The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

Steven Sirski

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Places & Travel

The daily musings of an expat in Beijing.

10h ago

SSAB - June 9, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great one!! 00:00 Substack Live Test 01:30 Why Live Feels Weird 05:51 Chinese Study Routine 07:26 Character Writing Livestream 13:22 Platform Strategy and Workflow 13:34 YouTube Revenue Reality 14:44 Turning Shorts Into a Book 19:02 If I Got 1000 Dollars 22:07 Money Printing and Silver Coins 29:54 Wise Terms and Interest 37:54 In Person Training Plan 42:20 New Gym Pricing 43:27 Wrap Up and Links

45 min
1d ago

SSAB - June 8, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great one!! 00:00 Going Live Setup 00:51 Daily Podcast Routine 05:42 Why Substack Streaming 08:31 AI Workflow Editing Grind 11:18 Streaming From China Challenges 13:38 Two Brands Language Vlog 18:55 On Camera Without Editing 21:38 Sniffles Allergies And Air 27:29 Minute By Minute Gym Costs 35:50 Markets Selloff And Gold 38:23 Currency CAD To RMB 42:42 Silver Coins Arbitrage 47:43 Banking SIN Number Worries 49:55 Wrap Up And Links

52 min
4d ago

SSAB - June 5, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great weekend! 00:00 Cold Open Life Updates 00:28 Support the Podcast 02:13 Visa Health Check Runthrough 04:21 Clinic Crowds and Fasting 06:09 Reimbursements and Paperwork Rants 07:36 Opening a New Bank Account 09:20 Why Foreigners Cant Buy Gold 11:19 Where to Buy Gold Instead 14:28 Visa Frustrations and PR Options 16:45 YouTube Earnings and Content Grind 18:03 Mic Setup and Afternoon Reset 18:59 Bringing Back the Murph 22:34 Pullups Pushups Squats Breakdown 24:18 Finishing Strong and Staying Disciplined 24:44 Murph Versus Boredom 26:06 Four Corners Variant 27:06 Heat Training Safety 28:38 Post Workout Elixir 29:26 Collagen Supplement Talk 30:40 Views And Algorithms 31:18 Flagged Nagasaki Post 35:20 Lemon8 And Crossposting 36:26 Rethinking Social Shopping 39:05 Garmin Watch Dilemma 42:57 AI Powered Live Shopping 44:45 New Kittens Update 46:55 Wrap Up And Support

49 min
5d ago

SSAB - June 4, 2026

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=7udd0SkbSHI Health 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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great one!! 00:00 Elderly Lady Shoutout 01:38 Compound Walk Encounters 04:46 Weather And Workout Update 05:55 Visa Hoops And Health Check 08:42 June Fourth In China 09:47 Censorship And Surveillance 11:19 Event Timeline And Sources 16:22 Propaganda And Links Debate 17:50 Buggy Internet And TikTok 19:33 Background Check Hassles 24:55 Publishing Doubts And Value 26:28 Social Shopping China Vs West 35:26 Gear Talk Garmin And Meta 38:07 Creator Grind Reality Check 40:14 Wrap Up And Where To Find Me

41 min
6d ago

SSAB - June 3, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great one!! 00:00 Back in Beijing Reset 00:26 Visa Run Life Explained 05:51 Beijing Heat and Routine 08:13 Gym App and Home Workouts 14:18 Why Gyms Still Matter 19:00 Next Trip and Visa Plans 21:21 Livestream Trouble in China 24:01 Censorship Dates and Code Words 31:12 Content Strategy and Platforms 39:00 Chinese Chats with Neighbors 47:19 Wrap Up and Links

49 min
Jun 2

SSAB - June 2, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great one!! 00:00 Back in Beijing Update 01:52 Heat Humidity and Housing Costs 04:31 Gold Silver and Missed Trades 11:12 Exhaustion Workouts and Sleep 13:36 Job Application Costly Paperwork 16:27 Name Mismatch Transcript Trouble 20:43 Rubio Name Hack and Workarounds 25:55 YouTube Views and Livestream Strategy 29:26 Gary Vee Multiple Accounts Plan 38:51 Visa Countdown and Registration 40:02 Who Really Thinks China Future 44:05 Wrap Up and Links

45 min
Jun 1

SSAB - June 1, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great start of month!! 00:00 Back to Beijing 00:35 Visa Run Recap 02:32 Travel Language Reality 05:17 YouTube Monetization Push 11:08 Taipei Wrap Up 14:47 Unpacking Rituals 18:05 Shanghai Layover Blues 19:28 VPN Meltdown 22:40 China Work Limits 24:03 Income Stream Frustrations 25:05 YouTube Versus China Apps 25:43 Online Work Access Debate 26:45 Flights And Chatting 29:16 VPNs That Actually Work 31:55 Airport Internet Meltdown 33:26 Entering China Visa Talk 36:09 Fitness Travel Routine 41:47 New Watch Content Ideas 43:43 Beijing Plans And Streams 45:25 Thai Festival Reality Check 46:55 Wrap Up And Links

48 min
May 29

SSAB - May 29, 2026

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.com And on Notion: https://stevensirski.notion.site/SSAB-The-Audio-Blog-of-Steven-Sirski-00acfe344e164bfab191d3cddf6952b2?pvs=4 Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog Google Stock Tracker Sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing Hope you have a great end of month!! 00:00 Taipei Delay Confession 00:27 Meet Steven And The Podcast 02:30 Why I Never Posted Travel Footage 04:19 My New Four Day Travel System 05:33 No Deadlines One More Night 06:48 Taipei 101 Content Grind 08:03 Monetization And Producer Shoutouts 09:27 Booking Back To Beijing 14:24 Travel Fatigue And Visa Plans 17:17 Tomorrow Shanghai Then Train 19:14 Nonlinear Posting And Livestream Risks 23:45 Famous YouTuber Encounter 27:41 Apple Store Creator Tech Memory 29:39 Guns and Dance Practice 32:11 Making Travel Pay on YouTube 34:01 Go and It Works Out 37:19 Money Mindset and Insurance 40:12 Everything Is Content 42:16 Taipei First Impressions 44:21 Heat, Rain, and Shade 47:28 Food, Walkability, and Transit 50:16 Poverty and a Buffet Surprise 53:01 Would I Return to Taipei 53:51 Ferries and Energy Saving ATMs 55:41 Hostel Wrap Up and Sign Off

57 min

Trailer

The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski (Trailer)

The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

07/29/2021

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1 min

The daily musings of an expat in Beijing.

Creator

Steven Sirski
Years Active

2021 - 2026
Episodes

1.3K
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Steven Sirski
Show Website

The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski