Make Season 2 Possible

Why live without borders?

For this episode, the season one finale, that’s what I’m exploring. 

If this is your first time tuning into the show, my name is Nolan Yuma Janssens. I was born in Chile, took my first steps in Belgium, and the second I felt a deep sense of home in Canada, I ended up in Spain. 

I am

inescapably foreign. 

Over the past eight months, I have interviewed people from all over the world. People with clashing ideologies that have resulted in culture wars and actual wars. Christians, Muslims, capitalists, communists, gays, straights, beliebers, receivers, anarchists, and masochists. Black, brown, yellow, white.

Labels. 

Whereas they help us categorise and describe, all they really do is conquer and divide. 

Like ecosystems, the more diverse our society and people, the more resistant we are to disease and whatever the universe throws at us… except maybe bureaucracy: where the simple becomes complicated and where common sense goes to die… slowly.

Anyway. Unity, not uniformity. 

Some of my guests had very different opinions and ideas than my own. Some don’t support gay marriage, think communism works, like guns, and some don’t even like beer. How the hell did I get along with these people?

I focused on what makes us human. 

Curiosity. And travel is curiosity manifested through movement. 

Our bipedalism, large brains, dextrous hands, and speech help to explain our ability to travel to more places than any other animal on earth. We are designed to be curious travellers. It all started with our ability to stand up straight, scan the horizons, and seek more food, shelter, people, and information.

By focusing on what unifies us — curiosity, travel, and our love of culture — I learned something from every one of my guests. 

I listened. But listening does nothing without reflection, just like travel does nothing without stillness. And a bureaucrat does nothing… does nothing. 

So why live a life without borders? 

I started this podcast hoping to break down borders. Not all borders. I know they play a role in preserving linguistic heritage, culture, and providing jobs for people who work from 9 to 5, but get home by 2. 

I think you know who I’m referring to by now. 

Anyway. What I mean by a world without borders is a world without the walls of anger, hatred, and ignorance that separates us. That’s what I mean by “Without Borders.” 

At first, I thought that meant being a “global citizen” because problems like climate change, poverty, inequality, famine, war, and the popularity of Reggaeton are global problems that take a global mindset to solve.

But upon further reflection, I realised the term “global citizen” has become an ideology in itself. Many who — and here comes that ugly word — ‘label’ themselves as global citizens believe their way of thinking is good for others, and as Alan Watts pointed out, believing you’re doing good for others is full of conceit.

A world full of virtuous global citizens running around?

That doesn’t sound diverse. That sounds like uniformity, not unity. It sounds like the road to hell paved with good intentions. 

So I’m not trying to galvanise a movement of travellers or “Global Citizens.” I’m just trying to be part of a balance of stories. Stories that don’t push one ideology over another. Stories that show we’re a diverse species of primates just trying to figure ourselves out. 

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is the season one finale, but it might be the end of the Without Borders podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, please share your favourite episodes and spread the word. I’m here to listen to your feedback, collaborate, and support projects, but I can’t sustain the hours I put into creating and marketing this podcast if people don’t support the show at bornwithoutborders.substack.com.

I do this because I know we need a balance of stories. I believe that when diverse voices reach a broader public, we can begin to increase rational compassion. 

Thanks to everyone who came on the show and took the time out of their day to listen. 

And if you happen to be a bureaucrat. I’m sorry for all the jokes and I hope you enjoyed listening to this during your work hours. 

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Nolan speaks with Chantal Patton from  @GrowingUpWithoutBorders  Chantal reveals what it’s like trying to travel to every country in the world while homeschooling three kids. Nolan and Chantal also discuss school systems around the world, cultural variations, why Home Exchange kicks ass, and of course, why both their projects have the words “Without Borders.”

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Growing Up Without Borders Website and Courses

Transcript available for English learners.

E35 Chantal Transcript

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00:00 Introduction

01:33 - Visiting every country with 3 kids

09:31 - Generalising vs learning about cultures 

20:28 - Homeschooling & School systems around the world

38:39 - Cultural variations within Canada, the USA, and New Zealand

41:22 - Airbnb & hotels vs Home Exchange 

47:04 - Growing Up Without Borders Courses & digital nomad tips 

53:49 - Why “Without Borders?” 

