USA Vet. Air Force Firefighter, Life in Small German Village, and Black Culture w/ Jon Jones | Ep 75

Today I sit with Jon Jones. We talk about how he became a Firefighter in the USA Air Force and life in South of USA. Also his experience living in southern Germany in a small village

We also talk about world views. And differences between black culture in America and Germany.

Timestamps
(1:37) Personal Branding
(3:00) Moving to and Living in Germany During Covid
(4:20) First Time Being Stationed Outside USA
(5:40) Life in Tennessee
(6:37) Reason for Joining Military
(7:41) Experience of First Coming to Germany
(11:16) Tennessee License with a Durag On
(12:31) Learning German Language and Culture
(16:59) Being an Air Force Firefighter
(21:47) Opposing Views While in the Military
(27:04) Race Differences in the Military
(29:47) Racism in the Military
(33:31) Life Being in 30s
(37:43) Being the “First Race” for Someone
(44:37) First German Stare Experience
(51:20) Dealing with Black Stereotypes
(57:38) Interviewing Black People in Germany
(1:01:08) Doing Comedy in Germany
(1:03:51) Advice to Younger Self
(1:06:04) Where You Can Find Jon Jones

Jon's Socials
Instagram | TikTok

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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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Music: "Chill Day" by Lakey Inspired

Transcript

00;00;00;00 - 00;00;18;02
Unknown
So for me, joining the military was realizing that this opportunity to embrace people of different cultures all around the country, but then also know that, you know, people have some wild views. Because a lot of times people are isolated in their communities or their pockets or where they grew up. Some people, like I met people who didn't really interact with black people until they joined the military.

00;00;18;04 - 00;00;42;02
Unknown
So even the like, the stuff that they would say, like they think like, is normal and it's just like, what are you saying? That's mad races, right? Welcome to the Third Culture Talk podcast. I'm your host, Nya Yeanafehn. This podcast, we talk with people that are raised in a culture different than their parents, home culture or way of life or nationality, and now they're living in today's culture, which is vastly different than the days of our parents or even back in the day.

00;00;42;05 - 00;00;58;12
Unknown
So let's begin today's episode. What's going on, man? How are you doing? I'm good, man. I'm good. How about you? I, trying to just being out here in Berlin and, It's dope, man, I like it. This, I'm trying to kind of get my mind right in terms of just comedy and also a tourist at the same time, but it's cool.

00;00;58;15 - 00;01;25;18
Unknown
And trying just to out. Yeah, man. I mean, it's a tough, tough balance, because part of you just wants to relax and chill, but also the mindset of, I'm sure, as you know, as a comedian is like, you want to kind of get to work and get to more venues, more spots, more spots is more stage time or experience, just getting your time up so you can, you know, the hope is and the expectation is so that you can, shop around, not even tape, but just your experience around and get more venues and shows to, you know, get paid ultimately.

00;01;25;18 - 00;01;42;17
Unknown
So yeah, that's the that's been the journey for myself over the last year specifically. Oh, really. Yeah. I still I mean your, your, you know, your grind on your hustle. You even got the, you know, you got the thing on your shirt right. Yeah man. You know keeping up with Jones. Right. Exactly. So funny enough, I mean, it's like a quick, tidbit.

00;01;42;17 - 00;02;00;05
Unknown
When I first moved over here, it was during the pandemic, and so everything shut down. And so I literally had just grabbed, like, the camera that you saw right there. And I was like, man, I had the idea, like, let me try to do something like YouTube or something like that. And even before I bought the camera, I was like in my head I was thinking, you know, going backwards.

00;02;00;05 - 00;02;21;02
Unknown
You never want to go into something with the idea that you're not going to succeed in it. So I was like years from now when people be able to see my first video, what can I have on there that's going to be like in some weird way, like, oh, I knew I was going to be going somewhere. So for me it was get something with your own brand merchandise on it and start doing content with it so that going back can be like, why do you have this thing here today?

00;02;21;02 - 00;02;36;09
Unknown
And it's like I'm thinking, I don't know if it necessarily makes sense, but in my head I was like, position yourself now to where you want to be. So in terms of it's not even just like having merch. So like that, it's like the idea of your own brand. I mean, I already seen it like when you came out, oh, did my Vogue.

00;02;36;10 - 00;02;52;08
Unknown
Awesome. Yeah. I mean, you you branded and ready to go, all right. Right. Exactly. So the money's not there yet, but, you know, hey, I mean, this is comedy. So, you know, we all, we all shine. I mean, I don't need to take that. No, man. Otherwise I just win a black shirt for most of my episodes. So my branding is just like I need to keep the same hairstyle.

00;02;52;12 - 00;03;11;23
Unknown
Yeah. If I if I cut my hair, who's that person? What is this? What happened? What happened to that podcast with that one? Do we. Hey. What happened? So you moved here during the pandemic, right? Yes, sir. That's. And you were in Germany. Did you move to an event? So try to simplify the story. First and foremost, I tell people whenever, like how long you been in Germany?

00;03;11;25 - 00;03;34;27
Unknown
It's like waste time. So I was actually stationed here, 2014 to 2016. Oh, I was in the Air Force. And I was a firefighter and a first responder. Oh, wow. Yeah. So I was in Ramstein, Kaiserslautern area, and, after that two years, I went back to the States, finished up my contract, and then once I got out of the military in 2019, obviously the pandemic was just starting and whatnot.

00;03;34;27 - 00;04;03;10
Unknown
And so I'm moving here at the end of 2020, I moved in with my, my partner, my wife, she's, getting her PhD at a local university, and also, like, teaching. And so moving in closer to the mines, the Spartan area. When I first got here and I was there for the first three years, and then I moved to Mannheim, or, you know, that region, at the top of 2024.

00;04;03;13 - 00;04;34;29
Unknown
So January 2024. So I've been there for the last year. And yeah, man, I mean, in totality, I guess three years consists only 3 or 4 years consistently. But I've been to Germany before. All right. So yeah, you know, you're not new to it. You've been around exact things. But honestly, it's like when and this is the, I would say the case for a lot of not all lot of black Americans who first get exposed outside of the country and especially to Germany, that First Nation is the first time for a lot of people that's like, oh, you're outside of your bubble, you know what I mean?

00;04;34;29 - 00;04;53;20
Unknown
Like, because America is very insulated, even within America, there's pockets like, I'm from the East Coast, I'm from the West Coast, I'm from the south, you know what I mean? Like, there's that division. So a lot of people don't even get out of that kind of regional mindset. So for me, when I got stationed in Germany, although it wasn't the first time I was out of the country, it was like the first time I was like, living like out of the country.

