A Year in Berlin, Top 2024 Moments, and Learning From Immigrant Parents w/ Nya | Ep 74

I sit down with myself and talk about top moments of 2024, reflecting on the crazy move from NYC to Berlin, and learning to adjust to a new environment from my immigrant family.

Also I share some life reflections, based on some of the friends and family that I lost in 2024

Timestamps
(0:31) 1 Million Views On Instagram Clip
(2:00) Living In Berlin For A Year
(6:01) Performing Standup Comedy In Multiple Countries
(7:09) Bad Allergic Reaction In Madrid And Emergency Room
(16:30) Getting Recognized And Seeing People In Real Life
(19:29) Connecting Long Lost Friends Via Podcast
(24:00) Visiting NYC For The First Time After Leaving For A Year
(30:56) Crazy Process Moving From NYC To Berlin
(34:00) Plans For 2025 And Beyond
(36:01) Life Reflections And Advice

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Third Culture Talk Podcast is about people living in different cultures. Different than the culture they are from. Culture meaning, way of life, culture a person raised in, or place of birth. Guests ranges from third culture kids, artists, to comedians, to everyday people. We all are living in changing cultures and have a story to tell

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Subscribe to Third Culture Talk Podcast YouTube channel:
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https://www.instagram.com/nyamean

Podcast Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thirdculturetalkpod/

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https://www.tiktok.com/@thirdculturetalkpod

Email: nya@nyamean.com

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Music: "Chill Day" by Lakey Inspired

Transcript

00;00;00;00 - 00;00;22;23
Unknown
This is the end of 2024 episode of the podcast. Thank you very much for listening and watching. You know, today I'm going to just spend some time about what has happened in 2024. Welcome to the Third Culture Talk podcast. I'm your host Nya Yeanafehn. In this podcast, we talk with people that are raised in a culture different than their parents, home culture or way of life or nationality.

00;00;22;26 - 00;00;41;05
Unknown
And now they're living in today's culture, which is vastly different than it is of our parents or even back in the day. So let's get in today's episode. First thing I want to say is that one of the episodes that clips one of the episodes, the one with the time, went to 1 million views. So that is a big deal.

00;00;41;08 - 00;01;01;11
Unknown
On the third call to talk pod Instagram. So thank you very much for the people that was watching. Shout out to the New Yorkers for even sharing that. That was a crazy thing to happen. Definitely at the near end of 2024, you know, because a lot of effort has been put into making this thing work. So did you see how that has been seen by that many people is dope.

00;01;01;14 - 00;01;24;02
Unknown
And some very famous people. I've seen it all, such as Jagged Edge, shout out to Jagged Edge for Showing love. Fabulous. A couple other, celebrities that have voiced their opinions on that clip. So it's about why New York is not the same anymore. So that was very, very dope. And also full circle too, because Newton and I, we did this.

00;01;24;07 - 00;01;48;23
Unknown
We started this podcast originally and then, you know, then I started doing it more and more. So it was a full circle moment to see how something that we both, you know, did something with our created. And then now it has came to a million. So full circle. So, yes, I'm here in Berlin, Germany, right now is very cold, you know, but getting used to it, you know, now things are better now.

00;01;49;01 - 00;02;10;14
Unknown
I will say, because. Sorry, that was the refrigerator. Apologize. So 2024, currently, right now, it's about a day or two before New Year's. And do you know, this year has been very interesting in terms of me knowing how to live in a new country. And it's been a year now since I've been living here in Berlin.

00;02;10;16 - 00;02;32;10
Unknown
And, you know, I must say that a lot of the things that I've learned, or some of the things I've picked up since living here, has been because majority of my family are immigrants. So seeing how they, acclimated or how they found their way coming to a new country has helped me, in effect, live here in Berlin, Germany, which is a new country for me, definitely.

00;02;32;13 - 00;03;01;16
Unknown
And yeah, just like even small things, right? Like, you know, if I'm going grocery shopping, I know exactly what to get. I don't have to know the language, but as long they got rice, Maggi cubes, sardines and meat, I'm good to go. And then from there we can build up from there. So just having family that when they came to say United States and they just took from what they learn in the home country, which is Liberia and West Africa, and then just do that here, now, here, but do that in America.

00;03;01;16 - 00;03;19;00
Unknown
That has helped me out a lot in Berlin, you know, not even having the fear, you know, because that's and that's the thing that I talk to a lot of people who've asked me about, how's it been or what kind of led you to move here to Berlin from New York City. And I just seen people my whole entire life doing that.

00;03;19;00 - 00;03;52;29
Unknown
Like, that was just kind of part of my childhood, so to speak, of just seeing people come from Liberia was during the time there was a war that was happening. So you see, just having people that have been through some of the worst, just some of the worst in that region, and then coming over to America and then building their life and just seeing that firsthand, like from coming over and just being amazed by what America has to offer to then just seeing them now have a house with kids and, you know, thriving, doing good job, having, you know, the nice situation going on and just seeing that from the ground up.