56:18 - Check your “Geographical privilege.”

In this episode, we explore the role of educators in a world with artificial intelligence. Discover how teachers adapt and navigate an AI revolution. Katie and Nolan also share tips about how to learn languages and adapt motivation techniques depending on the culture and learning style.

Watch the video here.

Support the show, read the transcript, and learn more at:

Born Without Borders

Stories and advice for nomads, immigrants, refugees, third-culture kids or anyone else that feels inescapably foreign.

By Nolan Yuma

You can also learn more about Abridge Academy.

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00:00 - Learning Chinese & Acculturating to China 

17:23 - A reacher’s role in a world of AI 

25:00 - Culture-bound motivation styles 

33:45 - Acculturating to Japan 

40:15 - How language shapes our perception 

E34 Katie Abridge Transcript

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Nolan speaks with Paul Dermody, an online personal trainer, podcaster, and part-time professional writer passionate about travel and languages. Paul shares his tips on achieving your fitness and health goals with a holistic approach that can apply to all aspects of life. You can check out the specific topics below and select which segment of the podcast you want to listen to.

Want Paul as a personal trainer or to get more health tips and motivation?

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00:00 - Intro

01:56 - Why Paul Dermody chose to make Spain home. 

05:30 - How travel affects your identity 

11:51 - The problem with travel (and life) no one talks about 

16:45 - Benefits of travel

20:19 - How culture affects health, diets, and fitness

24:38 - How to change your mindset for better health

33:19 - Culture-bound eating disorders

40:49 - Diet culture & woke culture 

51:25 - Paul’s personal training

E33 Paul Dermody Transcript

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Nolan Yuma speaks with Dr. Benjamin Cheung, a leading expert in the fields of genetic essentialism, culture and sleep, and acculturation. Benjamin shares his cultural experience as a 1.5 generation Chinese Canadian and how parents of immigrant children can ease the acculturation process. Nolan and Ben also talk about how culture affects the outcomes of drug use, psychedelics, the 4-hour work week, and even how much sleep you need.

You can also watch the video recording on YouTube.

Learn more about Dr. Benjamin Cheung research at UBC.

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E32 Ben Cheung Transcript

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00:00 Intro

01:34 - Generation 1.5 & Third culture kid experiences & parenting advice

17:35 - Cultural adjustment and acculturation strategies

18:37 - Identify & the authentic self

22:14 - Ego death & psychedelics

26:13 - Microdosing, drugs, and how culture & criminalisation affect their positive outcomes

33:24 - Genetic essentialism & how society influences depression

42:03 - How culture influences the 4-hour work week

44:33 - How culture influences how much sleep you need

58: 11 - Conclusion

Also available on YouTube.

Nolan speaks with César,  @SpanishLanguageCoach , about his immigration and acculturation experiences. They discuss the cultural characteristics of England and Spain with a focus on the differences in how people approach political correctness and cancel culture. They also share language learning tips and how the recent social media trends have affected language learning content.

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Links to César's course and podcast

spanishlanguagecoach.com

Podcast

00:00 - Intro

01:50 - César’s acculturation story (Comparing Spain to England)

07:16 - The Petardos (Firecrackers) & Fallas tradition and its consequences

12:19 - Objectivity, identify politics, and César’s Spanish learning podcast objectives.

17:21 - Political correctness in Spanish vs England 33:57 - Language learning tips

45:08 - Social media trends & how it affects language learning

52:23 - Switching to Substack

E31 Cesar Transcript

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Nolan speaks with Daniel Thompson, the CEO of Noma Collective, a business and community that specializes in creating experiences for remote workers. They discuss cultural and individual differences in time perception, life in Merida, negotiation styles, home births, becoming a digital nomad that helps the local culture rather than destroying it, and slowing the hell down.

