Teatime With Jesse – Details, episodes & analysis

Hello Tea friends! I have another comedian on the pod today! So psyched to have Lai Wei-Sheng here to talk about stand-up comedy in Taiwan, China, and the US. It takes guts to tell jokes all over the globe! We sip on some Taiwanese Oolong while we chat about tea, boba, and cultural differences in the international comedy scene. Try the Taiwanese Oolong Sampler: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/j... Join Jesse's Tea Club: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/j... Listen to/Download this episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4M2PVna... Listen to/Download this episode on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... #taiwaneseoolong #bilingualcomedy #taiwanesecomedy #chinesecomedy #chineselanguagelearning #yourchineseteaguy #foreignerinchina #jessesteahouse #teatimewithjesse 0:28 Taiwan vs. US Comedy 0:48 Taiwanese Oolong 0:54 I’m a tea virgin 01:20 What’s in the Taiwan oolong box 02:15 You don’t need too much 02:31 Boba tea shops in Taiwan 03:44 Oolong aftertaste 03:55 The oolong is half-fermented 04:40 Oolong is somewhere between green and red/black tea 05:05 It’s all camellia sinensis, just differently picked 05:21 Meet Wei-Sheng Lai 06:00 Performing at comedy clubs in Taiwan 07:00 Welcome to Los Angeles, USA 07:48 Tea from Dongding Mountain 08:05 You gotta up your tea game 08:15 Is there Oolong in Mainland China? 08:54 Getting started in Taiwanese comedy as a high schooler 09:43 Comedians care about the type of laugh 11:27 Understanding your audience 11:55 How to set up jokes for an audience 12:12 Getting the confidence to try comedy in Los Angeles 12:33 International comedy 13:57 The Chinese Comedy scene in Los Angeles 15:56 The Western comedy doesn’t like puns 17:00 If I really p*ss my pants it’s okay 18:00 Translating jokes 18:22 Getting out there is scary 19:21 Standup comedy is the best way to learn a foreign language 23:53 The sunshine makes it hard to drive 24:19 American stereotypes 25:11 Culture shock 27:14 When you have an opinion you’ll share it 29:00 Taiwanese and Chinese jokes 29:29 Coming out of the closet 29:45 Understanding American culture to do jokes 30:26 Developing a niche, focused opinion 31:45 Five times roasted oolong 34:10 Why and how we pour tea 35:38 The charcoal roasted oolong is unique 35:55 Charcoal roasted oolong is more expensive 37:40 Making milk tea 41:24 Standup comedy is a lifestyle 42:45 Acting vs. Comedy 50:00 Buying houses in Taiwan 53:33 The deals in Taiwan 58:52 Tipping culture 59:26 It’s hard being a mommy

On this week's audio-only Teatime with Jesse, we have Rachel from Crazy Laugh Comedy and Shawn from Chinese Comedy at Silicon Valley. Rachel, Shawn, and I sip on some pretty decent Moganshan green tea and talk about the differing comedy landscapes in China vs. America. We talk about getting started in comedy, how bad ChatGPT is at writing jokes, and how not ALL comedians have to be depressed. 0:30 Meet Rachel (Crazy Laugh Comedy) and Shawn (City Comedy) 0:47 Moganshan Green tea is decent 01:25 Seeing the growth of China’s comedy scene in the US 01:41 How to get started in comedy in America 3:27 Doing comedy online isn’t that fun 4:32 Standup provides a voice for you 5:10 You need a creative outlet 6:17 Be yourself, everyone else is taken 7:29 American vs. Chinese political infighting 8:58 No serious problems are easy to solve 9:19 Businessmen fail all the time 11:40 Finding a sense of community in New York 12:21 Finding community in Silicon Valley 13:00 Tech advertisements are pretty niche 14:08 Coming back to America after living in China for 10 years   16:00 Doing jokes as an American who was a foreigner in China 16:25 No one is looking for a white guy who speaks Chinese 18:00 Rachel quit her job 24:10 Comedy is expansive 26:00 Bilingual translators and bilingual comedy 26:32 Translating with ChatGPT 26:54 ChatGPT can’t tell jokes 27:40 You still need human taste 29:45 Putting together comedy shows in China 30:41 Using online content to drive offline growth 31:07 Using online exposure to attract attention to comedy clubs 31:35 How do comedians come together at comedy clubs 32:55 Comedians aren’t all depressed  33:08 You don’t have to suffer to be a comedian, but you might have to be anxious 35:48 LGBTQIA+ comedy in China 37:24 Being outside of the mainstream #foreignerinchina #bilingualcomedy #teatimewithjesse #jessesteahouse #chineselanguagelearning #mandarinlanguagelearning

