What happens when you dedicate your life to an art form—and the world around you changes faster than your dreams can keep up?

In Part 2 on #OldAsianLady, we reunite with Jean-Jacques Chen, an animator whose career has spanned continents, mediums, and evolving technologies. From his early days obsessing over Dragon Ball and sketching every stroke by hand, to becoming a versatile creator working in MVs, film, and even video games, JJ shares what it really takes to build—and rebuild—a creative life.

JJ dives into:

- The grueling yet transformative years at La Cambre in Belgium

- Why he chose 2D over 3D animation

- How Princess Mononoke and Chinese ink painting shaped his visual identity

- Watching Taiwan’s 2D animation scene fade as 3D rose to dominance

- What Taiwan can learn from Japan & Korea when it comes to building cultural soft power.

"Before we know, we don’t know. And that’s where everyone starts."

In Part 1 of this deeply personal #OldAsianLady interview, Jean-Jacques Chen—a French-born, Belgian-raised, Taiwanese shares his own creative journey balancing Western individualism with Eastern expectations.

From the streets of Brussels to the mountains of Taiwan, JJ opens up about:

- How early interest in cartoons & drawing lead to animation

- Dealing with the tolls of family expectation & obligation

- Grappling with failure, identity, loneliness, and self worth

- How Martial Arts Philosophy plays a role in his well being

In Part 2 of our thought provoking conversation, #OldAsianLady welcomes back Karen Chung—retired professor at National Taiwan University (NTU), linguist, polyglot, and developer of EarBug. After 30+ years in Taiwan’s top academic institution, Karen reflects on her legacy, the gaps in English Language education, and the Echo Method she believes can fix Taiwan’s listening and pronunciation struggles.

Karen shares:

- Insights into cross-linguistic learning from Chinese to English

- Her legacy at NTU and the importance of deep listening in life and communication

- The creation of her app Earbug, a phonetic training tool based on years of teaching experience

- Why pronunciation matters for connection, comprehension, and confidence

- Her views on Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 policy & systemic gaps in English education

From policy critique to practical advice, Karen's words are a masterclass in mindful language use and the power of human connection through sound.