00;03;53;02 - 00;04;18;01
Unknown
And I even I going to say, oh, I'm, I'm watching from afar. But I was like in it so that, so the immigrant lifestyle or the way in which a person who immigrants from their home country to a new country, especially like from a to a Western country and then have to figure things out and, and have to live in this new environment has really helped me live in this environment here in Berlin.

00;04;18;03 - 00;04;43;07
Unknown
Now I will say it's it's cold and it it is cold on the East coast as well. So West Africa, the east coast, there's two different, climates, but here I'm always going to say it. So people have heard me say before, but here in Berlin or rest of Germany and maybe eastern countries, is that the lack of sun is something that's not to be played with.

00;04;43;10 - 00;05;10;04
Unknown
I took the sun for granted. I think the sun. I knew the sun was important. Look, I took, I went to high school. I went to went on to school, but to the level in which the deficiency of the sun. And how would it affect me? I don't think I ever experienced that, you know. So around this time last year, in 2023, I wasn't very on it when it comes to taking vitamin D, and I suffered for that.

00;05;10;04 - 00;05;29;09
Unknown
Like my body was shutting down. I couldn't think right, I couldn't I couldn't really get out of bed because I wasn't taking vitamin D. And so people told me that, hey, you should take vitamin D. And then I started doing that. And that's kind of where I'm at now, which I'm taking vitamin D all the time. I'm taking about 7500 IU of vitamin D.

00;05;29;09 - 00;05;48;11
Unknown
I do not play around. I make sure I take a lot of it all the time. So that's the so that's 2024. You know, that has been just for me, a way of now really settling in to the place that I live in now. And here are some of the big things that happened in 2024 for me.

00;05;48;13 - 00;06;07;06
Unknown
The biggest thing. So let me think back. So I want to go based not no chronological order is going to go based on just what comes to mind. That has been the biggest moments in 2024 for me. The biggest one has been me opening for my for my friend. His name is Dan for Zello. He's a comedian out of New York City.

00;06;07;06 - 00;06;30;17
Unknown
We started around the same time and he came out here and we did a couple cities. We did Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and Denmark. And that was dope to just because we know we start around the same time, right? So to just see someone who we started in his same rough places like from idols, Shrunken Head, the pit attic.

00;06;30;17 - 00;06;48;14
Unknown
Right. All these places that, you know, are not as conducive to comedy to now him doing like a tour international and seeing like the fanbase that he had. And it was like, oh my God, this is crazy. Like, did you see how much of an effect, you know, the things he's doing on social media had in real life.

00;06;48;14 - 00;07;06;08
Unknown
That was just very dope to see that, you know, and also just connecting with somebody from New York City, just like him, seeing where I'm missing, where he was at is kind of like, a meeting of minds, so to speak, of like, oh, bro, look, we here, yo, like I'm out here. You doing your thing? You are here to like, yo, let's let's do our thing.

00;07;06;08 - 00;07;28;11
Unknown
You know, shows we're very dope. So, like, it was just. It was just a good time. What was out there? I mean, aside from me getting an allergic reaction, I had a very bad allergic reaction going out to Madrid, I think I almost something could have happened. Let's just say I. I realized about myself that I'm not too good of being alarmed about certain situations, such as an allergic reaction.

00;07;28;13 - 00;07;46;16
Unknown
So basically what happened was, was in Madrid is like the first day before our first show in Madrid. Right? So walking around, we found this restaurant, Dan and I were going to his restaurant and we get some salad, get some salad. The salad has some smoked salmon, some cheese with some honey on top, you know, very fancy, yet demure.

00;07;46;16 - 00;08;06;13
Unknown
Right. And then, after that has some pizza. The pizza was good. I have some olive oil on this, on this, on the salad. And, you know, then we start walking around Madrid. And I was walking in my next hour and I'm like, man, my neck is itchy. This is this is interesting, right? You know, my neck itches sometimes, so I'm not to be alarmed.

00;08;06;13 - 00;08;21;22
Unknown
Right. So we walk in and we go to the comedy club where we're going to do the, the show the following day. Going there. I grab a beer, you know, drink a beer. I'm like, The base of my neck is itchy. And this is this is kind of interesting, right? This is I never had the base of my neck itchy before.

00;08;21;27 - 00;08;38;25
Unknown
So then, you know, we then we Luciano for a bit and as we there, my my my shoulder sticking to it, you know, my heart that the front of my shoulders is getting itchy. This is, this is kind of interesting. I wonder if I'm having an allergic reaction. So then we leave and we just walking around just to walk around.

00;08;38;25 - 00;08;55;10
Unknown
Right. This explore Madrid. And as we exploring, I'm like, The base of my nose is getting itchy. And some of this I'm saying out loud, but I'm saying it very casually to where Dan is not thinking is a big deal. You know, we just talking about like just catching up and, you know, going over the show and all the stuff that's going on.

