The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

Slowly getting better, got up before 7.00! Workout in! No gym membership just yet.Live stream done! And the challenge of living in Beijing continues… connection issues.And what is the state of my Chinese? STILL having trouble talking to the elderly lady on the compound!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Back in Beijing Reset00:26 Visa Run Life Explained05:51 Beijing Heat and Routine08:13 Gym App and Home Workouts14:18 Why Gyms Still Matter19:00 Next Trip and Visa Plans21:21 Livestream Trouble in China24:01 Censorship Dates and Code Words31:12 Content Strategy and Platforms39:00 Chinese Chats with Neighbors47:19 Wrap Up and Links

Still knackered! No run done today, but late day kettlebell work. hot and humid, smoggy too!Job application continues and a reminder why I want to build something up online! BA! MA! Transcripts! Name changes, etc.!New method of social media marketing is to create multiple accounts for your different brands. OMG, when does it end??And Household registration done! Don’t forget! Twenty four hours!! Thirty more days! What will you do, Steve?!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Back in Beijing Update01:52 Heat Humidity and Housing Costs04:31 Gold Silver and Missed Trades11:12 Exhaustion Workouts and Sleep13:36 Job Application Costly Paperwork16:27 Name Mismatch Transcript Trouble20:43 Rubio Name Hack and Workarounds25:55 YouTube Views and Livestream Strategy29:26 Gary Vee Multiple Accounts Plan38:51 Visa Countdown and Registration40:02 Who Really Thinks China Future44:05 Wrap Up and Links

New month, new city, new country! Yes, I’m back in Beijing. How was the trip back?Taipei > Shanghai > Beijing, 3hr layover in Pudong… I WOULD’VE been bored but I had something to keep me entertained: reconnecting to the outside world!Did I focus overly much on my content creation talk? Maybe, but I think that was because I was getting really tired along the travels. Wasn’t sleeping all the best and wasn’t working out all that much.Dropped 3kg! Workout in today but need to get a new sports watch! The old one literally fell apart!And Thai fest over the weekend, settling back into Beijing. What next?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great start of month!!00:00 Back to Beijing00:35 Visa Run Recap02:32 Travel Language Reality05:17 YouTube Monetization Push11:08 Taipei Wrap Up14:47 Unpacking Rituals18:05 Shanghai Layover Blues19:28 VPN Meltdown22:40 China Work Limits24:03 Income Stream Frustrations25:05 YouTube Versus China Apps25:43 Online Work Access Debate26:45 Flights And Chatting29:16 VPNs That Actually Work31:55 Airport Internet Meltdown33:26 Entering China Visa Talk36:09 Fitness Travel Routine41:47 New Watch Content Ideas43:43 Beijing Plans And Streams45:25 Thai Festival Reality Check46:55 Wrap Up And Links

Well, you’ll either love the way I travel… or hate it.One more night in Taipei, I promise! Why??Went to Taipei 101… wasn’t going to go up the tower but… gotta get the content done. And met an apparently famous Singaporean YouTuber.Live streams done, walking down Taipei, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial.And, Steve, given all this hubbub, do you have a philosophy of travel?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great end of month!!00:00 Taipei Delay Confession00:27 Meet Steven And The Podcast02:30 Why I Never Posted Travel Footage04:19 My New Four Day Travel System05:33 No Deadlines One More Night06:48 Taipei 101 Content Grind08:03 Monetization And Producer Shoutouts09:27 Booking Back To Beijing14:24 Travel Fatigue And Visa Plans17:17 Tomorrow Shanghai Then Train19:14 Nonlinear Posting And Livestream Risks23:45 Famous YouTuber Encounter27:41 Apple Store Creator Tech Memory29:39 Guns and Dance Practice32:11 Making Travel Pay on YouTube34:01 Go and It Works Out37:19 Money Mindset and Insurance40:12 Everything Is Content42:16 Taipei First Impressions44:21 Heat, Rain, and Shade47:28 Food, Walkability, and Transit50:16 Poverty and a Buffet Surprise53:01 Would I Return to Taipei53:51 Ferries and Energy Saving ATMs55:41 Hostel Wrap Up and Sign Off

One more night in Taipei! Hostel change, no problem with that. Didn’t sleep well last night… maybe too much coffee and… can you sleep with the taste of garlic in your mouth?May have to get going tomorrow anyway, what’s the cost of staying another night?? BIG MONEY!Workout in! Body weight at the park, and waving to my new friend who has a beer at 8.30 am!To the National Palace Museum I go. How was it? Got some content done. Was thinking of some of the origin stories of things like Qu Yuan, Mr. Zongzi Guy for Dragon Boat… origin of boat racing is to stir up the pond so it doesn’t congeal or something??-Some stuff I remembered, others I didn’t-The Big Draw was the Tibetan Dragon Canon and the Kangyur-The Big Disappointment was no jadeite cabbage, though there was a meat stone and two smaller cabbagesHow’s the food been? Better or worse than the Mainland? Anything special? Beer’s been kinda ordinary. Meander hostel gave us a food voucher for every day we booked, so tried a few local shops. All were pretty good. Been buying food at 7-11 and the local markets instead.Have I got a hair cut yet? And should I sell my hair?And the sound of a Taiwanese busker in the subway, gave him 100 NTD.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great trip!!00:00 Taipei Stay Or Go00:58 Flights And Hostel Costs05:05 Livestream Data Dilemma07:47 Travel Rhythm Lessons13:04 Cramped Hostel Tales14:33 Hotpot And Night Walks19:28 Morning Workout And Laundry21:38 National Palace Museum Visit24:47 Museum Highlights And Exhibits31:42 Getting There And Photo Story37:48 Food Finds And Beer Review42:37 Haircut And Selling Hair43:29 Wrap Up And Busker Outro

Fingerprints done, that’s a load off! How much did it cost?!Did you enjoy yesterday’s episode? Didn’t get it published till this morning… I was SO TIRED!Am I done with Taipei? Maybe not just yet. But the weather is about to turn.Run done, 7km, tomorrow, go again or take a rest? Looking forward to getting back to my old routine.And more people working online and travelling in their spare time… or most of the time.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Rooftop intro in Taipei00:30 Digital nomad dreams01:51 YouTube money and taxes04:16 Fingerprints and fees08:11 Deadlines and next steps11:11 Audio editing and distractions13:20 Stay in Taipei or leave15:54 Visa runs and budgeting19:51 Routine fitness and content ideas23:31 Weather flights and hostels34:14 Food talk and wrap-up37:34 Outro and credits38:05 Hostel chatter aftercut

Steve, if you’re not going to do cultural stuff, why are you still in Taiwan?Off to the museum today, how as it? Cheap!Fingerprints, apostille and visa applications, how is it going?How is the hostel? YOUNG! Lots of recent grads taking a few weeks off before finding or starting a job. They talk about going to all the places I’ve been!And an interview with another expat, Russ, from the USA! Hear what level of Chinese he’s at already! What was his key to success??Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Taipei Trip Setup01:37 Fingerprint Job Paperwork02:26 Apostille Explained Frustrations04:30 Why Taiwan Content Practice07:41 Livestream Math Costs09:38 Hostel People Stories14:17 More Fingerprint Logistics19:35 Museum Peace Park Visit22:29 Gold Silver Tael Rabbit Hole27:39 Teasing Russ Interview Topics34:26 Meet Russ At The Bar35:18 Russ APRC And Health Insurance37:12 Russ Taiwan Timeline Return39:22 Why Taiwan Geography Access40:53 Why Taiwan Happened42:04 Mandarin Accents Talk42:38 Residency And Citizenship43:38 Taiwan Pay Reality Check45:52 Stay Or Return US47:27 Public Health To Data48:28 Broken Systems And Faxes50:17 Coding Stack And Workarounds52:08 Taiwan Work Culture Shock54:24 Freelance Clients In AI Era56:12 Vibe Coding Security Risks01:00:26 Taipei Itinerary And Hikes01:03:01 Beyond Taipei Day Trips01:03:14 Taroko to Hehuanshan01:03:51 Tainan Colonial History01:04:03 Outer Islands Overview01:04:36 Cold War Bunkers01:04:57 Island Defense Geography01:06:27 Exploring Tunnels Yourself01:07:24 Beating Taipei Humidity01:08:10 Arcaded Sidewalk Architecture01:09:11 City Life vs Outdoors01:10:35 Driving Taiwan vs China01:11:56 Cycling Around Taiwan01:14:35 Bike Routes and Road Safety01:16:55 Weather and Solo Touring01:18:07 Spiders Snakes and Strays01:20:00 Deer Bears and Wild Pigs01:22:13 Dogs and Safety01:22:26 Taiwan Bucket List01:23:00 US Job Logistics01:24:20 Chinese Level Check01:25:11 Why Chinese Gets Rusty01:26:50 Learning Journey Abroad01:29:20 Motivation and Tones01:32:04 Study Resources and Hanzi01:34:48 Favorite Words and Slang01:37:05 Taiwanese Language Basics01:39:21 Bopomofo vs Pinyin01:42:03 Wrap Up and Thanks

