The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

Summer continues and it’s getting hot! Getting up at 3 am again… why don’t I just stay up?Cleaning begins, what else can I throw away? More clothes, shoes, cables and studio stuff. Still finding it hard to depart with some stuff.Talking with people around the compound, is 36 almost 40? And a Mother encourages her son to leave Beijing… the economy here is no good!Making plans for the summer months… every time I’ve done this it never works, so why bother?And listening to the first few episodes of the No Agenda Show, quite the development! How long per segment?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 Summer Heat Opener00:35 Who Am I Now03:23 Podcast Origins and Format05:32 PayPal and Expat Mission08:09 Visa Overstay Story11:06 No Agenda Lessons15:18 Cadence and Workflow17:29 Chinese Study Struggles24:41 Summer Weather and Sleep29:14 Gym Pass and Flight Dates31:28 Visa Paperwork Stress35:35 Summer Plans and Seminars40:53 Decluttering the Apartment43:16 Wrap Up and Links

Markets slammed! Why? Who knows! Chinese stonks a dropping even HARDER!Building up the website bit by bit, why not just use Wordpress? Let’s try to vibe code it.Workout in! Deadlifts.. OWIE! 120kg for 3 reps. Should’ve warmed up first. Still managed to get the weighted run done in: 6.51 km in 1hr 2 min 17 sec. 70 pull up, 140 push ups, 210 squats… what about the others? Did 30-40 weighted pull ups in the gym this morning.Using DeepSeek on my evening walks! New little routine is record this podcast then head on out for a walk, a listen and a read using all China-based APPs.Throwing stuff out and in need of new gym clothes!And a new TV!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 Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great weekend!00:00 No Warmup Regrets00:33 Deadlift Back Scare04:34 Murph Run Breakdown08:14 New TV Upgrade11:10 Waking Up at 3AM14:18 Markets Get Slammed16:34 Chart Patterns and Moving Averages19:56 Tracking Stocks and Disclaimers21:44 Gold Options Check-In23:56 China Stocks Oversold Play27:35 Market Snapshot Chaos28:13 Building a Simple Website34:29 Teaching vs Consulting Pivot37:55 DeepSeek Language Walk Routine42:10 Decluttering Before Singapore43:00 Links Thanks and Sign-Off

To the embassy I go to get not ONE, but TWO copies certified of my degree. What’s the latest? It IS an authentication that can be used IN CHINA! What does HR lady do? Goes to CSCE to check and lo and behold, YES it can be used! Does she even know what she’s doing? “I’ve never had someone apply from within Beijing before.” Maybe you should have said something.GOLD hitting 873 SELL 887 BUY per gram RMB. What about that China article?https://sinocism.notion.site/Implementation-Opinions-of-the-Ministry-of-Commerce-and-8-Other-Departments-on-Accelerating-the-Deve-38384ece41d781d5b4fde17458782cf9?pvs=27&qid=1%3Ad6203849-c2e4-498b-a64b-0e7e40c90763%3A0-basically says everything should be AI, wired up and “intelligent”-elderly care-smart technologies of all sorts (school cafeterias, home appliances, tourist destinations)Collagen gone, how’s the supplement stack now? Still taking ashwaghanda, fish oil, MCT coconut oil, Maca, Ubiquinol, Milk Thistle, Magnesium and Zinc. How’re you feeling?Waking up at 3 am for some reason. And Steve, didn’t you say you had to leave the country. Where are you going next?! SINGAPORE!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 Embassy Paperwork Quest00:34 Job Offer and Visa Clock02:05 Apostille Confusion and HR Drama06:26 Embassy Visit and Certified Copies10:38 The $700 Police Check Mistake17:18 Deadlines and Decision Fatigue20:17 Gold Prices and Buying in China22:55 China Stocks and AI Push30:05 Supplement Stack Breakdown38:51 3 AM Wakeups and Anxiety41:08 Singapore Visa Run Plans45:10 Wrap Up and Links

