
Chiwi Journal
By Camellia Yang
Conversations between global citizens on culture observation, digital transformation and self-actualisation.
Host Camellia Yang, a Chinese New Zealander, interviews people she met on her digital nomad journey who are on a unique path to creating a better future and shares the lessons and tips they learned.
Season One (1 - 111 episodes) is in Chinese.
Season Two (112 episodes - current) is in English.
Host Camellia Yang, a Chinese New Zealander, interviews people she met on her digital nomad journey who are on a unique path to creating a better future and shares the lessons and tips they learned.
Season One (1 - 111 episodes) is in Chinese.
Season Two (112 episodes - current) is in English.

Chiwi JournalJul 22, 2021
00:00
37:18

#161: A Letter to the Ones Who Wander in Lisbon
You once asked me: Are you still searching for home?In this episode, I try to answer you.It’s not a guidebook to Lisbon. It’s a voice memo from a night tram. A letter from a café table. A footnote scrawled under a fado song.If you’ve ever felt like an outsider, or longed for a place that doesn’t quite exist — maybe, like me, you’ll find something in this city that gently holds your questions, without rushing to answer them.
Apr 22, 202544:46

#160: Inside Network School 4 | Conversation with Alyssa Phelps
In this episode, we welcome Alyssa Phelps, an artist and former professional in international trade research and taxation. Currently based at the Network School, Alyssa shares her passion for women's health, sustainable fashion, and creative arts, including her journey into tufted art and silversmithing.
Topics Covered:
1. Women's Health and Period Products:
- Alyssa's personal journey into investigating the safety of period products.
- Key findings on harmful substances in period products, including PFAS, dioxins, and heavy metals.
- Discussion on the lack of mandatory safety tests in the industry.
- Suggestions for safer product choices and the importance of consumer education.
2. The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion:
- How fast fashion contributes to environmental harm through overproduction and poor-quality materials.
- Alyssa's thoughts on the addictive nature of platforms like Shein and their negative impact on personal and environmental health.
3. The Value of Secondhand Clothing:
- Benefits of thrifting: uniqueness, quality, and environmental sustainability.
- Overcoming stereotypes around hygiene and secondhand shopping.
- Tips for finding secondhand treasures and repurposing vintage items creatively.
4. Creative Pursuits and Sustainability in Art:
- Alyssa's process for creating a tufted snake vase, inspired by Vietnamese artist Shishi San.
- The role of art in sustainability and self-expression.
5. Fashion Evolution and Personal Style:
- How to develop personal style using tools like Pinterest and mood boards.
- The importance of quality over quantity in curating a wardrobe.
6. The Broader Impact of Sustainability:
- Insights into the need for a systemic change in both fashion and women's health industries.
- The role of informed consumers and creative thinkers in shaping a more sustainable future.
Resources Mentioned:
Network School
Dr. Shanna Swan
1638 - Dr. Shanna Swan - The Joe Rogan Experience
Global Organic Textile Standard: Home - GOTS
Follow Alyssa on IG
Dr. Stacy Sims: Female-Specific Exercise & Nutrition for Health, Performance & Longevity
MAMAVATION | Non-Toxic Products For Healthy Families
Natural Pads for Periods - Natracare
GoodwillFinds: Online Thrift Store
How Dangerous Are Lululemon Leggings?
Toxic fabrics in Shein’s clothes: what are the materials to avoid?
Shishi San’s Vibrant Tufted Sculptures Celebrate the Colorful Motifs of Chinese Vases
Alyssa will soon be sharing content on sustainable style, thrifting tips, and identifying quality garments. Stay tuned for her website link, which will be added to this page as it becomes available.
Dec 18, 202444:52

#159: Inside Network School 3 | Conversation with Björn Öeste
In this conversation, Björn Öeste discusses the Darksun.is project, an AI agent designed to explore esoteric knowledge and connect disparate ideas. The project includes a meme coin and aims to enrich the marketplace of ideas by uncovering suppressed knowledge.
Björn Öeste shared the significance of the #binary meme, the role of the AI agent Holmes, and the importance of community engagement through gamification content. He also touches on decentralized archaeology and the collaborative nature of the project, highlighting the team's dynamics and future plans.
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
darksun.is
Follow Björn Ö
Follow Mitch
The Network School events
Why I created darksun
Nemesis Star Theory: The Sun's 'Death Star' Companion
Robert Sutton Harrington
Michael Saylor
Nemesis Star Theory w/Neil deGrasse Tyson
The Three-Body Problem
The Network School
Dec 10, 202419:10

#158: Inside Network School 2 | Conversation with Neter & Mili
INTRO
My guests today are Mili and Neter, my classmates from the Network School. In this episode, we reflect on our experiences so far, dive into some exciting ideas from our lectures and discussions, and share our personal journeys in crypto and beyond. Whether you're curious about the Network School or the future of decentralised living, this episode has something for you.
WE DISCUSSED:
Two months in: Our lives at the Network School and daily routines
Highlights from student-led events and how AI can help you understand yourself better
Guest speaker insights and Balaji's thought-provoking lectures
Pop-up cities and the concept of network state nodes
How we entered the world of crypto and Bitcoin hitting $100K
Our plans for life after finishing the Network School
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
The Network School
The Network State
The Network School events
My First Million Podcast with Ryan Peterson
Vitalik Buterin's website
Inside Network School X Thread
Zuzalu City
Dec 05, 202445:08

#157:Inside Network School | Conversation with Berkeley Wanner and Sterlin Lujan
Intro
My guests today are Berkeley Wanner and Sterlin Lujan. In this episode, we discussed their journeys into cryptocurrency, the influence of Balaji's ideas, and their experiences within the Network School.
Timeline
00:00 Introduction to Network School and Guests
02:50 Philosophical Foundations of Cryptocurrency
06:39 Experiences with Balaji's Ideas
10:07 Application Process for Network School
13:49 Daily Life and Structure at Network School
34:47 Expectations and Future of Network School
39:57 Advice for Future Network Schoolers
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
The Network School
Follow Berkeley Wanner
Follow Sterlin Lujan
A Newsletter That Pays You
Timothy C. May: Libertaria in Cyberspace
Blueprint Bryan Johnson
Lu.ma
Toastmasters
Counter Governance Substack
The Network State
Praxis Gets $525 Million in Commitments for Planned ‘Heroic’ City
Zuzalu City
H.L. Mencken
Burning Man
Oct 27, 202449:01

#156: Language Preservation, LLMs, Arctic World Archive, OSV and Skateboarding Culture with Jack Connor
My guest today is Jack Connor, a linguist, programmer, and author who speaks more than seven languages and has built various AI language technologies. In 2023, Jack launched a project to preserve endangered languages, believing that losing a language means losing an entire culture. Outside of his work, Jack is also a semi-professional skateboarder and has lived in ten countries.
TIMELINE
00:57 Introduction to Language Preservation and LLMs
03:23 The Importance of Navajo Language and Its History
05:58 The Arctic World Archive and Language Storage
08:28 Cultural Significance of Language Preservation
11:15 AI's Role in Language Preservation and Revitalization
13:43 Challenges in Preserving Living Languages
16:32 Traditional vs. Modern Methods of Language Preservation
21:16 Preserving Languages Through Technology
22:22 Working with Native Speakers for Accuracy
23:46 The Importance of Quality Assurance in AI
25:14 The Risks of Machine-Generated Content
25:49 Language Diversity and Dialects
27:42 The Complexity of Language Classification
29:28 Cultural Exchange and Language Learning
30:53 Skateboarding and Language Preservation
33:50 Self-Motivation in Learning Languages
36:01 Experiencing Culture Through Language
37:57 Global Trends in Language Extinction
41:13 Cultural Connections Through Language
42:42 Preserving Endangered Languages
48:52 The Role of Fellowships in Language Projects
53:45 Language Learning and Cultural Immersion
56:01 Linguistic Determinism in Sci-Fi
58:57 Future of Language Preservation and AI's Expanding Role
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
Follow Jack Connor on Twitter
Navajo language
[Navajo Code Talkers](https://www.britannica.com/story/navajo-code-talkers-infographic#:~:text=That language had no alphabet,code based on word substitution.)
Code Talker, book by Chester Nez
The Future of Data Preservation - AWA
Sami language
Naba language
Basque language
Mutual intelligibility
Cahuilla language
Documenting Endangered Languages: 𝕏 Interview
O'Shaughnessy Fellowships
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
Oct 11, 202455:54

#155: Creative Codex, Carl Jung, Misfit Artists, Tragic Heroes, and Creative Genius with MJDorian
My guest today is MJDorian, the host of one of my favourite shows Creative Codex. He is also an artist and composer.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
Behind the Scenes: An inside look at the making of the podcast show, Creative Codex.
Carl Jung’s Influence: How Carl Jung’s work has shaped MJDorian's creative process and influenced the reading of The Red Book.
Modern Impact: What makes Carl Jung's work particularly compelling for today's artists and creatives?
William Blake Encounter: The mysterious and unexplainable experience with William Blake’s iconic painting, The Ancient of Days.
Nikola Tesla’s Paradox: Discussing the paradox of Tesla's genius and how his innovative approach can inspire modern artists.
Kurt Cobain’s Symbolism: Interpreting the rich symbolism and personal references found in Kurt Cobain's lyrics.
Children’s Drawings: Observations on children's drawings and the exploration of the darker aspects of human nature.
Creative Decay: Strategies for artists to cope with creative decay, loss of inspiration, and overcoming writer’s block.
Dreams and Creativity: How recording dreams and taking naps can boost creativity and enhance artistic expression.
Resources Highlighted in This Episode
MJDorian’s website
The Third Eye Drops Podcast
The Red Book (Jung)
MJDorian Patreon
My Spiritual Odyssey
The Ancient of Days
Nikola Tesla & The Paradox of Genius
Alexander McQueen • Woven in Shadows
Jimi Hendrix Electrifies The Star Spangled Banner
Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)
The Magic Secrets of Salvador Dali
Caravaggio: 100 Famous Paintings Analysis and Biography
Chiaroscuro
Leonor Fini • The Dark Masquerade
Aug 12, 202452:38

