Cheesy canoes of joy and turning strangers into friends with Christina Theofilos

Katherine Doãn is a publicist for a Taiwanese design firm. Born and raised in Hanoi, she has travelled extensively from an early age and has lived in several different countries, namely Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Mongolia and right now she is based in Taipei.She tells host Si Willmore about her experiences as a 'third culture kid' in Taiwan as well as her multiple and varied childhood influences including Asian cuisine and western pop culture such as the music of ABBA. Katherine also shares how Taiwan is her ‘home away from home’ as it features aspects of life that are reminiscent of Vietnam as well as a contrasting point of view, including increased freedom to be who she wants to be, such as being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Katherine has a fascinating insight about how our favourite destinations can inform people about who we are, as well more traditional interests such as music, movies and traditions or habits. She uses Google Maps to not only share her favourite spots and to welcome friends to Taiwan but to build and enrich friendships. In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in their industry. Season Five is sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Gillespie is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer. Half Filipina and half Scottish, she’s based in Glasgow but has written extensively about the Philippines and other East Asian countries and recently she has been exploring Taiwan for JRNY Travel Magazine.Sarah tells host Si Willmore about her background including her early experiences visiting Asia with her family as well as her travel career and recent trip to Taiwan for JRNY Travel Magazine. Sarah explored the country - including Hualien County and the city of Tainan - which celebrates its 400th anniversary in 2024 - through various lenses, including sustainability, culinary and indigenous tradition*. She shares stories of a thriving art and music scene as well as a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed rickshaw. In the JRNY Podcast, where I, Si Willmore talk with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry*The World Indigenous Tourism Summit (WITS) will be taking place in Kaohsiung next year. For details go to wits2024.com.tw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jo Davey is a travel writer and photographer from London, specialising in food, visual arts, culture and adventure travel. She also specialises in eastern Asia and is the author of the upcoming Bradt Guide to Okinawa and Japan's Southwest Islands.Jo has been exploring Taiwan for JRNY Travel Magazine and she and host Si Willmore discuss her latest experiences of the island, checking out the adventure travel options available.Jo recounts stories of 'river tracing', where you essentially haul yourself up a waterfall - and where her GoPro camera had an adventure of its own - as well as paragliding, trekking and exploring Taroko Gorge National Park, as well as the the whisky-fuelled kicking dance that is the Taiwanese Harvest Festival.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry. Season 5 is sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transition is an indie rock band. It was formed by brothers Josh and Jesse Edbrooke when they were teenagers in Bristol in the UK, who went on to live in Taiwan in 2009. Since then they have collaborated with numerous Taiwanese artists, including Rainie Yang and Julia Peng, and they worked on Wing Lo’s Golden Melody Award-winning albums in 2016 and 2021.The band talk with host Si Willmore about touring the UK and Europe, before making their first trip to Taiwan in 2005 for the Springscream festival, and then later moving to Taipei.Cementing the Taiwan-UK connection, in 2012 Transition went on to write and record the official theme song for the Taiwan team competing at the London 2012 Olympics. and they discuss how they take inspiration from Taiwan and blend it into their music - particularly for their song on the global scale at the Olympics but also in general.Transition also relive some favourite moments as recording artists and mention their new podcast, where they interview people who have a UK-to-Taiwan connection.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in their industry. Season 5 is sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artist Yosifu hails from an aboriginal village on the east coast of Taiwan. Once a victim of a severe disconnection from his own identity and heritage, he nowadays stands as a passionate advocate for the art and culture of his home land. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning artist, he has dedicated the last two decades to showcasing the splendours of Taiwan through his artwork.Yosifu shares how he became interested in art and then transitioned into a professional artist. One of the main themes of his work is to take people on a tour of his native land, Taiwan, so he takes host Si Willmore to the destinations that feature in and have inspired his art. You can see some of his creations at instagram.com/yosifuart.