00;04;53;20 - 00;05;11;25
Unknown
So it's not like, oh, I'm on vacation, I'm touring. And even then you're you're insulated within the government of the military. So you're in Germany, but you're on a military base, right? And the military bases is like they make it. Can we talk about early like little America? So it's like they everything's in English, you know, you have like, the German structure and stuff like that, but you're not really getting out.

00;05;11;27 - 00;05;27;18
Unknown
And so for a lot of like, you know, black service members, it's like we get here and we're on base and then you go out to like shop or you go out like party or something like that. So for me, the last three years when I actually moved here, separate, the military was just like, oh, I got to figure it out, okay.

00;05;27;18 - 00;05;47;21
Unknown
Like, everyone's not just going to be like I. Come on. Oh, hey, how are you doing? They kind of look at you like, it's like, oh, okay. I don't have that American charm, you know, here that I expected. So, Yeah. So. Okay. Because, because originally you say used from you from Tennessee, right? Yes, sir. Yeah. So I, I was born in Atlanta, right.

00;05;47;24 - 00;06;01;18
Unknown
You know, lived there for a period of time and then, grew up in Tennessee, for a large bulk of my childhood. That's, where a good portion of my family still. Is it now? But I moved around a good amount as a kid, so I was like a lazy, like an army brat.

00;06;01;20 - 00;06;19;17
Unknown
So. Okay, if I was in the army like 33 years and then. Yeah, my, my brother was in the army for four minutes, so he was like special forces. Yeah. Yeah. And, and so when it, when it came time for me to join, I got used to just traveling around a lot as a kid, going to the east, you know, south, the northeast coast.

00;06;19;20 - 00;06;35;21
Unknown
So when it came time for me to join, I was like, or just, you know, decide what I want to do after that first year of college, realizing that, you know, life's, expensive. Oh, you know what I mean? I was, like, expensive. Let me, let me let me, expound and push past, you know, kind of the boundaries that I have for myself.

00;06;35;21 - 00;06;48;22
Unknown
I always wanted to travel. And so, I did join the military. Not because I was super patriotic. I always tell people that all the time they have this, like, idea, like, oh, you know, superior. Nah, man. I just wanted to pay for college. Yeah, money and travel, you know what I mean? Yeah, travel. Get a nice car.

00;06;48;22 - 00;07;10;20
Unknown
Probably. I mean, you know, some of the things where you young, you just like this is what I want. Exactly. I had three things, you know, at the time. At the time, three things I wanted to do, which is I want to travel the world. Get some, some money every, two weeks, get a skill that I could translate to after when I was out of the military college and see women from, you know, different countries at the time, a 19 year old, you know, that's.

00;07;10;25 - 00;07;27;22
Unknown
Yeah, creme de la creme. So, Ryan, you had opportunity, you know, and then, to put you in the middle of nowhere Germany, you know. Yeah, exactly. So I was like, you know, what is cool? I can't I can't complain too much because they still got the education aspect of it done. Like I finished my bachelor's, I graduated actually this past spring.

00;07;27;24 - 00;07;45;19
Unknown
Oh. Congrats, bro. Thank you. Appreciate it. And then, so now I'm starting my master's. I just started my master's degree in Germany at a German institution, an English department. So. Wow. That's, so to go back, right, to, like, the first time you came here, right? Like, because I feel like, it's like. I mean, I feel like it just is.

00;07;45;19 - 00;08;02;00
Unknown
It's such a shock, right? Because you know, you're coming from American culture wherever you was. And then coming to Germany. Nine, nine Berlin. I'm talking to you using, you know. Yeah. That part, I mean, the base can only insulate you for so long when you start going outside and you kind of start looking like, damn, these trees are big as hell.

00;08;02;00 - 00;08;20;08
Unknown
Yeah. Why? What's that? You know, this bread different. So for me, the I always say this, like, stands out for me. Is that one of the first time I really hit me? I was in Germany, which is like getting, cash, getting euros. And I was like, this monopoly money. Like, for real? I was like, bro, what is this?

00;08;20;11 - 00;08;38;08
Unknown
I was like, I ain't got no white people on it. I was like, I like it. It's got buildings. I got coins for stuff. It's nice. Oh, y'all be using fake money? Oh, this is a fairy tale land. I like it, I like it. Yeah. People don't jaywalk. I was like, oh, this is y'all follow rules. Oh, shit.

00;08;38;10 - 00;09;02;11
Unknown
So culturally, it was it was different. I, I liked it, but also there's that aspect of like comfort that you used to. So it's like it's it was balance. But overall I would say everything except for winter. Like when winter hit, I was like, oh yeah. This winter, different. Boy, it is so different. I mean, I talk about a lot in like a lot of places, but it just always needs reminding is not the same.

00;09;02;11 - 00;09;23;14
Unknown
Yeah. No, as you know, I mean, the was it the, the, the latitude or something is different. Some they talk about the lack of sun bro is serious. No no no, I, someone from the South is like, or being someone from the South, I'm like, I love the sun, you know? And, you know, when I got here and I realized, especially when we talking about, like, winter, how dark it gets, how quick.

00;09;23;16 - 00;09;41;19
Unknown
And it's like dark when you wake up and it is dark by, like, 3:30 p.m. and I'm like, oh, bro. And even the in between, when it's not dark, it's not really sun. It's just like clouds. Right. And I think that's what contributes to everybody's like, you know, German attitude for the most part. Yeah bro. Being unhappy even for me ma'am, I happy do for the most part, man.

00;09;41;19 - 00;09;58;05
Unknown
When it's dark like that, it's like, yo, what the f I can't even I'm always looking down. I can't even look up because it's just weighing down on you. The whole grain is the cold. Know, like I, I understand why, you know, people are the way they are, you know, in the Deutschmark too. I feel like that combination bridge is dark all the time.

00;09;58;05 - 00;10;11;06
Unknown
Deutschland late than when it's not late. The one time you late day early. It's just like, oh, you been here for a while. All right. If you got some, if you got Deutsche Bond issues, if you be here for a minute, then yeah. No, I, I felt like I was better than people when I first got my subscription ticket.

00;10;11;06 - 00;10;28;02
Unknown
I ain't gonna lie to you. I got a subscription ticket. I was feeling different. Oh, I got one. Get the student one on a student one. Oh, okay. Yeah. And then, you know, I took my American, like, you know, call it ignorance, but I call it smart, like, you have the subscription ticket, but, you know, it makes you second class.

