# 216. Leaving China - Returning After Four Years

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ireland-podcast-6592574/216-leaving-china-returning-after-eight-years
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ireland-podcast-6592574/216-leaving-china-returning-after-eight-years.md
Podcast: [The Ireland Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ireland-podcast-6592574)
Published: 2026-05-27T17:30:58+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/the-ireland-podcast/episodes/216-leaving-china-returning-after-eight-years
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/64e340adddadb00012365278/e/6a172a52942fd18754c0d233/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-ireland-podcast-6592574/episodes/216-leaving-china-returning-after-eight-years
Duration seconds: 1627

## Resource

After living in China for eight years, Fender Jackson returns to Kunming for the first time since leaving during COVID. This episode is part travelogue, part memoir and part reflection on ordinary life in modern China. Topics include: housing complexes and skyscrapers outdoor gyms Chinese parks and public life street food and night markets eBikes and urban design robots and modern technology teaching in China returning to an old school life after COVID cultural differences between China and the West Along the way, Fender reflects on memory, identity, creativity and the strange feeling of returning to a place that once felt like home. The episode closes with former students in China performing The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone. New episodes from Xishuangbanna and Shanghai coming soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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