00;08;55;17 - 00;09;12;27
Unknown
So then as we're walking again, I'm like, Now, now the side of my face is starting to get a little itchy. This is interesting. So I'm like, you know what? I think I might be having an allergic reaction, I think. So maybe I should go to the pharmacy and, you know, check it out. Right. So goes to the pharmacy, right.

00;09;13;00 - 00;09;35;06
Unknown
You know, I'm kind of like, you know, get the medicine Benadryl because the, the Spanish version of Benadryl or a European version. I'm not sure. So then we walk in again, walking back towards the, hotel. And as we walk in, some people are like looking at me now, like, do we walk in and then kind of like, do I, like, look directly at me and kind of look away, like, they'll catch me, I'll catch you.

00;09;35;06 - 00;09;50;23
Unknown
I'm looking at the side of the eye and it'll look over. I'm coming. Wow. I wonder why they're looking at me. I saw a decent amount of black people here in Madrid. Why? Why is people looking at me here for. This is crazy. I'm. I wonder why. And we walk. And as we walk in, I'm on my breathing.

00;09;50;23 - 00;10;09;20
Unknown
So I get a little, a little labored. I was like, The altitude must be kind of high here, or I might be having an allergic reaction again. I'm just acting stupid just playing it all. So then by the time we get to the hotel, I'm going to the elevator. And then I look at my neck. It looked like it was melted fat, like that's how it looked like on my neck.

00;10;09;20 - 00;10;27;08
Unknown
Like just melted fat. And even Dan Dan for he's a very calm do even he looked at my neck. He's like, yeah bro, God, I love you like the Michelin man. I think you might have to go to the emergency room or something. I'm like, yeah, maybe, let me just take a cold shower and see where he took the Benadryl and everything, so let them.

00;10;27;09 - 00;10;49;28
Unknown
You know what? Let me take a cold shower. Right? I take a cold shower and that cold water hit my body. That thing made it even worse. My whole body just heated up. And then I took my shirt off. I had, like, welts and stuff on my shoulder. I had one of my stomach, like it might even my shoulders was was blown up like my neck was already blown up.

00;10;49;28 - 00;11;05;12
Unknown
Right? Like in terms of like it being like just very swelled up. Even my shoulders was swelled up, my stomach was starting like my whole body, which is about a pop. So I call my mom, you know, I'll call my mom. I was like, hey, mom, how are you doing? She's like, yeah, I'm doing good. How are you doing?

00;11;05;12 - 00;11;19;09
Unknown
I was like, mom, don't go. And she's like, what's that? I was like, you know, I think I might be having an allergic reaction. And I said, I will. Let's go on FaceTime and let's check it out. So I go on FaceTime and I show her like my neck and everything. She was like, yeah, boy, you need to go to the emergency room.

00;11;19;11 - 00;11;40;17
Unknown
This is not the son that I know of. So then I had to go to the Spanish emergency room. Go there. It's it's, you know, everyone's speaking Spanish and I fast Spanish too. And I'm like, not, I'm trying to learn German so my brain doesn't have enough capacity to go touch back into the Spanish I learned back in high school and middle school.

00;11;40;24 - 00;11;57;17
Unknown
So I'm like, Ola, Como esta? I'm asking the person in an emergency room, how you doing? As she just got done arguing with somebody that they can't get the thing. They therefore fix. How are you doing? She's like, why are you talking about. Right. So luckily there's a woman there that can speak English. She helped me out.

00;11;57;20 - 00;12;11;02
Unknown
And, you know, I had to fill out the forms and stuff. So I'm thinking I got to spend, like, you know, a lot of money for this thing. And she's like, no, no, no, we just go ahead and send you the bill and everything. I'm like, oh, send me the bill. I know I'm not pay. All right, cool.

00;12;11;02 - 00;12;30;16
Unknown
You know? And so in the emergency room, kind of like stressed because I'm like, damn y'all, I'm really I really got an allergic reaction. And this is the day before the tour. Like, I don't even know what's going on. I don't, you know, I don't want this to mess up the tour and stuff. And, you know, Dan with me two week, we both an emergency room, so I'm like, man, I'm the I'm.

00;12;30;17 - 00;12;48;16
Unknown
I'm a terrible, you know, host. An opener for you, man. You know that I got you in the emergency room where you supposed to be taking a nap? You know, you got jetlag and everything, so I'm in an emergency room. So then the lady calls me in, right? The nurse. So, you know, go in and then get all my information to the.

00;12;48;16 - 00;13;06;23
Unknown
Why are you here for? I'm here for. Because I have an allergic reaction. Allergic reaction? Then she she's like, hey, can you put the light on your phone so you can. And shiny. And I had to give my phone to her with the flashlight on so she can look in my airways, which was I'm like, you guys, I have a flashlight here, but that's a different story.

00;13;06;25 - 00;13;21;26
Unknown
So then she gets like a, like a little stick that you used to kind of like, you know, you put it in somebody's mouth to open their airways or something to do that as you look. And she kind of really looking, but she's like really looking like kind of like really trying to see what's there. So I'm like, okay.