Fukuoka - why did you stay? Thinking about the costs.To Osaka, thinking it would be better to fly out, it just cost me more.To Taipei, why didn’t I come here earlier?How long will I stay?AND HF! The size of a spider in Taiwan!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great start of week!00:00 Weekend Travel Debacle02:00 Capsule Hotel Chaos05:44 Bad Sleep And Sickness07:53 Budget Plan Breakdown12:09 Flights Fares And Fees14:27 Why I Chose Taipei17:44 Japan Crowds And Prices20:35 Rethinking Travel Style21:48 Content Grind And Earnings23:06 Recording Runs And New Ideas25:30 Language Audiobook Concept27:01 Ximending Vibes27:34 Why It Feels Japanese28:05 Taiwan History Tangent29:45 Hostel Prices Regret31:32 Rooftop Reset Routine33:04 Fingerprinting Fiasco34:55 Russ Saves The Day36:32 Strike Three Reflections38:12 Hostel Characters41:24 Slower Travel Era42:01 Donations And Producer Credits44:25 Staying Put In Taipei45:57 Wrap Up And Links

Recording this one quietly because I’m not sure if this is a cult! 9Hours capsule hotel… complicated set up. Different floors, reception, storage, capsules… all through one elevator per gender.Still in Fukuoka, will I be able to make it out tomorrow, or will I have to leave another way?Busan ferry SOLD OUT!Manila at midnight? Is it safe?Taipei, what do you say? Can we make it tomorrow, eh?And what did I do in my last day in Fukuoka? Walked around, livestreamed, went to an art gallery, and to the ruins of the Fukuoka castle. Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great weekend!

Steve! Enough with the content talk, how is Japan?? Have you done anything else?!YES!Staying one more night in Fukuoka, debating whether it’s a good idea to take the boat to Busan, stay a day or so, and then fly to Taipei. I feel like I’d be repeating myself. Of course, I could just always return to Beijing.Went to the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum… lots of China/Taiwan stuff. It’s Museum Week and it was free to go. Good thing, cause it rained today. Tried to make an origami crane and couldn’t for the life of me follow the instructions. It was neat because they had you take a picture of yourself and then printed them out on fake money. The idea was that your face would join the ranks of other people who made cranes on dollar bills and be part of the exhibit. Mine didn’t work.Thought about going to the Toy Museum, but it was 45 minutes away and didn’t indicate it was free during this special week. MOS Burger for lunch… not worth it. TRIED to be healthy by going to the vegetable market but they needed the physical card so… no go.Then did a bit of a walkaround with a live stream, yet another shopping district. But, really, how many shrines can you see anyway?Then tried one of the wait-in-line restaurants with only two tables and a bar in it… 1780 for the bowl of noodles (it was good), plus 380 for a single person table charge! Better than the Icharin I mentioned yesterday (I think I did), but $17 for a bowl of noodles?!And should I hit up one of the gyms while I’m here?!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Recording Setup Banter00:45 Fukuoka Plans Busan Or Taipei02:26 Audio Settings Mishap04:25 Livestreaming Shrines And Temples07:13 Temple Gate Close Call09:43 Gym Versus Culture Debate15:37 Asian Art Museum Highlights19:05 Origami Money Crane Struggles22:53 Rain Relocation And Photo Gallery Idea26:53 Food Finds Mos Burger And Noodles33:39 Pricey Noodles And Japan Portions38:55 Wrap Up Links And Support

520! Did you forget? What if you’re in another country?The lady at the front desk speaks Chinese, from Xiamen. Lives and works in Fukuoka now.Hostel is nice, got to make good use of it today cause I slept most of it.Did venture out a little bit, through the Kawabata shopping lane and stopped by a cafe that smelled really good. Carried on and somehow (again) found the red light district, which was literally just across the bridge from the rather large Canal City shopping mall.Did some live streams, and thinking, How do touring musicians do this?How’s the pcast sounding so far? I noticed the noise gate was kicking in so you can’t hear all of the background noise.And how are you feeling?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Hostel Check In00:29 Street Podcast Setup01:29 Podcast Evolution03:51 Wu Er Ling Greetings04:17 Girlfriend Motivation06:47 Chinese At Reception09:11 Feeling Sick In Fukuoka09:55 Kawabata Food Crawl12:53 Shrine And Red Lights14:45 Snack Bar Theory18:46 Beard And Hair Plans20:16 Canal City Fountain21:14 Gimbal And Livestreams25:32 Document Or Reveal29:48 Touring Creator Life34:21 West Africa Dream Trip36:09 Rest And Next Stop37:31 Closing And Links

Could’ve taken the bus for a FRACTION of the cost of the train. AND had a place to sleep! Oops. 1700 yen vs 21,000 yen PLUS 6100 for the hotel. Ouch.Off to Fukuoka for the day, taking the bus! Was alright. Slept most of the way. Free WIFI on board so tried looking up hostels on the way. This idea failed. Two were closed by the time I got there and just about everywhere wants you to book online. New trend?Throat feeling rough, coming down with something. How am I sleeping? I’m not! Last night was a snorer, yesterday night was getting woken up at 4.30 when the buses start moving around.Watching sumo at the station, I can honestly say I don’t understand the sport.And hey, did I tell you about the Nagasaki red light district?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great trip!! 00:00 Street Intro in Fukuoka01:42 Why Travel Create Content06:16 YouTube Earnings Reality Check09:40 Hostel Life and WiFi Hassles15:36 Recording on the Road17:36 Bus vs Shinkansen Math25:06 Sore Throat and Remedies28:28 Fukuoka Plans and Next Stops32:48 Sumo and Red Light Tales41:52 Wrap Up and Links

Hey Happy Birthday to me… podcast!Welcome to Nagasaki! What a trip! Forgot the PIN to my credit card so it took a little work to get everything booked. Cashier only took cash or card, no tap. Luckily another service staff member helped me book the ticket online. That way, you enter the card number and a password then use that same card to pick up the tickets at the station. A run around but it got done. Maybe should have taken the night busWhy Nagasaki? Very good question. Why not? The bomb exploded here and I wanted to see what the city was like these days. I was in Hiroshima ten years ago so figured Nagasaki would be a good complement.Got in very late, bad planning on my behalf. But I wanted a full day in the city, guess I could have stayed overnight in Osaka and then taken the first train out in the morning.Stayed at Toyoko Inn, good for the late check in, but to renew was expensive so I found a hostel down the street at half the cost. Not only that, Belleview hotel was locked when I got in and later in the morning when I checked they said book it on the app, it’s cheaper. Mostly digital checking out and amenities are left at the front desk.Atomic bomb museum, how was it? Gentle. They do make it a point to show how the bombs destroyed human lives, but they also put it in the context of why it happened: the Japanese were expanded their empire in the Pacific and that put them in conflict with a bunch of other countries.The city was largely rebuilt after the bombs were dropped, shown by a pair of pictures showing the city after the bomb and then again in 1950.It’s hot here, and that bomb was dropped in August. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been. Not only that, a lot of the declarations and policies weren’t signed or put into effect until the 1980s or later… the US was testing a nuke every week for the last forty years!And hey, how was the rest of Osaka?-Got the Osaka Castle run done! Twelve kms all up in 1hr 27min.-Got kicked out of a bar! Nihongo? Nope. Out. Sorry! So kept walking and found a taco bar. Stopped there for a feed and a few.-Then found another okonomiyaki place along the main road. The cook/owner knew some English as did one of the older patrons. So we sat and tried to communicate.-I forgot to tell you about the bird at Osaka Castle!What have you been eating? -Soft boiled eggs from the Family Mart-Milk-McDonalds Samurai Burger-Starbucks coffee, cinnamon bun and donut-Sushi and vegetables from the store-Okonomiyaki = fried pork and squidyaki = friedsoba = noodlesteppan = flat iron boardDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevensl

Up early-ish and out the door for a 7 km run. Ran a lot quicker today than previous days. Made my way through Utsubo Park, very nice peonies I think they were.Osaka Castle for the afternoon. What’s next?Starbucks vanilla donut?? How was it? Not worth it!Bought some summer clothes from Uniqlo! UV protection gear. Nice and breathable!And I think I figured out a simple way to do Chinese subtitles in FCP: just export the default captions! Should speed up production a little bit.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Morning Run Recap00:35 Podcast Bench Setup02:42 Utsubo Park Roses04:12 Running Castle Loop Plans06:38 Subway and Castle Ticket07:18 Inside Osaka Castle09:23 Osaka in One Day12:52 Where Next in Japan17:13 Starbucks Donut Rant19:03 Uniqlo Summer Gear20:12 UV Gear Shopping21:36 Arm Sleeves And Hat22:15 Luggage And Uniqlo23:06 Air Quality And Trump23:57 Stocks And Disclaimers26:10 New Channel Plans29:30 Bilingual Captions Problem33:10 Green Screen Subtitle Hack37:09 Descript Costs And Goals39:36 Hostel Teacher Talk41:30 Foreigners And Opportunity45:00 Wrap Up And Links

Out for a run but it was hard to get going! Didn’t get last night’s episode up until around midnight. Hope you enjoyed the talk with Art after yesterday’s episode. His website is artimax.comLogistics of running! Japan obeys the rules and that means stop lights! And there are quite a few of those in the neighbourhood! Found it a bit difficult to navigate, not least of all because everybody was on their way to work.More live streams! YouTube and TikTok, both through Shinsaibashi.Starbucks has donuts here! And how is the food? What have you been eating? And how much is all of it?And the shocking realization… that I’ve been here before. WHY??Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Botched Cold Open00:16 Osaka Street Setup00:45 Lost a Day01:39 Late Upload Fallout03:26 Osaka Déjà Vu05:33 Street Recording Gear07:56 Running Rules Japan09:20 GoPro TimeWarp Runs13:08 Gym Costs and Options14:17 Laundry Fail and Costs15:57 Livestreaming Both Platforms17:47 Why Live Over Curated19:24 Podcasting for Mom21:19 Socials and livestream plan22:19 Osaka walk and districts23:43 Starbucks taste test24:31 Meals and money talk26:44 Hostel limits and groceries29:23 Soft boiled egg discovery30:41 Grungy hostel reflections32:34 Live podcast or edited33:35 Next stops and fingerprints37:11 Job change and travel doubts38:38 Wrap up and links40:26 Final goodbye and street noise

And hello from Osaka!Finally booked the flight last night… completely forgetting about the idea of taking the boat! Darn!Lemon Cass, not bad. Had a few of those and some soju with the other hostelites. And I’m reminded why I don’t drink with people nor hang around 20 yr olds!Flight was uneventful, but getting to Osaka Station was a bit of work. I didn’t realize you could just take the airport limousine bus from T2. Also, customs searched EVERYTHING!And how’s the hostel? Not really as advertised, but it’ll do for now.And a special interview with Art from ArtiMax Freight Solutions! A fascinating look into the world of logistics!Oh, and Trump visits China with Jensen Huang, Tim Cook and Elon Musk, market pop??Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Hello From Osaka00:53 Hostel Reality Check02:11 Airport To Hostel Walk03:45 Osaka First Impressions06:38 Korea Night Out Lessons09:39 Lemon Cass Breakdown13:22 Japan Entry Surprises16:50 Customs Search And Gold Signs22:19 Content Plan And Livestreaming24:10 Trump China Visit Market Talk27:29 Meet Art Logistics Nomad31:45 Art Runs Three Trucks32:44 How Art Got Into Logistics35:05 Working US Hours In Japan35:25 Finding Clients Abroad37:52 What He Ships And Learns39:44 Cradle To Grave Logistics41:16 Commodity Rules And Risks42:18 Consumer Complaints Ripple43:16 Warehouse Mistakes Happen43:40 Driver Liability Rules45:07 Drop Trailers Cabinet Runs45:47 Seeing Your Freight Everywhere46:52 Everything Ships Supply Chains48:14 Learning the Industry Fast49:06 Starting Import Export Tips51:01 Coffee Beans Logistics Breakdown55:35 How Brokers Make Margin58:44 Spot Market vs Contracts59:56 Winning RFPs and Bids01:03:10 Information Is Currency01:08:07 Finding Clients Without Social01:09:39 Website Plug and Wrap Up

Staying one more night? Why?? Cause it's so quiet!Walking around Hongdae again, did one live stream on YouTube... I think I have a new content creation idea.Met up withthe Korean lady we met back in Australia! She lives in Gimpo so came over to Hapjeong for tea.Tried some BBQ, but not samgyupsol, some sort if pork barbecue.And I'm missing Trump again!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Seoul Visa Run Update01:01 Why Stay In Hapjeong02:13 Livestreaming Vs Editing03:59 Street Recording Setup07:37 New Content Workflow13:53 Last Day Hongdae Walk18:26 Meeting Korean Friend21:51 Korea English Tests25:28 Duolingo Reality Check27:50 Cafe Dreams And Business33:52 Korean BBQ Solo39:03 Missing Trump In China42:14 Wrap Up And Links

Happy Mother’s Day! Did you remember to call? If not, do it today and you can blame the time difference!Still in Seoul, South Korea, most likely flying out tomorrow to Osaka. Need to find a finger printing place and then need to apply for a police background check somehow. Seriously doubting this job application.How has Seoul been? Very quiet! Only 9 million people here contrast that with Beijing. And it’s definitely not as hot! Walking around Hongdae and saw a local band playing on Sunday afternoon. Quiet nights in the hostel because… they aren’t getting back until sunrise! Oh, how I remember those days!And how was the gym? Getting the workouts in? YES!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great start of week!00:00 Hostel Check In00:48 Audio Gear Troubles01:44 Visa Run Delays02:00 Subtitle Editing Rage02:37 China Paperwork Reality04:43 Fingerprints And Apostille05:49 Mothers Day Call Home07:14 Osaka Plans And Party Hostel08:14 Sleepless Nights Hostel Life09:57 Gym Under The Bridge15:33 Seoul Feels Open20:27 Lost Finding Groceries22:28 Hongdae Walk And Livestreams25:55 Live Band Ticket Debate30:41 Korean Chinese Language Links36:06 Runs Workouts And Getting Older38:18 Next Stops Fingerprints40:22 Wrap Up And Links

Dae ha min guk! Clapclap clapclap clap! Arrived!BARELY got onto the flight! I completely misjudged the time it would take to get to T2 and when we got to the airport the check in was closed. Since I only had carry on, I asked if I could just get the boarding pass. He said no, it closes an hour ahead of departure. The papers have already been sent to immigration. Interesting. Gf chimes in and tells him that my visa expires today he has to leave. I was then ushered through.Now, that could’ve been avoided if we had left earlier AND not purchased cheap airport express tickets on Xianyu.And offered a night out, so we go!A German guy who’s been backpacking for the last month, French girl who’s studying Bahasa Indonesian in Bandung (full scholarship), and. New Zealander doing a search for his roots in China.Windy and cold!How’s the hostel?? Cheap, but… now I’m reminded of how small the rooms are and… gritty.And now… an interview with Morgan and Amos from Australia!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingSafe travels!!00:00 Back in Korea00:59 Cheap Ticket Chaos02:31 Check In Cutoff05:35 Flight and Arrival07:05 Six Month Surprise08:49 Hostel Life Mapo12:28 Logistics and Gym Talk16:37 Meeting Hostel Travelers17:46 Fried Chicken Night29:28 Seoul Versus Beijing34:12 Interview Setup Aussies37:23 Morgan and Amos Intro38:56 Travel Plans and Teaching43:24 Canada Visa Fee Rant44:58 Brexit Visa Headaches45:41 Working Holiday Age Limits46:45 Why He Chose Teaching48:20 Rural Placement Bonuses50:41 How Rural Is Rural51:55 Family Roots Wales to Oz55:29 First Impressions of Seoul56:35 Next Stops Gyeongju Busan58:40 Seoul Highlights and Neighborhoods01:03:22 Why Korea Over Japan01:05:28 Food Expectations and Budget Eats01:09:29 Night Tents Soju Bombs01:10:55 Soju Gets You Fast01:11:41 Next Stops Beyond Seoul01:12:32 Museum Fatigue Ancient Pots01:13:48 Learning Korean Basics01:16:02 Eating Like Locals01:18:48 Planning Routes By Train01:22:08 Monolingual Aussies Abroad01:23:28 Hostel Life Digital Nomads01:26:08 Minimalism After Van Life01:28:19 Korean Beer Cass vs Terra01:33:06 Techno Nights Live Music01:36:19 Next Trip Sri Lanka Debate01:38:40 Wrapping Up The Chat

