Had a burst of inspiration last week and reached out to a fellow Twitter-er by the name of Hikosaemon. He agreed to be on my podcast and this is the result! Hikosaemon has been in Japan for over 22 years and hosts his own news show live on YouTube every Sunday night at 10.30 pm Japan Standard Time. Other than his news show, he hosts other videos and blogs, makes his own music, and maintains a constant presence on Twitter. Today we were able to sit down and talk about life in Japan and China, what it’s like to learn Japanese and Chinese, and a few other things about living as an expat. This is a shorter show, clocking in at around 71 minutes so I hope you enjoy! Full show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp15-vlogger-hikosaemon/

Guest Owen Johnston, a self-described 'unremarkable man' who watched a lot of movies during lockdown, discusses his experience and thoughts on good and bad movies. They also chat about their meeting, technical issues, and funny stories including a tent mishap, milk beer, and mic'ing eating scenes in films. The speakers share their movie watching habits, frustrations in the film industry, personal stories, and movie discoveries. They touch on themes, French animation, lockdown stories, and failed murder attempts.

Journalist Chen Caiwei joins the podcast to discuss learning another language, dating on Tinder, music and culture in China and abroad, and life as a student overseas. They also dive into topics such as language proficiency expectations, perceptions of thanking in a foreign language, misconceptions about Guo Mal, exploring Chinatown, cultural appropriation in K-pop, the power dynamics in social media platforms, managing social media usage, the presence of trolling and uplifting content on social media, and critiquing Chinese culture.

Experienced music industry professional and studio owner, Jake Sacher, discusses working in the studio, the current music scene, how the internet changed things for everyone, and his advice for musicians who want to make a career in the music industry. They also talk about setting up the studio, successful productions by Ice River Films, farming out work, involvement with keyboards, the emergence of a new subgenre in death metal, and the evolution of media platforms and the impact of the internet on the music industry.

Former colleague and good friend Steve Blaque, a singer-songwriter who has been in China for nearly 20 years, sits down with the host for a lengthy conversation. They discuss music production, the use of AI drummers and bassists, challenges with live streaming and tech support, techniques for creating a stronger sound, covering songs and its ethical considerations, swing and rhythm in jazz music, understanding Chinese characters and listening skills, miscommunication in English, rapid development and population growth in Beijing, reverse racism, and financial considerations.