The Playground

We know moving to a different country can be difficult and everyone needs help with adjusting to a new place. Aki, Celine, and Ryoko will share their experiences living in various countries and studying in international schools worldwide.  It can feel hard sometimes, but if you are willing to adjust, and learn from friends and other cultures, you will gain a lot of new friends, and experiences, an...

  The NHS is the UK's National Health Service, established in 1948, and in this episode, we talk about issues NHS faces: low pay, inadequate resources, and staff strikes. Nurses feel burnt out and unsupported, with a lack of resources to provide adequate care and while the rest of medical staff demand better compensation for their long hours and heavy workloads, the government faces challenges in...

 Rysa analyzes the most important aspects and practical details of true crime, sensationalized by the media. The investigation doesn't stop even after the case is closed, and this case is very odd. When an entire family is found hanging from the ceiling of their quaint home in Burari, Delhi, it seems as they agreed to a mass suicide. But as the investigation progresses... Some secrets are uncovere...

Theater can open many doors - to the worlds inside of you and outside of you. Dhiya Aiyer is a theatrical student who loves being on stage. Her life was transformed on stage during her first play when she realized her social anxiety was gone and her true self appeared.  The liberation on stage is the essence of Dhiya’s life and the freedom she feels while creating using drama is helping her discov...

In this episode, we are learning about a new culture and traditions. Our guest Izmer from Malaysia who now lives in Cambodia talks about his experiences with fasting during Ramadan. Fasting is practiced in the Muslim world, in which they do not eat until sunset. Fasting builds gratitude and humility with people, and empathy for those who don’t have food to eat. After 4 weeks, Muslims celebrate Eid...

Mark is interviewing authors of Animarathon - a radio station in Jakarta featuring a growing selection of ani songs and nurturing anime culture. Today we will hear all about the passions of anime lovers - crushes, nice characters, and why fans are collecting figurines. Hear all about the three distinct types of anime enthusiasts and the emotional side of anime that may bring a tear or two and how...

Entrepreneurship is a really cool vehicle to figure out who you are. It can help you understand what kind of mindset you have, how you tackle problems, and how you react differently to different situations. Devi Shany shares her journey of founding Ascend Now and changing the educational systems. Tune in to hear what are the obstacles she faced, what motivates her to keep going, what changes she w...

Mei is interviewing Mohamini - her high school friend from Italy who grew up in India as a vegetarian but decided to become a vegan. Being a vegan is not only an investment in your health, but in the well-being of nature, animals, and society. It is not about the meat and food and tastes - it is more about the industry and all the animal-based products that are very toxic to the environment. Trans...

 Parents have their own perspectives and look down on arts as not-so-good career choices such as law, medicine, or engineering. Shriya and Ishita talk about stereotypes of career choices in India and how they both overcome the challenges around art not being a good career path. In this fascinating episode, Shriya shares her story about growing up without any pressure from her family, and Ishita is...

Being a Third Culture Kid or TCK and moving often is sometimes hard but it also provides so many opportunities and new skills. Mika tells his story about countries he lived in and what being a TCK means for him.  Find out how many languages Mika speaks, why he considers Malaysia his origin culture country but loves Singapore the most and what are the three ‘trick’ topics he uses while making new f...

In this super cool episode, Maia and Hang Chong dive into some serious stuff about our society. They're talking about how skills and talents are valued differently, and how we often overlook the health of our planet and the needs of future generations. Hang Chong Tan is a member of the Foodscape Collective and an environmental educator. Hang Chong is all about a different kind of leadership and li...

In today’s episode, our ex-student and good friend, Parth is sharing his story about transitioning from high school to university. He is giving plenty of tips and tricks that he has learned along the way. As an international student, Parth has years of experience with different cultures and school systems, and now he is at Boston University, USA. Listen to learn why 9th and 10th grades are importa...

Mark is speaking with his history teacher Scott Schaffner about making history classes fun and interesting to students.  When we observe history as events we didn’t see but just hear about from others, it opens new perspectives on a different way of approaching the discipline of history. Questions like how and why something happened are so much fun because we get to analyze history and not just ac...

Want to start a podcast, but you are not sure how to?  Manmohini shares dozens of different solutions to the questions about how you do it and what are the tricks to create a great podcast. What are the first steps, what to think about first, and how to create something that captures your audience’s attention and enthusiasm, especially in this case, what teenagers, can find engaging?  Check this p...

Could the answer to helping kids cope with post-pandemic anxiety involve picking up a needle and yarn? In this episode, we’re sitting down with my mom and grandmother to talk about teenage mental health struggles and knitting. Knitting is a great way to relieve stress because you have to focus on the task at hand. Your mind isn’t allowed to wander to the things you were worried about. Look, I’m no...