Share

cover art for Ep. 394 – The World’s Strangest Hobbies & Bizarre Cultural Traditions

Mandarin Monkey Podcast

Ep. 394 – The World’s Strangest Hobbies & Bizarre Cultural Traditions

Ep. 394
•
Unusual Hobbies (特殊的爱好 - tè shū de ài hào)
  1. Extreme Ironing (极限熨烫) – jí xiàn yùn tàng
  2. Quidditch (魁地奇) – kuí dì qí
  3. Cheese Rolling (奶酪滚动比赛) – nǎi lào gǔn dòng bǐ sài
  4. Toy Voyaging (玩具旅行) – wán jù lǚ xíng
  5. Competitive Duck Herding (竞技赶鸭子) – jìng jì gǎn yā zi
  6. Trainspotting (火车观察) – huǒ chē guān chá
  7. Mooing Competitions (学牛叫比赛) – xué niú jiào bǐ sài
  8. Soapbox Racing (肥皂盒赛车) – féi zào hé sài chē
  9. Bog Snorkeling (泥潭浮潜) – ní tán fú qián
  10. Stone Skipping (打水漂比赛) – dǎ shuǐ piāo bǐ sài
  11. Ferret Legging (裤子养雪貂比赛) – kù zi yǎng xuě diāo bǐ sài
  12. Wife Carrying Race (扛妻比赛) – káng qī bǐ sài
  13. Beetle Fighting (甲虫格斗) – jiǎ chóng gé dòu
  14. Cardboard Tube Dueling (纸板管决斗) – zhǐ bǎn guǎn jué dòu
  15. Underwater Hockey (水下曲棍球) – shuǐ xià qū gùn qiú
  16. Competitive Air Guitar (空气吉他比赛) – kōng qì jí tā bǐ sài
  17. Canine Freestyle (狗狗舞蹈比赛) – gǒu gǒu wǔ dǎo bǐ sài
  18. Lawn Mower Racing (割草机比赛) – gē cǎo jī bǐ sài
  19. Soap Carving (肥皂雕刻) – féi zào diāo kè
  20. Pencil Sharpening as an Art (削铅笔艺术) – xuē qiān bǐ yì shù


Unusual Cultural Activities (特殊的文化活动 - tè shū de wén huà huó dòng)
  1. La Tomatina (番茄大战) – fān qié dà zhàn
  2. Baby Jumping Festival (跳婴节) – tiào yīng jié
  3. Monkey Buffet Festival (猴子自助餐节) – hóu zi zì zhù cān jié
  4. Goose Pulling (拔鹅比赛) – bá é bǐ sài
  5. Polterabend (婚前碎瓷习俗) – hūn qián suì cí xí sú
  6. Gurning Contests (扭脸比赛) – niǔ liǎn bǐ sài
  7. Famadihana (换尸节) – huàn shī jié
  8. Up-Helly-Aa (维京火节) – wéi jīng huǒ jié
  9. Kanamara Matsuri (钢铁阴茎祭) – gāng tiě yīn jīng jì
  10. Naki Sumo (婴儿哭泣相扑赛) – yīng ér kū qì xiàng pū sài
  11. The Battle of the Oranges (橙子大战) – chéng zi dà zhàn
  12. Tunarama Festival (金枪鱼投掷节) – jīn qiāng yú tóu zhì jié
  13. Toe Wrestling (脚趾摔跤) – jiǎo zhǐ shuāi jiāo
  14. Golden Retriever Festival (金毛犬节) – jīn máo quǎn jié
  15. Krampusnacht (克朗普斯之夜) – kè lǎng pǔ sī zhī yè
  16. Blackened Teeth (染黑牙齿, 日本旧习俗) – rǎn hēi yá chǐ, rì běn jiù xí sú
  17. Frozen Dead Guy Days (冰冻死人节) – bīng dòng sǐ rén jié
  18. Giant Omelette Festival (巨型煎蛋节) – jù xíng jiān dàn jié
  19. Hadaka Matsuri (裸体祭, 日本裸祭) – luǒ tǐ jì, rì běn luǒ jì
  20. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (库珀山奶酪滚动比赛) – kù pò shān nǎi lào gǔn dòng bǐ sài


