If you don’t follow my badminton blog then you haven’t heard the good news yet! I was featured on NPR’s Only a Game this month! Listen to the 8-minute interview here!
For those of you that don’t know what NPR is it stands for National Public Radio in America.
It’s broadcast nationwide and in many places, like my hometown in the hills of New Hampshire, it is the only radio station available. It’s commercial free radio, but with sponsors and fund drives because despite the name they get very little money from the federal government and need to support themselves.
Anyway, I have been a big NPR fan for years, and it was the station usually playing in my car. Even in China I regularly download some of their shows (in podcasts). So it was a total shock and surprise when the reporter, Kevin Ferguson, reached out to me.
It was thanks to my blog, but not this one. Only a Game is a sports show I was interviewed about badminton! And playing badminton in China (while dealing with a health problem). This is my third radio interview (I did a podcast 3 years ago and an interview about BRICS for a Chinese radio show a few months ago) but obviously the NPR one is my favorite. Not only because I am a NPR fan, but also because of the quality. They somehow got me to sound very NPR-ish.
Even though it happened, and already aired and listened by thousands (perhaps millions? billions? trillions?!) of people I am still in awe and can’t quite believe it. My NPR notoriety first comes from me playing a sport?! Weird.
In other news I have also a new published interview at Expat Finder. It’s a website for “making life abroad easier” and they also found me though my blog (this one this time).
What can I say? I’m a real media whore this month. Not gonna say I don’t like it. 😉 It also helped me level up in my Epic Quest of Awesome. The next one I’m ready for is getting my book published, so universe (or any blog reader) if you know an agent or publisher interested in a memoir about life and love of an American in China, please give me a call.
Speaking of Epic Quest of Awesome, it’s almost winter holiday, which means it’s time to travel again. We only have a short holiday (okay, okay, it’s 6 weeks, but that’s shorter than the usual 8-9 weeks we normally get. What can I say? I’m very spoiled) but I’ll be taking off for a bit. I’m going to cross another place of my Epic Quest list, but you’ll have to wait for more details! I’ll give you a hint though: I had to buy a winter coat for the first time since I’ve lived in Xiamen. For the past few winters I have borrowed my friends jacket, dubbed the Harbin jacket, and we have gone on adventures together. I’m sorry to lose my favorite traveling companion but I’m an adult dammit! I should own my own winter jacket even if I never use it.
Leave a Reply