SSAB – July 3, 2023
Sitting in a hotel room just outside of Edmonton
A nervous feeling throughout, as if this is the one and only
Four years out, and this is it. To see everybody once again and pick up where we left off.
Stayed away from the drink quite a bit, wanted to see if I could ‘hack’ jet lag. I think I’ve done a good job. Zinc before bed, just one tablet.
Why haven’t I been using fish oil? Wouldn’t that help with brain fog?
Been taking naps during the day.
Things have kinda gone without a hitch, so it’s been good. A pleasant reintroduction to Canada.
May hang around Edmonton for a few days and see how the city is.
It’s nice to have some money for hotels.
Modern technology, from cell phones to Air Drop to airplanes to the diversity of jobs around the world, amazing.
On getting old(er), life, and what matters.
Remember my hesitation to go? Having settled in, it’s been alright, but I did need to get past thinking about it and let it go.
But how far away do you live and how long do you go back for? What would bring you back?
Show notes n tracks up on the website stevensirski.com
Have a good week and Happy Canada Day and Independence Day!
SSAB – July 4, 2023
Happy USAmerican Independence Day Jet lagged! Do you know how dominoes work? It’s an actual game! Work stuff kinda done. Bourbon and how it’s made. Collecting stuff, keeping stuff, what gives? Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – July 5, 2023
Why is everybody wearing an Apple Watch? Insurance! Hey, did you do to that mall in Edmonton? Yes, West Edmonton Mall. HUGE place and that’s how you do a mall experience! The Royal Alberta Museum… my uncle is kinda famous, or at least known amongst the agricultural community. Downtown Edmonton, how was it? Kinda sketchy, but kinda empty. Rogers Place, now home to the Edmonton Oilers, known for their Stanley Cup dynasty with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Rick Lowe, and Grant Fuhr. Cannabis learning, plus an interview with Tara from Plantlife Cannabis Show notes have been delayed getting put up on the site, but all others can be found on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – July 6, 2023
Almost to Winnipeg!
Lloydminster, Alberta/Saskatchewan – houses on the right, businesses on the left
Sound clips: Downtown Edmonton at the beginning, Heritage Trails at the end
Correction about yesterday’s episode: it’s life insurance that pays for your iWatch
Regina tonight and what does the middle of Canada look like? It gets pretty flat. Big farms.
How is your travelling so far?
Bourbon tasting:
- Garrison Brothers
- Red Handed – blended bourbon whiskey
- Uncle Nearest
- Jack Daniel’s
- Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea
- Angel’s Envy
- Larceny
- Four Roses Single Barrel
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
- Bulleit Bourbon Cask Strength a) straight b) one drop water c) three drops total water
To be tried
Pappy van Winkle
A.H. Hirsch Reserve
Show notes n clips up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 7, 2023
Made it! WINNIPEG! FOUR YEARS!
Burgers anyone? Chinese people often say hamburgers are Western food and that it is fast food. Welp, I’ve had one basically every single day. Gotta get moving again!
Canadian Tire for a slam ball, skipping rope and some other equipment to start cleaning things out.
What’s changed Winnipeg?
The ZOo has been knocked down and is now being turned into an apartment complex and condos, same with the former Dairy Maid down the street. Some new buildings but most of the streets are the same. Vimy Ridge Memorial, also new.
How does it feel? Kinda normal, but I still can’t help but think every thing is the last time, ie, enjoy it now.
Smells better than Beijing, much cooler, more mosquitoes, blue skies but a tinge of grey, could there be a reason to move back?
Sound clips for you: Regina in the morning.
Show notes n clips up on stevensirski.com
Have a great weekend!
SSAB – July 10, 2023
Sound clip in the morning: Winnipeg.
Lucky and Chatr, mobile sims have finally gotten easier in Canada!
Homemade chilli! First in a long time.
May have to make a return trip later this year.
What else has changed? Some houses seem to be missing.
Non-residents can open bank accounts and get credit cards… and cash advances! Woah!
Sorry about those newsletters! Time has flown as I’ve basically gone across half the country!
And a short interview with Reed who works here in Winnipeg. He didn’t want to name the company but he said he had been to China before so I asked him for a few words. Listen up after today’s show for the interview!
Hope you’re well.
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
SSAB – July 11, 2023
What’s Winnipeg like?
Cool in the morning
Sanfu in China – Izzz hot!