Festival (节日) – jié rì

Competition (比赛) – bǐ sài

Traditional (传统的) – chuán tǒng de

Cultural Event (文化活动) – wén huà huó dòng

Unusual (特殊的) – tè shū de

Weird (奇怪的) – qí guài de

Challenge (挑战) – tiǎo zhàn

Sport (运动) – yùn dòng

Activity (活动) – huó dòng

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 459. The Final Episode | We Are Finally Saying Goodbye To The Podcast

    44:15||Ep. 459
    We are finally saying goodbye to the podcast. We have been doing this since 2018! Made so many awesome friends along the way and had so much fun. But now its time we call it a day. We started with a microphone on a bedside table in our bedroom and ended up in a full studio, its been a long and arduous journey. We want to say thank you to everyone who made this possible. The community will continue! Every monkey worth their salt will still be on the front lines learning Mandarin. We love you all!

  • 458. The Final Mailbag Episode 😢

    48:20||Ep. 458
    So this is it. The final mailbag episode. It was fun while it lasted. If you have any interesting stories or emails, email them in to:chat@mandarinmonkey.com and we will read them out.

  • 457. We Tried Planning Lapland in Mandarin… It Got Expensive Fast | Ep 457

    45:43||Ep. 457
    We started planning a simple trip to Lapland…and somehow ended up booking reindeer rides, elf school, glass igloos, and possibly bankruptcy.In this episode, we talk (and argue) through planning a family trip to Lapland, what we actually want to do vs what we can afford, and how quickly “just a few activities” turns into chaos.Along the way, you’ll hear natural Mandarin and English conversation, real-life vocab, and how we actually think through decisions as a bilingual couple.Also in this episode:– Should podcasts feel like a conversation or a show?– Why talking to the audience vs each other changes everything– Christmas in Lapland… is anything even open?– The reality of planning travel with kids– Wholesome news (with Mandarin vocab you can actually use)If you’re learning Mandarin, this is how it really sounds in real life. No scripts. No slow talk. Just conversation.Key Mandarin you’ll hear:– 募款活動 (fundraising activity)– 太陽能板 (solar panels)– 星星 / 天文學家 (stars / astronomers)If you’ve ever been to Lapland, drop a comment.Tell us what’s actually worth doing… and what’s a waste of money.—Listen, learn, and just enjoy the chaos.New episodes every week.Follow for more real Mandarin.

  • 456. Listener Mailbag: Taiwan Ghost Month, Saving Face & Learning Mandarin in Real Life | Ep. 456

    50:13||Ep. 456
    Welcome back to Mandarin Monkey Podcast Episode 456.This one’s a proper listener mailbag episode.We read your emails and end up talking about all sorts: learning Mandarin on a tractor in rural Iowa, a workplace misunderstanding about saving face, the chaos of Taiwan Ghost Month, whether the third tone is designed to ruin lives, typing Chinese on a Mac, and one very wholesome story about using Mandarin to ask for a father’s blessing.As usual, Tom speaks English, Ula speaks Mandarin, and somewhere in the middle we all try to make sense of life, language, and cultural confusion.In this episode:real stories from Mandarin Monkey listeners around the worldTaiwan Ghost Month taboos and superstitionssaving face in Chinese and Taiwanese culturelearning Mandarin through real conversationMandarin tones, typing Chinese, and bilingual family lifewhy this community is a lot bigger than either of us expectedIf you're learning Mandarin Chinese, interested in Taiwanese culture, or just enjoy chaotic bilingual conversations, you’re in the right place.Send us your stories, questions, wins, disasters, cultural confusion, and Mandarin struggles. We need more for future mailbags.Write in and be part of the next episode.#LearnMandarin #MandarinChinese #TaiwanCulture #ChineseListeningPractice #BilingualPodcast #MandarinMonkey #LearnChinese #GhostMonth #SavingFace #Taiwan

  • 455. This Might Be the Worst Podcast Game Ever

    45:44||Ep. 455
    This episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast takes a strange turn.We somehow ended up playing a “tiny acting” game we found online… which is great for YouTube and absolutely terrible for podcast listeners.Expect awkward silence, ridiculous acting challenges, and one very questionable scenario involving a dog in a waiting room.Along the way we also talk about: • why words start to feel strange when you repeat them too much • life stress after moving countries • how comments about your voice can stick with you for years • why sometimes the best thing you can do is just laugh and relaxIf you enjoy learning Mandarin through real conversations, chaos, and the occasional terrible idea… welcome to Mandarin Monkey.Listen to the full podcast and learn Chinese with us.

