Speak Up

The 19-Year Marathon to Keep Taiwan's Music "Fresh"

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:51:35 +0000

How does an outside perspective help protect the heart of Taiwanese music? In this episode, Aurelia Chuah chats with Chen Yu Neng (陳玉能) aka Lao Huang Gua (老黃瓜), founder of Singapore's FreshmusicSG - a music site on Mandopop and Sinophone music. They chat about FreshmusicSG's dedicated annual marathon of listening to over a thousand album, explore the team's decision to shift its focus from individual celebrity culture to the essential teamwork behind music production, and concluding a deep dive into the modern "Taiwanese identity" found in the stunning, genre-blending sounds of Siri Lee’s (李竺芯) award-winning album, Sui 水.

Aurelia Chuah is a student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 episodes are student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credit: All About The Sun by Quantum Jazz and Digital Piano Technology by AudioCoffee from Free Music Archive dot org.

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Selling vintage clothes on Shopee: A game you know you couldn’t win, but must be played

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:48:49 +0000

Hi! My name is Jim Chiang, and I've always been a fan of fashion. But among all its different categories, vintage stands out, because each piece carries a history that can't be replicated, a story that belongs to a specific moment in time. That's what makes it fascinating, and that's what keeps pulling me deeper into it.

But as the second-hand market grows, so does the pressure on the stores that built it. Online platforms like Shopee have changed the game. It gives vintage shops a new stage, but that new stage doesn't always align with what vintage is actually about. What happens when a platform built for cheap meets a store built for meaning?

In this episode, I sit down with Yoyo, founder of Art11 Vintage in Tainan, to talk about what it really means to sell vintage in Taiwan today. Enjoy the episode!

Jim Chiang is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

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The Butterfly Kingdom

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:36:32 +0000

Charis Hayward interviews Dr. Frank Yu-feng Hsu (Professor, Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University) on his lifetime spent researching butterflies and moths. He tells stories about discovering new species and his conservation efforts. After the interview, Hayward visits and describes the "Wings over the island" butterfly and moth exhibit currently on display at the National Taiwan Museum.

Charis Hayward is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

Music credit: Emotional happy acoustic guitar by Yurascoop from Free Music Archive dot org.

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Finding home when you belong everywhere

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:22:52 +0000

In Taiwan, the traditional script for finding “home” has always been anchored to your family of origin: stay close to your parents, get a stable local job, buy an apartment, marry, and settle down. But for a new generation raised to be “global citizens” and encouraged to cross borders, that's starting to feel like a suit that no longer fits. When you are educated to be worldly and independent, what happens to your sense of belonging at home?

In this episode, Calvin Chen explores the cultural friction and identity vacuum created by hyper-globalization. He sits down with Jaynie Cheng — an EducationUSA advisor, daughter of a Filipino-Chinese mother, and a transnational citizen who has lived across Europe and the U.S.

Jaynie shares her personal journey of embracing borderless independence. From living on her own to stepping away from conventional Taiwanese expectations, her story reflects the internal friction of someone who has mastered the global language but finds the local cultural script.

Calvin Chen is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

Music credit: Beautiful Acoustic Chill by Sound Of Freedom, Lofi Background Music by VibeDepot from Free Music Archive dot org.

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How a $10,000 USD scam hit compliance worker

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:10:58 +0000

Michael Doan sits down with Chelsea who worked in compliance - a job that stresses background checks and fraud prevention. Despite this, Chelsea fell victim to a sophisticated phone scam that cost her $10,000 USD and her most sensitive personal data when she was living in the U.S.

Michael Doan is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

Music credits: Suspense Intro Trailer by ArcSound, Sad by Lite Saturation, Bottle and glasses by Giacomo Forte on Free Music Archive dot org.

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The psychology of style: Inside the Taipei Fashion Week

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:43:43 +0000

In this episode, I take you with me to Taipei Fashion Week to answer one simple question: how does fashion make people feel?

By mixing real sounds from the event with my own thoughts in the studio, I explore the connection between what we wear and who we are. Through my conversations with people there, I found out that clothes can give us confidence and help show our personality. But I also learned about the stressful side of fashion. We talk about the pressure to follow social media trends and the anxiety of comparing ourselves to others.

Listen to find out why fashion is about much more than just clothes, it's about our identity and our emotions.

Jihane Bel-Bachir is an exchange student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

Music credit: Daft punk magnet Featured by axellundstrom from Tribe of Noise. Ambient Electronic by IliyaZaki from Tribe or Noise.

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On a mission to rescue Taiwan’s long-neglected “dirt dogs”

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:39:49 +0000

“I think in Taiwan you either love dogs or you do not care for them,” Mary Choi says. Choi is the founder of Mary’s Doggies, a dog rescue nonprofit in Taiwan that works to find stray dogs loving families – often in countries like the U.S.

Taiwan is home to thousands of stray dogs, known as “tugous” (土狗). Often they are Formosan Mountain Dog, a breed native to Taiwan. In this episode, Albert Chang-Yoo joins Choi and a group of volunteers at Taoyuan International Airport to find out what it's like to transport these dogs to their newly adopted homes abroad.

Albert Chang-Yoo is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

Music credit: Jester, Parade, and Grief Podington Bear on Free Music Archive dot org.

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