00;10;28;02 - 00;10;45;01
Unknown
They got that classism here in the second. And so for me, what I realize is that not everyone, but there's a large, you know, portion of society when it comes to the ticket checkers. They assume that we're ignorant by nature. So like I brought the I.C.E., which you can't do because, you know, you don't have the subscription ticket unless you ride the fast I.C.E. train.

00;10;45;03 - 00;11;02;00
Unknown
Okay, I just get on there sometimes when I'm late. And so if I do get stopped, you know, I hit him with the. Oh, man, you know, I'm a tourist, so I just, I don't I don't even know, like, you know, after whatever, like, land, whatever. Cool. Oh that works. Oh, shit. If you don't. And they, they press you, they blow.

00;11;02;00 - 00;11;16;13
Unknown
Let me see. Yo, I do whatever. I just on the driver's license from Tennessee within it. I have a drag on it. So once I see the do right there, like, I went, oh, I deal with it. And then they leave. You know what I'm saying? This is my little trick. That's my little go to where we need to take a step back.

00;11;16;14 - 00;11;32;22
Unknown
So in Tennessee, they allow you to take, driver's license photo to do. Right? I know, so they don't. Here's the thing. I had to re-up my driver's license when I first got out, and it was pandemic times, right? So when I went in, I had a hat on. And to be real with you, the clerk, she didn't really care about her job like that.

00;11;32;24 - 00;11;52;08
Unknown
So she was like, you know, take your hat off of the thing. I took it off real quick. She snapped it. She was like, whatever, you know? So for me, I like I feel like it's cool because you're not supposed to have one on. And, and then especially, like I said, when I'm in a situation like that and they see that, I feel like in her mind I go, how bad do I want to push this argument right now, bro?

00;11;52;08 - 00;12;15;11
Unknown
If they see a license with a photo, well, black, do what I do right is like he's clearly visiting. He ain't living here. There's there's no way. There's no way. Yeah. This dude clearly from the States that is, that is an American thing. I got it. You know, you gave you do that? Yeah. No, I'm just saying that's like, that's my that's my little, wild card.

00;12;15;14 - 00;12;29;27
Unknown
Oh, shit. So that's dope, man. Hopefully won't get pull over in the States, man. Can you pull over? You show your license with a do rag on it by app. Get out the car. And that's when I took my German license. Okay. I'm like, we don't so speak speaking German. It's, is is good to play both, sir.

00;12;29;28 - 00;12;46;19
Unknown
Sometimes. Yes, though. Oh, you do speak German. And listen, I'm busy. Oh, God. No, I'll be honest with you, I don't. I mean, that's sounding. And you have me. I learned a couple of words. And. What? I'm very observational, right? I don't know if it's the military or the ADHD or whatever, but it's like what? I've noticed it here in Germany.

00;12;46;19 - 00;13;01;05
Unknown
People really respect eye contact. And when they're speaking to you in German, I just learned a couple of words. I not you know what I mean? Like, I make a lot of eye contact with them and then like every eight seconds my head goes, hey, you know, I do that every eight seconds. And it's like, oh, cool.

00;13;01;06 - 00;13;19;14
Unknown
And then when they tell me, like a story or something like that and they get really excited, like animated, make sure to go like, I so any word I pass to conversation so much, people think I really be speaking up. I'm, Yeah. No, no, no, shit. That's. I mean, that's how I get to Germany. You be the facial expressions to, you know, and to tell you, but.

00;13;19;14 - 00;13;37;19
Unknown
Oh, good. Now, no, no, if I get, you know. Yeah. Keep on going. Yeah. Go now. But I someone just, just a couple of key words when it gets me through my goal. And, I mean, so this is a real goal that I hear is that I just want to have the places that I go to have enough German so that they get used to me.

00;13;37;19 - 00;13;50;16
Unknown
So then when I go in there, I don't have to really speak. For instance, like I have a coffee shop that I go to, and I go in there so much every time I order something so specifically now they recognize me about face. So I don't even got to speak. And I like that for a couple of reasons.

00;13;50;16 - 00;14;10;26
Unknown
One, I don't have to do the language too much. But then, too, it also makes me feel better than it was. Like when you go somewhere and it's like, oh, right. And they say it too, like I went in last week and like, oh, German. Like why? One was behind me and they ordered it. And then, when I went to the counter, like she said when my order was for, I even didn't, I was like, yeah, you know, Dunkin and I pay my car and I kind of look back at her and she looked at me.

00;14;10;26 - 00;14;23;29
Unknown
She's like, who is this person? And I was kind of looking. I was I, you know, wait. And I walked up, said, there you go. Yeah. But then they start saying extra stuff to you and then I get lost. So yeah, that's way I start getting comfortable. So I ask about your day. How long you been living here?

00;14;24;03 - 00;14;45;15
Unknown
I like and then like, do you need less? Listen, man, the dirty does is is not too hard, but is the is the fact that some stuff is feminine, some stuff is masculine, and then some stuff is neutral. Like I be that kind of be the rules of German language sometimes mess me up. It's not the pronunciation like I pronounce pretty much everything.

00;14;45;17 - 00;15;03;00
Unknown
I understand how to somewhat put sentences together, right? But sometimes it's like, oh, there's little context, and I feel like, you know, someone who living here is like Germans. If you mess up one detail of your sentence, whether it's the dialect, the did it, they don't look at you like, well and so and you live like more you know, a wave.

00;15;03;00 - 00;15;17;08
Unknown
Well I mean I don't know how, but in Wittenberg. Yeah. That's, that's like a still a popular city though, right. But I don't know, because Berlin is so multicultural that it's just like a we just. Have you speak any German like we just. So my brain doesn't work extra. But over there, I'm assuming they're like, All right.

00;15;17;08 - 00;15;37;16
Unknown
You got to like, if you say Moin over there. Yeah, they're gonna look at you like, where are you from? You know, oh, instead of like. Or, you know, whatever your greeting is. Yeah. So, for most where, like, I am trying German and I speak it within my pockets, I feel comfortable with. But, like, when I'm out and about, I tell people, like, for me, the experiences.

00;15;37;18 - 00;15;53;22
Unknown
This is what it's like. Someone speaks to me in German, I'm listening to you. I got to translate the German to English. I got to think of my response in English and then translate that English to German. And it's not that I can't do that, but the time it takes sometimes is too long for people in like the flow of a regular conversation.

00;15;53;22 - 00;16;05;22
Unknown
Like, you say something to me and I'm saying or looking at you like, yeah, like I'm calculating everything because I'm trying to do it right, right. But during that time they looking at you like, is he under? It's like, what? It's like, why is he taking so long now? They're like, come on, come on. Yeah, exactly. Chanel. Chanel.

