In Between

Veronika ZV

Where foreigners meet foreigners in a foreign country and share lifestyles, curiosities, ideas, beliefs, stigmas, taboos, cultural traits and anything worth the chat! The world is our home and it is up to us to explore it as we wish to, even though it meaning we will be away from family and friends for some time, and more often, extended periods of time. Loneliness can creep in like a close friend, and we find ourselves lost in the middle of the unfamiliar. This is a safe space to build community and bring people from different places together with a common goal, connection and belonging.

  1. 6 THG 2

    SOLO - 6 Things I've Learned

    Happy 2026 everyone! We are not done with the podcast! I just decided to take a bit of a break while I was enjoying some much needed quality time at home with my family in Brazil! Sometimes we need to reset, change the environment and most importantly, focus on what is right in front of us, which is, the present moment. It is the start of a new year, new beginnings, new goals, new accomplishments! But nothing we plan for the future will matter as much as what we do today. And what we do today is an inevitable consequence of our choices in the past. We learn from or mistakes, we grow, and we succeed. I have a lot to be thankful in 2025, but starting this podcast taught me more about myself than I could imagine. Because of this podcast I found out other parts of myself that needed improvement, development and adaptation. Here are a few things I’ve learned with this podcast, not only about me, but about all of us: 1) Communication skills 2) Everyone craves connection 3) The magic of listening 4) The importance of community 5) Everyone has a good side 6) We are not here in spite of each other, we are here BECAUSE of each other   Please share your insights and views on this topic and all the topics to come! I love having feedback and to know if you are enjoying the content I’m putting out there. Also, please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't done yet, please subscribe to the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Podcast     Follow me:  Instagram: ⁠⁠@inbetweenwithvzv⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Veronika ZV

    39 phút
  2. Sandro Serratine – “I don’t need to understand everything, I have to accept”

    05/12/2025

    Sandro Serratine – “I don’t need to understand everything, I have to accept”

    Meet Sandro, another Brazilian brother that I was fortunate to have been put in contact with though another fellow Brazilian who came on the podcast a few weeks ago. This is another proof that “word of mouth” really works! Sandro is originally from Presidente Venceslau, in São Paulo state, but he moved quite a bit, not only in Brazil but also in the United States. He eventually had the opportunity of coming to China because of his international job with logistics back in Brazil. Even though this was his first experience in Asia, Sandro always wanted to live abroad, me and him share the same mindset of two things being true at the same time, we love our family/friends but we don’t need to live at the same city asthem. As the majority of people I have interviewed, the main aspect people notice the most when they just arrive in China is how safe this country is, and that is no different for Sandro. Specially coming from Brazil, the safety feeling of living in China really impressed him. I also ask him about any stereotypes hemight have had about the country before coming, and he makes a very good point saying that he had no expectations or thoughts of China before, which really helped him to get used to the country easier. We chat the struggles and frustrations it can be learning Mandarin, and what is the one sentence he relies on! We also expand on the subject of loneliness as a foreigner in the country and the challenges we all face when trying to create more deep and meaningful connections, especially with the locals. Sandronoticed some peculiarities about the Asian culture and how it is translated into the society and it is translated on how people relate to each other. Sandro tells me his struggles with Chinese food, the adventure of traveling to Beijing by train, the things he misses the most about his home country, the feeling of not belonging to this fast-pace city, and his plans of maybe moving to Thailand! I hope you enjoy this fun conversation as much as I did recording it.   Please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't doneyet, please subscribe to the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Podcast   Follow me: Instagram: ⁠⁠@inbetweenwithvzv⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Veronika Z.V.⁠⁠ Guest medias: Instagram: @sandroserratine

    44 phút
  3. Pierre Arnaud– “I feel like I witnessed history quite often”

    28/11/2025

    Pierre Arnaud– “I feel like I witnessed history quite often”

    Meet Pierre, an adventurous and risk taker mechanical engineer with a distinctly unique background. Half French, half Polish, Pierre grew up in an international environment since the age of three years old when his family moved to Japan, then Poland, then Cyprus. That was the beginning of his journey living abroad and that eventually led to him moving full time to Asia. Pierre speaks fluently three languages and is pushing on his fourth, mandarin, which he started studying at the age of 14 with the help of his father in a very unique way, but it wasn’t until he actually moved to Shenzhen that he saw exponentialimprovements on his skills. Because of his “itchy legs” for adventure and desire to move to another country after graduating university, he decided he wanted to move to Asia. Although his three top places of choices did not happen, he was enlightened by two books he read about Hong Kong, and was later fortunate enough to get a job there as a mechanical engineer for a high-end home medical device company. Some years later, he was in charge of opening a new branch of the company here in Shenzhen. We discuss pandemic times in this area, making friends as a foreigner, long term views and goals and how his mindset and “always up for a challenge” personality fueled his drive to be in Shenzhen. Pierre also makes very good comparisons between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, from which anyone thinking about coming to this side of the world should listen to. Pierre feels like Asia is his comfort zone, having experienced a lot of different cultures growing up and being exposed to Asia at such a young age kind of prepared him for what was coming. This is a conversation you will not want to miss, from every day mundane things to deep topics about life and politics, it will make you expand your horizon to other ways of living life.   Please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't doneyet, please subscribe to the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Podcast   Follow me: Instagram: ⁠⁠@inbetweenwithvzv⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Veronika Z.V.⁠⁠ Guest medias: Instagram: @pierrearnaud_

    59 phút
  4. Rafaela Rebello – “It is one of the only places in the world in which you can really challenge yourself and see where is your limit.”

    21/11/2025

    Rafaela Rebello – “It is one of the only places in the world in which you can really challenge yourself and see where is your limit.”

    Meet Rafa, a fellow Southern Brazilian who I had the pleasure to meet through one of the many expat groups here in China. Like many of us foreigners here, China was not in her plans, but life opportunities opened to her the doors to Asia. Her journey of living abroad started when she did an exchange program in Canada, which broadened her horizons to what could be out there. Before coming to Shenzhen, Rafa lived in another province here in China, in the city of Yiwu (义乌市), which is more “Chinese China” than Shenzhen! She opens about about her experience trying to learn Chinese there and how at some point she gave up! Until she started trying again here in Shenzhen with my teacher, who has a different method of teaching, which allowed Rafa to have a breakthrough and is finally picking up the language. We have a very nice discussion of how much speaking the language of the country makes you better relate and understand the culture.  Rafa points out a few common habits in society which used to bother her when she first arrived, but now she realized how it helped her to learn more about the culture and understand that society expectations are different here. We also expand onsome misconceptions about China people from outside, such as religion and eating habits. From drinking room temperature sodas in restaurants to the ups and downs of the everyday life, we chat everything that comes along with the cultural shock of coming from the West to the East. Please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't doneyet, please subscribe to the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Podcast   Follow me: Instagram: ⁠⁠@inbetweenwithvzv⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Veronika Z.V.⁠⁠ Guest medias: Instagram: @rafaelaarebello LinkedIn : Rafaela Rebello

    51 phút
  5. Gavin Martin – “I can never show my face there again.”

    14/11/2025

    Gavin Martin – “I can never show my face there again.”

    Meet Gavin, another fellow volleyball player with whom I have a lot of friends in common! He’s been living in China a little bit longer than me. After graduating university in the UK and getting a job he hated, he decided to quit and go backpacking with a friend to discover this side of the world, which was his very first experience in Asian lands, but not China. After realizing his passion for video games was deeper than simply playing it, Gavin decided to pursue a career as a computer science teacher, which is his current job here in Shenzhen. China was not his first choice of country, but itcertainly won him over. We chat about how different the teenagers in the UK are compared to the ones he teaches here in China, not just in terms of teaching them but also, they as  people and how expectations are different between the two countries.  We also get into the friendship and community aspect of China and how our “abilities to make friends change as we get older”. He also shares an interesting take on the international community in China and why we discuss why it is important to try your best to immerse yourself in the country you are at. Gavin also shares his experience of first arriving in China, during pandemic times, and what an adventure it was! From beginning struggles to finally overcoming daily challenges and living comfortably here, we touch on the topic of future and howhe sees his life solidifying here in China, maybe in another city? This was a fun and insightful conversation in which you will learn not only the level of convenience China gives you but also how important it might be to learn the language and with that in mind, you will also learn how many “days strikes” Gavin has on Duolinguo studying mandarin (if you know, you know).   Please share this episode with a friend, and if you haven't done yet, please subscribe to the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Podcast   Follow me: Instagram: ⁠⁠@inbetweenwithvzv⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Veronika Z.V.⁠⁠ Guest medias: Instagram: @gavinmartin91

    44 phút

Giới Thiệu

Where foreigners meet foreigners in a foreign country and share lifestyles, curiosities, ideas, beliefs, stigmas, taboos, cultural traits and anything worth the chat! The world is our home and it is up to us to explore it as we wish to, even though it meaning we will be away from family and friends for some time, and more often, extended periods of time. Loneliness can creep in like a close friend, and we find ourselves lost in the middle of the unfamiliar. This is a safe space to build community and bring people from different places together with a common goal, connection and belonging.