opportunities. Chapters: Family Office Confidential 00:00 Understanding Family Offices: Myths and Realities02:02 The Complexity of Family Office Structures04:37 Debunking Common Myths About Family Offices06:17 The Role of Outsourcing in Family Offices07:54 Generational Wealth: The Shirt Sleeves Myth10:51 Flexibility vs. Permanence in Family Offices12:48 Governance and Decision-Making in Family Offices15:49 Investment Functions in Family Offices18:05 Size vs. Complexity in Family Offices20:09 Family Offices vs. Institutional Capital21:19 The Aspirational Nature of Family Offices23:30 The Relationship Between Family Offices and Institutions25:36 Technology in Family Offices: Current Trends29:03 Family Offices and Private Equity: A Comparative Analysis Myths 85-95% of FO’s should not exist vs. “there is no such thing as a family office’ Family office internalize everything A Family Office Anchored by an operating business is the same that is one funded solely by liquidity event Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves is myth Family offices are designed to be permanent’ Family Offices don’t need high end (almost SOX) like governance Family Offices are driven by net worth (no, by complexity) Family Offices are built on a robust investment function (no, it”s complexity management- often rooted in bookkeeping and accounting) Family Offices are like institutional Capital (no, many more motivations than pure returns- including whimsy and the knee-jerk ability to override the IPS) Family Offices are the right result for a career (they could be, but it is extremely unlikely- a lot of things have to be “just right” and there is little to know patience for development Family Offices make great wealth clients (very much depends on the function and the product- they can be difficult consumers) Family office tech is best – in – breed (No and it probably never will be) Family offices shun Large institutions (Surprisingly, no- needed for deals, expertise, and most importnatly financing and introductions) Keywords family offices, wealth management, governance, investment strategies, family dynamics, myths, financial planning, family wealth, complexity management, family governance Transcript: Family Office Myths Busted Frazer Rice (00:04.462): Welcome board, Mark. Mark Tepsich: Hey, Frazer, good to see you again. Appreciate the opportunity. Frazer Rice: Likewise. So let’s get started first. We’re going to go into some of the myths around family offices. But you really participate in kind of an interesting subset of that in terms of helping families design and govern them. What exactly does that mean on a day-to-day basis for you? Mark Tepsich: Yeah, good question. So, you know, it means a couple of things, right? So if you think about a family office, you have families that are at the inception point, right? Where things are getting too complex for them. They need to set up some sort of infrastructure. And it’s really like, what is a family office? What can it do for me? What are the pros, cons, and trade-offs? Where do I start? What’s the infrastructure, the systems? Who do I hire? How do I structure a compensation? So you’ve got families maybe coming at it. From post liquidity event, maybe coming at it from, we need to lift up, lift out this embedded family office out of the business to, hey, we’re an existing family office. We’ve got, you know, we’re evolving, right? The family’s growing, their enterprise is changing, the world around us is changing. People are leaving the family office, the next gen’s getting incorporated into the family office in some way. We’ve got some questions that could be, how do we engage the next generation through the family office? Mark Tepsich (01:21.614): How do we make decisions, communicate around our shared assets and resources, which could be a portfolio, maybe even a business, or hey, how do we come together and hire? What is this profile of this person look like? Who should we hire and not hire? What’s the structure of their compensation, carry co-investment, leverage co-investment? What’s the tech stack look like across accounting, consulting, reporting? Now, how do we insource and outsource? So it’s sort of. I like to call it organizational capabilities. So, you know, sometimes it’s soup to nuts, like starting from zero, other times it’s, we’ve been around for a long time, but we have a couple of questions. So that’s kind of my day to day. And, you know, I’ve been living this really since 2008 pre-global financial crisis. Frazer Rice So we’re going to go into, I think, some of the craziness of the family office ecosystem where we have people who wear many hats, people who wear masks, some people who are jokers and other people who are really good technicians and provide a lot of great insight. One of the things you were talking about is that the different types of mandate can be different. And I think maybe one of the first myths we should tackle is the The bromide that if you’ve seen one family office, you’ve seen one family office, which is thrown around at every family office conference and everybody chuckles for a minute and then it sort of washes away and no one cares anymore. What do you think about that statement? Mark Tespich (03:19.006): So I don’t necessarily think it’s true. And here’s what I mean. Let’s make an analogy to this, right? A business needs certain core infrastructure to just operate, right? And using accounting back office, you know the inflows, the outflows, you know, if you’re make a decision, these are the steps you have to go through. And so a family office, right? It needs to incorporate that, but it needs to incorporate it with the family and the family enterprise that is existing for that family, right? So, yeah, each family office is different because each family is different, but that’s like saying you’ve seen one business, you’ve seen one business, right? The strategy could be, the culture could be different, but, you still need some core operating infrastructure. And again, there’s accounting infrastructure, and that’s the basics, right? So there’s a curl of truth, but largely I think that it is false. Well, and at the same time, yes, families are different, but in general, families are trying to get to the same place, which is, know, they want to steward the wealth. They want to make sure it benefits the family and the other constituencies. And they want to make sure that it’s preserved over time. And those functions, you know, it’s very infrequent. You’d find the functions not there. And so how you get from A to B may be different, as you said, but there are a lot of universal truths to setting one of these things up. Frazer Rice So one of the other myths that we’ve come across is the idea that 80 to 90 percent of family offices shouldn’t exist. is, people and families set these up for, let’s call it the wrong reasons. Maybe it’s fear of missing out, maybe it’s great cocktail party chatter, maybe it’s an overdiagnosis of their needs. What do you think about that? Mark Tepsich Again, false. know, family offices are largely a function. They largely exist because there’s a market scale here. And what I mean by that is when you look under the hood at a family office, you’ve got basics of an accounting firm. You’ve got basics of an investment slash wealth management firm. You’ve got the basics of a legal slash tax firm. And then you’ve got essentially everything in between. And when you look at professional service firms out there, They can’t provide all of those under one roof, whether compliance or regulatory reasons. But the other reason is because no business model out there can really scale the complexity that each one of these families has. So yeah, you could outforce a lot of this stuff, but at the end of the day, family offices often exist because of a market failure. so, false, 85 to 90 % of family offices should exist. Frazer Rice (05:41.164) One of the other things, I’ve been around enough of these getting set up, is that the family office, if we get into sort of a technical structure, such that you set up a structure so that you’re able to deduct the expenses related to administering the wealth around that, that’s a valid reason to do things in addition to the organizational component. So I agree with you that there’s, to say that they shouldn’t exist is sort of belying the notion that these functions should take place internally. And I think you spoke to that. And I guess that gets to another myth, which is that family offices should internalize all of these functions. You just talked about it a little bit, that that’s not a great business model either. Mark Tepsich No, mean, yeah, so, you know, 85 to 90 % of family members out there, you just use that statistic, outsource a fair amount of things, right? And what that means is let’s just use tax counsel, for instance, right? This is something that these issues exist in every family office, they exist for every individual, but at the end of the day, should you have, you know, a tax counsel in-house in a family office that’s only doing, you know, income tax advisor work? Probably not. For 95 % of family offices because the frequency just isn’t there, right? So, you if you look at general councils alone, right? So they should have a broader mandate than income tax. should have well-transferred estate planning. Every family has those issues, but do they have the frequency to warrant bringing that individual, that professional and the rate, the cost? Probably not. a lot, you know, most family offices outsource a fair amount of whether it’s investment management, manager selection and due diligence. So false. Most fair amount offices do outsource a fair amount. Frazer Rice (07:31.374) One the things, this is one of my favorite controversial topics in the family office ecosystem of vendors that are out there is this notion that shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves is a myth. that the, and for those who don’t know what that means is, know, the first generation has generated the wealth, the second one enjoys it. And then the third one for a variety of reasons is ill-equipped to carry the wealth forward. And then everyone kind of goes back. It transcends culture. It’s lily pad to lily pad. You know, there’s a British version and a Russian version and whatever version. But the advice ecosystem around this is such that there’s a lot of debate about the statistics that have, quote unquote, proven that. And I can listen to that and say, yes, those may be very narrow. But there is a myth out there that shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves is a myth. Maybe you have some comments on that. Mark Tepsich Man, this is a tough one. I will say this will probably be the toughest one. So I think once a family becomes wealthy, right? And you can kind of define that as, the wealth, meaning the financial wealth will last a few generations with really out, with really nobody working, right? Let’s just define it that way. It’ll last a couple of generations if you make some not dumb decisions, we’ll call it. I think such as the financial markets today, right, as long as you’re diversified, you will stay wealthy. Does that mean you are going to have the same amount per capita over time? Maybe not, right? So if you look at it today, is a nuclear family of four, and you look at it 50 years from now, and the family is 30 people, right? I don’t know what the growth rate would have to be on those assets. So I think the family will remain wealthy whether they remain, you know, on a per capita basis, right? That’s a different story. I think what this is missing, however, I think the numbers kind of overshadow what this is getting at. I think when you look at it, when you take a step back, that first generation wealth creator, right? Will the family continue to be builders and entrepreneurs down the road? Frazer Rice (09:50.26) That I think that’s the question. Will they continue to kind of reach their full potential? I think that is that should be the focus. I’m going to punt on this one. I think it’s TBD and it’s there’s no set answer. I think the idea that the returns, To get back to your point is that as you go from generation to generation, the complexity increases, I’d say geometrically. Whereas the assets in many ways are going to be designed to increase linearly. And so at some point it may be 14 generations down the line when you’ve got 300 people that you have to take care of, are those assets gonna be in place to be able to support the level of living that people expected in generation one, two, and three? I think that’s the equation we’re all trying to fight. And so I’d say while Shirt Sleeves to Shirt Sleeves isn’t necessarily a prophecy, it’s definitely something that has to be addressed. So I’m gonna say that the fact that Shirt Sleeves to Shirt Sleeves is a myth, I think that’s the myth. Mark Tepsich So that’s where I draw my line in the sand there. think there’s an equation you constantly have to fight. Okay, so here’s another one. Family offices are designed to be permanent. I happen to think that they start out trying to be permanent, but in actuality, they really have to be more flexible and flex with the needs of the family, even at the first or second generation. Yeah, I would agree. Often they’re established for a good reason, right? That reason is complexity. Whether that complexity continues to exist for the family is a different story, right? You might have a business being sold. The family might just say, “hey, we don’t need to do all these direct investments, these alternate investments. Let’s just keep it simple, keep it passive.” I don’t think they’re designed to be permanent. I think families don’t really think about that too much. They want to exist for probably the existing generation that’s leveraging it and they wanna transition it, to your point, be flexible over time. But I don’t think anyone like a business, right? If you think about a business, the business generally speaking, it’s meant to exist in a perpetuity. That’s why you have a business, right? It’s not a sole proprietorship, but a family office, I think it’s TBD, right? So, you know. I don’t think anyone’s setting up a family that will say this is going to exist a thousand years from now. And I think if they came out and said that, think that it would add question and motivations. Frazer Rice Maybe we may be welcoming the Martians, we may be speaking Mandarin. There’s a thousand things that could happen in between here and then, that’s for sure. Here’s a myth that I think you and I are both going to agree is one, which is that family offices, for the ones that we think are going to try to persist, don’t demand necessarily Sarbanes-Oxley or high-end governance. Mark Tepsich I think as family offices mature, meaning as the family evolves, they do need some sort of decision-making framework. Especially if they’re going to really come together and act like somewhat of an institution. What I mean by that is, under the hood of a family office or under the hood of a family, let’s say there’s 10 family members. Let’s say there’s 20 to 25 trusts within that. You know, you could come together and pull your assets, right? And pull your resources. That’s part of the reason for having a family office. And so you just have a larger pool of capital. When you’re doing that, you do need governance. Okay? But if you’re gonna have, it’s just like, hey, we’re gonna have our separate portfolios. We’re not gonna come together and have pooled investment vehicles. You might not need an investment company, okay? And there might be good reasons to have an investment committee. In fact, many the investment committees I see, they’re not like college endowments where, we got eight people or nine people on here. We need to agree at least have five people to agree to allocate to this manager or change the allocation or change the IPS, depending on where that authority resides. I often see many investment committees for families, hey, we’re just collaborative in nature. We’ll get together. We’re going to have a meeting and talk about different strategies. Different advisors, things we should be doing. But if they’ve always had to agree at the family business level, they might not wanna have that same construct in the family office slash investment portfolio. If they’ve always struggled, know, come into agreement at the family business, now they’re gonna like, hey, we’re gonna recreate this dynamic. don’t have a binding construct. In fact, we ran a report, it’s coming out hopefully in the next couple of weeks. on family enterprise governance and a component obviously is the investment committee. 70 % of the investment committees out there are advisory in nature, meaning they don’t make binding decisions. They take it back to the trustees or whoever the authority is and they say, hey, here’s what we think, right? So individual family investors, whoever that is, co-trustees, it’s a, okay. So I do think governance is important, but it depends on what you mean by that, right? Should there be an IPS in place? I 100 % think that each family investor should have an IPS in place. The biggest mistake I see there is, hey, we’ve got this shared pool of capital. We’ve got 50 trusts. We’ve got one single IPS, right? I think that is a big mistake. don’t think that’s good governance. So it really depends on what you mean, but I think, yes, there should be some decision-making framework that you’re following. Otherwise, what exactly are you? Adhering to it, right? Like, what is your framework? What is your decision making tree? Frazer Rice (15:53.902) On top of that, possible myth. Family offices are built on a robust investment function. I mean, yes, there are some that are like that, right? You know, there’s a big names out there, MSD, Pritzker, so on and so forth. Those are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most family offices, 85 to 90 % are formed to manage the complexity, right? So again, otherwise you’re gonna have all these outsourced providers and that just doesn’t make sense when you’re trying to make a decision, because you need all the different parts to come together. They’re often built as administrative functions first, rather than, we’re gonna go start the next, you know, a private equity firm. that’s false. Frazer Rice The, as I like to say, probably to the boredom of a lot of people who talk to me a lot is that a lot of these really are built on a bookkeeping or an accounting spine. You’ve got to manage the inflows and outflows of everything and keep track of what you have or else you can have a great investment function, but things are going to spill all over the place. Mark Tepsich (17:30.872) I’ll never say, yeah. mean, and that actually goes back to good governance, right? So I always say, it’s not provocative. I’ll say, listen, this is not a provocative answer, but you need to create that first. And most of the people that are considering this rate are business owners. So they’ll intuitively get that. In fact, that function might exist somewhere at the business, but it’s really not organized. And without that function, like, it’s hard to make a decision, right? If you’re going to allocate 20 % of your portfolio, to private equity drawdown vehicles. got cap calls, capital commitments, distributions, like that needs to be budgeted and forecasting, right? So a lot of these families will have, one nuclear family can have three to four homes, 10 bank accounts, 20 entities. It’s not like a single piggy bank that you could take cash out of and move it every which way, right? Those are owned by different vehicles, different trusts, different assets and things like that, so. Frazer Rice Here’s a myth that I espouse which is Family offices and whether you have one or not is driven solely by size whether you have five billion or two hundred million or something like that that if you aren’t a certain size you shouldn’t have one and if you’re Of a certain size you must have one. Mark Tepsich That’s a myth. It’s driven by complexity first. I’ve seen, I’ve spoken to people that are worth two to $3 billion. It’s concentrated in a few stocks, meaning like they were early stage employees, right? They’re still in it. They’re getting a healthy dividend at this point. Guy talked to couple years ago. He had two homes, two cars, probably 95 % of his network was tied up into two separate securities that were probably traded. And he’s like, I don’t think I need a family office. You want to know what one was, what it could do from. And I’m like, listen, if you don’t have the complexity, it probably doesn’t make sense. Okay, if you can make a decision within whatever framework you have, whatever complex you have. Now, the other, you know, there is a cost factor to it, right? It gets easier to start a family office, meaning hire a couple of people, if you’ve got the… asset base for it to make sense on a cost perspective. So most of the time it’s driven by complexity, but cost does become a factor, right? If you’re worth a hundred million dollars, you’re to go hire 10 people. That probably doesn’t make sense. Frazer Rice (19:28.342) Right. Well, on top of that too, if you, and there’s a sort of the difference between a family office driven by a liquidity event and meeting that’s, that’s all you have versus a family office that’s tethered or sorry, a family business that’s tethered to it, that is also generating cash flows to help pay for things that that’s a big part of the decision. Because if you’re hiring people, you know, a CIO minimum, absolute minimum is probably $500,000. They’re going to need people, you know, you’re looking at at least 3 million. just to get the thing up and running before you start figuring out what you actually have to do. And so the concept that the size is going to dictate completely, it underscores sort of that cost component that you described there. Frazer Rice This is an interesting one and I like this concept to talk about. Family offices are like institutional capital as investors. Mark Tepsich Again, myth, there are some, again, there are some that are like institutions. They have the size and the sophistication. Oftentimes you see them, they’re former PE or hedge fund founders, right? That just aren’t doing any more of it. They made their wealth in the financial ecosystem, in the markets. And so they’re very sophisticated. But by and large, I mean, they’re sort of quasi-institutional, right? So I’ve seen multi-billion dollar family offices that Again, they’re more of the administrative hub rather than, we’re gonna be splashing around and playing in the markets and using a lot of leverage and doing a lot of control equity investments. So by and large, it’s the myth. 85 to 90 % are institutional-like. They are there to fill a need and that need is complexity management. Frazer Rice Here’s one on a different angle, which is family offices are the goal for people in the wealth management industry to work for, meaning family offices are a great aspiration for people who work in the industry and that that’s universal. Mark Tepsich (21:34.35) Myth, I think it’s an option. I think it’s interesting. I think it is a growing opportunity for folks that work in, you know, maybe wealth management or investment management or the financial ecosystem. But you didn’t, again, family has been around for a long time, but they’ve really only became, you know, kind of popular post global financial crisis with the rise of PE because of ZERP. You know, I’ll talk to a lot of people that are like in the hedge fund ecosystem looking for a change, right? And I say like, listen, like these opportunities for you are out there, but it depends on the family. It depends on their compensation philosophy as on the culture that you’re going to have to live within. There’s a lot of key man risk. Is it an opportunity? Yes. But again, it is, it is family office by family office. Frazer Rice I tell people too, it’s for people who are used to having lots of clients or lots of institutional support that is going to be a shift. It’s different to have one client. It’s different to have a scenario where the business of a family office, the business model of that particular family office can change on a dime. And if you don’t share the last name of the family you’re working for, you could be in a tough spot. Mark Tepsich Yeah, “we’re gonna build out a sustainability impact portfolio. We’re gonna build out, we’re gonna have a direct investment initiative. We’re gonna allocate whatever, a few hundred million dollars to it.” That person, that professional gets there and then a year or two or three years goes by and the strategy changes because a family member too had to change a heart. And then it becomes, okay, why am I here? Where am I gonna go now? So again, they could be great opportunities. I had a great experience.but it really just depends on the family. Frazer Rice (23:26.894) Here’s one, and you’ve got UBS over your shoulder there, so this is dramatic foreshadowing in some ways, but I think it bears talking about. It’s that family offices shun the large institutions, and that they want it bespoke, they want something peculiar all the time. What do you think about that? Mark Tepsich No, I mean, it goes back to the earlier myth that, you know, basically we’re saying family office should, family office do outsource a lot, right? So again, most family offices are five to eight people, right? I call it family office island, meaning you’re there on the island and you’re like, what is going on outside of the island or off of the island? You know your island really well, right? You know the family, know all the facts inside and out, but they are, I mean, there’s a reason why all these institutions, including UBS, has built out the resources to cater to family offices, right? I’m the perfect example. They brought me on to help our clients build family offices, right? They would not do that if it was gonna cannibalize their business. So they could be great clients and other times it’s like, hey, we’re very insular and we’re gonna keep everything close to the vest. Again, it’s family office to family office. But by and large, they’re great wealth clients. Frazer Rice No, and they also, you know, they need institutions to partner with of size, whether it’s at custody or lending or any number of other functions that are out there. Sometimes, you know, the RIA space is such that, you know, they try to be all things to all people and the appeal of being in, you know, the billionaire space. It takes a lot of people and a lot of effort and frankly a different business model to deal with that and to just sort of wander in and say we’re great and we can do these things. I think that’s a short road for a lot of institutions. Frazer Rice (25:17.602) Again, like we are brutally honest too. And I’ll, and here’s what I mean by that. Well, like we’re rated a lot of things, but I’ll say like, listen, there’s things that we can’t do for you. We can’t be your accounting back office, right? Like we just don’t offer that. We don’t have it. We’ve got a couple firms that would do that. They’re pure plays on it. So they’ve got to be good at it. but you know, use the various institutions for what they’re good for. They’re, know, again, that’s why you’ve got a family office. You can kind of pick or choose and be agnostic as to what you’re using them for. Frazer Rice If we wind down here a couple of last ones: The tech that family offices rely on is going to be best in breed. Mark Tepsich I, listen, I have this power station all the time with family office meeting, like what, what, you know, what tech providers should we be looking at? Listen, family office have grown in, right over the past 10, 15 years that there’s not a question. they’re historically, right. had to use in a family office, had to take basically institutional tools, try to repurpose them for the family office and they just, they’re just kind of clunky, right? The family office is still a cottage industry. If you’re trying to sell the family offices, you’re selling the two firms with five to eight employees, right? So the tools are going to continue to get better. But in my opinion, they’re always going to lag the institutional tools and kind of sophistication. But that’s also because institutional tools are very kind of narrow and deep, whereas the family office tech tools, you’ve got the accelerated reporting, but it needs to link to the accounting. That’s an issue. And so the family of standard day is left with like a bunch of disparate fragmented systems that have a challenge talking to each other. With that said, AI, I’ve been talking to a lot of these sort of mom and pop shops, I’ll call them. They’re firms that are trying to incorporate AI to break down these walls. So it’s not fragmented disparate systems. I use the analogy of it’s like jailbreaking an iPhone. I don’t know where this is gonna be in a couple of years, but I think the tools are going to continue to improve. But again, you’re probably not going to take a family office tech tool and deploy it at institutional scale. So if that answers your question, I guess it’s a measure. Frazer Rice First of all, I think it’s going to take a long time before something, quote unquote, replaces Excel, which is still a powerful tool that is flexible and does what it says it’s going to do. And people use it sometimes at their own peril to be the underpinning of everything. the one thing I would add is that the mom and pop software components, I think, have a lot of great ideas. The total market to sell into that, though, does not necessarily make for a great software business. As you say, to get those tools that are specific and required at the family office level to be profitable, you got to figure out a way to sell that into something bigger. I’m not sure there is anything bigger. Mark Tepsich (28:49.358) Yeah, I mean, you’d be better selling it to, you know, small businesses, right? So, I mean, the tools are going to get better, but there’s been a lot of interest recently in the past couple years. I don’t think, I think most of them are not going to survive. I don’t want to say there’s only going to be a couple winners, but on the Consolidated Reported Front, I really think there’s only going be a couple winners because you need scale. And again, family office, if you’re looking to make a decision, you’re like, well, okay, well, 5,000 users use Adapar and 50 use this other platform. So which one are you gonna choose? You don’t wanna onboard to the one that has 50 and then three years down the road, they’re out of business, or there’s fold or something like that. So with scale comes a little bit of security that at least you know that a lot of other people are using. You could point to that. Frazer Rice Last question. Family offices will rival PE firms in terms of influence in the investing market? 85 to 90 % will not rival PE firms. That’s not what they’re set up for. That’s not the goal of most family offices. Again, it’s complexity management. Will some rival PE firms? Yeah. But again, you… Listen, I’ve seen some family office go out there and raise their party capital. When they do that, they’re not a family office anymore. They might have a component in there, but they’re private equity firms. What you’re getting at is private equity firms are raising a fund every couple of years. Can a family office do that? No, because once they do that, they will be a private equity firm. So PE by and large has an infinite capital source, as long as they are good at what they do, right? So with that said, you know, there’s a lot of entrepreneurs that are are post liquidity events have played in the direct investment space, they really wanna do it. They’re still young, right? They’re billers, operators created. They wanna do it from a different vantage point. They’re coming to a realization: “that w”We need to start a fund.” I really love that story because again, they’re founders and operators. They didn’t come from the financial ecosystem first to do this. So I think they’re putting a different spin on PE. I think it’s great for the PE industry as a whole, by the way. And I think, if you’re a founder or a business owner, you might have an easier time taking an equity investment from somebody like that, who’s known in that specific industry that they made their money in, who’s had to make payroll. And they probably have a different timeline than normal PE that’s looking to flip every three to five years. So I think as an investor, I think that would be an interesting investment opportunity, right? And so it’s like, okay, well, part of my PE allocation, you know, This might look interesting. I hesitate to make, you know, I’m not an investment person, so. Frazer Rice Great stuff. Mark, how do people find you and reach out? Mark Tepsich I’m on LinkedIn. I would attempt to just spell my name with my email address at ubs.com, but it’s very lengthy. You just hit me up on LinkedIn. But, Frasier, I appreciate the time. This was great. Frazer Rice I’ll have that in the show notes and as a final parting, we sort of listen to people say, the family space is getting loud. I’m not sure it is. I think the vendors are more loud than the family offices are. I don’t know what your experience is there. Mark Tepsich 100%, the family members themselves are still quiet. You don’t see them out there on LinkedIn. It is the ecosystem to your point around them that is getting loud, right? It’s LinkedIn. It’s like, you know, every time I’m on there, it’s like somebody’s got something to say about families, which is good. Again, if you think about every boom in history, they attract people, right? You could say the same thing about AI, right? But again, it’s become loud, but that’s the industry. It’s not the family offices themselves. Frazer Rice Great stuff. Thanks, Mark. Mark Tepsich Thank you, Frazer. Appreciate it. FAMILY OFFICE DEFINED MORE ON FAMILY OFFICE DESIGN WITH ED MARSHALL https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

