Christmas in the Maldives
It’s not that easy to island-hop through the Maldives, because all the seaplanes fan out from the capital city, Malé. So once you’re at your resort island, you’re pretty much stuck there. As a restless traveler who bores easily, this was a bit of a concern. But as a restless traveler who also a) dislikes sand, lotion, and the mixture of sand and lotion; b) burns to a crisp after five minutes in the sun; c) usually avoids being in and out of water because of the constant juggle between contact lenses, glasses, sunglasses and prescription sunglasses; d) has yet to find a flip-flop that doesn’t chafe; e) has yet to find a swimming trunk that doesn’t chafe; f) is terrified of the open sea; and g) is even more terrified of spending money indulgently, I didn’t know which concern concerned me the most. So in the end, I decided not to worry about any of them.
🤓 Maldives Facts 🤓
🇲🇻 It’s the world’s flattest and lowest-lying country. 80% is only 1 metre above sea level, and the highest point stands at a whopping… 2 metres.
🇲🇻 It has the world’s highest national divorce rate. On average, a woman in the Maldives has divorced three times before the age of 30.
🇲🇻 The word ‘atoll’ comes from the Maldives. An atoll is a ring-shaped series of islands or reefs surrounding a lagoon. The Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls.
🇲🇻 Many of the smaller islands have a single purpose. For example one is a trash dump; another is for oil storage; another holds the prison.
🇲🇻 The alphabet used in the Maldives is called Dhivehi, and it’s unique. It looks like this: .ދިވެހި އަކުރު ތަފާތު ވެއެވެ. ހީވަނީ މިހެންނެވެ
🇲🇻 The Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed countries. Many inhabitants on the very smallest islands have little contact with the outside world.
🇲🇻 All the famous white-sand beaches in the Maldives are the result of undigested reef material eaten by parrotfish.
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250,000 Downloads
I want to take this opportunity to mark the halfway point of Season 03 of the Mosaic of China podcast, and to celebrate surpassing 250,000 downloads since the project’s launch in 2019.
Thank you to all fifteen guests of the season so far, I look forward to releasing the next fifteen episodes over the coming weeks and months ahead. And thank you to each and every listener to the show, it has been my pleasure to be part of your cohort.
To mark the occasion, I’ve released a special bonus episode of the show featuring the one and only Denny Newell. To listen, search for 'Mosaic of China' on your favourite podcasting platform, or head to: https://mosaicofchina.com/season-03-bonus-codependency.
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The Mosaic of China Podcast Enters its Third Season
Like many of us in Shanghai, I’ve been feeling thoroughly displeased for the last few months. But I’ve decided that it’s time to come out of mourning for ‘life before COVID-Zero’ and to start living again. Or at least to enjoy whatever window of freedom we have been granted for this moment.
Luckily, I found 200 people who felt the same way, and we gathered in Shanghai to celebrate the Season 03 launch of the Mosaic of China podcast. With a fantastic slate of 30 new guests coming up over the next 30 weeks, this season is the reminder we all needed that there are still some amazing people under our noses, representing 30 unique perspectives on what it’s like to live and work in China. A true Mosaic.
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The Christmas Entourage
We welcomed Christmas Cheer, but she then invited her friend Christmas Gluttony, who in turn brought along her cousins Christmas Shame and Regret. Those cousins didn’t think much of our home-made egg nog.
Now we need to meet up with Christmas Gym and Christmas Diet, those needy and pathetic acquaintances that we can never seem to shake off. 😤
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Milestone Anniversary
5 years married. 💍💙
We celebrated the day by picking pu’er tea in the hills of Xishuangbanna, the area where China borders Myanmar and Laos. More photos/videos to come..!
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The Slump Behind The Smile
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been in a massive slump these last few weeks. Lethargy; brain-fog; inattentiveness: the works. 🌧😵💫
I wouldn’t say I’m out of the slump yet. But I’m grateful that the last few days coincided with Thanksgiving, an early Christmas dinner, and the first night of Chanukah. These three evenings allowed us to share the company of some lovely humans, and made me feel a little more reconnected. ❤️🦃🎅🕎
I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way. So rather than just share a bunch of happy photos, I wanted to be honest about my emotional state behind them. As we approach the end of the year, let me remind you to please take care of yourself, and - if you have the capacity - those around you. 👫👬👫
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100,000 Downloads
A big thank you to everyone who helped Mosaic of China achieve its 100,000th download at the beginning of this month.
It's still a modest project, but I'm grateful for every single person who has taken the time to engage with these stories.
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Mosaic of China Season 02 Begins
I spend most of my time either a) scuttling between coffee shops and a tiny recording studio 🦀 or b) holed up at home, editing audio in my loungewear. 🦨
So it was lovely to bring together 100 people to celebrate the upcoming launch of the new season of the Mosaic of China podcast. A huge thanks to everyone who came, you have made this project come to life. 🥂🥰
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40,000 Downloads
In the big scheme of things, 40,000 downloads is very modest. But I’m deeply grateful for each and every one of them.
Thank you to everyone here for all your support of the Mosaic of China podcast. I’m looking forward to Round 2!
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