Xishuangbanna, in China’s Yunnan Province, is a tropical city near the borders of Laos and Myanmar, known for its temples, night markets and elephant tourism.
This episode wanders through crowded markets filled with colour, karaoke, strange foods and the unforgettable smell of durian. There’s torrential rain, beautiful temples, incredible food, curious encounters with locals, and even some unexpected hotel entertainment.
A loose, atmospheric travel diary from southwest China after dark. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
216. Leaving China - Returning After Eight Years
27/05/2026 | 27 mins.
After living in China for eight years, Fender Jackson returns to Kunming for the first time since leaving during COVID.
This episode is part travelogue, part memoir and part reflection on ordinary life in modern China.
Topics include: housing complexes and skyscrapers outdoor gyms Chinese parks and public life street food and night markets eBikes and urban design robots and modern technology teaching in China returning to an old school life after COVID cultural differences between China and the West
Along the way, Fender reflects on memory, identity, creativity and the strange feeling of returning to a place that once felt like home.
The episode closes with former students in China performing The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone.
New episodes from Xishuangbanna and Shanghai coming soon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
215. Fender Jackson: Leaving China
25/05/2026 | 31 mins.
After living in China for eight years, Fender Jackson returns for the first time since leaving during COVID.
In this personal episode of The Ireland Podcast, he reflects on life in Kunming and Shanghai, raising children in China, cultural differences, the emotional impact of the pandemic, grief, identity, Irish voices abroad, and the strange feeling of returning to a place that once felt like home.
This episode also sets up a new series of travelogue and vlog-style episodes recorded during a recent return trip through Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Shanghai - including street food, Irish bars in China, random encounters and reflections on modern Chinese life.
Featuring: Life in China during COVID Returning to Kunming after four years away Chinese culture and daily life Teaching in China Irish identity abroad Prince: The Musical on Banjo The origins of The Ireland Podcast
New China travel episodes coming over the next few days.
A quick note - some of the audio from this episode came out rougher than intended while testing a new recording setup. We decided to publish it anyway because the story itself felt important to tell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
214. Fender Jackson: Arranging “Sensitize” by That Petrol Emotion
20/05/2026 | 30 mins.
In this special episode of The Ireland Podcast -which is really a continuation of Ep. 213 - Fender Jackson breaks down the harmony and emotional architecture of “Sensitize” by That Petrol Emotion through live piano demonstrations, storytelling and performance.
Drawing connections to David Bowie, The Beach Boys, Queen and jazz harmony, the episode explores:
split chords and slash chords borrowed harmony add9 chords major vs minor movement emotional tension in songwriting Mingus and hard bop influences Twin Peaks-style harmony arranging music for piano and the relationship between music theory, emotion and intuition.
The episode concludes with a live performance-inspired arrangement of “Sensitize.”
Spotify Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38Eohpgg54xtkHWscjxHc2?si=02db29285e534bef Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
213. Slash Chords Explained - Bowie, Beatles & Beach Boys
18/05/2026 | 28 mins.
In Part 1 of this two-part music special from The Ireland Podcast, Fender Jackson explores the emotional power of slash chords - also known as split chords - and how artists such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys and David Bowie used them to create richer and more dramatic harmony.
Along the way, he discusses: “God Only Knows” “The Long and Winding Road” “Life on Mars?” “Where Are We Now?”
as well as: four-track recording in the 1960s Brian Wilson and The Beatles recording technology
Featuring live piano demonstrations throughout the episode.
A video version of this episode with chords on the screen is on Spotify and YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About the PodcastThe Ireland Podcast is a long-form interview series creating space for unhurried conversation about life on the island of Ireland and beyond.The ConversationsHosted by Fender Jackson and produced by Salthill Media, the podcast centres on listening rather than argument. Each episode features a single guest and allows time for reflection, context, and experience to emerge naturally. Guests include artists, musicians, writers, athletes, broadcasters, historians, and cultural figures whose work or perspective offers insight into place, memory, and lived experience.There is no political or religious agenda. The podcast does not seek to persuade, promote, or argue a position. Instead, it exists as a space for careful dialogue, where complexity is allowed and difference is approached with curiosity rather than confrontation.The HostFender Jackson grew up in Ulster and later lived in England and China before returning to Ireland and settling in Galway, where most episodes are now recorded. These experiences inform a listening-led, exploratory approach shaped by distance as well as proximity, and by an awareness of how place, movement, and memory intersect.ApproachThe Ireland Podcast approaches the island as a shared, lived place - shaped by multiple histories, traditions, communities, and viewpoints. In a post-conflict society, conversation itself has value. The podcast recognises the role that respectful dialogue, storytelling, and careful questioning can play in fostering empathy and understanding.Over time, it becomes an informal record of conversations about the island and its many expressions, offered quietly and without prescription. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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