Gen 26:17-27:46, Matt 9:1-17, Ps 10:6-18, Pr 3:9-10

Spoken Mandarin can feel like an onslaught of similar sounds, half-recognised tones and unknown words. To add insult to injury, it's often too fast! Should you slow it down? If so, how?#learnchinese #listening #speed #rateofspeech #fast #slowLink to article on Hacking Chinese: Chinese listening, fast and slow: Three ways of slowing down Mandarin speech: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-fast-and-slow-three-ways-of-slowing-down-mandarin-speech/Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 4: Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-4-learning-to-process-spoken-mandarin-quickly-and-effortlesslyThe Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/the-fluent-listener-navigating-mandarin-like-a-fish-in-waterLearning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-inputLearning the third tone in Mandarin Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-third-tone-mandarin-chineseLearning the neutral tone in Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-neutral-tone-in-mandarinListen more than once: How the replay button can help you learn more Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/listen-more-than-once-how-the-replay-button-can-help-you-learn-more-chineseUsing Audacity to learn Chinese (speaking and listening): https://www.hackingchinese.com/using-audacity-to-learn-chinese-speaking-and-listeningThe 10 best free C listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-10-best-free-chinese-listening-resources-for-beginner-intermediate-and-advanced-learnersBeginner Chinese listening practice: what to listen to and how: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beginner-chinese-listening-practice-what-to-listen-to-and-howThe best YouTube channels for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-youtube-channels-for-learning-chineseMore information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Reviving Ancient Masterpieces: Tradition Meets Innovation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-12-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 紫禁城里，冬天的早晨静谧而神秘。En: In the Zijincheng, the winter mornings are tranquil and mysterious.Zh: 大雪轻轻覆盖着红墙黄瓦，四周白茫茫一片。En: The heavy snow gently covers the red walls and yellow tiles, and the surroundings are all white.Zh: 院子里飘着古书卷的纸香和米糨糊的气味。En: In the courtyard, the scent of ancient books and the smell of rice paste float in the air.Zh: 李芬和明礼每天来到这里，忙着修复古代卷轴。En: Every day, Li Fen and Ming Li come here, busy restoring ancient scrolls.Zh: 李芬是个细心且投入的人。En: Li Fen is a meticulous and dedicated person.Zh: 她对历史保存充满热情，却时常怀疑自己工作的重要性。En: She is passionate about historical preservation but often doubts the significance of her work.Zh: 她对自己说：“这个古卷很脆弱，不知道能否在春节前修好。”En: She tells herself, "This ancient scroll is very fragile, and I don't know if it can be repaired before the Chunjie."Zh: 这是一个珍贵的卷轴，修复后的卷轴将在除夕展览中展出，En: It is a precious scroll, and after restoration, it will be displayed in the New Year's Eve exhibition.Zh: 这是李芬证明自己能力的机会。En: This is Li Fen's opportunity to prove her capabilities.Zh: 明礼是个乐观创新的人。En: Ming Li is an optimistic and innovative individual.Zh: 他喜欢将传统与现代技术结合，来取得最佳效果。En: He likes to combine tradition with modern technology to achieve the best results.Zh: 他说：“李芬，我们可以用最新的技术，这样可以更快更好地完成工作。”En: He says, "Li Fen, we can use the latest technology, so we can complete the work faster and better."Zh: 李芬半信半疑。En: Li Fen is half-doubtful.Zh: “可是，这样的技术会不会太激进？我怕会破坏卷轴。”她担心地说。En: "But won't such technology be too radical? I'm afraid it might damage the scroll," she says worriedly.Zh: 时间一天天过去，李芬看着卷轴发愁。En: As time passes day by day, Li Fen worries as she looks at the scroll.Zh: 她终于下定决心，与明礼一起尝试新的方法。En: She finally decides to try the new method together with Ming Li.Zh: 明礼在电脑前忙碌，李芬则一边用传统手工，一边在心里默默祈祷。En: While Ming Li busies himself at the computer, Li Fen uses traditional handcrafting, silently praying in her heart.Zh: 除夕的钟声响起，卷轴修好了。En: The New Year's Eve bell rings, and the scroll is restored.Zh: 展览那天，卷轴完美地展示在大厅里。En: On the day of the exhibition, the scroll is perfectly displayed in the hall.Zh: 人们驻足观赏，赞不绝口。En: People stop to admire it and praise it endlessly.Zh: “这是一场奇迹。”旁边的专家连连称赞。En: "This is a miracle," experts beside her repeatedly commend.Zh: 李芬微微笑着，看着明礼。En: Li Fen smiles subtly, glancing at Ming Li.Zh: 她终于明白，传统和现代可以完美结合，而她对自己的信任以及团队的合作无间是多么重要。En: She finally understands that tradition and modernity can be perfectly integrated, and how important her self-trust and teamwork cooperation are.Zh: 这次展览让她更自信，更明白创新并不意味着抛弃传统，而是让它们在新的时代里焕发新生。En: This exhibition has made her more confident, and she realizes that innovation doesn't mean abandoning tradition, but reviving it in a new era.Zh: 李芬学会了拥抱变革，成为更出色的修复师。En: Li Fen has learned to embrace change, becoming a more outstanding restorer.Zh: 紫禁城在雪中安静矗立，遥望着新年焰火，她心中充满了对未来的期待。En: The Zijincheng stands quietly in the snow, gazing at the New Year's fireworks, and her heart is filled with anticipation for the future.Zh: 这一季的冬天，似乎比往年更温暖了。En: This winter season seems warmer than previous years. Vocabulary Words:tranquil: 静谧mysterious: 神秘surroundings: 四周courtyard: 院子ancient: 古代scrolls: 卷轴meticulous: 细心dedicated: 投入preservation: 保存significance: 重要性restoration: 修复exhibition: 展览opportunity: 机会optimistic: 乐观innovative: 创新combine: 结合technology: 技术radical: 激进method: 方法handcrafting: 手工praise: 赞不绝口expert: 专家commend: 称赞integration: 结合self-trust: 自信teamwork: 合作innovation: 创新embrace: 拥抱outstanding: 出色anticipation: 期待

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Chasing Dreams on the Great Wall: A Winter Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-12-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 长城如一条巨龙，在寒冷的冬季，静静地卧在绵延不绝的山丘上。En: The Great Wall resembles a giant dragon, lying quietly on the endless hills during the cold winter.Zh: 空气中弥漫着春节将至的气息，学生们的笑声在空中回响。En: The air is filled with the scent of the approaching Spring Festival, and the laughter of students echoes through the air.Zh: 这是一个学校的班级旅行，所有同学都期待着在长城上度过一个有趣又特别的日子。En: This is a school field trip, and all the classmates are eager to spend an interesting and special day on the Great Wall.Zh: 贾浩和美琳，两个自小就形影不离的好朋友，站在一起，正准备开始一次充满探索的旅程。En: Jiahao and Meilin, two inseparable friends since childhood, stand together, ready to embark on a journey of exploration.Zh: 贾浩是一个好学又充满好奇心的学生，他对古代中国的工程技术尤其感兴趣。En: Jiahao is a studious and curious student, particularly interested in ancient Chinese engineering.Zh: 这次旅行是他寻找灵感的重要时机。En: This trip is an important opportunity for him to seek inspiration.Zh: 他有一个个人计划，就是拍摄一些长城的照片，为他的项目增色。En: He has a personal plan to take some photos of the Great Wall to enrich his project.Zh: 他已经为这个项目准备了很久，希望能取得高分。En: He has been preparing for this project for a long time, hoping to achieve high marks.Zh: 然而，天气不作美。En: However, the weather is uncooperative.Zh: 冷风肆虐，天上布满了乌云，时不时飘落几片雪花，给探索之旅带来了许多不便。En: A cold wind howls, the sky is filled with dark clouds, and occasionally a few snowflakes drift down, bringing many inconveniences to their exploration journey.Zh: 美琳看了看贾浩：“看来我们要快点，不然会没时间拍好照片。”En: Meilin looked at Jiahao, ""It seems we need to hurry, otherwise we won't have time to take good photos."Zh: 在游览过程中，贾浩一直专注地拍照，按捺不住对长城每一个细节的探究欲望。En: During the tour, Jiahao focused intently on taking pictures, unable to suppress his desire to explore every detail of the Great Wall.Zh: 但时间有限，老师已经提醒过，勉强调队会在游览结束后即时返回。En: But time was limited, and the teacher had already reminded them that the team would return immediately after the tour.Zh: 贾浩和美琳稍稍落在了队伍后面。En: Jiahao and Meilin fell slightly behind the group.Zh: 贾浩抓住机会，急忙商量：“要不我们走那边的一个小道，那里好像能看到更好的景色。”En: Jiahao seized the opportunity and hastily suggested, ""Why don't we take that small path over there? It seems we can see better scenery."Zh: 美琳犹豫了一下，但为了好朋友的愿望，她点了点头。En: Meilin hesitated for a moment, but for the sake of her friend's wish, she nodded.Zh: “好，我们快去快回。”En: "Okay, let's go quickly and come back."Zh: 两人果然找到了一个较少人去的长城段，一片壮丽的景观展现在他们眼前。En: They indeed found a less frequented section of the Great Wall, where a magnificent view unfolded before them.Zh: 贾浩激动不已，但天气越来越恶劣，寒风刺骨，雪也越下越大。En: Jiahao was thrilled, but the weather grew worse, with biting winds and increasing snowfall.Zh: 女士把帽子拉紧，对贾浩喊道：“快拍照，我们得马上回去！”En: She tightened her hat and shouted to Jiahao, ""Take the picture quickly, we must go back at once!"Zh: 越过长城的一段陡坡，贾浩终于按下了快门，记录下他心目中的完美瞬间。En: Crossing a steep slope of the Great Wall, Jiahao finally pressed the shutter, capturing what he imagined as the perfect moment.Zh: 这也许并不是最专业的照片，但这段经历让他倍感珍惜。En: It may not have been the most professional photograph, but the experience made it immensely precious to him.Zh: 尽管冒险，他们终于赶在大部队集合前回到了大巴上，车上其他同学纷纷夸赞说，“看吧，还是按时回来的。”En: Despite their adventure, they made it back to the bus just before the main group gathered, and other classmates praised them, saying, ""See, they made it back on time."Zh: 回程的路上，贾浩望着窗外逐渐远去的长城，心里充满了感慨。En: On the way back, Jiahao looked out the window at the Great Wall gradually receding into the distance, filled with emotion.Zh: 他深刻地体会到，追求目标固然重要，但与朋友共同享受旅途中的点滴同样珍贵。En: He deeply realized that while pursuing goals is important, sharing moments of the journey with friends is equally precious.Zh: 他们这次的旅行，带给贾浩的是比单纯的照片更多的珍贵回忆。En: This trip brought Jiahao memories more valuable than mere photos.Zh: 在这个即将到来的农历新年，在家人和朋友的陪伴中，他发现了平衡的快乐。En: With the approaching Lunar New Year, among family and friends, he discovered the joy of balance.Zh: 对于贾浩来说，这是一个新的开始，一个更加丰富的成长之旅。En: For Jiahao, this was a new beginning, a more enriching journey of growth. Vocabulary Words:resembles: 如giant: 巨dragon: 龙embark: 开始exploration: 探索studious: 好学inspiration: 灵感uncooperative: 不作美howls: 肆虐dark: 乌drift: 飘落suppress: 按捺不住opportunity: 机会hastily: 急忙scenery: 景色hesitated: 犹豫biting: 刺骨magnificent: 壮丽hat: 帽子precious: 珍惜adventure: 冒险team: 大部队gathered: 集合praised: 夸赞gradually: 逐渐receding: 远去emotion: 感慨pursuing: 追求balance: 平衡enriching: 丰富