OMG! DON’T WORKOUT AND THEN EAT CAROLINA REAPER BEEF JERKY! OWWWWIEEEE! Each idea unto itself was good, the beer, the jerky, the curry. All together? OUCH! “Like menstrual cramps”.Streaming and broadcasting, thinking… a comprehensible English podcast? A relaunch of the Language Vlog Podcast but intended for language learners. Do I have to do this? Or do I vibe code some website?Ready to go? Seoul baby! Am I excited? Not really! Let’s hope this doesn’t fk up!And an article on using Claude in China… everyone is using it and the government won’t stop them. Besides, KYC out of Cambodia?? HS! Article: https://substack.com/home/post/p-196186465-“On September 5, 2025, Anthropic further prohibited access from any entity more than 50% owned, directly or indirectly, by companies headquartered in unsupported regions like China, regardless of where that entity operates.”-“The Worldcoin black market offered a documented precedent, with iris scans harvested from KYC merchants in Cambodia and Kenya, sold for under $30.”-Italian airports are stealing MacBooks and credit cards… I seem to recall this happening in Manila, too.-“A user selects Opus 4.7, but the proxy can silently route to Sonnet, Haiku, or, in the worst case, GLM or Qwen, and fraudulently relabel the output.”-“Every request that passes through a proxy — full prompt, full response, tool calls, iterations — is sitting on the proxy operator’s server. For AI coding agents, those logs contain long reasoning chains, real engineering decisions, repository context, and human-verified correct outputs.”Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!!00:00 Reaper Jerky Regret00:35 Visa Countdown Seoul Flight02:40 Packing Light Travel Risks04:44 Insurance And Gear Choices07:51 Content Workflow Burnout15:11 Comprehensible English Pivot18:53 Vibe Coding Reality Check22:56 Claude Code In China25:39 KYC Evasion Black Market27:55 Passport Forgery Markets29:28 Airport Theft Anxiety30:10 Travel Safety Mindset31:27 Proxy Basics Explained32:25 Token Spoofing Scam33:53 Proxy Logs Are Gold37:02 Cybersecurity Arms Race37:59 Vibe Coding Confession38:12 Carolina Reaper Regret42:44 Waves Of Stomach Pain46:55 Aftermath And Lessons48:36 Wrap Up And Links

Friday is D-Day! Departure day that is. As far as I understand the rules on the Chinese Embassy to Canada’s website, it’s entry day+1 for the 30 days. That is, the count doesn’t start until the day after so technically (hopefully) my visa doesn’t expire until Saturday. Good, tickets are a little better on Friday than Thursday.Will be hosteling it up and wondering, how will this go? Will I even want to do this?Is teaching really the only thing I can do?Chinese markets open again.And niche vs newspaper? Maybe my niche is being a newspaper?Oh, and workouts in! 7km in the morning (45.34), then another 6.45km in the afternoon (42.44). Will do kbells after this recording!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!!00:00 Cold Open Setup00:32 Visa Run Countdown03:13 Hostel vs Hotel Debate06:48 Flight Timing Plan09:16 Two Week Asia Route15:36 Teaching Visa Paperwork17:05 Is Teaching All I Do21:06 China Markets Recap24:21 Niche or Newspaper32:30 Workouts and Supplements38:03 Wrap Up and Links

End of the long weekend and getting closer to departure day, where shall I go?More live streams done, spending much of my morning editing clips. Will need to get some help for this.Thinking about my stuff and it’s not about the stuff I’ll get rid of, it’s about the stuff I’ll keep: where will I put it?GOLD STOCKS bottoming?? Chinese markets open again tomorrow.And marriages abound! Did my video editor get married??Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Weekend Wrap and Departure Looms00:34 Visa Run Plan to Seoul04:06 Turning Trip Into Vlog Series06:48 Language Content and AI Workflow10:52 Editors Clips and Platform Strategy17:27 Monetizing Travel Not Vacation21:08 Packing Minimalist Travel Setup24:13 Apartment Stuff and Storage Dilemma28:17 China Contract and Expat Sunk Cost34:09 Gold Stocks Bottoming Watchlist40:56 Editor Wedding Rumor and Wrap Up

May the Fourth be with you! And such and such.Prepping to get going, where should I go? Should I go around the world? How much stuff AM I taking with me?Posting to XHS and developing a better Chinese subtitle workflow — it’s getting easier.Substack and live streaming, what if I just focused on one platform, not ten??And how was Burger Fest?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Morning Setup and Plans00:58 May the Fourth Chat03:28 China Holiday Weekend06:34 BurgerFest Highlights14:59 Former Student Surprise20:37 Running and Gym Routine22:14 Visa Run Countdown25:10 Budget Travel Route Ideas28:51 Gear Packing and What Ifs34:38 Substack and Xiaohongshu Workflow39:30 Focus One Platform40:38 Wrap Up and Links

Just watched the speeches! How were they?!King Charles is in the US! What do I think?! What do the Brits think?! Charles’ speech in Congress was steeped in history, but the speeches at the dinner were a lot more funny. “He got the Democrats to stand.”Historical references throughout! Did you get all of them? His comment about re-arranging the White House back in… 1814. And if not for the Brits, then the US would be speaking French!First of the month and the countdown begins! Gotta get going or else risk visa problems! Where should I go?Speaking of leaving, UAE leaves OPEC! Big deal or who cares?And Burger Fest this weekend, the Labour Day weekend.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Cold Open Headlines00:37 Podcast Intro Beijing01:55 UAE Leaves OPEC02:39 King Charles US Visit05:24 Speeches Highlights08:30 Reactions Brits Girlfriend11:44 Royal Protocol Oddities16:16 Visa Run Countdown17:57 Selling Stuff Purge24:15 University Job Dilemma27:55 Visa Options Canton Fair31:29 Where To Travel Next35:31 Oil Stocks Tracker37:31 BurgerFest Weekend Plans39:12 Wrap Up Links Support

End of the month! Hope you got your taxes done!Live streams continue! Today… YouTube!Hope you enjoyed yesterday’s episode! All about how I got started teaching English! Was a bit of a mess BUT, did you see the album art? Well, did that ever take me down memory lane AND showing the gf what I look like without a beard!More stock talk. How many stocks can you really own? Another look at my spreadsheet and the addition of a couple of columns. Have the banks topped? Putting them on the list!And a young lady shares her experience learning about money in China:https://substack.com/home/post/p-193649470Two quotes:-“A-shares are my ‘original family.’ That thing can be green for five days after being red for three. After a few years, I’d already developed an ironclad heart for withstanding losses — 20%, 30% drawdowns and I’m still cool as a cucumber, absolutely unshaken. This mentality helped me hold through several gold crashes. But the problem is: nobody ever taught me how to handle things going up every single day!”-“We also factored in our extended families’ total asset allocation. Xiuming and I are from a small city in the southwest. If we went home, we’d have a place to live — both sets of parents and grandparents have their own homes. But if you actually calculated their value? Practically worthless. Either 30-year-old apartments or new builds in the far suburbs. They all look like fixed assets stuck in your hands that can’t be liquidated.”Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Month End Check In00:28 Beijing Visa Countdown01:06 YouTube Live Recap02:31 Streaming Schedule Plans05:12 Podcast Stats And Timing06:30 Album Art Photo Hunt08:12 Teaching English Qualifications10:28 Old Travel Photos Stories15:28 Korea Arrival Memories18:06 Stocks Talk Disclaimer18:45 Tracking Stocks Spreadsheet19:32 Canadian Bank Picks20:14 Canadian Banks Setup21:12 BNS Double Top Thesis21:42 Protective Puts Basics22:26 Trade Journal Reasons25:14 How Many Stocks Own28:13 Spreadsheet Links Update29:05 Investing Lessons China31:28 China Market Mechanics33:25 Beijing Real Estate Reality38:05 Gold Jewelry FOMO41:20 Wrap Up and Links