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0:00 - Intro

01:41 - Growing up in the UK, New Zealand, and the USA

05:43 - A nomadic home birth

08:18 - Life in Merida

12:41 - Living a nomadic life with Noma Collective

20:27 - Perception of time, both in cultures and individuals

28:30 - Task-based vs relationship-based cultures.

31:17 - Music industry & rave culture

35:09 - How to become a digital nomad (even with a family)

42:24 - Noma’s social impact & slow travel

52:00 - Slow travel & returning to the human pace

Coco Hofs uses her business experience and cultural consulting expertise to discuss Erin Meyer's 8 Scales from The Culture Map with Nolan Yuma. They analyze and critique the research from Edward Hall, Geert Hofstede, and Richard E. Nisbett while bringing in some of their personal experiences and stories –– In Nolan's case, that includes why getting drunk can create stronger bonds, which in some cases, relates to what the Japanese call Nomikai 飲み会.

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Need cultural consulting for your business?

Website: ⁠www.cocohofs.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/crossculturalsolutions_by_coco/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/coco-hofs/⁠

Coco is of Dutch origin and has lived outside The Netherlands since 2016.

She lives in Peru and runs her own business, 'Cross-cultural Solutions'. With Cross-Cultural Solutions, she helps organizations overcome cultural differences in the international workplace. She helps professionals operating in a global economy understand the impact that our cultural background has when doing business internationally and across cultures.

In her opinion, organizations tend to forget that cultural differences have a significant impact on how smoothly the business goes and how well teams of different cultural backgrounds work together.

She is a cross-cultural trainer, executive coach, and keynote speaker who works with companies from all over the world.

English learners can access transcripts of all the episodes.

E28 Cocohufs

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00:00 - Introduction & Coco Huff's experience that led to cultural consulting

05:04 - Dutch negative feedback & Critique on Erin Meyer's The Culture Map

12:49 - Communication style (high-context to low-context scale)

13:47 - Evaluation (direct to indirect negative feedback scale)

14:50 - Leading styles (egalitarian to hierarchical scale)

15:11 - Deciding (Consensual to top-down scale)

19:17 - Trusting (Task-based to relationship-based scale) & possible anecdotal mistakes

27:56 - Nomunication (Nomikai 飲み会)/drinking to build trust

31:16 - Disagreeing (Confrontational to avoid confrontation scale)

34:38 - Scheduling (Linear time to flexible time scale)

41:08 - Persuading (Application-first to principle first/deductive reasoning to inductive reasoning)

48:08 - Relating Hofstede's indulgence scale to incremental or entity theory

52:52 - Persuasion difference between analytic and holistic thinkers

56: 14 - Coco's immigration story & Conclusion

@ProfessorWolters  from  @woltersworld  shares his experience and knowledge as a marketing professor and travel enthusiast who obtained YouTube fame. Professor Wolters could quit his job, but he loves teaching and "also loves insurance." His passion and humour come through when he gives Nolan and the listeners advice on becoming successful YouTubers and online creators.

Nolan and Professor Wolters also discuss food culture, distance culture, and their thoughts on "America has no culture."

Transcript for English learners

E28 Mark Wolter Transcript

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Learn more about Professor Mark Wolters:

Wolter's World Website

Wolter’s World Youtube Channel

All episodes are available on my YouTube Channel.

00:00 - Intro (Mark Wolter & his work)

06:09 - Sobre mesa and service culture around the world

10:22 - Response to "America has no culture."

16:26 - Distance culture

20:55 - Canadian vs American culture

26:50 - How to approach confrontation and discussion around the world 30:01 - Professor Wolter's business channel & marketing advice

36:46 - Becoming successful on YouTube & social media

54:00 - The do's and don'ts of travel

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00:00 - Intro

01:46 - Montreal vs Vancouver

06:07 - Becoming Canadian and staying Filipino. Individualism vs Collectivism 11:09 - Utang na loob & Corruption

16:19 - Pakikisama & Hiya & cultural differences in confrontation styles in Canada, the Netherlands, and the Philippines

26:12 - Political correctness isn't helping marginalized people

33:54 - Acculturating to Canada & types of racism

41:38 - Is the Philippines a matriarchal society?