00;13;21;26 - 00;13;38;16
Unknown
So then she goes and calls like 2 or 3 more people, and then they have to do the same thing to like look and see in my mouth. Like, what's going on? I'm like, all right, if it takes three nurses to look and look down my mouth and see what's going on, I think this may be a problem.

00;13;38;21 - 00;13;54;15
Unknown
And this one. Now, about now, I'm starting. It's starting to hit me like, all right, this is my breathe in is, I think I might be messed up. So then I had to go into another area. Wait, then another nurse calls, and then, you know, she, you know, she asked me, what did I eat and stuff.

00;13;54;15 - 00;14;13;27
Unknown
I don't even know what I ate to for me to even have this allergic reaction. So. So she does the same thing. Airwaves, you know, the stick open my mouth or whatever to see, like, if my throat is blocked or something. Yes. Two more nurses do that again. So I'm like, whoa, this is like six nurses now that are all confused.

00;14;13;27 - 00;14;28;21
Unknown
Right? So then there, like so then the main nurses like, you know what? We have to give you a steroid shot just so that, you know, you can so we can they should reverse the allergic reaction you happen to. So I to go back in the room. Wait. There's people like in the waiting room with like IVs in their arm.

00;14;28;21 - 00;14;48;02
Unknown
Right. Just like just just in a, just in a in a reclining chair with IV. Just kind of like having conversation, right? A little conversation. Right. Go back into the room to give me a survey shot. I had to pull my pants down and I had to do a steroid, a steroid shot on the side of my eyes, which I was, you know, interesting.

00;14;48;02 - 00;15;10;23
Unknown
I mean, I had that happen to me before I was in Liberia, but that's a different story. They did that soon as I did that, then I can see my neck and everything start going. You know, the swelling start going down, but, that thing knocked me out. That steroids shot. It got to the point where after I was done with the steroids, I had to wait basically to see if it if it has enough, if it had an effect on the allergic reaction I had and it was.

00;15;10;23 - 00;15;24;00
Unknown
So then after that it was like, hey, you can go. But I remember the lady, she was telling me all that, like medicine and stuff I should take and what to watch out for. I couldn't, I could barely stand and on top of it I had to go to. I had to go use the bathroom like 2 to 3 times.

00;15;24;00 - 00;15;46;27
Unknown
I take a number two. Like I had a really? Yeah. That that steroids shot messed me up, I couldn't stand. I was walking like a zombie and like, the whole night. And in half the next day, I had a I just slept. I just slept for the whole entire day until then. We had the show for the following day, like, we had a show that night.

00;15;46;27 - 00;16;11;11
Unknown
Not that night, but the next night. So then I had to just basically make sure I don't eat any salmon and cheese. And I was trying to avoid anything that could have been. And to this day, I still don't know what. I still don't know what I'm allergic to. I, and I should know, but I don't. So, for anyone who is going through an allergic reaction, go to the hospital.

00;16;11;12 - 00;16;32;27
Unknown
Because my plan was going to take a. My plan was taking a cold shower and then going to sleep, which, if I did that, never heard from me out. Hey, like what happened to Anna? I'm blind. This is. It is what it is. You know what I'm saying? So that was tho second one is the love that I've been getting from social media.

00;16;32;27 - 00;16;51;01
Unknown
So, if you guys don't know, I have a personal, Instagram account, and. Yeah, I mean, where I post stuff about my experiences here in Europe as an American or as a person born in America. And then now here in Europe. And I began a lot of love. I mean, to the point to where people have seen me on the street.

00;16;51;02 - 00;17;06;08
Unknown
I have, like said, like, oh, I know you. I know you from this thing or or, you know, hey, I seen that one video, like on one, there's one black dude, right? He he looked at I went walking, looking at me the way, like, I don't know if for some reason when somebody look at me, I don't know what I'm kind of like.

00;17;06;08 - 00;17;19;08
Unknown
Whoa. Was, was was I was good, I was we, we looked at him before, but now he's like, yo you that you that you don't want to do that. Be talking about things about Europe. I'm like yeah, that's that's me. Like I was like, what video you talking about? He named the video. I'm like, oh shit. Yeah. That's me.

00;17;19;08 - 00;17;38;00
Unknown
So we went to go, you know, he's like, yeah, can't get a picture with you. I'm like, okay, yeah, yeah, sure. You know, so, this is crazy that I'm getting recognized in Berlin. So that was that was a dope thing in 2024 to have social media be such an impact that people in a country that I'm not from recognize me.

00;17;38;00 - 00;17;56;12
Unknown
And being like, hey, I want to interact with you. It was him. There's this other older black dude I remember. I ride my bike and he was like a bro. Like I say that in some videos where I'm like, you know, the the coffee in Berlin, bro. Right. So I do that sometimes. And he said, bro, I'm like,

00;17;56;15 - 00;18;15;26
Unknown
I was like, me. He's like, yeah. He's like, yeah man, you that dude that be doing that, you know, that European stuff or whatever. Like things that be happen in Europe. I'm like, oh yeah. And I remember he show me around Berlin. He was telling me about Berlin. He's giving me that old had advised me like, yo, bro, like all, man, you out here, make sure you take your time like, yo, you don't get lost in the city.

