SSAB - February 18, 2026

Oh the Olympics! How stressful! Men’s hockey!Women’s hockey!Relay Speed Skating!Curling!OMG what a stressful game! Women play for gold tomorrow! (And why does the camera guy open the door after the goal? SHUT THE DAMN THING! IT’S UNSAFE! Aaaaand Czechia had SIX PLAYERS on the ice when they scored?!Workout in and one of the best and hardest to date! THREE ROUNDS! Should I start Crossfit?And China: where to go, when, why and how?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/@stevenslanguagevlogGo Team Canada!00:00 Cold Open: Olympics on the TV & winter vibes00:27 Meet Steven: back in Canada, sick for a month, still podcasting daily01:34 Why this daily ‘raw, unedited’ podcast exists03:47 Watching the Olympics in Canada vs. China (and what gets shown)09:06 Men’s hockey thriller: Canada vs Czechia goes to OT12:09 Women’s hockey gold medal preview + curling update14:16 Relay speed skating heartbreak: Canada’s stumble, Korea’s surge17:53 These Olympics feel ‘normal’ again + looking ahead to 203019:35 Hockey broadcast oddities: the open door & too many players21:39 Workout recap: late gym strategy and a killer circuit session24:46 China goes visa‑free for Canadians: what changed & what’s still unclear25:59 Visa logistics: visa-on-arrival, onward tickets, and extending at the PSB28:22 Planning your trip by season: heat, fall colors, and Great Wall views29:14 Business vs. teaching vs. sourcing: figuring out your real goal30:33 Where to do business: Shanghai, stock exchanges, and nearby factory cities32:50 Sourcing 101: Yiwu-style showrooms, MOQs, and the Guangdong supply chain34:29 Classic culture route: Beijing highlights, language realities, and Xi’an’s terracotta warriors38:09 Chongqing & Chengdu: laid-back vibes, hills, hotpot energy, and pandas40:39 South China & Hong Kong: currencies, money movement, Shenzhen tech, and the Canton Fair48:12 Wrap-up: city cheat sheet, sourcing agents, and where to find more