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This episode kicks off with a newspaper column, written in December of 1994, that had Teresa Norton facing the realities of making a new home far from family and friends.

There's the fascination and fun of immersing oneself in a completely different culture and the feeling of helplessness when something scary happens to someone you love on the other side of the planet in what used to be your hometown. 

What follows is a heartfelt conversation with 2CookInn shop owner Angela Yuen, that explores their shared experiences of moving from Hong Kong to new environments,  the challenges and joys of adapting to different cultures, the importance of friendships both old and new, and how, when it comes to new cuisine, looks can be deceiving. 

Angela shares her journey of opening her kitchenware shop in Lisbon and how despite her limited Portuguese, she has uncovered the universal language of friendship.

It's a warm and generous conversation that provides a hopeful portal into the new year ahead.

Learn more about Angela and her lovely shop here: https://2cookinn.com/about/

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In this episode host Teresa Norton (a confessed Barbie fan who still has her first and only Barbie doll ) is joined by her guest Melissa Chan as they dive into a nostalgic, affectionate and critical examination of the iconic doll. 

Teresa's take in her 1990's newspaper column was that Barbie wasn't built to be a role model... she was a fashion model. Designed to get in and out of fabulous outfits.  The column is funny... the conversation it opens up in the podcast is more serious.

They talk about the impact of Barbie on childhood and cultural perceptions of beauty, the evolution of representation in toys and media, and the complexities of identity and the importance of diverse role models for today's children.

Melissa shares her unique experience of wanting but not owning a Barbie, and why her parents said "no" to getting her one.  

Lack of representation for girls of color during her upbringing in Malaysia and Singapore, contrasts with how her daughter, now 10, is growing up in an era where representation is the norm.

Teresa and Melissa remind us that while Barbie may have shaped their childhoods in different ways, the doll opens up important conversations for parents to have their children about the importance of not letting marketing executives set beauty standards for them.  

Thanks to Melissa Chan for sharing her own Barbie story and... to Barbie for continuing to be a catalyst for controversy!

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A look back at a San Francisco Bay Area junior highschool music room circa 1968 and the imposing, mind expanding presence of one Carolyn Schwartz, glee club teacher and expedition guide to the sounds of the 60's.

While Teresa was having her mind blown by the sounds of the Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix along with fellow 7th graders in Mrs. Schwartz's classroom, this episode's podcast guest Tom Donald was sleeping in a closet in the Haight Ashbury honing the bass guitar skills that would provide him with a career as a musician and record producer.

The conversation gives Teresa an opportunity to confess to having been an extreme square in her "tweens", for Tom to share about his encounter with a grammar school teacher who had a Top 40 hit song, and the song he's written in his late 70's about mortality and what we leave behind.

A trip back to the Summer of Love and an exploration of how we can contribute to our own wellbeing and happiness of those around us as a living legacy, in this episode of The View From A Broad.

See and hear Tom's song "Never Say Die" here: https://hitrecords.co

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Separating facts from fantasy, Teresa as a young mother in the early 90's recounts having "the facts of life" talk with her young son. Film maker, broadcaster and University of Hong Kong lecturer Crystal Kwok joins in to unpack her "favorite subject" sex!

On both Cable TV and Hong Kong's RTHK radio, Crystal spoke frankly about human sexuality in a way that that shocked some and educated many. 

This lighthearted chat delves into some deep topics including how young people are getting their curiosity about sex addressed, the part that culture can play in how or if parents talk with their children about sex, and the impact of Westernization on sexual discourse. 

During the break, Crystal shares insights from her award winning documentary, Blurring the Color Line, which unpacks the history behind her grandmother’s family, who owned a neighborhood grocery store in the Black community of Augusta, Georgia during the Jim Crow era. https://www.blurringthecolorline.com

In the second half stick around for some true confessions story sharing as Teresa and Crystal recall their personal  experiences of teenage exploration.

This is an episode not to be missed, and who knows? It may unearth some steamy memories/hilarious heavy petting mishaps from your own past!

