In January 2026 I moved into a thin-walled second-floor Taipei apartment and found myself talking to an older gentleman outside watering the plants. His name was William and he was my upstairs neighbor. William had that kind of magnetic friendliness, a warm smile and a soothing voice, that made me instantly feel at home. Yet, I found that although I saw William watering the plants almost everyday, I didn’t really know anything about him. I decided to change that.

I’ve always been close to my neighbors. Neighbors are a part of the everyday fabric of a home, a community, and a city. But it too often seems that in a big city like Taipei, the majority of your neighbors act as a background character, if that. However, sometimes charismatic people break through into your life. This is a story about getting to know our neighbors.

Albert Chang-Yoo is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credit: Blue Highway, Knock Knock, Sparkletone, and Downtown by Podington Bear from Free Music Archive dot org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tianmu is a neighborhood in northern Taipei that has never quite felt like the rest of the city. Shaped by American military housing in the 1950s and decades of expat culture, it became the place where foreign food, foreign faces, and foreign ideas landed in Taiwan. Today, some of that energy has faded, but some things stayed.

Eddy Gonzalez is one of them. Born in Canada to Mexican parents, Eddy came to Taiwan in his twenties and eventually opened Eddy's Cantina in Tianmu in 2010, after starting with a small burrito stand at Tamsui Old Street night market in 2007. In this episode, Eddy talks about building a restaurant from his family's recipes, what it felt like to watch the neighborhood change around him, and why, after fifteen years, he's still here: https://www.eddyscantina.com/en/

Jim Chiang is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credit: Snow Drift by HoliznaCC0, Latin Groove by Victor Samalot, 1909 - Venetian Love Song by Victor Herbert Orchestra, Sad walk with sad melodica by Komiku from Free Music Archive dot org.

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In this episode, Sophie Yang explores the issue of period poverty through a conversation with Elle Yang, founder of Love Binti (愛女孩國際關懷協會), a Taiwanese nonprofit organization working with communities across Africa. Through reusable cloth menstrual pads, health education, water projects, and women's empowerment programs, Love Binti helps girls stay in school and build a better future.

The episode also examines menstrual stigma in Taiwan and asks how awareness and open conversations can create change. Whether it is a girl missing school in Uganda or a student facing discrimination for taking menstrual leave in Taiwan, menstruation remains a global issue that deserves attention.

Sophie Yang is a student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credit: Mother’s Hands by Sergey Cheremisinov from Free Music Archive dot org; African Drums Tribal by Alec_Koff, African African Background Music by Tunetank, Walking on the muddy road by CaganCelik, and Female Voices Crowds Chatting Talking Women on Fair Frauenstimmen by Soundhunterin on Pixabay.

Special thanks to Elle Yang and the Love Binti team for sharing their time, experiences, and insights.

Want to learn more or get involved? Visit Love Binti (@lovebinti.intl) to learn about period poverty, support their programs, or volunteer at future events: https://www.lovebinti.org. Moreover, visit the menstrual museum in Taipei to learn more about menstruation. By raising awareness, having open conversations, and challenging menstrual stigma, we can all help create a world where no one is held back because of their period.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trigger warning: We talk about domestic violence, emotional manipulation, and sexual assault in this episode. Please take care of yourself while listening. It is completely okay to pause or stop the audio if you need a break.

Abuse is a heavy word. Usually, people hide it and treat it like a dark family secret. In this 10 minute podcast, we are opening the doors. We talk honestly about what really happens when someone crosses your boundaries. We explore how mental manipulation turns into physical and sexual violence, and the deep scars it leaves on the children who watch it happen.

But this episode is not just about the pain. It is about choosing peace over a police trial. It is about leaving the darkness, taking our power back, and finding real healing by finally speaking our truth out loud.

