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

  • 449. From Tears to Taiwan, Real Mandarin Learner Stories That Will Inspire You | Mailbag #449

    37:11||Ep. 449
    This week on the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we read three powerful emails from listeners whose Mandarin journeys couldn’t be more different — yet share the same courage.From feeling fluent for the first time, to reconnecting with family and heritage, to quitting a job and moving to Taiwan for love and language…These are real stories from real learners navigating confidence, shame, identity, relationships, and bold life decisions — all through Mandarin.Whether you’re:A beginner starting from scratchA heritage learner feeling pressureDating someone TaiwaneseOr dreaming of living in TaiwanThis episode is for you.We speak naturally in both Mandarin and English throughout the episode, so learners of all levels can follow along and build real-world listening skills.💛 Mandarin isn’t just grammar and vocab lists. It’s connection, risk, community, and growth.加油 — we’re in this together.

  • 448. Would You Survive 48 Hours Speaking Only Chinese?

    48:56||Ep. 448
    Chinese New Year is here… but we’re not just talking about red envelopes and dumplings.In this episode:Who should give red envelopes (and when it stops)The weird firework pranks from childhoodWhy we chose not to vlog our kidsAnd… our idea for a 48-hour Mandarin-only retreatCould you survive two full days speaking only Chinese?No English. No safety net. Just immersion.Let us know if you’d actually come.🎧 Listen on Spotify📩 Join our community🧧 Happy New Year

  • 447. I Finally Understood My Mother-in-Law | Mailbag Mandarin

    45:51||Ep. 447
    This week’s mailbag:a learner understands his mother-in-law at the worst moment,a tone mistake turns into a workplace disaster,and a four-year-old becomes the teacher.Plus: how to ask to camp in Taiwan without sounding like a tourist.

  • 446. My Child Understands Mandarin But Won’t Speak It

    40:40||Ep. 446
    What does real bilingual development actually look like?In this episode of Mandarin Monkey, we talk about one of the biggest concerns parents have when raising bilingual children:“My child understands Mandarin… but won’t speak it. Is that normal?”We explore:• What children usually understand first• Why mixing languages is a sign of competence• Whether silence means failure• How long it realistically takes to become conversational• Why input matters more than early outputUla shares personal stories of growing up with Taiwanese and Mandarin, and we reflect on our own children’s bilingual journey.If you’re raising a child in a mixed-language household, this conversation will reassure you.Mandarin Monkey is a bilingual podcast where Mandarin and English are used naturally, just like in real families.

  • 445. We Tried Listing 100 Life Goals… Then Got Distracted

    56:48||Ep. 445
    This episode started as a simple idea:list 100 very specific things to do before you die.We didn’t get to 100.We talked about sharks, Lapland, Route 66, Disney parks, cherry blossoms, tequila in Mexico, collecting memories, and why “someday” is a dangerous word.Mandarin and English.Travel, goals, family, and that quiet feeling of wanting more life in your life.If this episode sparks an idea for you, tell us what you’d add to the list.Mandarin Monkey is a bilingual podcast in Mandarin and English.We speak naturally. No scripts. No lessons. Just real conversation.Support the show or join the hangouts:mandarinmonkey.compatreon.com/mandarinmonkey

  • 444. 444 Episodes Later… This Is Why Learning Mandarin Still Feels Hard

    41:48||Ep. 444
    Learning Mandarin isn’t just about vocabulary or grammar.Sometimes it’s about confidence, fear, and not feeling “good enough”.In episode 444 of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we talk honestly about:– Why language “levels” can actually hurt learners– Speaking Mandarin without destroying your confidence– Trial lessons that start way too basic– Learning through conversation, not correction– Why progress feels invisible even when it’s real– Being scared to speak, even after years of learning– How creativity, experience, and repetition change everythingThis episode drifts between English and Mandarin, just like real life does.Because that’s how language is actually learned.If you’ve ever felt stuck, nervous, or frustrated with Mandarin…this one’s for you.🎧 Listen, relax, and remember: you’re not bad at languages.You’re just still learning.📩 Got a question for our Friday mailbag?Email: chat@mandarinmonkey.com

  • 443. Why “Ask” Is Wrong in Mandarin | Mandarin & English Podcast | Mailbag Episode

    49:19||Ep. 443
    This is a mailbag episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast.We answer listener questions about a deceptively common Mandarin mistake:why you can’t use “ask” the way you do in English.Ula explains why 問 is for asking questions, but doesn’t work when you’re asking someone to do you a favour, and why 請 is often the natural choice, even though it doesn’t translate cleanly into English.We also respond to listener emails about:learning Mandarin without a clear end goalwhy grammar turns people off languagespatience, time, and long-term progresshow hangouts and lessons help people stick with itUla speaks Mandarin pretty much throughout.Tom speaks English pretty much throughout.🎧 Lessons, hangouts, and more:mandarinmonkey.com

  • 442. Would You Risk Your Life for Fame? | Mandarin & English Podcast

    42:09||Ep. 442
    This episode is a fully bilingual English–Mandarin conversation. Tom speaks in English. Ula responds entirely in Mandarin.We talk about:Extreme risk and a climber scaling Taipei 101Whether dangerous stunts should be streamed liveTravel plans including Lapland, skiing holidays, the Maldives, and the USFear, animals, parenting, and how perspective changes over timeThis is not a scripted lesson.It’s how Mandarin is used naturally in real life.If you’re learning Mandarin and want:Real listening practiceNatural speed and phrasingMandarin used in context, not explained to deathThis episode is for you.

  • 441. Why Mandarin Sounds Easy… Until a Real Person Speaks

    45:47||Ep. 441
    Why does Mandarin feel easy when you’re listening…but impossible the moment a real person speaks?In this mailbag episode, we answer real listener questions about learning Mandarin in the real world.Textbooks vs real speech. Tones. Confidence. Speaking to in-laws. And why your brain sometimes just shuts down.We talk about:Why textbooks teach words nobody actually saysWhether tones really matter (and why)Freezing when speaking to native speakersSpeaking Mandarin with your partner’s parentsWhy some days you feel fluent and others you forget everythingMainland Chinese vs Taiwanese MandarinIf you’ve ever thought, “Is it just me?”…it isn’t.00:00 Welcome & what this episode is03:10 Why textbooks don’t sound like real people11:45 Speaking Mandarin with your partner’s parents23:40 “I understand podcasts but not real people”33:10 Do tones really matter?41:45 Why some days Mandarin feels impossible52:30 Mainland Chinese vs Taiwanese Mandarin59:10 Final thoughts & how to keep improving01:02:30 How to support Mandarin Monkey🎧 Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/mandarinmonkey📚 Book lessons: https://mandarinmonkey.com👥 Join Mandarin Monkey Hangouts on Patreon