Monologue: Wondrous Encounters in the Heart of the Mountains
In May this year, in Manchester, I witnessed an aurora reminiscent of angels descending to earth. Later, I came across trending news on X about a blue meteor appearing in Portugal. Coupled with constantly seeing fractal geometries in purple, gold, and green during breathwork sessions, and Buddhist mandala patterns, I've been in a dreamlike state, prompting me to ask myself deeply: What exactly is our universe up to?
During a recent breathwork session, I suddenly saw my Huachuma (San Pedro) guide playing the flute in the valley, calling me back into the embrace of one of Peru's most sacred plants. So, I immediately booked a train ticket and headed to The Lighthouse Retreat to seek guidance and find clarity.
The past four days in the remote mountains of Portugal felt like I've lived millions of years, experiencing the joys and sorrows of everything... I wanted to record my thoughts and feelings, but I realised the limitations of written words. So, I'll leave these scattered notes here, in the hope that if you happen to stumble upon this piece, you can personally experience this natural gift and interpret the messages that Huachuma communicates through your own bodily sensations.
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
The Lighthouse Retreat
Transcendental Meditation
Exploring Psychedelic Journeys
Life is nothing but a grand role-playing game
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Sisyphus
The Doors
The Doors of Perception
The written article of this piece can be found on Chiwi Journal Substack
Jul 04, 202432:32

Monologue: On Carl Jung
Based on the advice of an online mentor who suggests exploring influential books called 'earthquake books'—those that can significantly shake and impact our perspectives—one such powerful book is the profound works of Carl Jung.
As I explore Jung's works, certain sections of his books have left a lasting mark on how I perceive things, resonating deeply with my journey. So I recorded this episode to share my learnings.
Books/articles mentioned in this episode:
Memories, Dreams, Reflections: An Autobiography
The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
The Red Book
CATAFALQUE: Carl Jung and the End of Humanity
Tom Morgan's newsletter
In Basel
Rudolf Steiner
Goetheanum
Retrospect on My Two Years at Leipzig. 1868.
I Ching (易经)
Mandala
Higanbana
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
- Carl Jung
May 07, 202418:53

#154: Premier League, Football Journalism, Interview Superstars, and Women in Football with Liv Wang
My guest today is Liv Wang, a renowned Premier League journalist with a massive following of millions. I've been a follower of Liv's work for quite some time now, admiring her unique content creation and interviewing style with Premier League footballers.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Liv in person during my visit to Manchester. Needless to say, it was an enlightening experience. So get ready for an insightful conversation about her journey, experiences, and perspectives in the world of football journalism.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
Passion for Football: Liv shares what drew her to football and the inspirations behind her decision to pursue a career in football journalism.
A Day in the Life: Discover what a typical day looks like for Liv as she covers Premier League press conferences and conducts player interviews
Cultural Insights: Liv reveals interesting cultural nuances, such as Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva's Chinese nickname, Jorginho's foray into writing Chinese characters and Anthony Elanga learning Chinese
Player Interviews: Liv discusses her experiences interviewing prominent players like Mo Salah, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland
Managing Online Presence: Learn how Liv navigates negative online comments and maintains a positive online presence, especially with a large follower base.
Social Initiatives: Liv shares her initiative during the Women's Football World Cup to distribute sanitary pads
Women's Football Development: Liv explores the development of women's football and addresses stereotypes surrounding female football fans
Behind the Scenes: Discover fun facts about Liv's job as a football journalist, along with the unique challenges she faces.
Premier League's Development in China: Delve into the Premier League's remarkable rise in the Chinese market and her perspective on the current state of Chinese football
Links mentioned in this episode
Premier League
Follow Liv Wang on Instagram
Ruben Dias’ nickname
“What a scarf” with Jude Bellingham
Essential Items Campaign
Mar 26, 202444:20

#153: Special Episode: At Bakery CrossFit with Edu, Mel and Diogo
Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming three individuals to our conversation. Joining us are Luis Eduardo Arruda, not only a head Coach but also a co-owner of @thebakerycrossfit. Alongside him is Melissa Haun, a formidable athlete representing the Bakery Athletics team. And last but not least, we have Diogo Costa, who wears dual hats as both a data analyst at Revolut and an athlete within the Bakery Athletics team.
This podcast is being recorded live at Bakery Cafe. If you happen to be nearby, why not stop in for a cup of coffee or even join us for a training session at the Bakery CrossFit? We’d be super happy to have you here! So, get comfortable and let's delve into today's conversation.
Let's kick things off with a brief introduction to Edu, Melissa, and Diogo, and their deep involvement with Bakery CrossFit.
Ever wondered what CrossFit is all about? We'll delve into its significance, particularly exploring why the CrossFit Open holds such weight within the community.
Follow along as we trace Edu's coaching journey, culminating in his role as co-owner of the Bakery CrossFit Box.
The Bakery Athletes program
Discover how Diogo balances his role as a data analyst at Revolut with his dedication as a Bakery CrossFit athlete, leveraging his analytical skills to enhance his training.
Melissa shares her transatlantic journey from the USA to Europe, alongside a heartwarming love story with Edu.💗 We'll also explore her daily routine, balancing training with work commitments.
What makes Bakery CrossFit so special, delving into the creation of a supportive and inclusive community for all its members.
Conquering fear and cultivating mental resilience are key themes. Join us as we explore everyone's unique perspectives on competitions.
Discover how Edu collaborates with fellow coaches and staff to ensure members receive an excellent fitness experience.
Get to know the remarkable staff members and coaches at Bakery CrossFit, including another enchanting love story that blossomed within the box.💗
Being a vegan in the fitness world presents its challenges. We'll share valuable tips on maintaining nutritional balance to support optimal training.
Finally, we'll discuss the future vision for Bakery CrossFit and hear Mel and Diogo's aspirations, both as athletes and in their personal journeys ahead.
Bonus: Obi’s story 🐶❤️
Links mentioned in this episode
Join The Bakery CrossFit
Follow Edu, Mel, Diogo and coach Sara, Hugo, Slavik and Gui
CrossFit official website
CrossFit Open
Learn more about The Bakery Athletics
Visiting Bakery Cafe
Mar 20, 202401:09:42

Monologue: Exploring Spiritual Enlightenment and Mystical Experiences
If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.
― William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
In recent times, we've immersed ourselves in deep discussions challenging traditional beliefs and values. Concepts such as meditation, metaphysics, and the power of myths have taken precedence in our conversations.
There's a growing acknowledgment of the limits of reason and scientific rationalism, alongside a newfound embrace of spiritual enlightenment.
Despite technological marvels enhancing our lives, a subtle dissatisfaction persists. It seems we're fatigued with a system prioritising efficiency over spiritual fulfilment.
Perhaps our collective consciousness has reached a turning point, urging us to seek meaning beyond the material.
Last year, I had inexplicable visions defying scientific explanations, deepening my belief in the vastness of the universe.
In this episode, I'll share glimpses of my journey from childhood to the present—a preliminary draft, with more stories awaiting exploration. So, relax and join me as we delve into the mysteries of the soul.💗
Books and Links Mentioned in This Episode:
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Famen Temple
《尼采传:我是太阳》
I Ching (The Book of Change)
Ray Dalio
Tim Ferriss
Transcendental Meditation
Journey to Inner Peace: A Ten-Day Vipassana Meditation Experience
Flowism: My Philosophy of Living
How I overcame depression, learned to trust myself and grew as an indiepreneur
Bronte Parsonage Museum
The Invisible Third Culture Adult
Jim O'Shaughnessy: Infinite Loops
Tom Morgan: What's Important?
The Lighthouse Retreat
The Doors of Perception: Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley
A books recommendation thread on spirituality
Unearthing Hidden Emotions through Zen Buddhism Study
Auerbachs Keller
Ye Gong Hao Long
What we know is a drop. What we don't know is an ocean.
– Adam, Dark | Netflix
Mar 09, 202441:27

#152: Mentorship, Inner Journey, Intuition, Life Coaching and Spiritual Crisis with Devin Martin
Today, I'm joined by Devin Martin, the visionary behind Lifestyle Integrity and a distinguished executive life coach.
In this episode, we talked about…
Delving into some key moments or practices that have significantly shaped the course of Devin’s personal growth and transformative journey.
Why it's crucial for people to pause and limit external stimuli in their pursuit of clarity and self-understanding?
Reflecting on our experiences with psychedelics (Ayuhuasca), how do we contemplate the evolution journey of our worldview?
Exploring the power of intuition and the truth about reality.
Face the abyss, but don't let it consume you. For in its depths lie both the darkness of fear and the light of hope.
Body and mind awareness and facing various sensations (pain).
The distinctions between therapy and life coaching, and how do these approaches complement each other in supporting clients?
Balancing support for clients' journeys while encouraging them to take ownership of their growth and decisions.
The future of life coaching in light of the increasing influence of AI.
Books/links mentioned in this episode
Life Integrity
A Transformation Guide. Interview with Devin Martin
Ken Wilber
Jordan Peterson
Ayahuasca
Devin’s blog
Tom Morgan: Presence, Synthesis, and Giving the Master Its Due
The Art of Living
Vipassana Meditation
Dance your darkness with this playlist
Dark retreat
Mar 06, 202401:16:32

SPECIAL EPISODE: @ETHGlobal Istanbul Hackathon
Kia Ora, Ni Hao, and Hello!
Welcome to a special edition of the Chiwi Journal podcast, recorded live at the ETHGlobal Istanbul Hackathon.
In this episode, I bring you exclusive interviews with the brilliant minds who won scholarships from the Take Off Web3 program and are building exciting projects here.
Join me now to delve into their inspiring ventures and creations and learn about their fascinating Web3 journeys.
Speakers:
@HooCrypto
@Simonpuebla_
@nastyarods
@vDarph
@filmacedo
Special thanks to @TakeOffWeb3 @TalentProtocol for sponsoring 15 scholars coming to Istanbul to attend DevConnect and ETHGlobal.
Nov 19, 202320:46