00;18;15;27 - 00;18;39;26
Unknown
Don't get lost in the sauce. That type of stuff. I was like, oh shit, this is, this is dope that the video has caused these connections in a way that even seeing each other, like him seeing me on a street, he was like, hey bro, like, let's talk, you know? So that was though another thing that happened on on threads, actually, Instagram threads that there's a person on there who's from New York, born and raised in New York.

00;18;39;26 - 00;18;55;23
Unknown
He saw one of my posts there and he was like, yo, man, I'm in Berlin, actually. Would you want to go grab like, a beer or something or some food? I was like, yeah, I'm sure, why not? Right. Grab some beer, man. I mean, I do show me around. He's telling me again all the ins and outs and stuff about, Berlin and then, like, dating.

00;18;56;00 - 00;19;15;22
Unknown
And then he showed me there's one monument. It's like a Soviet Union monument that that was in that was near Trump Tower Park or something in Berlin. And that was crazy. I'm like, I don't even know this existed. I used to take that. I used to get s bond all the time, but I never knew, you know, I never cared about going that deep into the park.

00;19;15;22 - 00;19;42;26
Unknown
So you show me around all this stuff. So just meeting different people in Berlin, expats and even people that are German or from Berlin like that, which is dope, to just have that experience. Another one that comes to mind is that, I to try and not make it all stand up. Okay, here's another the big, one that's podcast specific, right?

00;19;42;28 - 00;20;06;29
Unknown
Is I interviewed this is, I forgot what episode by episode where Tonya Renee Parker. Right. I remember we met at a show here in Berlin in vetting. Right. And you know, when when she went on stage, she did her thing or whatever, and then she came up to me. She was like, hey, I see you got a podcast going to be on your podcast.

00;20;06;29 - 00;20;22;17
Unknown
I was like, yeah, sure. And do the podcast. Right. So you know that following like on that Saturday we did the podcast. Great podcast, by the way. I mean, I was that was a great episode. That was very fun. I was a very fun episode. I did that, and then she was like, oh yeah, what you got going on for the rest of the day?

00;20;22;17 - 00;20;37;22
Unknown
I was like, yeah, I got the show I'm going to or I'm going to be on, here and vetting or so like that ran by has been slobbering or whatever. And I just said, like, I have the show in vetting. That's what I just told her. And she was like, all right, cool. Well, yeah, let me know about that.

00;20;37;22 - 00;20;50;15
Unknown
I was like, all right, cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, the the time pass, is getting close to the time that day. And then I think as I was heading out, I texted her late like, oh, yeah, this show's happening here and here. So I, I texted you late or something, so I. Yeah no problem. I'll beat it.

00;20;50;17 - 00;21;08;08
Unknown
So get to the spot. You know I'm waiting. Eunice goes up, he's doing hosting stuff, and then she comes a little bit later. Right. It comes a little later. And then I remember she sat down and she was like, she's like. She's like, hey. And she told Eunice, hey, I know you. And she was like, in Eunice. Like, yeah, okay, cool.

00;21;08;08 - 00;21;27;01
Unknown
You know, he kind of. He's in his hosting bag right? Eunice gets back into the back room or something, and Eunice is like, yo, dude, who's that? Do you know who's that girl? Oh, yeah. That's, Tonya. Whatever. She. You know, we did a podcast episode earlier today or whatever, and I invite her, and she he's like, yo, bro, you don't understand.

00;21;27;01 - 00;21;42;22
Unknown
Like, how how crazy this is, man. She was the person that helped me find a place at the university that I went to. Like, that was my whole issue, in terms of going to university, like, I couldn't find a place to live. And she really helped me out with finding a place to live. Like, without her, I probably would.

00;21;42;24 - 00;22;02;26
Unknown
Wouldn't have even gone to university because I couldn't really find housing. And I was like, whoa, really? Now he was having, like, goosebumps and everything. Like, he was really like, oh my God. Like, this is crazy. Like, I can't believe this is happening. And you know, they met up. They, they they he I guess he didn't talk to her for like ten years.

00;22;02;26 - 00;22;26;25
Unknown
So like, even that. And it just made me feel like, all right, I think this podcast might be a little bit bigger than I thought. You know, just in the sense of house connecting people. Because even with the conversations that I had with people on this podcast is that it has introduced conversations that I didn't even think was even possible or frightening to think of just connecting with a person.

00;22;26;25 - 00;22;47;08
Unknown
And then just those conversation leading in ways that even off screen, still had such a big impact. So that was a big one in terms of connecting two people that haven't seen each other for a long time yet had big impacts in each other's lives, you know, I mean, now she doing comedy, she comes over here, she, you know, he puts her on the show and they're like, they're reunited basically.

