ICRT BreakDown

Ep. 14: Cat Herders Day Crazy about cats? We have a feline this episode is purr-fect for you! Join hosts Tim and Paz and their guest, Davis Liao, founder of the CrazyCat Charity Association, as they talk about the charity and all things cat. Hear about what cat herding is and isn’t. Then discover whether these are cat’s meows or pet peeves: purrs like a cat, unmanageable, 呼嚕, and… cat! (“feline” replaces “feeling” in the second sentence) seemingly – (adv.) 貌似、看來 Some cats are seemingly aloof, but when someone they’re comfortable with starts petting them, they close their eyes and melt into a contented puddle of purrs. vaccinate – (v.) 給…接種疫苗 Did you know that cats need to be vaccinated against a variety of viral diseases and infections, including rabies and feline distemper, and may need booster shots? universally – (adv.) 普遍地、共同地 It’s universally agreed that dogs, with their loving nature and need for walks, are more high maintenance than cats, who seem content to laze away their days alone. mechanism – (n.) 制度、體制 TNVR – trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return – is the mechanism the charity uses to help the stray cat population in its community to stay healthy. acknowledge – (v.) 察覺、認可…屬實或存在 Depending on their mood or the temperature in Timbuktu, cats may or may not acknowledge your return, but even if they don’t come to you or meow, they do notice! -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 12: Fascinating Taiwan Passionate about Taiwan? You’re in good company with hosts Tim and Paz and their guest, Rifat Karlova (吳鳳), an actor, author, and Golden Bell Award-winning host. Hear about the first impression this naturalized Taiwanese from Turkey had of Taiwan, his ways of determining the best destinations and foods for visitors, and his ideas on how to tell the world about all Taiwan has to offer. Then discover whether go local, wanderlust, and live your life to the utmost are Tim, Paz, and Rifat’s pet peeves or cat’s meows! scholarship – (n.) 獎學金 Students from other countries who would like to study at a university in Taiwan should look into the generous scholarships that the Taiwanese government offers. charismatic – (adj.) 充滿個人魅力的 The speakers she finds charismatic are deeply enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the topic they want to share yet consider their audiences and are open to learning. follower – (n.) 支持者、擁護者 With his boundless enthusiasm for exploring all things Taiwanese and sharing his adventures, it’s no wonder that Rifat has so many followers on social media. prolong – (v.) 延長、拖延 Tourists may think they’ll be able to see and do everything in Taiwan in one brief visit, but they’ll find its offerings so rich that they’ll prolong their trip or plan their next one. teamwork – (n.) 協作、合作 Any project aiming to have a significant impact on boosting the number of tourists visiting Taiwan would benefit from solid teamwork across borders. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 11: Taiwan Girls Day Join BreakDown hosts Tim and Paz, and Ingrid, the International Affairs Supervisor for the Garden of Hope Foundation, as they discuss how the foundation works toward its vision of a world free of gender-based violence. Learn who they serve, what services they offer, and how they empower girls across Asia to address the issues they face. Discover if these expressions are pet peeves, cat’s meows, or both: women hold up half the sky, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, glass ceiling, and #girlsdecide. eliminate – (v.) 排除、消除 Gender-based violence has been difficult to eliminate despite years of efforts; the causes are complex and range from the individual level to the national level. assault – (n.) 毆打、攻擊 Knowing the local risk factors for domestic violence, sexual assault, and other gender-based violence helps to develop prevention and support services for women and girls. campaign – (n.) （尤指政治、商業或軍事的）專門的活動、運動 Last year, the foundation’s campaign to support Asian girls launched the “Asian Girls in Action Project” to empower girls to develop their ideas for projects and carry them out. perception – (n.) 見解、看法 The foundation uses its experience of improving the societal perception of girls’ empowerment and gender equality in Taiwan to educate people and help girls abroad. legislation – (n.) 法律、立法 Helping girls and women stand up for their rights can lead to important changes in legislation to codify and enforce the protection of these rights. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 11: Taiwanese Coffee Does coffee make your world go around? Join hosts Tim and Paz and their guest, Ken (學長 陳冠哲), the founder and managing director of VV Café. Learn how Ken became a coffee expert, where coffee is grown in Taiwan, what his thoughts on the different roasts are, and what makes a coffee good. Then find out whether these terms are pet peeves or cat’s meows: it’s not my cup of tea, coffee snob, and hand drip coffee. After this episode, you’ll crave a cup of Taiwanese specialty coffee! premium (adj.) 