The View From A Broad

Teresa Norton
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Semimonthly

Hi welcome to The View From A Broad. I'm Teresa Norton and this podcast dives into my past, revisiting columns I wrote for the South China Morning Post between 1993 and 2000 during my 40 years living in Hong Kong.   These often funny, sometimes tender, occasionally provocative musings cover everything from marriage and working motherhood, to national identity and global events. As a weekly columnist I aimed to capture the quirks of human interactions, carve up a few sacred cows and tell it like it is... but did I?  In the 30 years since those columns were written much has changed and... so have I.   In each episode I read a column and talk to a guest about  how the piece stands up today - what still rings true and what feels out of sync with today’s world. They then share a true story from their past that's been unearthed by something in the column.    The result is an engaging and honest conversation about the evolution of social norms, culture and humor, re-examining the past through the lens of today’s values.    By looking back with compassion and curiosity, my hope is that The View From A Broad encourages reflection on how our perspectives have changed... or not... and why. 

  1. 1d ago

    Going Postal In the Nicest Way | Teresa talks to John-Paul Flintoff

    Send us Fan Mail NOTE: In this episode we discuss mental health, depression and suicide, so please take a moment to consider whether or not this is safe subject matter for you. "A Speccy Man Has a Breakdown" is the name of the book that my guest, John-Paul Flintoff has recently published - it captures, through illustrations his experience as a patient in a psychiatric hospital, having checked himself in with severe depression. Each of my guests chooses a newspaper column I wrote from 1993 - 2000 so we can unpack what still feels relevant and what has changed in our world and ourselves.  John-Paul chose a humorous piece that made a comparison of the cheerful chaps who posted my overseas Christmas parcels with their "disgruntled" counterparts in the US Postal service who had gained notoriety for turning up at work and "going postal".  That term, by the '90's, had become commonplace slang to describe someone who had simply lost their temper with no violence involved. It had become a joke.  In fact, there's a reference, in the 1990's comedy series "Seinfeld" to Jerry Seinfeld's neighbor Newman who is disgruntled and a postal worker, taking over Son of Sam's postal route.  John-Paul and I talk about whether mental health should be off limits in comedy today.  I ask if there were signs that family members and friends should be aware of that may indicate serious depression is affecting a loved one. John-Paul shares about the confluence of events that he feels brought him to seek help. John-Paul is an artist and a writer and worked as a feature writer on the Financial Times and the Sunday Times of London, his book is available through his website: https://www.flintoff.org #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    31 min

  2. Jun 24

    Losing Your Way Down Memory Lane | Teresa talks to Will Fan

    Send us Fan Mail Has balancing work and family gotten tougher from one generation to the next?  My parents had clearly defined roles: Dad earned the money, Mom managed the home and kids, my brother and I were responsible for schoolwork: he was better at that than I was.   To a great extent, that same division of labor was mirrored in my marriage.   My husband worked and travelled , I worked and (while hands-off with the household chores, thanks to living in Hong Kong where domestic help was  affordable and available) I did most of the "kid stuff", and, like many of my fellow working mothers, found the balancing act was taking its toll on our minds! My guest in this episode is Will Fan, CEO of NewCampus, an online business school focused on emerging markets, husband to business partner Faye and new father to their son - the latter job is the focus of our conversation as Will shares how he and his wife have redefined the roles of mother and father. "She's the CEO and I'm head of Operations when it comes to our son".  Faye's all about long and short term planning and strategy. Will is in charge of implementation.  This means he suits up and shows up... to the playdates! Will shares lessons learned from his own hardworking immigrant parents, how he's found support and friendship through a tribe of other dads, some ways that technology is helping him, his wife and their domestic helper (Will now lives in Singapore) to stay on top of their son's changing needs, and his top two tips for today's young fathers. Join us for this game changing conversation, and please follow, subscribe and drop a comment if you're enjoying the podcast! #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    32 min

  3. Jun 10

    Hurrah for TV's Hefty Heroine | Teresa talks to Daniella Means

    Send us Fan Mail Teresa is joined by Professional Bodybuilder, World Champion Powerlifter, former international rugby player, and entrepreneur who stars as Voltage in  Amazon Prime’s American Gladiators, Daniella Means. Dani is the perfect person to help unpack Teresa's 1990's newspaper column that sends up  20-minute infomercial for an exercise machine, presented by a hard selling, pencil thighed, firm bottomed blonde bombshell and a retired football player, that she  juxtaposes against the beautiful and bodacious butt kicking star of cult classic sword and sorcery tv series, Xena Warrior Princess. Daniella and Teresa talk about the ongoing search for the "ideal" body, the male gaze, the female gaze, the world of competitive body building, post feminism, a savage attack by a stranger and the incredible impact of an inspirational mom. #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    33 min

