Brendan Davis 9/26/18 Brendan Davis 9/26/18

ERIC SELLEY | Comedy from Beijing to Toronto

Eric Selley has his degree in education from Toronto and works as a truly professional teacher here in Beijing, but these days he is becoming best-known as a comedian. Eric brings a great energy and a fresh perspective to the recent comedy-themed episodes of "BFMK" and shares his thoughts on joke writing, the differences between audiences in Toronto, NYC, Australia, and China, and much more.

Eric Selley has his degree in education from Toronto and works as a truly professional teacher here in Beijing, but these days he is becoming best-known as a comedian. Eric brings a great energy and a fresh perspective to the recent comedy-themed episodes of “BFMK” and shares his thoughts on joke writing, the differences between audiences in Toronto, NYC, Australia, and China, and much more. Enjoy!

This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview

GUEST Links:
Eric Selley on Instagram: ericjselley
Comedy Club China / WeChat Official Account: comedyclubchina
Website: www.comedyclubchina.com

“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 9/12/18 Brendan Davis 9/12/18

DAVID JACOBS | Comedy Club China

David Jacobs grew up in an idyllic part of Virginia, began traveling on a fluke, and ended up in China - where he's stayed far longer than he ever expected. Along the way, he became a key part of the Beijing comedy scene, where he currently manages Comedy Club China (CCC).

David Jacobs grew up in an idyllic part of Virginia, began traveling on a fluke, and ended up in China - where he’s stayed far longer than he ever expected. Along the way, he became a key part of the Beijing comedy scene, where he currently manages Comedy Club China (CCC). CCC is responsible for hosting open mics and quality gigs many nights a week as well as bringing in ever-bigger names for special shows, helping to expand the scene and push the boundaries of what’s possible here.

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview

GUEST Links:
David Jacobs / Comedy Club China
WeChat Official Account: comedyclubchina
Website: www.comedyclubchina.com

“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 8/21/18 Brendan Davis 8/21/18

IGOR TORGESON | Comedy & Acting from D.C. to L.A.

Igor Torgeson is a writer, actor and filmmaker from Los Angeles. He is an old friend and we had a great time catching up and chatting here in China recently. Igor talks about his journey in the comedy world, shares his hot take on Beijing, and we even talk a little about what the shifting cultural dynamics back home mean for the entertainment business at large.

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Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

GUEST:
Igor Torgeson online: http://IgorTorgeson.com

“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 7/25/18 Brendan Davis 7/25/18

MOHAMMED MAGDI | Kung Fu Comedy

This week's episode of the show features Egyptian comic Mohammed Magdi! He's been based in Shanghai the last five years, and we talk about how he crafts an act that is both topical and personal, and can work in cities and countries across the world.

#058 - Kung Fu Comedy | Mohammed Magdi (with bonus guest Chelsey Mark)

This week’s episode of the show features Egyptian comic Mohammed Magdi! He’s been based in Shanghai the last five years, and we talk about how he crafts an act that is both topical and personal, and can work in cities and countries across the world. I also have a special short interview with returning champion Chelsey Mark, fresh back from his move home to Manitoba to do a gig in China. Enjoy!

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

GUEST LINKS:
Mohammed Magdi -
Website: mohammedmagdi.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mohammed.magdi
Twitter: @mohammedmagdi
Instagram: @muuhaammede

Chelsey Mark - Western:
Website:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaixiaolongChelseyMark/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chelseymaixiaolong
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maixiaolongchelseymark/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChelseyMarkMXL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseymarkmaixiaolong/

Chelsey Mark - China Social Media:
Weibo 微博: https://weibo.com/maixiaolongchelsey
Public WeChat 微信公众号: maixiaolongcm

Brendan Davis 7/11/18 Brendan Davis 7/11/18

NIGEL MAINVILLE | Comedy Across Cultures

Nigel Mainville grew up in the Massachusetts version of small-town USA. But a curiosity about the greater world led him to an early interest in Japanese manga, a high school study abroad year in Taiwan, and then to mainland China. By day, Nigel uses his fluent Chinese to teach kindergartners, but several nights a week he can be found rocking the mic at one of the many standup comedy gigs around Beijing.

