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The Bla Bla Bunker
The Bla Bla Bunker episodes
- EP48 Law School, Sleazy Bars, Gastro Life And A Dirty Dog - Isaac Starobin
Isaac Starobin owns Dirty Dog Barbeque in Prague, a very popular place that sells traditional American barbeque food.
Born in Yonkers New York Isaac's plan was to become a lawyer but he found out that he liked his part time job in a "shitty" bar and grill more than he liked school so he changed course and went to culinary school and then on to work at a Michelin star restaurant in New York City where the love was tough, very tough.He came to Prague for a holiday and got stuck like most expats do, started his business journey there where he ran a successful bar that he later sold. Only to venture on to open a restaurant which went bust and he was left with nothing but a grill and van...so he started a food truck operation taking his truck anywhere that he could find mouths to feed. That eventually became Dirty DogIsaac does not love cooking, he loves the buzz, the action, the adrenaline and cooking dead meat of an animal on an open fire gives him a chance to connect with his inner caveman...We went all over the place in our talks, hearing is believing.https://www.ddbbq.cz/en/home/https://www.instagram.com/dirtydogbarbeque/https://www.instagram.com/dirtydogisaac/https://www.facebook.com/ddstreetfoodhttps://www.facebook.com/Blablabunkerhttps://www.instagram.com/theblablabunker/https://www.youtube.com/theblablabunker1 hr 40 min - EP47 Turkey today, Erdoğan, LGBTQ and Kebab - Ivak Cagil (Part 2)
Ivak is a Turkish photographer and filmmaker in Prague who also works for a living in a "real job" as his mom told him he would have to do when he got interested in arts back home in Bursa in Turkey.
In this Part 2 out of 2 episodes we discussed how Turkey today is a melting pot of very diverse cultures of conservative religious groups vs then more liberal groups in and around the bigger cities in the western part of the country.Unless you have been to Istanbul you probably would not imagine that some of the biggest celebrities, actors and singers are openly gay. And this is just one of the examples of the contrast in this society.We discussed Erdoğan the controversial president of Turkey, what he has done right, what he is doing wrong and where the real political power rests in the country.
And there is no talk about Turkey without the classic Kebab question being discussed...Ivak's photos are herehttps://www.instagram.com/monolumia/https://www.ivak.org/The Bunkerhttps://www.facebook.com/Blablabunkerhttps://www.instagram.com/thebunkerprague/https://www.youtube.com/theblablabunker1 hr 21 min - EP46 The Ottoman Empire, Atatürk and the Turkish Raids - Ivak Cagil (Part 1)Ivak is a Turkish photographer and filmmaker in Prague who also works for a living in a "real job" as his mom told him he would have to do when he got interested in arts back home in Bursa in Turkey.In this Part 1 out of 2 episodes, he told me about the Ottoman empire that stretched so far into Europe, The Middle East and Northern Africa that they called the Mediterranean sea their "lake". What does such a glorious past do to a nation?We discussed how Ataturk changed and modernised Turkey and how that created a rift in the social fabric that still exists today.And a lot more....In Part 2 that is out in 4 days we discuss Turkey today, Erdogan, Gay and Trans people in Turkey and the classic kebab question that every Turk gets...Ivak's photos are herehttps://www.instagram.com/monolumia/https://www.ivak.org/The Bunkerhttps://www.facebook.com/Blablabunkerhttps://www.instagram.com/thebunkerprague/https://www.youtube.com/theblablabunker1 hr 3 min
- EP45 The DJ that became a NASDAQ CEO - JR Smith / Adams TraktorWho Shot JR?
JR Smith is a venture capitalist, he owns multiple startups, sits on boards of tech companies and has published books on cybersecurity and privacy. JR is also behind Adams Traktor, a music project formed to explore, expand, and in many ways bend the music genres that have influenced progressive modern music.