On this Tea Time with Jesse, Jesse is joined by Teacup Media founder, business consultant, and podcast host Laszlo Montgomery. Laszlo Montgomery spent 25 years growing US market shares for Chinese consumer product manufacturers. During that time, he worked abroad, learning about China's history and the value of intercultural connections. In this episode, Laszlo shares how he chooses research topics for the China History podcast and his motivations for starting Teacup Media. Check out the China History Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCim2V_PqtJ6_W2fDESGzJHA 🍵 Featured Tea: Yangchun Snow Jasmine Tea: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/yangchun-snow-jasmine-green-tea 2024 Spring Green Tea preorder: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/2024-spring-green-tea-sampler Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 0:00:27 Meet Laszlo 0:02:50 Laszlo’s everyday tea 0:03:32 Ancient tree tea 0:05:18 Starting the Chinese history podcast 0:07:48 How to prioritize topics on a history podcast 0:09:20 The Chinese exclusion act 0:10:34 Chinese immigration to the US 0:20:29 Living in Hong Kong during the Handover 0:27:38 The history of China-US trade relations 0:29:00 Nixon and The Cultural Revolution 0:41:18 Working with the London Science Museum to display palace artifacts from Beijing 0:51:44 The importance of understanding history in the present 0:53:30 Independent podcast research vs. museum curation 1:10:00 Tea pets and the Zodiac #chinesehistory #chinahistorypodcast #jessesteahouse #teatimewithjesse #chinatrade #gongfutea #chinesetea #teahistory #foreignerinchina #mandarinlanguage

In this episode of Tea Time with Jesse, Jesse meets with musician John Schmidt who outlines his journey from Berklee College of Music to the forefront of the music industry. John talks about studying abroad, paying your dues in the music industry, and meeting Justin Bieber. Join Jesse and John as they talk about music trends over some Jasmine tea. 🍵 Featured Tea: Yangchun Snow Jasmine Tea: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/yangchun-snow-jasmine-green-tea 2024 Spring Green Tea preorder: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/2024-spring-green-tea-sampler Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #chineselanguagelearning #mandarinlanguage #popmusic #studio #musicproducer #podcast #jessesteahouse #gongfutea #jasminetea #musicproduction #sounddesign

For this episode, Jesse is joined by Chris Annas Lee, lighting designer, business owner, and old space-camp friend. Chris Annas Lee talks about the artist's journey and the role of the lighting designer as a tertiary artist in theater. Jesse and Chris sip on some oolong tea as they discuss the role of community and school in one’s career, their lives abroad, and how they’ve navigated creative work. 2024 Oolong Sampler Box preorder: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesse-in-taiwan-mystery-tea-drop Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #hollywood #comedy #jasminetea #comedian #comedyclub #thelaughfactory #acting #aapirepresentation #culturalexchange #gongfutea #chinesetea #teatimewithjesse #jessesteahouse

On this Tea Time with Jesse, Jesse is joined by comedian, actress, and philanthropist Jiaoying Summers. In this episode, Jiaoying shares how she opened her own comedy club and made a name for herself in the American comedy scene. Jesse and Jiaoying talk about maintaining a positive network, navigating dating as a comedian, and differing cultural standards in the US and China. 🍵 Featured Tea: Yangchun Snow Jasmine Tea: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/yangchun-snow-jasmine-green-tea 2024 Spring Green Tea preorder: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/2024-spring-green-tea-sampler Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #hollywood #comedy #jasminetea #comedian #comedyclub #thelaughfactory #acting #aapirepresentation #culturalexchange #gongfutea #chinesetea #teatimewithjesse #jessesteahouse

Meet Jesse's Teahouse Design lead, Honghong Lu and partner in (tea) crime based in China. In this Tea Time with Jesse episode, Honghong and Jesse talk about bilingual improv, the early days of Jesse's Teahouse, and the nature of social media. 2024 Spring Green Tea preorder: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/2024-spring-green-tea-sampler Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #podcast #jessesteahouse #design #socialmedia #viral #teatimewithjesse

This is a special episode of Tea Time with Jesse featuring Jesse’s MUA friend (and neighbor) Julie Jules. In this episode, Julie, a two-time Emmy-winning makeup artist talks about navigating Hollywood, shifting careers, and familial responsibility. Jesse and Julie talks about what it takes to “make it” over some Jasmine tea. 🍵 Featured Tea: Yangchun Snow Jasmine Tea: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/yangchun-snow-jasmine-green-tea 2024 Spring Green Tea preorder: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/2024-spring-green-tea-sampler Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #hollywood #makeup #mua #passion #career #careershift #jasminetea #tealovers #tealoversunite #snowjasmine #podcast #jessesteahouse #teatimewithjesse

Have tea with Jesse and Paul Solmon, Economics correspondent for the PBS Newshour and Jesse’s economics professor from his time at Brandeis University. Prof. Solmon deeply influenced Jesse with his class on economic strategies and their impact on society. Over cups of White Tea, they explore cultural coherence, and the interplay of cooperation, competition, and predation, alongside Jesse’s experiences with diverse social media audiences. This discussion not only bridges economic theories and cultural narratives but also sheds light on engaging with global viewers. Learn more about the American Exchange Project: https://www.americanexchangeproject.org/about White Dew White Tea: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/white-dew-white-tea-2017 Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #travel #culturalexchange #economics #university #whitetea #gongfucha #teaculture

This episode features Thomas Talhelm, a cultural psychologist and Associate Professor at Chicago Booth School of Business, and founder of Smart Air, an air purifier company. Jesse and Thomas discuss cultural differences within China, the birth of smart air filters and public health. Try the Taiwanese oolongs as soon as they launch! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesse-in-taiwan-mystery-tea-drop Want Jesse's curated tea club boxes to show up, once per season? Join the tea subscription club! https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 Check out Smart Air! Not an ad, just a true suggestion. https://smartairfilters.com/ Don't miss out on future episodes! Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more Teatime with Jesse. 🔔 #jessesteahouse #teatimewithjesse #teapage #chinesetea #publichealth #airpurifier #healthyliving #healthylifestyle