The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

Recorded the last little bit of Episode 42, final mix and export. Should be good for tomorrow. Smog is clearing, wind is up. Ukrainian class, how was it? Rough. Did look at some tech and decided to go on the cheaper end of things. Synodi and Nektar LX25 Mini. Why not Maschine+? Or Akai MPC+? Tooth is hurting… I hope this is just a change in the seasons! Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com H...

New month! here we go! Is the beard gone?! Nope. Kinda haven’t even been thinking about that. But is it men’s health awareness month. Creative season starts.. NaNoWriMo - writing a book in a month, or trying to anyway. Will write it on… Twitter? Or Substack? Considering upgrading some tech, Maschine+, Akai MPC, or just use the iPad? Some things to think about. Episode 42 basically done… now who’s...

12-hour work days continue! Smog still here, leaves are nice and the ginko trees stink! They’re washing windows on the compound while the delivery guys get their bikes locked up for riding around the compound.  New key lock installed but not functioning just yet. Short story after tonight’s episode. Dagon, by HP Lovecraft. Thinking ahead, just how much can you actually plan? Show notes n tracks up...

Very not busy weekend! How enjoyable! Episode 42, third of the way through which means it won’t get released till later this week. Some burger fest was going on, Halloween parties, and… smog. Lots of smog! Workouts in! 6.5km (I think) at lunch + steel club, rope work, jumps, pushups and pistol squat negatives. After work: slow kbells, mace and club Newsletter out! All about how not to expat. Weigh...

Halloween weekend… snow in Canada already! How I tried to get the podcast done… and it just couldn’t. It sounds better as a result, but it is taking longer than I’d like. PSB visit: how was it? New way to apply: go to Beijing Fortune Centre (one of the big tall buildings), if you don’t have photos already taken then head over to the photo shop beside the bank on the main floor, 30 RMB, then up to...

Feeling better? How long will it last? Halloween upon us, what to do? Do you do anything? Is this date even needed? Residence permit renewal, tomorrow is the day. Gotta prep documents. Fyi, I couldn’t print from Wechat so I had to export the webpage to Safari AND THEN export that to the desktop to print properly. Another reason I hate iOS. After work run, just gotta move! What’s worse on the off d...

How’s the weight going? Is the coffee extract working? Stuffed up for some reason, is it allergies or sickness?  Working on Episode 42, got the project set up again. Workouts in! 5.5km run Medicine ball x 45 sec, 15 sec rest Plyometrics (jumping around) x45 sec, 15 sec rest x2.5 rounds After work kettle bells and hangs Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good one! --- Send in a voice...

Are you shopping this year? Double 11? Christmas? Black Friday (can we still say that?) TikTok Shop… any good? It’s all the rage here in China. Douyin, Kuaishou, Taobao, Jingdong, all the major platforms are selling through TV. Not as set up as old-school infomercials but just as hard-selling. https://www.wsj.com/tech/amazon-tiktok-online-shopping-rivals Sounds from the S’pore… never did post any!...

Is that smog or just another fragrance in the air? Could that be the reason behind the sickness this weekend? Workouts in! 6.5 km with a 6.13 pace Watching The Godfather, and why was it Tessio? And was it Carlo, or his other girlfriend? Tom Hagen eventually gets drowned, apparently doesn’t appear in Godfather 3. Get ready for Double 11! Newsletter out! All about my trip to Singapore. What is the d...

Over 650 episodes done! Or somewhere around there. Down to 80.7! Green coffee might have an effect! More people coming in, other people leaving, considering things to come over the next few years. How often should you change you job? Workouts in! Lunchtime: 1.6 km run (weighted 6 kg vest) 64 pull pus 128 push ups 192 squats (I hate doing this type of math) another 1.6 km run THEN: -inside for anot...

Back to work! Green Coffee working? Dropped weight! Stress of multiple, continuous meetings (pic) HBR magazine Ashvagandha - creeping stress, why not just have a drink? What if… the Audio Blog YouTube channel contained all the wonderful thinks and thoughts I had during the day or whenever recording? A little bit of show prep? A little tease of the show? It wouldn’t be much more involved than what...

I only got three things done: made a new show card for the audio blog, went to the bank to wire money to Canada (three hours!), worked out while listening to a podcast, then made dinner. Plus, the usual walk in the morning with Chinese flash cards. Workouts in! 6.5 km Medicine ball + rope work Slow kettlebells indoors using the 20 kg What were those supplements I got from Singapore? Bacopa extract...