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Teresa talks with theater director, visual artist and Founder of Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation, Lindsey McAllister, about a column written 30 years ago when Teresa and her girlfriend were picking out the replacement wives for their husbands, not in the event they divorced their spouses, but if they widowed them.

The conversation covers a everything from euthanasia to a cocktail party dress code SNAFU, an accident during a rehearsal of "Sweeney Todd" that led to a marriage proposal, and the importance of seizing the day.

Lindsey shares her amazing journey from Scrambled Legs (a fledgling dance class she started for kids) to the building of a foundation that now offers Hong Kong youth of all cultures, backgrounds, languages and abilities an opportunity to experience and perform theater, dance and the visual arts... for free!

Today HKYAF reaches over 800,000 young people each year, making it one of the biggest youth arts events in the world.

Lindsey’s creative spirit doesn’t stop there—she writes and directs original musicals, takes work to international festivals, and runs Lindsey McAlister Productions, giving local artists the chance to shine on stage in musicals like Sweeney Todd and Blood Brothers.  In 2024 at the age of 64 she went back to her roots as a fine artist & created Lindsey McAlister Fine Art, she exhibits large abstract paintings in HK & internationally.

For her commitment to community arts she was awarded an MBE in 2006 & for her contribution to British Arts Overseas, she’s been honoured with an OBE and named Justice of the Peace in HK.

To support HKYAF click here: https://www.hkyaf.com/site/supportus

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In 1999 Typhoon York tore through Hong Kong and the resulting devastation inspired Teresa's newspaper column about the force of Mother Nature and the nature of forced displacement.  

The conversation with guest Victoria Wisniewski Otero, Founder and CEO of RESOLVE Foundation, takes a similar journey, opening with an imagined conversation between the birds outside Teresa's window as they relocate from a tree felled by the typhoon, to the joys of open water swimming. From challenges of managing immigration, to memories of a childhood constantly uprooted, and the extraordinary epiphany of a 16 year old that changed the direction of the rest of her life.

There is much to inspire in this episode, not the least of which is the work that RESOLVE is doing to realize Victoria's vision of Hong Kong as a place where everyone belongs and upholds inclusion.

Victoria is a proud mother to four kids under four, and despite residing in a busy place known for skyscrapers, lives in a peaceful rural village by the sea. The day before this episode was recorded, a typhoon blew the tree in front of Victoria's house down. 

Learn more about RESOLVE: https://www.resolvehk.org/

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A sentimental journey for Teresa and her guest and former FM Select radio co-host, Harry Wong, as they unpack a newspaper column of her's that looks back 3 decades to a magical experience she had at a little movie theater in Hong Kong's Wanchai district.

Popular children's entertainer, magician, puppeteer and television personality, known to generations of Hong Kongers as Harry Gor-Gor (Big Brother Harry) shares a bit of cinema history, his delightful interaction with an old school coin and stamp shop owner, and the good work he and his colleagues are doing to offer special needs children a "play shop" to explore magic, music and mindfulness.

The bonus at the end of this podcast is Harry's post morning meditation insight on the ultimate answer to any question that is troubling you.  

An episode you won't want to miss!

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Facing 40!?!  What about facing 70!??!  Teresa and guest, Linda Naiman, unpack a column Teresa wrote in the 1990's about the advice she got from an "older woman" about the independence that comes with turning 40.  Also (un) covered in the column is a photoshoot in Playboy Magazine entitled "Fabulous at 40!" 

Teresa and Linda discuss milestones in life, the beauty of aging, setting long-term goals and the importance of embracing freedom and self-discovery, feminism, body image, and letting go of opinions and unproductive relationships that feel feel like unnecessary burdens as we grow older and, hopefully wiser.

Linda reflects on her recent walk of the Camino de Santiago and the lasting impact that is having on her life, and shares a free downloadable book she's produced: The Creativity at Work Handbook!

Linda is the founder of Creativity at Work, transforming  how teams think, collaborate, and solve complex problems and has pioneered innovative approaches to leadership and team development—integrating arts-based learning, neuroscience, and design thinking.