00;22;47;08 - 00;23;15;07
Unknown
So that is like, wow. So that's that's a good one. Another thing that happened in 2024, started doing the burr. So I started doing, this little series on social media called the Berliner Letterman, the Berlin weatherman. That's what I do. So every morning basically is I go outside and I talk about the weather, but I do it in German, and this is my way of trying to learn German.

00;23;15;10 - 00;23;32;07
Unknown
And at first is some it was like a stupid idea, really. Not even stupid. It was just more like I'd never even think much of it. But a lot of people have really cared to love it. You know, in a way that they're like, hey, let me know what's going on with the weather. Some people even send me like weather reports like, hey, did you hear it's going to be a tornado?

00;23;32;07 - 00;23;53;29
Unknown
I was like, oh, shit, all right. I didn't I know, thank you very much for letting me know. I know now that I really take this job seriously. So, you know, even having that, and making sure, like. All right, I got a really, you know, take this a little more seriously than I thought. So that's that was another, big 1 in 2024 for me, but small.

00;23;53;29 - 00;24;17;09
Unknown
But, yeah, big because it grew in a way that anything was going to it was going to grow. Another one that is very, very big is I went back to New York City. So for anyone who doesn't know, I lived in New York City for a very long time. I'm not a native New Yorker. I won't put that out there, but I lived in New York for a long time, and New York has such an impact on me in terms of that's where I started acting.

00;24;17;09 - 00;24;35;25
Unknown
That's where I started, my, standup comedy. That's kind of where, you know, a lot of things have happened for me at an artistic level. So going back to New York City, especially as a standup comedian, they've been doing comedy. I don't even if I don't know for how long, to be honest. But I've been doing it for a while.

00;24;35;27 - 00;24;52;19
Unknown
It's starting in New York. So coming out here to Berlin, I was nervous about like, all right, the jokes that I'm developing here in Berlin and other countries in Europe, how would that translate over to, New York when I go back? And so, you know, I was nervous about it the whole time, even me being out of New York for a year at that point.

00;24;52;20 - 00;25;12;28
Unknown
I went in September. I was even feeling like, man, I don't know, like, yo, am I okay? Well, what about my paranoia? Am I is my body ready to, like, experience New York City again? I'm not sure. Right. So, you know, the time comes. Fly out in New York. I'm staying with one of my friends, actually. Let me let me just take a step back.

00;25;12;28 - 00;25;31;16
Unknown
Flying in New York, going to JFK. And then I take this. I landed around ten. I had to take the J. Yeah. So basically taking the J train from wherever, I forgot, just forgetting where, all the way out there. And so taking the J train all the way to Williamsburg, that's where I was staying. And just even that caught my, brow.

00;25;31;16 - 00;25;51;03
Unknown
I remember the J train going through, going through all the Queens, East New York, everything best. I going back to Williamsburg like I was already thinking like that. All right. I got this big book bag on me. I don't want to look like I'm out here just all vulnerable and shit. Like I'm a I'm a tourist. Even though I've been living here for a while, you know, like, all these things is going through my mind.

00;25;51;03 - 00;26;10;14
Unknown
So I was kind of like, had to re activate my paranoia or reactivate my body being like, all right, like, yo, it's not this is not a woman here on in Berlin. This is New York City subway. Right. So even that just acclimated myself back to that paranoia level. But when I did go see friends, that was dope.

00;26;10;14 - 00;26;28;07
Unknown
To see all my friends, all of my best friends. His name is, Bill Beatty. He got married, so that was dope to just be a part of that. You know, see, him and his girl, get married. So that was very Christian getting married. So that was very, very dope to see that. See my boy Brandon, seeing everyone there in the.

00;26;28;07 - 00;26;56;24
Unknown
Todd. Alex. Who has, Clayton. Steven. Everybody I mean, I'm, you know, the whole crew out there. So it was just dope to see everybody there. But then also, one big thing is that I was able to perform in New York City, and one of places I performed at was the stand. So just going to the stand and going to the stand and performing, because that was a that was a club that's like, all right.

00;26;56;24 - 00;27;14;12
Unknown
Like, you know, you know, people trying to get past there. Right. So just being able to perform there and do the jokes are formulated mostly here in Berlin or in parts of, Germany, Germany, parts of Europe. And then doing that there and it working like it, like I did a good I had a good set and it was like, oh, okay.

00;27;14;12 - 00;27;44;25
Unknown
Like this relieves a lot of stress from me because I'm thinking like, how will this translate and then translate it pretty good. And I did a couple shows and I did good. Right. You know, so that was that just felt good. But another thing that kind of affected me was that I always had this fear of missing out on New York City because especially as an artist and maybe as a standup comedian, is that you feel like if you don't have your hand on the pulse of New York City, you feel like, I might be missing out or distraction or I don't know if I'm, you know, if I'm missing out

00;27;44;25 - 00;28;04;07
Unknown
on any opportunities and just going back to New York City after living in Berlin for a year, it just made me realize, like, you know what? New York City is a city. It is just a city, you know, got tall buildings is up there. It is just a city. And I was thinking one going before going to New York City, like, oh, man, it's going to be like the nostalgia.