#056 - Comedy Across Cultures | Nigel Mainville

Nigel Mainville grew up in the Massachusetts version of small-town USA. But a curiosity about the greater world led him to an early interest in Japanese manga, a high school study abroad year in Taiwan, and then to mainland China. By day, Nigel uses his fluent Chinese to teach kindergartners, but several nights a week he can be found rocking the mic at one of the many standup comedy gigs around Beijing. He is having success here but his sights are set on a much bigger stage. We talk about all that and more in this week’s show. Enjoy!

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!

GUEST:
Nigel Mainville: nigelmainvillecomedy@gmail.com

Brendan Davis on the “MIGRATORY PATTERNS” PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/migratory-patterns/episodes/002-Brendan-Davis-e1p3nb/a-a4a8kn

“VOICES OF THE BELT & ROAD" PODCAST: https://beltandroad.ventures/podcasts/

Brendan Davis 5/16/18 Brendan Davis 5/16/18

CHELSEY MARK / MAI XIAO LONG: Acting, Emceeing, Comedy, and More

"I want people to know what it takes to be happy."   In a sentence, that sums up talking with Chelsey Mark. Chelsey - aka Mai Xiao Long in Chinese - is from a family of actual Canadian legends.

#050 - Acting, Emceeing, Comedy, and More | Chelsey Mark / Mai Xiao Long

“I want people to know what it takes to be happy.”

In a sentence, that sums up talking with Chelsey Mark. Chelsey - known as Mai Xiao Long in Chinese - is from a family of actual Canadian legends. His father was a long-term Member of Parliament, his grandfather helped build the Canadian railroads, but Chelsey came to China to find his calling. He’s been here 18 years, and as he says in the interview, he moved here a boy but it made him a man. He started in music, became an in-demand emcee, and from 2007-2012 he was the official host of NBA China’s coverage. Chelsey has done seemingly hundreds of great, high-profile interviews and entertainment gigs, whether hosting, singing, dancing, acting, rapping, playing an instrument, doing comedy, or leading a motivational event. In terms of public performance, there isn’t much that he hasn’t done, and I imagine he’ll be very successful in everything he does next. Enjoy!

Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts

SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link: http://bit.ly/BigFish2018 or (if bit.ly doesn’t work for you) https://www.stackry.com/?utm_source=Big_Fish&utm_medium=Campaign&utm_term=10%25

Use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!

BD’s “My Stackry Unboxing Video": https://youtu.be/FvEWXxzZm3I

GUEST:
Chelsey Mark links - Western:
Website: https://www.maixiaolongchelseymark.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaixiaolongChelseyMark/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chelseymaixiaolong
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maixiaolongchelseymark/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChelseyMarkMXL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseymarkmaixiaolong/
Chelsey Mark - China Social Media:
Weibo 微博: https://weibo.com/maixiaolongchelsey
Public WeChat 微信公众号: maixiaolongcm

BDC (Brendan Davis Consulting): https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/brendan-davis-consulting/

LITTLE FISH IN THE BIGGEST POND e-book PREORDER page: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/book/

“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

Brendan Davis 7/16/17 Brendan Davis 7/16/17

JESSE APPELL: The Comedy Scene in China

“I always sum up China in two words: cognitive dissonance.” - Jesse Appell

Boston native Jesse Appell has launched a successful business and speaks Chinese like a local, but that’s not all he’s accomplished during his time in Beijing. Jesse is one of only a handful of Westerners who is trained in the Chinese comedy art of xiangsheng, or crosstalk. It’s a discipline with a storied history here, and Jesse won a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to come study under a true master of the art, Ding Laoshi. But that was just the start of his career in China.

Jesse’s primary focus nowadays is on running the US-China Comedy Center here in Beijing. At the Center, they feature both single language and bilingual improv and standup comedy shows. Jesse founded the Center just about a year ago, but it’s already become a focal point for the growing comedy scene here. To give you an idea of what these shows are like, in the show notes I am including links to several examples of Jesse in action, which are subtitled and really funny regardless of your native language.

As a writer, Jesse has also been working hard to crack the elusive cross-cultural comedy code for movies. He has been developing a buddy picture that’s designed to truly appeal to both markets, and from what he says about it here, I think he might be onto something.

This episode gets very deep into the worlds of comedy, creativity, and filmmaking, so it’s especially worth checking out if you work in those worlds, aspire to, or just enjoy them and want to learn more. But Jesse’s thoughts about the obstacles to true communication are keenly observed, and should be interesting to anyone trying to understand the other cultural better. I hope you enjoy it!