Gen 24:52-26:16, Matt 8:18-34, Ps 10:1-5, Pr 3:7-8

Today's Episode:A nurse, a marathon champion, and a big online debate. In this episode of MaoMi Chinese, we talk about Zhang Shuihua, known as “the fastest nurse”. Why did her words after winning a marathon cause so much discussion? Where is the line between work, passion, and fairness to others?Membership Preview:Work–life balance sounds simple, but in China it's much harder than it looks. After the story of the “fastest nurse”, this episode explores overtime culture, pressure at work, and why so many people feel unable to switch off. Can we really separate work from life in China? Let's talk about it in next MaoMi Chinese+ episode!Support MaoMi & Get exclusive   to premium content!https://www.buzzsprout.com/1426696/subscribe ↗️Transcript and translations are available on https://maomichinese.comInterested in any topics? Leave me a message on: https://maomichinese.com or https://www.instagram.com/maomichinese/?hl=en*Please note that Spotify does not support the membership program.Text me what you think :)Support the show

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Deadlines to Dragon Dances: Mei's Festival Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-11-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 上海的冬天寒风刺骨，但这天的自由职业者之家咖啡馆里暖意融融。En: The winter in Shanghai is bone-chilling, but inside the Freelancer's Home Café, it was warm and cozy.Zh: 梅坐在靠窗的座位，面前是打开的笔记本电脑，咖啡的香气在空气中飘荡，衬托出她严肃的神情。En: Mei sat at the window seat with an open laptop in front of her, the aroma of coffee drifting in the air, highlighting her serious expression.Zh: 她是一位勤奋的营销顾问，工作总是她生活的重心。En: She was a diligent marketing consultant, and work was always the focus of her life.Zh: 距离下一个会议还有几个小时，她决定在这里准备一下，并不知不觉间忽视了窗外热闹的过年气氛。En: With a few hours left before her next meeting, she decided to prepare there, unconsciously ignoring the lively New Year atmosphere outside the window.Zh: 咖啡馆四周挂满了红色的灯笼，象征着春节的欢乐。En: Red lanterns symbolizing the joy of Spring Festival hung all around the café.Zh: 梅的两个朋友，亮和佳，刚好经过咖啡馆，手里提着不少新年小吃和烟花。En: Mei's two friends, Liang and Jia, happened to pass by the café, carrying lots of New Year's snacks and fireworks.Zh: “梅，快来！En: "Mei, come quickly!Zh: 我们去城隍庙庙会，听说那里热闹非凡！En: We're going to the City God Temple Fair, I hear it's bustling with excitement!"Zh: ”亮兴奋地说。En: Liang said excitedly.Zh: 梅犹豫了。En: Mei hesitated.Zh: 她得在咖啡馆里准备演讲，但内心深处却隐隐渴望着改变那日复一日的单调。En: She needed to prepare her presentation in the café, but deep down, she craved a change from her monotonous routine.Zh: 她看看两位好友，心底的挣扎浮现于脸上。En: She looked at her two friends, the struggle in her heart showing on her face.Zh: 最后，梅突然一合上笔记本，长舒了一口气。En: Finally, Mei suddenly closed her laptop and let out a long sigh.Zh: “好啊，我去！En: "Alright, I'm coming!"Zh: ”她笑着站起来，决定跟朋友们去感受节日的快乐。En: she said with a smile, standing up and deciding to join her friends to experience the festive joy.Zh: 在城隍庙的庙会上，满是五光十色的灯火、欢声笑语和各种传统小吃的香味。En: At the City God Temple Fair, there were colorful lights, laughter, and the aroma of various traditional snacks.Zh: 梅与朋白一起品尝糖葫芦，观看舞龙舞狮，短暂忘却工作的压力。En: Mei and her friends enjoyed candied hawthorns, watched dragon and lion dances, and momentarily forgot the pressures of work.Zh: 她感到前所未有的轻松，这一切的体验让她心中升腾起新的灵感。En: She felt more relaxed than ever, and the experience filled her with new inspiration.Zh: 会议那天，梅凭借着她从节日中获得的能量和灵感，做了一个出色的演讲。En: On the day of the meeting, Mei, fueled by the energy and inspiration from the festival, delivered an outstanding presentation.Zh: 她的客户们被她的热情和创意深深吸引，演讲获得了圆满成功。En: Her clients were deeply impressed by her enthusiasm and creativity, and the presentation was a complete success.Zh: 从此，梅明白了工作与生活之间应有的平衡。En: From then on, Mei understood the importance of balance between work and life.Zh: 偶尔的停下脚步，去体验生活中的乐趣，不仅丰富了她的人生体验，也为她带来了意想不到的工作灵感。En: Occasionally taking a step back to enjoy the pleasures of life not only enriched her life experience but also brought unexpected inspiration for her work.Zh: 尽管她依然努力工作，但多了几分懂得享受生活的随性和洒脱。En: Although she continued to work hard, she now better appreciated the spontaneity and freedom of enjoying life.Zh: 红灯笼和欢乐的记忆常常提醒她，有时，生活中的意外之喜才是最珍贵的。En: The red lanterns and cheerful memories often reminded her that sometimes, the unexpected joys in life are the most precious. Vocabulary Words:bone-chilling: 寒风刺骨cozy: 暖意融融aroma: 香气highlighting: 衬托diligent: 勤奋consultant: 顾问monotonous: 单调routine: 日复一日hesitated: 犹豫struggle: 挣扎inspiration: 灵感outstanding: 出色impressed: 吸引enthusiasm: 热情spontaneity: 随性freedom: 洒脱festive joy: 节日的快乐successful: 圆满成功balance: 平衡lively: 热闹presentation: 演讲symbolizing: 象征craved: 渴望bustling: 热闹非凡festive atmosphere: 过年气氛unexpected: 意想不到occassionally: 偶尔candied hawthorns: 糖葫芦fulfilled: 丰富laughter: 欢声笑语

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Spicy Dumplings and Snowflakes: A Culinary Challenge Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-11-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬天的一个早晨，热闹的饺子乐园咖啡馆里，红色的灯笼在微风中轻轻摇曳，空气中飘散着浓郁的饺子香。En: One winter morning, in the bustling Jiaozi Leyuan Café, red lanterns gently swayed in the breeze, and the rich aroma of dumplings filled the air.Zh: 窗外，纷纷扬扬的雪花让这个小城更显得如诗如画。En: Outside, the falling snowflakes made the small town look even more picturesque.Zh: 明和莲在厨房里忙碌着，他们的目标是完成一个网上爆红的饺子挑战。En: Ming and Lian were busy in the kitchen, aiming to complete a dumpling challenge that had gone viral online.Zh: 明非常期待这个挑战，因为他希望能在过年的家宴上展示自己的厨艺。En: Ming was very excited about the challenge because he hoped to showcase his culinary skills at the family banquet during the New Year.Zh: 然而，这个任务远比他想象中的复杂。En: However, the task proved to be far more complicated than he had imagined.Zh: 明一边跟随视频，一边尽力模仿，但饺子皮总是不听使唤，有时太厚，有时又黏在一起。En: As Ming followed the video, trying his best to imitate it, the dumpling wrappers were unruly, sometimes too thick, and sometimes sticking together.Zh: 莲站在旁边，看着明笨手笨脚的样子，不禁轻声笑出了声。En: Lian, standing by, couldn't help but chuckle softly at his clumsy attempts.Zh: “别笑啦！”明故作镇定，“我一定能学会的。”En: "Don't laugh!" Ming pretended to be composed, "I can definitely learn this."Zh: 莲笑着点头，“没关系，我们一起加油。”En: Lian nodded with a smile, "It's okay, let's do our best together."Zh: 接下来的问题更加棘手。En: The next problem was even more tricky.Zh: 厨房里的调料用得差不多了，唯独缺了一项重要的香料。En: Most of the kitchen's spices were nearly used up, except for one important seasoning.Zh: 明皱着眉头，在厨房里左翻右找，En: Ming furrowed his brows and searched around the kitchen.Zh: 终于灵光一闪，发现了一瓶辣椒酱。En: Finally, a light bulb went off in his head when he discovered a bottle of chili sauce.Zh: 他灵机一动：“看来我们得即兴发挥了！”En: He had a brainwave: "Looks like we'll have to improvise!"Zh: 莲狐疑地看着那瓶辣椒酱，“你确定吗？这可是饺子，不是麻辣烫。”En: Lian looked suspiciously at the bottle of chili sauce, "Are you sure? These are dumplings, not malatang."Zh: 明坚定地点头：“试试看！”En: Ming nodded firmly, "Let's give it a try!"Zh: 于是，他们在饺子馅里加入了辣椒酱。En: So, they added the chili sauce to the dumpling filling.Zh: 虽然心中有些紧张，但明和莲怀着期待，将一盘盘饺子送到了门厅的小桌上。En: Though a bit nervous, Ming and Lian were hopeful as they delivered plate after plate of dumplings to the small table in the entrance hall.Zh: 吃饺子的朋友们一开始没有察觉特别之处，但第一口下肚后，立刻引发了一阵意料之外的轰动。En: Their friends, who were eating the dumplings, didn't notice anything special at first, but after the first bite, it caused an unexpected sensation.Zh: 有人吃得辣得面红耳赤，有人则恣意欢笑，纷纷给出好评。En: Some turned red from the spiciness, while others laughed heartily, all giving positive reviews.Zh: 一时间，水杯在桌面上此起彼伏。En: For a moment, water cups rose and fell on the tabletop.Zh: “真有意思的口感！”一位朋友大声称赞，“这种味道从未尝过！”En: "What an interesting taste!" one friend loudly praised, "I've never tasted such a flavor before!"Zh: 经过这场小小的混乱，明和莲偷偷相视一笑。En: After the small chaos, Ming and Lian exchanged a sneaky smile.Zh: 虽然这并不是原始食谱，但他们的创新获得了大家的喜爱。En: Although it wasn't the original recipe, their innovation was loved by everyone.Zh: 明终于意识到，原来创造力和灵活性也能让自己出彩。En: Ming finally realized that creativity and flexibility could also make him stand out.Zh: 后来，这种辣味饺子在当地成为一种新风潮，几个街区以外的人也慕名而来。En: Later, this spicy dumpling became a new trend locally, with people from several blocks away coming to try them.Zh: 在新年夜的家宴上，明骄傲地为家人端上了他的“特别版”饺子。En: At the New Year's Eve family banquet, Ming proudly served his "special edition" dumplings to his family.Zh: 莲一边夹起一个小小的辣饺子，一边开玩笑说：“看来，我们都学到了不少呢。”En: Playfully, Lian picked up a small spicy dumpling and joked, "Looks like we've learned quite a bit!"Zh: 明自信地微笑，而莲则莞尔一笑。En: Ming smiled confidently, while Lian gave a gentle smile in return.Zh: 他们知道，这场饺子挑战不仅带来了欢声笑语，更给他们的新年庆典增添了意外的惊喜。En: They knew that this dumpling challenge brought not only laughter but also an unexpected surprise to their New Year celebration.Zh: 故事，在这快乐与满意中，划下了圆满的句号。En: The story concluded in this joy and satisfaction, drawing a perfect ending. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 热闹的lanterns: 灯笼swayed: 摇曳picturesque: 如诗如画culinary: 厨艺complicated: 复杂unruly: 不听使唤clumsy: 笨手笨脚chuckle: 轻声笑furrowed: 皱起brainwave: 灵光一闪improvise: 即兴发挥suspiciously: 狐疑地malatang: 麻辣烫nervous: 紧张spiciness: 辣得hearty: 恣意欢笑sensation: 轰动creativity: 创造力flexibility: 灵活性innovation: 创新trend: 新风潮proudly: 骄傲地joked: 开玩笑gently: 莞尔surprise: 惊喜concluded: 划下句号satisfaction: 满意challenge: 挑战spices: 香料

Gao Yue checks in on Anna's first day working from home. Anna finds it enjoyable, especially being able to eat at home. Gao Yue teases that after a week, she might feel different.—————————————————————————————————高月：怎么样？在家工作的第一天。安娜：很棒！没什么不好的。高月：不会觉得无聊？安娜：不会啊。还可以在家吃饭，多好！高月：不错。等一个星期后看你怎么说。安娜：啊，你觉得我会觉得无聊吗？高月：嗯。我是过来人。—————————————————————————————————If you're enjoying this story, there's so much more waiting for you inside maayot:✅ Daily bite-sized stories that suit your level✅ native audio✅ Interactions with native for practice your speaking✅ One tap Pinyin, explain in context for words and sentences✅ Writing and speaking exercises with real person feedback✅ Track your learning streakNot using these features yet? Open our app or visit maayot.com and explore everything your Mandarin journey needs. Use promotion code “Podcast” , get a 50% off today !If this episode made you smile, laugh, or learn something new. Please Take just 30 seconds to leave us a rating and short review. It helps other Mandarin learners discover us !

Anna overhears some people gossiping about her body and feels deeply upset. Though she wants to confront them, she holds back and later regrets it, turning her anger inward.—————————————————————————————————安娜：在吗？跟你抱怨一件事！刚才我听到走在我后面的人一直在说我，评价我的身材怎么怎么样，真是太过分了。张丽：真是太过分了！你有没有回怼她们？安娜：没有。我本来想的，可是又怕场面太尴尬。但是现在后悔了，一直在想当时为什么没有怼回去！所以现在我是对自己当时的软弱生气！张丽：哈哈，那就是你的不对了。你不能拿别人的错误来惩罚自己吧？你这样就是典型的“内耗”。安娜：内耗？张丽：对啊，就是你的情绪不能好好地消化掉，一直在脑子里想啊想啊，耗费自己的精力和脑力。安娜：哎，没办法。我就老是在想：当时怼回她们一句，给她们点颜色看看。张丽：哈哈，那现在是在脑子里自己在和自己吵架，很伤神的。你知道怎么防止内耗吗？要不，你就当时怼回去，要不，你就当她们放了一个屁，不用理她们。这样不会“内耗”。安娜：嗯，你说的对，不然越想越难受。算了算了！张丽：我们不是有句话说：别和这种人一般见识！ 也就是说：狗咬了你，难道你还要咬回去？安娜：哈哈哈。这个有意思。谢谢你当我的情绪顾问。我现在感觉好多了。张丽：没事。—————————————————————————————————If you're enjoying this story, there's so much more waiting for you inside maayot:✅ Daily bite-sized stories that suit your level ✅ native audio ✅ One tap Pinyin, explain in context for words and sentences✅ Writing and speaking exercises with teacher feedback ✅ Track your learning streak — never lose your momentum!

