The Bridge

It's the one-year anniversary of The Bridge launch, and time for the team to take hiatus, a break from the rigors of radio. John, Heyang, BeiBei, Cimcie & Liu Yan share their thoughts on the past 365 episodes of the show, with some great observations, insights and inspiration, as well as the "Best of the Bloopers."  From all of us at The Bridge, we thank you for listening, and supporting us in "bringing the world together, one conversation at a time."

Super Producer Cimcie checks in and the conversation goes right to food (doughnuts specifically) and then BeiBei branches off to Chinese medicine, allergies and John reminisces about how going out for dinner was such a big deal when he was a kid. Another great conversation between friends, thousands of miles apart, all meeting at the middle of The Bridge.

Heyang is back from her nearly three-week assignment to Tibet, and shares the highlights of her journey with John, who mixes in some Michael Jackson, YoYo Ma & Coco, Rolling Stones & Andrew Gold. The Bridge-bringing the world together, one song at a time.

Right out of the gate, John & Liu Yan are engaged in a serious game of connect-the-dots, that includes "The Walk" John took many years ago, to his time working with Oprah Winfrey (that trips a memory Liu Yan has when he used Oprah's name to help him get to the USA). This episode is 55-minute lesson that the power synchronicity can play in our lives, if we pay attention.

An early start for John in Chicago, as Liu Yan's day is ending in China, and the conversation runs the gamut from the remarkable technology that allows them to talk, to the early morning full moon that illuminated John's studio, to a deeper discussion on the purpose of The Bridge, and the importance staying true to your calling, no matter what it is.

The show starts with John talking with BeiBei about the difficulty he had in deleting all the hundreds of files from previous Bridge episodes, not from a technical perspective, but from an emotional standpoint, and the feeling that even though all the shows are saved on a common server, there is something about deleting audio that goes against the grain of radio production. Switching gears, BeiBei shares some of the upcoming changes in China, when it comes to the concept of "Common Prosperity" and nations that are all connected in the world economy.

Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols has been called a “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, “a visionary" by Outside Magazine, a "water warrior" by AQUATICS International, a "friend of the sea" by Experience Life Magazine, and "the godfather of water" by Irish Life and Santa Cruz Waves Magazine. He is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and a fun-loving dad. He also likes turtles (a lot). Dr. Nichols joins John & BeiBei to share his ideas, concepts and the many ways we can stay connected to the waters of the world, no matter where we live.

Fall has started in Beijing. BeiBei's allergies have kicked into overdrive and she's back at her Chinese herbalist looking for relief.  John shares his allergy experiences, including having to cancel a date when he was 16 years old, which somehow leads to a conversation about the Old Farmer's Almanac. Then it's back to 1969 as John drops the needle on "Sugar, Sugar" from the cartoon group "The Archie's" that BeiBei has never heard of, and the talk continues on to Bugs Bunny and BeiBei shares how her favorite cartoons have shaped the way she sees life.

Super Producer Cimcie is a California girl, and the conversation quickly turns to the heat and wildfires that have always been a part of living in The Golden State and BeiBei shares her thoughts about the winter weather that's forthcoming in Beijing. John's fascinated that weather has become such a big business, with channels dedicated to reporting weather 24/7 from around the world. Shifting gears, BeiBei is interested in how John & Cimcie view their own personal history growing up in America.

With Heyang still on assignment, John digs back into the Music Monday archives, and has produced a "Best of" show with music and more from Heidi Newfield, Seth King, Steve Dorff, Graham Russell from Air Supply, Mark Johnson of Playing For Change, David Stoddard and KT Tunstall. The Bridge-bringing the world together, one song at a time.

Super Producer Cimcie joins John & Liu Yan for a wide ranging, off the wall, upside down and right-side up conversation that runs the gamut from the placebo effect to how each of us eventually turn into our parents to John's time in prison (as a speaker, not inmate) and finally the wave of admirers who have flocked to "Ling" an AI image that has over 130,000 followers on Weibo, to which John attempts to make a parallel to blow-up dolls, and the man who has a dozen different vinyl gals at his beck and call.