Last day in Singapore National Museum of Singapore, exploring the history of the city and how it came to be. Is China trying to replicate this in each of its major centres? Changi airport: how was it? Singapore, what did I learn? Bought a T-shirt… should complement the one I bought ten years ago? Would we go again? Talk with a guy who is living at the hostel for the time being. What’s it like to b...

Back in the Jing! Colder here! And must be tired, 20 minute nap turns into 4 hours! Midnight flight = busy arrival time! How was Universal Studios? Waterworld, Donkey from Shrek was just a computer image, rides were fun, only Cyclone had a long wait time. Waited 40 minutes for Sesame Street… just bad planning. Night safari at the zoo, too! Two parts: tram ride then walk through. National Museum of...

Friday the 13th! Doesn’t matter when you travel  Little Caesar’s for lunch! Five Guys for dinner! Aieeee! Over 18,000 steps. Will try to do a run tomorrow, want to do a video of Chinatown in the morning. National Gallery walk through, not into. Can always go back on Sunday. Fort Canning: the Japanese took over the island. Released in 1945, then anti-colonial sentiment festered  Students rebel - Si...

Egg tarts, century eggs and no bringing in outside food! Put your trays away! Museum visit to the Museum of Asian Civilizations: two tours Why was Prophet Mohammed the last? Such commitment: cut his arm off because the guy was jealous, and so the calligrapher tried the brush to his arm stump and kept going! Supplements: plasmalogen = brain food. Quantitative and Comparative Investigation of Plasma...

13.68km run in morning, though only ran 10 of it. (Took 2 hrs 17 min 52 sec.) Coconuts are cool Botanical Gardens all day.  Seed dispersal: zoochory, hydrochory, autochory, anemochory How did flowers know/ evolve to attract birds? Those are the ones that evolved and survived. Song Fa for dinner, famous Singaporean bone soup place, obvs more than just bone soup. Starbucks for dessert, chocolate chu...

Knackered!  Little India for the day. Tekka Center, Mustafa Center, lots of food, great to be eating Indian food again, bought some spices and curries to take back. Also, ghee and coconut milk-spread? Apparently a Singaporean thing. Indians are buying gold aplenty. Deepavali is starting. Did a run yesterday, will try again tomorrow. Lots of gyms around too. Bike sharing is present, but not as flex...

From Singapore! Recording outside near the rain! How has it been? I don’t remember many specifically of being here before, but the generalities I recall. This thunderstorm brings back memories. Midnight flight, how was it? Very humid on Sunday, basically went through all of my clothes so had to do laundry. Had a meeting today so was indoors all day, and now it’s raining. I’m outside cause there’s...

Connection issues… End of the work week for sure this time as I’m off for yet another week! Don’t get jealous, this isn’t a paid vacation! Other people have to work. The Beijinger had an article explaining why China shifts its work days and it basically comes down to  Workouts in! -6.5km run at lunch, weighted = seemed keep the heart rate lower than if I ran without a vest -Back up to the apartmen...

What is the excitement of travel preparation other than trying to finish everything in your fridge before you leave? Did you know you can buy rights to music royalties? Apparently there are quite a few for sale, though in my glance through it, I didn’t recognize too many names, My Chemical Romance being one exception. Financials, rights, media, included tracks, etc. Interesting https://www.wsj.com...

Preparations for Singapore begin! Chinatown I guess, though all of the hostels look nice. How about the Raffles? Other hotels include The Strand in Yangoon and The Eastern and Oriental in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Seen them all, never stayed. Episode 41 in the works! Shorter episode, trying to convert / align audio today. Workouts in! Lunchtime: 5km run Medicine ball Push ups Pistol squat nega...

Moon cakes made! Late, but we tried. Moving around files and prepping Episode 41. Singapore next week, haven’t been in a while! Expat life, what is it about it? Last day before the noise starts again, or is that this weekend? Mainland stock market closed for the rest of the week. Gotta find a new language partner. 心灵手巧：deft and clever 把天聊死了：dead communication Thanks for listening! Show...

Trillion stars: depressing or inspiring? Steve Bartlett podcast, young CEO, social media company  I gotta up my podcast game: mics, cameras, lights, production, everything Thinking of rearranging the apt in some ways to make more room, or at least fit more stuff in. Workout(s) in: Outside -6.5km run -rope work -high steps, push ups and pistol squat negatives Inside -mace bell and club swings Newsl...

Late but done! Out with the boys, some returnees from abroad! WTF recruiters around LiangMa? Another video hits it off: BC AD BCE CE, almost 2000 views Quiet! Very nice. Plans? Workout slowed down, only did a slow paced run. Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Happy Mid-Autumn Festival and have a great weekend! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stevensirsk...