Gen 23:1-24:51, Matt 8:1-17, Ps 9:13-20, Pr 3:1-6

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: When Snowflakes Guided Two Hearts: A New Year's Encounter Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-10-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 大年初一，北京的国立艺术博物馆张灯结彩，红灯笼如火般点亮了寒冷的冬日。En: On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Beijing's National Art Museum was decked out in festive decorations, with red lanterns illuminating the cold winter day like flames.Zh: 人潮涌动，大家都在寻找一份文化的慰藉和新年的美好祝愿。En: Crowds moved about, everyone seeking a touch of cultural solace and the bright hopes of the new year.Zh: 李伟裹紧大衣，他的目光穿过人群，直奔印象派展厅。En: Li Wei tightened his coat, his gaze cutting through the crowd as he headed directly to the Impressionist exhibit.Zh: 他喜欢那里的安静，仿佛每幅画作都在低声诉说过去的故事。En: He loved the quiet there, as if each painting softly told stories of the past.Zh: 突然，窗外的天空开始飘起了雪花，北风夹杂着细雨，迫使进入博物馆的人群密集了许多。En: Suddenly, snowflakes began to fall from the sky outside, mingling with a northern wind and light rain, causing the crowd inside the museum to grow thicker.Zh: 在人群之中，他的目光意外地与一个微笑的女孩相遇，她是韩梅，一位充满活力的本地艺术家。En: Among the crowd, his gaze unexpectedly met that of a smiling girl, Han Mei, a vibrant local artist.Zh: 韩梅正在寻找一个能激发她灵感的视角。En: Han Mei was in search of a perspective that could inspire her.Zh: 她习惯性地将灵感捕捉在随身的素描本中。En: She habitually captured her inspirations in a sketchbook she carried everywhere.Zh: 注意到李伟的沉默，她亲切地问：“你也喜欢这里的画吗？En: Noticing Li Wei's silence, she kindly asked, "Do you like the paintings here too?"Zh: ”李伟心头一颤，有些踌躇，他一向不善于与陌生人交流，但眼前的韩梅似乎充满了好奇与好意。En: Li Wei's heart skipped a beat, hesitating a little.Zh: “嗯，我喜欢印象派。En: He was not good at talking with strangers, but the curious and friendly Han Mei seemed inviting.Zh: 寻找内心的宁静和灵感。En: "Yes, I like Impressionism.Zh: ”韩梅欣然点头，拿出几幅自己的速写。En: It helps me find inner peace and inspiration."Zh: “我的目标是用画笔记录这一刻。En: Han Mei nodded with pleasure, taking out a few of her sketches.Zh: 或许，我们可以讨论一下？En: "My goal is to capture this moment with my brush.Zh: ”她的目光中带着期待。En: Perhaps, we can discuss it together?"Zh: 这时，李伟的朋友肖明大声道，“嘿，李伟，你终于找到聊得来的人了！En: Her eyes held a look of anticipation.Zh: ”他笑着拍拍李伟的肩膀，似乎成了不经意间撮合两人的媒人。En: Just then, Li Wei's friend Xiao Ming called out loudly, "Hey, Li Wei, you finally found someone you can talk to!"Zh: 馆内嘈杂的人声渐渐远去，他们站在一幅白雪覆盖的风景画前，画面中那静谧的景象如同一个小世界，让他们心声相通。En: He laughed and patted Li Wei's shoulder, seemingly an inadvertent matchmaker bringing the two together.Zh: “这幅画让我想起小时候在乡下过年的时候。En: As the noisy chatter in the museum gradually faded away, they stood before a snow-covered landscape painting.Zh: ”李伟轻声说道。En: The serene scene within seemed like a small world, allowing their hearts to connect.Zh: 韩梅点点头，分享自己的故事：“我也是。En: "This painting reminds me of the New Years I spent in the countryside as a child," Li Wei said softly.Zh: 小时候，每到春节，我们会堆雪人，在雪地里尽情玩耍。En: Han Mei nodded in agreement, sharing her own story: "Me too.Zh: ”这样一个简单的时刻，拉近了他们的距离。En: When I was a child, every Spring Festival, we would build snowmen and play in the snow to our heart's content."Zh: 尽管博物馆内人声鼎沸，他们的心却似乎达成了一种静默的和谐。En: This simple moment brought them closer together.Zh: 傍晚，天色渐暗，李伟和韩梅走出博物馆。En: Despite the museum's clamor, their hearts seemed to have reached a silent harmony.Zh: 在逐渐稀少的人群中，他们略显笨拙地交换了电话号码，约好下次一起参观艺术展。En: As evening approached and the sky darkened, Li Wei and Han Mei left the museum.Zh: “谢谢你让我认识了一个新朋友。En: Amidst the thinning crowd, they somewhat awkwardly exchanged phone numbers and agreed to attend another art exhibition together next time.Zh: ”李伟微笑着说，克服了他的羞涩。En: "Thank you for introducing me to a new friend," Li Wei said with a smile, having overcome his shyness.Zh: 他感觉自己变得更开放了，不再局限于独自欣赏艺术。En: He felt more open, no longer confined to appreciating art alone.Zh: 韩梅也收获满满，她从李伟的视角中得到了新的灵感。En: Han Mei also left enriched, drawing new inspiration from Li Wei's perspective.Zh: “不客气，我也很期待我们的下次交流。En: "You're welcome, I'm also very much looking forward to our next exchange."Zh: ”她的声音如同冬日的暖阳。En: Her voice was like the warm sun in winter.Zh: 在北京的大街小巷中，他们并肩而行，仿佛未来的故事才刚刚开始。En: Together they walked through the streets and alleys of Beijing, as if the story of their future had just begun.Zh: 新年的雪花静静地落下，描绘出一幅新的画卷。En: New Year's snowflakes fell quietly, painting a new picture. Vocabulary Words:festive: 张灯结彩decked out: 布置illuminating: 点亮solace: 慰藉tightened: 裹紧gaze: 目光Impressionist: 印象派exhibit: 展厅snowflakes: 雪花mingling: 夹杂perspective: 视角habitually: 习惯性地sketchbook: 素描本inner peace: 内心的宁静hesitating: 踌躇inadvertent: 不经意matchmaker: 媒人chatter: 嘈杂的人声serene: 静谧closeness: 拉近clamor: 人声鼎沸harmony: 和谐thinning: 稀少awkwardly: 略显笨拙exchanged: 交换overcome: 克服shyness: 羞涩enriched: 收获满满anticipation: 期待future: 未来

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Finding Harmony: Lian's Artistic Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-10-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬天的上海艺术博物馆，门口挂着大红灯笼，迎接即将到来的春节。En: In the winter, the Shanghai Art Museum had large red lanterns hanging at the entrance to welcome the upcoming Spring Festival.Zh: 博物馆内，人来人往，大家都在欣赏展出的作品。En: Inside the museum, people came and went, all admiring the artworks on display.Zh: 冬日的阳光透过高大的窗户，柔和地洒在地板上。En: The winter sunlight softly spilled onto the floor through the tall windows.Zh: 连和嘉一同走进博物馆。En: Lian and Jia entered the museum together.Zh: 连是个充满激情的年轻艺术家，她希望在这里找到她下次展览的灵感。En: Lian was a passionate young artist hoping to find inspiration for her next exhibition.Zh: 她心里有些忐忑，因为距离展览的时间越来越近，而她还没有找到满意的主题。En: She felt somewhat anxious because the exhibition date was approaching, and she had not yet found a satisfying theme.Zh: 嘉在她身边，关心地说：“连，别太压力了，健康最重要。En: Jia, standing by her side, said with concern, "Lian, don't stress too much, health is the most important."Zh: ”连笑着安慰她的朋友：“没事的，我一定能找到灵感。En: Lian smiled and reassured her friend, "It's fine; I'll definitely find inspiration."Zh: ”博物馆的大厅里，现代与传统的艺术作品混合在一起，充满了视觉冲击。En: In the museum's hall, modern and traditional art pieces were mixed together, creating a powerful visual impact.Zh: 连认真地观察每一幅作品，她希望找到一个能将传统与现代完美结合的主题。En: Lian carefully observed each artwork, hoping to find a theme that could perfectly combine the traditional with the modern.Zh: 时间慢慢过去，连的头开始发痛。En: Time slowly passed, and Lian's head began to ache.Zh: 她知道自己有些疲惫，但她不愿意停下来。En: She knew she was somewhat fatigued but was unwilling to stop.Zh: 她心想：“再看一会儿，只要找到灵感就好。En: She thought to herself, "Just look a little longer, as long as I find inspiration."Zh: ”嘉注意到了连的不适，她轻声说：“休息一下吧，我们可以去喝杯茶。En: Jia noticed Lian's discomfort and softly said, "Take a break, we can go have a cup of tea."Zh: ”连摇头：“再等等，再看看。En: Lian shook her head, "Just a little longer, let's keep looking."Zh: ”就在这时，连走到一幅色彩鲜明的作品面前，那幅画仿佛触动了她的内心深处。En: At that moment, Lian came across a vividly colored piece of art that seemed to touch something deep within her.Zh: 她心跳加速，突然间，眼前一黑，身体变得轻飘飘的，然后重重地倒下。En: Her heart raced, and suddenly her vision went black as her body felt light, then she heavily collapsed.Zh: “连！En: "Lian!"Zh: ”嘉惊恐地叫道，引起了周围游客的注意。En: Jia cried out in terror, drawing the attention of nearby visitors.Zh: 博物馆的工作人员也赶了过来，大家一起把连扶到一旁坐下休息。En: The museum staff also rushed over, and together they helped Lian over to sit and rest.Zh: 连慢慢醒来，看到嘉焦急的脸，她感到一阵心疼和歉疚。En: Lian gradually woke up and saw Jia's anxious face, feeling a pang of heartache and guilt.Zh: “对不起，让你担心了，”连虚弱地说。En: "I'm sorry for worrying you," Lian said weakly.Zh: 嘉握住连的手：“没关系，但健康很重要。En: Jia held Lian's hand, "It's okay, but remember health is important.Zh: 我们可以慢慢来，灵感不会消失。En: We can take our time; inspiration won't disappear."Zh: ”在工作人员的帮助下，连终于恢复了些力气。En: With the help of the staff, Lian finally regained some strength.Zh: 经过这次经历，她意识到自己一直以来忽略了健康的重要性。En: Through this experience, she realized she had been neglecting the importance of health all along.Zh: 几天后，在嘉的陪伴下，连重新走进博物馆，但这次她不再心急。En: A few days later, accompanied by Jia, Lian re-entered the museum, but this time she was no longer in a rush.Zh: 她明白了，只有在平衡中，才能找到真正的创作灵感。En: She understood that only in balance could she find true creative inspiration.Zh: 连不再只为追求成功而忽视自己的身体，她决定聆听内心的声音，踏实地走每一步。En: No longer would Lian pursue success at the expense of her health; she decided to listen to her inner voice and take each step steadily.Zh: 她握着嘉的手，笑着说：“谢谢你，我学会了放慢脚步，下次的展览一定会更好。En: Holding Jia's hand, she said with a smile, "Thank you, I've learned to slow down, and the next exhibition will definitely be better."Zh: ”两人相视而笑，温暖的阳光洒在她们身上，就像新年的祝福，带来希望与平和。En: The two exchanged smiles, with warm sunlight bathing them, like a blessing for the New Year, bringing hope and peace. Vocabulary Words:lanterns: 灯笼entrance: 门口admiring: 欣赏exhibition: 展览inspiration: 灵感anxious: 忐忑satisfying: 满意concern: 关心reassured: 安慰obserbed: 观察combining: 结合headache: 头痛fatigued: 疲惫discomfort: 不适vision: 视线collapsed: 倒下terror: 惊恐anxious: 焦急heartache: 心疼guilt: 歉疚regained: 恢复neglecting: 忽略importance: 重要性balance: 平衡pursue: 追求expense: 代价steadily: 踏实地blessing: 祝福hope: 希望peace: 平和

Gen 20:1-22:24, Matt 7:15-29, Ps 9:1-12, Pr 2:16-22

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Shanghai's Winter Warmth: A Family's Festive Reunion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-09-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 上海的冬天，空气中弥漫着一些寒意。En: In the winter of Shanghai, there was a chill lingering in the air.Zh: 上海中心大厦的玻璃墙闪闪发光，映着灰色的冬日天空。En: The glass walls of the Shanghai Tower gleamed, reflecting the gray winter sky.Zh: 楼下的街道已经挂满了红色的灯笼，提醒着每一个过往的行人，春节快到了。En: The streets below were already adorned with red lanterns, reminding every passerby that the Spring Festival was fast approaching.Zh: 李敏是一名成功的职业女性，她从高楼的办公室窗口望出去，心里却充满了焦虑。En: Li Min was a successful professional woman.Zh: 她的父亲在医院里，正等待着一份重要的检查结果。En: As she looked out of the high-rise office window, she was filled with anxiety.Zh: 父亲的健康状况未明，令她难以专心工作。En: Her father was in the hospital, waiting for an important test result.Zh: 电话铃声打断了李敏的思绪，“是王伟吧？En: Her father's uncertain health made it difficult for her to concentrate on her work.Zh: ”她接起电话，听到了表弟王伟关心的声音。En: The ringing phone interrupted Li Min's train of thought.Zh: 他和陈萍一起到医院看望大伯，报告说医院里一片繁忙，医生还没有时间解释检查结果。En: “Is it Wang Wei?” she answered the call, hearing the concerned voice of her cousin Wang Wei.Zh: 无奈的李敏心中权衡良久，决定请假去医院。En: He, along with Chen Ping, had visited their uncle in the hospital and reported that it was very busy and the doctors had not had time to explain the test results.Zh: 她知道，家人比工作更重要，春节也不远了，她想带父亲回家过年。En: After weighing her options for a long time, Li Min reluctantly decided to take leave and go to the hospital.Zh: 这一年，她已和父亲疏远了太久。En: She knew that family was more important than work, and with the Spring Festival not far away, she wanted to bring her father home for the New Year.Zh: 医院里，李敏紧紧握着父亲的手。En: This year, she had been distant from her father for too long.Zh: 医生终于走了过来，递给她一份检查报告。En: In the hospital, Li Min held her father's hand tightly.Zh: “情况还好，需要休养一段时间。En: Finally, the doctor came over and handed her a test report.Zh: ”医生说，脸上露出安慰的微笑。En: “The situation is okay, he needs some time to recuperate,” the doctor said with a comforting smile.Zh: 李敏的心终于放了下来，感到一种久违的安心。En: Li Min finally felt relieved, sensing a long-lost peace.Zh: 天色渐晚，陈萍买来了热腾腾的包子，大家围坐在父亲的病床边，商量着如何在医院过一个特别的新年。En: As evening approached, Chen Ping brought some steaming hot buns, and everyone gathered around the father's bedside, discussing how to spend a special New Year in the hospital.Zh: “今年我们就在这里过年吧，有爸爸陪着，比什么都重要。En: “Let's celebrate the New Year here this year.Zh: ”王伟提议。En: Having Dad with us is more important than anything,” suggested Wang Wei.Zh: 李敏看着倚在床边微笑的父亲，心里有说不出的温暖。En: Li Min looked at her father leaning by the bedside with a smile, feeling an indescribable warmth.Zh: 这个春节，虽然在医院，但有家人的陪伴，她才明白，什么才是最珍贵的。En: This Spring Festival, although in the hospital, with the company of family, she understood what was truly precious.Zh: 在这一刻，李敏知道，她已经开始改变。En: At this moment, Li Min knew that she had already begun to change.Zh: 她不再只追求事业，而是努力把家庭放在首位。En: She no longer only pursued her career but made an effort to prioritize her family.Zh: 病房里笑声回荡，李敏的心中，春天的气息已经悄然来临。En: Laughter echoed in the hospital room, and in Li Min's heart, the breath of spring had quietly arrived. Vocabulary Words:chill: 寒意adorned: 挂满passerby: 过往的行人anxiety: 焦虑uncertain: 未明concentrate: 专心interrupted: 打断weighing: 权衡reluctantly: 无奈的recuperate: 休养comforting: 安慰的relieved: 安心steaming: 热腾腾的discussing: 商量bedside: 病床边prioritize: 优先uncertain: 未明peace: 安心indescribable: 说不出的precious: 珍贵的echoed: 回荡familiar: 熟悉hospital: 医院change: 改变career: 事业prioritize: 优先sense: 感到accompany: 陪pursue: 追求linger: 弥漫

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Solitude to Solidarity: Li Wei's Winter Lesson Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-09-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 初冬的一个下午，李伟走进学校的图书馆。En: One early winter afternoon, Li Wei walked into the school's library.Zh: 图书馆坐落在高楼大厦之中，透过巨大的落地窗，可以看到城市的灯火逐渐亮起，映衬着冬季昏暗的天空。En: The library was nestled among tall buildings, and through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the city's lights gradually illuminating, contrasting with the dim winter sky.Zh: 此时，春节快到了，校园里正弥漫着节日的气氛，而李伟却没有放松的心情。En: At this time, the Spring Festival was approaching, and the campus was filled with a festive atmosphere, yet Li Wei did not feel relaxed.Zh: 李伟是个用功的学生。En: Li Wei was a diligent student.Zh: 他的家庭负担很重，所以他希望自己能考得好，为家里减轻些负担。En: His family bore a heavy burden, so he hoped he could perform well in exams to ease some of the family's load.Zh: 为了准备期中考试，李伟决定独自一人在图书馆努力复习。En: To prepare for the midterms, Li Wei decided to study hard alone in the library.Zh: 他觉得这样可以让自己更专心。En: He thought this would help him focus better.Zh: 图书馆内很安静，只能听到轻轻翻书的声音。En: Inside the library, it was quiet; only the soft sound of pages turning could be heard.Zh: 四周是高高的书架，散发着木香，让人觉得温馨又安心。En: All around were tall bookshelves exuding a woody scent, making one feel both cozy and at ease.Zh: 然而，李伟心中却充满了压力——他不只对自己有高期待，家里人也对他寄予厚望。En: However, Li Wei felt a lot of pressure in his heart—not only did he have high expectations for himself, but his family also placed great hopes in him.Zh: 梅玲是李伟的同班同学，也是一个热心肠的女孩。En: Mei Ling was Li Wei's classmate and a kind-hearted girl.Zh: 她组织了一次学习小组，邀请李伟加入。En: She organized a study group and invited Li Wei to join.Zh: 当李伟在图书馆熬到黄昏时，他抬头望向窗外，感觉自己的忧虑如潮水般涌来，几乎要将他淹没。En: As Li Wei stayed in the library until dusk, he looked up at the window and felt his worries surge like a tide, almost overwhelming him.Zh: 梅玲推门进来，轻声说：“我们一起学习吧。En: Mei Ling walked in and gently said, "Let's study together.Zh: 大家相互帮助，会事半功倍。”En: Helping each other can make us twice as effective."Zh: 旁边的常也附和着说：“是啊，我们分小组讨论，加快复习进度。”En: Chang, nearby, agreed, "Yes, let's discuss in groups to speed up our review."Zh: 开始时，李伟有些犹豫，但看着朋友们的眼睛，他点点头，决定加入他们。En: Initially, Li Wei was hesitant, but seeing the eyes of his friends, he nodded and decided to join them.Zh: 梅玲微笑着分配了学习任务，三个人围坐在一起，讨论题目，互相提问。En: Mei Ling smiled and assigned study tasks, and the three of them sat together, discussing topics and asking each other questions.Zh: 几个小时后，李伟发觉自己的心情轻松了许多。En: After a few hours, Li Wei found his mood had lightened significantly.Zh: 他开始享受这样有条不紊的复习过程，不再感到孤单。En: He began to enjoy this orderly review process and no longer felt lonely.Zh: 窗外的城市依旧灯火辉煌，他却不再为之感慨或压力，而是觉得异常安心。En: The city outside was still brilliantly lit, but he no longer felt overwhelmed or pressured by it; instead, he felt exceptionally at ease.Zh: 通过这次经历，李伟明白了一个重要的道理：成功不是一个人的努力，而是集体的力量。En: Through this experience, Li Wei learned an important lesson: success isn't solely about individual effort, but the power of the collective.Zh: 和朋友们一起学习，他不仅提高了成绩，也缓解了自己的焦虑。En: Studying with friends, he not only improved his grades but also alleviated his anxiety.Zh: 他意识到，分享是他人对自己的支持，同时也是给予他人帮助的过程。En: He realized that sharing was both receiving support from others and a way of helping others.Zh: 考试临近，而李伟终于能够坦然面对，他知道自己有坚实的后盾。En: With exams approaching, Li Wei was finally able to face them calmly, knowing he had a solid backing.Zh: 友情的力量让他更加坚定踏实。En: The power of friendship made him feel more steadfast and assured. Vocabulary Words:early: 初nestled: 坐落gradually: 逐渐illuminating: 亮起contrasting: 映衬festive: 节日diligent: 用功perform: 考burden: 负担ease: 减轻focus: 专心pressure: 压力expectations: 期待high expectations: 高期待kind-hearted: 热心肠surge: 涌来overwhelming: 淹没twice as effective: 事半功倍hesitant: 犹豫lightened: 轻松orderly: 有条不紊lonely: 孤单steadfast: 坚定assured: 踏实backing: 后盾cozy: 温馨anxiety: 焦虑support: 支持solid: 坚实steadfast: 坚定