00;16;05;22 - 00;16;21;21
Unknown
Chanel. Yeah, yeah. You know. Yeah. I'm sorry I have gone, you know, exactly. So for me, it's that's the, the aspect of like, being in Germany, which is a little bit tough for me, which I'm trying to push myself to do more. But yeah, I mean and it's different and be honest with you Germans aggressive language house.

00;16;21;23 - 00;16;41;13
Unknown
So it's just very like like I don't know if that make makes sense, but people who like have been to Germany and hear it, they understand what I'm saying about it. It's not like the stereotype. But when you hear these moves like, oh, it's it's just it's a lot of grunting, you know what I mean? I feel like any language where you grunt in it can't, you can't be talking about no nice.

00;16;41;15 - 00;17;07;02
Unknown
Oh shit. There's no polite grunts. No, no. Go aggressive. And so that's what makes it a little difficult. But I mean it's a it's a journey. It's an experience. Yeah. And I know and you know, as good that you at least trying to learn the language, right. It kind of helps you stay connected in things. But so to, to go back into your career or, you know, your time in, in the Air Force, use a firefighter.

00;17;07;04 - 00;17;26;06
Unknown
Yes, sir. Right. And was it a lot of fires in, in Germany, around the base area or not? To be honest with you, man. That's the thing about even, like you say, firefighting people have this expectation in their head. You know what it is? I would say 80% of our calls, 80 to 85% was medical emergencies.

00;17;26;11 - 00;17;49;23
Unknown
Because the think about like firefighters in the military, which is I guess in general was that were emergency responders. And so the priority obviously is fire. You know, we want to put out fires and prevent fires, but also we're trained to do like everything else. And so in the military, specifically, we had, the academy that we went to in Texas was where they trained all branches of the military.

00;17;50;00 - 00;18;02;01
Unknown
So it's like firefighting is one of the things was like, you don't have to be in a specific branch, like it's the same type of deal. And so we had all the branches of the military and we had people from the civilian sector. So we had local like fire departments and people from all around the country coming to get trained.

00;18;02;09 - 00;18;22;21
Unknown
Oh wow. That are is one of like most premier fire academies in the world. I would say, wow, what's the name of it? So it's the, Louis F Garland, Fire Academy and Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, which is in the middle of nowhere. Oh, but people who've been there, they know. Right. And so the only thing that they had there was fire training.

00;18;22;21 - 00;18;42;11
Unknown
And then in the Air Force, they had, like, intelligence people going to like intelligence schools and things like that, which is super secretive. Right. And so, well, you know, while you're there, you're learning all these know the aspects of training fire, but then also you getting all this like, quote unquote, the basics of, you know, mercy responder training, whether it's medical or, you know, whatever it may be.

00;18;42;11 - 00;19;00;26
Unknown
They have all these simulators, aircraft simulators, building simulators, like they yeah, they put a lot of money into building simulators, meaning like a simulated like building. Oh, shit. They to do that thing, we put the ladder up and you got every breath listen and training. So there was a phase. There is like essentially if you get past this they would tell us like, oh, you just go fail.

00;19;00;26 - 00;19;18;01
Unknown
And they would put like a, I think a 25 or 35ft ladder up like against the building. And so you had to climb up there with all your gear, hook your legs in and just like leap, you know what? You know, black people in heights. Yeah. Yeah. No, it was Nike. You had a lean back leading. Whoa that Joe.

00;19;18;01 - 00;19;32;18
Unknown
So yeah. So it was it was a great experience, you know. But I say all that to say, the point being is that, you know, you get all that foundational training and then the first base you go to, they keep expounding upon that, and then as you advance in your military career, you're allowed to go to different schools.

00;19;32;18 - 00;19;52;12
Unknown
So like hazmat school, hazardous material school, confined space rescue training, all these different trainings that you can go to. And so by the time I got out of the military, like I had technically like 11 certifications or something like that in firefighting emergency response, which when, when I'm in my average, you know, comedian last year you would think like, oh, these guys tell jokes and it's true.

00;19;52;13 - 00;20;13;28
Unknown
You know it is. But it's like, but you qualified I am qualified. You you bro you just you leaning off of a ladder and when. No, that is crazy. You are already a certified firefighter at that point. That's crazy man. So it was it was a great experience. And lastly, I did it. I'll be real with you.

00;20;13;28 - 00;20;30;12
Unknown
Like we were talking earlier is like, you know, my father was in the Army. He was 33 years. And, he was like a drill sergeant at a particular point in time. So I as I was growing up, he was in drill sergeant mode. So I already kind of had a level of, like, strictness. And so. Okay, my brother actually joined the Army.

00;20;30;14 - 00;20;48;28
Unknown
He was, Special forces. So he was a Ranger. And having them to kind of set the standard I, I was very competitive was like, I'm going to do something this like not to shit on y'all. And like, I did a tough job too. Yeah. And so but then I joined the Air Force and people in the military community, they were like, Air Force is cool.

00;20;48;29 - 00;21;11;16
Unknown
But for the most part, I'd be chilling. And so, choosing firefighting was in part just the young, egotistical nature of it. But then also, I want to do a job where it would be your job every day to try and help someone. I was against the idea of like, like I'm very politically minded. So in terms of the military, like, I have a lot of strong opinions that are anti-military in terms of our presence in different countries.

00;21;11;19 - 00;21;25;19
Unknown
But I knew that joining the military let me do a job where I'm not going to be in a position to have to, like, go hurt someone, to go kill someone, because that's not necessarily what I, believe in or line up with. But. So, yeah. And then when you get out in the military, I was like, I'm not going to do this for a long time.

00;21;25;19 - 00;21;44;09
Unknown
I'm doing it for a short time. Get the career, get the experience. So when you get out, like I say, you have six years experience less certifications and, and, yeah, it was fun. That's interesting. Do you say that about, like, the, you know, the political stuff into it about because I feel like part of the people that are in the military probably do have, you know, we all people.

00;21;44;09 - 00;22;08;20
Unknown
Right? So we have some agreeing, some disagreements and stuff. I mean, how how difficult was that to like, you know, be in that environment, but then maybe have some opposing like thoughts. I mean, I'll be honest with you. So it was a little complicated. And, there was points that I kind of look back on or regret now, but there were points where I would kind of try to shut my brain off, if that makes sense to a degree.

00;22;08;20 - 00;22;32;05
Unknown
Meaning that like certain conversations you have of people, you can tell is kind of not really going anywhere, or certain stuff that you say is going over the head. And so for me, joining the military was realizing that this opportunity to embrace people of different cultures all around the country, but then also know that, you know, people have some wild views, because a lot of times people are isolated in their communities or their pockets where they grew up.