#150: Typefully, Building a Lean & Remote Team, Co-founders Relationship and Lisbon Life with Fabrizio Rinaldi and Francesco Di Lorenzo
My guest today is Fabrizio Rinaldi and Francesco Di Lorenzo. They are serial tech founders and currently focus on building a writing, scheduling & publishing tool on 𝕏 and LinkedIn, Typefully.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
Explore the story of Fabrizio and Francesco’s initial X (Twitter) encounter, which led to the co-founding of business.
Learn about the inspiration behind Typefully and discover key features designed to enhance the writing experience for users.
Delve into the dilemma of offering AI content generation features for creators.
Gain insights into building a remote, lean team while maintaining a work-life balance as founders.
Discover Lisbon's unique living and working atmosphere and recommendations for newcomers.
Uncover the personal and business benefits of being based in Lisbon while addressing potential drawbacks.
Get to know upcoming features and the future vision for Typefully.
Learn what they enjoy most about co-building a business and how their partnership has evolved over time.
Lisbon Recommendation
From Francesco:
Best Italian pizza in Lisbon
https://www.marrecreo.com/en/home/
Best pasta
https://www.instagram.com/ilmatricianolisbona/
Nice higher-end Italian cuisine
https://www.rocco.pt/
Best Cortado in Lisbon, laptop-friendly
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZCRAGP6qb6bmMS7EA
From Fabrizio:
Small and cozy, amazing specialty coffee https://maps.app.goo.gl/mfjd5UbYEsPJVLV68?g_st=ic
Best “salted caramel latte”, seriously incredible https://maps.app.goo.gl/mTR4c8UBD2AgCaf98?g_st=ic
Amazing ramen at the original Ajitama https://maps.app.goo.gl/dtEKenGWwMAdHwY86?g_st=ic
Good pizza and standup comedy for a different night out with friends https://maps.app.goo.gl/NReLRX3sSoCQ4YWJ6?g_st=ic
From Camellia:
Google map list: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Qv3YdpZk6jUrCiH9
Follow Fabrizio Rinaldi, Francesco Di Lorenzo and Typefully on X
Oct 12, 202350:00

#149: Lifestyle Brand Sapiens, Healthy Living, Live-streaming in Chinese Market and Empowered Mindset with Ellen Chen
My guest today is Ellen Chen. Ellen is the cofounder of the lifestyle brand Sapiens. With a background in biomed and bioengineering, Ellen also serves as a science communicator, connecting with a broad online audience.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
Ellen's background in biology and how it influenced her journey into entrepreneurship and healthy living.
The inspiration behind Ellen's healthy lifestyle brand, Sapiens, and its mission.
Key principles and practices of a healthy lifestyle that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
The differing perceptions of health and fitness standards between Western and Asian cultures, including discussions on body image and body positivity.
Insight into beauty standards in China.
The impact of social media on people's health.
Ellen's secret recipes for making complex scientific papers easy to understand.
The age-old question: "Do you lose muscle if you do cardio?"
Drawing inspiration from science communicator Andrew Huberman.
Strategies for lifestyle community building in the Chinese market.
Ellen's approach to creating informative and interactive content through live-streaming.
Ellen's insights on balancing her time and routine while running a business, writing, and exercising.
The three key mindsets Ellen wants to leave with listeners, especially those facing challenges on their healthy living journeys
Books/links mentioned in this episode
Follow Ellen on Instagram @minor_demon
Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a Global Perspective Report
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
First Interview in the Metaverse
Flexible Dieting by Alan Aragon
Why Calories Don't Count by Giles Yeo
[Body positivity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_positivity#:~:text=Body positivity is a social,as an undesirable social construct.)
The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda
Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass
Exercise Snacks
Huberman Lab
Lex Fridman Podcast
Follow Sapiens Club
Dou Yin 1: @SapiensClub
Dou Yin 2: @新西兰Summer
WeChat Channel: @SapiensClub
“For humans and all species, the sensations, the perceptions and the thoughts and the feelings that we have in our life span, none of that is actually carried forward, except the ones that we take, and we convert into actions, such as writing, actions, such as words actions, such as engineering new things.”
- Andrew Huberman
Oct 08, 202301:28:00

#148: Proof of Spiritual Phenomena, Psychedelic & Supernatural Experiences and Parapsychology with Mona Sobhani, PhD
My guest today is Mona Sobhani. She is a distinguished cognitive neuroscientist, researcher, and accomplished author with a rich and diverse professional background spanning over 15 years. Her wide-ranging interests have led her to explore the intersections of science, technology, spirituality, and human behaviour.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
Mona's remarkable transformation from a scientific materialist to a spiritual seeker.
Key moments and experiences that triggered this worldview shift.
Extraordinary insights and revelations from Mona's research and conversations with mystics, intuitives, and scientists.
Unveiling supernatural and unexplainable events.
Understanding parapsychology (psi) phenomena and key findings that suggest their existence.
The challenge of mainstream acceptance for mysterious experiences and strategies to bridge the gap between science and spirituality effectively.
Exploring Mona's psychedelic experiences and their influence on her perspective on reality and spirituality.
Mona's research on past lives and karma, shedding light on these spiritual phenomena and their influence on our lives.
How individuals inclined toward a purely scientific approach can incorporate elements of spirituality into their worldview.
The impact of sound, light, and breathwork on human consciousness.
Comparing attitudes toward spirituality in the East and West.
Exploring potential directions for future research in the realm of human experience and expanding our understanding of consciousness and spirituality.
Mona shares her exciting upcoming projects and areas of passionate research.
Mona's hope for what readers and listeners will take away from her book and her perspective on the interplay between science and spirituality in understanding life's meaning.
Books/links mentioned in this episode
Proof of Spiritual Phenomena: A Neuroscientist's Discovery of the Ineffable Mysteries of the Universe by Mona Sobhani, PhD
Mona Sobhani, PhD website
Windbridge Research Center
The Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project
Finding Your Highest Path with Psychic Medium Laura Lynne Jackson
Many Lives, Many Masters
Deep Connection Within - Voice Workshop with Yogetsu
Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies ( IACS )
Brave New World of Psychedelic Science Substack
Join the community for curious scientists: Exploring Consciousness
Support Neuroscience of Consciousness Symposium
Sep 26, 202301:06:18

SPECIAL EPISODE: At Put_it_on_Lisbon Cafe with Tereza
My guest today is Tereza. She's the owner of a trendy cafe called "Put_it_on_Lisbon" in my neighborhood. That's where I first met her and became a regular customer at her cool little shop. Tereza is originally from the Czech Republic and has lived in the Netherlands, Australia, and Portugal for many years.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
What inspired Tereza to open "Put_it_on_Lisbon" in Lisbon?
"Put_it_on_Lisbon" is not just a cafe; it's a community hub. What is Tereza’s vision behind creating a space where people can come together and connect?
What types of events and activities have been done at the cafe to encourage social interaction and make it a welcoming place for locals and travellers?
Loneliness is a common issue among expats and digital nomads. How Tereza’s cafe help address this challenge and provide a sense of belonging to those who visit?
What role does art or creative expression play in the ambience of the Cafe?
In what ways does Tereza incorporate a creative mind into her cafe experience to appeal to customers?
How does Tereza source the ingredients for her cafe? Highlights some local local and unique suppliers.
For our listeners who may be considering a visit, what are some must-try items on the menu?
What are your future plans for "Put_it_on_Lisbon"?
Follow @put_it_on_lisbon on IG to keep up with the latest events!
Paddy’s cheesecake
Banana cider
Indie writer’s books
Tattoos & Arts
Daffee l Innovative coffee
Oitava Colina Cerveja / Craft Beer
"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who is a part of my journey, even if I didn’t mention you in this episode. I genuinely appreciate you from the bottom of my heart, and I want to say thank you, as always!"
— Tereza ❤️
Sep 21, 202330:50

#146: Online Writing, English Literature, Ernest Hemingway and Essayful with Dylan O'Sullivan
My guest today is Dylan O'Sullivan. Dylan is a media specialist at OSV, guest lecturer at Write of Passage, columnist at a few major media outlets and the creator behind a writing-focused brand Essayful.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
How does Write of Passage help us embark on our online writing journey?
Exploring our initial love for reading and writing, and our earliest memories of writing.
Contrasting experiences of studying English Literature in different countries.
A friendly conversation between a Manchester United and Manchester City fan.
Delving into the life and works of Ernest Hemingway.
Examining the process of online writing and the beauty of writing on paper.
What tricks and traits have writers made or used to achieve their writing goals?
The influence of weather and surroundings on the work of writers.
Reflecting on the most fulfilling aspects of being a writer.
Books/links mentioned in this episode
Essayful
Write of Passage
School of English - Trinity College Dublin
Gaelic football
Jack Kerouac
Allen Ginsberg
Lenny Bruce
Arthur Koestler
Aldous Huxley
Albert Camus
The Doors of Perception
Darkness at Noon
The Act of Creation
To Write Like Hemingway
The Selfish Gene
Bronte Parsonage Museum
Bob Dylan on the otherworldliness of creativity
At Desk (writing BGM)
Casa Fernando Pessoa
Follow Dylan on Twitter
Jul 09, 202356:38

#145: Self-actualization, SpiritDAO, Societal Transformation, and Unexplainable Experiences with Ron Rivers
My guest today is Ron Rivers. He is the author of Self-actualization in the Age of Crisis and a member of SpiritDAO. In today's episode, we discussed the following:
What inspired Ron to write a book about "Self-Actualization in the Age of Crisis"? And how do we define self-actualization in today's setting?
How does the pursuit of self-actualization differ during times of crisis compared to more stable periods? Additionally, how do spiritual and societal hierarchies impact the evolution of human beings?
The concept of "Systemic Actualization" and how individuals can contribute to the larger process of societal transformation and actualization?
How did Ron develop the Eight Dignities that encompass various aspects of human life?
What is SpiritDAO, what problem is it aiming to solve, and how is it different from other web3 communities?
Can we reinvent 20th-century Paris to attract people from diverse backgrounds and make a positive change?
Individual heroes vs collective thoughts.
The idea of an "authentic imposter"—Ron shares some practical tips and personal experiences for individuals who may be struggling to find their true authentic self while navigating societal expectations and norms.
How can visualization and psychedelic experiences impact personal growth and self-actualization?
How do we cope with the world not making sense, such as encountering supernatural phenomena and numerous spiritual experiences?
Links/books mentioned in this episode:
Self-Actualization in the Age of Crisis
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Oneness with the Relational Universe
Observable Infinities
The Single Truth
Eight Dignities
Confucianism
Modern Shamanism
The Network State
Soulbound
Conjuring Scenius
SpiritDAO
The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell
Stoned ape theory
Follow Ron Rivers on Twitter
Jun 13, 202301:25:12