52:47 - Decolonisation in Filipino culture

58:41 - How dangerous social media is for understanding culture

1:02:03 - Wrap up

Full podcast episodes are on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, and my youtube channel.

Without Borders is a free podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support makes the project possible. You can also support the show by donating. Paid subscribers can also request transcripts to aid in English learning.

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E18 - Discussing self-esteem, culture and morality with Dr. Steven Heine

Nolan Yuma meets one of his intellectual heroes, Dr. Steven Heine. They discuss culture, how crops affect sociopolitical views, self-esteem variations around the world, morality, and Steve's latest book, DNA is Not Destiny.

E17 - Belgians vs. the Dutch + Becoming Irish

Don't confuse Belgians and the Dutch. Rosie Van Den Broek and Nolan Yuma discuss cultural and psychological differences and how they affect business and travel. Rosie also talks about her experience moving to Ireland and why she had to change her name. Nolan and Yuma also touch on identity, politics, the king of Belgium, blackface, and why beer keeps people from becoming separatists.

E22 - Fixing Misconceptions about Africa with Marmalade

Nolan Yuma and Tola Alade, the CEO of Marmalade Venture, talk about people's misconceptions about Africa and how Marmalade fixes them through branding and raising awareness about African entrepreneurs and artists.

Nolan and Tola share their opinions about critical race theory, Jordan Peterson, the rhetoric around slavery, and how to unify instead of divide.

Subscribe and support Marmalade:

https://www.marmaladecollective.com/

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00:00 Intro

02:30 - Brown versus white parenting & family dynamics & hierarchies.

13:27 - Testosterone, weight lifting and martial arts.

17:49 - PC Language & Curry Hill

23:36 - Growing up Muslim around Sikh people & Ramadan

29:43 - Culture & Mental Illness

34:21 - Returning to the Muslim faith & spirituality & Lying

47:54 - Arranged vs Love Marriages

Without Borders is a free podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at withoutborders.fyi. Your support makes the project possible. You can also find my travel series on Youtube.

00:00 - Introduction 

00:42 - Life as refugee vs asylum seeker 

13:09 - Bahai religion & beliefs 

22:03 - The Green Movement (Persian Spring) & Revolution 

27:58 - Self-actualisation & self-transcendence

Vida Razavi has lived in 6 different countries and three continents as a refugee, student, volunteer, freelancer, and researcher. Vida studied physics as her undergrad and has master's degrees in sociology and developmental studies. Her passion for social justice and participatory democracy led to various career moves and eventually brought Vida to her current work in an umbrella organization for gender equality.

Without Borders is a free podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at withoutborders.fyi. Your support makes the project possible. You can also find my travel series on Youtube.

00:00 - Introduction

03:20 - Life in Mashhad, Iran

08:40 - Albert Schweitzer influence & Moving to Africa

18:38 - White & “yellow” privilege in Africa

24:16 - Growing up in a hierarchical society * Low and high power distances

34:50 - Gender roles in Eastern Africa & Intersectionality

38:48 - High-context vs. low-context cultures & Theory-first vs. principal-first  cultures.

43:18 - ICT4D, Elon Musk’s Starlink, Mark Zuckerberg Free Internet

47:36 - Charities, the development sector, and their corruption

51:32 - Vida’s experience with immigration bureaucracy

This is a great conversation for intermediate English learners as we speak much slower than usual. The transcript is available on www.withoutborders.fyi/michael-bren-the-travel-psychologist-and-ufologist. 

00:00 Intro 

02:20 What is travel psychology? 

05:18 - Experience with the Peace Corps & learning languages 

10:19 - Culture shock  

16:11 - Intercultural Communication and the Adjustment of a Sojourner. 

31:13 - Culture and psychology of religion.  

34:41 - Intercultural competence. 

40:30 - Idiots Abroad 

46:46 - Road to the strange, UFOs & paradigm shifts

After living in Chile, Belgium, Canada, and now Spain, Nolan spends his days studying cultural psychology, interviewing people from around the world, traveling, and writing stories to break down borders. His project, Without Borders, is a collective of new articles, stories, videos, and podcasts each week, bringing insight and perspective to these experiences.