Toad in the Hole! Wow has this place changed!
Winnipeg! WTF is going on?!?!
Got ID’d at the LC cuz it’s mandatory?
Show notes n tracks hopefully on my site stevensirski.com
Stay safe out there!
SSAB – July 12, 2023
Current project with my language vlog: posting Chinese vids of the home town
Have been asking people what their biggest problems are with learning a language, common are vocab, grammar, finding someone to speak with, and one person said motivation. Whoever puts a face on ChatGPT first will win the next round of language learning.
11.02km run in the morning, 1 hr 11 min, first time doing that. Calves started cramping at the 9k mark and haven’t really let up.
Added a bunch of double unders and push ups. Afternoon workout included a slow workout/stretch with the 20lbs ball I got last week.
Perogies and kubasa for dinner! Church specialty.
Where are all the inspirational drum tracks?! Got a deck best for you + the sound of an airplane overhead.
Show notes n tracks hopefully on my site stevensirski.com
Stay safe out there!
SSAB – July 13, 2023
Ten ideas! I owe you four more!
For places to visit…
For things to get rid of…
Website updated, finally!
Met Connie, the elderly lady down the street, and talked for a bit
Starbucks offers refills?!
Niko’s for dinner, The Grove for pre dinner pints. Gyros with fries on top(?) and baklava for dessert! Proper good.
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 14, 2023
12 kms again in the morning! 1hr 14 min
Boxing class done! They’ve been there for years!
Dave Zellis reappears. King’s Head for a feed, good Indian food (at a British pub?)
WHAT WAS THE EXCHANGE RATE TODAY RMB TO CAD?!?
Plans for the weeks ahead
Friday night jam session?
So many places have closed down around the city
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a great weekend!
SSAB – July 17, 2023
Busy weekend again! More and more this seems like a maintenance trip! Seeing people and catching up, it’s not like I’m getting much by way of cleaning done!
Workouts in! 11km in the morning interspersed with pushups and squats then out to Pan Am Pool for my afternoon workout. Haven’t been in a gym in a long while!
WTF is a tube steak?!
Cool here in Winnipeg but will warm up next week as I’m leaving.
Created a FB page for my language vlogging channel. Been posting there quite a bit and will also start up another page for the musical works.
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 18, 2023
Winnipeg in the morning for ya
Dropped the Zoom H4n, hope it still records well!
Cleaning up and cleaning out, not as bad as I thought.
How much time do you spend valuing your stuff?
What if someone wanted to throw out your hard-drives or social media accounts? How would you respond? Your cable TV? Hey, it costs money and requires even more tech to use!
A touch sore today from yesterday’s workout.
Bubly soda water all the rage here in Canada, how do they even make it?
Setting up Global Mixtape, I’ve had this idea for years and have let it sit idle. The jam sessions you’ve heard before are similar to the idea. Now on YouTube! Bandcamp next? Patreon?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 19, 2023
Winnipeg weather
Ever think of publishing this earlier?
Run this morning, 11km total but walked the last two cause wanted to get coffee from Timmies aaaannnddd… recorded a short podcast interview with a lady who works at Pennyloaf Bakery, the place I visited yesterday. That interview follows today’s episode!
Spent the day going through all the mail that has accumulated over the last five years! There’s something to be said about electronic delivery. Also noticed that companies stopped delivering financial reports in 2021. Or did I sell the shares? Can’t remember!
Mustard on everything? Vegetables?!
Afternoon workout with the slam ball and got talking to the neighbour’s son who spends eight months of the year down in Santa Barbara! He knew of kneesovertoesguy in Instagram!
Out for the night so recording early!
And who is this interview with? Danielle currently from Pennyloaf Bakery on Corydon but soon to be with her own cake shop called The Yellow Box. Follow her on Instagram already to see what she’s up to! Interview follows!
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 20, 2023
Finally some warmer weather in Winnipeg
Washed my headphones!
Fringe festival kicks off
How was Cargo Bar at Assiniboine Park? The hummus pita nachos were pretty good. Outdoors, mosquitoes weren’t so bad
Timbits for lunch
Daly Burger for dinner
Steve, what’s happening to your health food?!? Let’s just keep in mind one thing …
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 21, 2023
End of the week means… time for a run and a workout!
Workouts in:
11.5 km in the morning with pushups n squats n jumps n stuff
Afternoon workout at Pan Am again, deadlifted 45×6+the 45 bar = 315lbs? Not bad for a first deadlift in a very long time.