JR told me about his family background, how he slacked at school and got into DJing and promoting that he spent 12 years doing. During that time the Grunge was getting started in Seattle and he saw all the big names before they were big, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains etc.When the mobile phones were catching on JR got into that industry in the US with zero knowledge but the right attitude and that eventually led him to come to Prague in 1997 to help build up mobile networks in over 10 countries.Then AVG the antivirus company knocked on the door with an opportunity that became a great success story as JR led that company to amazing astronomical growth and eventually a stock exchange listing on NASDAQ 8 years later. Some of the shareholders of AVG got 800 times their investment over the period that JR led the business....a lot of people became very rich. JR explained to me how one makes such success happen, how it is to fire people who do not dance along and what is key to success in his eyes.After leaving AVG JR needed a new mountain to climb so he went back to his passion, music and started the Adams Traktor project where he had to start almost from scratch, learning guitar, learning to sing, learning to write songs and how to work in a studio.You hear Adams Traktor's songs on the episodehttps://www.adamstraktor.com/https://soundcloud.com/user-263359563https://www.instagram.com/adamstraktor/https://www.facebook.com/AdamsTraktorMusichttps://open.spotify.com/artist/0bxkS8BDIInKRx9IyeukVxhttps://www.facebook.com/bunkerpraguehttps://www.instagram.com/thebunkerprague/2 hr 40 min - EP44 The rebel actress that became a coach - Magdalena Vokáčová
Magdalena Vokáčová is the owner of Magdalena Vokacova (vokacova.com), Psychological Coach, Trainer, Consultant, Art Therapist and a writer.
Her ability is to look beneath the surface of things. And she can recognize and connect unexpected contexts, some people have even asked her if she is some sort of a fortune teller!
She visited my Bla Bla Bunker and we discussed her life, the loss of her father when she was 8, how that shaped her and got her into philosophy at a very young age. She set out to be an actress as a rebellious act to swim against the family tradition of helping others but found out she was better in the audience than on the stage...A flight to Thailand led her to dedicate her career to coaching and she works with companies, individuals and couples on whatever issues they have. She also trains other coaches and has worked internationally with brands such as Exxon, O2, KPMG and Nestlé.We talked about what coaching is, for whom it is, who should consider it, what companies need from coaches, what couples need from coaches and a million other things! We even did a breathing exercise...https://vokacova.com/https://www.facebook.com/vokacovamagdalenahttps://www.instagram.com/magdalena.vokacova1 hr 41 min - EP43 Communism, gay rights and white middle aged men - Oliver McGillickOliver McGillick's career is centered around the live music industry - producing shows with international & local artists of all sorts such as: Iggy pop, Sting, Kasabian, The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, Kraftwerk, and Tom Odell.He was born in Australia where his mother had emigrated to from Communist Czech Republic. Oliver got to experience both worlds, Australia and a fast evolving Czech Republic in its infancy after the Velvet Revolution that marked the end of communism in the country.Oliver is one of the main people behind the freedom festival that is held every year in Prague to remind people that freedom is invaluable, and what the communist regime did here until 89 was something that will mark the nation for years to come.Oliver is gay and told me how it was for him to come out, how he see's the gay community, what rights are missing and what is maybe going overboard. We also discussed hyper correctness and political correctness and what impact that has on us as humans with instincts and needs.And we also planned my parade of white hetero sexual middle aged men.......https://www.instagram.com/olivermcgillick/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCAK4nxNRIv4-4aUOR9dIKA/featured1 hr 45 min
- EP42 From Abuse in Asia to Psychic reading in Prague - Kathlyn Chua
Stories of family abuse are always tragic, nobody comes out of that unharmed.
Kathlyn Chua is one of those victims.Born and raised in Singapore, Katlyn was subject to mental and physical abuse from her father, she was bullied at school and the system failed her. She ended up getting a restraining order on her father at the age of 21 and eventually moved from Singapore to Prague where she started her ongoing healing process.As a part of that she got into Tarot cards, Rune and Oracle deck readings and now helps other people identifying trauma, discovering their talents, making hard choices and career decisions etc. Katlyn also connects with the dead, she can see past lives and feels things that most of us do not feel.She told me her personal story, about Asian family culture, her past live as an inhabitant of the Northern world, feminism, dating and how her dead grandfather c0ckblocked her !https://www.nuwatarot.com/https://www.facebook.com/nuwatarothttps://www.instagram.com/nuwatarot/https://www.facebook.com/bunkerpraguehttps://www.instagram.com/thebunkerprague/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM63nbcoT1v4M-C0p8REySA1 hr 56 min - EP41 From Trainspotting to Afghanistan - Alexander Bongartz
Alexander Bongartz has dedicated his life to the military, he is a Royal Commando, a Green Beret.