00;22;32;05 - 00;22;48;05
Unknown
Some people, like I, met people who didn't really interact with black people until they joined the military. So even though, like the stuff that they would say, like they think like is normal and it's just like, what are you saying? That's mad racist, right? Me? But it's just like, it's always like to be the first black person for someone to interact with.

00;22;48;05 - 00;23;06;06
Unknown
And then you're like, it's too much pressure, man. I it, I feel like I gotta use proper, pronunciation and enunciation and then, you know, it's like in the military as well too. It's like you have to be professional to a certain degree. So it's like when you, I tell people is like, when you have that, that nigga slip.

00;23;06;06 - 00;23;27;08
Unknown
So we kind of let it come out and it kind of, you know, they get shocked. I'm like, it's, this is interesting. But to to talk to your point. So people in the military, everyone is human to, to a degree. But there are people who, join the military with the idea of like, the propaganda that a lot of us were fed into, especially we talking post 911.

00;23;27;10 - 00;23;45;10
Unknown
Is the idea of, like, radical Islamic jihadists and I just yeah, I remember like one of the first deployments I went on, I was on there, a couple of dudes, and they were just like, yeah, you know, the way they are you talking about other human beings? Let me just simplify it. It's just like, ignorant. I mean, that's the best way to put it.

00;23;45;10 - 00;24;03;17
Unknown
It's just based off a lot of ignorance. And it's like, you kind of want to challenge people to myself included. I had to challenge myself to educate myself more. So when the first diplomacy, the first deployment I went on to was the first time I was in the Middle East, and the first time that I had heard the Add-On, which is the Call to Prayer, in Islam.

00;24;03;19 - 00;24;18;16
Unknown
And I thought to myself, man, this is beautiful. And I saw, like, everyone on base or all the locals kind of shunned what they were doing down and praying. And I was like, okay, this is that pushed me to educate myself a little bit more. And so, that's also one of the benefits of having the opportunity to be in the military.

00;24;18;16 - 00;24;36;27
Unknown
But then from a larger kind of a macro view, it's like you got to understand that you're part of a system, too. So a however much your beliefs are, whatever it is you, you're one. You're volunteering for service. No one forced you to join. This is in the draft in the 70s. So you're volunteering to join. But also you understand that you're a part of a larger system.

00;24;36;27 - 00;25;02;23
Unknown
So it's like call it the military industrial complex, whatever you want to call it. You're participating in some way. Right. And so having that understanding, all you can do for the most part is like day to day, try to hold on to kind of your core values and beliefs of what you have. So for me, as someone who was very like kind of a militant, politically minded, I was like, I had to bite my tongue a lot, which I didn't do the best of it.

00;25;02;23 - 00;25;18;16
Unknown
So at times I got into like a good amount of Trump, not a good amount, but I got into some trouble in the military and then I had to learn, like, I just sometimes got to shut up because it's hard for me to do because I'm smart. Yeah. And I got a median bad combination of military, horrible combination.

00;25;18;18 - 00;25;41;05
Unknown
So it's like time and place. But I look back now at and be like, you know what? It was great experience. I hate it. I'm not gonna say I largely disliked pockets of my service at particular times, but overall, gave me a more a greater appreciation for one my own personal individual freedoms and autonomy to go do stuff without asking somebody.

00;25;41;08 - 00;25;58;21
Unknown
And into, a greater appreciation for the way that, you know, geopolitics works. Okay. You kind of get deployed in places. Yeah. Yeah. And you just get an inside look, you talk to people who like doing a certain type of job and you're like oh, you know this. And there. So it's more interesting. But having the foundation I would say was set by my brother.

00;25;58;21 - 00;26;17;19
Unknown
My brother, like the special forces using the initial early invasions in, you know, Iraq and Afghanistan early 2000. So he would come back and I'm an elementary school and he's telling me to stand at third about like, oh, Saddam at LA. It's like I'm going elementary school. Like actually, you know, like like, oh shit. You develop that and then you go into military and be like, oh, I can't really talk like this.

00;26;17;19 - 00;26;34;03
Unknown
Yeah. So this week, oh, I mean, I'm just, I'm just imagine how you would have to deal with that day to day, you know? Oh, yeah. Because you got so many things. The one thing you mentioned, right, is being the first black person for a lot of people that not a lot of people, but maybe some people in the military.

00;26;34;03 - 00;26;52;17
Unknown
So they just, you know, you're dealing with that, right? They probably say something and you see, you know, you black are like, bro, you know, like, don't say that. Like, it's not that what you're thinking about black people or something like, yeah, you can all dunk, right? No. And what do you we you know, we also play football and do other things.

00;26;52;17 - 00;27;12;10
Unknown
And they all of us don't dunk. We read to you. Yeah we read you know you know run track you know all this like that. And then and also don't play sports. We also are in finances, you know. Exactly. And I try to be a quick story. So like the first base I got to after Germany was in, Washington state, which is on the West Coast.

00;27;12;10 - 00;27;27;14
Unknown
Yeah. And I thought I was going to Seattle, like the Seattle area when I was like, okay, cool. Will be a little bit more liberal, you know? But I was actually going to this place called like Spokane, Washington smoking. Oh, that sounds I. Yeah, yeah, I should look it up if you get a chance. So it's close to the border of Idaho, like 20 minutes away from Idaho.

00;27;27;14 - 00;27;46;24
Unknown
And when I was, like looking it up when I look at there is like Idaho has one of the largest chapters of the Ku Klux Klan. I guess I'm like and going there. I was like, they're like, this is crazy. I wasn't like, worried, come, come for Tennessee. Yeah. I mean, like, I totally like my grandfather was born not too far from Pulaski, Tennessee, which is famous because Pulaski is the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan.

00;27;46;26 - 00;28;02;07
Unknown
So when I tell people like, yeah, you know, in terms of racism, they're pretty good. You at least you're far away from the birthplace, you know? Yeah. You know what I mean? It's like y'all just the branch, you know? I mean, it's like not being in Compton, but being somewhere where, like, I'm blue and it's like, oh, yeah, he's a guy, you know?

00;28;02;07 - 00;28;20;27
Unknown
That's nice. Yeah. So getting there, I remember like when I first got even onto the base, onto the base there is like a mix of civilians and military. So it's like a civilian to fire department, I would say. So we respond to calls on the base but then also off base. So you're working with civilians, people who are from Spokane, Washington area today.