#144: Talent Protocol, web3 in Lisbon, HR/Ed-tech, DeNites with Pedro Oliveira
My guest today is Pedro Oliveira. Pedro is the Co-founder and CEO of Talent Protocol, a web3 professional platform where builders and creators can create their on-chain resumes and find the meaningful connections and support they need to succeed. I met Pedro in person when I moved to Lisbon and participated in many web3-related events and conferences organised by him and his company.
In today's episode, we discussed the following:
Many people are sceptical about Web3. What is Pedro's opinion on the concept of Web3, and how does Talent Protocol fit into this new paradigm of decentralised technologies?
How does Talent Protocol assist builders and creators in starting their journey in web3, and what problems does it aim to solve in the professional networking space?
Why is taking a sabbatical necessary for founders?
Will AI take over our jobs and replace human resources?
How did Portugal become a tech hub and attract talent from all around the world?
How does Pedro structure his team and find co-founders in Talent Protocol? Additionally, why does he plan to step down as Talent Protocol's CEO in the foreseeable future?
How does Talent House help young talents in their careers and projects? Some success stories here to share.
How to face the crypto winter and make tough decisions?
What is the vision for the future of Talent Protocol? What is the difference between Talent Protocol and traditional professional social sites like LinkedIn?
What is DeNites, and how does it work to connect local Portuguese web3 projects and people together?
What advice does Pedro have for someone who wants to enter the web3 world?
What is Pedro's one big lesson to pass on to the next generation?
Links mentioned in this episode:
Join Talent Protocol
Follow Pedro on Twitter
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System
Talent House
Protocol Labs
Celo
Introducing ChatGPT
Kevin Kelly — Excellent Advice for Living
Web Summit Lisbon 2023
A DAO has no CEO
Talent House - From 70 applicants to 11 high-potential Web3 talent in Barcelona
DeNites
May 15, 202357:34

#143: Founders Podcast, Single-person Billion-dollar Business, Lessons Learned from Athletes, Quentin Tarantino with David Senra
My guest today is David Senra. David is the returning guest of Chiwi Journal (episode #131). He hosts the Founders podcast, where listeners can learn lessons from historical and modern figures based on David's selection of a biography of an entrepreneur.
Last time, we focused on the top lessons previous founders can teach current founders and the most inspiring stories among 200+ stories David read. This time, we discussed:
David’s top highlight of 2022 (the sixth year since he ran the podcast) and the reason behind joining the Colossus® network.
What is the concept of a single-person billion-dollar company? How has a podcast host or a game developer set an example of this business model?
How does David stay motivated and engaged in his work as the show grows when there may be more distractions?
David's approach to reading and re-reading biographies, and what we can learn from founders outside the American market?
Founders Podcast has covered many deceased entrepreneurs whose stories have stood the test of time. Which living founders would David like to have a conversation with?
Some stories of how the Founders Podcast has directly impacted or supported the growth and success of its listeners.
What does sportsmanship mean to David, and how does he incorporate the spirit of sportsmanship into his daily life and professional career?
Talk about our favourite director Quentin Tarantino. What are some traits that make him stand out in the movie industry? What current content creators can learn from him to achieve success?
What is the Founder Podcast's role in supporting aspiring entrepreneurs?
How to cultivate children's reading habits?
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
Founders
Follow @FoundersPodcast
David Senra - Passion & Pain
David Senra — Pick The Right Heroes
Insights From History's Greatest Thinkers - David Senra
Devouring Founder’s Biographies, Self-Belief, and the Power of Podcasting with David Senra
Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Pieter Levels
Chung Ju-yung the Founder of Hyundai
Edward O. Thorp, A Man for All Markets
Cities and Ambition - Paul Graham
Johan Cruyff: A Life of Total Football
Michael Jordan: The Life
Joe Rogan #1675 - Quentin Tarantino
Samwell Tarly
Jan 08, 202301:17:29

#142: Sovereign Individual, The Network State, Media Literacy, Writing Newsletter, Remote Worker and Geopolitics Impact with Doug Antin
My guest today is Doug Antin, the Founder and Author of TSI Global Media, who writes The Sovereign Individual Weekly Newsletter, picking up where The Sovereign Individual left off and exploring the digital transformation in real-time.
Doug is the return guest of my podcast. Last time, we discussed how to become a sovereign individual, digital transformation trends, cultivating multiple income streams and writing a newsletter. In today’s episode, we discussed the following:
A quick review of the past year from a sovereign individual's perspective.
Has the concept of a "Sovereign Individual" evolved in the face of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain?
How can one find the right community as a sovereign individual?
A brief review of The Network State, a book by Balaji Srinivasan.
How is technology empowering individuals and changing the way we live and work?
How can individuals stay updated with the latest technological and digital transformation developments?
The process of writing The Sovereign Individual Weekly newsletter and the discussion on free and paid content as a creator.
How can we cultivate media literacy in today's abundant information and potential misinformation world?
The current global affairs and how the role of government is evolving in a world where individuals have more power and control over their lives through technology?
How can governments address the increasing conflict between remote workers and local residents?
Two trends to look for in a remote worker who adapts to an asynchronous way of working.
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg
The Sovereign Individual Weekly
Plumia
The Network State
What do I think about network states?
beehiiv — The newsletter platform built for growth
How to be a Digital Nomad in Portugal?
2024 United States presidential election
[Cash Reserves Definition](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cash-reserves.asp#:~:text=66 license holder.-,What Are Cash Reserves%3F,also be called cash reserves.)
Follow Doug on Twitter
Jan 04, 202358:23

#141: Build_Cities, The Network State and Startup Cities Ecosystem with Angelo Alessio
My guest today is Angelo Alessio. He is the co-founder and protocol architect at buildcities.network, which allows anyone in web3 to overlay their digital communities on top of existing cities.
We discussed:
What is the build_cities? What are the four phases of building this protocol for startup cities? ****
How build_cities can facilitate an online community for meetups and crowdfunding IRL?
What are the three types of startup cities?
In build_cities, why keep the current city maps rather than disrupt the old ones to build something from scratch?
How does Angelo meet his co-founders and work remotely building this project?
What is the biggest lesson Angelo learned from his US army time?
How do we define an MVC (Minimum Viable City)? Is there a city blueprint IRL build_cities would like to follow?
Share some other projects in the Network State dashboard
The biggest roadblock that prevents building build_cities.
How can people get involved in build_cities?
Links mentioned in this episode:
Join build_
Follow Angelo on Twitter
Interview: Building Web3 Cities
Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City
How is Making Friends Changing?
Startup Cities Map
build_cities State of the Union
CityCoins
The Network State
What do I think about network states?
Tour of the Innovation Den, Coeur d'Alene
It's illegal to hurt a robot in this town
The Network State Dashboard
Build Cities: A Protocol for Network States with Angelo Alessio
Build Cities with CityDAO
Nov 11, 202249:15

#140: AI 2041, Sci-fi Writers in Web3, Chaoshan Culture and Chinese Philosophy & Metaphysics with Chen Qiufan
My guest today is Chen Qiufan, also known as Stanley Chan. He is an award-winning Chinese science fiction writer, columnist, and scriptwriter. Chen's fiction, described as "science fiction realism", focuses on individuals' internal struggles during times of accelerated change. And recently, he collaborated with Kai-Fu Lee to co-write and publish a novel called AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future.
We discussed:
How did Qiufan and Kai-fu come up with the idea to co-write a sci-fi book, and what are some AI-related technologies mentioned in the book?
How can we prepare for the future facing God-like AI technology such as DeepFake?
What moral and ethical code should we consider when we can bring dead people “alive” using AI tools?
What are some concerns about using AI arts creations tools like MidJourney?
Should artists and writers be worried that AI will replace them in the future?
How writers can embrace new technologies and build a new way to communicate with readers?
What’s Chen Qiufan’s philosophy regarding creating his sci-fi stories compared with Liu Cixin (Three Body Problems)?
A brief introduction to Chinese Chaoshan culture and Chinese New Year rituals.
Do Chinese people have religions? What’s the relationship between religion and science?
How ancient Chinese books and schools of thought inspired sci-fi creation?
Briefly discuss psychedelic and human consciousness.
What’s the meaning of life from a sci-fi writer’s perspective?
Books and Links mentioned in this episode:
Chen Qiufan website
A sci-fi vision of life in 2041
AI 2041 by Dr. Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan
Ai Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
Chinese writer Su Shi
Joe Rogan interviews Steve Jobs
Midjourney
NEARCON BETA 2022
AI 2041 - TRLab
The Subtle Art NFT Collection
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Chaoshan Culture
Waste Tide
The Large Hadron Collider
I Ching
Opium Wars
Stanley Kubrick
Gaia DAO
Oct 18, 202201:03:02

SPECIAL EPISODE: Eric Jorgenson with 1729writers on Writing Almanack Series and Building Leverage
This is the special episode featured a guest speaker Eric Jorgenson at 1729writers Cohort 2.
1729writers is a group of writers inside of the 1729 online community. We explore issues related to the Network State, seek truth, wealth and health and share our ideas and thoughts in public.
It’s a great pleasure to have Eric attend one of our weekly community calls and discuss his process of writing the Almanack of Naval Ravikant and the Almanack of Balaji Srinivasan, the framework of leverage and productizing oneself, followed by the Q&A sessions with the community members.
I hope you enjoy the show.
Topic covered:
The behind scene story of writing the Almanack of Naval Ravikant and Almanack of Balaji Srinivasan
How to overcome the different types of writers’ block?
What’s the leverage framework, and why is it so important?
How to gain insane leverage from advanced delegation?
How to achieve peak performance with an ultralworking framework?
How to balance using Twitter to add value to your life and career?
How to stay motivated to be a high-agency person?
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
Eric Jorgenson website
1729writers Articles Collection
Naval Ravikant: The Angel Philosopher - Farnam Street
Naval Ravikant - The Joe Rogan Experience
The Network State
Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Almanack of Balaji Srinivasan
Jorgenson’s Soundbox Episode 38: Robert Hayes and Chris Ho of Athena
The Three-Body Problem
Ultraworking
Aug 15, 202201:07:10

