Geopats Abroad - Serial expat conversations

Send us a text Musical tones, grammar traps, aha moments. Chinese sounds simple—until it isn't. From tone tricks to missing tenses, Steph and Angie chat about the unexpected complexity of learning Mandarin, especially for speakers of English and German. Their conversation unpacks how tonal cues, filler sounds like “ma” and “ah,” and even body language all shape meaning, while verbs and grammar markers leave learners scratching their heads. Hear what surprised them most and what fi...

Send us a text Imagine realizing that everything you were taught about politeness, personal space, and even shopping no longer applies. In this conversation with Shannon, we talk about how living abroad—especially in China and Spain—has completely reshaped our habits and expectations. From using QR codes to give money to street performers, to feeling awkward saying “please” and “thank you” too much, to the never-ending tug-of-war between needing personal space and learning to let it go, it’s ...

Send us a text Evan was expecting cultural differences when he first moved to China in the early 2000's but he wasn't ready for the nuances of dog culture. Here's a clip from our conversation about pet adoptions, status pets and more from 2018, when we both lived in Shanghai, China. Full episode: https://geopatsabroad.buzzsprout.com/2039972/episodes/13164575-what-was-dog-culture-shock-like-for-this-american-in-china ---------------------------------------------- Traveling Mailbo...

Send us a text Culture shock both positive and negative can feel odd, disorienting. Xing, an international student who studied in Edinburgh, Scotland more than a decade ago, described his experience as a "Game of Edinburgh" with different seasons. Here's a clip from the full conversation I had with Xing in 2018 about that game. Full episode: https://geopats.buzzsprout.com/2039972/episodes/11201564-what-was-it-like-to-move-from-china-to-scotland-for-this-writer Traveling Mailbox:&n...

Send us a text Here's a clip from Evan's experience teaching English in Korea in the early 2000's. Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2039972/episodes/11201567 Traveling Mailbox: https://travelingmailbox.com/?ref=3422 Top 3 services that have help me while living in different countries: Affiliate links so I'll get a small commission. 🔥 Traveling Mailbox: scan/forward postal service for Americans. It's saved me time, money and headaches. https://travelingmailbox.com/?r...