Gen 18:16-19:38, Matt 6:25-7:14, Ps 8:1-9, Pr 2:6-15

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Blossoming Leadership: Li Fen's Bold Run for Class President Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-08-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京的某个冬日清晨，学校的走廊里充满了迎接春节的节日气氛，灯笼高高挂起，色彩绚丽。En: On a winter morning in Beijing, the school's corridors were filled with a festive atmosphere welcoming the Spring Festival.Zh: 虽然窗户关得紧紧的，但北京刺骨的寒风还是尝试溜进来，伴随着这股寒意的是一股选举的紧张气息。En: Lanterns were hung high, colorful and bright.Zh: 李芬一个人坐在教室的一角，心里盘算着如何鼓起勇气站到大家面前。En: Although the windows were shut tight, the biting cold wind of Beijing still tried to sneak in, accompanied by the tense air of an election.Zh: 她决定参加班长竞选，她深知这次的对手是现任班长勇。En: Li Fen sat alone in a corner of the classroom, contemplating how to muster the courage to stand in front of everyone.Zh: 勇是个有魅力且受欢迎的学生，半点心思也没放在竞选上，因为他以为胜利唾手可得。En: She decided to run for class president, fully aware that her opponent would be the current class president, Yong.Zh: “李芬，你确定要做这个吗？En: Yong was a charismatic and popular student, who was hardly putting any effort into the election, thinking victory was easily within his grasp.Zh: ”她的好朋友保小声问道，脸上露出担忧的表情。En: "Li Fen, are you sure you want to do this?"Zh: “要做的。En: her good friend Bao asked softly, a worried expression on her face.Zh: 我想为大家做点事情，”李芬坚定地说。En: "I have to.Zh: 虽然她有点害羞，但李芬决心不让害怕阻挡自己前进的步伐。En: I want to do something for everyone," Li Fen said firmly.Zh: 保点点头，支持地说：“好，我帮你。En: Although a bit shy, Li Fen was determined not to let fear stop her from moving forward.Zh: ”两人开始策划竞选活动，保建议通过社交媒体扩大影响。En: Bao nodded, supportively saying, "Alright, I'll help you."Zh: 于是，李芬每天都会在校园的社交群组中分享她的想法，如何提升学生的精神面貌，以及关于学校环境的创新点子。En: The two began to plan the campaign, and Bao suggested expanding their influence through social media.Zh: 同时，勇显得有些漫不经心。En: Hence, Li Fen shared her thoughts daily in the school's social groups about how to enhance students' morale and innovative ideas about the school environment.Zh: 他相信自己不需要做太多努力就能再次当选。En: Meanwhile, Yong appeared somewhat indifferent.Zh: 不少同学仍对勇抱有厚望，李芬感受到了一股无形的压力。En: He believed he didn't need to put much effort to get re-elected.Zh: 终于，选举日到了，然而这天醒来，发现外面竟然开始下起了大雪。En: Many classmates still held high hopes for Yong, and Li Fen felt an invisible pressure.Zh: 一场突如其来的暴风雪让学校决定提早关闭，这也使得现场选举变得不可能。En: Finally, the election day arrived, but waking up that day, they discovered it had started to snow heavily outside.Zh: “我们应该推迟选举，”勇立刻建议道。En: A sudden snowstorm led the school to decide to close early, making an on-site election impossible.Zh: 但李芬不愿轻易放弃。En: "We should postpone the election," Yong immediately suggested.Zh: “我们可以在线上进行。En: But Li Fen didn't want to give up easily.Zh: ”她提出了这个不寻常的方案，这让大家都很吃惊。En: "We can do it online," she proposed this unconventional solution, surprising everyone.Zh: 学校的老师也对她的快速反应印象深刻，很快实施了这个方案。En: The teachers were also impressed with her quick response, quickly implementing the plan.Zh: 经过紧张的等待，在线选举的结果出来了，李芬以微弱优势获胜。En: After a tense wait, the results of the online election came out, and Li Fen won by a narrow margin.Zh: 同学们为她的坚持不懈和勇于创新而感到振奋。En: The students were thrilled with her persistence and willingness to innovate.Zh: 她用实际行动证明了自己的能力，从此她也变得更加自信。En: She proved her ability through her actions, and from then on, she became more confident.Zh: 李芬带着心中的梦想走向讲台，她知道新的旅程才刚刚开始。En: Li Fen walked toward the podium with the dream in her heart, knowing a new journey was just beginning.Zh: 但现在，她相信无论多么巨大的挑战，只要勇敢跨越，定会迎来变革的春天。En: But now, she believes that no matter how great the challenge, as long as she bravely crosses it, the spring of change will surely come. Vocabulary Words:corridors: 走廊festive: 节日lanterns: 灯笼biting: 刺骨sneak: 溜进contemplate: 盘算muster: 鼓起courage: 勇气charismatic: 有魅力opponent: 对手grasp: 唾手可得shy: 害羞influence: 影响indifferent: 漫不经心invisible: 无形margin: 微弱优势unconventional: 不寻常impressed: 印象深刻implementing: 实施narrow: 微弱innovation: 创新thrilled: 振奋persistence: 坚持不懈journey: 旅程challenge: 挑战bravely: 勇敢crosses: 跨越morale: 精神面貌election: 选举podium: 讲台

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Chunjie Chronicles: Unveiling Talent and Teamwork Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-08-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬天的校园，白雪点缀着树木，空气中弥漫着春节的气息。En: In the winter campus, snow adorned the trees, and the air was filled with the scent of the Chunjie festival.Zh: 高中的礼堂里，梅林、嘉豪和雨溪忙碌地准备着春节联欢会。En: In the high school auditorium, Meilin, Jiahao, and Yuxi were busy preparing for the Chunjie celebration.Zh: 礼堂里挂满了红色的灯笼和喜庆的横幅，En: The auditorium was decorated with red lanterns and festive banners.Zh: 同学们热情洋溢，每个人都在为联欢会出一份力。En: The students were full of enthusiasm, each contributing their efforts to the celebration.Zh: 梅林是班上的舞蹈高手，她特别喜欢中国传统舞蹈。En: Meilin was the class's dance expert, particularly fond of traditional Chinese dance.Zh: 春节联欢会是展示她才华的重要时刻，她希望能给家人留下深刻印象。En: The Chunjie celebration was an important moment for her to showcase her talent, and she hoped to leave a deep impression on her family.Zh: 嘉豪擅长演奏各种乐器，但他的自信心不足，总是觉得自己不够好。En: Jiahao was skilled at playing various instruments, but he lacked confidence and always felt he wasn't good enough.Zh: 雨溪是学生会的负责人，性格开朗，善于组织活动，但这次的联欢会让她感到有些吃力。En: Yuxi was the student council president, cheerful and good at organizing events, but this celebration was proving a bit challenging for her.Zh: 为了确保联欢会成功，梅林决定帮助嘉豪。En: To ensure the celebration's success, Meilin decided to help Jiahao.Zh: 每天放学后，她和嘉豪待在音乐教室里练习。En: Every day after school, she and Jiahao stayed in the music room to practice.Zh: 梅林鼓励他说：“嘉豪，你弹得真好，只要相信自己，就能让大家看到你的才华。”En: Meilin encouraged him, saying, "Jiahao, you play so well. As long as you believe in yourself, everyone will see your talent."Zh: 渐渐地，嘉豪的自信心开始增加。En: Gradually, Jiahao's confidence began to increase.Zh: 与此同时，雨溪面临着协调不同才艺和学生时间的不小挑战。En: Meanwhile, Yuxi faced considerable challenges in coordinating the different talents and student schedules.Zh: 梅林提出了一些新的想法，“我们可以把不同的表演组合在一起，让每个人都有机会展示自己。”En: Meilin proposed some new ideas, "We can combine different performances to give everyone a chance to showcase themselves."Zh: 雨溪被梅林的创意启发，开始重新调整节目安排。En: Inspired by Meilin's creativity, Yuxi began to rearrange the program.Zh: 最终排练那天，所有的紧张和压力达到了顶点。En: On the final rehearsal day, all the tension and pressure were at their peak.Zh: 音响设备突然出现了故障，学生们的情绪变得焦躁不安。En: The sound system suddenly malfunctioned, and the students became anxious and restless.Zh: 梅林站出来，鼓励大家，“我们一起解决！嘉豪，你可以领导音乐小组。”En: Meilin stood up and encouraged everyone, "We'll solve this together! Jiahao, you can lead the music group."Zh: 在梅林的支持下，嘉豪大步走向乐器，带领大家继续排练。En: With Meilin's support, Jiahao confidently approached the instruments and led the group in continuing the rehearsal.Zh: 雨溪也召集了所有学生，“别怕，我们再试一次，一起努力！”En: Yuxi also gathered all the students, "Don't worry, let's try again, and work together!"Zh: 她组织大家重新分配任务，确保每个环节都正常进行。En: She organized them to redistribute tasks and ensure each segment proceeded smoothly.Zh: 随着音乐响起，舞蹈、歌声、笑声充满了整个礼堂，大家都沉浸在欢乐的氛围中。En: As the music began to play, dance, songs, and laughter filled the entire auditorium, with everyone immersed in a joyous atmosphere.Zh: 联欢会当晚，观众座无虚席。En: On the evening of the celebration, the audience was packed.Zh: 表演开始了，嘉豪自信地引领着音乐，梅林翩翩起舞，雨溪微笑着看着这一切。En: The performance began, with Jiahao confidently leading the music, Meilin dancing gracefully, and Yuxi smiling as she watched everything unfold.Zh: 这场演出非常成功，现场掌声如雷。En: The show was incredibly successful, met with thunderous applause from the audience.Zh: 从这次活动中，梅林明白了团队合作和领导力的重要，嘉豪找到了自己的自信，雨溪领悟到灵活变通的价值。En: From this event, Meilin understood the importance of teamwork and leadership, Jiahao found his confidence, and Yuxi realized the value of flexibility.Zh: 三人一起走出礼堂，冬夜的星空分外明亮，仿佛在为他们的成功而闪烁。En: The three of them walked out of the auditorium together, with the winter night sky shining brightly, as if twinkling in celebration of their success. Vocabulary Words:adorned: 点缀着scent: 气息auditorium: 礼堂enthusiasm: 热情expert: 高手showcase: 展示impression: 印象talent: 才华coordination: 协调program: 节目rehearsal: 排练malfunctioned: 故障anxious: 焦躁confidence: 自信redistribute: 重新分配segment: 环节flexibility: 灵活变通thunderous: 如雷sky: 星空twinkling: 闪烁encouraged: 鼓励success: 成功opportunity: 机会pressure: 压力instrument: 乐器coordination: 协调creativity: 创意support: 支持packed: 座无虚席cheerful: 开朗

