He's back! Again!
Episode 44 sees the return of none other than Denny Goin, world traveller, political opinionator, educator and adventurer!
After YEARS of travelling the world, Denny has (re)landed back in Tblisi, Georgia and shares his pandemic and post-pandemic travel insights, both on the ground and in the media.
Still looking to move to South America to escape the impending doom of the world, Denny gives us some insight as to what's keeping him busy, some of his plans, and the big life event that he has planned for this year.
Opinionated, talkative, informative, and always entertaining, you'll no doubt get something from this podcast!
Show notes up on stevensirski.com
Thanks for listening!
00:00 Welcome to Episode 44: Catching Up with Denny Goen
01:10 The Impact of Social Media and Personal Updates
02:04 Denny's Global Travels and Future Plans
05:04 Finding Love in the Digital Age
10:28 Exploring Cultural Differences and Wedding Plans
20:13 The Evolution of Work and Education in a Digital World
43:45 Debating the Future: AI, Employment, and Education
53:51 Personal Growth and the Power of Initiative
56:50 Debunking Personality Stereotypes and the Power of Genetics
57:32 The Complexities of Habit Formation and Genetic Influence
58:41 Exploring Citizenship and National Identity Across Cultures
01:00:48 The Role of Genetics in Adventurousness and Migration
01:01:33 Immigration Perspectives: Hard Work and Economic Theories
01:02:30 The Debate on Immigration Policy and Economic Impact
01:03:27 Global Healthcare Experiences and the Value of Diversity
01:04:23 Navigating Global Uncertainties: A Guide for Young Expats
01:05:48 Exploring Opportunities Abroad: From New Zealand to Latin America
01:07:11 The Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
01:10:30 The Quest for Land Ownership and Understanding Local Regulations
01:11:20 Choosing the Right Country: Economic Opportunities and Citizenship
01:12:49 The Impact of Online Income on Expatriate Life Choices
01:28:03 Cultural Sensitivity and the Importance of Local Integration
01:40:06 Reflecting on Global Landmarks and Personal Travel Experiences
01:50:34 Considering a Career Shift: The Allure of the Skies
01:52:09 Age Limits and Opportunities: Navigating International Careers
01:53:22 The Continuing Journey Towards Off-Grid Living
01:53:36 Exploring Self-Sufficiency and Global Perspectives
01:54:21 The Digital Nomad Lifestyle: Freedom and Challenges
01:55:16 Navigating the Future with AI and Education Concerns
01:55:49 Personal Journey: From Plans to Reality
01:58:25 Economic Insights and the Quest for a Sustainable Life
02:01:46 Exploring Opportunities in Agriculture and Non-Alcoholic Trends
02:06:32 Strategic Moves: Business, Immigration, and Farming Plans
02:11:01 The Digital Age: AI's Impact and Online Education's Future
02:21:32 Global Politics, Personal Aspirations, and the Path Forward
02:40:05 Reflections on Life, Learning, and the Pursuit of Peace
Recorded on Sunday November 26, 2023.
On this episode, I have fellow expat Alyssa Brown joining me to talk about her life here in China and some of the things that she's learned over the past few years, particularly as she is about to celebrate her fifth anniversary in the country.
Alyssa is an English teacher and a small business owner here in Beijing. She is the owner of Brownie Bites, a business she runs in her spare time when she’s not teaching. She is known for her baked goods, many of which you can’t find very easily here in the country. In this episode we talk a little bit about what it's been like to run a business while working a full time job, and some of the things she’s learned from the experience, and what she’s learned about China, the language and the people in her time here.
This episode does have one or two places where the audio stutters due to a poor internet connection, but I think the message still gets through.
The show notes and contact info for Alyssa are available on my website, stevensirski.com, and of course you can stream this on all the major platforms. Thanks for listening, we’ll do this again!
Recorded on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 in Beijing, China.
Brad Seippel aka thruoutin, an American-born electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist, joins the podcast today. He’s been in China for over fifteen years and now runs his own studio here in Beijing. But when he’s not helping other people record their own music, he is recording and producing his own work that he has toured the world with.
In this episode we talk a little about what it’s like to run a studio here in China, some of the highlights of the work and how it has forced Brad to grow as a musician and business owner.
