In this podcast, Matthew from Shanghai, China discusses his name, favorite school subjects, and the heavy workload Chinese students face in the summer. The conversation also covers his musical adventures in the U.S., including competing in a choral festival and visiting friends. Topics range from algebra to spaghetti to aviation, providing a glimpse into a day in the life of a 14-year-old Chinese student.
Matthew's name reflects a blend of cultural influences, with 'Yang Moi' symbolizing his father's name and his mother's choice of ink for 'Moi'.
Matthew excels in mathematics and Chinese classes, enjoys choir participation, and engages in diverse hobbies like outdoor activities and exploring American fast food.
Deep dives
Matthew's Name Origin and English Name
Matthew, a 14-year-old from Shanghai, explains the origin of his name, Yang Moi, where 'Yang' comes from his father's name and 'Moi' means ink chosen by his mother. Additionally, Nancy, the host, shares the story of how she suggested English names to Matthew, offering choices like Mark and Martin, with Matthew eventually liking Matthew the most, showing a blend of cultural naming practices.
Matthew's Education and Extracurricular Activities
Matthew discusses his education in Shanghai, attending junior middle school and preparing for the challenging entrance exam to high school. He highlights his interest in mathematics and Chinese classes where he reads stories, writes articles, and analyzes content. Additionally, he shares his participation in a choir, singing bass and achieving success in the Golden Gate International Choral Festival.
Matthew's Hobbies and Travel Experiences
Matthew reveals his hobbies, such as watching TV, limited video gaming due to parental restrictions, completing homework, and engaging in outdoor activities. He shares his fondness for sushi and American fast food like McDonald's. Furthermore, Matthew recounts his travels to various U.S. cities for choral competitions, including visiting landmarks and unique experiences like sitting in an airplane cockpit.
Matthew, age 14, will enter the 9th grade this fall. I interviewed him while he and his mother stayed with me and my mother in Arkansas. He came to the U.S. with a singing group to compete in the Golden Gate International Choral Festival. After that he and his mother traveled to several places in the U.S. to visit friends. Listen as we talk about his name, which classes he likes, and how Chinese students have to do lots of homework in the summer. In the summer!
Here are some words that we use that you may not know: maiden name, boarding school, algebra, geometry, spaghetti, landmark, bass (not the fish; the kind of sound), cockpit, aviation.
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