Think about the histories of your family or memories from your past. What if you recounted them with a dash of magic? What happens when we infuse our stories on film with some magical realism? Tonight's edition of APEX Express features three filmmakers who created magical realism short films centering AAPI women. Listen to directors Cami Kwan, Dorothy Xiao, and Rachel Leyco discuss their films and experiences behind the scenes with host Isabel Li. Cami Kwan: Website | Instagram | Seed & Spark Dorothy Xiao: Website | Instagram  Rachel Leyco: Website | Instagram   Transcript 00:01 [INTRO] Isabel: You're tuned into Apex Express on KPFA. Tonight's edition is all about stories. Think about the histories of your family or memories from your past. Now, what if you recounted them with a dash of magic? What happens when we infuse our stories on film with some magical realism? I'm your host, Isabel Li, and today we have three very special guests, Cami Kwan, Dorothy Chow, and Rachel Leyco. All of them are AAPI filmmakers who received the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge grant from the Coalition of Asian Pacifics and Entertainment and have created short films featuring AAPI stories with magical realism. My first guest of the night is Cami Kwan, a Chinese-American director specializing in stop-motion animation who directed the short film Paper Daughter.  Hi Cami, welcome to APEX Express!  Cami: Hello, thank you so much for having me. Isabel: How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  Cami: So I identify as a queer Asian American woman um and I am a descendant of immigrants, of Chinese immigrants. um Then the communities that I am part of, part of the queer community, part of the Los Angeles community, part of the Chinese American and Asian American community, part of the mixed race community and part of the stop-motion animation and independent artist community.  Isabel: I'm so excited to talk to you about your upcoming short film, Paper Daughter, a gothic stop-motion animated Chinese-American fairy tale about a young woman grappling with the guilt of using the identity of a deceased girl to immigrate to the US via Angel Island in 1926, which is such a fascinating concept. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about how you came up with this story and the historical specificity behind it?  Cami: Absolutely, yeah. So like I mentioned, I'm the child of immigrants, descendants of immigrants rather. So my great grandparents immigrated to the US from China. My great grandfather came over in 1916 and my great grandma came over in 1926. And so I've always grown up knowing the story of Angel Island and knowing the story about the paper sons and paper daughters who had to find any way into the United States that they could. And so they were forced to, you know, take on the identities of other people. And those stories have always stuck with me, you know, like it's very personal. Angel Island means a lot to me and my family. And just the extreme measures that people have always had to take just for the chance at a better life have always been really meaningful to learn about. just the like, I'll use romances in like the art movement, like romantic. It's very romantic and kind of fairy tale-ish, the idea of having to take on a new identity and pretend to be somebody that you're not. And often those identities would be people who had passed away, and then those families had then sold those identities or given those identities to new people. And so it's so interesting the idea of being like the last person to know somebody so deeply, but you'll never get to meet them and you'll never be able to thank them or repay what they sacrificed for your future. And that's kind of how I feel as a descendant of immigrants. The sacrifice that my family made for me was made so long ago that there's no way for me to ever pay it back. And I didn't really get a say in whether I received that sacrifice or not. And I think a lot of descendants of immigrants kind of have to struggle with this. What does it mean for us to be given this new chance at the cost of somebody who came before us? And so that's all of that kind of rolled up into this 14-minute film. Isabel: You describe your film as being in a gothic style? Can you describe what this looks like and why gothic?  Cami: The subject matter is just so naturally gothic. It's dealing a lot with death and a lot with guilt and those big capital R romantic subjects and stuff. My day job, my day-to-day job is working in stop-motion animation directing mostly like children's series and mostly toy related stuff. And so I spent so much of my time in the happy brighter like birthday party storyline kind of like space. But what really made me want to be a filmmaker in the first place were all these like heavier themes, these bigger themes, films by Guillermo del Toro and like Tim Burton and Henry Selig and Hayao Miyazaki and all of those kind of have this like gothic edge to them. And so that's like a story that I've been a type of story I've been wanting to tell for about a decade now.  Isabel: Stylistically, how does this show up in your film? So I imagine darker colors or do you have a visual like preview for us?  Cami: it is a little bit in the darker color space, but it's still very colorful despite all that. It's moody more so than dark, I would say. um We have a lot of like light and dark themes, a lot of like shadow. stuff and um a lot of magical realism, which is where that fairy tale aspect kind of comes in, because you're dealing with things that are so abstract, like guilt and sacrifice and wearing the identity of somebody else, that there's no literal way to convey that. Well, there are literal ways to convey that, but none of those literal ways I feel fully convey the emotional weight of everything. And so we've gone in this very magical realism space where people are tearing information out of these booklets that contain information about the person they're supposed to be and creating these paper masks out of them. And so yeah, there's this whole like magical aspect that tends to be kind of darker. There's imagery of just like being consumed by the identity that you're just supposed to temporarily wear. And there's a lot of like, yeah, there's a lot of darkness in those themes, I think.  Isabel: Wow, that's so interesting. I'd love to learn more about stop motion. What does stop motion make possible that isn't as easily accomplished through other forms of filmmaking? Cami: Yeah, I think the reason why I'm drawn to stop motion, what I stop motion makes possible is like a universality of just like a human experience because with other kinds of animation and other kinds of filmmaking, like there is kind of like an opacity to like how it's made. There's this this veneer, this magic to it, and there's that magic to stop motion too. But the difference between all of those and stop motion is made out of like everyday materials. It's made out of fabric. using paper. We're using clay. We're using materials that people have encountered in their day-to-day lives. And like, that's the one thing that we are all guaranteed to have in common is that we live in a material world and we encounter these textures and materials around us. so by like taking such a specific story and trying to convey such universal themes, it really like behooves us to be using like um a medium that is as universal as stop motion is. So I think that's like the big thing that stop motion unlocks for us. Plus also story-wise, like it's very paper centered, paper daughter, they're tearing paper strips, they're making paper masks. So like physically using these paper textures adds a lot to our world. um And I think working in stop motion gives you a degree of control that live action doesn't give you because we're creating. all of our characters, all of our sets by hand, which gives us so much of a say over what they look like and what they convey based on how they're constructed and stuff. And that's just a degree of communication that nothing else brings.  Isabel: I love that this is a magical realism film and you mentioned Guillermo del Toro. I know that in your campaign trailer, you featured Pan's Labyrinth, which is my all-time favorite movie.  Cami: Me too! Isabel: Yeah! How exactly did you come up with this specific blend of history and fantasy for your film?  Cami: I think that it's almost a natural human instinct to kind of have history and fantasy. Like, that's all that histories are, just stories told to us. And it's just being less literal about it and really leaning into the metaphors that we might use to convey the emotional realities of those histories, right? And so I feel like Del Toro does that a lot with his work. And Miyazaki as well does a lot of that with his work. So much of it deals with unpacking like World War II and things like that. And that's something that I've always just personally been drawn to. Even as a kid, my dream jobs were archaeologist or animator. And so here I kind of get to like do a little bit of both of those, know, like using the magic of animation to make history feel a lot more present and tangible and like emotionally relevant, which is It's really quite poetic to be able to be telling this story right now because it's going to mark the 100 year anniversary of my great grandmother's immigration to the US. I think we are due for an examination of immigration in our country. And I'm very interested to see how people respond to the questions that this raises of how different is the immigrant experience 100 years later. Have we gotten better? Have we gotten worse? Like I would posit it's perhaps worse now than it was then, but I'm really hoping to like, yeah, bring that reality into a more approachable space. And I feel like having that blend of magic and history just makes it a little bit more approachable than telling it in a literal way, you know? Isabel: Those are some great questions to ask. And on that same note, I'm interested in the specificity of Angel Island as well. What types of research did you do to produce your film?  Cami: Oh, gosh, I read every book I could find about it. have… How many books were those? Oh, my gosh, I want to say, like, not as many as I want there to be, you know? Like, Angel Island is not as well covered in history as places like Ellis Island, and there's a lot. to unpack as to why that may be, especially like the racial aspect of it. But I probably read about a dozen different books to prepare for this film. One of the most concrete and useful books that I read is a book called Island, and it's a collection of the poems that are carved into the walls of the men's barracks that remain on Angel Island. And those poems are a huge part, perhaps, the reason why Angel Island has even been preserved as a historical landmark. And so um the three authors went to great pains to replicate these poems, translate them into English, and provide a lot of historical context for the different topics of the poems. And there's a lot of like first-hand testimony from people who immigrated through Angel Island that they interviewed and included in this book. And so I do think that that book, Island, is like the primary source of most of my research for it. Everything else is more like quantitative history and quantitative data. Oh, also The Chinese in America by, I believe it's Iris Chang, that it's not just about Angel Island, but I read that and that gave me a much better understanding about like the place that Chinese immigrants have in American history. Because when I was a kid, like I really only ever learned about great grandma came over through Angel Island and now we're American and we live in America. But our history, as far as I was ever taught, begins and ends with us entering the United States. And so reading um the Chinese in America gave me a much broader understanding about, like, why did we leave China in the first place? And like, what has it meant for us to be in America as Chinese people since then? Yeah, all that came out of like in 2020 and 2021 when the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes were kind of coming about. I personally had to have a huge reckoning with like my racial identity and like how that has impacted like my experience growing up as a mixed-race person who's pretty perceivably Asian and all that stuff. So it was a really whole circle broad situation. Oh, I want to do a quick shout out to the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. They were very generous with their time and they answered a lot of my questions and sent me a lot of archival images from Angel Island. So I want to thank them so much for their help in the research process of this.  Isabel: Oh, wow. How fascinating. Did you have any expectations on how the production process was going to go? And now that you're on the other side of it, what are your reflections?  Cami: I had no expectations as to whether we were going to get outside funding or not. Like I, I'm not an experienced or adept grant applicant. Like, it was really just because this was the right kind of project to fit with those kinds of grants. So I had no expectations there. So I am beyond thrilled to have received the support from Cape and Janet Yang and Julia S. Gouw and Shorescripts that we've received, like beyond thrilled for that. So that exceeded all of my expectations. um But as far as how the actual production has gone, the fabrication and the animation and the post-production, that's all stuff that I'm extremely familiar with. Again, that is my day-to-day life, that is my job, that is like what I have done for the last eight years at my studio, Apartment D.  So that all went pretty much as I hoped and expected that it would, but here on the other side, the one thing that has surprised me about it was how much love all of the artists put in this project because like we've said so much in this conversation, there's so much specificity to this. This is about my great grandma. This is about my family and my feelings about being a descendant of immigrants. It's so specific that I wasn't sure how emotionally it would resonate with anybody else that wasn't me or wasn't part of the AAPI community, you know?  But every single person — doesn't really even matter if they were Asian, doesn't really even matter if they have a specific connection to immigration — every artist that I asked to join me on this project, I immediately understood what it meant and understood what we were trying to say. And they put so much love into it. And like, we all put a lot of love into everything we do. It's stop motion. It's like, you don't do this unless you love it, you know, because you certainly are not doing it for the money or anything. um everyone was just so…I'm gonna say careful, but I don't mean careful like cautious. I mean careful like full of care. And I did not expect that and I am so grateful for it. Yeah, looking back, it's just so precious and so tender and like I'm so fortunate to have had the crew with me that I had to make this film.  Isabel: That's so lovely. What are you most excited about upon completing your film?  Cami: I'm just excited to share it with the world. I'm so proud of it. It is truly, and I'm not just saying this because it's my baby, but it is very beautiful and it is very special. For a lot of us, one of the first times that we've been able to be in charge of our own departments or to make the decisions that we wanna make and tell things, do things, show things the way that we think they should be done. And so it's kind of significant for many of us to have this film come out and to be received. What I want people to take away from it is an appreciation and a gratitude for everything that has had to happen for us to be where we are now. And I also really want people to take away the unconditional love that has occurred for us to be in the country that we have and to be the people that we are. Every single person is where they are. doesn't matter if you're in America or anywhere else, like we are all here because of the sacrifices that were made by the people who came before us. And those were all made out of unconditional love. And that's like, I want people to come away from this film remembering that our country is built on the unconditional love and sacrifice from people who came before us. And then wanting to give that unconditional love and sacrifice to everybody who's gonna come after us. Isabel: Such an amazing message. And I know that there's still lots to do and you still have a lot to celebrate with your upcoming film and with the festival circuit with Paper Daughter. But looking ahead, do you have any plans of what you want to do after the short film?  Cami: Yeah, I would love to bring it into a feature. There was so much that we had to cut out to make this film. On one hand, I'm glad that we cut out what we did because I think the film as it is, is like so tight and so like airtight and good and perfect and sparse in a really nice way, but we don't even get to delve into life before Angel Island. It begins and ends on the island, and I would love to explore the stories that brought this all about and the stories that come after. So bringing this up into a feature version and getting that in front of people would be amazing. And I have a couple other short film and feature film and script ideas that I would like to start working on as well. I've kind of really, I'm really grooving on the like Asian early Chinese American history. um So most of them are going to be set in California and focus on like Chinese immigrants and their role in the founding of America. um I'm really excited for the like, after all the film festivals, I really want this film to end up in classrooms. And I even just the other day like I have a friend who's a third and fourth grade teacher and she showed it to her class and then the students asked me questions about Angel Island and about animation. if this can play any part in helping to spread the story of Angel Island and the people that immigrated through there, like that's all that I could ever want from this. So I'm really excited for that.  Isabel: That's wonderful. I'll put your website, social media and seed and spark page for Paper Daughter up on kpfa.org so our listeners can learn more about this stop motion film and get updates for how they can watch it. I can't wait to see it when it comes out. And Cami, thank you so much for joining me on Apex Express today.  Cami: Of course, thank you so much for having me. It was a great, great time talking with you.  Isabel: You just heard Cami Kwan talk about her film Paper Daughter. On Apex Express tonight, we have two more special guests who made magical realism short films. Next up is Dorothy Xiao, who made the film Only in This World. She's a Los Angeles-based award-winning filmmaker who likes to create grounded family dramas with a hint of fantasy.  Hi, Dorothy. Welcome to APEX Express.  Dorothy: Hi. Thanks for having me!  Isabel: Of course! Thank you for coming here. My first question for you is actually quite broad. How do you identify and what communities are you a part of?  Dorothy: Oh, that is a good question. I think in a broader sense. I would say, obviously, I identify as an Asian American. um But I think, like, for me, because I grew up in the 626 or the San Gabriel Valley, I grew up with a lot of people who looked like me. So I think I didn't truly identify as being Asian or had awareness of my identity until later on when I went to college. And then I took Asian American Studies classes and I was like, oh, wow, I'm Asian. Or like, what does it mean to be Asian? You know, like, I think I, at that time, prior to recognizing and understanding what it meant, and also even to be a minority, because at that, like I said, growing up in 626, even going to UCLA, where I'm surrounded by a lot of Asians, I never really felt like a minority. But I think it was really after graduating where I, depending on the spaces that I would enter into, especially in the film industry, I was learning like, oh, yeah, I am a minority and this is what it feels like. And prior to that, I think I just identified as being a daughter of immigrants. And that still is very strongly the case just because I grew up listening to so many stories that my parents would tell me, like coming from China, growing up like they grew up in China during a completely different time. I can't even imagine what it would be like living in the way that they did, you know, during the Cultural Revolution, under communism, in an intense way where they were starving, all this political stuff. But yeah, a second gen or for a lot of people, first generation, daughter of immigrants, of parents who decided that they wanted to make a better life for their kids out here in the States. I think that I want to stand by me saying that I don't feel like I am, I don't really want to identify as only just single categories all the time, just because within each community, could be, you could have nuances, right? Because I am a woman, but I'm also like a woman who doesn't want children, you know, and there was just so many different things of how I identify. So hard for me to categorize myself like that. But they are, there are tidbits of different communities. Like I still identify, identify as Asian American. I identify as a daughter of immigrants. I identify as a female filmmaker and yeah. And a business owner, I guess. Yeah.  Isabel: Right. Yes. Thank you for that nuanced answer. You know, it's so fascinating because I was reading about your work and you have worked in animal research administration and an afterschool program and even web development for nonprofits. How did you get into writing and directing?  Dorothy: Yeah. So after graduating college, I was definitely in a place where many, I'm sure, fresh grads understand what we call the quarter life crisis, where we don't know what we wanna do with our lives. And I was working at UCLA because that was the only job that I could get out of college for an animal research administration office. And really, I worked for them as a student. So I was like, well, it makes sense to have that be my full-time job, because you're in a place where you don't have skills. So how do you get a job if you don't have skills? That weird silly catch-22 situation. So I studied psychology in undergrad because my goal was to become a therapist. I wanted to work with Asian and Asian immigrant communities to help them with mental health because there's such a stigma attached to it. And being somebody who found mental health really important and also found that it was a really great way to understand myself. I wanted to work with, I guess, the people of my community. But at that time, I realized that there's still a stigma attached to mental health and it's really hard to get people to even go to therapy. Like living with my parents, it's really difficult. I cannot ever convince them to go. um And so I had pivoted into, or at least I discovered this filmmaking competition and ended up just like making a film for fun with a couple of friends, random people that um were not in film at all. And I had a lot of fun and I realized that we could actually create stories talking about things that are very similar to mental health or could provide that catharsis and validation that you could probably get in a session, in a therapy session. And it's not clinical at all. It's not as clinical. So, you know, on all those different jobs that you mentioned, they're all day jobs, know, animal research administration and then working for an after school program. That was me still trying to figure out how to be a filmmaker on my weekends. I still needed a day job. I didn't have the luxury of going to film school. So I would work at different places that gave me the flexibility of having a day job. But then also I had free time during the weekend to just make films with my friends, make friends films with people like my mom, who was one of my first actors earlier on. Love my mom. She did not do the greatest in my film, but I love her for being there for me. But yeah, like the different organizations or just jobs that I worked for were all really good in terms of providing me management skills and also communication skills because I worked in different industries, you know, and so at the end of the day, it all culminated in me at my current place. Like I am a freelance filmmaker and I also run my own video production company. So um becoming a writer, I mean, being a writer director is my main identity as a filmmaker. However, I don't think you could be a good writer-director if you don't have life experience. And having all those different jobs that I've had provided me with a lot of varied life experience and I interacted with a lot of different people, many different personalities.  Isabel: Yeah, no, I love that. So you grew up in Alhambra, which I'm familiar with because I too grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. How would you say that growing up in Alhambra has shaped you as an artist?  Dorothy: Alhambra is really special, I feel like, because in the San Gabriel Valley, there are many cities like this. You have Chinese people who can actually get by without ever having to learn English. And the same goes for Latin communities as well. And, you know, I have aunts and uncles who lived in Alhambra for years and never learned how to speak English. So I think it's like, what's so special about it, it feels like a safe space for a lot of immigrant communities. And then my parents being immigrants from China. living in Alhambra was a place where they could feel safe and feel connected to the people that they left behind in another country. And so being a child of immigrants, a daughter of like an Asian American, like a Chinese American growing up in Alhambra, I definitely felt like I grew up with a lot of people who were similar to me. know, we were like a lot of times the first American born children of our families even, and it was, we had to essentially understand what it meant to be Asian versus American and all of that.  But I think like being in Alhambra, I never felt like I wasn't seen, or at least I never felt like I was a minority. I think I mentioned this earlier, in that growing up in Alhambra, you do see a lot of people who look like you. And I have a lot of friends in the film industry who have moved out to California because they grew up in towns where they were like one, the only person, the only Asian person in their school or whatever. And I didn't have that experience. So for me, it was really special just being able to have a whole group of friends where there's a bunch of Asians. And we all spoke different languages. Like I had a lot of friends who were Cantonese speakers, but I'm a Mandarin speaker, but it was just really cool. It was like going to your friends' places and then you have aunties. So it's almost like having more family. You could feel like you have more aunts and uncles that will feed you all the time because that is the way they show love, right?  Isabel: Oh, certainly. I think there's so many stories in multicultural places like Alhambra. And speaking of which, you did in your film Only in This World. It's about an empty nester who has to face her ex-husband's mistress in order to summon her daughter back from the afterlife, which is featured in the 2025 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival in Sunnyvale. Congratulations on such a beautiful film. I will say that I am a huge fan of magical realism, and Only in This World has some magical elements to it. So I'd love to get to know, how did you come up with this specific plot and characters that make up this film? Dorothy: Yeah, and thank you for wanting to talk about this one. It's a special story to me just because it is, I think it's the first film that I've made where I just decided to incorporate elements of where I grew up. And so Only in This World is inspired by my mom and her Tai Chi group at our local park, so Alhambra Park. My mom would go to do Tai Chi every morning for years. And in Alhambra, actually, as I mentioned, because there are so many immigrant communities, many of the immigrant communities tend to stay together with the people who speak their language. So Chinese people usually stick together with the Chinese speakers, Spanish speakers stick together with the Spanish speakers. You don't see a lot of mingling or intersectionality. But one of the special things that I saw with my mom's Tai Chi group was that they were not just Chinese people or Asian people, but there were Latino people in their group as well. And so even though they couldn't speak the same language, they would show up and still do Tai Chi every morning because it was a matter of doing something together. And so I love that a lot. And I wanted to tell a story about just older women who are finding friendship because I think that's really important in older age and in these groups because you see that a lot of the people in these Tai Chi groups are even the ones, not just Tai Chi groups, but there are dancers in the park, you know, like you'll see them in the mornings, not just in Alhambra, but in Monterey Park, all the different parks, open spaces, they'll have little dance groups.  A lot of the people who are part of those groups happen to be seniors, and I think it's just because they don't have work, they don't have children, they're lonely. And so…I think it's really important to be aware that where friendship or loneliness is actually an epidemic in the senior community. And it's really important to providing good quality of life is to just have them have that connection with other people. And seeing that in my mom, because my mom is getting older, having her be part of that community was what kept her happier. And so, yeah, and also my mother-in-law is Colombian. And she's done Tai Chi before as well with her group in Rosemead. And so I just was like, well, I'm part of a multicultural family. I want to tell a multicultural family story. Yeah, in terms of the magical realism element, I thought a lot about just how my family, if our house has ever burned down, the things that they would take out are our photos, the print four by six, like, you know, just the print photos because they're just so precious to them. There's something about hard copy pictures that is so special that digital photos just can't take over. Like there is an actual energy to how a photo is made or even like back then when we used to use film, there's energy that's required to actually create photos. And so, you know, I wanted that to be the power that powers this magical scanner where energy is taken from the picture and then you have the ability to bring someone you love back from the afterlife. And I really love grounded magical realism because I think it just makes difficult things a lot easier to understand when you add a little bit of magic to it, a little bit of fantasy.  Isabel: Yeah, magical realism is such a special genre. What part of the production process that you find the most profound?  Dorothy: I think it was just really my gratitude in how much my family came together for me and also just like the people of this team, know, like there were, I think one major situation that I can think of that I always think is really funny was, um so we filmed at my mother-in-law's house and my husband, Diego, was also working on set with me. He is not in the film industry. He's a software engineer manager. He's like in tech, but he is one of my biggest supporters. And so…when we were like, yeah, can we film at your mom's house? He was like, okay. But he had to end up being the, quote unquote, location manager, right? Because the house was his responsibility. And then, and he was also my PA and he was also DIT. Like he would be the one dumping footage. He did everything. He was amazing. And then ah one day we found out that his neighbor was actually doing construction and they were hammering. It was like drilling stuff and making new windows. They were doing new windows. And we were just like, oh, like, how do we get them to, like, not make noise? And so, and they don't speak English. And so we were like, oh crap, you know. So like, unfortunately, my producers and I don't speak Spanish, like we're all just English speaking. And then I did have Latinos working on my set, but they, you know, they had other jobs. I wasn't going to make them translate and do all that other stuff. So then Diego so kindly went over and talked to them and was like, essentially we set up. They were totally cool about it. They were like, yeah, okay, you're making a film. then whenever you're rolling sound, we'll just like prevent, like not hammer. And then so Diego is sitting outside with a walkie and talking to the first AD and other people inside the house, because we're all filming inside. don't know what's going outside. And then so like, we would be rolling, rolling. And then um the workers, I think his name was Armando, are like…whenever we cut, Diego would hear it through the walkie and he'd be like, Armando, okay, you're good to go. You can drill. Armando would drill. And then when we're going, and we'd be like, I'm going for another take. And then Diego would be like, Armando, please stop. So it was so nice of them to be willing to accommodate to us. Because you hear a lot of horror stories of LA productions where neighbors see you're filming something and they'll purposely turn on the radio to make it really loud and you have to pay them off and whatever. And in this case, it wasn't it was more like, hey, like, you know, we're making a movie and they were so supportive and they're like, yeah, totally. This is so cool. We will definitely pause our work, our actual work and let you roll down during the brief period. So we're really grateful. We definitely brought them donuts the next day to thank them. But that was just something that I was like, oh yeah, like I don't think I could have pulled that off if I didn't have Diego or if the fact, if it wasn't for the fact that these were the neighbors, know, that we were filming at someone's house and the neighbors already had a relationship with the people who lived here.  Isabel: Wow, that's really adaptable. And I'm so glad that went well for you. Dorothy, you've directed 13 films by now. Have you ever seen one of your films resonate with an audience member that you've interacted with in the past?  Dorothy: So there was this one short I had done a couple years ago called Tarot and it came at a time when I was struggling with the idea of whether or not I wanted to have kids and many of my friends are off having their first or second kids, you know, and so I never really wanted to be a mom, but then I have a partner who I can see being a great father, so I'm more open to the idea of being a mother, but it was still something I was conflicted about. And so I put this all into a short film, just my feelings of how my identity would change if I were to become a mom, because I've read so much about that. I found a Reddit thread one day where people were just talking about how being a mother is hard. And they openly stated how much they hated it. And it's okay to feel that way. And I wanted to put those feelings into this film to just put it out there like, hey, like if you don't like being a mom, even though you love your kid, you could still hate having that identity and be lost about, and it's okay to be lost or not sure about who you are. And so it was a really short film and it ended kind of open ended. It was like five minute film, so it didn't have like a full ending, but it was an open ended ending. And then afterwards I had a bunch of people come up. I had people who were parents, not just mothers, like even, or like fathers who had just had their first kid who were coming up and telling me like, oh, I totally identify. I understand that struggle of learning about who your new identity is after you've had a kid. And then I had people who were child free who were coming to me and saying like, yeah, this is a similar feeling that I've had about whether or not I should have any kids. Because, you know, as women, we have a biological clock that ticks. And that's something I feel frustrated about sometimes where it's really because of my body that I feel pressured to have a kid versus wanting to have one because I want one. And so that was a story I wanted to, or just something I wanted to put into a film. Yeah, and I also had another person come up and tell me that they were like, this was something I felt, but I never really openly talked about. And so I resonated a lot with this and it just helped basically articulate or helped me identify like, oh, I totally feel this way. And so that was really validating to me as a filmmaker because my goal is to reach others who don't feel comfortable talking about certain things that they tend to hide because I have a lot of those types of thoughts that I might feel ashamed or embarrassed to share. But then I put it into a story and then it makes it more digestible and it's like, or it's more, it's entertaining. But then like the core message is still there. And so people watch it and if they feel that they can connect to it, then I've done my job because I have resonated with somebody and I've made them feel seen. And that's ultimately what I wanted to do when I wanted to be a therapist was I just wanted to make people feel seen. I wanted to make them feel connected to other people and less lonely because that's something that I also have struggled with. Yeah, so filmmaking is my way of putting something small out there that I feel and then finding other people who feel the same way as me. And then we can feel validated together. Isabel: Ah yes, that is the power of film, and Dorothy's work can be viewed on her website, which I'll be linking on kpfa.org, as well as her social media, so you can get new updates on what she is working on. Dorothy, thank you so much for joining me on APEX Express today!  Dorothy: Thank you! Thank you for having me, it was so great to meet you!  Isabel: That was Dorothy Xiao, our second guest for tonight's edition of Apex Express, featuring magical realism AAPI filmmakers. Now time for our final guest of the night, Rachel Leyco, who is a queer, award-winning Filipina-American filmmaker, writer, actress, and activist. We'll be talking about her upcoming short film, Milk & Honey.  Hi Rachel, it's such an honor to have you here on APEX Express. Rachel: Hi, thank you so much for having me.  Isabel: How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  Rachel: Yeah, I identify as a queer Filipina-American. Isabel: So we're here to talk about your short film, Milk & Honey, which is about an ambitious Filipina nurse who leaves her family behind in the Philippines to chase the American dream in the 1990s and facing conflicts and hardships along the way. How did you come up with this specific 90s immigration story?  Rachel: Yeah. So Milk and Honey is inspired by my mom's immigrant story. you know, that's really her true story of coming to America in the early 1990s as a very young Filipina nurse while, and also a young mother and leaving behind her daughter, which was me at the time. um you know, following her journey in the film though fictionalized, a lot of the moments are true and there's a lot of exploration of assimilation, cultural barriers, loneliness and the emotional cost of pursuing the American dream.  Isabel: Yeah, when I read that synopsis, I immediately thought of this short film could totally be something that's feature length. How did you sort of this story to something that is like under 15 minutes long?  Rachel: Yeah, so I wrote the short film script first. And actually, you know, this is a proof of concept short film for the feature film. I actually wrote the feature film script after I wrote the short because there was just so much more I wanted to explore with the characters and the story. It definitely couldn't fit into a short film, though I have that short film version. But there was just so much richness to my mom's story that I wanted to explore, so I expanded into a feature. So I do have that feature film version, which I hope to make one day. Isabel: And you mentioned that this film is inspired by your mom's story. Is there any other sort of research that you did into this story that really helped you write? Rachel: Yeah, one of the main reasons I wanted to write the story, I mean, there's many reasons, but one is because there, if you ask the average American or the general public, they won't really know why there are so many Filipino nurses in the healthcare system. Because if you walk into any hospital, you'll see a Filipino nurse, more than one for sure. ah so I was really curious about the history. ah Having my mom as a nurse, my sister's also a nurse, I have a lot of healthcare workers around me. I grew up with that. I, you know, growing up, I also didn't really know or learn Filipino American history because it's not taught in schools. And I, you know, I took AP US history and didn't learn anything about, you know, my culture and our history. It's, not in the books at all. And it wasn't until like my early twenties that I was really curious about my roots and my upbringing and what it means to be Filipino-American specifically. And so um I really went into like a deep dive of just researching Filipino-American history. And specifically last year, I had been wanting to tell a story about a Filipino nurse because of my proximity to it with my mother. And you know, myself being an artist, being a filmmaker in the industry, there's so many medical shows out there, like, know, Grey's Anatomy, that's been long running, but very, very few, and rarely do we see Filipino nurses at the forefront and at the center of those stories. um You know, rarely are they series regulars. You know, sometimes they'll feature a Filipino nurse for like one episode or two and, you know, a recurring or a side character, but Filipino nurses are never the main character, never the series regular. And so that was another big driving force for why I wanted to make this story. And, you know, really making my mom's character the center of it. And so as far as like research, too, I definitely interviewed my mom and I asked her to just tell me her her entire story and specifically why she even wanted to move to the United States because she could have stayed in the Philippines or she could have moved somewhere else. um she saw a newspaper or her friend actually at the time when she was in a nursing school, a friend of hers saw an ad in the newspaper that America was sponsoring nurses. And so she had it in her mind already like, oh, yeah, I've heard of America. I've heard of the United States that it's, you know, there's better opportunities for me there. And at the time she had just had me. And so she had, you she's a young mother. She's trying to take care of her baby, her newborn. And so, you know, she had her eyes set on moving to the United States and that's kind of how her journey happened. And on top of that, I also did my own research on you know, our history, I watched this really amazing documentary um by Vox. It's on YouTube. It's all about why there are so many Filipino nurses in America. And it really just ties back to U.S. colonization. And after World War II, was so many, there was big nursing shortage in the United States. you know, white Americans did not want to, you know, fill that role. So they turn to Filipino women to fill the gap.  Isabel: Yeah, was there something special about the production process that looking back, you would want to replicate in the future or that really speaks to you?  Rachel: Absolutely. um Yeah, mean, definitely this experience and a lot of the people that I brought on to this project, I want to continue to make films with them and continue to make art with them because um I'm just so proud of the team that we put together. Everyone was so passionate and they knew how important the story was. They also had their own special connection to the material that they brought so much heart and passion into the film. that really comes through in the project. so like a lot of the people I brought onto this film, I want to continue to make art with them forever. That's one thing that I'm really, really grateful for, because I got to work with some really awesome people that I had never worked before or I had been wanting to work with. And so it was such a great opportunity that was given to me to be able to connect with such amazing and talented AAPI creatives in my circle.  Isabel: Yeah, I saw on your Instagram page for the film that you shot this film in both Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. Have you ever done a production where you had to sort juggle two different sets in two very different locations? And how was that entire process?  Rachel: Yeah, that was really, it was really fun. It was my first time being able to film in two different cities, let alone like two different states, really. A lot of my past projects have just been, you know, shooting it with the resources that I had that were available to me. You know, usually like my past short film, Thank You for Breaking My Heart, that I did last year, we shot all of it in one location, which was of course like, know, that is something that's really impressive in and of itself, of course. But, you know, because of the bigger budget that we had for Milk and Honey, I really wanted to challenge myself with this. And I really advocated for filming a part of the film in Texas because it is set in Texas. I was raised there. That's where my mom was placed when she, because how the process goes is, you know, she applied for the nursing sponsorship and then they placed them in certain areas. And so she was placed in El Paso, Texas at the time. And so that's where I also grew up. So I set the film there and I really advocated for filming in Texas because I wanted the film to have that feeling of the environment and atmosphere of Texas. um And so we shot some exteriors there for like this really fun Texas montage where you can really like feel that the character is there in, you know, in that heat, the Texas heat. So that was really, that was really fun. And I, you know, we shot, we shot two days in LA and we shot half a day in Austin, Texas. And we hired a second unit in Texas, because, you know, again, like, even though we had a really good budget, was still, you know, it was still pretty small. So I wasn't able to, you know, fly my LA crew over there. um So what we did was we just hired a second unit crew in Austin, Texas, and they were amazing. And most of them were queer, non-binary filmmakers. And it was just such a fun, intimate crew that you know, we just breezed by and had such a great time shooting that.  Isabel: That's wonderful. As a director, what inspires you and what are some of your filmmaking influences?  Rachel: Yeah, I mean, I'm constantly inspired by, you know, new films, filmmakers that I've seen, em particularly for Milk and Honey. I um so the film is, you know, this grounded drama, but there are a lot of moments of magical realism that I mix into it. love magical realism. love one of my favorite movies is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's such a beautiful film, also very grounded, but it's filled with all of this, you know, magical realism, surrealism. And so I infused that into, you know, Milk and Honey, which was really fun and a challenge to execute. But yeah, and some other filmmakers and creatives that I'm inspired by are Ava Duvernay. think her work is just incredible and also just an incredible artist overall. I love the kind of work that she does because it comes from such a deep place. And I love that she can combine art with politics and social justice as well. Isabel: I also love that you said in your one of your project funding descriptions that you use your art as your act of revolution, which is so relevant given that, you know, in our current state of, you know, our administration is silencing and suppressing voices of our immigrant communities. And how do we as filmmakers, as artists, what does that revolution and representation mean to you as a filmmaker and artist?  Rachel: I truly believe that that art is our act of revolution and just merely creating the art is that act in and of itself. We don't have to do more than that as from, in my opinion, as an artist, because the mere fact of us existing as artists, existing, myself existing and creating the work and having the work exists out there and putting it out. The most powerful thing that an artist can do is to make their art and share it with the world. And after that, just let it go, you know, forget about how it's going to be received. Forget about like, you know, the critics and, and, and the, you know, self doubt you may have and all of those things, because yeah, it's going to come. I think especially in the landscape of, like you said, of where we're at right now with our current administration and you know, just who knows what's going to happen in the next few years, but also in the face of like AI and technology and all of that, I think all we can really do as artists is to, in order for us to change the system is we have to be the change, right? And in order for us to be that change is just to continue to tell our stories and stay authentic to ourselves. Because I think that's also what a lot of people out there are really craving right now. People are craving authentic, real stories by people that we really don't get to see or hear their stories very often. And so um that for me is something that fuels me and my artistry every day.  Isabel: Very well said and a great reminder to all of us artists out there to keep making our art. What do you hope for audiences to take away when they watch your film?  Rachel: What I hope for audiences to get out of watching the film, well, one, at the core of it is a mother-daughter story. And I also did it to honor my mother and her sacrifices and her story. So I hope that, one, audiences will, you know, maybe reflect on their relationship with their mother and… um think of ways to honor their mother and their family and their ancestry as well. And another thing is to really think about what the American dream means to you, because that was another driving force for me with the film is it's called Milk & Honey because a lot of immigrants coined Milk & Honey as America's milk and honey as this like land of abundance, land of opportunity and you know, this is a, this is a place for creating a better life for ourselves. But I, for me, as I've grown up and as an adult now, really looking at like, well, what does the American dream mean to me? Is that still true to me? Do I still think the U S is a place where I can, where I can build a better life? Is it a place of abundance and something in the film, a big theme in the film is where Cherry's character scrutinizes that dream and thinks for herself, like, is the American dream worth it? And what does the American dream actually mean to me? What is the definition of that? So I think that's a big thing I would love audiences to also take away from it, you know, asking themselves that question. Isabel: That's a great thought to end on. I'll be including Rachel's social media and website on kpfa.org as usual so you can see if Milk and Honey will be screening in a film festival near your city during its festival run. Well, Rachel, thank you so much for joining me on APEX Express today. Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed it. Please check our website kpfa.org to find out more about magical realism in AAPI stories and the guests we spoke to. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting. Keep organizing. Keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, Cheryl Truong, and Isabel Li. Tonight's show was produced by me, Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA for their support. Have a great night. The post APEX Express – 1.08.26 – Magical Realism and AAPI Short Films appeared first on KPFA.