Not only that, Brad is fluent in Mandarin Chinese having learned the language largely on his own using the street method after arriving in the country way back in 2008. We talk about how he managed to learn the language, some of the struggles he encountered and what kept him going.
Find Brad at thruoutin.bandcamp.com
Show notes and tracks are up on stevensirski.com under the podcast section. Thanks for listening!
Recorded Thursday, August 23, 2023.
He returns! From Ethiopia, fitness coach Curt Hamilton joins me once again nine months after his departure from Beijing. This time, however, he has lots to say about his life in Addis Ababa. Some of the topics we cover include:
Eight months, how has the adjustment been and what has Curt learned so far?
Still working with the same company?
Learned the local language?
Missing China?
Dick jiu, what about other special alcohols in Ethiopia? What do they drink there?
You’re past the six-month honeymoon period, how is it going and do you think you’ll survive for another few years?
Any dangerous animals or insects?
Contact Curt on Instagram [at]curt.hamilton
Thanks for listening!
Recorded Friday August 18, 2023
This Episode features award-winning, Kazakhstan-based Director of Photography, Aigul Nurbulatova. Recorded between filmmaking stints, Aigul was back in Kazakhstan preparing for her next feature film to be shot in Turkey as her most recent feature, In Flames, directed by Zarrar Khan, is making its way through. The film has already had its European premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and is set to have its North American premiere at TIFF 2023.
In this episode we talk about Aigul's early work in Kazakhstan, including her entry into film school at university both in Kazakhstan and in South Korea, and how she would eventually land her first feature film job. From there, she would begin working not just in her home country but also travel overseas for more work and festival experience.
The shows caps off with a question about some of Aigul's own language education and how she is able to work on international shoots and what Kazakhstan is like as a tourist destination.
Aigul can be reached through her Instagram @violaluiji or through her website www.aigul-nurbulatova.com
Show notes and mp3 available at stevensirski.com
Joel JP Passante joins me on this episode to talk about an eclectic bunch of retro knowledge he has gained over the years. A former actor and producer, Joel is now a video game streamer on Twitch and a soon to be podcaster. We’ve known each other for quite a few years, stretching back to the early 2000s, and have been involved in a few productions before.
Today we talk about the movies and productions Joel has been on, the games he’s playing now, along with the city of Winnipeg in all its glory and family-friendliness, and, most of all, one of Joel’s passions, pro wrestling.
You can find Joel on the usual social media outlets, including:
Show notes and mp3 available for download on my website: stevensirski.com
Thanks for listening!
Joining me today is Song, a Beijing-based producer who is in charge of hiring all that talent you see in those commercials you try to skip!
It's not an industry that receives the same glitz and glam as the big movies, but she is busy, profitable, and looking for talent. In this episode we talk about how Song got her start in the industry, some of the missteps she's had, and what she sees both for her production company and her new family going forward.
Clocking in at just under three hours, this episode will be of interest to those in China who might be looking for a career change (or side gig) and for those outside of China who are interested in how things work here.
To get in touch with Song, you can find her at:
WECHAT: wangconghuahua
Recorded Monday January 23, 2023.
Latin as a Second Language? How so?
Calling in from around the USA, this episode features a trio who are sparking life in what many would consider to be a dead language.
Andrew Morehouse, Ilse van Rooyan, and Claire Mieher make up part of the team that run Latinitas Animi Causa, a website and social media channel that uses spoken Latin for everyday things. They teach, learn and use spoken Latin in their podcasts and live streams, often while playing video games!
This episode features discussions about the current state of Latin as a language, how the LAC team approaches the use of Latin (particularly in modern usage), and how the language has seen a bit of a rejuvenation over the last ten years as social media and internet technology has made things a lot easier to communicate. We even discuss whether or not English can be considered a "lingua franca", a question that I've been talking about for a while.
Show notes n audio file up on stevensirski.com.
You can find LAC on their website for their course offerings and links to their podcast and gaming streams. You can find Claire there as well or on her website, also listed below:
A soon-to-be-Beijing ex-expat joins me today to talk about his time in China and what the country has been like both to work in and live over the last few years. Curt Hamilton is a sports performance coach who works with athletes and teams around the world and has been based in Beijing, China for the last two years or so. Curt has worked with Olympians and sports professionals in developing their abilities to hit peak performance.
Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah in the USA, Curt has been able to travel not just around the US for his work but around the world and, over the last few years, China.
But life is taking Curt away from China. Just married a year ago, he is following his wife to Ethiopia to start a new expat adventure. Listen in to hear what Curt has to say about his time in China and what he looks forward to in his new home.
For better or worse, Curt doesn't do social media!
Recorded Tuesday November 22, 2022.
Another episode and another expat! Hailing from Illinois, USA but now situated in Beijing, China (with an epidemic thrown in to keep things structured), Tatiana joins me on the podcast today to talk about life in the 'Jing, podcasting and blogging, several social issues she's involved with and what's in store for the future.
This episode we dive into quite a bit about life in Beijing and how things have evolved over the last few years, especially since Tatiana only arrived in 2019. However, she's been busy and making the best of her time as she started her own podcast back in August 2020. Using her voice and background, she is now shedding light on several major social issues while living here in China.
Clocking in at just over two hours, this episode contains a few follow up book and movie suggestions people can take a look at to gain a better understanding of the world landscape, particularly in the USA.
Have more questions?
Have a look at Tatiana's website or get in touch with her through the socials at Instagram, YouTube, and WeChat.
Show notes up on stevensirski.com
Recorded on Saturday October 1, 2022
My guest today is compadre now former colleague here in Beijing Octavio Araujo as he gets set to return to the USA after years of being in China. Concluding a 27-year interest in the country and the Chinese culture, Octavio is going back to the States to follow yet another career path, one that takes him out of the classroom and possibly into the courtroom.
In this episode we talk about the highlight and lowlights of working China, the language and culture, and some of the things he's learned from his time here in the county.
This is a long one having been aided by a few bottles of wine, familiarity, and the simple fact that, as an expat, you never know when you're going to meet again.
Show notes and tracks up on stevensirski.com and stream episode on all major platforms.
Enjoy the show with Octavio!
Recorded Friday September 2, 2022
Returning guest David Horton is back for another yikyak as it’s been over a year since he’s been on and a lot has happened… though much has stayed the same.
In this episode we talk about the arts scene in Beijing and how David weathered this year’s lockdown of his compound and surrounding areas. Even more excitingly, we also discuss David’s biggest accomplishment to date: he published a book! Maze Poems is now out on Arteidolia Press and consists of 50-pages of engaging poetry that David wrote over the last four years. The poems are constructed as mazes, much like a search-a-word, and require the reader to literally move the book around to follow along.
Get in touch with David at his website (davidharrisonhorton.com) or on Twitter (@unionherald), and get a copy of his book at Arteidolia’s website: www.arteidolia.com/maze-poems-by-david-harrison-horton. Finally, all show notes and mp3s are available at stevensirski.com
Recorded Thursday, September 1, 2022
This episode I talk to another expat but someone who, like many others these days, is departing China. Omar Badr hails from Egypt and has been in China for the last three years living and working but sadly not travelling as much as he wanted to. We sit down to talk quite a bit about his home country and some of the ways that China has developed in a different fashion. We discuss a little bit about the some of the things that Omar was able to do while in the country and what he would have liked to do if he had the chance.
This episode will appeal to those who want to learn about the histories of China and Egypt and how their choices to develop have led to some successes and failures along the way. And for those of you considering coming to China, Omar’s “short” stay may be something to consider.
Show notes up at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp32-omar-badr/
Recorded Thursday July 21, 2022
This episode another fellow expat, but this one is a known a bit around the foreigner circles that remain. One half of the Date Night China podcast team, Rachel Weiss, joins me to =day to talk about life here in China, what brought her here in the first place so many years ago, and how the idea for a “Date night” podcast came about. Her podcast has struck a chord with those expats who are left as it’s one of the few teams that is still putting on events around the cities for people to meet and greet.
In addition to Date Night China (datenightchinacom.wordpress.com), Rachel can be found on YouTube with her own travel vlog, Rachel Meets China.
Show notes up at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp31-rachel-weiss/
Ever thought you could be a voice over artist in a foreign country? Kei Gambit didn’t either. But that’s what he does now in Beijing.
This episode is one of the funniest as I have musician, comedian and voice over artist Kei Gambit with me today. Like most expats we talk about what brought him to China in the first place and what has kept him here for nine years so far. How is his Chinese? Non existent because he’s plenty busy with work, ranging from teaching to doing voice work for major motion pictures and TV shows here in China.