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry. Season 5 is sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wei Hong Tseng is a London-based Taiwanese author and Instagrammer, posting under the handle @london.nanzhi. He’s written a Chinese-language travel guide available for sale in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia, and regularly shares insights and travel tips on the UK capital as well as his hometown Taipei. He and host Si Willmore talk about Wei Hong's experiences of moving to London, and celebrating of similarities and differences between the UK and his home country through his photography and book. He also shares some fantastic city walks in Taipei and of course the incredible food that Taiwan has to offer including stinky tofu and dumplings.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry. Season 5 is sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reece Ayers grew up in the UK but moved to northern China in 2011. He was only supposed to be there for six months but 12 years later he still lives in Asia, having spent eight more years in China then moving to Taipei in 2019 for a university degree. He is now a journalist for TaiwanPlus, reporting on daily news, arts and culture, life and society, geopolitics and human rights.He tells host Si Willmore about his love of Taiwan, particularly of hiking and the coastal areas as well as the food and the nightlife. Reece is an highly active member of the Taipei LGBTQ scene and shares some of his favourite nightclubs and bars. He also recalls some of his favourite reported stories, including discovering Pokemon Go, insects and sumo wrestlers.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in their industry. Season Five is brought to you in partnership with Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Hodkinson is one of the founders of cycling company Pedal Taiwan. Originally from the UK, he has been organising and leading bicycle tours across Taiwan for seven years. An avid cyclist, Rob first came to the island in 2016 and never left. He and host Si Willmore talk about Rob's travels and cycle trips and Rob shares his early memories of experiencing the country – the sights, sounds, landscapes, food and people of Taiwan. He shares some of his favourite cycling routes on the island and discusses his favourite Taiwanese meals and delicacies. Rob has a busy 2024 and 2025 ahead, and shares his plans for a very ambitious charity project.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in their industry. Season Five is brought to you in partnership with Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christina Theofilos is the chef at Psomi in Tampa Bay, Florida. A second-generation Greek American, born and raised in Tampa, her food celebrates the Greek concept of philoxenia, the art of making a stranger a friend.She and host Si Willmore discuss Christina's childhood, growing up with the notion that 'food is love', and how that has shaped her cooking and her career. The name of her restaurant is Psomi -- which literally translates from Greek to English as 'bread' -- but the word represents much more than that. Psomi is about coming together to share the 'best bite' and to benefit from philoxenia; Christina wants everyone to enjoy her food - "whether you can pronounce the word or you can't".Christina talks about My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and how far Greek wine has come from the old days of tasting like 'rubbing alcohol'. She mentions some of her favourite dishes that we might eat if we visited Psomi, including meatballs made from a traditional 60-year-old-recipe and the 'Bring Your Own Boat' dish -- approximated by Si to 'cheesy canoes of joy'. As a second-generation Greek American, it's important to Christina to celebrate her mixed Greek and American tastes and influences -- as such she tries to find ways to 'Greekify' various dishes and cocktails -- and she even likes to flirt with food influences from France, Italy and Spain.Episode sponsored by Visit Florida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Toni Westland is a Federal Park Ranger who works for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She has been the Supervisory Refuge Ranger at the 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge for over 20 years, overseeing the non-profit arm of the refuge. She and host Si Willmore discuss her love of nature from an early age, her work at 'Ding' Darling, and the man behind the refuge's name, the great rebel cartoonist J.N. 'Ding' Darling.Toni and Si discuss swimming with manatees - or 10-foot 'underwater dogs' - and spotting roseate spoonbill birds - so-called 'Dr Seuss birds'. She is passionate about engaging young people in learning about the natural world and the threat we pose to it; she wants to create future 'stewards of the environment' to continue the wonderful legacy of her old boss, 'Ding' Darling himself.Toni also shares her favourite places in Florida outside of the 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge for spotting and interacting with wildlife, such as Tarpon Bay, as well as her favourite local dishes and drinks including Yucatan shrimp and mojitos.Episode sponsored by Visit Florida. See visitflorida.com for information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.