高級的、優質的、頂級的 On top of the high number of cafés, big convenience store chains offer premium coffee, evidence that Taiwanese have a taste for high-end coffee and the means to buy it. recognition (n.)承認、認可、接受 International recognition of Taiwan’s specialty coffees has increased to the point where the flavorful beans are on the must-buy lists of coffee aficionados visiting from abroad. metaphor – (n.) 隱喻、暗喻 The café’s name stands for “velvet,” a luxurious material with a silky feel, multi-layered colors, and a mysterious, alluring texture - the perfect metaphor for its specialty coffees. consistent – (adj.) 一致的、符合的 If you grind your own coffee beans, make sure to get a consistent grind size; unevenly ground coffee beans may affect the flavor and smoothness of your brewed coffee. aid – (n.) 輔助物、輔助設施 A great cup of coffee can be had with the aid of an expensive, state-of-the-art machine, but simple tools like a filter and a dripper, plus observation and patience, do the job well. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 10: Triathlon Up for some swimming, biking, and running? Get a head start by diving into this episode of BreakDown with Tim, Paz, and triathlete Sam Hsieh (謝昇諺). Hear about Sam, how he became an elite athlete, what the great benefit of exercise is for him, and how he inspires others. Learn what a triathlon is and what triathletes need to succeed. Discover the even longer endurance events that Sam thinks anyone can do! Finally, find out whether these terms are pet peeves or cat’s meows: glutton; bite off more than you can chew; and don't stop when you're tired, stop when you finish! relentless – (adj.) 持續強烈的 He’s relentless about keeping himself in top shape and ready for the next triathlon, always exercising in some way, even while sitting, and maybe even while sleeping! endurance – (n.) 忍耐力、耐受力 Triathletes must have extraordinary endurance to compete in three grueling events in one race, sometimes while coping with unfamiliar weather and route conditions. accomplish – (v.) 完成、達成 The feeling he got when he accomplished something he hadn’t really thought he could do was so good that it led him to tackle more difficult challenges with determination. mighty – (adv.) 非常、很、極 As she crossed the finish line of her first triathlon, the only thing she could think of was how mighty tired every single cell in her body felt. nutrition – (n.) 營養 An essential part of training and competing that some ignore is providing our bodies with the right nutrition at the right time to have the speed and stamina to win. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 9: Street Art Join Tim, Paz, and their guest, the artist, singer, TV show host, and actor Xiao Ma for a lively episode on street art. Find out what street art means to Xiao Ma, how he got started, and what helped him draw when he had no prior experience in art! Then hear whether these terms are cat’s meows or pet peeves: beauty is in the eye of the beholder; urban renewal; you don’t know what my painting means, but it’s beautiful; and follow your heart. digest – (n.) 文摘、摘要 Some people say “Give us the Reader’s Digest version” when they want someone to make a long story short, but interesting details can be condensed to nothing in a digest! associate –(v.) 把…連結在一起 Street art can help people associate neighborhoods and even cities with particular identities when it illustrates the lives, values, and history within those communities. innate – (adj.) 天生的 Creativity may be an innate ability that can go undiscovered until something, like the unexpected invitation Xiao Ma received to draw something artistic, brings it out. blend – (v.) （不同的東西或風格的）混合品，混合物 In Xiao Ma’s art, big, bold, colorful shapes that don’t seem like they would go together blend easily into a beautiful, somehow spiritual, abstract whole. frown upon –(phrasal verb) 不贊成某事、不許可 Some frown upon graffiti and consider it an eyesore, a defacement, or an act of vandalism, but others see artistry, skill, and beauty in the typefaces and images. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 8: Taiwanese Manga Artists Rendezvous with hosts Tim and Paz, and their guest, 曾建華 (Chien-hua Tseng), renowned Taiwanese manga artist, host of the podcast "漫漫話畫" (Màn Màn Huà Huà), and more! Learn about Chien-hua’s journey to becoming a manga artist, the huge Taiwan-focused project he is working on, and his thoughts on the Golden Comic Awards. Hear about the fascinating evolution of Taiwanese manga. And finally, find out whether *don’t judge a book by its cover, scanlation, *and comic piqued Tim, Paz, and Chien-hua’s interest or made them cringe! renowned – (adj.) 著名的 Taiwan comics are becoming renowned abroad; translated works and their artists have been featured at comic festivals in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. depict –(v.) 描述、描繪 Many Taiwanese manga include elements such as railways that depict life during particular periods in Taiwan’s past, making the stories attractive to people of all ages. portray – (v.) 