Relocation done and did! To China an expat goes… from Korea? This guy I knew back in South Korea has now moved his family to China. Is China the place to be or is it done?Guess I should tell the story of how and why I started teaching English overseas. It’s rather simple.Tiktok Live Studio now available for MacOS?! Content, Call to Actions, and Clients. Get going!And wondering, what if I just went travelling?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Expat Crossroads00:49 2027 Rumblings02:20 Podcast Origins03:50 Korea Friend Moves06:05 Visas and Citizenship07:37 Teaching Jobs in China09:55 Visa Run Plans10:42 Why I Taught Abroad12:52 Quarter Life Crisis13:41 Bands and Breakups19:16 Dead End Jobs20:46 Masters in Classics24:45 Creative Dreams Crash28:23 Everything Falls Apart28:39 Korea Teaching Idea29:13 EPIK Program Explained30:19 Life in Busan31:38 Fake EPIK Contracts33:05 Quitting IBM for Good33:52 Put Up or Shut Up35:27 Broken Hand Breaking Point36:17 Brutal Thesis Grind37:52 Panic Attack Wakeup40:40 Defense and Aristotle Joke43:38 Europe Then Korea45:13 Roundtrip Ticket Lesson46:01 Full Circle Reflections47:17 Worlds Your Oyster49:06 Closing and Next Episode

Gotta get out more to take more album art pics!Someone stole my water bottle! AND SKIPPING ROPE!The gym is costing me more! WHY?!Listening in to some of my older podcasts (back when they were only 20 minutes long!) Lots are available on my website under the “Archives” section. Not sure you’ll like listening to those, not sure I’ll keep them up! (Fixed up the Notion database a little bit.)New feature to the podcast! A Google Sheet Stock Tracker! Find it below! Things to keep in mind! What is the 100-Age rule? (Missed a recent buyout: Shell buys ARC Resources!)Trump attempt again. The Canadians I know must be happy. Or sad that he wasn’t “gotten”!And what are some of the other books you recommend to read about China?Tim Clissold - Mr. ChinaFan Shen - Gang of OneChan Koonchung - The Fat Years (fiction)Jonathan Fenby - The Penguin History of Modern ChinaPaul Theroux - Riding the Iron RoosterJim Rogers - Adventure CapitalistThe Rape of NankingWild SwansDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Sheet Stock Trackerhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!!00:00 Daily Routine Reset01:07 Streaming Plans Tease02:03 Gym Prices Jump04:27 Album Art Photo Problem07:03 Bottle and Rope Stolen09:41 Searching and Suspicions14:12 What It Means Now18:03 PayPal and Next Steps18:40 Podcast Archives and Hosting21:22 Backing Up the MP3 Library22:32 Looking Back and Cringing23:48 Notion Database Update24:24 New Stock Tracker Sheet26:02 ChatGPT Missed Tickers27:54 What the Columns Mean28:52 The $10K Hypothetical30:52 Capital Gains Reality Check32:38 More Stocks and Donations35:02 Age Rule and ARC Deal36:14 Trump Shooting Reactions37:47 China Book Recommendations44:59 Wrap Up and Links

Windy and dusty! It’s that time of year where you need to run with a mask!Workout in! Legs and bench, not sure why my back is killing me so much. First time in a long time I haven’t gone to the gym!Broadcasting overseas and wondering what’s the difference between a platform stream and an in-person class.And Claude Cowork for the win! Building a B-Roll folder that can be used across my videos! But Dispatch doesn’t really work very well.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great start of week!00:00 Spring Dusty Run03:27 Gym Routine Updates06:11 Pollen Cough Struggles08:38 Weekend Recovery Smog10:09 Reading Mr China13:07 Visa Clock Travel Ideas14:32 Broadcasting Versus Teaching15:33 Platform Marketing Reality18:48 Substack Livestream Workflow20:53 Branding Podcast Direction22:53 Pivot to IELTS English23:52 Substack Content Strategy25:33 Repurposing Live Lectures27:07 Claude Cowork Overview28:46 Automating B-Roll Sourcing31:49 Renaming and Tagging Footage34:34 Shooting Better B-Roll36:46 David Goggins B-Roll Lesson38:52 Token Limits and Pricing40:04 Claude Dispatch Drawbacks42:16 Wrap Up and Links

Low energy day, but got 44km done on the bike. Why? Out to Wudaokou to meet up with some former students. What’s the place like now? (Smoggy, for one.)Slowly getting hot and things are slowly slowing down!I SO wanted McDonalds today but every time I go I feel disappointed. So I made it myself. Came home and cooked up some bacon and eggs, toast and cheese and Vegemite = even better.Looks like I’m staying in China for now. Not sure how I feel about this.And working on that course, did you know you can publish courses to TikTok? (Subscribed to Gamma APP, why didn’t I just use Claude Cowork or build my own? TIME!)Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great weekend!!00:00 Bike Ride Recap00:46 Late Night Intro01:35 Share Bikes Across Beijing03:46 Low Energy Workout Debate05:11 Smoggy Air Reality Check09:27 What Delco Means11:18 Delco Then and Now17:41 Food Hunt With Students22:47 Why We Met Up25:37 IELTS Talk and Study Habits27:44 Examiner System Explained31:14 Future Plans and Summer Grind37:21 Life Choices and Social Media39:48 Wrap Up Notes and Links

Interview done and did! Should I stay or should I go? Enjoying this new recording routine cause I spend the night “Chinese-ing”. Chinese only! Watching Chinese at Dawn, Chloe Chinese Class and EasyTalk Chinese.Workout in! And run done from the Canadian embassy. What was I doing out there?Tried the Carolina Reaper Beef Jerky! Tingly! Sweating! But not deathly!And a little bit of a surprising statistic from Substack: “Writers and creators everywhere are building real audiences and livelihoods on Substack. As of today, nearly 100,000 publishers are earning money on Substack globally, including almost 30,000 outside the U.S. In Europe, creators are now collectively earning more than $90 million annually.https://on.substack.com/p/the-global-ideas-exchangeDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Interview Aftermath00:53 Stay or Go Dilemma03:07 Online Income Reality Check05:59 Teaching Again With AI07:33 Deadlines and Money Pressure11:12 Language Learning Over Teaching14:49 New Recording Routine16:17 Chinese Media Immersion22:51 Workout and Watch Trouble24:45 Canadian Embassy Errand25:15 Why Embassies Exist26:24 Embassy Counter Culture Shock29:58 Finding the Canada Embassy31:47 No Photos Tax Dollars36:38 Australia Jerky Souvenirs39:05 Carolina Reaper Taste Test42:01 Spice Talk China Comparison43:33 Substack Money Questions45:22 Wrap Up Links Support

Workout in! Slow going, but got it done! Accessory legs in the morning, afternoon run done, 6.44km in 55.04. SLOW!Been catching up with some people around the compound, one lady from Serbia isn’t working at the moment, her husband is a SCREENWRITER! Jobs are there, but far between.Global warming?? How’s that for Chinese class?! But why aren’t there any grandparents talking about how the climate has changed?? Wouldn’t they have seen and experienced more?!Someone built a new version of Final Cut Pro! Well, almost. And it kinda does what you want it to do and it’s getting pretty close to a modern video editor. Plus other developments.https://splicekit.fcp.cafe/Johnny Somali locked up in South Korea! How pursuing fame and fortune online can wind you up in jail.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Rolling Start00:35 Life Update Beijing02:01 Cookie Experiments05:27 Workout Routine Questions06:37 Canada Weight Gain08:30 Supplements And Fasting12:12 Running In Beijing Air14:13 Compound Economy Talk16:45 Chinese Class And HSK18:51 Global Warming Debate19:56 Weather Memory Bias21:11 Work Life And Awareness22:34 Automation And Climate Skepticism23:39 Final Cut Caption Workflow25:00 Splice Kit Overlay Review30:10 Johnny Somali Arrest Story37:55 Lessons And Wrap Up