He was one of the first ones in when the war started in Afghanistan and he has spent the past 20 years fighting wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.He explained to me the training, is it like in the movies with the floors scrubbed with a toothbrush? The fears, what goes through your mind when the enemy is outside your camp throwing in grenades to try and kill you? How do you get back to some sort of normal after this?And why on earth do you do this? In his case it was a simple matter of 3 meals and a roof over his head, something he could not always have as a kid in Scotland and Wales.And so much more...https://www.facebook.com/Blablabunkerhttps://www.instagram.com/theblablabunker/https://www.youtube.com/theblablabunker2 hr 2 min - EP40 The Russian Wedding Singer - Uliana Elina
Uliana Elina was born in the Soviet Union, she is a true Jackie Of All Trades, she has been a customs officer in Russia, published a metal album, is a mom, former beauty queen, salesperson, translator, teacher, actress and a wedding singer.
Uliana visited my podcast, told me how life was under communism, how her parents kept the surface clean while beneath it all there was violent physical and mental abuse. She wanted to be in music but didn't get any support and being a musician wasn't a "real" job anyway...so the parents won and she graduated with a degree as a customs officer!There was corruption during communism but it didn't stop there, she told me how the customs officers were openly corrupt, how the system in Russia is broken, why we in the West see Russia as an enemy and how she feels the Russian people do not know what they want so they believe in the leader blindly.She wanted to leave so she eventually after a long struggle got a visa to move to Prague, during that time she made her first album with a metal band in Russia.We talked about her band, Aurora Party Band, that she started with her boyfriend in Prague. How other musicians see bands like her as the bottom of the barrel, how her band went from local band to a European event band and how it is to have to know a million songs and sing them for drunk guests at weddings!And much morehttps://www.instagram.com/aurorapartyband/https://www.facebook.com/aurorapartybandhttps://soundcloud.com/uliana-elinahttps://www.instagram.com/elina_uliana_official/https://www.instagram.com/uli_elina/https://www.facebook.com/Blablabunkerhttps://www.instagram.com/theblablabunker/https://www.youtube.com/theblablabunker2 hr 37 min - EP39 Life after military, Israel vs Palestine now and in the future - Yoav Haruvizep
This is my second part of talking with Yoav Haruvizepa.
In this episode we talk about his time in the military, which is mandatory for all Israeli citizens and the traditions that they follow after finishing that duty. Yoav tried life in Texas but eventually went back home to Israel, found love but they both wanted to leave as they felt that the country was not on the right path.We discussed the conflict that Israel has with the Palestinians and Hamas, the roles of the Kibbutz in the settlements of new territories. How it is to live in fear, what he thinks about this conflict and if religion is preventing any more peaceful way forward.How will this end? How will history judge this? Has there ever been a peaceful creation of nations without victims? What would Yoav do and feel if he was in the shoes of the Palestinians....Check also part 1 (EP38) where we discuss the Holocaust, Yoav's childhood in the Kibbutz and the creation of Israel.https://www.facebook.com/Blablabunkerhttps://www.instagram.com/theblablabunker/https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlaBlaBunker1 hr 35 min
About The Bla Bla Bunker
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to The Bla Bla Bunker, a podcast featuring interviews with regular people who have extraordinary stories to tell.
The host, Almar Hilmarsson, is one of them. In 25 years he’s gone from Icelandic lawyer and airline CEO to tattooed, bearded meat enthusiast with a startup in Central Europe. On the way, he’s made plenty of stops, and cultivated a habit of running into interesting people and asking them interesting questions.
Nothing is off limits in the Bla Bla Bunker, and Almar may ask questions that most people wouldn’t dare to ask.