00;28;04;07 - 00;28;21;01
Unknown
And then I'm going to be there and it's going to be like, oh man, I back to it. I got there, I was like, You know, New York City is a city. It did, it did. It had his purpose for me in my life. And is there it's about 7 or 8 hours away if I ever want to come back, whether or not, you know, it was like I didn't feel like I was missing out.

00;28;21;01 - 00;28;42;20
Unknown
If anything, it was even so much that I walked through the old neighborhood I used to live in for like the longest time, right. So I remember taking the train to the train I would usually take every time I was come back. From work to go home. We took that, went on the same street, I think I saw one the there's a Ohad.

00;28;42;21 - 00;29;01;06
Unknown
I used to be around that neighbor all the time he was there, I went, I saw him, you know, I'm walking down a neighborhood. Some stores closed the Rite Aid that used to be right there on, that Chauncey on Halsey Close. Just walking down, I was like, wow, I'm not really missing much. I went to the Jamaica spot that I used to go to all the time.

00;29;01;06 - 00;29;17;27
Unknown
The same lady was there. I don't think she even remember me or even care to remember, order the same food and everything. And I remember I was just there. I was like, I'm not really missing out on much, did I? I know, look, I know New York City is the best of the best. It has all the, you know, the you know, you make it there.

00;29;17;27 - 00;29;38;20
Unknown
You make it anywhere type thing. But I was like, you know what? Then for now, I don't feel like I'm missing out on much, you know, like, I'm, I'm, you know, visit a family that lived in New York City, and I was like, yo, how things, man is like, yo, same old, same old on my. I guess same old, same old, you know, I guess things are different when you travel to different countries.

00;29;38;20 - 00;30;08;18
Unknown
You can come back. You know, the New York City looks different. So, you know, that was, I think that was probably like, the biggest thing that happened for me was going back to New York City with this fear that I had about missing out on any of the things that are going on there and realizing that I wasn't, and realizing that if anything, I was probably gaining more, just visiting them for me, staying there.

00;30;08;20 - 00;30;47;25
Unknown
So that was a that was an important thing in terms of like just going through that mental thing of like, oh man, I wonder if my jokes are going to work in New York City or how New York City have changed and going back and just like, oh man. And even going to visit people that I last saw before moving to Berlin, because that just seeing like it was like a full circle moment, like, one of my friends, her name is, Charlie and, and a boyfriend when you get some coffee and just them seeing how far I came from the time I mentioned last year of me moving to Berlin like

00;30;47;25 - 00;31;11;14
Unknown
that was just crazy for them. Just for that. That talk of being like, wow, you say you did it and you did it. I'm like, yeah, I guess I did. Yeah, I did. And then realizing how crazy it was to move from New York City to Berlin in a city that I only I visited in April and then decided to move to in August.

00;31;11;16 - 00;31;42;09
Unknown
So that's what like that's wild. So talking with people saw that and then it made me realize again how crazy this experience have been so far in terms of moving here, basically living in New York City for a long time, then decided at the time, April, around April, May, I visited Berlin. Then people told me about how I could potentially get the artist visa here, a visa you can get for being an artist or so freelancer visa technically, right.

00;31;42;11 - 00;32;06;03
Unknown
And people here in Berlin helping me to get the information or get the appointment to do that, and then literally selling everything in everything at the apartment that I was living at New York City. So, I mean, I sold everything I had some of the things I just threw away right. Put everything into a carry on suitcase. A book bag came to Berlin with no place.

00;32;06;04 - 00;32;23;14
Unknown
The only place I had to live was somebodys couch. That was my thing. A couch, on my friend Eunice Eunice's couch was on there, and, I had an artist visa appointment. I know I was gonna get approved or not. So literally, I didn't even know what was going to happen. I was just like, look, we're gonna make it work.

00;32;23;14 - 00;32;52;01
Unknown
I'm gonna stay at a hostel. If I guys see one multiple couches, I don't care, right? I just I don't even know what brought me there. But doing that, then getting the artist visa shout out to Eunice again for helping me with getting the, helping me with the appointments. And then now look at it a year now me now got the podcast interviewed over, you know, I mean, 20, 30, 40 people really more than that, I think.

00;32;52;03 - 00;33;14;18
Unknown
And then some of the clips have gone well, the connections I've made with people, the, the, the conversations, hopefully the people that have listened to some of these conversations and hopefully that have elevated just the knowledge of people's cultures and how people are living within those cultures, doing comedy at a level where I'm like, having a good time doing comedy all the time, able to provide.

00;33;14;18 - 00;33;36;19
Unknown
I'm staying in a place now to where if I have friends coming from New York City, I like, hey, you can crash here, you know, long and crazy, and just really living here, you know, I just got health care through the Ksdk. I got to pay into it, no problem. But, you know, I just got I just went to the doctor and said, your insurance will cover whatever I went to to go for the doctor's appointment.