What if I had a Substackcast? Waitaminute, Steve, if you don’t want to read your own stuff, why would others?Should’ve bought Microsoft!Chinese banks a hustling!I have a problem! Workouts in but my account is less than 50 RMB! Can’t scan in! What should I do?How are my Chinese language lessons going?Tim Cook steps down, John Ternus steps in. Twenty five years at the company?! Did I miss something by leaving my old company? Companies?! Or, did I gain something by doing something else?!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a good Tuesday!!00:00 Cold Open Teasers00:29 Beijing Podcast Setup01:26 Substack Writing Workflow04:10 Substack Versus Social05:38 China Business Niche07:17 Niche Or Newspaper09:29 Podcasting History11:47 Mini Series Commitment13:44 Should Have Bought Microsoft15:50 Penny Stocks Reality Check17:32 Chinese Banks Rally19:12 Order Flow Conspiracy21:47 Trading Skin in Game22:00 Chinese Market Data Access22:44 Foreigners in Mainland Markets23:48 Gym Account Top Up Trap25:21 Morning Routine Deep Work26:53 Language Study Tradeoffs28:29 HSK5 Progress Check30:21 Delta vs Masters Debate31:34 Apple CEO Transition Talk34:49 Legacy and Career Regrets38:23 Wrap Up and Links

420! Snicker snicker! hee hee heeOff to the museum! First time in a long time! Crowds a go go and wow, sandstorm and catkins abound.假装上班! jiǎzhuāng shàngbān is all the rage! Also known in the West as “quiet quitting”. Another new phrase: 脱下孔乙己的长衫 (removing the long gown of Kong Ji — a short story by Lu Xun).https://www.sinicapodcast.com/p/mockupation-phrase-of-the-weekhttps://cerclearning.tp.edu.tw/modern/datapage/77And using Claude to build a B-Roll list, now, just to download, organize, categorize, and edit. What’s next with all this gadgetry?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great start of week!⸻《孔乙己》（简化版）鲁镇的酒店和别的地方不一样。门口有一个大柜台，里面有热水，可以温酒。工人下班后，会花几文钱买一碗酒，站在柜台外喝。如果多花一点钱，可以买点小菜。穿长衫的人比较有钱，他们会进里面坐着慢慢喝。我十二岁开始在咸亨酒店当伙计。掌柜觉得我不够聪明，不让我招待有钱人，只让我在外面干活。后来我连卖酒也做不好，就改成专门温酒的工作，很无聊。掌柜很凶，客人也不太友好。只有一个人来时，大家才会笑，这个人就是孔乙己。孔乙己是唯一一个穿长衫却站着喝酒的人。他个子高，脸色不好，衣服又脏又破。他说话总是文绉绉的，别人听不太懂。大家都笑他，还给他起了外号“孔乙己”。他一来，大家就取笑他，说他偷东西。他脸红着辩解，说“读书人的事不能算偷”。大家听不懂，但觉得很好笑。听说孔乙己以前读过书，但没有考上，也不会做生意，所以越来越穷。他有时帮人抄书换饭吃，但因为懒，经常做不好。后来只能偶尔偷东西。不过他在店里从不欠钱，就算没钱，也会记账，一个月内还清。有时候别人问他认不认识字，他会不高兴。有人问他为什么考不上，他就很难过，说一些没人听懂的话，大家又笑。他有时跟孩子说话，还想教我写字。我不耐烦，不理他。他很失望。孩子们也会围着他，他会分茴香豆给他们，但很小气，每人一颗。后来有一天，掌柜说孔乙己很久没来了，还欠钱。有人说他偷了大户人家的东西，被打断了腿，可能已经死了。过了一段时间，他真的来了。他变得又瘦又黑，不能走路，只能用手爬。他还要喝酒，说下次再还钱。大家还是笑他。他喝完酒，就慢慢爬走了。从那以后，再也没有人见过他。掌柜还记着他欠的钱。我想，孔乙己大概已经死了。00:00 Museum Teaser Cold Open00:33 Daily Podcast Reset01:31 Beijing Skies And Smog Talk05:17 Pollution Then And Now07:01 Four Twenty In China10:18 National Museum Sandstorm12:12 Artifacts And Dad Memories15:29 Why I Skipped Filming18:54 Girlfriend And YouTube Boundaries20:17 Jia Ban Fake Work Trend22:54 Four Twenty Screenshot Fumble23:55 Back To Quiet Quitting24:04 Translator Meme Layoffs24:35 Quiet Quitting China25:25 Kong Yiji Idiom27:27 Post Grad Reality Check30:58 Education Versus Work32:19 Reading The Story35:19 AI Tools And Workflow37:14 B Roll With Claude41:29 Content Pipeline Plan42:32 Closing And Storytime43:25 Kong Yiji Simplified

Got humid in here, and only going to get worse!Workout in! Deadlifts, skips and pull ups! A bit different from other Fridays. Short run back to the apartment this morning.I guess I’m known as the workout guy as a lot of people have mentioned they haven’t seen me running around lately.Job posting for September, should I take it?And reading through some of the books I want to get rid of: The Stand and Mr. China.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great weekend!00:00 Sweaty Workout Recap00:16 Should I Take The Job00:39 Turning Podcasts Into YouTube04:54 Knife Sharpener Interlude07:31 Beijing Spring Weather Tips09:02 Gym Routine And Stretching10:36 Half Murph And Pullup History13:57 Deadlift Skip Pullup Circuit16:25 Finishing Arms And Compliments18:34 Known As The Workout Guy19:59 Morning Workout Routine20:27 September Job Offer Dilemma21:08 AI Cheating Classroom Fears22:33 Money Math and Rent Gap24:19 Negotiating and Motivation25:34 Rich Person Perks Story27:01 Decluttering Books to Read27:58 Finishing The Stand30:16 Rereading Mr China34:32 Wall Street Meets China Reality38:23 Book Recs and Wrap Up

Dangerous to lie down after dinner! Falling asleep and waking up early!Do you still hate Trump or have you forgiven him now that the market is up again?Niche vs newspaper? Which format wins? Specific topics or a variety of discussions?What’s my CTA?!And Bob Lazar has a new documentary out! He was on Rogan! Again! Is it time for disclosure or is this just a money grab??Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogStay cray out there!00:00 Cold Open Grab Bag00:34 Podcast Routine Shift03:48 Substack Workflow Reality05:30 Post Dinner Crash07:31 3AM Run And Recovery08:39 Early Recording Tradeoffs10:01 Jet Lag Routine Dreams11:25 Trump Markets And Blame13:40 How Markets Really Move17:11 Options Power And Caveats18:44 Seasonality And No Advice19:44 Software Stocks Surge20:10 Market Call Stock Picks21:36 Double Bottom Explained22:00 Niche Versus Newspaper22:38 Podcast Identity Crisis24:53 Caption Workflow Breakthrough27:37 Jobs Money And Automation30:51 Aliens Area 51 Rabbit Hole35:45 Fearmongering And Budgets38:39 Wrap Up And Links

She cries, and then she dies! How was that TV show (去有风的地方). Apparently it gets better from there.How was Chinese class? Is Chinese grammar easy? Sure… if you can read the sentence and understand the meaning.Workout in! Accessory leg day, then a run up the 3rd ring road to meet for coffee with a friend and former colleague. Bike ride back.And sold some books! Thanks Mom! Next, China.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 TV Show Cold Open00:31 Expat Reset Mission01:26 Run To Coffee Plan02:53 Eggs And Bag Logistics04:15 Coder Friend Reality Check06:14 Automation And China Platforms07:38 Solo Founder Bottlenecks10:25 Housing And Lease Decisions13:17 Sweaty Run And Pace Chase16:08 Cafe Review And Time Crunch17:35 Chinese Class And Drama Tropes19:36 Drama Death Trope20:17 Kunming Escape Arc21:14 Why Shows Feel Contrived22:12 Shadowing Fast Dialogue23:10 Gaokao Scores And Study Skills24:27 Is Chinese Grammar Easy27:30 Characters Before Grammar30:34 Selling Books Back Home31:34 Used Books Lose Value34:39 Purging Beijing Books36:17 Six Weeks To Decide36:30 Wrap Up And Links