Lastly, another quick reminder that we are still a featured show on the Castbox.fm website and the Castbox podcast app! Castbox works in your web browser, iOS, and they have an especially nice new app for Android devices. Please check us out on Castbox, and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to us.

US-China Comedy Center:
www.uschinacomedy.com

WeChat:
Uschinacomedycenter

Weibo:
@艾杰西

Jesse Appell - Chinese standup (subtitled):
https://youtu.be/UA2P-q9MxXk

"Chinese Mitch Hedberg" routine
http://m.youku.com/video/id_XNzU3ODkyNDgw.html

Xiangsheng overview:
https://youtu.be/7QxW-KBE6EA

"BFMK" site:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/

Brendan Davis on Twitter:
@VeritasInLux

Carl King (composer):
http://carlkingdom.com

Apple Podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2

CastBox:
http://castbox.fm/u/4711710

Ximalaya:
http://m.ximalaya.com/82109155/album/8651374

Brendan Davis 6/2/17 Brendan Davis 6/2/17

JENNIFER HSIUNG: Comedy & Family

Jennifer Hsiung - Comedy & Family

This week’s guest is Jennifer Hsiung. Jennifer is a Canadian born to Taiwanese parents; she lives and works in Beijing as a TV anchor and reporter, a budding standup comedian, and - as she is 7 months pregnant at the time of posting this - is a very busy mother of “two and a half” kids.

Jennifer first came to China on a cultural exchange trip, but her big break after she moved to the mainland was when she became a sports reporter for CCTV during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That opportunity led to many others as a reporter and news anchor, and Jennifer is now a host of the popular show “Culture Express” on CGTN, formerly CCTV English International, where she interviews prominent guests from the arts and entertainment world. She is also part of the growing standup comedy scene in China, which we discuss in detail.

This episode is as real as it is comedic. Jennifer brings a very interesting perspective to the show; as someone who is a foreigner from North America, but is of Asian ancestry, she has unique insights into both worlds that are worth hearing, and she has a way of making the truth funny that I think you’ll really enjoy.

If you DO enjoy it, please SUBSCRIBE to the show if you are new here, tell a friend or two about us, and check out the links below to get in touch or learn more!

"BFMK" Website:
https://www.crazyinagoodway.com

Jennifer Hsiung links:
https://www.facebook.com/JenExpress
https://www.youtube.com/user/pumpkinvive88
Weibo / WeChat: JenniferHsiung熊邦欣

Carl King (composer):
www.carlkingdom.com

Brendan Davis 5/19/17 Brendan Davis 5/19/17

CHINAVERSARY

Hey! Thanks for checking out my site, and (hopefully) my new podcast, "Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom". I am writing this on May 20, 2017 China Standard Time, and today is my ONE-YEAR "Chinaversary":

It's the date I moved, after lots of visits and time spent here, to Beijing from Los Angeles. It was a big move, and a big deal for me at the time, but the weight and (mostly) powerful consequences of that decision grow by the day for me...so I wanted to talk about it with my friends, and as I've done so, lots of what they have had to say has been worth sharing with YOU, hence the podcast.

So I'm not sure how you ended up checking out this page, but I am glad you're here. There is a lot more to say about the hows and whys and ups and downs and benefits of me move, and on the podcast I will end up saying MUCH more than I would subject you to reading here. Hardly anyone reads blogs these days, right? Especially "groovy expat adventure" oriented ones.

But podcasts are a great, and growing, way to share information, insights, and entertainment with all kinds of people, in the comfort of their own ears and at their own pace / level of commitment, so...I humbly offer my contribution to that medium, and to the growing conversation focused on how East and West can best work, understand, and agree with each other.

The very first episode (featuring <7 minutes of me talking about the show and giving enough relevant backstory about myself to launch this sucker) is up and live NOW! You can check it out in iTunes HERE, search it on the Google / Android / Windows-friendly podcast aggregators by show name, or just listen to it online HERE.

But regardless of HOW you check it out, I hope that you DO - especially considering some of the interesting people I have lined up to interview for the subsequent episodes. I have venture capitalists, film and TV creators and personalities, standup comedians, screenwriters, philanthropists, artists and educators and business people of all kinds queued up to bring to you, one each week, and I really can't wait for you to hear what these folks have to say.

Okay! Please check out the show if you're interested, SUBSCRIBE if you like it, and and send me feedback or however you like. I am easy to find online and will reply as soon as I can. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the show!