A tech setback has the guys connecting after overcoming a few speedbumps, and John shares his thoughts about how amazed his parents and grandparents would be about the technology that allows him to connect with Liu Yan 7,000 miles away in real time. The rest of the show touches on John & Liu Yan's media careers, the worst city in America to drive in and finally they go full Star Trek with a conversation around the late, great Leonard Nimoy.

The mission of The Bridge is to "bring the world together, one conversation at a time" so John & BeiBei discuss some of the ways that East and West can find middle ground. The conversation from Wednesday picks up again, as BeiBei makes some strong statements about the importance of being a vigilant parent and keeping balance the lives of children. John makes the comparison of the push for excellence in education in China to the America obsession with pushing kids into sports with the hope that it might lead to a pro career.

Kristel Bauer is a Corporate Wellness Expert and Founder of Live Greatly with a personal mission of helping individuals thrive personally & professionally. She joins John & BeiBei to talk about some of the lessons she learned from the pandemic, and it turns into a full-blown conversation about becoming conscious about lifestyle choices and changes.

BeiBei is battling against asthma as the weather begins to change, and she's getting ready to see a Chinese herbalist to get things straightened out. The conversation gets serious as BeiBei shares some information about how some of the online educational courses are taking a big hit, after some government intervention, from the perspective of a parent. John assures her that the "race to be the best" is a worldwide phenomenon, and that better grades don't always add up to success.

John kicks off the show with "September" from Earth, Wind & Fire, which somehow ignites a fairly deep conversation about energy, the foods we should be consuming depending on our "inner fire" as BeiBei describes it. John rolls backs the years as he shares about how the ice cream man knows exactly when to show up and Cimcie shares that her favorite summer treat from the icebox is Choco Taco. Finally, pizza is on the menu, and John makes the case for Chicago's deep dish being the best choice around the world.

With Heyang still on assignment, John has brought in back-up from Liu Yan and Cimcie, and the result is possibly the most eclectic mix of music ever broadcast on The Bridge. Cimcie offers up Nine Inch Nails, Sophia Rose aka “Pretty Weird Blonde" and The Cure. Liu Yan brings Enrique Iglesias, Gwen Stefani (feat. Saweetie) and Maria Carey. John rounds out Music Monday with Colin Hay, Van Halen and Boston. The Bridge-bringing the world together, one song at a time.

With the release of "The Suicide Squad" to millions of home viewers, John, Liu Yan & Cimcie discuss the latest movie offering from DC Comics. Cimcie & Liu Yan loved it, John... not so much. A rousing discussion of the challenge that faces studios who are trying to adapt having to reach customers in their living rooms, and the lawsuit brought by Scarlett Johansson against Disney with the release of "Black Widow."

This episode of The Bridge kicks-off with a short wrap and review of the Olympics, and how many lessons are contained in athletics that only the competitors benefit from, and those who sit and watch will never know. There doesn't seem to be a major Covid fallout after the Olympics, which points to great planning, implementation and safety measures taken, which should be an example of how to handle this virus. The conversation shifts gears to the international phenomenon of the retail giant Ikea, and one of their newest offerings, scented candles that have the smell of their world-famous Swedish Meatballs.

With the world always in some level of chaos and conflict, John & BeiBei welcome Conflict Resolution expert Jeremy Pollack to The Bridge. Jeremy holds a Master’s degree in Evolutionary Anthropology from California State University, Fullerton under anthropologist John Patton. His thesis research was in the evolution of religious cognition and intergroup conflict. Jeremy also holds a Master's degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding (NCRP) from California State University, Dominguez Hills. BeiBei takes the lead in the conversation, and digs into the many ways that Jeremy has helped major corporations and individuals alike, and how each of us can make great changes in our lives, if we focus on personal responsibility.