How was Chinese class? What does HSK 5 really mean? Watching another YouTube channel In Chinese, this lady I guess used to live in UAE and taught Chinese to kids. Does all of her videos in comprehensible Chinese. Mentioned 去有风的地方 “Meet Yourself” TV show.Up and out in the morning, chest day today. No run.Recorded another component of the online course.Thinking of uploading allll of my travel videos to… Pexels?And talking about living in China, is it worth it?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Morning Routine Reset00:29 Expat Life Crossroads01:35 Cost of Living Talk03:57 Teaching Burnout Reality05:22 Automate Work With AI07:15 Is China Worth It08:21 Will Chinese Rule09:55 Chinese Class Recap10:58 HSK Goals And Focus17:34 HSK Grammar Frustrations19:03 HSK Five Reality Check19:55 Shadowing and TV Advice21:17 Why Chinese Media Fails Me24:25 Speaking Practice and Course Ideas25:03 AI and Accent Training Thoughts28:06 Gym Morning and Street Chinese30:14 Caption Workflow and Editing Tools32:40 Podcast Direction and Better Videos35:02 B-Roll Library on Pexels37:10 Wrap Up and Links

Up early and out the door! Trying to get back into running in the morning. Leg day today. Yesterday did 7km “around the block”, today was 3km to the gym, 3.5km back. Is this sustainable? And when do I move?Did we go to BreadFest in Beijing? NO! 39 RMB for a ticket?? We could buy lots of bread on our own! Qingfeng Park for the flowers… boy was it peaceful.Sorting the books, which ones stay, which ones go? And when?!?!And re-starting Chinese lessons tonight! Gotta get through HSK 5!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great start of week!00:00 Morning Routine Reset00:44 Why Record Earlier02:11 What This Podcast Covers06:18 Expats And Culture Gaps08:26 Back To Morning Runs09:01 Beijing Air And Allergies11:19 Sleep Patterns And Alarms16:58 Running To The Gym20:08 Gym Costs And Membership21:48 Leg Day Recap22:35 Morning Workout Focus23:55 Bread Fest Ticket Debate26:42 Beer Fest Pricing Rant27:10 Cherry Blossoms Reality30:07 Quiet Park Escape32:16 Decluttering The Apartment34:35 Selling Books And Stuff35:44 What Is Stuff Worth40:47 Chinese Lessons Restart41:32 Wrap Up And Links

Up early and out the door! Jet lag hits!Out for a run, 7 km in 59.16, then off to the breakfast place for a small feed, and then the gym for an easy back day.Spent the day recording the basics of my course. One didn’t record the audio! Grrr!And it’s getting green out there! Catkins are here!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great weekend!! 00:00 Early Notes and Routine00:31 Back in Beijing Jet Lag01:52 Nap Gone Wrong04:11 Middle of Night Decision06:06 Predawn Compound Run08:56 Breakfast Bike and Protein10:43 China Tech Frustrations12:11 Early Gym Habit Reality14:36 Back Workout and Stretching15:31 McDonalds and Morning Gap16:24 Decluttering and Wardrobe18:17 Decluttering Workout Gear18:58 Dreaming of Online Workdays19:29 Building an IELTS Course20:46 Recording Four Lessons21:15 Who Are IELTS Examiners22:51 Learning ClassIn Platform24:19 Band Descriptors Breakdown28:09 Course Plan and Monetization31:22 Finding Students for Samples34:57 Deadlines Heat and Selling Stuff36:56 Spring Air and New Routine38:05 Wrap Up and Links

Cold and rainy, but back at it and into the gym! Light workout to get back into the swing of things.Spent the day troubleshooting VPNs! The life in China! Do all those people on the socials proclaiming the advancements of China (especially on Threads) actually live in China? Or do they only post about it? Cause I tried ShadowRocket, LetsVPN, Mullvad, and ended up going back to Astrill. Also looked at SurfShark and TotalVPN.Don’t forget to register!Don’t forget to eat your noodles! (出门的饺子 进门的面)Taking photos with the locals (already!)And time to start cleaning.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogDon’t forget to do your accommodation registration!00:00 Back in Beijing01:01 Jet Lag and Gym Plans03:41 Bare Bones Gym Reality04:35 Apartment Shock and Visa Free Return07:26 Workout Gear and Reset Day10:20 Gym Pricing Math13:01 Breakfast Stop and Photo Requests14:57 Foreigner Spotlight Rant18:07 China Registration and WeChat Woes20:19 WeChat Registration Hassles20:53 Gmail and VPN Catch-2223:31 iOS App Reset Frustrations24:11 VPN Shopping Spiral25:36 Why LetsVPN Gets Blocked27:14 Testing Mullvad and Others28:18 Shadowrocket Setup Headache30:20 Privacy Red Flags and Payments32:25 China Tech Hype Reality Check33:24 Expat Life and Work Limits40:01 Noodles Tradition and Resetting41:02 Wrap Up and Support Links

Made it to China! How is it? How was it?The flight! Productive, some bumps along the way. First food was good, breakfast not so good.Paid for in-flight internet and WELL WORTH IT! Paid with points… or I tried to. Contacted customer service and they ended up giving me a promo code for the flight! Free internet!Got some things done and research did. Vietnam, Canada, Argentina, and where else to do what else?And did the donuts make it?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you had a great trip!! 00:00 Back on the Mic00:16 Landing in Beijing02:27 Vancouver Stopover Stories05:08 Expat Life Not a Vacation07:28 Am I Done With China11:31 Visa Free Entry and Canton Fair Plans14:59 Beijing Airport Arrival Goes Digital18:48 In Flight Wifi and Work Session21:42 Where Next Vietnam Canada Argentina28:05 Donuts Survive and Wrap Up30:13 Outro and Air Canada Arrival

Here we are at YVR!Importing donuts to see how many survive the trip!How has it been so far? Mostly eventless, though no WIFI on the YWG to YVR flight. Pretzels were good. And free wine and beer on a domestic flight?! (Didn’t have anything.)Sorry about yesterday’s episode, I was falling asleep while posting it!Thirteen hours to Beijing, here we go!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogSafe travels!00:00 Airport Intro Donut Mission00:30 Heading Back To Beijing01:06 Will Border Let Me In01:56 Business Visa Snag04:15 Backup Plans And Cambodia05:49 Transition Year Reflections08:24 Suitcase Full Of Sweets11:11 Flight Food And Sugar Guilt13:00 Winnipeg To Vancouver Flight Notes13:52 Airline Entertainment Rant16:23 13 Hours To Beijing Anxiety17:23 Recording Setup And Time Zones20:10 Plane Game Plan Newspapers25:44 Vancouver Airport Love27:03 Wrap Up Links And Goodbye

OMG I’m at YWG! On the way to Beijing, weee!Am I excited? I have a confession to make.How was security?How long will it take?And how was Easter? Did you go to liturgy? YES! 7.30 am!And stuff is going out the door!Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! Track listing:​ Exapostilarion​ The Gospel​ Christos Voskres

Good day and Good Friday! Or Great Friday as they say in the Ukrainian-Greek Orthodox faith. First time here for Easter since before the pandemic.Off to Starbucks in the morning (using up my points), the city seems pretty open.Off to church for the afternoon service! Very different from when I was a kid.-All in English except for one song-New shroud-No clackers-Cross with thorns was there, but the boulder was not-No altar boys except for a few men picked from the congregation to carry the shroud.-Very few kids in general -We did walk outside on the sidewalk. Mom did not.Fasted most of the day! Coffee, water and… collagen? Then realized I had collagen in the morning and that is made up of cow skin. Oops.What’s the plan this weekend?Two songs are:Troparion 2Straladane MateDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Good Friday Morning00:37 Back to Beijing Plans01:56 Great Friday Explained02:45 Church Then and Now04:16 Adult Baptism Ritual05:35 Fasting Slip Up07:29 Fasting and Nutrition09:16 Procession and New Shroud11:48 Sermon and Crooked Cross15:17 Hymns Language and Demographics18:33 No Clackers New Traditions19:47 Service Timing Recap20:12 Priest Style and Faith Questions21:52 Bible Origins and Lost Texts23:27 History Notes on Jesus24:39 Good Friday Shroud Rituals25:32 Growing Up in Church26:51 Who Shows Up Now27:58 Mortality and Gratitude28:31 City Open on Holiday30:50 Calendar Confusion Easter Dates33:43 Photos as Cultural Memory34:42 Travel Plans and Money Talk35:28 Wrap Up and Easter Wishes37:06 Explaining the Two Songs44:01 Final Sign Off