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Teresa's guest, Brian Brenner, chose a newspaper column Teresa wrote about a fad diet that was making the rounds in the 1990's.  Brian chose it because he too has fought the battle of the bulge.

They talk, with humor and compassion, about their own challenges with body image, aging, health and how much of our approach to food has to do with family and culture.

Brian is a global real estate consultant whose journey spans 17 years in Hong Kong where he and Teresa met through the American Chamber of Commerce. He now lives in Orange County, California with his wife Mayumi and their three children. Brian advises companies around the world, supports U.S. life sciences firms with advanced manufacturing site selection, and serves as a trusted advisor in Orange County. He’s also a proud board member of U-Go University, which provides scholarships for high-potential young women in low-income countries.

https://ugouniversity.org

Brian has also been on a number of different diets over his lifetime but has found an answer that is working for him, and shares it with Teresa in this episode.  Enjoy! 

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Join Teresa and legendary figure in Hong Kong's nightlife scene, Andrew Bull, as they unpack a decades old column of hers about three people whose tequila consumption got the better of them on the dance floor or a Mexican restaurant. 

Bull (aka DJ El Toro), reminisces about Hong Kong nightlife in the 70's, the vibrant disco era of the 80s and the tragic effect of AIDS during that period, and the fantastic experience of opening Canton Disco and the international stars who graced its dance floor including Sylvester Stallone, Kylie Minogue and Swing Out Sister.

Andrew shares about being on the business side of the party scene, and how working with legends like Eartha Kitt and Peter Ustinov shaped his career.

Loads of anecdotes and some wonderful memories of nights under the disco balls!

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You just never know where a conversation will take you! In this episode, Teresa's humorous 1990's column that had her grousing about her man's lack of participation in household chores, becomes a fascinating look at how to keep the romance in relationships.

Evgenia Papageorgiou, brand and marketing consultant and story sharer, talks with Teresa about her theories on domestic vs romantic intelligence, the importance of timely communication of relationship expectations, and the notion that one partner cannot meet all of a person's needs.

Can romance be sustained in a traditional marital arrangement?  

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This episode's column looks back on Teresa's six year old son's heartbreak at having his best friend move to another country.

Teresa and her guest, independent communications consultant Grace Wong-Folliet, explore the importance of encouraging emotional expression in boys, the lessons learned about parenting through talking with other mothers, and the current emphasis on young people's mental health, post-Covid.. 

Though they talk about grief and loss, the focus is on finding ways to celebrate what joy, growth and learning is gained as a result of the relationships that have ended. Grace and Teresa discuss how to navigate emotional challenges, the evolution of communication in the digital age, and the significance of maintaining emotional connectivity in a world dominated by technology. 

Grace shares about Inspirelle, a non-profit media platform for international women in France which she co-founded. 

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This episode begins with a column Teresa wrote in 1999 in response to a proposed campaign to reduce the pollution from "smoky vehicles" that she felt didn't go far enough...so she wrote a tv spot designed to "scare the poop" out of offenders and pedestrians alike. 

Adman Chris Kyme joins Teresa to unpack the column, the challenges of public behavior campaigns, the evolution of advertising in Hong Kong and the importance of combining "the idea" with "strategy".

Chris shares his story of creating a beautiful campaign for milk...and what soured it, along with a bright idea for Teresa's podcast.

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If Teresa's favorite holiday as a child was Halloween because of the costumes and candy, she picked the right guest in Hong Kong's ArtJamming founder Betty Cheung for this episode.  

Architect turned full-time artist, Betty's ability to construct costumes of epic proportions (see: No Face in the film Spirited Away") matches Teresa's passion for Trick or Treat loot.

Beyond the fun, they also discuss the power that putting on a costume can have in terms of living out a fantasy. 

Betty also shares about a gallery concept she plans to add to her ArtJamming studio. 