Apostille update, re yesterday’s confusion. 1) Still have to send it to Ottawa, but then it has to go to the Chinese embassy to be authenticated. I’m ready to give up. Don’t care any more. I don’t think they even know what’s going on. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Canadian embassy anyway to get some documents in order.Stonk market a dropping! China stonks getting SLAMMED! Do they PROCEED a US sell off? That would a North American sell off into November. But look at those banks… wow. Let this be a lesson!China article: https://sinocism.notion.site/Implementation-Opinions-of-the-Ministry-of-Commerce-and-8-Other-Departments-on-Accelerating-the-Deve-38384ece41d781d5b4fde17458782cf9?pvs=27&qid=1%3Ad6203849-c2e4-498b-a64b-0e7e40c90763%3A0Alan Greenspan passes away at age 100.Getting points deducted from TikTok! Can’t live stream while displaying other documents?? Still using these as rehearsals for other publications.Thinking… if one minute shorts pull 1000 views and 10 cents, what about 6-8 minute daily vlogs? What if… what if they were daily musings on the life of an expat in China?Workout in! Upper body rows and shoulder presses, some legs for good measure. 7km run in 44.06. Should you do cardio before or after weights? And this thing has a recovery time. Ok?Building websites… bro, do you even know how to HTML?And yes, I forgot to put the audio file at the end of yesterday’s episode. Here’s another test.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 Mic Check Cold Open00:32 Podcast Setup And Rebrand Thoughts04:31 Substack Interviews And Audio Cleanup05:36 Xiaomi Watch Recording Test10:38 Workout Stats And Running Challenges13:10 Degree Apostille Visa Headache23:37 Markets Slide And Greenspan Obit29:42 China Stocks Signals And Bank Trades36:52 TikTok Points And Daily Vlog Plan43:47 Wrap Up And Mic Comparison Outro

Steve, if people wanted to pay you for your services, where would they go? Good question. Website building 101, here we go. Can’t I just AI this?Workout in, how’s the watch holding up? Good, but the APP is slow. It does have a food tracker, particularly good for Chinese foods, but doesn’t seem to have a function to add custom entries. Apparently has a 21-day battery. The apostille process continues, what’s the latest? Understand this one: “Also, I have to let you know, last time I called, the Chinese institution told me that the authentication done outside of China by the Canadian govt is not acceptable. Only the Canadian embassy that is actually inside China is recognized. However, the Canadian embassy in China told me they have no such service.”-I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding here somewhere.Visa coming due, I guess I gotta get going… again. Where to next?And I got paid, finally! YouTube for the win!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 Quick Cold Open00:32 Who I Am Here02:08 Visa Limbo Life02:59 Channel Identity Crisis07:26 Document Or Present10:48 Where To Pay Me12:13 Building The Website18:21 AI Coding Reality21:56 Job Visa Headaches33:35 Gym Watch Paycheck40:50 Wrap Up Links

Authentication continues, can’t I just get this done here? Paying $300 for a certified photocopy?!Why DID my TikTok video get so many views? Apparently there was some sort of trending song with “Taiwan museum”… no idea. Most of the views were only a second or two long.Re-assessing how often I’ll post, and thinking it might be time to scale back.We got the watch! Discount and all! But we had to do an unboxing right away because they needed PROOF! How is it so far?Workout in! Chest day followed by 7km run in 48.21!And we’re getting a new TV!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 Notes and Setup00:27 Fathers Day Intro01:17 Degree Authentication Drama03:23 Sketchy Apostille Service07:20 Embassy Plan and Deadlines10:48 Posting Frequency Doubts14:13 YouTube and TikTok Analytics22:03 Document vs Present Strategy28:55 Rebrand and Product Ideas33:00 Travel Plans vs Beijing Rent38:30 New Watch and Workout42:36 New TV and Landlord Worries44:38 Wrap Up and Links

Back to the regular set up, it’s just easier. Rough cuts done! Gotta work on those AI prompts!More people playing and downloading! What does that mean? There are more plays and downloads overall, but I don’t know those exact figures.-320 impressions-84 plays (can only be 30 seconds)-97.5% completion rate… meaning those who tune in finish listening. Trump signs a deal, OIL goes down and GOLD goes up… but I thought GOLD was a contrarian play in times of uncertainty?New York Knicks win!Carolina Hurricanes win!How’s the World Cup going? Don’t know!And no workout in, but Chinese class done… nice and early: 9 am!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 Daily Setup And Headlines00:30 Life In China Update02:36 Mandarin Classes And Teachers08:25 Self Study And Dictation11:56 Tech Setup And Rough Cuts13:29 Faceless Channel And Content Pipeline23:30 Fixing AI Prompts And Rebrand24:49 Podcast Analytics And Hosting Plans30:59 Gold Oil And Options Talk36:21 Sports Roundup And Sign Off