This series is for nomads, expats, third-culture kids, immigrants, or anyone who feels inescapably foreign. In this space hosted by  Nolan Yuma Janssens every Sunday at 18:00 CET, we will discuss ways to break down borders through cultural psychology research, immigration advice, and travel stories. After hosting the Without Borders miniseries in February, Nolan realized the discussions can’t be contained in one series and needed to be ongoing. He is constantly updating the material to build upon each previous salon.

The themes of the monthly discussion revolve around:

• Abating polarization

• Advancing the bureaucratic system and immigration process

• Exploring universal truths about morality

• Improving cultural competence

• Increasing productivity for international organizations

• Limiting xenophobia

• Storytelling techniques for “The Inescapably Foreign.”

Every Sunday at 18:00 CET

Note: You can purchase each salon ticket for $15 or a series ticket for $90 (save 50%), valid throughout 2023.

Nolan and Tola share their opinions about critical theory, Jordan Peterson, the rhetoric around slavery, and how to unify instead of divide. 

Subscribe and support Marmalade: https://www.marmaladecollective.com/

Without Borders is a free podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at withoutborders.fyi. Your support makes the project possible. You can also find my travel series on Youtube.

00:00 - Introduction

03:33 - Fixing misconceptions about Lagos, Nigeria & Africa

08:39 - Marmalade Collective & Africa's most valuable asset — Culture

16:49 - LGBTQ rights in Africa concerning branding

21:10 - Using Jordan Peterson, Nathan Nunn, and Magatte Wade to talk about African Economy.

25:04 - Slavery, Individualism, entrepreneurialism, and moving forward.

31:11 - Critical theory and intersectionality does not unify. 

39:10 - Racism in North America vs. Africa

49:40 - Breaking African Stereotypes & Discussing Stereotype threats.

56:29 - Wrapping it all up.

His indefatigable determination eventually compelled him to enter and graduate from medical school, emigrate to America and become the chief of surgery at two major hospitals.  

Preorder Dr. Forcina's book:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-american-doctor-salvatore-j-forcina/1141643151  

Follow Dr. Forcina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsalvatoreforcinamd/  

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00:00 - Intro with The American Doctor 

01:48 - Life in Italy during 

WW2 03:54 - Immigrating to Argentina 

10:35 - Catholic boarding school in Argentina 

21:35 - Role models, importance of family, and studying medicine  

29:24 - Acculturating to Argentina and the United States as an Italian  

33:40 - How to overcome adversity & Victor Frankl’s Man’s Pursuit of Meaning. 

49:30 - Opinions about American healthcare. 

01:00:07 - The importance of immigrants.

Without Borders is a free podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber at withoutborders.fyi. Your support makes the project possible. You can also find my travel series on Youtube.

00:00 Intro

01:08 - Chat GPT (With a focus on morality and language learning) 

20:51 - How writers and artists can use Chat GPT and Dall-E 

27:23 - AI & The 4 Hour Work Week & Universal Base Pay 

00:32:35 - How does Chat GPT affect language diversity and Western propaganda?  

00:41:46 - Monica’s multicultural personality & immigration story (Comparing Spain, Italy, and Czech Republic) 

01:03:33 - Comparing humour around the world 

01:08: 49 - Language and Personality  

01:11: 34 - Wrapping it all up

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00:00 - Introduction 

01:51 - Immigration to Canada from Slovakia as a Nurse 

05:28 - Quality of life as nurse in Canada vs Slovakia 

08:07 - Comparing work culture and social safety nets in Canada, Slovakia, and Spain  

16:35 - What is experiential marketing? And how to advertise tobacco in Canada 

27:37 - Drinking culture in Canada vs Slovakia + How nurses party  

32:52 - Becoming more Canadian. Discussing open-mindedness, mental health, recreational drug use, and acceptance 

44:58 - Identity & language  

59:58 - Why to visit Slovakia and Slovak etiquette