00;28;21;00 - 00;28;46;22
Unknown
I remember this one too. He was talking to me. He's like, I guess he's trying to relate and terms of, already know, you know, I was like, I was got there. I don't know if he maybe thought that I was uncomfortable or something, but I'm naturally kind of stoic and quiet when I'm kind of in a space like I always learn first to play first two weeks at a place that you're new to, shut up and watch everything, because then you'll see how everything works.

00;28;46;25 - 00;29;06;25
Unknown
So, I mean, he came over and talked to me and he's like, one of the cats is like, yeah, you know, I can understand probably how it feels for you being here. You know, you're like the, you know, the only black guy. And and he said, like, I'll be honest with you. Like, I kind of felt what, how you felt before because, you know, me and my wife went to Jamaica on vacation last week, and we were the only white people there on the, in the, in the, resort or something like that.

00;29;06;25 - 00;29;27;04
Unknown
And I'm just listening to her talk and I'm just like, so you're comparing your, your vacation around, you know, people at your, at your resort who were working there as black people to my life every day here, being around white people. Right? He was like, oh, man, I get how you feel, man. It's no hit you with the it'll be all right.

00;29;27;04 - 00;29;45;12
Unknown
But bro, the minute we've been like, I know how you feel about, like, do you even like, really? Or how you want to start the conversation? Yeah, I was in Jamaica. You want to. You want Jamaica to be the place of how I was like Jamaica. You probably think I'm Jamaican to. All right. Yeah. So. Yeah. Yeah.

00;29;45;12 - 00;30;02;03
Unknown
I mean, you do a little stuff like that and, like, I'll be real with you. You know, for the most part, there's there is a good amount of racism within the military in and of itself, because people act like the military's for large degree. You have things to kind of stop that or address it. System systematically, I guess.

00;30;02;03 - 00;30;27;13
Unknown
Yeah. But let's not act like racism is just I mean, it is a system within itself, but is handled by individual, people or human. So many like there are racist people in positions of power within the military now, of course, but so you got to deal with it to some degree. And the issue is that when the military, they're kind of their own insulated pockets, so they handle things within them, within their in-house, I would say, like they have their own court system, so to speak.

00;30;27;13 - 00;30;46;20
Unknown
If you get in trouble or you go before, you know, the military court. And so all these different, aspects of it. So, you know, when I talk about racism, especially within the military, is like, is fluid, man, because one is kind of tough to prove. Meaning, it's not that existing, but to prove it, you got to talk to your supervisor, who then has to talk to someone who denies it.

00;30;46;22 - 00;31;01;12
Unknown
And it can be like a boys club is like a good old boys club, meaning like, yeah, this happened to me. People are cool. I'm gonna go talk to, you know, and then you know that not not even they don't. They probably hanging out on a weekend drinking beer like, you know, this, you know. Oh, yeah. So it's like, it's.

00;31;01;15 - 00;31;21;14
Unknown
This is interesting, man. And and for me, as someone, like, I'm more open about it now than I'm at the military, but it's like I was struggling, man. I was dealing with a lot of, like, pressure just from mental aspect of it, from, from a stress aspect. And like, during my military service, my father actually passed away, like, he had cancer.

00;31;21;14 - 00;31;39;26
Unknown
Yeah. Man. Here, man. And so for me, I was dealing with a lot of grief on that aspect. Also, being a young military member, also trying to figure my own stuff out because you and your early 20s, people kind of forget about that. Sometimes they look at you as an entity, but a lot of people are figuring life out in an early 20s, like, you got to figure you got to mess up, too.

00;31;39;28 - 00;32;04;23
Unknown
So you had the responsibility that the military comes with all of you trying to figure out life. So for me, I valency like issues with kind of drinking. And sometimes if you try to just cope with pain and figure out my stuff, and so you deal with that on top of like, you know, racism and did it. I was like, you know, now people talk about mental health and, you know, speaking about it at the time, you know, you had the access in the military, but the trick bag is that I remember going to a mental health, in the military.

00;32;04;23 - 00;32;19;11
Unknown
And I sat down and before we began, they were like, listen, I want you to know that this is mental health. We're here for you to to talk about what you need. But anything you talk about, can be held against you. So if you talk about anything illegal or anything like it, you know, we might have to report it to your chain of command.

00;32;19;13 - 00;32;35;24
Unknown
So it's like, bro, is. It was such a paradox for me because it's like, so I can come in here and talk, but anything I say I can get in trouble for and that like. Yeah, basically that is what. So what's on your mind is nothing, right? It's like, I'm nothing. I'm good. I'm just saying how you doing?

00;32;35;24 - 00;32;52;02
Unknown
How's your day? Right. Everything good? All right. Nice to, you know, nice to see you here doing your thing. What? Yeah, man, I did not know that. They can report that. That's basically saying, hey, we're going to snitch on you, but, you could tell us what you have on your mind, and it's like, my, it's like going to first 48.

00;32;52;02 - 00;33;06;27
Unknown
You watch verse 48 and they bring you into the interrogation room and they nice and stuff. Man, was I was a mess or what happened. Right. Listen, so you you want some, you want a snack? What's your favorite string? You know, baby fries. So that's what. You're good. That's what you guys like, right? You know? Right.

00;33;07;00 - 00;33;21;21
Unknown
You like really nice. I like flame neon, you know? You guys got any baguettes here? How about that? You know, let me get a croissant. Yeah, I've been to France before. Do you think I'm from Oklahoma? You think I ain't never had that? So what, you want a whopper? I want you guys eat. I have a whopper. You know, large fries.

00;33;21;24 - 00;33;47;18
Unknown
Well, yeah. Extra large. So, sweetie, chicken sandwich. Chicken. Yeah, but no diet Coke, motherfucker. Diet coke? I'm on a diet, so. Yeah, I mean that, like, I'm 31 now, which sometimes even sounds crazy saying out loud because I never picture myself being in my 30s, which also sounds crazy. Hahaha. Not like in a bad way, but it's just like I never saw my like I never actually thought about, like, what's life going to be like in my 30s, you know?

00;33;47;18 - 00;34;04;20
Unknown
And so now looking back is like during the time of the military, it felt like it is the worst period of my life. But it was only six years, which six years is a long time. But when you live in it, every day is like, this is horrible. Yeah. So now on the other side of it, like being like in my early, early 30s, I'm like time.

00;34;04;20 - 00;34;25;15
Unknown
Like I had to I had the opportunity to grow through that, to get to where I'm at now, which is like, now I get to do comedy, which is a blessing for me. I love comedy, you know what I mean? And it's like also pursuing my master's degree. So it's like, I'm I feel like I'm living, a great experience, you know, even though you have different challenges, obviously, like, like, you know, knee and joint pain.

