Postcards From Nowhere with Utsav Mamoria

An absurd, deeply flawed notion left close to 600 million sparrows dead in China in the late 1950's. But it was only amongst the many missteps which came to define the People's Republic of China. In the new series - China Unseen, join Utsav as he draws upon his experiences of living in the country, and uncovers everyday life in the Middle Kingdom. An intimate look at contemporary China from within, and how the country came to become what it is today. This week, Utsav takes you to a secret museum right in the heart of Shanghai, which chronicles an exceptional time in modern China. Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An iceberg, theoretical physics and an expressionist painting. What could these three unlikely bedfellows have in common, that too spread over two centuries? This week, join Utsav as he takes you to Havana, Buenos Aires and Paris, and brings to light how the gift of hindsight we have today is the curse of foresight from yesterday and how it teaches us a life principle which has stood the test of time. Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1980, Rick Ridgeway, the first American to summit the K2, attempted to climb a high mountain in China. He failed. 19 years later, he returned with a young 20 year girl, but the purpose was changed. It was a pilgrimage of sorts. What eventually decided the fate of this pilgrimage was the same thing which saved Utsav and his partner from a potentially disastrous hike in Amalfi. This week, join Utsav as he brings to the fore a pre-historic practice, seeped in kindness, silently helping mountaineers and hikers all over the world. Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the Indian mathematician Bhāskara II to the Italian inventor Da Vinci, this enigma confounded intellectuals for seven centuries. In a casual museum visit to Florence, he also understood a lesser fascinating enigma - the actual use of the divider! (yes, the one in your geometry box).This week, join Utsav as he uncovers a timeless driver of human excellence, and what an endless pursuit can teach us about how we must spend our time on this planet. Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a war doing in a travel podcast? And that too a war that has never ended? We don't really know when it began, but we know for sure it has never ended. It's so every day that we don't (or choose not to) see it. A realization that began in walk in Naples led me to coursing its history, and witnessing a global movement. This week, I take you to the war in 16th century Rome, modern day Chile and your own backyard, maybe even your own home. Trigger Warning: Please note that this episode contains references to rape and violence that some people may find disturbing. Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late 2018, archaeologists working at the Pompeii site discovered Grafitti which recalibrated the events around the explosion of Mount Vesuvis. The graffiti itself was emblematic of an intensely Italian passion - Food. This week, traveling in time, Utsav connects the dots in the city of Naples, spanning the deadly LTTE, Ernest Hemingway, Italy's most prolific food export, and another unlikely food which encapsulates the way we should see Naples. Find more travel stories on #PostcardsFromNowhere with Utsav Mamoria. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 20th May 1747, a doctor aboard HMS Salisbury did something that changed the course of Italian history. But all he did was give lemons and oranges to the sailors. What could that have to do with the Sicilian Mafia, and what lessons do they hold for us travellers? This week, Utsav takes you through the story of Citrus spread over two centuries, and tells you why Citrus is more than just food and fragrance in Italy. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1946, post the defeat of Germany in World War II, the psychoanalyst Carl Jung coined a word which turned into a national emotion. Travelling through Armenia and speaking to young and old alike took me back to Turkey. Specifically, Gezi Park in Taksim Square, Istanbul. But how are Germany, Turkey and Armenia connected? This week, Utsav takes you on a journey which made him feel the very emotion which the Germans felt post World War II, and maybe one which we all need to feel today. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tiblisi, the capital of Georgia is one of the few places in the world where the Sunni and Shia Muslims pray together in the same mosque. Armenia is a country with the highest per capita chess grandmasters in the world. But how are these two facts connected? This week, walk with Utsav and understand why entangling ourselves in the places we go to is a great way to travel, and why walking is an act of resistance to the mass manufactured realities of travel. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a room on the 2nd Floor of the Palazzo Vecchio, the civic palace of Florence. The room, known as Sala delle Carte Geografiche, fits the entire world. The artifacts in this room belong to the 16th century, and yet they reveal our world today in myraid ways. This week, Utsav talks about the eccentricities of map making and mankind's love affair with maps. Join him to discover a part of your childhood, which got lost on the bumpy road to adulthood. You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42 (https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.