Make cafe, told to go but no free refills? $4 per cup? A bit rich for me.
And how to ride a bike in Winnipeg… not the same as in Beijing!
-Helmet
-Lights
-No beer
-And use hand signals!
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 24, 2023
Slow going today, not sure why. Not eating right? The beer?
Chinese food for dinner? What’s it like?
China gives citizenship to a basketball player with Chinese ancestry, when will they come for the lemon chicken?
Some Chinese proverbs for you:
心血来潮 (xīnxuè-láicháo)
Literal translation: “Blood rushing to your heart” (in English we’d say rushing to your head)
Meaning: spur of the moment, on a whim
当断不断，反受其乱 (dāng duàn bù duàn, fǎn shòu qí luàn)
Literal Translation: When you hesitate and fail to make a decision, you will end up suffering the consequences.
Meaning: Indecisiveness leads to chaos and negative outcomes.
亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo)
Literal Translation: Mend the pen after the sheep are lost.
Meaning: It means to take corrective action or make amends after a problem has already occurred, as a way to prevent further damage.
画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú)
Literal Translation: Draw legs on a snake.
Meaning: Refers to unnecessary or superfluous efforts that may ruin something perfect or add something redundant. It implies doing more than needed, making things worse.
Another interview for you after today’s episode! Michael Bumstead from Who Dunnit? Bookstore here in Winnipeg. Why was I shopping for books? One reason…
Looking at tickets back to China, not as expensive as before, and plenty more to be had!
Show notes and tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 25, 2023
Thunderstorms all night, apparently good lightning show.
Got humid here
One week until back in China?! Surreal to be back in Winnipeg after five years. Where has time gone?!
Feedback on my chengyu from yesterday? Some people don’t like my accent. No doubt my accent has changed since leaving China.
Thinking two years ahead, am I working too hard too much and not being focused enough? I can’t help but think I can do more but, at the same time, it is just me. How much more can I expect to do?
Tried out a little ditty on the iPhone GB, have a listen.
Signed up for DistroKid and was surprised to find out you had to pay EXTRA for the YouTube copyright trawler, or whatever they call it. Plus other things you have to sign up for.
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 26, 2023
All sponsored and suggested posts on Instagram and Facebook!
Theory: the four pieces of content per day is just a big tech scam to get you using the apps. Who uses them more, creators or viewers?
Theory: Ukrainian war is a proxy for getting weapons into Africa so the US can build up its forces against the Chinese that are building up there? No Agenda Episode 1575 if you want more.
Workouts in! 12kms in the morn + slow workout in the aft.
Pizza pops for appetizers this evening, chewy steak for dinner, Mars bar slice for dessert!
Found some bandura books, now if I could get those notes copied and pasted into Logic Pro.
What else have I seen in Winnipeg? How do you even visit your hometown?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 27, 2023
Long time no see! And she’s pregnant! Ha!
Not looking forward to the long haul this weekend, how do you prep for a long flight?
Social media output: how long does it take?
Esperanto: worth it or not?
Could I come back later in the year?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – July 28, 2023
And that will do it for Canada… guess I should get going? A month, is that long enough?
Started packing, bringing some reading materials with me to keep me entertained. Monday, will I be in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Seoul, Hong Kong or somewhere else?!? Let’s hope it all goes well.
How’s this viewpoint on tips: you provided a total of five minutes of service and you want an 18% tip? On top of your regular pay? That’s all of a sudden a very good rate of pay on a per service charge!
No one wants to come to China! Well, actually what about a jaunt over to Tibet and Mount Everest?
Language vlogs up! When to restart language lessons? What to focus on next?
Workouts in, but could’ve gone harder. Feeling like I had other things to do…
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have s good weekend!
SSAB – July 31, 2023
On the way! Out of Winnipeg at 5.50am this morning, Vancouver, Seoul, and it’s STILL raining in Beijing!
Why not Winnipeg?
Yes, still get nerves while travelling.
Didn’t bring too much back with me but already I’m thinking of how to downsize.
Did I get rid of anything? SUITS! Tailor made waaay back when I was younger and thinner and less beardy.
Newsletter in the works.
Catch up with my language vlog on YouTube!
Podcast episodes in the works…
How will I take to being back in Beijing again?!?
Show notes n tracks on stevensirski.com
Safe travels!