Oblivious Witness

The artist is presentThere’s something incredibly special about recording a conversation in a podcast guest’s own home. For this episode, I was lucky enough to sit with Australian artist and illustrator Jeremy Ley in his studio, which is attached to the beautiful home he shares with his partner and two children in Kerobokan, Bali. During our conversation, Jeremy often picked up books or artworks he’d created, or pointed to boxes of memorabilia from his mum and his late wife. It was like having a brief and beautiful glimpse into his spectacularly creative and philosophical brain, and I feel so much richer for the experience.During our long conversation (which felt, in real time, as though it took only a few minutes!), Jeremy and I covered so many topics, including: * Jeremy’s early travels with his parents * The life and death of his beloved mother* The birth of his beautiful sons and the tragic death of their mum in her early thirties* His ability to put himself in the path of golden opportunities* His work in books, aged care and a hugely successful Australian start-up* His approach to life and travel* His openness to finding love and happiness after lossDo check out Jeremy’s Instagram to see more of his work.Please enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Jeremy Ley.And I’d love to hear your stories tooIf anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments or send me a message about a story you’d like to share. Every heart-squeeze and comment makes it more likely that someone else might happen upon a conversation that might just widen their world.MUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle NeelingOblivious Witness is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

A week, six decades (and three continents) in the life of a truly brilliant writerSo far this week, Peter Godwin has launched his beautiful new book in the US, been interviewed at his NYC launch party by Booker Prize winner Marlon James, and been featured in the New York Times. And today here he is on the Oblivious Witness podcast, talking with me about Exit Wounds: A Story of love, loss and occasional wars, which focuses on his changing relationships with the three women who shaped his life. It was an incredible honour to sit down with Peter for this conversation, and I’m so thrilled to share it with you here.Oh and breaking news that you’ll get here on Oblivious Witness first! Having now written four brilliant memoirs, Peter’s considering writing a book called First Person Singular that might help the rest of us to write our own… I’ve pre-ordered my copy on the strength of this announcement! Let me know if you’d like to do the same!And I’d love to hear your stories tooIf anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments or send me a message about a story you’d like to share. Every heart-squeeze and comment makes it more likely that someone else might happen upon a conversation that could just widen their world.MUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle Neeling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

Spend some time with the artistAs much as I want you to hear this conversation with the incredibly talented Robin Block, I have a suggestion… Head to Robin’s website first! I was lucky enough to see Robin on stage at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival before I had the privilege of meeting him in person for this conversation, so I know that his music and mesmerising sensory performances are a wonderful introduction to his life and work. Please go and have a look then hurry on back!I love talking to people about their travels around the world, and those conversations have an extra resonance when the person in question has documented their explorations in poetry, music and performance. Robin’s poetry collection, Handbook for the Displaced (available for sale here), was launched in Indonesia last year, and the day after we spoke I was lucky enough to attend a viewing of the beautiful poetry film he made with documentary filmmaker Jeremy Flohr.For this conversation, Robin and I were generously hosted by Erasmus Huis, the Dutch cultural centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.Please enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Robin Block.And I’d love to hear from you too!If anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments or send me a message about a story you’d like to share.Let’s all tell each other about the things we’ve witnessed, so that we can learn from one another and see that, despite the differences in the details of our lives, we’re all global citizens of one beautiful and intricately interconnected world.MUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle NeelingI want to know about the things you’ve witnessed too! Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

Welcome to Season Two of Oblivious WitnessHow’s 2025 been for you so far, folks? What a wild ride we’re all on… I hope you’re all OK and managing to white-knuckle your way through the turmoil.Would you agree that the world is feeling more dangerously divided than ever? I’ve never felt more strongly that we need to hear people’s individual stories to remind us that when it boils down to it, we’re all striving towards the same goals - fulfilment, happiness, and a world that’s safe for ourselves and for future generations.For that reason, I’m getting out on the road to talk with amazing people for this season of Oblivious Witness. I’m bringing you stories from change-makers, from thinkers, from writers and artists and musicians and travellers of all kinds, from people who move through the world with intention and kindness and inclusivity at their core. I’m so excited about the incredible lives and perspectives I’ll be sharing with you over the coming months.Please meet the amazing Frankie SuttonFor this conversation, my incredible guest and I were hosted by the beautiful Bumi Kinar Resort in Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali. Frankie Sutton arrived on the back of a Gojek bike. She took off her helmet and shook out her beautiful waist-length silver hair (which she’s grown out as a quiet protest against ageism!), and we spent the day by the pool and amidst the palm trees, talking about the many changes that Frankie has seen in the world over five decades of hitch-hiking, backpacking and migration.Frankie travels the world with kindness and connection, and brought up her children to be true citizens of the world, open to the opinions and perspectives of others, and at home wherever in the world they find themselves.Find out more about Frankie’s life and adventures on her Instagram and BlueskyI hope you’ll benefit from Frankie’s wisdom, optimism and enthusiasm as much as I have.And I’d love to hear from you too!If anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments or send me a message about a story you’d like to share.Let’s all tell each other the stories of the things we’ve witnessed, so that we can learn from one another and see that, despite the differences in the details of our lives, we’re all global citizens of one beautiful and intricately interconnected world.With loveMichelle xMUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle NeelingI want to hear about the things you’ve witnessed too! Please subscribe to Oblivious Witness and become part of the conversation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

Aida Mustafina was born in a small city in the world’s ninth largest nation, Kazakhstan. When Aida was growing up, young girls were generally taught that their primary goals should be to respect men, and to value their own roles as good wives and mothers. Aida’s parents, however, were extremely progressive, and encouraged their daughters to make their own way in the world. When Aida was eighteen, her father accompanied her to China, where she started a new life and eventually became a reluctant role model for other young women who’d come from similarly traditional backgrounds. I’m so happy to bring you this conversation with the wonderful Aida Mustafina. Please enjoy.And I’d love to hear from you too!If anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d so love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments, or send me a message about a story you’d like to share.Let’s come together to share stories of the things we’ve witnessed, so that we can learn from one another and see that, despite the differences in the details of our stories, we’re all global citizens of one beautiful and intricately interconnected world.With loveMichelle xI want to hear about the things you’ve witnessed too! Please subscribe and become part of the conversation!MUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle Neeling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

Twenty years after my own family left post-war Netherlands in search of a better life, Linda Li’s family found refuge there after fleeing the hardships of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.Linda’s family were the only Chinese people in a small Dutch village near the German border, and racial taunts were an unavoidable part of Linda’s childhood. Linda and her brother and sister helped their parents to run a Chinese restaurant in the village, then during a five-week holiday in China, Linda became interested in Mandarin, and eventually decided to become a translator. She spent summers in Beijing, then was awarded a scholarship to study in Shanghai, and after graduation she accepted a job with a Fortune 500 company in that city.While in the Netherlands Linda had been seen as a Chinese, on moving to China she found that she was considered neither Chinese nor Dutch. Expat colleagues would treat her like an assistant, and Chinese people would reprimand her for not speaking Mandarin fluently enough. She slowly grew to accept this reality, and surrounded herself with like-minded friends. Linda eventually became a successful project manager with a creative agency, but her success came at a cost. After suffering from burnout, depression and suicidal ideation, Linda started to concentrate on the things that truly lifted her up. After starting with short walks with her dogs, Linda worked her way up to running marathons and triathlons, and she now has her own business, teaching other people how to work with their bodies to stay strong, vital and alive.Linda now lives with her wife and dog in Beijing, and the three of them dream of living in a cottage with a little garden in Spain.Please enjoy this conversation with the inspirational Linda Li. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

Hello, Oblivious Witnesses!If you have your hands free while you’re listening to this episode, head over to Instagram and check out the beautiful work of documentary and portrait photographer Lyra Lintern. Lyra’s stunning photographs give us an insight into the way she sees the world and the way she lives her life, and are the perfect visual accompaniment to her words. Lyra Lintern is an anthropology graduate whose interest in people and how they live shines through in everything she does. Having spent the covid years living in China with her family, Lyra took advantage of the country’s closed borders, travelling domestically and documenting China and its people at an exceptional moment in their history.Lyra tells us, in this interview, about the first time she left her native France, and about the years she spent studying and living in Canada. She tells us the incredibly romantic story of how she met her husband David, and describes, poetically, the way she feels about her home nation of France now that she has lived away from there for more than half a lifetime. Please enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Lyra Lintern.And I’d love to hear from you too!If anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d so love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments, or send me a message about a story you’d like to share.And if you’d like to talk about your own experiences of living away from your home nation, please let me know!Let’s come together to share stories of the things we’ve witnessed, so that we can learn from one another and see that, despite the differences in the details of our stories, we’re all global citizens of one beautiful and intricately interconnected world.With loveMichelle xI want to hear about the things you’ve witnessed too! Please subscribe and become part of the conversation!MUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle Neeling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

Feminist icons take many formsIf I had a vote in whose name should be added to icons of the feminist pantheon, I’d be casting my ballot for Chinese philosophy professor Xiaojiao Cui.I was introduced to Xiaojiao when I was looking for someone to teach me about the ancient Chinese text, the Tao de Ching. Within minutes of meeting Xiaojiao in a cafe in Beijing, I could see that beneath the warm and empathetic exterior, lies not only a fierce intelligence and an insatiable curiosity, but also a quiet determination to live a life of her own design.Raised by a mother whose academic ambitions had been thwarted by the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and a father who was determined that his daughter should see the world, Xiaojiao has forged a path to become one of the few female professors to ever earn a position on the philosophy faculty at the prestigious Beijing Normal University.Xiaojiao’s intelligence and determination took her, at a very young age, from China to the United States, where she studied at Dartmouth College and Cornell University, and she has quietly followed in the feminist footsteps of famous alumni such as Ruth Bader-Ginsburg and Toni Morrison. I’m thrilled to bring you this fascinating conversation with a woman whose quiet strength and determination are inspiring to both her students and to the wider world. And I’d love to hear from you too!If anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d so love to hear from you. Please click on the heart or drop a note in the comments… Like all good chats, this one with the wonderful Xiaojiao Cui can be used as a jumping off point for other stories, contemplations and conversations. And if you’d like to talk about your own experiences of living away from your home nation, please let me know!Let’s come together to share stories of the things we’ve witnessed, so that we can learn from one another and see that, despite the differences in the details of our stories, we’re all global citizens of one beautiful and intricately interconnected world.With love and lightMichelle xMUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill ConnPHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle NeelingWritten and produced by Michelle Neeling This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com

At last! The long-awaited podcast!For 35 years I’ve been travelling the world, seeing extraordinary things and documenting my experiences. I’ve often thought, as I’ve talked with the incredible people I’ve been lucky enough to meet, “If only I could share this conversation with the world.” And now I can, and I’m so thrilled to share the first of those conversations with you today.Where I’m coming fromI recorded the first season of Oblivious Witness when we were still living in Beijing, and I’m bringing it to you from our new home in Bali, Indonesia. Going from avid podcast listener to podcast creator has involved a very steep learning curve, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I find my feet!Oblivious Witness is all about sharing the stories of people who’ve moved around the world and expanded their idea of “home” to encompass languages, cultures and lifestyles different to their own. It’s about the things they’ve witnessed while they’ve lived in different nations, how those things have changed them, and the lessons they’ve learned from moving outside of their own cultural comfort zone.Please welcome John GordonIn this episode, cross-cultural content creator John Gordon talks us through his early years in the United States, and tells us how he’s followed a thread of curiosity about Chinese language and philosophy as it’s led him through a decades-long career in China, where he continues to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with millions of people across the country.John’s wisdom, kindness, humour and intelligence, as well as his years of living away from his home nation, made him a wonderful, warm and inspiring presence on Oblivious Witness, and I hope you’ll enjoy listening to his amazing story as much as I did.I’d love to hear from you too!If anything you’ve heard in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or expand your own horizons in any way, I’d so love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments, or send me a message about a story you’d like to share. And if you’d like to talk about your own experiences of living away from your home nation, please let me know!Let’s come together to share stories of the things we’ve witnessed, so that we can learn from one another and see that, despite the differences in the details of our stories, we’re all global citizens of one beautiful and intricately interconnected world.With love and light from the beachMichelle xxx This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michelleneeling.substack.com