Ep. 10: Triathlon Up for some swimming, biking, and running? Get a head start by diving into this episode of BreakDown with Tim, Paz, and triathlete Sam Hsieh (謝昇諺). Hear about Sam, how he became an elite athlete, what the great benefit of exercise is for him, and how he inspires others. Learn what a triathlon is and what triathletes need to succee…

Ep. 9: Street Art Join Tim, Paz, and their guest, the artist, singer, TV show host, and actor Xiao Ma for a lively episode on street art. Find out what street art means to Xiao Ma, how he got started, and what helped him draw when he had no prior experience in art! Then hear whether these terms are cat’s meows or pet peeves: beauty is in the eye of…

Ep. 8: Taiwanese Manga Artists Rendezvous with hosts Tim and Paz, and their guest, 曾建華 (Chien-hua Tseng), renowned Taiwanese manga artist, host of the podcast "漫漫話畫" (Màn Màn Huà Huà), and more! Learn about Chien-hua’s journey to becoming a manga artist, the huge Taiwan-focused project he is working on, and his thoughts on the Golden Comic Awards. …

Ep. 7: Queen of the World Returns **Nymphia Wind keeps blowing us away! Join hosts Tim and Paz, and their guest, **Chiang Wei, professional drag queen, and founder and house mother of The Haus of WOMEN, one of Taiwan’s five major drag houses. Learn about Chiang Wei’s drag persona, belief, and style, their connection to Nymphia Wind, and their thoug…

Join our hosts**, **Tim and Paz, and their guest, Dr. Kailin Wang, the organizational psychologist, consultant, and career coach who brought the MBTI to Taiwan. Learn how knowing your personality traits can have a positive influence on your career choices and job satisfaction. Hear if *devil’s advocate*, *cray*, *I like to think myself as a(n)___*,…

Ep. 5: Stock Market Taiwan’s stock market is hot, hot, hot! Join Tim, Paz, and their guest Jason Shin, Senior Research Analyst at MacroMicro, a macro investing online platform, as they discuss what factors are driving the stock market here and what some investment alternatives to stocks are, depending on your risk appetite! Then find out what go be…

Ep. 4: Net Zero by 2050 Hot topic alert! Join our hosts Tim and Paz and their guest, James Wang（王漢英）, Vice President and General Director of Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories at ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute). Learn what Net Zero means, what Taiwan’s strategies and efforts to achieve Net Zero by 2050 are, and how y…

Ep. 3: 2024 Bamboo Expo and World Bamboo Congress Bamboo… so old-school, isn’t it? Well, no! Join Tim, Paz, and Dr. Ying-pin Huang, a Manager at the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Central Region Campus who works on bamboo technologies. Bamboo… technologies? Yes! There’s no bamboozling going on here! Find out about some bamboo applicatio…

Ep. 2: Lantern Festival Baiming Carnival Get a glimpse into the fascinating Matsu Islands’ Lantern Festival with Tim, Paz, and their guest, Matsu YouTuber Chami. Chami champions Matsu’s culture and dialect on her show, 掐米亜店, and you’ll learn some words that describe features of the festival procession perfectly: 擺暝 (pē màng / pě màng), 碗燕 (uāng iěn…

Do you ever wonder what’s behind the delicious parade of fruit and vegetables you eat throughout the year? Join BreakDown hosts Tim and Paz and their guest Leo, host of the podcast “農遊超市Farmtour Market,” to find out. Discover how this rice farmer is showing people aspects of agriculture in interesting, creative ways. Then hear if reap what you sow,…

Have a seat with BreakDown hosts Tim and Paz and their guest Peggy, Deputy Director of the Curatorial and Planning Center at Skills for U. Discover what Skills for U does, what the Taiwan Technical and Vocational Education and Training Conference features, why technical and vocational training and jobs are important, and what role English plays. Th…