Gen 16:1-18:15, Matt 6:1-24, Ps 7:1-17, Pr 2:1-5

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Secrets of the Snow: Unraveling Mysteries in a Hidden Lab Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-07-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 佳豪站在雪山脚下，望着藏在山岭深处的秘密实验室。En: Jiahao stood at the foot of the snowy mountain, gazing at the secret laboratory hidden deep within the mountain ridge.Zh: 他的心情如同这寒冬般狂风呼啸，既激动又忐忑。En: His emotions were as fierce as the howling winter wind—excited yet uneasy.Zh: 春节快到了，村子里一片喜气洋洋，但他却有更重要的任务——揭开导师失踪前留下的谜题。En: The Spring Festival was approaching, and the village was bustling with joy, but he had a more important mission—to unravel the mystery left behind by his mentor before his disappearance.Zh: 梅玲是佳豪的搭档，她总是小心翼翼。En: Meiling was Jiahao's partner; she was always cautious.Zh: “你真的决定要去吗？这里这么冷，路又不好走，”梅玲提醒道。En: "Are you really sure you want to go? It's so cold here, and the path is difficult," Meiling reminded him.Zh: “我一定要去，”佳豪坚定地说。En: "I have to go," Jiahao replied firmly.Zh: “这是我对导师的承诺。”En: "It's my promise to my mentor."Zh: 和他们一起前往的还有顺，一个有些神秘的同事。En: Accompanying them was Shun, a somewhat mysterious colleague.Zh: 顺总是言辞模糊，让佳豪无法完全信任。En: Shun always spoke ambiguously, making Jiahao unable to fully trust him.Zh: 三人踏上了通往实验室的艰险之路。En: The three of them embarked on the treacherous path to the laboratory.Zh: 风雪交加，小径在雪层下若隐若现。En: With the wind and snow intertwining, the paths appeared faint under the snow layer.Zh: 梅玲不时停下，确保大家安全通过最危险的路段。En: Meiling frequently stopped to ensure everyone safely traversed the most dangerous sections.Zh: 终于，他们到了实验室。En: Finally, they reached the laboratory.Zh: 偌大的建筑物已经被遗忘多年，厚厚的尘土覆盖着一切。En: The vast structure had been forgotten for years, covered in a thick layer of dust.Zh: 佳豪的心脏跳得很快，他感到他们距真相越来越近。En: Jiahao's heart raced as he felt they were getting closer to the truth.Zh: “我们在这里到底要找什么？”顺突如其来的问题打破了宁静。En: "What exactly are we looking for here?" Shun's sudden question broke the silence.Zh: 佳豪突然停下脚步，转身盯着顺。En: Jiahao suddenly stopped, turned, and stared at Shun.Zh: 经过几天的旅途，他一直心怀疑虑，对顺的动机感到不安。En: After days of traveling, he had harbored doubts, feeling uneasy about Shun's motives.Zh: “说吧，你究竟为什么来？”En: "Come on, why are you really here?"Zh: 顺沉默片刻，然后轻声道，“我也崇拜我们的导师，我想保护他的研究不被滥用。”En: Shun was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I also admire our mentor and want to protect his research from misuse."Zh: 听完顺的解释，佳豪心中一紧，怀疑渐渐消散，他决定相信顺。En: After hearing Shun's explanation, Jiahao felt a tightening in his chest, and his suspicions gradually faded; he decided to trust Shun.Zh: 三人开始分工合作，寻找实验室里的线索。En: The three began working together, searching for clues in the laboratory.Zh: 经过长时间的努力，他们终于在一个墙角找到了一本厚厚的笔记本。En: After a long period of effort, they finally found a thick notebook in a corner of a wall.Zh: 这是导师最后的研究成果，揭示了一种能够在寒冷环境中生存的新型作物。En: It contained their mentor's final research findings, revealing a new type of crop capable of surviving in cold climates.Zh: “这太不可思议了！”佳豪兴奋地翻阅着。En: "This is incredible!" Jiahao exclaimed excitedly as he flipped through the pages.Zh: “我们可以把这项研究献给整个世界。”En: "We can share this research with the whole world."Zh: 梅玲拍了拍佳豪的肩膀，微笑着说：“你继承了导师的意志。”En: Meiling patted Jiahao's shoulder, smiling as she said, "You have inherited your mentor's will."Zh: 顺也露出释然的笑容，“我很高兴我们能够合作。”En: Shun also showed a relieved smile, "I'm glad we could work together."Zh: 佳豪学会了合作与信任的力量。En: Jiahao learned the power of collaboration and trust.Zh: 在这个充满新春气息的冬季，他和伙伴们通过共同的努力，找到了答案，也找到了彼此。En: In this winter season, filled with the spirit of the New Year, he and his teammates found answers through their joint efforts and also found each other.Zh: 这个春节，他们将带着导师的成果，与世人分享。En: This Spring Festival, they would share their mentor's discoveries with the world.Zh: 在回家的路上，风雪依然，但佳豪的心情却格外温暖。En: On the way home, the wind and snow persisted, but Jiahao's heart felt exceptionally warm.Zh: 他知道，无论走多远，有信任的伙伴在身边就足够了。En: He knew that no matter how far he traveled, having trustworthy partners by his side was enough.Zh: 冬季寒冷，但春天已经不远了。En: Winter was cold, but spring was not far away. Vocabulary Words:gazing: 望着mentor: 导师excited: 激动uneasy: 忐忑approaching: 快到了bustling: 喜气洋洋unravel: 揭开mystery: 谜题cautious: 小心翼翼path: 路firmly: 坚定地promise: 承诺ambiguous: 模糊trust: 信任treacherous: 艰险intertwining: 交加traverse: 通过faint: 若隐若现layer: 厚厚suspicions: 怀疑explanation: 解释harbored: 心怀motives: 动机clues: 线索findings: 成果surviving: 生存collaboration: 合作discovery: 发现persisted: 依然trustworthy: 信任的