Download this episode and listen on the go as this one is funny and informative to those thinking about some alternative careers in this day and age and what it takes to make it.
You can follow Kei on Instagram and Douyin (in China).
Show notes up at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp30-kei-gambit/
Interpreter, translator and teacher Qian Wang joins me today to talk about her work with languages. Having grown up going through the Chinese education system, Qian was exposed to English at a very early age and has gone onto become an interpreter between her native Mandarin Chinese and English. She has also had the chance to study overseas (in Sweden) but has opted to learn another language instead. In this episode we talk quite a bit about what it takes to learn a language, how best to approach studying them, and how to find work after you’ve developed proficiency.
Qian has her own website at sealingo.com where you can contact her regarding translation, interpretation or teaching.
Show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp29-qian-wang/
Comedy lives in Beijing!
This Episode, recorded on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, sees me sit down with writer and comedian Donnie Fan. A self-described “mixed blood of Chinese descent” hailing from New York, Donnie has found a new home here in Beijing China. Fresh off of the production of his first tragedy, Medea, based on the play by Euripides, Donnie is now focusing his efforts of developing his own hour-long stand up routine which he plans to take across the country. Here we talk about what it’s like to live in Beijing and China, how long we’ve each been here (very similar!), what keeps us here and what Donnie wants to work on going forward. This is a funny one as Donnie has plenty of stories to share about his life here in China!
You can find Donnie on several Chinese social media outlets including Weibo and WeChat in addition to the usual Western social media outlets, including Instagram and Facebook. Or get in touch with Donnie through his website, donniefan.com.
Show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp28-donnie-fan/
Recorded on Saturday, September 25, 2021
This episode has another band joining me, The New Age of Decay. The band / project is made up of Michael Burton, aka NotAnotherPoet, and Dann Gaymer, aka The Slow Blade. They join me online as Michael has recently returned to the UK while Dann and I are still in Beijing.
The band is a collaboration between the two who met through literary circles here in Beijing. Combining the slam poetry of Michael Burton with the techno, sample-influenced beats of Dann Gaymer, the project stands as a testament to the creative work that can emerge despite a global pandemic. Whether this project remains a one off or is to be continued, either online or in person, remains to be seen.
In this episode we talk what life is like being an expat in China and what it’s like to hold down full time jobs while pursuing one’s creative endeavours. While Michael uses the pen and paper method, Dann takes to the road on an often gruelling touring schedule. In this episode you’ll also hear just how close things were to not happening as the choices that everyone made prior to the full-on pandemic influenced what they were able, and not able, to do in the last year and a half.
You’ll also hear about some of the other travels the two have done prior to landing in China, and what sort of advice they’d give to people who are thinking of living and working overseas and how having a passion project can be a good outlet, and connection, with your surroundings.
To find The New Age of Decay’s album and links to their other projects, visit https://daftpop.bandcamp.com/album/new-age-of-decay, or head over to YouTube to see their music video for their song, “Quarantine”.
Show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp27-new-age-of-decay/
If you’re on Facebook and part of the Ukrainian diaspora, you’ve no doubt come across a page called Forgotten Galicia. That account, and its primary website, ForgottenGalicia.com, is run by Areta Kovalska, my guest on today’s episode. A US expat living in Lviv, Ukraine, Areta had arrived roughly around the same time I was in the country but ended up staying much longer.
As war-torn as Ukraine is represented in the media, Areta talks about what it’s like to live in Lviv, which is located in the Western part of Ukraine, closer to Poland. As a part of the diaspora, Areta shares her story of how she has wanted to live in Ukraine for a very long time but it wasn’t until 2010 that she made the decision to make the move.
Areta runs a website ForgottenGalicia.com, on which she posts about the history, culture, language and people of what was the former Austrian Empire and is now Western Ukraine. I encourage you to take a look at what she has published as she provides a lot of information for people who may be interested in researching their ancestry. She has a few links on her website to people and services that can help you trace your lineage.
This is a shorter episode as it only runs a couple of hours so it should fit within a commute or two!
You can find Areta online at her website and follow her Facebook page for more info:
Show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp26-areta-kovalska/
