The Response: China

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2018

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

No reporters, no studios. The Response China hears directly from the citizens of the most populous county on the planet - using the recording power of smartphones. The contributors are normal working people, students, telling stories about the world of work in China, about their relationships, and the influence of family members on their lives. Hear how an online gamer nearly derailed his education, how a young worker in a big company struggled with full time employment, about coping with bipolar disorder and how one woman’s love for a Northern Irish actor has opened up new horizons. The programme was compiled using an initial prompt on social media and all stories were submitted directly from smartphones.

Presented by Howard Zhan

Photo: The Phoenix Tower which is the highest building inside Shenyang Imperial Palace, China. Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Howard Zang and this is the response China.
0:13.0	It's the most populous country in the world,
0:16.0	nearly 1.4 billion people.
0:18.0	And according to the Chinese government,
0:21.0	more than half the country can access the internet on a mobile device.
0:27.4	We wanted to hear what they had to say using social media.
0:31.2	We asked for stories directly from the people.
0:34.0	Stories that could be sent to us using just the recording power of his smartphone.
0:39.0	We were amazed by what we received.
0:42.0	We asked for stories about work, about education, about family life, and how people in
0:48.4	China view their futures, and we weren't disappointed. Get ready to hear stories about a life-saving grandpa,
0:55.0	a family feud over a business choice,
0:58.0	and a love story about finding your voice.
1:02.0	But we will begin with a recording about learning English in a surprising way.
1:10.0	Our contributor calls herself Freya, and for this you need to know that Colin Morgan is well known in the United Kingdom as the lead actor in the TV show Merlin.
1:24.0	Hello, I'm a 33-year-old Chinese girl.
1:28.0	After graduating from college, I went into a state-owned enterprise. My daily work is boring. But last year, I suddenly
1:38.7	fell in love with the Northern Ireland actor Colin Morgan. You know I have never been fascinated by any star,
1:48.8	but love suddenly came and even in reality there is no such feeling. I love him because since he was
1:57.4	five years old he has been adhering to his dream. He knows what he wants to and works hard for it. So since last year I
2:08.3	spent four hours learning English every day. Through dictionary I look up my words one by one had finished
2:17.7	the tempest of Shakespeare and the deep profoundies of Oscar Wilde.
	...

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