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unveiling Treasures: A Yunnan Journey to Yichen Handicrafts Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-07-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 梅琳站在玉龙雪山的脚下，感受着冬日的清冽空气。En: Meilin stood at the foot of Yulong Snow Mountain, savoring the crisp winter air.Zh: 她的心情格外激动，因为这是她第一次来到云南。En: She felt particularly excited because this was her first visit to Yunnan.Zh: 年味渐浓，村子里挂满了红灯笼，市场上人来人往，卖着各种各样的手工艺品。En: As the New Year approached, the village was adorned with red lanterns, and the market thrived with people buying and selling a variety of handicrafts.Zh: 但梅琳发现许多商店出售的都是大同小异的商品，缺少独特之处。En: However, Meilin noticed that many stores were selling nearly identical products, lacking uniqueness.Zh: 为了找到特别的礼物，梅琳决定去不那么繁华的地方看看。En: To find a special gift, Meilin decided to explore less bustling areas.Zh: 她走进一个狭窄的小巷，看到一个隐秘的小店，店门口挂着“宜辰手工艺品”的招牌。En: She walked into a narrow alley and discovered a hidden little shop with a sign at the door that read "Yichen Handicrafts."Zh: 虽不大，但却透着一股朴实和真诚。En: Though small, it exuded a sense of simplicity and sincerity.Zh: 宜辰，一个年轻的工匠，正在店里忙碌。En: Yichen, a young craftsman, was busy inside the shop.Zh: 他手里拿着一块翡翠，细心地雕刻着。En: He was holding a piece of jade, carefully carving it.Zh: 看到客人进来，他友好地问道：“你好，需要些什么吗？En: Seeing a customer come in, he asked kindly, "Hello, what do you need?"Zh: ”梅琳环顾四周，目光在一只独特的翡翠吊坠上停住。En: Meilin glanced around and her eyes landed on a unique jade pendant.Zh: 吊坠形状如同玉龙雪山，栩栩如生，令人联想到山峰的壮丽和宁静。En: The pendant was shaped like Yulong Snow Mountain, vivid and lifelike, evoking thoughts of the majestic and serene peaks.Zh: 梅琳心里一动，这正是她想要的礼物。En: Meilin felt moved; this was exactly the gift she wanted.Zh: “这个吊坠真漂亮，可以卖给我吗？En: "This pendant is beautiful, could you sell it to me?"Zh: ”梅琳问道。En: Meilin asked.Zh: 宜辰微微犹豫，说：“这块翡翠对我有特别的意义，是我用来纪念家人的。En: Yichen hesitated slightly and said, "This piece of jade has special meaning to me; it is what I use to commemorate my family."Zh: ”梅琳感受到他话语中的珍重，于是坐下来，和宜辰聊了起来。En: Meilin sensed the importance in his words, so she sat down and started a conversation with Yichen.Zh: 梅琳分享了她与家人庆祝春节的传统，而宜辰则讲述了这块翡翠背后的故事，它象征着他对家人和家乡的思念。En: Meilin shared her family's traditions of celebrating the Spring Festival, while Yichen told the story behind the jade, which symbolized his longing for his family and hometown.Zh: 在这一刻，两个陌生人因为家庭和传统的联系，心贴得更近了。En: At that moment, the two strangers felt a closer bond through their connections to family and tradition.Zh: 经过深入的交流，宜辰决定将吊坠卖给梅琳。En: After an in-depth conversation, Yichen decided to sell the pendant to Meilin.Zh: 他相信梅琳会珍惜这份心意，就像他一直珍惜的一样。En: He believed that she would cherish this heartfelt token just as he always had.Zh: 梅琳带着一份欣慰和感动离开了店铺。En: Meilin left the shop feeling gratified and touched.Zh: 她不仅得到了特别的礼物，也收获了一段珍贵的记忆和一份真诚的友谊。En: She had not only received a special gift but also gained a precious memory and a sincere friendship.Zh: 在回程的路上，梅琳满怀感恩地想着：有时，真正的珍贵不仅在于物品本身，更在于其蕴含的情感和故事。En: On her way back, Meilin thoughtfully reflected: sometimes, the true value doesn't lie in the object itself, but in the emotion and story it contains. Vocabulary Words:savoring: 感受crisp: 清冽adorned: 挂满bustling: 繁华alley: 小巷exuded: 透着craftsman: 工匠jade: 翡翠carving: 雕刻vivid: 栩栩如生lifelike: 栩栩如生majestic: 壮丽serene: 宁静hesitated: 犹豫commemorate: 纪念cherish: 珍惜gratified: 欣慰touched: 感动precious: 珍贵reflect: 想着emotion: 情感thrived: 卖着uniqueness: 独特之处sign: 招牌sincerity: 真诚pendant: 吊坠bond: 联系connection: 联系heartfelt: 心意longing: 思念

In today's episode we continue to look at the man they called “Mandarin.” Several books, television programs and many podcasts have been focused of an ex-Dallas police officer that many researchers think was the trigger man who really killed JFK. That man was Roscoe White. Roscoe Anthony White sits at the intersection of rumor, coincidence, and unresolved historical tension. His story is a tangle of alleged intelligence ties, photographic evidence controversies, and family claims that surfaced decades after the assassination.

Gen 13:5-15:21, Matt 5:27-48, Ps 6:1-10, Pr 1:29-33

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Brewing Adventure: A Tale of Friendship and the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-06-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 茶屋里，暖意融融，空气中飘满了各种茶的香气。En: The chayu was warm and inviting, with the air filled with the aroma of various teas.Zh: 红灯笼高挂，窗边贴着漂亮的剪纸，迎接着即将到来的春节。En: Red lanterns were hung high, and beautiful paper cuttings adorned the windows, welcoming the upcoming Spring Festival.Zh: 窗外，寒风呼啸，雪花在空中飞舞。En: Outside, the cold wind howled, and snowflakes danced in the air.Zh: 这里是冬天里的一处温暖角落。En: It was a warm corner amidst the winter.Zh: 连和智坐在一个靠窗的小桌子旁。En: Lian and Zhi sat by a small table next to the window.Zh: 桌子上放着一壶热气腾腾的绿茶，两杯茶碗氤氲着白雾。En: A steaming pot of green tea sat on the table, with two cups emitting white mist.Zh: 连正翻阅着一本厚厚的计划本，上面密密麻麻地记满了字。En: Lian was flipping through a thick planner, which was densely packed with writing.Zh: 智，半靠在椅子上，正专心地呷着茶，无所事事的样子。En: Zhi, half-reclined on the chair, was focused on sipping tea, appearing leisurely.Zh: “智，我们要不要再订一个酒店？我听说长城附近的宾馆很难订到。”连皱着眉头，认真地问。En: "Zhi, should we book another hotel? I heard it's hard to get a reservation near the Great Wall," Lian asked seriously, frowning.Zh: 智慢悠悠地放下茶杯，微微一笑。“连，我们去长城是为了探索，不是去享受酒店的。”En: Zhi slowly put down the teacup and smiled slightly. "Lian, we're going to the Great Wall to explore, not to enjoy hotels."Zh: 连的眉头皱得更紧了。“但我不想旅途中出差错。”En: Lian's frown deepened. "But I don't want any mishaps on the trip."Zh: “但是，”智打断她，“有些意外也是旅行的一部分。我们去感受自由，而不是被计划束缚。”En: "But," Zhi interrupted her, "some unexpected events are also a part of traveling. We're going to experience freedom, not be bound by plans."Zh: 连沉默了一会儿，看着智，心里开始动摇。“可是，我担心会出问题。”En: Lian was silent for a moment, watching Zhi, beginning to waver. "But I'm worried things might go wrong."Zh: 智这时坐直了身子，认真地说道：“我们可以妥协。你安排好基本行程，我负责一些惊喜活动，怎样？”En: Zhi then sat up straight and said seriously, "We can compromise. You handle the basic itinerary, and I'll take care of some surprise activities, how about that?"Zh: 连思索着，手指轻轻敲打着桌面。En: Lian pondered, gently tapping her fingers on the table.Zh: 这个提议让她有些不安，但又感受到了一丝兴奋。En: This proposal made her a bit uneasy, but she also felt a hint of excitement.Zh: 她点了点头。“好吧，我们试试这样。”En: She nodded. "Alright, let's try it this way."Zh: 智露出了宽心的微笑。En: Zhi gave a reassuring smile.Zh: 两人相视而笑，心情逐渐放松下来。En: They exchanged smiles, gradually relaxing.Zh: 决定后的氛围轻松了很多。En: The atmosphere lightened a lot after the decision.Zh: 连开始讲述她对长城的期待，智则分享了许多即兴想法。En: Lian began to share her expectations for the Great Wall, while Zhi shared many spontaneous ideas.Zh: 茶壶里的茶水喝完了，计划也逐渐成型。En: The teapot was emptied, and the plan gradually took shape.Zh: 最后，连笑着说：“这次或许会是一次难忘的旅程。”En: Finally, Lian smiled and said, "This might be an unforgettable trip."Zh: 智点点头：“是啊，我们一起期待。”En: Zhi nodded, "Yes, let's look forward to it together."Zh: 在这温暖的茶屋里，两个人的友谊更加稳固。En: In the warmth of the chayu, their friendship became even stronger.Zh: 连学会了享受些许意外的乐趣，而智也体会到了计划的重要性。En: Lian learned to enjoy a bit of the unexpected, while Zhi also understood the importance of planning.Zh: 期待着他们的长城之旅，为即将到来的春节增添了别样的色彩。En: Their anticipation for their Great Wall trip added a unique color to the upcoming Spring Festival. Vocabulary Words:chayu: 茶屋inviting: 融融aroma: 香气howled: 呼啸smiled slightly: 微微一笑bound: 束缚waver: 动摇compromise: 妥协itinerary: 行程spontaneous: 即兴mishap: 差错unforgettable: 难忘anticipation: 期待howled: 呼啸adorned: 贴着steaming: 热气腾腾reclined: 半靠leisurely: 无所事事explore: 探索unexpected: 意外reassuring: 宽心uneasy: 不安pondered: 思索emitting: 氤氲densely: 密密麻麻mirth: 欢欣firmness: 稳固enthusiasm: 热情corner: 角落mist: 白雾

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Winter Tea House Tales: A Journey Between Friends Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-06-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 正值冬季，北海公园附近的一家茶馆，灯笼高挂，透出温暖的红光。En: It was winter, and near Beihai Park, a tea house had lanterns hanging high, exuding a warm red glow.Zh: 梅和梁，这两个久未谋面的朋友，正坐在一张靠窗的小桌前，手握热茶杯，注视着冬季北京的大街。En: Mei and Liang, two friends who hadn't met for a long time, were sitting at a small table by the window, holding hot tea cups and watching the streets of winter Beijing.Zh: 梅要赶回家过春节，踏上旅途的前夜，她满脑子都是对家人期待的焦虑。En: Mei was preparing to return home for the Spring Festival and, on the eve of her journey, her mind was filled with anxiety about her family's expectations.Zh: “这次回家，你有点紧张啊。”梁笑着说，轻轻吹散杯中的热气。En: "You're a bit nervous about going home this time, aren't you?" Liang said with a smile, gently blowing away the steam from his cup.Zh: 他虽平日话不多，但总能一眼看穿梅的心事。En: Although he wasn't usually talkative, he always could see through Mei's thoughts at a glance.Zh: 梅眉头紧锁，低声说：“是啊，总觉得压力很大，怕家人对我失望。”En: With furrowed brows, Mei said softly, "Yeah, I always feel a lot of pressure, afraid my family will be disappointed in me."Zh: 梁沉默片刻，他的心中也有话要说，但往日的沉默让他犹豫不决。En: Liang was silent for a moment, with his own thoughts to share, but his usual quietness made him hesitant.Zh: 此刻，茶馆的门上方铃铛轻响，一个慈祥的老人陈爷爷步入店中。En: At this moment, the bell above the tea house door rang softly, and an amiable old man, Grandpa Chen, stepped into the shop.Zh: “冬天的茶馆，总是能听见一些温暖的故事。”陈爷爷微笑着，坐在梅和梁的对桌，轻声说道。En: "A winter teahouse always has some warm stories to hear," Grandpa Chen said with a smile, sitting at the table across from Mei and Liang, speaking softly.Zh: 他常来这家茶馆，一如既往地散发着乐观和智慧。En: He often visited this tea house, always exuding optimism and wisdom.Zh: 梅微微抬头，陈爷爷眼神温暖而坚定，仿佛知道她的心事一般。En: Mei lifted her head slightly, and Grandpa Chen's gaze was warm and firm, as if he knew her thoughts.Zh: “每次节日也是一个新的开始。”陈爷爷中肯地说道。En: "Each festival is also a new beginning," Grandpa Chen said earnestly.Zh: “勇敢面对自己的心，才能找到真正的归属。”En: "Face your heart bravely, and you will find your true belonging."Zh: 这些话仿佛打开了梅的心扉。En: These words seemed to open Mei's heart.Zh: 她转向梁，轻声承认：“我总怕自己让家人失望。但心里又想，要有勇气去做自己。”En: She turned to Liang, softly admitting, "I've always been afraid of disappointing my family. But deep down, I want to have the courage to be myself."Zh: 梁听了顿时心生勇气：“梅，其实我也想告诉你，过去这些年我一直很欣赏你，希望我们能一直这样彼此支持下去。”En: Hearing this, Liang suddenly felt a surge of courage: "Mei, actually, I also wanted to tell you that over the past few years I've always admired you, and I hope we can continue to support each other."Zh: 梅被友谊的长久深厚温暖着。En: Mei was warmed by the enduring depth of their friendship.Zh: 她对梁的目光中有了新的亮光，这种感觉是温柔且坚定的。En: Her gaze towards Liang held a new brightness, a feeling that was gentle yet firm.Zh: 茶馆外，雪花轻飘。En: Outside the tea house, snowflakes drifted down lightly.Zh: 梅起身准备离开，心中多了一份敬意与期待。En: Mei got up to leave, feeling a newfound respect and anticipation.Zh: 梁目送她离去，心中轻松了许多，他终于表达了自己的感受，无论结果如何，他为自己感到骄傲。En: Liang watched her go, feeling much lighter in his heart; he had finally expressed his feelings and felt proud no matter the outcome.Zh: 梅走出茶馆，望着飘雪，内心不再觉得孤单。En: Mei walked out of the tea house, gazing at the falling snow, no longer feeling lonely inside.Zh: 这次回家，她抱着新的信心和勇气，期待着团聚。En: This time going home, she embraced new confidence and courage, looking forward to the reunion.Zh: 在冷风中，她的脚步轻盈，身后的红灯笼如她般温暖明亮。En: In the cold wind, her steps were light, and the red lanterns behind her were as warm and bright as she was.Zh: 梁在她身后目送，心中对未来充满希望。En: Liang watched her leave, filled with hope for the future.Zh: 茶馆重新归于宁静，杯中茶香犹在。En: The tea house returned to tranquility, the fragrance of tea lingering.Zh: 陈爷爷微微一笑，抬眼望向窗外，他知道，这对朋友的故事还将继续，冬日的茶馆，也因他们而变得更加温暖。En: Grandpa Chen smiled slightly, looking out the window, knowing this friend's story would continue, and the winter tea house had become even warmer because of them. Vocabulary Words:exuding: 散发glow: 光anxiety: 焦虑furrowed: 紧锁silent: 沉默hesitant: 犹豫amiable: 慈祥optimism: 乐观earnestly: 中肯地belonging: 归属enduring: 长久深厚gaze: 目光antipation: 期待lingering: 犹在tranquility: 宁静fragrance: 茶香brows: 眉头admired: 欣赏courtesy: 诚恳glimmer: 微光surge: 心生linger: 徘徊glow: 红光stepped: 步入gently: 轻声eager: 迫切disappointed: 失望festival: 节日reunion: 团聚embarking: 上路

In today's episode of The Produce Industry Podcast, host Patrick Kelly breaks down one of the most pressing issues facing California citrus growers this season: the unexpected surge in mandarin fruit drop.With a lighter crop already forecasted, above‑average rain, persistent fog, and rising fungal pressure have created a perfect storm in the groves — and growers across the Northern Central Valley are feeling the impact. Patrick unpacks the science, the weather patterns, the market implications, and the real‑world decisions growers are making right now to protect their operations.From Fungal stress to delayed harvest windows, from packout concerns to pricing shifts, this episode gives you a clear, grounded look at what's happening, why it's happening, and what the industry needs to prepare for as the 2025–26 season unfolds.Website: www.aglifemedia.comMobile App: app.theproduceindustrypodcast.com

Gen 11:1-13:4, Matt 5:1-26, Ps 5:1-12, Pr 1:24-28

2025 has come to an end. Which were the most popular articles on Hacking Chinese last year? The most popular podcast episodes? It's time to summarise the year that was and highlight the things you really shouldn't miss!#learnchinese #2025 #bestof #hackingchineseLink to article on Hacking Chinese: Best of Hacking Chinese 2025: https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2025/All articles on Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/archive-2Hacking Chinese Resources: http://resources.hackingchinese.com/Hacking Chinese Challenges: https://challenges.hackingchinese.com/Zi.Tools: A powerful free resource for exploring Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/zi-tools-a-powerful-free-resource-for-exploring-chinese-charactersClassroom Mandarin: Essential expressions for learning Chinese in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/classroom-mandarin-essential-expressions-for-learning-chinese-in-chineseUsing AI chatbots for low-stress Mandarin speaking practice: https://www.hackingchinese.com/using-ai-chatbots-for-low-stress-mandarin-speaking-practiceLearning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-inputThe best YouTube channels for learning Chinese in 2025: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-youtube-channels-for-learning-chineseLove and language: Challenges and opportunities in learning Chinese with a partner: https://www.hackingchinese.com/language-learning-with-a-chinese-girlfriend-or-boyfriend16 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/reasons-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-hand7 characteristics of a great chinese tutor or private teacher: https://www.hackingchinese.com/characteristics-of-a-great-chinese-tutor-or-private-teacher16 myths about learning Chinese that are holding you back: https://www.hackingchinese.com/myths-about-learning-chinese-that-are-holding-you-backWhat a big Rubik's Cube taught me about Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-a-big-rubiks-cube-taught-me-about-chinese-characters4, 3, 2, 1: Fluency! A great technique to boost your Mandarin speaking ability: https://www.hackingchinese.com/4-3-2-1-fluency-a-great-technique-for-boost-your-mandarin-speaking-abilityHow to improve your Mandarin speaking skills with a tutor: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-improve-your-mandarin-speaking-skills-with-a-tutorThe three roads to mastering Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-three-roads-to-mastering-chineseThe Input Pyramid: Chinese Listening for Any Situation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-input-pyramid-chinese-listening-for-any-situationCourses on Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/coursesMore information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

聊中西文化，也聊很多东西！第八十一期，一年又到头了，这一年做了很多事情，过得很快！和Yifei一起聊聊2025年，和对2026年的期望。 欢迎给我们来信： ttmiChinese@gmail.comHave online class with Candice, please email candicex2018@gmail.comYouTube: Candice X Chinese MandarinInstagram: CandiceXMandarin2022免费学习资料 Free study materials please visit Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/candicexPDF full script for episode 81: coming soonVideo with full subtitles for episode 81: https://youtu.be/jFtzmYsmQ4s

Gen 8:1-10:32, Matt 4:12-25, Ps 4:1-8, Pr 1:20-23