00;34;25;15 - 00;34;52;01
Unknown
But it's like from the military now from being 30. Me is that's it's like. Yeah, from from fucking jumping off of, ladders and you know, leaning back, that's how he was like, brace like the military physical stuff that. Yeah. Because I got injuries and stuff like that, obviously. But for me it's the just the, the waking up every day when you I don't know what switches, but as soon as you have a three before your age, know your 30s.

00;34;52;01 - 00;35;07;19
Unknown
It's like stuff cracking it. Take a little bit longer to get up. Like I watched my cousin like, nephew, my cousin's nephew, he like 7 or 8 like that. He jumped off something and landed on his knees. And when he did it like my shirt, I was like, he landed on his knee. You know, he is.

00;35;07;19 - 00;35;25;10
Unknown
When they have that cake and sugar, it's just like, oh, yeah, but it's just like, for me, like even seeing stuff sometimes I like my my back hurt. Like I need that many times it to make money in that period. And I just woke up two hours ago. Right. So yeah, it's it's it's different. It's like when you get older you got to work now.

00;35;25;10 - 00;35;40;12
Unknown
It's like mobility is like a thing. Now the I really care about, you know, back in the day gym just like all right, I'm trying to because just, you know, like it's everything now is like, now I got to actually make sure I can be mobile when I'm hanging off the floor correctly. Can I like actually, you know, do.

00;35;40;12 - 00;35;56;25
Unknown
So that's when yoga start becoming an actual legitimate, a real thing, you know, thing. Yeah. It's like in your 30s by yo, I thought y'all goes wack. Now I think I might need that. Hey. Yeah I'll be seeing how y'all be. You know y'all can tie his shoes while grunting like you know oh I need a that's a challenge I issue to people.

00;35;56;25 - 00;36;13;26
Unknown
I say how quick can you jump up from somewhere without making no noise. Like that's a rich. Yeah. I'm oh like chocolate. Like just how you sitting right there? Like I was like, ill imagine you had to jump up right now. Do it without being like. Like, don't get no pre breath before and don't afterwards. Like, just do it.

00;36;13;27 - 00;36;28;09
Unknown
Yeah. It would be worse. I was I would think about is it worth it for me to even get up. Like I'll have a whole thing being like Man. But is it really. And that TV's going to fall. I mean whatever, you don't even watch TV. That's what I had to prove. Yeah I lay it, look down you know, falls down.

00;36;28;09 - 00;36;45;20
Unknown
But hey. Right I know, you know, I thought about because I came into the central station here in Berlin. And this is another aspect of the fact that I realized, like I'm definitely my 30s now, we don't sprint no more, you know what I mean? Like, have you been to Central Station. You know, it's like a mall.

00;36;45;21 - 00;36;58;23
Unknown
It's like different levels. I'm trying to figure it out. Me coming from, you know, there's like, I've been to train stations like, I know, you know, the general. And I'm looking like, okay, you got to go up and left me. And I'm looking at the time of the day I got like, like four minutes to catch this. Yeah.

00;36;58;23 - 00;37;20;14
Unknown
In Central Station. Busy, you know, so, like, I'm at one point I break out into a sprint, I go up some steps, I make a right, and it's cool. You know, my adrenaline has got me going. I make the train. But then when I got there, like, in reality, hit and everything started cooling down, I was like, oh, like in my calf was tight on the left, my hamstring was tight on the right, like my knees like.

00;37;20;14 - 00;37;39;12
Unknown
And I was like, guys, man. It's like, right? But it wasn't worth it. No. Yeah. I could just wait another 40 minutes, you know what I mean? He so I mean yeah man. Get noticed. Blessing. No, it definitely is man. And he start learning some things. You know you got to do mobility more. You know, start being more patient to man.

00;37;39;13 - 00;38;02;06
Unknown
It just really I mean for bro man because dealing with that whole thing right I think a lot of people from different cultures deal with it, especially in a different culture of like you being the first for somebody, right? And you almost kind of feel like a representative. So you know me. So then you start acting different. You mentioned it a bit of like, all right, especially black dude from America, right?

00;38;02;09 - 00;38;23;26
Unknown
Yeah. Like do for America has a different because there's so many assumptions and stuff. So like, you know, if you like oh you try and you think generally basketball right now. Right. Like yeah. Nah I knew I wasn't going to make it to NBA about like six years ago. So actually I know early. Yeah, I knew early when everyone started going taller to me in like ninth grade, I was like, this is a dream I shouldn't pursue, you know?

00;38;23;26 - 00;38;37;23
Unknown
And you least had the foresight to know that because some people still try and chase it. And then, you know, when they pop the Achilles tendon, that's what it is for real. Like, yeah, but not for real. You're not going to make let it go. Yeah. Let it go. Like you're in pain right now. You can't walk like in a boot.

00;38;37;26 - 00;38;52;24
Unknown
But in my head, though, you know what I'm saying? I feel like I could, I could really there was a point in time, I don't know if it's delusion, but it's like, I feel like I could probably give Kobe, like, a good run on you. Does. Oh, you was cocky. Then that's like, you know, in middle school, where was the same height?

00;38;52;25 - 00;39;08;25
Unknown
Yeah. So it's like, I feel like if I work on my game like, oh okay. Yeah, yeah, that's racing. Yeah. There you get and I agree. And dudes grow to like six four and you're like yeah it's a row. Yeah I think the worst is when you see people that don't take care of the body as much, still be shitting on a court or whatever.

00;39;08;28 - 00;39;30;10
Unknown
So like I think every school has somebody that was very fast, very agile, very good and some sport that just like was eating junk food all the time, smoking and drinking, you know, hungover, like, oh. Oh shit. Yeah. I just came from, you know, out of a bottle of Hennessy are cool. Let me wake up and then go ahead and, like, you know, like you dropped, like, 30 points and you buy, yo, what?

00;39;30;10 - 00;39;49;07
Unknown
I like, bro, I had a good night's sleep. I eat well, I don't even drink like that. And then you, I'm out Uber. Some of these football players be like, you know, I've seen them. You I've seen this drink before. The game smoked. And I was like, how are you out here? Like fun. But I guess it don't matter.

00;39;49;07 - 00;40;04;20
Unknown
I don't know, man. Everybody has their own thing, you know? So I guess God get certain people, you know, the creator, whatever you subscribe to, get certain people that that thing, you know, and there's times, you know, you could just be like, oh, I wish I could just shoot like, I wish I was six four, you know, sometimes.