Are you a fan of Chinese-language movies? Join the crowd! Get comfortable with hosts Tim and Paz and their guest, XXY, host of XXY梗你看電影, which covers everything related to movies. Learn what differences are disguised by the common comparison of the Golden Horse Awards to the Academy Awards. Find out what the range of nominated films and people refl…

Taiwan stands with diversity! Join BreakDown co-hosts Tim and Paz as they talk with Amy, Mooni and 咆哮蒂, co-hosts of the podcast “女同志週記lez.weekly”. Learn about Taiwan’s Pride event and its importance to the local and international LGBTQ+ communities and to Taiwan itself. Then hear about these pet peeves and cat’s meows: true colors, heteronormativit…

A fitness trainer and a history buff? Wow! What an interesting combo! Join BreakDown hosts Tim and Paz as they chat with Light and Dan, co-hosts of the podcast 走鐘運動日記. Learn fascinating details about the Asian Games happening later this month. Then find out what the following mean and if they’re cat’s meows or pet peeves: jump the gun, ever onward,…

*配合8月航班，煙火施放時間調整至20:35* *To align with the August flight schedule, the fireworks display time has been adjusted to 8:35 PM.* Join Tim, Paz, and BreakDown guest Jerome, host of the travel podcast “旅行熱炒店”, as they discuss the fascinating history of Taipei’s Dadaocheng district, the exciting 51-day summer festival there, and some great photo tips for …

Who’s wearing the yellow jersey? Join BreakDown hosts Tim and Paz and their guests Alan and Greg, a.k.a. Uncle, hosts of the Bike Talk大叔愛輪事podcast, as they discuss the Tour de France, the legendary 23-day men’s bicycle race. Then learn about their cat’s meows: hitch a ride, peloton, cycling, and the Grand Tour! —Vocabulary Conquer, courageous 攻取；征服…

Tim and Paz talk with 兼叔 and 阿宏, hosts of the Car 浮浪 podcast, about charging electric vehicles (EVs). What are the advantages and disadvantages? Some may not be on your radar yet! Find out if tire kicker, go the extra mile, AI, and autonomous driving are cat’s meows or pet peeves! —Vocabulary Outlet 充電插座( n.) A major challenge of owning an EV in Ta…

Tim and Paz talk with guests Catherine and Howard, hosts of the Morning Taiwan Glocal News daily live podcast. Glocal? That’s a mash-up of “global” and “local”. Learn about the G7 Summit in Hiroshima and its relevance to Taiwan. Discover what you think about text abbreviations, hermit mode, gaslighting, and oxymorons! —Vocabulary Delegation代表團(n.) …

Join hosts Tim and Paz and their guest, Jeane Huang, host of the podcast “On the Right Side of the Ambassador”. You’ll get a taste of what diplomatic life is like for an ambassador’s wife. You’ll learn about Thailand’s Songkran, which is drenched in tradition, and find out what this episode’s cat’s meows and pet peeves are. —Vocabulary Spouse 配偶(n.…

Join Tim, Paz, and BreakDown guest Ted, an engineer and TechPorn podcaster, as they discuss the mind-boggling capabilities and implications of OpenAI's artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT. Learn how we can improve how we work in collaboration with AI and find out why natural language processing is compelling us to redefine how we learn. —Voca…

In this episode, Tim talks with Shio, ICRT’s weekend DJ and You Shang-Jie (游尚傑), host of Unlock the Earth, a travel podcast. You’ll learn about Ramadan and its fascinating fasting and feasting customs. Then you’ll hear about pet peeves, cat’s meows and - you’ll hear it here first - “cat’s peeves”. — Vocabulary Sacrifice 犧牲(v.) Muslims in Malaysia s…

Recently, Taiwan has been celebrating the Lunar New Year, and the Lantern Festival. Join us as we talk about another celebration being observed in France, Italy, and Brazil! Take a break and learn about the origins and customs of Carnival around the world, with ICRT’s Paz and Tim, as they chat with Podcaster, Mary. ICRT BreakDown is a fun and relax…

