We've all heard about the difficulty of finding good schools in China, and know first hand about the food and air safety problems. But what about the terrors of pedestrian crossings, the dilemmas of how much trust you should inculcate in your kids, or how much abject poverty should be included in family outings? For our answers to these questions and much more, join Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn and David Moser for this no-holds-barred and boys-only discussion of what it's like to be a father in China.

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 said on
October 18, 2014
Jeremy:

“Tiger, Tyger! A Fearful Symmetry” by Geremie Barme

http://www.thechinastory.org/2014/10/tyger-tyger-a-fearful-symmetry/

Kaiser:

“The Western Model Is Broken" by Pankaj Mishra

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/14/-sp-western-model-broken-pankaj-mishra?CMP=fb_gu

David:

"China’s Dangerous Game” by Howard French

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/11/chinas-dangerous-game/380789/

 said on
October 20, 2014
Thank you for this episode. This topic is on my mind a lot as my circumstances are similar as all of yours (I am a an American daddy in Taipei and soon to be in Beijing) so it was great to hear some of your thoughts. Keep up the good work!

I look forward to every episode and although I enjoy your bread and butter of China related current affairs discussions, I am glad you occasionally wander into these related but somewhat tangential topics. It is all related after all!

 said on
October 22, 2014
dudes, that was a great because personal podcast! it turned out to be more than just a china-daddy-issue, there was also a big part about a china-husband-issue. maybe a topic you should explore in a separate podcast. it seems you have to say a lot about that.

education and parenting is also a lot on my mind. I put down my thoughts some months ago in an essay to be read in German here: http://www.mycountryandmypeople.org/2594532946-education.html

in particular, i would like to recommend the documentary www.alphabet-film.com directed by erwin wagenhofer, which is shot for at least one third of its length in China and sheds a quite ambiguous light on education and parenting per se.

and for German speakers I recorded a podcast about education in china with two other German fathers here: http://www.mycountryandmypeople.org/podcast-2419125773/bildung-in-china

one of them runs the website chalksmart.com which gives an overview of Shanghai's international schools. Jeremy is basically right: there is not much choice after all.

I have made some straight forward comments on the twisted Shanghai education system in English here: http://www.mycountryandmypeople.org/blog-2133823458/open-letter-to-yk-pao-school-mgt-you-suck

 said on
November 10, 2014
I'm really glad I recently found this podcast. Listening makes me happy I live in Taiwan. I was wondering how you guys get away with the anti-China comments made? Is it cause no one of importance listens?? :p
 said on
November 29, 2014
Would you have been able to learn guitar on your own if you hadn't learned the boring stuff in your joyless piano class?
Mark Lesson Studied