描寫 The fifth volume of a popular Taiwanese comic portraying tea* *farming was one of the winners of the Comic of the Year award at the 14th Golden Comic Awards. chill – (v.) 放鬆、冷靜下來 If you go to the National Taiwan Museum of Comics in Taichung, their library is a good place to chill and read all the Taiwanese comics you want. specifically – (adv.) 具體地、明確地 “Jí hé RENDEZVOUS,” a comic series specifically aimed at engaging children’s interest in Taiwan’s history, can be read for free on the Creative Comic Collection website. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 7: Queen of the World Returns **Nymphia Wind keeps blowing us away! Join hosts Tim and Paz, and their guest, **Chiang Wei, professional drag queen, and founder and house mother of The Haus of WOMEN, one of Taiwan’s five major drag houses. Learn about Chiang Wei’s drag persona, belief, and style, their connection to Nymphia Wind, and their thoughts on Nymphia Wind’s influence on drag here and abroad. Then find out whether these terms are Tim, Paz, and Chiang Wei’s pet peeves or cat’s meows: *suck all the air out of the room, slay, on point, *and *beauty is my responsibility*. perspective – (n.) (思考問題的) 角度、觀點、想法 If you start to lose your passion for something, try changing your perspective; a different view may reveal new aspects or opportunities that reignite your enthusiasm. shortcoming –(n.) 缺點、弱點 One tip that Chiang Wei offers for taking better selfies is to know what your shortcomings are, turn them into advantages, and then amplify those advantages. heritage –(n.) 遺產（指流傳下來的具有歷史意義的傳統、語言、建築等） Nymphia Wind loves Taiwan’s rich cultural heritage and takes every opportunity to show it off to the world through creative, elaborate costumes she often designs and makes. amendment - (n.) 修正、修訂 In the past two decades, Taiwan has made a number of amendments to its laws, resulting in a society that is more inclusive and accepting of diversity. fearless –(adj.) 無畏的 Nymphia Wind’s fearless spirit made her push herself when she could have stayed comfortable as a successful local queen; now when she performs, the world watches. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Join our hosts**, **Tim and Paz, and their guest, Dr. Kailin Wang, the organizational psychologist, consultant, and career coach who brought the MBTI to Taiwan. Learn how knowing your personality traits can have a positive influence on your career choices and job satisfaction. Hear if *devil’s advocate*, *cray*, *I like to think myself as a(n)___*, and *innate* pique Tim, Paz, and Kailin’s interest, or make them cringe! tangible – (adj.) 真實的、具體的 People on the sensing side of the sensing/intuition scale look for tangible evidence or solid data, and those on the intuition side look for patterns and connections. core – (n.) 核心、關鍵 Some people say core personality preferences change over time, but others say they do not, since as people mature, they learn when a temporary switch is necessary. drain – (v.) 使勞累、使疲憊 People who have jobs that fit their personality preferences don’t feel drained from using energy on functions that do not align with their personalities. vague – (adj.) 含糊的，不明確的 Self-reported personality test questions that are general to the point of being vague or that force a choice between preferred items can lead to inaccurate assessments. evaluation – (n.) 評估 To get a more accurate personality profile, a professional analysis can be better than a personality test done by self-evaluation. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ep. 5: Stock Market Taiwan’s stock market is hot, hot, hot! Join Tim, Paz, and their guest Jason Shin, Senior Research Analyst at MacroMicro, a macro investing online platform, as they discuss what factors are driving the stock market here and what some investment alternatives to stocks are, depending on your risk appetite! Then find out what go belly up, have currency, ride the wave, bulls make money, bears make money, pigs lose money, and liquidity mean! —Vocabulary commodity 商品 (n.) The analysis of a commodity market for products such as crude oil, natural gas, and wheat includes the impact of wars and conflicts on supply and demand. retail investor 散戶，菜籃族 (n.) Retail investors, or individual investors, are non-professional investors who buy and sell stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and other securities for themselves with their own money. surge 激增 (n.) The demand for data infrastructure to support the proliferation of generative AI in all sectors has fueled the surge in Taiwan’s economic growth. indicator 指標 (n.) Investment tools using generative AI can inform investors about what macroeconomic indicators to look for, what their most recent values are, and where the information is. proportion 比例；比率 (n.) Some investors’ holdings include a large proportion of hot tech stocks, but other investors’ portfolios are diversified to avoid the risk of relying on one industry. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn