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Mushroom Photography Discovery

7:18 recording · EN · 2 speakers

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Executive Summary AI
  • On A Little Bit of Pod from the ZDM Podcast Network, a host recounts shopping with his girlfriend for a coat she thought would never be cold enough to wear in Auckland, which has been frosty every day since.0:22
  • While they waited for the shop assistant's coworker to return from a coffee run on a Saturday morning, the assistant mentioned that her cousin is a photographer who shoots mushrooms.1:17
  • The host, a self-declared mushroom fan who says he will one day microdose, was shown the cousin's Instagram and his newly printed coffee-table book of tiny New Zealand-only mushrooms, and spells out the account, Cyan-essence.2:52
  • The hosts debate the waxed coat, which he likened to Paddington Bear, and he admits he saw the book in the museum gift shop after the wildlife photography exhibition but did not buy it.5:18
  • The episode ends with a riff on how often St. Pierre's repeats its own name in its sushi ad.6:43

Brief overview

A coat-shopping trip turns into an obsession with a New Zealand mushroom photographer's Instagram.

  1. Mushroom photographer found by chance in a coat shopA shop assistant's cousin turned out to photograph tiny New Zealand-only mushrooms and has a printed book.
  2. The Instagram account is Cyan-essenceThe host spells it out as C-Y-A-N-E-S-E-N-S-E and urges listeners to follow.
  3. Auckland's cold snap vindicated the coat purchaseHis girlfriend doubted she'd ever need the waxed coat, and it has been cold every day since.

Questions this recording answers

6 questions, each answered where it is said
What is the mushroom photographer's Instagram account called?

The host initially thought it said 'science sense' but spells it out as C-Y-A-N-E-S-E-N-S-E, Cyan-essence. He urges listeners to follow it, saying he isn't gatekeeping the account, and the hosts marvel at the photos, including a pink mushroom and one so small it's dwarfed by a finger.

Answered around 4:01
What kinds of mushrooms does he photograph?

He photographs mushrooms only in New Zealand, and they are New Zealand-only species. Many are tiny, compared to the size of hundreds and thousands, which leads the hosts to guess he must have an incredible lens. The host also asked whether he had photographed the blue mushroom on the $50 note.

Answered around 4:37
How did the host find out about this photographer?

While his girlfriend was buying a coat, the assistant had to wait for a coworker returning from coffee before fetching a small size. Asked about their plans, the host mentioned the wildlife photography exhibition, and the assistant said her cousin is a photographer who takes photos of mushrooms, then found him on Instagram.

Answered around 1:17
Does the photographer have a book, and where can you find it?

Yes. The assistant said he had just had a coffee-table book printed. Later, after the wildlife photography exhibition, the host saw the book in the museum gift shop, which he recommends for Christmas gifts. He did not buy it, saying he's a hard person to buy for, so it's on his gift list.

Answered around 2:59
What kind of coat did his girlfriend buy?

It is shorter than a trench coat and waxed, which Hayley says sounds posh. The girlfriend thought it would never be cold enough to wear in Auckland, yet it has been frosty every day since. When she tried it on, the host called her little Paddington Bear, which didn't go down well.

Answered around 5:30
What's the joke about the St. Pierre's sushi ad?

The hosts mock how many times St. Pierre's says 'St. Pierre's' in its sushi ad, riffing on a version that only says sushi, nigiri, sashimi and seaweed salad, then asks where to go. They jokingly demand an apology to the advertising industry, to St. Pierre's Sushi and to repetition.

Answered around 6:43
Key Quote
“it's never going to be cold enough to wear this in Auckland.”
— Host0:26
Key Quote
“and now it is and I'm too fat.”
— Host0:44
Key Quote
“And I am 100% one day going to microdose to rewire this problematic brain of mine.”
— Host2:23
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