#138: Jordan Peterson, Myth & Metaphor, Embodiment Cognition and Fitness Landscape with Tom Morgan
My guest today is Tom Morgan. Tom is the return guest, and we discussed Joseph Cambell, Carl Jung, Jorden Peterson and Iain McGilchrist in episode #129.
Today, we talked about…
Commentary on David Fuller's article about Jordan Peterson from two people who are relatively familiar with JP's works.
Revisit the Hero Journey coined by Joseph Campbell.
Why is it dangerous to apply pattern recognition skills to things we don't fully understand?
How shall we deconstruct myth and live between myth and metaphor?
How to improve embodiment cognition to make sense of ourselves and the world?
Why is the fitness landscape essential, and how can we use that to achieve our human potential?
How to get along with the monologue of the voice within your head?
How can we leverage the force from the heart to follow our bliss?
The importance of setting up family interviews and getting memories on papers or tapes.
Anecdotes about Sir John Morgan
"I would not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity."
- Oliver W. Holmes
Books and links mentioned in today’s episode
What Happened to Jordan Peterson?
Intellectual dark web
Live Not By Lies
Hero Journey
Biblical Series XIII: Jacob’s Ladder
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Mike Hill
John Vervaeke
Channel McGilchrist
Philosophy for life by Jules Evans
Radical Wholeness by Philip Shepherd
How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil
SCOTT ALEXANDER book review
Sam Harris & Peterson Debate the "Truth"
The Most Interesting Man in Finance
The Voice Telling You It's Time To Move
21 Useful Ideas. 1 Big One.
Fitness landscape
Focusing by Eugene T. Gendlin
The Secret Life of Plants
Aug 06, 202201:14:51

#137: Breaking Rules, Solitary Socialite, Future Possibility Folders, Daydreaming and How to Live with Derek Sivers
Kia Ora, Nihao and hello! Welcome to the Chiwi Journal Podcast. I’m your host Camellia Yang.
My guest today is Derek Sivers. Derek has been a musician, producer, circus performer, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and book publisher. He’s an author of four books, Anything You Want, Your Music and People, Hell Yeah or No, and How to Live.
In today’s episode, we talked about…
The benefit of keep moving across the world and breaking the rules.
How do different cities shape one’s identity and expand one’s worldview?
How to say goodbye to old identities that no longer serve you?
The pros and cons of being a solitary socialite.
Why shouldn’t you wait for inspiration to come?
How to be a considerate content creator?
The good side of daydreaming and building future possibility folders
How to approach our life?
How do physical locations matter to your morale?
Why do people like to use stereotypes to pre-judge others, and why is it so hard to break?
Learning Mandarin and Portuguese.
Books/links mentioned in this episode
You don’t have to be local
Moving for good
Solitary socialite
Daydreaming is my favorite pastime
Possible futures
Anything You Want
Derek Sivers TED Talks
Your Music and People
Hell year or no
How to Live
Cities and Ambition - Paul Graham
The Michel Thomas Method to learn language
Practice Portuguese: Learn European Portuguese
Fernando Pessoa
Philosophy: a Complete Introduction - by Sharon Kaye
Mark Manson - Life Advice That Doesn't Suck
The Subtle Art NFT Collection - BookCoin™
Check out Derek Sivers' website and introduce yourself :)
Jul 27, 202254:51

#136: Bilingual Content Creator, Picking English Names, Publish Consistent Content and Live A Productive Life with Bear Liu
My guest today is Bear Liu. Bear is a product designer and design mentor. He hosts an award-winning podcast show called BearTalk, focused on sharing his learnings and ideas in design and personal experiences in reading and parenting.
In this episode, we talked about:
How do Chinese people pick up their English names?
From working at a ‘tier 18’ city in China as a designer and building a business in web2 to migrant to New Zealand to raise a family —- Bear’s story as an immigrant.
How to navigate life while moving to a new country, finding a new job and welcoming a newborn at the same time?
Why is it essential to have a role model to learn and mimic, especially in difficult life moments?
What does it feel like to start a tech podcast in 2012 and win an award from Apple?
What motivates Chinese speakers to create content in English? What emotional journey did we go through?
How create content online can change people’s life?
Two tips on being a productive content creator that can keep publishing content consistently.
What tools do we use as bilingual content creators? How to find our audiences, and how to measure success?
How to start a content creator journey while still working full-time and having a family to look after?
What’s the NO.1 lesson to pass on to the next generation?
Books/links and creators tools mentioned in this episode:
Bear’s website
New Zealand Silver Fern Visa
Les Mills: Taking Fitness to the Next Level
Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Grammarly: Free Online Writing Assistant
Notion
Readwise
Libby App
Drafts | Where Text Starts
Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation
I Ching
Conversation with Bear Liu in Chinese
Jun 23, 202201:05:04

#135: Global Natives, Nomad Passport, Subscription Living and Plumia Country with Lauren Razavi
My guest today is Lauren Razavi. Lauren is a writer, speaker and strategist working at the intersection of technology, business, policy, and human behaviour. She is the author of the book Global Natives and writes the Counterflows newsletter about borderless living. Lauren was an early adopter of remote work and has lived as a digital nomad since 2013. Currently, she is Executive Director of Plumia, the mission to build an internet country for digital nomads, at the Y Combinator alumni company SafetyWing.
In this episode, we discussed:
Lauren’s digital nomad journey as an early adopter since 2013.
Who coined the term a digital nomad? How digital nomad lifestyle has evolved from subculture to mainstream?
How do individuals design lifestyles based on the remote working trend?
Why we should rethink global mobility? How policymakers should adjust their strategy to build up a remote working and digital nomads friendly environment?
A brief introduction of Plumia and Nomad Border Pass (Nomad Passport)?
The history of Leagues of Nations and our current passport system.
What makes a good nomad hub?
What are the biggest challenges facing digital nomads? How to make new friends with fellow nomads and locals in a new city?
The rise of subscription living and slow travel.
Why we should read Global Natives book and advocate for global mobility for our human progression’s sake?
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
Global Natives
The Digital Nomad by Tsugio Makimoto
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Nomadlist.com by Pieter Levels
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Plumia: building a borderless future through a country on the internet
SafetyWing - Insurance for Nomads, by Nomads
Plumia 10-Year Roadmap
League of Nations
DIGITAL NOMADS Madeira Islands
Gonçalo Hall, a person behind the First Digital Nomad Village in Ponta do Sol, Madeira
Hacker Paradise
So you want to be a Sovereign Individual?
2022 State of Digital Nomads
Subscription Living: Zoku
Counterflows Newsletter
May 29, 202248:23

#134: Sustainable Travel, Writing Books, Spiritual Growth, Energy Healing and Meditation with Bianca Caruana
My guest today is Bianca Caruana. Bianca is a storyteller, podcast host, sustainability & equality advocate and writer at The Altruistic Traveller. Bianca and I had a serendipitous encounter in Aveiro (Thanks to Pieter Levels’ Nomadlist.com), and we immediately clicked because we shared similar backgrounds and spiritual growth journeys.
In this episode, we discussed...
How to be a sustainable traveller and leverage your skillsets to travel around the world without costing a big fortune?
What’s the wake-up call for us to trust and surrender to the universe instead of trying to control our life?
How to do our own personal reverse engineering to find out who we are NOT in order to know who we really are on a deeper level?
How to overcome the fear of judgment, transform from our old identities and embrace a new life?
How does adapting to be a digital nomad lifestyle help us find a sense of belonging and feel seen?
Why should you write books and poetries to keep a record of your life and express your feelings?
A couple of serendipitous stories on life is only making sense when you look back and connect the dots
What’s the Vipassana meditation? What could you get from it?
How to find the meditation method that suits you?
The benefits of sacred plant medicine and what to pay attention to when experiencing psychedelic trips?
How to cultivate empathy?
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
Bianca’s blog The Altruistic Traveller
Bianca's Podcast
The Altruistic Traveller instagram
Workaway
Trusted House Sitters (get 25% off)
The Invisible Third Culture Adult: A book about meaning and identity
Chiwi Journal Vol 1&2
The Rookery Nook and Brontë Parsonage
Vipassana Meditation
National Anthem: Malta - L-Innu Malti
Qigong
Tao Te Ching
I Ching
Transcendental Meditation® Technique
Understand Myself
Apr 07, 202201:11:48

#133: Bitcoin Use Case in El Salvador, 1729 Network State, Become a Global Citizen, Speak Foreign Languages in 6 months with Antoine Dusséaux
My guest today is Antoine Dusséaux. Antoine is a legaltech entrepreneur based in London and co-founded Doctrine, the first legal information platform.
He’s passionate about law, economics, geopolitics, and languages.
In this episode, we discussed:
How to describe 1729 and Network State to children to help them understand this progressive technical concept?
What are the fundamental values that bonded the 1729 community? What 1729 community members in common?
What's so special about El Salvador? Will the World's First Bitcoin City be the protocol that other countries can learn from?
Share the first-hand experience of exploring bitcoin's daily user case in El Salvador.
How to be a responsible global citizen and make sense of our world?
What's the secret of learning foreign languages as an adult (Antoine is a native French speaker who learned to speak Chinese, Russian and Arabic)?
What others hold a stereotype about China is wrong based on your first-hand experience working in a Chinese factory?
What's the underground church in China?
The relationship between languages and ideologies
Why should you start to write online and build connections?
Books/links mentioned in this episode
1729.com
The Network State: How To Start a New Country book by Balaji Srinivasan
Real Bitcoin use cases in El Salvador
Antoine’s Newsletter on Product, Law, Economics, Geopolitics, and Languages
Underground church
Bitcoin is now ‘legal tender’ in El Salvador
How to be fluent in 6 months?
Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
Handan, City in China
Cultural intelligence: Become a global citizen
Linguistic relativity
Debate on traditional and simplified Chinese characters
What do Taiwanese think of simplified Chinese?
Transcript: Vladimir Putin’s Televised Address on Ukraine
Learning new languages with Pimsleur
Build a Personal Monopoly
How to Increase Your Luck Surface Area
1729 Writers Collection
Apr 02, 202201:13:11