Voices in this Episode:

• The host: That's me. I survived mental manipulation, physical danger, and sexual abuse. I share why I decided to stop fighting in the police system so I could focus on healing my mind.
• Friend 1: A friend who grew up watching his father physically hit his mother. He shares what it feels like to be a helpless kid, and how that changed his idea of a "safe home."
• Friend 2: A friend who survived sexual violence. She talks about the heavy judgment from society and how she is learning to trust people again.

Jihane Bel-Bachir is an exchange student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credit: Drone by Aylex from Tribe of Noise PRO.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a simple side job to earn extra pocket money turns into a psychological prison? In this episode, we explore how predatory mentorships networks weaponise the intense financial pressures of young adulthood into invisible traps of coercive control. This investigation is grounded in the real world context of the 2019 Singapore case of Huang Baoying, who died from severe malnutrition and extensive trauma inflicted by her multi-level marketing coach.

Aurelia Chuah is a student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 episodes are student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credits: Now Son by Podington Bear, The Golden City by Semion Krivenko-Adamov, Calm by Audioinsmusic from Free Music Archive dot org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A whale placenta floating off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, might sound like the beginning of a strange story, but for Pacific Whale Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation, it became an opportunity to rethink how science and Indigenous knowledge can work together. In this episode, Kaya Heimowitz speaks with marine scientists and cultural practitioners about conservation, Native Hawaiian values, and what it means to care for the ocean through more than one way of knowing.

Guests are Jens Currie, Chief Scientist, and Ka’apuni Aiwohi, Indigenous Knowledge and Science Integration Manager at Pacific Whale Foundation.

Whale recordings provided by Pacific Whale Foundation.

Kaya Heimowitz is a graduate student at the International Master's Program in International Communication Studies (IMICS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Additional Resources:

• Information on Pacific Whale Foundation: https://pacificwhale.org/who-we-are/press-rooms/#

• Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals: https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/edited-volume/9780128043271/encyclopedia-of-marine-mammals
• Humpback Whales 101: https://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/learn/humpback-whales-101.html
• NOAA Humpback Whale Info: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/humpback-whale
• To learn more about indigenous connection with whales, you can watch the film Whale Rider

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Competitive gaming (esports) often celebrates focus, discipline, and resilience. But behind every match, there is also pressure — pressure to perform, to stay composed, and to keep going even when things fall apart.

I’m EChen, a former semi-pro In-Game Leader. In this episode, we explore the emotional side of competitive Apex Legends and ask what mental support can look like in an esports scene where many players are expected to handle pressure on their own.

The episode features BlackRoad, also known as 黑路, a Taiwanese pro player with high-level competitive experience and international LAN experience. Through his perspective, we look at the culture surrounding esports, the role of teammates and coaches, and the small ways a community can either add pressure or offer support.

Special thanks to BlackRoad for taking the time to join me for this interview during the regular season. Make sure to follow him on Twitch.

Even though the Split One regular season is over, keep an eye on BlackRoad and his team, HABNW.

Be part of the support, not part of the pressure.

EChen is a student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music used in this episode: “Low Force” by Daniel Birch and “Find Out” by Kirk Osamayo from Free Music Archive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Macau’s casinos and tourism are booming again, but local businesses are hurting as residents spend their money across the border in Mainland China. Is Macau’s recovery real, or just an illusion? In this episode, special guests Bella (Lo Hiu Ching) and Kou Tak Kei talk about the real economic situations on the ground. Bella is my friend who often goes mainland for consumption in weekend; Mr. Kou who runs a restaurant in Macau “Kim Long 金龍”, talks about the challenges in operation.

Venus Ho is a student at the Department of Radio and TV at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

“Speak Up” is a podcast program by College of Communication students at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Season 1 features student work from the class, “Podcasting: Audio Journalism & Branded Podcasts” in Spring 2026. Supervising teacher is adjunct associate professor Emily Y. Wu.

Music credit: Ocean Waves, Restaurant, and Vlog Soft Background Music — Silver Thread from pixabay.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.