Workouts in! The QR scanner worked! So… how long do you stay in the gym if you know it’s priced PER VISIT?Thinking about a YouTube rebrand… something a little more… generic? Or, generically specific!You’re doing social wrong! Boost those posts that go viral! Send them to your website! TikTok shorts going crazy!New podcast app for Chinese! Thanks teacher!And why did that Video Night in Taipei video NOT take off on TikTok? Cause I mentioned YouTube.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 New Setup Intro00:33 Podcast Focus Areas03:40 Continuity Camera Test07:58 Supplements Routine11:42 Gym QR Drama Update16:20 YouTube Rebrand Thoughts19:40 Boosting Social Posts30:24 TikTok Zero Views Mystery34:40 Chinese Podcast App40:06 Wrap Up and Links

Is GOLD dead?! Let’s take a look at those options. And a note about option pricing, especially after-market.Workout in! Went to the gym but couldn’t get in! The scanner wouldn’t recognize my QR Code! (I bought a coupon!)Pull ups done! 106, 212, 318! 1hr 1 min 34 sec, no weight vest today.Live stream in! Continuing on with the TikTonks!Sports games a go go! World Cup starts! NHL wrapping up! And the NBA causing riots… but no news on that??And a man repents! Slaughtering dogs ain’t nice! Way to go, Western media! SHAME THEM! SHAME THEM!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!00:00 Weekend Kickoff Intro00:28 Visa Countdown Plans01:19 Is Gold Dead03:40 RSI Support Bounce06:25 Tracking Sheet Disclaimers08:14 GLD Calls Explained10:22 Options Percent Illusions16:21 After Hours Volatility19:26 Gym Coupon Door Fail24:45 Workout Plans and Scheduling26:07 Book Project and Language Learning28:21 Murph Without the Vest30:45 Haircut Decision and Summer Sweat33:03 TikTok Streams to Book Draft37:24 Sports Roundup and World Cup Talk43:44 Dog Meat Festival News47:51 Closing Notes and Links

The YouTube dream is dying! Down to 5 cents a day!Steve, what would you do if someone gave you $1000?Not sure Substack live will continue. It feels a little weird. Maybe something to do every now and then.Following up from yesterday’s episode:“Money you hold with Wise, in any currency, is not insured by any deposit protection scheme, including the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) and represents an unsecured claim against Wise. Except where otherwise provided under the terms of a specific product or program, Wise owns the interest or other earnings on these investments, if any. Wise does not use balances held by its customers for operating expenses or other corporate purposes. In addition, as discussed above, the specified bank account details that we provide to you in order for you to receive funds from third parties are for accounts held by Wise and its affiliates (and we will credit your Wise Account, which is held by us, upon receipt of such funds), and are not for a bank account held by you.”-I’ve always wondered if they’ve simply used your cash as a security to make other short term investments, such as T-bills or something. In-person training? What is this?LIVE STREAMS DONE! How are they?!And found a new gym, how much?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 Substack Live Test01:30 Why Live Feels Weird05:51 Chinese Study Routine07:26 Character Writing Livestream13:22 Platform Strategy and Workflow13:34 YouTube Revenue Reality14:44 Turning Shorts Into a Book19:02 If I Got 1000 Dollars22:07 Money Printing and Silver Coins29:54 Wise Terms and Interest37:54 In Person Training Plan42:20 New Gym Pricing43:27 Wrap Up and Links

Let’s live stream this one! Will it work?! Got some ideas…Feeling sniffly! What a weekend! Is it sickness? Is it the heat? Is it China? Or is it allergies?!Off to the gym this morning, how much did it cost? (33 RMB, up from 14 RMB when I put more money on it.) Run done, 4.5 km a struggle in 35min 34 sec. Still hurtin form Friday’s workout anyway!Markets get slammed! Sell in May and go away, not June! Or… is that why they say to sell in May? EVERYTHING got hit, including GOLD and SILVER! Important question… WHY DID IT HAPPEN?! Jobs! Interest rate! AI! ELON MUSK! TRUMP! No one knows.CAD to RMB at a multi-year low! Good time to send money back to Canada! If I had some!And I’m curious, what’s the real reason governments issue silver coins? Is it just to profit off of the stamping? Can they borrow against it? Is there some sort of arbitrage that’s going on in the background?Forgot to mention, needed to provide my Canadian SIN (Social Insurance Number) to the bank on Friday. I don’t remember having to provide this before. My banks and trading accounts in Canada have requested my Chinese tax number before, so obviously they are exchanging information.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 Going Live Setup00:51 Daily Podcast Routine05:42 Why Substack Streaming08:31 AI Workflow Editing Grind11:18 Streaming From China Challenges13:38 Two Brands Language Vlog18:55 On Camera Without Editing21:38 Sniffles Allergies And Air27:29 Minute By Minute Gym Costs35:50 Markets Selloff And Gold38:23 Currency CAD To RMB42:42 Silver Coins Arbitrage47:43 Banking SIN Number Worries49:55 Wrap Up And Links