A fun trip down Memory Lane that includes bobbing for apples, the holiday's Celtic origins, wax lips and Tootsie Rolls, and the evolution of Halloween in Hong Kong and the joys of being frightened by things that go "bump" in the night

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A terrific conversation is had with Dr. James Andrade, former Senior VP and Head of Catapult Executive Leadership  Institute where he and Teresa first connected. He's a held leadership positions in the real estate industry, government, academia and the consumer packaged goods industry. He's a father and a neuro scientist and his story is a wonderful one about overcoming a fear that could have derailed his career.

Join Teresa and James as they discuss the future of education, AI and the power of questioning, self constructed obstacles to success and childhood memories on this episode of The View From A Broad.

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Teresa's guest, Tim Peirson Smith, had a completely different take on the column he chose for this week's episode!   An episode that begins as a 3 decade old gripe about her then husband's inability/refusal to make the coffee becomes a conversation about love and caring for one's partner, children and parents. "You're a romantic!"  Teresa declares.

Tim, a self-professed  lapsed Brit has been proud to call Hong Kong home for the last 35 years. For the last quarter century, after founding Executive Counsel Limited, a strategic communications advisory he has been advising the corporate world on government relations and the public and private sector on public relations, crisis management, stakeholder management and corporate governance. 

However, as evidenced in this podcast episode, Tim is by far, most proud to be the father of Ben, Milly and Issy, recently married husband and as  son to parents he clearly loved and admired.

Learn more about the charity that Tim supports here:  https://www.crossroads.org.hk

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Teresa's guest, John Dykes, is a globally-recognised sports broadcaster, who has presented and commentated on FIFA World Cups, the Olympics, tennis Grand Slams,  golf Majors, F1, the Premier League and much more. 

The topic is a newspaper column wrote in the 1990's about her devotion to Feng Shui when she was living and working in Hong Kong. They look at diversity in belief systems both religious and non and John shares about the movie that hit home with him on the topic.

From joss sticks to baseball bats, if you have ever felt the need for some sort of "divine intervention" there's something for you in this episode of The View From A Broad. 

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Teresa's guest, David McKirdy, is a true Renaissance Man.  Published poet, motocross champion, Formula 1 mechanic, professional musician and the go-to guy if you need your fleet of antique automobiles kept in good shape.

The conversation, winds its way from Kindle vs hardbound book to fascinating details about beautiful vintage cars from the early 1900's, the maintenance of which take him round the globe, and a story of a pub crawl through Hong Kong with Irish poet laureate, Seamus Heaney.

This episode of The View From A Broad is a fascinating ride from start to finish!

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Join Teresa in a thoughtful conversation with Peter Cook, mentor, author, meditator, business blogger and monk, as they unpack her newspaper column about the terrifying effect the 1940's movie musical The Wizard of Oz had on her as a child and how, despite that, she watched it with her 4 year-old daughter.  

Peter and Teresa explore themes of parenting, childhood fears, and the importance of striking a balance between protecting children and allowing them to experience the world.  

Peter shares some approaches that he and his wife employ to encourage their daughters to explore the real world while protecting them from the online world.

Peter shares about how meditation and mindfulness intersect with his work with corporate clients as well as a delightful story from his own childhood, sparked by Teresa's column.

You can read Peter's blogs on https://petercook.com

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Join Teresa for this musical trip down memory lane beginning with the column she wrote that appeared in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on November 1 1997.

Her guest, Beth Blatt has written for stage, TV, radio and print in the U.S. and abroad. Her dramatic work – musicals, plays, songs - have been performed at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, in New York City, across the US, and in Asia and Europe. Her words have won numerous awards, grants, commissions and residencies. 

Together they explore the essence of classic songs, the evolution of music, and the importance of persistence in creative endeavors. Beth shares her journey of discovering forgotten women in history and how her experiences in France have inspired her work. The discussion also touches on the significance of visualization and maintaining enthusiasm in the creative process.