SPECIAL EPISODE OVER DRINKS | Chinese migrants’ real experience & perspectives in English speaking countries with Vicci Fu
My guest today is Vicci. She is an experienced video producer and digital marketer and hosts a podcast Big Little Screens commenting about British/American TV shows to Chinese audiences. Vicci and I had a girl's chat and recorded this special episode while drinking a bottle of Italian wine and Japanese Umeshu. Cheers, and enjoy 😊
Why do many Chinese people born in the 1980s/90s have the American dream?
Our first trip to English speaking counties — Australia and New Zealand.
“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life...” what does London mean to us?
What’s so special about London’s blue plaques?
What biggest TV hits from Britain influenced Chinese people a lot?
The comparison of American and British genres on small screens.
Let’s talk about class, race, war, dating, stereotypes and diversity in the British context
What are the challenges of cross-cultural communications? Why is there always a media bias between east and west?
How to learn a second/third language as an adult?
Why it’s so hard to be a female fan in male’s dominant area, e.g. sports and entertainment industry
What do we learn about turning 30?
Shows/movies/links mentioned in this episode:
Vicci’s Podcast
Tour in England: National Trust
The Rookery Nook and Brontë Parsonage - Haworth
Chatsworth House
Blue Plaques | English Heritage
George Orwell’s London Map
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Paddington
Downton Abbey
Years and Years
Sex Education
Fleabag
Bridgerton
Comedian Daniel Sloss
After Life
Inside No. 9
Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging
The Surprising Origins of the Fortune Cookie
Public dating profile template
tick, tick...BOOM!
Dark | Netflix Official Site
Ted Lasso
David Bowie - The Boy From Brixton
Gaga: Five Foot Two
Mar 08, 202201:24:21

#131: Conversation with David Senra: Lessons Learned from Reading 200+ Biographies on Founders
My guest today is David Senra. David is the host of podcast shows Founders. Every week, he reads a biography of an entrepreneur so listeners can learn the lessons from those greatest history and modern figures.
In this episode, we discussed:
What motivated David to start this niche show to share his learnings of biography and autobiography?
How many founders were influenced by those who came before (e.g. Jobs influenced by Edwin Land, Bezos influenced by Sam Walton etc.)? And what’s so special about Benjamin Franklin?
What’s the most inspiring story among 200+ founders stories David read? And what’s one unbelievable story from listeners that drove David jumped out of bed every morning?
What are the top THREE lessons previous founders can teach and impact current founders?
Where do founders like Micheal Jordan and Larry Ellison’s drive come from?
What are some intriguing individual connections among founders that surprised us?
What creators can learn from Ernest Hemingway, George Lucas and Stephen King?
What essential mindset should founders have to turn problems into opportunities?
Why shouldn’t current founders follow the formula but focus on the lessons provided by the previous founders?
What’s the ONE thing that founders regret on their deathbed?
What would David’s biography be? What legacy does he want to leave to his children based on his learnings?
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
Dan Carlin Hardcore History
Kevin Rose interviewing Elon Musk
Jocko Podcast
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by ERIC JORGENSON
Founders Podcast Books List
Insisting On the Impossible : The Life of Edwin Land
Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire
Indie Hackers Interviewing Pieter Levels
Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automobile Empire
Born of This Land: My Life Story by Chung Ju-Yung
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Most Recommended Books by Richard Reis
Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony by Akio Morita
Dru Riley 100 Rules — Personal Philosophy
Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life
Driven From Within by Michael Jordan and Mark Vancil
Full shownote
Jan 26, 202201:44:40

#130: Digital Nomads, Remote Working, Founders Mental Health, Niche Fame and Nomads Dating with Pieter Levels
My guest today is Pieter Levels. Pieter is a serial founder of multiple products, such as NomadList.com, remoteOK.com and rebase.co.
In this episode, we discussed:
How did Pieter start his digital nomad life and create 12 startups in 12 months?
The original story of the birth of Nomadlist.com
What are the common traits of digital nomads based on the 2022 State of Digital Nomads that might surprise people?
Why do people need to switch their stereotypes about remote working and adapt to the new way of living?
Why has Portugal becomes the indie hacker/nomad / remote worker/entrepreneur hub? What is so good about moving here?
The story behind Immigration as a service product: Rebase.co
How to overcome depression and anxiety as a serial founder?
Why find a therapist speaking a language different from your native language that can work better in therapy sessions?
Cliche question: how to balance time and energy as a serial founder?
What does it feel like to be a niche famous, and why should people be unreachable?
The story about Pieter’s early music career on YouTube channel.
What are the future trends of remote working and nomad lifestyles?
What’s the current dating market for digital nomads?
Books/links mentioned in this episode:
Nomadlist.com
2022 State of Digital Nomads
RemoteOk.com
I'm Launching 12 Startups in 12 Months
How is Making Friends Changing?
Moving to Portugal with Rebase
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Why I'm unreachable and maybe you should be too
The next frontier after remote work is async
How to optimise your 24 hours?
Fans and Haters
11 Reasons Not to Become Famous (or “A Few Lessons Learned Since 2007”)
Jan 21, 202201:06:46

#129: Hero's journey, Morphic Resonance, Global Phase Change and Jordan B. Peterson with Tom Morgan
My guest today is Tom Morgan. Tom is the Director of Communications & Content at The KCP Group and writes a newsletter called The Attention Span. Tom has spent the last 16 years on Wall Street in research and data sales and focuses on consuming content and tries to extract actionable insights for busy people.
In this episode, we discussed:
What’s a trend of modernist holism? What’s the global phase change?
What’s Morphic Resonance? Do we have a solid explanation about coincidence and luck?
How to avoid falling into your echo chamber and be a mindful reader/listener in today’s world?
What do Joseph Cambell and Carl Jung’s mean about ‘follow your bliss’ or ‘follow your interests? How do we calculate our own hero journey?
The three stages of life on ego and surrender.
Jordan B. Peterson’s transition from books to books and the hemispheric breakdown from his book Maps of Meanings.
Why does ‘Hero Journey’ grips our attention all the time? When you revisit fairy tales as a grow-up, there is always a new meaning behind them.
What’s the symbolic meaning behind horned god?
The concept of the dragon as a symbol in western and eastern society
The hidden meanings behind Pinocchio
Why is it so important to calculate the emotional granularity for educating the next generation?
What’s the one thing that didn’t make sense to you before, but when you look back and it all connected?
Books & links mentioned in this episode
The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist
Infinite Loop Podcast | Curation in the Age of Information Abundance (EP.61) All you Need is Love? (EP.74)
Insights from “The Matter with Things.” | KCP
Morphic Resonance - Rupert Sheldrake
Does Nature Have A Hidden Memory? - Rupert Sheldrake | Modern Wisdom Podcast 379
The World’s Hidden Harmony
This is Water by David Foster Wallace (Full Transcript and Audio)
Joseph Campbell -- Follow Your Bliss
Marie-Louise von Franz
The Dragon as a symbol finally explained - Jordan Peterson
Beyond Order: Twelve More Rules for Life
Maps Of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief
Biblical Series II: Genesis 1: Chaos & Order
Nu Wa, Chinese Mythology Figure
Emotional granularity
The Midlife Unraveling by Brené Brown
Jan 12, 202201:00:39

#128: Learning Chinese, Future of Education, Reading and Writing with Will Mannon
My guest today is Will Mannon 马晓伟. Will is the Course Director of Write of Passage and passionate about online education. In his free time, Will enjoys exploring language, literature, history, and philosophy. He lived in China for six months and is a comfortable Mandarin speaker.
We discussed:
The motivation behind learning Chinese and how to learn a foreign language in adult year
The difference between the Chinese and American education system
What's the uncommon fire that motivates you to keep going?
A brief introduction of Write of Passage and how writing online can accelerate personal and career development?
What's the future of online learning? Three advantages of building up the cohort-based online course
Four common traits and challenges from online writing
How to find your online writing process?
How to navigate in the age of information abundance?
How to form a reading habit and some book recommendations?
How does reading biography permit us to pursue our bliss?
Chat about Fernando Pessoa and Ralph Waldo Emerson
What is the wisdom you learned from your favourite writers?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
Will Learns Chinese
The National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao, 高考)
itakie: 1-on-1 lessons in more than 150 languages
An Uncommon Fire
Mimetic theory by René Girard
Write of Passage – An online course by David Perell
Building a Second Brain
Paul Graham
The Man with 73 Masks
The Social Dilemma
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan
Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
I. Asimov: A Memoir by Isaac Asimov
Founders Podcast
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa
读书会分享 | 葡萄牙作家费尔南多·佩索阿
Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre
The The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Flowism: My Philosophy of Living
Follow Will Mannon on Twitter and check out his website
Dec 18, 202155:41

#127: Human/Computer Language, Rationality vs. Intuition, Women in Tech and Job Interview Tips with Xuan
Kia Ora, Nihao and hello! Welcome to the Chiwi Journal Podcast.
My guest today is Xuan. Xuan's footprints covered from a small village in China to the capital city Beijing then moved to DC and NYC and now settled in LDN. She studied English lit, Linguistics and Philosophy at university, trained herself in programming, and currently works as a software engineer.
We discussed:
How does exchanging poetry every day help us find beauty and truth during a lockdown?
The encounter of divided brain theory and how we have become enslaved to an account of things dominated by the brain’s left hemisphere?
The journey from studying human language and philosophy to computer language and machine learning
Will get rid of emotion help us to deliver information in a more accurate way like computer code?
The relationship between time and language
Have you ever used your rational mind to structure your intuitional decision?
Are humans doomed to be misunderstood due to the nature of language and communications?
How does writing online generate the serendipity for people to meet IRL?
How have women in tech evolved in those years? How can an individual do to help get more girls into technology?
How to prepare for a job interview? A story of finding a tech job without any working experience during lockdown
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
A Paradise of Poems
Infinite Loop Podcast with Tom Morgan — All you Need is Love? (EP.74)
The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist
Responsive Web Design
Neuralink
San Pedro Retreat
Self Authoring
Flowism
Yi Jing (易经)
Dao De Jing (道德经)
Dec 11, 202101:11:56

