The Open Door UK Anthony and Patrick

S01E16: Sue Cheung is an award-winning children's author with her debut novel, Chinglish, winning the Diverse Book Awards. 

In this episode we talk about her relationship with illustration and writing, an exploration of a childhood in the takeaway, and the difficult choices she made in her early adulthood. 

Timestamps: 

(1:18) Sue’s new book, Maddie Yip: A Guide to Life

(5:21) Why illustrate and write children’s literature?

(7:16) Process of children’s literature creation

(8:09) Where do quality characters come from? Imagination vs. Reality?

(9:26) Journey since the launch of debut novel, Chinglish

(15:19) Relating to dilemmas in literature

(16:03) Attitude towards initial reluctance to tell personal story

(19:10) Chinglish excerpt

(19:55) Parents’ negligence towards children’s education

(24:24) Parents’ reaction to pregnancy

(29:52) Doubt about decision to move away from son

(31:40) The Chinese takeaway being passed down

(37:38) Relationship with Hong Kong

(43:39) Immigrant parents influencing own parenting

(49:38) Advice to her son that she never got growing up

----

Our Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

For other podcast platforms, check out our link for other services at:

https://anchor.fm/the-open-door-uk

S01E15: Michael Le is a passionate mindset coach and public speaker, having been invited to do several TEDx talks. 
But, in the past, Michael suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, and volunteering in homeless shelter in Vietnam was going to be his last good deed to this world. But, it ended up changing his life. Now, he is the founder of his charity Fundraise For Vietnam, a non-profit organisation that aims to help disadvantaged children in Vietnam.
---
Michael Le's website
Michael Le's Instagram 
Michael Le's TEDx talk "Your Comfort Zone Is Your Danger Zone" 
---
Timestamps 
(1:03) Michael’s present life and projects
(2:05) The decision to become a mindset coach
(5:25) Pressures that influence our mindset
(11:13) Flexible vs. Fixed Goals
(18:56) Using the word “motivate” on fewer occasions
(23:45) Mindset coach traits and characteristics
(26:53) Asking powerful questions
(29:25) Mindset coach-like figures growing up
(33:31) Past emotional difficulty as competitive advantage
(36:42) Mindset coach perspective on ‘Identity’
(41:03) The limiting narrative of “being too old, not enough time”
(46:10) “Vietnam will always be home” – what do you mean?
(59:17) The 21st Century mindset: career or family-first?
(1:10:26) The purpose of Life
(1:14:25) Leaving a legacy
---
Our Socials:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
This episode is also available on Spotify.
For other podcast platforms, check out our links here.

S01E14: Chloe Kwok is a multi-instrumentalist composer working at a video game company, Rare Ltd. She has composed soundtracks for the game Sea of Thieves, a first-person multiplayer action-adventure game. She is incredibly down to earth and had us laughing throughout the episode!

Check out her soundtrack for Sea of Thieves here.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:21 Chloe’s journey into classical music

8:10 Working at Rare Ltd, a video game company

9:32 What makes a good video game soundtrack?

16:29 Chinese music from Mainland China and Hong Kong

23:27 Cantonese and Chinese School

30:15 Having an identity crisis

47:52 Is a university degree necessary for video game composing?

50:11 Any other ESEA women in your field?

58:22 Advice for aspiring video game composers

---

Rare Ltd.

Chloe's:

Instagram

Twitter

Website

___

Our Instagram @theopendooruk

S01E13: This is a conversation with Dr Hanifi Baris, a research fellow at the University of Aberdeen with a Kurdish Armenian identity. He practised as a Lawyer in Istanbul, Turkey, for around 8 years working closely with Human Rights. And before his current post as a researcher he worked at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey as a legislative consultant.

In this episode we talk about his childhood growing up in Turkey, a place hostile to the Kurdish identity and undermining its right to exist. We also discuss the Kurdish Political Philosophy as the population does not have a permanent state of its own. As a person from a cultural group that straddles four countries - a minority everywhere - I ask him at the end what “Home” and “belonging” means to him personally.

---

Timestamps 

(1:09) Childhood relationship with Kurdish Armenian Identity

(8:38) Thoughts on modern Kurdistan

(22:45) Accepting identity at university

(28:39) "Identity becomes salient when attacked"

(32:27) Subtle cultural signifiers that betray “otherness”

(41:08) Relationship between different Kurdish minorities

(45:03) Movement of people between the Kurdish Borders

(50:59) Kurdistan’s deliberate and reactive statelessness

(1:04:11) Where is “home” for you?

---

Dr. Hanifi's paper on Kurdish deliberate and reactive statelessness: 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348634497_THE_KURDS_A_HISTORY_OF_DELIBERATE_AND_REACTIVE_STATELESSNESS_1

---

Our Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This episode is also available on Spotify.

For other podcast platforms, check out our links here.

S01E12: Tayo Rockson still remembers what happened on Aug 22nd 2012.

He was dissatisfied with his job in a city he didn’t want to live in. Driving to work another car cut him off, forcing him to swerve into the road guard, and flipping his car onto its side.

He was left with no serious injuries. But this brush with harm or death stirred up an existential crisis, “Who am I? What have I done with my life?”

Now, nine years on, he is the CEO of UYD Management, a cross-cultural consultancy firm. He is the host of a successful cultural podcast, As Told By Nomads, where it’s on its 570th episode. And, he’s also been invited to do three TED Talks… in one year!

As a Nigerian, he has lived in four continents, five countries. He is now based in New York.

Tayo's Website 

Tayo's Instagram 

---- 

Timestamps 

(1:22) Tayo’s Third Culture Kid background

(12:36) Life under Dictatorship vs. Democracy

(19:51) UYD Management’s journey

(28:26) How to deal and communicate with ignorant and privilege people?

(34:14) A specific and vivid memory from his international childhood

(37:30) Tayo’s opinion on Black representation in America

----

Our Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This episode is also available on Spotify.

For other podcast platforms, check out our links here.

S01E11: "The ultimate sense of belonging is to yourself", says Jasmine Lo, an advertising/marketing strategist. 

She is also a creative writer (accompanied by her bookstagram @extreme.metaphors) - with an ability to create illuminating descriptions, for example, in her letter for her late grandfather. The episode begins with a recitation of that letter. 

In this episode we talk about the nature of writing about family and the craft itself and Identity/Belonging. 

Jasmine's writing

---

Timestamps: 

(0:53) Jasmine’s letter to her late grandfather

(2:34) Writing about family

(5:50) Family reminiscing past relatives

(11:22) Changes in individual language usage

(20:03) George Orwell’s four writing motivations

(23:03) A possible missing fifth motivation?

(28:25) Writing that seems otherworldly

(34:42) Cultural background and identity

(36:19) Character traits surfacing in different cultures

---

Our Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This episode is also available on Spotify.

For other podcast platforms, check out our links here.