Good vocational skills can be the ticket to a rewarding career. But did you know, they might also win you a medal at an international competition? Join ICRT’s Hope, Jane and Tim as they chat with Nick and Samuel, two medalists at this year’s WorldSkills competition held at various cities around the world. Not only will you learn more about this com…

What could be better than enjoying some good music on a cool autumn night? Well, for nine days in October, Taichung residents were serenaded by some of the best jazz music in Taiwan. Join ICRT’s Caitlin, Jane and Tim as they chat about the 2022 Taichung Jazz Festival, including the fun on stage and off stage. ⠀⠀ ICRT BreakDown is a fun and relaxing…

No matter what you call it, soccer or football, this is a sport the entire world loves! The World Cup kicks off soon and Qatar, and we’re checking up on what to expect in this once every four-year championship series. Hope, Jane and Tim may not be very good on the soccer pitch, but luckily we have guest podcaster John joining us, to tell us all abo…

Ghosts and goblins can be very scary. But once a year, these scary creatures turn into every child’s favorite friend — as Halloween brings the promise of fun and scary costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, and of course, candy! Come trick-or-treating with ICRT, as Paz, Hope and Tim discuss the origins and traditions surrounding Halloween. ⠀⠀ ICRT Break Down …

Prices keep going up, and making ends meet is growing more and more difficult. Luckily for some workers, with the new year they’ll also see a hike in the minimum wage. Join ICRT’s Jane, Hope and Tim as they discuss how the government is taking steps to alleviate the pain of inflation. ⠀⠀ ICRT Break Down is a fun and relaxing podcast to help you bui…

During the COVID pandemic, we had to learn to avoid crowds. This meant many companies adopted “work from home” to protect their workers’ health, and also allow the business to continue operating. Now that we’re moving beyond COVID, many companies think it’s time for staff to return to the office. Join ICRT’s Jane, Hope, and Tim as they discuss the …

We at Break Down went to the automotive lot to kick tires on some new cars, but were startled to learn we’d need to wait for 6-months if we wanted a new set of wheels. That’s right, a global shortage of semiconductor chips is having an impact on all sorts of products, from automobiles to home electronics. Join ICRT’s Jane, Hope, and Tim as they dis…

電腦和機器人，會不會有一天取代我們的工作？而人工智慧，更是不斷改變我們使用科技，以及跟機器人或是其他新發明的方式。 想要聽聽關於人工智慧或者是大數據的談話，請加入 ICRT 的 Jane, John 還有 Tim 的播客節目 ICRT Break Down 新聞說分明。 聽過之後你就會知道，不需要擔憂有一天人工智慧會搶走你的飯碗了！ ⠀⠀ ICRT「新聞說分明」是輕鬆有趣的播客節目，不但增進對某項新聞事件的了解，同時順便學一點英文表達方式。 端一杯咖啡或是好茶，來聽聽新聞說分明。 ⠀⠀ Will computers and robots soon replace our jobs? AI, artificial intelligence, is changing how we use tec…

鬼月有好多禁忌，比如不能游泳啦，晚上不能洗衣服啦。鬼月和中元節的起源是什麼，如今的人又怎麼過鬼月呢？ ICRT 的 Jane, Hope and Tim 在播客節目中聊到這些古老的傳統，還有世界其他地方的類似節日。 ⠀⠀ ICRT 「新聞說分明」是輕鬆有趣的播客節目，不但增進對某項新聞事件的了解，同時順便學一點英文表達方式。 端一杯咖啡或是好茶，來聽聽新聞說分明。 ⠀⠀ So many taboos with the Ghost Month. Can’t go swimming, and can’t do my laundry at night. What is the origin of Ghost Month, and how is it celebrated today? In thi…