00;33;36;19 - 00;34;09;03
Unknown
You know, whatever I went for, for the doctors that the insurance that I got as a stand up comedian is being covered like that. That's crazy. So just a lot can happen in a year and is amazing how sometimes you don't know how things will change, but just being open to change, you know? And then when for 2025, man is going to be doing the same thing and more, you know, I mean, I got a couple dates coming up for doing some stand up comedy.

00;34;09;05 - 00;34;34;24
Unknown
You know, in terms of learning German, hopefully I can get to a two or something by 2025. You know, exploring Germany more. That's something that I want to do. You know, also neighboring countries like Poland, Czech Republic, other places, I do comedy out there and really just connect with the city in a way where, you know, doing standup comedy, hosting, talking with more people.

00;34;34;24 - 00;34;51;26
Unknown
I mean, that's that's constantly going. So, you know, thank you for everyone who's been on the podcast and just sharing your story. That has really been helpful for not only the podcast itself, but for me as a person to understand about different cultures and things that I would have never known about had I not had the conversations with y'all.

00;34;51;26 - 00;35;13;11
Unknown
So shout out to the people who was on the podcast so far. 2025 man, it's going to be a time where I'm just going to keep on going. We got the YouTube clips out, the YouTube full episodes. So hopefully you guys are able to now see the people sharing their stories in their entirety. And 2024 has been real, man.

00;35;13;11 - 00;35;42;27
Unknown
It has been real. I haven't I haven't gone and visit family. Or my mom basically. So I, you know, I definitely miss her and hopefully soon, I will be able to see her, you know? And. Yeah, man, it is it is crazy that I'm in Berlin with, like, who, who who would've thought. Who'd have thought I even ten years ago, I would even never.

00;35;43;02 - 00;36;10;09
Unknown
I don't even know. I knew Berlin kind of via World War two because of the history book. Like. And now I'm here learning German, connecting with people, having people industries here. Berlin seemed like, hey, yo, you that one do like that. Wow. So just as a word of advice, you know, life is short. Parts of your life is even shorter.

00;36;10;11 - 00;36;34;20
Unknown
So the seasons in your life in which you is best to do certain things you want to do in your life, usually the younger you are, the better. So time waits for no man or woman. The experiences that you think you're going to have is really determined based on the season and the life you're in, which is like the age range or where you are in your life.

00;36;34;22 - 00;36;51;04
Unknown
So keep that in mind. If you want to go travel the world, better for you to do it when you immobile and able bodied than you are when you're like, older. Maybe not as mobile as as you get older, there going to be some things that you may not want to do anymore, and or it may be more difficult, or the experiences you thought you will have.

00;36;51;06 - 00;37;11;14
Unknown
It won't. It will no longer be there because of now your standards or or things that you just don't have the energy for anymore. So for anyone who's listening and or watching it, if you have something that you want to do, just go ahead and do it, because tomorrow is not promised. Things can happen. Things can change in this year or two.

00;37;11;14 - 00;37;33;05
Unknown
A lot of family that I have has passed away. Some family members that I've known that has that have wanted to do certain things, but they put work first. They've always wanted to work. Work, work, work, work. And then unfortunately, they they died. They passed away first before getting to that thing they wanted. They wanted to do that they were working for.

00;37;33;07 - 00;38;01;18
Unknown
So don't saying that you have all this time, this time is not promised to you now, even tomorrow. And even if it is not even the physicality of what your body can do is promise. That's another thing, you know, God forbid something happens to where it affects your mobility. Now, those things that you have planned for the year, for whatever years in the future, it may not be possible anymore or at the way that you want it to be.

00;38;01;21 - 00;38;25;11
Unknown
You know? So take that very seriously. If anything, that probably was the biggest push for me to even move here because of people that I've known that have passed away, that had dreams that I was even aware of, and they were not able to fulfill it because of whatever happened that affected them, that they're no longer here today.

00;38;25;14 - 00;38;51;09
Unknown
So I say that from a place of having friends and people close by me pass away with dreams and plans that we both talked about. And now I'm sitting here reminiscing about the plans I wish they were able to actually, enact or do or partake in and now they're not here. So would that word 20, 24? You've been real.

00;38;51;09 - 00;39;14;01
Unknown
You really have been. You've been something else. You are really pushing me as a person, as a as a as a comedian, as a podcaster, I guess, content content creator, whatever you want to call it. And 2025, I'm ready for anyone, for anyone who's listening and or watching. I really say thank you very much for listening and or watching.

00;39;14;03 - 00;39;34;11
Unknown
Hopefully year 2024 was good. Hopefully it made you a stronger person and hopefully it connect you with more people. Hopefully it strengthen relationships and 2025. I wish that to be a good year for you as well. A year where you get a lot of stuff done, a year in which you're able to really connect, a year in which you're able to be present and really taken to your hands.

00;39;34;11 - 00;39;52;26
Unknown
The moments of right now, because tomorrow is not promised. It is not promise, it is not promise. Guys, this is now and often. Thank you very much for listening and or watching. I'll see you guys in 2025. Peace.