Steve, where are you? Have you registered in China yet? Send me your new passport! I guess there’s an inspection going on in the run up to the Trump-Xi summit next month.Pysanka making done! First time in a long time!No workouts in, should I be watching what I eat?And tomorrow’s Good Friday, would you do a complete fast?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Cold Open Chaos00:29 Meet Steven Sirki01:04 Landlord Drama Begins03:08 Police Inspection Message04:06 Registration Confusion06:47 Why Now Trump Visit09:10 Back to China Plans09:44 Gym Break and Diet14:05 Travel Days and Workouts15:48 Breaking Food Habits19:24 Workout Aesthetics Reality21:46 Junk Food Calorie Trap23:11 Six Pack After 4024:09 Good Friday Fasting Plan26:30 Apple Cider Vinegar Detox27:33 Pysanka Tradition Returns31:29 How Pysanky Are Made35:27 Symbols Colors and History38:30 Wax Removal Egg Crack39:53 Wrap Up and Links

New month! New day! April Fool’s! Not here!THREE HOURS to post a video to Youtube?! Posted yet another YouTube Short and it took just about THREE HOURS from script to screen to edit to publish to get it all done. Why?Had a dream I found my AirPods! In my jacket pocket of all things. Problem is… the jacket in the dream is currently in China.MAKE no more! The price of the coffee business.And we had Chinese food! How was it? 洽菊楼 (qià jú lóu) refers to “negotiation” or “harmony”, then “chrysanthemum”, and then lou is just “building”. The negotiating chrysanthemum building… Marigold. Front desk lady was a young white ladyDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great one!! 00:00 April First Check In01:12 Epic April Fools Pranks04:44 Moon Launch News05:26 Three Hour Upload08:30 Ukrainian Captions Struggle14:17 Channel Plans And Views15:37 AirPods Dream And Headache19:00 Local Cafe Shuts Down28:13 Marigold Chinese Food33:00 What Counts As Chinese Food39:46 Wrap Up And Links

End of the month already and the last of the workouts! Where should I go next? What will I do??Looking for a haircut! Where? When? With who? And what next?Success with Google Sheets! Easy translations! Just because something can be automated, does it mean it SHOULD be?Loza bie, from yesterday’s Ukrainian quote, loza is “vine” or “willow”, so old school Ukrainian.And Star Wars movie props sell for MILLIONS! What about my stuff?https://roughcut.heyeddie.ai/p/sayonara-soraDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great end of month!! 00:00 Cold Open Reset00:24 Month End Reflections02:28 Gym Membership Expired03:07 China Return Visa Plan05:52 Sugar Intake Worries07:37 Stuff Value And Travel11:07 Haircut Donation Dilemma16:28 Choosing The New Look20:58 Google Sheets Translation Win27:19 Ukrainian Quote Explained29:07 Star Wars Props And Hoarding37:01 Decluttering And Wrap Up

«Не я б’ю — верба б’є, за тиждень Великдень.»(Ne ya b’yu — verba b’ye, za tyzhden Velykden.)(Mom says “lo za bie, ne ya biu, vid neni za tizden buda valekden”.)And so the saying goes for Palm Sunday.Lent is over, Holy Week is here, Easter is on Sunday. Friday is Good Friday (where the plastchanischya is brought out.) Steve, when are you going back?? (Tickets are even cheaper now!) OIL overbought, GOLD oversold! Where’s the SPY? (Oversold) Time for a change? What about April 6th??Workout in, I DID bench 175 lbs! Lost weight, too! Last week must’ve been a build up of sorts.And girl guide cookies, $6 for a box half vanilla, half chocolate, 75 calories per.Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great start of Holy Week!! 00:00 Roast and Market Check01:13 Palm Sunday Origins01:47 Church Routine and Cemetery Visits02:49 Family Plots and Cemetery Talk04:50 Pussy Willows Tradition07:36 Why I Still Go to Church08:03 Church Life in China12:49 Holy Week Breakdown15:35 Good Friday and Old Memories18:44 Easter Morning and Church Changes20:47 Calendars and Church Year22:55 Cheaper Flights Back to Beijing23:30 Booking the Flight Home24:42 Family Dinner Fatigue26:16 Why Return to China27:34 Cheap Tickets and Moving Plans28:30 Market Talk and RSI Signals30:44 Gold Seasonality Outlook31:14 Bench Press Progress32:11 Weight Tracking Reality Check36:08 Girl Guide Cookie Temptation38:34 Pierogi Import Scheme40:01 Wrap Up and Links

Off to the gym nice n early, hardly anyone there! Not feeling the strength but got it in anyway. Front desk lady changing jobs. Ryan Reynolds has a donut at Tims… why? It was good, but still just a donut. It’s like beer companies sponsoring sports matches.Thinking, advertising for the new site… posters in the libraries??Off to a talent show! Not sure I’d want to be back in junior high… nor work there! The audio rental guy was a grizzly old vet-looking dude tho. Piano, singing, guitar, magic trick, my niece played violin, two kids got sent to the office, no cell phones allowed for the students. And how do you give feedback to a kid? Is it better to be nice or realistic?And what about returning to China, what VPN works now? Is Astrill dead?Donate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHope you have a great weekend!! 00:00 Morning Routine Setup00:39 Podcast Identity Riff02:36 Niece Talent Show Plans04:30 Deload Week Training07:01 Back Workout Details08:00 Canada Prep and Online Pivot10:15 Automating Test Prep Business13:58 Monetizing and Call to Action15:36 Gym Front Desk Automation18:58 Ryan Reynolds Tim Hortons Donut21:37 Celebrity Endorsements and Vice Ads23:55 Junk Food Sponsorships25:23 China vs Canada Diets27:30 Offline Classes Comeback30:13 Prepping VPNs and LLMs33:41 Niece Talent Show Recap38:37 Encouragement vs Realism41:48 Wrap Up and Future Self

Bought shoes! Aren’t New Balance for old people? $25 for socks? No thanks! Can’t justify the cost, ever? $75 for shorts?? What if I just went to Decathlon? Winnipeg doesn’t have a Decathlon. Realllllyyy? But Uniqlo is about to open!The Airpods… it’s like that airplane taking off feeling… as if your ears are about to pop but don’t.Finished The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, thinking… what if I compiled some books, took a picture, asked ChatGPT or whatever to summarize each of them, and then have Veo 3 create a video based on each of them? Wouldn’t that sort of meet the requirements I had set out so many years ago??Peptides! Collagen by another name? Should I get into the supplements business? China makes a lot of them!https://www.wsj.com/health/rfk-jr-china-peptides-market-2ce249df-Apparently some were banned in 2023, meaning “compounding pharmacies” can’t make them in the US-many are made in China as injectables (ewww!)-supplements aren’t as regulatedDonate to the show! PayPal link below!https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA***Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.comAnd on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.comLanguage vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlogHave a good one!! 00:00 Daily Notes Kickoff00:31 Podcast Longevity Update02:36 Video Clips Workflow06:23 What This Show Covers07:52 Mom As Audience11:01 Shoe Shopping Flashbacks12:37 Finding The Right Fit16:34 Sticker Shock Canada19:30 Decathlon And Uniqlo Talk20:46 Shoes and City Life21:13 Hong Kong Checkout Chat21:59 Library Encounter IELTS23:47 AirPods Pressure Feeling25:32 Tidying Books and Identity30:40 AI as Creative Shortcut33:19 Peptides Collagen and China35:49 Supplements Business Idea36:59 Aging Mind and Longevity39:31 Online Fulfillment and Wrap Up