The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

By Steven SirskiSociety & Culture Places & Travel

The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski episodes

October 19, 2023 SSAB - October 19, 2023
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’m doing now.

And where’s my money? Oh… Vancoucer… you’re holding it. Fk m lyf

Also wondering if maybe I should group together some of these audio brilliances into an anthology of sorts so people can listen to just the travel portions or just the interviews from the travels.

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good one!
26 min
October 18, 2023 SSAB - October 18, 2023
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 (for memory) - Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine both have it. Apparently it helps the memory which I thought would be good for learning Chinese (just trying to get an edge). BUT, can decrease fertility and usually isn’t taken for more than 12 weeks.
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589635/
Ashvagandha extract (stress wellness) - apparently calming but I seemed to have gone the opposite way as my anxiety levels skyrocketed today. Didn’t help that I was at the bank trying to do a wire transfer which is always a nerve-wracking experience.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252722/
Green coffee bean (for weight loss) - According to the package “contain at least a minimum of 55% Chlorogenic Acid which is what causes weight loss. It reduces sugar absorption and increases metabolic (fat burning) rate, causing rapid weight loss.”
How is this different from fasting for extended periods of time?
Will the caffeine affect my sleep?
Will it help reduce body fat or will it have an affect on muscle gains / retention as well?
Cholorgenic acid - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8705492/
Results of a study aiming at green coffee extract’s effect on blood glucose and insulin concentrations (nothing detected!) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25592006/
Why did I buy them?
Spotify taking down episodes! Can’t mix music with podcasts! Good thing I have these backed up on my site. But what if that goes down? How do I backup the backup?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
27 min
October 18, 2023 SSAB - October 17, 2023
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 be a digital nomad? And why Singapore?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
49 min
October 17, 2023 SSAB - October 16, 2023
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 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?

THEN the Gf tells me she didn’t like the fact that I went for a run Saturday morning when we were supposed to be going to Universal. Missed three rides as a result!

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one and safe travels!
26 min
October 13, 2023 SSAB - October 13, 2023
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 - Singapore independence 1966. What is it about students and rebellions? Did any one of them become the next leader?

Out to Orchard Road… shopping district. How much stuff do you need to buy in a globalized and internet-connected world? Maybe would be better if the Chinese yuan wasn’t being devalued.

Not everybody is on their cell phone all the time. Old Chinese couple in the hostel? All day watching Douyin. And if they are, they still talk with each other.

A lot of active people and midriffs

Molestation and bomb awareness campaigns on the subway. Ads on how to behave.

Tomorrow, Universal & The Zoo

If you’re coming over from China, check Taobao, Meituan and other Chinese travel apps to see if you can find deals. Yes, you’ll need to be able to read Chinese… or at least know how to take screenshots and translate them.

Aaaaannnddd bonus feature! An interview with a Mother and Daughter staying at the hostel in town to find a university, but also on a modelling gig. Mini Sr and Jr agreed to have a little talk about life as a model, what mechanical engineering and programming is really like, and how a Mother can encourage her children to follow their strengths and dreams. Following this episode!

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good weekend!
48 min
October 12, 2023 SSAB - October 12, 2023
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 Plasmalogen ...

“Livestock and poultry showed abundant total plasmalogen (530.83–944.94 nmol/g), higher than fish (46.08–399.75 nmol/g) and mollusk (10.00–384.76 nmol/g). While fish and mollusk samples expressed healthier fatty acyl composition, with higher eicosapentaenoyl and more beneficial n-6/n-3 ratio than the land animal meats, especially for squid and octopus, with eicosapentaenoyl of 98.4% and 94.5%, respectively.”

Not sure if you’re parents ever told you that chicken and fish were brain foods… well, cause they’re full of these supplements.

Chinese people and the VOA to Malaysia.

Are silver coins worth it?

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good one!
25 min
October 11, 2023 SSAB - October 11, 2023
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 chunk cookie and a scone with butter and jam.

Talked to one lady who does research on volcanoes for the university. Partner is an engineer but currently not in S’pore. Rent is high, wages haven’t kept pace. Weather is always hot but she’s been here for eight years.

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good one!
22 min
October 10, 2023 SSAB - October 10, 2023
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 flexible as Beijing.

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good one!
21 min
October 09, 2023 SSAB - October 9, 2023
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 no one nearby.

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good one!
21 min
October 07, 2023 SSAB - October 6, 2023
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 apartment for ONLY 10 weighted pull ups / push ups / squats as I had to get going.
-After work kbell lifts
-Overall, the shorter lunchtime workout did mean I had more energy for the evening workout. Will look at different workouts I could fit in everyday as things will get busy once again.

Episode 41 is done and dusted! Curt Hamilton returns to Beijing and stops by the studio to talk about his new expat life in Ethiopia. He’s been gone for eight months and has had quite the experience in Addis Ababa, from having cell phones stolen to making sure he gets a receipt to trying the different foods available around town. Listen in to find out what life is like in Ethiopia!

Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Have a good weekend!
24 min