#126 SPECIAL EPISODE | Life is VIC NIC with Hugo Branco and Jorge Loura
Welcome to the special episode of the Chiwi Journal Podcast.
I'm sitting with two artists in Aveiro, Portugal to record this episode.
Hugo Branco, musician and artistic director of VIC // Aveiro Arts House
Jorge Loura, musician and guitarist from Troll's Toy
We share the behind-scene stories of the 1st Unclassifiable Music Festival of Aveiro and introduce the difficult labelled artists who will perform on 26th and 27th November at VAGA Festival!
Come and join us if you can!
We talked about:
Portuguese treasure artist Vasco Branco and his residence Vic Art House in a glance
VIC NIC, a sanctuary for wild artists, thinkers and technicians, aiming to stimulate togetherness, experimentation and co-creation via sound, visual and literary works.
The story of music band Troll's Toy
The new trend of undefined music
VAGA Music Festival 2021
The artist way of living
There is much beauty and inspiration everywhere in life.
The vision of VIC NIC and the digital transformation facing musicians
What's #ATERELINCHAS
Introduction of the featured artists 【BGM】
Troll's Toy (Rock | Jazz | Improvisation | Exploratory) 【Troll's Toy - Inibicao Da Ira】
Azia (Psychedelic Rap | Hip Pop) 【Azia - Foque-o! (ft. DEL)】
LÄGRIMA (Folk | Exploratory | Visual Art) 【Lägrima - live at VIC Aveiro Arts House】
Santi Lesca (Exploratory | Electronica | Rock | World) 【Santi Lesca - Simultaneidad】
Skier and Yeti (Original | Humor | Electronica) 【Skier_and_Yeti】
DJ: OMLET JD & FREIMATIC DJS
JOIN US FOR THE FIRST-EVER UNCLASSIFIED MUSIC FESTIVAL IN AVEIRO!
https://lifeisavicnic.com/vaga2021/
Nov 24, 202145:31

#125: Asian in Western World, Buddhism and Neuroscience, Stay True to Yourself with Christin Chong
My guest today is Christin Chong. She is a neuroscientist at heart and enjoys investigating consciousness through the Buddhist lens. Christin's work history continues to evolve—from research in the lab to biotech marketing, to creating a delicious self-care tea for physical + mental health, to establish a community for accelerator compassion.
In today's episode, we discussed:
Our experience with Write of Passage Cohort 7 online writing course led by David Perell.
What's it feel like to be the Third Culture Kids/Adults?
How to deal with a multi-culture identity crisis?
The journey of moving to the US and a serendipitous chance to study neuroscience under a strict apprenticeship model
How does intuition help us make decisions? What's your hero's journey?
What's the difference between western and eastern Buddhism? What's the connection between Buddhism and neuroscience?
What's Alliance for Bhikkhunis? And what's Theravadan Buddhist tradition (e.g. four noble truths and noble eightfold path)?
The San Pedro psychedelic experience. How does psychedelic help us to have different perspectives about the world and clarify life purpose?
Why is meditation not the cure for every your problems?
What's the future of online courses to build the community?
Introduction to Compassion Accelerator and Honeyritual Tea
Books/Links mentioned in this episode:
Write of Passage
Third culture kid
Third Culture Adult Book
American Born Chinese (ABC)
Trainspotting
Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright
Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Antonio Damasio
The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work
Infinite Loops Podcast: Tom Morgan — All you Need is Love? (EP.74)
Theravada 南传佛教
Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
The San Pedro psychedelic retreat experience
Flowism: My Philosophy of Living
Connect with Christin:
Christin's website
Christin's Twitter
Compassion Accelerator
Honeyritual Tea - CHIWI20 for 20% off (US customers only)
Nov 19, 202101:00:50

#124: Unschooling, Innovating Education, Intuitive Learning and Startup Cities with Zach Caceres
My guest today is Zach Caceres. He is an experienced software engineer and focuses on modern web technologies. He is interested in education and ##StartupCities and initiated a couple of cool projects in the relevant areas.
In today's episode, we discussed:
Zach's unschooling experiences at a young age and his way of learning.
Why choose to go back to university later on?
Hilarious stories on the arbitrary bureaucracy of our modern education
What's the essence of education?
Case study of innovating education from within Guatemala's top university
Sneak peek of The Intuitive Programmer project, learning how to learn
What's community technology? What's Startup City?
Stories on informal entrepreneurs and almost dead experience in Africa and South America.
How does technology power up the city building and enhance people's living conditions?
Brief introduction of Benjamin Blooms's two sigma problems
What's 'The Great Fact' raised by Deirdre McCloskey
What get you most excited about the future?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
Zach's super cool website
Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential
Innovating Education from Within Guatemala's Top University
Professor Barbara Oakley
Polymath Michael Polanyi
The Intuitive Programmer: Learning How to Learn Programming
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Learning how to learn | Barbara Oakley | TEDxOaklandUniversity
Focused vs. diffuse thinking: which is better for learning?
Pathological Altruism
The Start Of Startup Cities
Culdesac Tempe: The first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US!
CityDAO: Blockchain Cities IRL
Informal Entrepreneurship
Stealth of Nations by Robert Neuwirth
City of God movie
Amazing video shows 10-story high-rise built in a day
Maybe the Coronavirus Was Lower-Hanging Fruit
Benjamin Blooms's two sigma problems
Khan Academy
Duolingo
Ad Astra Academy
The Great Fact- the humongous increase in humans' standard of living that began about 200 years ago.
Oct 31, 202156:52

#123: Kiwi returning home, Global talent relocation, NZ working culture and TCK with Bridget Romanes
My guest today is Bridget Romanes. She is the Founder of Mobile Relocation Ltd, helping Kiwis returning to work and live at homeland, assisting migrants and expats relocating to New Zealand, and offering a tailored program for businesses to recruit and retain international talent throughout Aotearoa.
We discussed:
From expat herself to founding the company to help expats, Bridget's cross-culture career journey
The motivation behind starting a business solving talents relocation challenges.
What are the top three struggles facing returning home Kiwis?
How to overcome the reverse culture shock and mentally prepare well for returning home?
How will children get affected by moving around? What's The Third Culture Kid (TCK)?
What's the MIQ system? How can we better assist global talent to relocate to New Zealand?
Thoughts on future work. Will remote working become mainstream in New Zealand?
What's unique about the Kiwi working culture?
What's the top three factors of NZ that will appeal to global talent to come?
How to deal with the negative attitudes from locals toward migrants?
If you could change one policy that will make your job easier, what would that be?
What do you get most excited about future?
Books and links mentioned in the episode:
Bridget Romanes LinkedIn
Free Move to NZ Checklist
Tall poppy syndrome
30 Kiwi Slang Terms you need to know before you visit
Third culture kids (TCK)
The Third Culture Adult Book
New Zealand MIQ System
Are we returning to the office? Or is the future remote?
Christchurch mosque shootings
New Zealand Offers One-Off Resident Visa to 165,000 Migrants
Mobile Relocation— Impacts of Reverse Culture Shock for Returning Kiwis (mobile-relocation.com)
Oct 27, 202149:03

#122: Digital Nomad, Self-actualization, Chinese Buddhism and Love with Allison Wang
My guest today is Allison Wang. She is a founder of a yoga brand, Awake. She is currently living a digital nomad life and writing a blog, and running a podcast channel. Allison and I used to be online friends, but we finally met in Madeira and recorded this podcast sitting in front of the Atlantic Ocean. The sound quality might not be perfect, but you’ll be able to hear the sound of waves and feel the zen vibes while we were talking about meditation, self-realisation and love.
We discussed:
Our random meetup in Madeira and some highlights at this digital nomad village.
How to support yourself while living a digital nomad life?
The journey of becoming a content creator
Why the late 20s is the most painful period for the majority of people?
Why do people never get satisfied even though they’ve achieved so-called successful life?
Which four parts contribute to Self-actualization?
Brief intro of Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi and Daoism
What Chinese writer Su Shi taught us about life?
How did early Chinese education on reciting poetry help us understand life better?
The experience of egoless, can we hold this status forever?
Why is love inconsistent, and how do you know he/she is your soulmate?
Is there a cure for our modern loneliness?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
Digital Nomads Madeira Islands
Tim Ferriss 4-Hour Workweek
Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu
煽风点火 Shan Feng Dian Huo Podcast
Rumi
American neuroendocrinology researcher and author Robert Morris Sapolsky
Yoga With Adriene
Transcendental Meditation
Zen Buddhism 101 - The Power of Zen Meditation
Henry Shukman — Zen, Tools for Awakening, Ayahuasca vs Meditation, Intro to Koans, and Using Wounds as the Doorway
"Memento Mori": The Reminder We All Desperately Need
Ryan Holiday
Seneca
Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi
Chinese writer Su Shi
Zhuangzi loses his wife
Prelude to Water Melody by Su Shi
Qingyuan Weixin three stages of life
Sep 21, 202157:59

#121: Chinese Philosophy, Traditional Festivals, 4 Character Idioms and Podcast Lessons with Jay Yow
My guest today is Jay Yow. Jay is a recording and mixing engineer and a gamer. He was born in Malaysia and immigrated to America in his adults year. Jay is currently the producer of one of my favourite podcasts James Altucher Show.
We discussed:
What's it like to be a bilingual writer producing two newsletters to two different audiences?
How James Altucher adopted Jay and trained him to be his sound engineer?
What are the top three lessons learnt from James Altucher Show that interviewed 700+ guests?
How does playing games teach us about life and learn a new language and business strategy?
What's the traditional Chinese education role in the Malaysian education system?
What's the origin story of famous Chinese festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-autumn Festival?
Who are the most famous poets in ancient China?
Why there are so many different versions of history? What's the TRUTH?
What's the fundamental difference between Chinese philosophy and western philosophy?
Share some four-character idioms that are valuable: Wo Xin Chang Dan and Sai Weng Shi Ma
Books/Links mentioned in this episodes:
David Perell Write of Passage
Jesse Itzler: The $160,000 Lesson
How to connect with the greatest network in the world with AJ Jacobs
How to Have Impossible Conversations when facts don't matter with Peter Boghossian
How to start a conversation with Strangers? with Joe Keohane
Fantasy Premier League 20/21 Review
One Hundred Thousand Whys
A story of Sima Guang
Three Character Classic
China’s Shakespeare - Du Fu
Li Bai and Du Fu
Dragon Boat Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
Dynasties in Chinese history
Qin Shi Huang
Burning of books and burying of scholars
Legalism (Chinese philosophy)
Opium Wars
Journey to the West
Black Myth: Wukong
Full version
Sep 13, 202159:30