How was the health check? Did you pass?New bank account opened! CAN’T BUY GOLD! Why not? FOREIGNER!Workout in! Not only did I cycle to AND from the health check, I once again tried my modified Murph workout: a couple laps around the compound, 104 pull ups, 208 push ups, 312 squats with a 6kg weight vest, all in 1hr 5min and 8sec. Did NOT want to! Post workout elixir of coffee, cola, water, soda water, and collagen!Second thoughts on that social shopping idea… I need a new sports watch. Would I rather watch ten review videos, surf the company website, ask ChatGPT, or have someone go through all of the functions of the different watches? Or all of the above? Maybe that’s what social shopping will be like?! Maybe I misread HOW it will be employed?Latest vid only gets SIX views! WTF?! Oh, and XHS reviews my posts about Nagasaki while TikTok doesn’t even promote it!And… we have kittens 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 weekend!00:00 Cold Open Life Updates00:28 Support the Podcast02:13 Visa Health Check Runthrough04:21 Clinic Crowds and Fasting06:09 Reimbursements and Paperwork Rants07:36 Opening a New Bank Account09:20 Why Foreigners Cant Buy Gold11:19 Where to Buy Gold Instead14:28 Visa Frustrations and PR Options16:45 YouTube Earnings and Content Grind18:03 Mic Setup and Afternoon Reset18:59 Bringing Back the Murph22:34 Pullups Pushups Squats Breakdown24:18 Finishing Strong and Staying Disciplined24:44 Murph Versus Boredom26:06 Four Corners Variant27:06 Heat Training Safety28:38 Post Workout Elixir29:26 Collagen Supplement Talk30:40 Views And Algorithms31:18 Flagged Nagasaki Post35:20 Lemon8 And Crossposting36:26 Rethinking Social Shopping39:05 Garmin Watch Dilemma42:57 AI Powered Live Shopping44:45 New Kittens Update46:55 Wrap Up And Support

A quick thank you to the elderly lady from yesterday… she gave me the content for the episode!Today is that day that which we shall not speak of!Jeffery Wasserstrom on Lex Friedman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7udd0SkbSHIHealth check tomorrow, gotta go through the hoops.Workout in! 6.5 km run done in 40.57… I need a new watch. Garmin? Meta glasses?! Also got some kettlebell work done… and that knocked me out.Social shopping not taking off in North America, why not? First garage sales. Second, distance. Third, no manufacturing of the goods (we can just buy it from China). Fourth… China, you can’t make money from passive means such as ad revenue from networks, but you can in Canada and the US.And rethinking this publishing everywhere bit. Am I doing it right?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 Elderly Lady Shoutout01:38 Compound Walk Encounters04:46 Weather And Workout Update05:55 Visa Hoops And Health Check08:42 June Fourth In China09:47 Censorship And Surveillance11:19 Event Timeline And Sources16:22 Propaganda And Links Debate17:50 Buggy Internet And TikTok19:33 Background Check Hassles24:55 Publishing Doubts And Value26:28 Social Shopping China Vs West35:26 Gear Talk Garmin And Meta38:07 Creator Grind Reality Check40:14 Wrap Up And Where To Find Me

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/@stevenslanguagevlogGoogle Stock Tracker Sheethttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharingHope you have a great one!! 00:00 Birthday Bench Intro01:56 Osaka to Nagasaki Missteps03:41 Late Arrival Hotel Shuffle06:35 Why Nagasaki Matters07:39 No Japanese No Problem08:43 Ticketing PIN Disaster11:35 Train Staff Saves the Day13:54 Transfers and Shinkansen Notes17:47 First Impressions of Nagasaki19:07 Atomic Bomb Museum Visit20:33 Rebuilding and Hard Reflections23:47 Museum Context Matters24:22 Japan’s Imperial Past26:03 Nuclear Tests Aftermath27:10 Climate Change Rant27:47 Donations And Wrap28:08 Hypocenter Landmarks30:10 Livestream At Ground Zero31:49 Green City And Safety33:55 Next Stops Itinerary35:14 Osaka Bar Rejection37:11 Late Night Food Crawl41:13 Whiskey Gift Hunt43:23 Osaka Castle Birders45:05 Five Years Of Podcasting46:21 Final Sign Off

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

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