To learn more about Beth's work visit: https://www.bethblatt.com/

Listen to the song she co-wrote with Graham Lyle and Fahan Hassan for The UN Women here   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnq2QeCvwpw 

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In this lighthearted conversation on some serious topics, Teresa and her guest, Tobey Fitch, dig deep into how generational influences shape attitudes towards finances, and the importance of having open discussions about money, life and death.  

Teresa's column this week describes growing up in the 60's with Depression Era parents, and Tobey introduces the concept of having "Taco Conversations" to break the ice that blocks us from having those uncomfortable cross generational discussions about finances. 

Tobey, who is Managing Director of Fitch Associates, a small strategic consulting and executive coaching firm based in Menlo Park, California and Portland, Oregon, shares about the death of his son and the healing effects of "The Dinner Party", a support community that comes together over a shared meal to talk about their experiences of mourning and grief.

A rich conversation with some valuable takeaways!

If you would like to know more about the grief support group Tobey talks about visit: 

https://www.thedinnerparty.org

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The newspaper column, written by Teresa 30 years ago, and chosen for discussion in this episode by Affiliated Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Arts at University of Hong Kong, Staci Ford, was one that shared a hopeful look toward the future of Hong Kong under the leadership of newly appointed Chief Executive Tung Chee-haw.

Teresa and Staci discuss the complexities of expatriate life in an environment undergoing sociopolitical change, and the impact that column had on Staci's view of Hong Kong as "home".  The conversation explores the role of media in shaping perceptions of masculinity and the importance of diverse perspectives in understanding contemporary issues

Staci shares insights from her book, Troubling American Women, and discusses the narratives of gender and leadership in Hong Kong, her research on the intersections of gender, generation, and leadership in Asia/Asian Diasporic contexts informs a new book she's writing. 

Troubling American Women can be purchased on Amazon and at https://hkupress.hku.hk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=492 

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In this episode Teresa invites James Osborne, a licensed therapist and coach, to discuss the relevance of her 30-year-old column newspaper column titled 'Playground Politics' about a conversation she had with her, then, 7-year old son about a situation with a schoolmate that was worrying him.

James and Teresa  explore themes of bullying, the impact of social media on youth, and the complexities of adolescence. The conversation also highlights the importance of compassion, meaningful relationships, and the role of parents in navigating these challenges.

They discuss the critically acclaimed television series "Adolescence" and how young people's social interactions have been impacted by smart phones.

James shares about a charity his mother runs which addresses loneliness in rural communities, the Royal Coffee Caravan.   

https://ruralcoffeecaravan.org.uk

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In this episode of The View From A Broad, Teresa revisits a past column with guest Vaudine England, and agonizes over a song title she used 30 years ago to make her point about gender inequality. Author and historian Vaudine discusses the evolution of language, gender roles, and women's rights over the past three decades, discussing the impact of historical perspectives on current issues, the complexities of social experiments, and the ongoing struggles for women's rights globally.
In this lively conversation, Vaudine England discusses her book 'Fortune's Bazaar: The Making of Hong Kong,' exploring the complex demographics and historical narratives of Hong Kong. She highlights the often-overlooked contributions of diverse families and the significant role of women in shaping the city's history and the importance of recognizing and honoring the stories of women throughout history.

To get Vaudine's book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fortunes-Bazaar/Vaudine-England/9781982184513

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In this episode Teresa Norton shares one of her funny newspaper columns from the early 1990's with improv practitioner and proud father Henk van der Steen. They talk about the rapid changes in technology and their shared desire for/reluctance to embrace new gadgets. The conversation covers everything from jet packs and black and white television to smart phones and AI.  Henk shares his memories of traveling in Hong Kong and the advancements in technology that shocked him back in the mid-90's, and shares why a charity which supports the rights of the LGBTQ+ community feels important to him as a father. This lively conversation explores the themes of technology, change, the freedom to love who you love and hope.

You can learn more about Henk's chosen charity at https://allout.org/en

 #technology #change #job loss #automation #positive outlook #memories #hongkong # techadvancements #rainbowcommunitycharity #lgbtq+ #jetpacks

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