#120: Sovereign Individual, Digital Age, Multi-incomes/citizenships with Doug Antin
Kia Ora, Nihao and hello! Welcome to the Chiwi Journal Podcast. I’m your host Camellia Yang.
My guest today is Doug Antin. He is the Founder and Author of TSI Global Media, a company covering the Digital Age and how the current digital transformation creates a new class of people. Doug is also writing The Sovereign Individual Weekly Newsletter, providing insights, analysis, and actionable advice helping you become a Sovereign Individual and make the most of the digital transformation.
We discussed:
What’s the definition of the Sovereign Individual? Why should you care?
How does a book written 20 years ago perfectly predict our current world?
What digital trends support sovereign individual lifestyles?
How do we deal with information abundance as a content creator?
What role does blockchain and bitcoin play in this Sovereign Individual movement?
Is there a conflict between becoming a sovereign individual vs be part of the community?
Why should you have multiple citizenships?
What stops people from becoming sovereign individuals? What’s the reason behind that?
How to cultivate multiple income streams?
If you can live and work anywhere, where would you go, and what criteria to consider?
What’s the difference between a sovereign individual and an anarchist?
How to build the system to run a weekly newsletter?
Which three books to read when consider being a sovereign individual?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg
How to Start a New Country by Balaji Srinivasan
Neo-medievalism
The Sovereign Individual Weekly
Important Things About the Digital Age
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Night as Frontier: Colonizing the World After Dark by Murray Melbin
Thanks for listening to this episode.
Remember that you can join my monthly newsletter email list at camelliayang.com, where I spend 140+ hours digging valuable insights from books, articles and podcasts and share them in a 6-min easy-to-read email.
Please rate or leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover this podcast if you like the show.
Sep 03, 202147:09

#119: Born as a Girl, Chinese Higher Education System, Stereotypes and Migrant Entrepreneurship with Royal Reed
Kia Ora, Nihao and hello! Welcome to the Chiwi Journal Podcast. I’m your host Camellia Yang.
My guest today is Royal Reed. Royal has 20 years of experience in the NZ legal profession. She is also well respected in the Chinese community as a TV and Radio presenter and for her legal education programs for the community. Her legal practice and excellent cross-cultural dispute resolution have received recognition in New Zealand and Greater China.
We discussed:
What’s it like of being a girl born in a traditional Chinese family that parents favour boys over girls? What’s the bias that the old generation hold of giving birth to a girl?
The decision making process behind picking up a career and move abroad.
Why do Chinese people consider the National College Entrance examination as the only way to lead to a bright future? Does it contribute to many competitive Chinese students?
What’s the difference between the New Zealand education system and the Chinese education system?
How many stereotypes have Asian women received overseas?
What’s bamboo plus glass ceiling facing Asian migrants in career?
How to skin in the game and achieve a career breakthrough?
Does local working experience still matter that much in today’s digital world?
What internal and external factors drive Royal to start her own business?
How to cultivate business culture as a female migrant leader?
A brief introduction about On Being Bold organisation?
Books and links mentioned in this episode
Qingming Festival
One-child policy
The National College Entrance Examination (aka Gaokao)
Empowering Women | On Being Bold Conference
Bamboo ceiling
Royal's interview on OBB
(*Correct: The year I attended Gaokao was with 10 million people, not 20 million)
Aug 18, 202101:07:20

#118: Zen Meditation, Most Recommended Books, Competitiveness and Know Thyself with Richard Reis
My guest today is Richard Reis. He is the co-founder of Most Recommended Books, a voracious reader and a blogger. Richard also enjoys finance and building stuff.
We discussed:
Richard recently has done a three-month Zen Meditation retreat and shared his experience.
What’s so unique about Zen Meditation compared with other meditation (e.g. mindfulness and TM)?
Why should we focus on cultivating our intuition?
What’s the motivation to build the Most Recommended Books?
What’re the most recommended books in common?
What’s Tim Ferriss’s effect?
How to deal with self-doubt when building something new or running a startup?
What traits of Larry Ellison worthy learning?
Where does people’s competitiveness come from?
What are the benefits of speaking multiple languages? Do people change personalities while speaking different languages?
How to deal with loneliness and lack of community support while moving around very often?
Is personality test the way to help Know Thyself?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
Mountain Cloud Zen Centre
A conversation between Sam Harris and Henry Shukman
The Mysterious/Unsolvable Zen Koans - Henry Shukman, Associate Master of Sanbo Zen
Japanese Zen Buddhist Philosophy
10% Happier by Dan Harris
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley
Steve Jobs on Intuition
Most Recommended Books
The Tim Ferriss Show
Derek Sivers
The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick
If it's not a hit, switch
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle by Larry Ellison and Matthew Symonds
The Billionaire and the Mechanic: How Larry Ellison and a Car Mechanic Teamed Up to Win Sailing’s Greatest Race, The America’s Cup by Julian Guthrie
Founders Podcast (Highly recommend!)
How to think like a programmer — lessons in problem solving
Full version of shownote
Aug 14, 202152:49

#117: Revolution, Ideology, Cyber Anarchism and Nation/Network State with Nick Lee
Kia Ora, Nihao and hello! Welcome to the Chiwi Journal Podcast. I’m your host Camellia Yang.
My guest today is Nick Lee. He is a university instructor of Sociology and Humanities and Co-Host of the Revolution and Ideology program.
We discussed:
Nick’s combined background of finance, technology, sociology and phycology
Brief introduction of the Revolution and Ideology podcast
How do we judge whether a revolution is successful or not?
What’s Cyber Anarchism? What’re the responses to Balaji’s Network State/Union essays on 1729.com?
Are we conditioned to be settlers or nomads?
What’s the definition of a state? What’s the rule of violence?
How do ideologies and -isms affect people’s life and behaviour? Can we escape from ideologies?
What misunderstanding from the mass about anarchism?
How can we challenge the status quo and build the Network State?
What are technology debt and ideology debt?
Is China a real Communism country? What about Russia?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
Revolution and Ideology podcast
French Revolution
American Revolution
Cyber Anarchism
Network State/Union by Balaji Srinivasan
1729.com
The Art of Not Being Governed by James C. Scott
Max Weber's definition on Nation State
Rogers M. Smith
Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony
Cultural Revolution
The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama
Werner Herzog's films
Anarchism as a philosophy
Lenin’s Conception of Socialism
Thanks for listening to this episode. Remember that you can join my monthly newsletter email list at camelliayang.com, where I spend 140+ hours digging valuable insights from books, articles and podcasts and share them in a 6-min easy-to-read email.
If you like the show, please rate or leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover this podcast.
Aug 08, 202156:55

#116: Artistic journey, Self-realisation and Life philosophy with Monica Tong
Kia ora, Nihao and hello! Welcome to the Chiwi Journal Podcast. I’m your host Camellia Yang.
My guest today is Monica Tong. Monica was born in Nanjing, China, and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. She spent eight years in the finance industry in New Zealand and Australia before she turned to her passion for art and design. She studied and practised as a multi-media artist in Los Angeles and currently lives in London.
We talked about:
What's Chiwi (Chiwi Kiwi)? And What traits of Chiwi have?
What’s so good about New Zealand’s working-life balance environment and career break policy?
The journey of giving up a highly paid banking job to pursue a passion in the art world.
How does work with clay can bring a time-travelling experience?
Why does making ceramics artworks can bring you mindfulness and joy?
How to deal with self-doubt that and gain back confidence while shifting your career path?
How to cope with peer pressures and traditional Chinese family’s values when choosing to be an artist?
Brief intro about egg-frozen experience and women in 30s dilemma
Success means have a single impact on individual life and let the ripple effect brings on positive changes.
Bring ceramics to elders and children to see the world through different lenses.
Books and Links Mentioned:
Wabi-sabi philosophy
Dao De Jing
The Third Cultural Adults
Ralph Waldo Emerson - To laugh often and much; to win respect; to earn appreciation; to find the beauty in others; to leave the world better; one life has breathed easier because you lived here.
Get in touch with Monica
Instagram: @momo_production @studio.m.ceramics
Monica's website
Royal Colleague of Arts profile
Thanks for listening to this episode. Remember that you can join my monthly newsletter email list at camelliayang.com, where I spend 140+ hours digging valuable insights from books, articles and podcasts and share them in a 6-min easy-to-read email.
If you like the show, please rate or leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover this podcast.
Aug 02, 202152:16

#115: Home-schooling, Writing in Bilingual, Future of Education and GenZ with Gabriele Pizzi
My guest today is Gabriele Pizzi. He is 18 years old Italian and currently lives in northeastern Italy. He has been homeschooling since 2020 and now exploring the art of sculpture, bio-design, and digital fabrication.
We discussed:
What made Gabriele quit public school and homeschooling?
Why are education systems around the world very similar?
How to cope with peer pressure while choosing the unusual path?
How to find your interests and have the discipline to run the self-learning program?
The challenges facing bilingual writers?
Why writing is the best way to test your learnings?
Why apprenticeship is a great way to make friends and learn skills?
How to build your networking and setting up your career goal while homeschooling?
What GenZ wish other generations to know them better?
What get Gabriele most excited about the future?
Books and links mentioned in this episode:
Education
Tim Ferriss Show with Balaji
1729.com
Jean Paul Sartre: NO EXIT
The Start Of Startup Cities
Waldorf School (Steiner School)
Free Private Cities: Making Governments Compete For You by Titus Gebel
Get in touch with Gabriele!
Twitter @gabrielepizzi, Linkedin, Email
Jul 22, 202137:18