  • 454. Mailbag: Learning Mandarin While Doing the Dishes, Running, and Raising Bilingual Kids

    35:07||Ep. 454
    Can you really learn Mandarin while doing the dishes? What about while running, driving, or just surviving family life on broken sleep?In this Mandarin Monkey mailbag episode, we dive into real listener stories and questions about learning Chinese in the middle of normal life. From passive listening and bilingual parenting to sleep deprivation, kids climbing into bed sideways, and the never-ending mystery of 了, this one goes everywhere.In this episode:learning Mandarin while doing the disheswhy some people understand more while running than studyinga 58-year-old dad starting Mandarin in retirementraising bilingual children outside Taiwan and Chinawhether natural input is enough for kidswhy 了 still confuses everyonesleep, parenting, and recovering from SwitzerlandIf you're learning Mandarin and trying to make it fit around work, family, or everyday chaos, this episode is for you.Tell us in the comments:Where do you listen to Mandarin Monkey?Doing the dishes? Driving? Walking? Hiding from your children for five minutes?Mandarin Monkey is a bilingual Mandarin Chinese and English podcast designed to help you improve your listening through real conversation, humour, and everyday life.#LearnMandarin #MandarinChinese #ChineseListeningPractice #BilingualPodcast #LanguageLearning #MandarinMonkey

  • 453. Our 36 Hours in Zurich | Swiss Chocolate, $50 Chocolate, Kangaroo Steak & Scooter Adventures

    51:11||Ep. 453
    We just spent 36 hours in Zurich, Switzerland filming an event at the FIFA Museum… and somehow turned it into a mini travel adventure.In this episode we talk about:• flying to Switzerland with camera gear • our first taste of real Swiss chocolate • accidentally spending £50 on chocolate • riding electric scooters around Zurich • trying kangaroo steak in an Australian restaurant • discovering how expensive Switzerland really is • meeting our Uber driver with a powerful story about Iran • exploring Lake Zurich early in the morningIt was a very short trip, but Zurich turned out to be one of the most beautiful and peaceful cities we've visited.This episode is also great for Mandarin learners, as Ula shares thoughts and stories in Mandarin while we talk about the experience in English.If you've ever been to Switzerland, tell us your favourite place!

  • 452. We Forgot to Press Record… Then Got Hired to Film in Switzerland

    36:10||Ep. 452
    We just recorded 40 minutes of podcast… and realised we never pressed record.So here we are doing it again.In this episode we talk about:• Our first corporate filming job in London• Why we're suddenly flying to Zurich next week• The launch of our new gaming channel Monkey Plays• Whether language exchange apps actually work• Why Pleco is amazing (but not perfect)• Why people in Taiwan don’t really say 你好吗• And how to actually use podcasts to improve your MandarinPlus we answer your emails about:Using Mandarin podcasts for learningCantonese vs Mandarin situationsLanguage exchange apps like TandemStudy methods and common mistakes learners makeIf you want to send us a question for a future mailbag episode, email us!chat@mandarinmonkey.comMonkey PlaysOur new gaming channel where you can learn Mandarin while watching games:RaftOvercooked 2Peak(and more coming)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxuNENWdUdcvRMuMiADUFmQFull playthroughs and interactive vocab games are available on Patreon.patreon.com/monkeyplaysgamesMandarin Monkey LinksPodcast: https://mandarinmonkey.comLessons: https://mandarinmonkey.com/lessonsPatreon: https://patreon.com/mandarinmonkey

  • 451. I Lost a Translation Job Over “Face” (And Called My Boss a Bastard)

    36:29||Ep. 451
    This week’s mailbag episode is… painful.• A freelance translator loses a business contract because he didn’t understand 面子 (miànzi). • Someone tries to compliment their manager… and accidentally calls him a bastard. • Another listener’s Chinese name sounds dangerously close to “horse sh*t.”We talk about cultural competence in business Mandarin, tone disasters, gaming as a language-learning method, and why choosing a Chinese name is more serious than you think.If you’ve ever made a language mistake that keeps you awake at night, this one’s for you.Don’t lose confidence. Just don’t translate “losing face” word for word.