AtW Podcast, Episode 10: Matt Sheehan

My guest for this episode is Matt Sheehan. Matt has lived in China for five years. He speaks Chinese fluently and works as a journalist for the Huffington Post. He also has a number of side projects, including a video series where he teaches Chinese people about ultimate Frisbee, a game he loves. Our discussion drifted into all of these topics, as well as Beijing's pollution, the state of the Chinese economy, the education system in China, Matt's walk across Beijing and much more.

I learned a lot during our talk. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.

Click the Play button to listen to the podcast.
Or you can get it on Stitcher or iTunes from the links below.
[Download] [iTunes] [Stitcher]

Here's where you can find Matt online:
Optimists China
Matt's YouTube Channel
Matt's Twitter Feed
Matt's Huffington Post articles

Show Notes:

• Here's some more info about Beijing's recent pollution “Red Alert”.
• PM 2.5 is a type of air pollution with particles less than 2.5 microns across. The way this is commonly measured is in the number of micrograms of PM 2.5 particles per cubic meter of air. Thre are many good sources of information on this subject, including Air Now and On Earth.
• According to the American Lung Association, Bakersfield, California has the most air pollution in the USA (though it could also be Los Angeles, depending on how “air pollution” is measured. Here's more info.
• Here's a link to the article I wrote about Smart Air filters in Beijing.
• China produces the most steel in the world, by far. Here are the numbers.
• For anyone looking for insight into modern Chinese culture, Matt highly recommends Peter Hessler. Here's his Amazon page.
• And for a look at the Cultural Revolution, I mentioned a memoir called Life and Death in Shanghai.