  4. May 27

    Dancing Queen Without a King | Teresa talks to Dana Spade

    Send us Fan Mail Do men and women still dance with each other? I don't mean on celebrity dance-offs or bouncing up and down as a group at a concert.  I mean in each other's arms, cheek to cheek... or at the very least facing one another. In the 1990's I wrote a column bemoaning the fact that my then-husband had dismissed the idea of joining me to learn to tango, samba, waltz and cha-cha. Would I ever find that man who would clasp my hand in his, place his other hand in the small of my back and glide me round a dance floor? I did - in what would then have been described as a "gay" bar - and his name was Job, but it might just as well have been Fred (Astaire) or Gene (Kelly) or Ginger (Rogers). Join me and my guest, former litigator, prosecutor and now retired judge, Dana Spade for a conversation that explores the etiquette of straight women in queer bars, the advent of tick tock and the effect of technology on socialization.  Dana who met her husband on an Aikido mat, shares about that martial art as a dance of self-defense, and we talk about the importance of creating environments today where young people can go a bit wild and still feel safe. #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    29 min

  5. Apr 28

    Caught in the Rat Race | Teresa talks to Dean Winter

    Send us Fan Mail Did you have a summer job when you were a teenager? In 1974 Teresa worked as the hostess/receptionist guiding diners to their table at a restaurant that specialized in pies and... was dealing with an infestation! Her guest, Dean Winter has worked in leadership roles at world famous hotels including Hong Kong's iconic Mandarin Oriental Hotel where he and Teresa met, and more recently as Managing Director of award winning Swire Hotels. But Dean didn't start out at 5-star properties. As a young man and aspiring chef, he started out washing pots and pans in London restaurants. Stories from fine dining to a hair raising kitchen experience are swapped, laughter ensues and, during the break, Dean shares his personal connection with, and a football legend's call for support of a charity that supports an incurable condition, referred to as "butterfly skin". #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    32 min

  6. Apr 15

    Workin' My Way Back to You, Babe | Teresa talks to Filipa Fonseca Silva

    Send us Fan Mail Can a working mother "have it all"?  Is mothering just an endless cycle of trade-offs? My guest is bestselling author Filipa Fonseca Silva, who, as a mother of two, opted to put her children first and that commitment has published 7 novels, 2 non-fiction books, 1 children's book, and countless chronicles, short stories, and essays, placing herself as one of the most prominent voices of contemporary Portuguese Literature. This episode combines much laughter with Filipa's passionate call for women to use their voices and take control of their lives, a specific mission of hers it to have Portuguese women writers recognized beside their male counterparts.  To that end, she founded  Clube das Mulheres Escritoras (Women Writers’ Club), a platform for mutual support among national authors, promoting Portuguese Literature written by women. #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    34 min

  7. Apr 1

    Keepin' the Faith in a Big City | Teresa talks to Sulakshana Chemudupati

    Send us Fan Mail Don't judge a place by its reputation.  Hong Kong, India, Dubai, Portugal... Teresa and her guest Sulakshana Chemudupati, dispel some myths and share how  interpersonal connections have impacted their experiences living in some of the most exciting and misunderstood locations on the planet. Sulakshana who, after more than a decade in Dubai took a leap of faith to live a hybrid life between India and Portugal, is the founder of Avant-Green, a consultancy that partners with clients to help them achieve their climate and social impact goals. This conversational journey begins with a column Teresa wrote almost 3 decades ago about the kindness of strangers in her adopted home, Hong Kong - what is lost raising a family so far from blood relatives and the gift of friendships forged on "foreign" soil. The matriarchal lineage and how putting into practice today what our grandmothers knew can benefit our bodies and our planet. Plus there are actionable sustainable fashion tips that will save your pocketbook and our planet   #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    35 min

  8. Mar 17

    Reelin' Down the Hershey Highway | Teresa talks to Charlie Schroeder

    Send us Fan Mail Have fad diets become a thing of the past? How do you get cast as "Mr. P***y" in the hit 1990's television series "Sex and the City"? Are there things you found funny 3 decades ago that make you cringe today? 30 years ago Teresa and her then-husband tried a fad diet that promised 10lb weight loss in just days and ended up falling off a wagon piled with tinned beetroot,  cans of tuna and soda crackers and into a gallon carton of chocolate covered malted milk balls. Join Teresa and guest, Charlie Schroeder - journalist, author, actor, writing coach and communications trainer for a rolicking trip through New York, Hong Kong and eventually take the turnoff to Hershey, Pennsylvania. During the infomercial break, Charlie shares about a charity that gives both bicycles and young people a new lease on life.  https://thecommonwheel.com #changingworld #hongkong #humor #podcast #notforprofitorganisation #teresanorton  #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth

    33 min
See All (43)

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Hi welcome to The View From A Broad. I'm Teresa Norton and this podcast dives into my past, revisiting columns I wrote for the South China Morning Post between 1993 and 2000 during my 40 years living in Hong Kong.   These often funny, sometimes tender, occasionally provocative musings cover everything from marriage and working motherhood, to national identity and global events. As a weekly columnist I aimed to capture the quirks of human interactions, carve up a few sacred cows and tell it like it is... but did I?  In the 30 years since those columns were written much has changed and... so have I.   In each episode I read a column and talk to a guest about  how the piece stands up today - what still rings true and what feels out of sync with today’s world. They then share a true story from their past that's been unearthed by something in the column.    The result is an engaging and honest conversation about the evolution of social norms, culture and humor, re-examining the past through the lens of today’s values.    By looking back with compassion and curiosity, my hope is that The View From A Broad encourages reflection on how our perspectives have changed... or not... and why. 

Information

  • Creator
    Teresa Norton
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © 2025 Teresa Norton LLC
  • Show Website
    The View From A Broad