太陽又大又熱，該去哪裡度假呢？最好是可以騎腳踏車，或者去有游泳池的地方？ 今天的播客節目，ICRT 的 Jane, Hope 和 Tim 聊到政府為了振興觀光業所推出的補助方案，不論是對自由行旅客或是團客都有補助，遊樂園門票也有打折。 所以打包行李，也別忘了帶上游泳衣和防曬油喔！ ⠀⠀⠀ ICRT 「新聞說分明」是輕鬆有趣的播客節目，不但增進對某項新聞事件的了解，同時順便學一點英文表達方式。 端一杯咖啡或是好茶，來聽聽新聞說分明。 ⠀⠀⠀ It’s hot outside, and we’re ready for a summer getaway! Time to find a nice travel destination to enjoy some biking, or maybe lo…

夏天到了，是享受陽光，流汗運動的好時光。網球就是很受歡迎的夏日運動，本周ICRT 製作部的John, 加入新聞部的Paz and Tim來討論溫布頓網球大賽，還有跟大賽相關的傳統。所以穿上你的白色運動服，拿些新鮮草莓和鮮奶，舒舒服服來聽聽為什麼溫布頓這麼特別。ICRT “新聞說分明”是輕鬆有趣的播客節目，不但增進對某項新聞事件的了解，同時順便學一點英文表達方式。所以來吧，來聽聽新聞說分明。 ⠀⠀⠀ Summer is upon us, and it’s time to get outside, enjoy the sun, and get some exercise. One popular summer sport is tennis. This week, ICRT’s John joi…

我們都需要保險，以防萬一。本周我們談到新冠肺炎保險，和這項保險引起的一些爭議。保險是我們在有傷損的時候可以獲得的一些保障，但是假如太多被保險人同時需要賠償呢？ ICRT新聞主播 Hope, Jane and Tim 在「新聞說分明」播客節目中，討論到這個議題。這個節目輕鬆好玩，不但傳播新聞，也讓聽眾順便增進英文單字，知道一些英語會話方式。所以來杯咖啡或是好茶，坐下來聽聽吧！ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We all need insurance to prepare for a rainy day. Join us this week as we chat about COVID insurance, and the controversy it has created in Taiwan. …

今年我們聚焦在這項由聯合國贊助、瑞典主辦的活動－「世界環境日」，世界環境日的目標在提升大家對環境保護的認識，今年的主題：「只有一個地球」，強調永續生活的觀念。 ICRT 新聞主播 Hope, Jane, and Tim 在「新聞說分明」播客節目中，聊到在日常生活中培養環保意識。 從省電、回收垃圾到減塑，「新聞說分明」是個輕鬆好玩的 Podcast，不但傳播新聞，也讓聽眾順便增進英文單字、知道一些英語會話方式。所以來杯咖啡或是好茶，坐下來聽聽吧！ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Join us as we celebrate World Environment Day! This year the spotlight will be on Sweden for this UN-sponsored event t…

The NBA playoffs are upon us! Join us this week as we chat about shooting some hoops and enjoy the fun of an NBA game. This week on ICRT Break Down, DJ Ron Stuart stops by to explain the playoffs to ICRT News Anchors Jane Lee, Hope Ngo and Tim Berge. Together they’ll make a slam dunk as they delve into what makes an NBA game so exciting, and avoid …

本周節目由新聞部的 Jane, Paz 還有 Tim 領銜主演，一起來聽他們在咖啡時間討論報稅期限、免稅額、以及在台灣的外國人負擔怎樣的稅率等等。 除外，他們還提到各種報稅方式，例如手機上網報稅，甚至還告訴聽眾該如何節稅。 讓人頭痛的報稅，在節目中瞬間變得簡單易懂，所以來杯咖啡或茶，聽聽我們的聊天吧！ 本節目由 ICRT 與 NDC 國發會共同製播 This week, join ICRT Newsroom’s Jane, Paz and Tim as they take a break from the office, and discuss tax time. When is the tax deadline, what are deductions, and what’s the ta…