00;40;04;20 - 00;40;25;08
Unknown
But also it's like, what do they they not have that I have, you know, in this sometimes it's intellect bro. They. Yeah. They don't have a non fear of heights. There you go. Right. And that's right. So you know you not be scared of heights. That's that's a big deal bro. You not me. You know a girl loses her cat in a tree by now a girl got this.

00;40;25;08 - 00;40;38;12
Unknown
You know what I mean. Climb up the tree and shake that. You know what I mean? You ain't going to fall off if you do. You know. Even you know, you be like, yo, you throw the cow on your shoulder, you know, do a backflip off the branch. I'm not six four, but could he do that? Yeah. You're not afraid of heights.

00;40;38;12 - 00;40;53;05
Unknown
All right. You know how many people can say that? You know, for me, I look at it like I might not. Yeah. Now I'm like, Final Destination part four right there, man, I, it's not even that I'm afraid of it or not afraid of it. It's just like. Is there, like, something you don't want to do?

00;40;53;05 - 00;41;10;02
Unknown
Like, I know I could could? Yeah, I change it, like I don't want to do it. Like when people say black people in swimming, it's like, it's not that we can't swim, so we don't want to, you know, because the to to what people, what many people don't know, a lot of black people have watched a lot of nature documentaries.

00;41;10;05 - 00;41;29;25
Unknown
So we just know what exists in most places in the world like different flora and fauna. Like I, I know the ocean has sharks while my ass is going to swim in an ocean. I know sick forces have bears. I seen what bears be doing. The people you know, they had a little ragdoll inside a cage and how they took out the cage and start leaping and jumping.

00;41;30;02 - 00;41;45;11
Unknown
You know, I saw I saw the reference, right? Or whatever with, Leonardo. Leonardo DiCaprio with that bear cat. Oh, see, that made me not want to go to the forest. You know, Germans, they be like, you want to go hiking, be like, no, Ma, you want go to the Black Forest? Why called black? Nah. I'm good. That means the dark forest.

00;41;45;11 - 00;42;06;25
Unknown
Nah. I'm good, I'm good. Yeah. Y'all. Y'all got bears? I think so, well, let's assume that it does. I'm going to stay here on the ground. Thing is, is, I mean, even talk about zoom. And I know we kind of trailed off, but I love conversation. Like this is like, I saw something a couple years ago. It was like 70 or 80% of the ocean has been unexplored, and we don't even know what exists out there.

00;42;06;28 - 00;42;33;07
Unknown
And for me, that's all I needed to hear is like, you mean to tell me like, there's stuff there's 70 to 80% of we don't even know what's out here. I'm cool. Yeah. That's man, I mean, out here. I don't know how it is in Mannheim, but, in here in Berlin, like when summertime, the lakes is what people go to all the time to go to the lakes and they swim in it and I don't know, like, for one is like, all right, I just assume lakes are dirty, right?

00;42;33;12 - 00;42;49;07
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. So I, I don't want to jump in it. So it's just like about to go to a lake. But the what does a water move. No. Just stays there. Stays in. So everyone been in this water for years. Yeah. Peeing in it all this type of stuff. Like everybody just been in the same water now. But yeah, most part.

00;42;49;10 - 00;43;04;27
Unknown
Yeah. You want to go? Nah. And then and some people actually I know some few people heard they had got something from it, a contract this something on the water. Some like. But hold on. This is known to everybody. Why still people going to the lake. I just got here and got this information. It's, Yeah. Y'all know?

00;43;04;28 - 00;43;23;21
Unknown
Yeah. Like, what the, I don't know. Again, this is maybe cultural difference. Why here, Lake in America, that's when that's where sewage was thrown into or like shopping carts or random household materials. So a lake was just. You look at it from New York. Yeah. So I, I'm from Jersey and I lived in New York for a while.

00;43;23;21 - 00;43;42;17
Unknown
I was going to say, see, for being from the south we think lake with or rivers we think fishing. I'm a little bit culturally different, but not for the most part. I mean, you jump in a lake sometimes if it's clean, but, here in Germany, nah, I think it's more so. It's like you talk about cultures like and specifically white people.

00;43;42;17 - 00;44;03;01
Unknown
I think white people more adventurous than black people are. Yeah. Like they're more willing to like, potentially die for something just to have the experience to say they did it. You know? I mean, like skydiving, bungee jumping. Right? Going on these safaris with these monkeys be, you know. Yeah. And it's like I can respect it to a certain degree because you're curious.

00;44;03;04 - 00;44;19;00
Unknown
You know, also, I think we have more of a practical element of just like, why are we doing this as black people, as like, what's the why behind it? Yeah. Are we just trying to get like, an excitement feel out of it? Because if you want to, you can just go to America and get a police chase. If you really want some adrenaline, but it's like, go to Chicago or something.

00;44;19;00 - 00;44;34;08
Unknown
Go, you know, go to any hood in America, just go, you know, get the thrills, walk around. Yeah. You know, walk around me, mug people. Just see where it go. Yeah. Just stare at somebody, you know? Do the German stare in any, major metropolitan city in America and see what happens? Okay. I'm so glad you said that.

00;44;34;08 - 00;44;57;29
Unknown
So you can I act like what was your. When you first came to Germany? What was it like? What would you. What were you thinking? The first, like, crazy stare that you got. Damn. I think the first crazy stare is the fact that you are, you know, you have to be like. What do you mean? Just like. Because I know people are like, let people go then, I think I don't remember, but maybe the things that came to mind was just like, yo, this person looking.

00;44;57;29 - 00;45;13;23
Unknown
You know what I mean? Like, what's going on? Like, because you even look it. I think it depends on who, right? Because like, you know, I grew up in the neighborhoods, you know, rough. So I just, I'm just naturally sizing up people, or I'm used to people sizing me up. Right. So when people look at me, it's kind of like, oh, what are you trying to.

00;45;13;23 - 00;45;27;16
Unknown
Yeah. Well, what kind of Tommy on? Like, on me? So if it's like a big dude staring at me, I'm kind of like, yo, what's up? Like, yo, you you you looking at like, you think. You know what I mean? And if I'm looking away, he's still looking at me now. Composition my body like your body language.

00;45;27;16 - 00;45;41;10
Unknown
Your whole body language. Shift a little bit. Yeah. Or I said, like, more than two. They looking at me. I'm kind of like, yo, what you trying to like? You try set somebody up, like, what's what's up or like, you know, sometime I be like an older lady looking at me. I'm like, you know, I still looking around like, yo, I'm the only black person.

00;45;41;12 - 00;45;56;14
Unknown
Like, why? Why do I look? And you know, so like, it always be on the defense like, yo, why you what's going on? And then I heard about the German state. That's why I was like, I'm even still, I ain't going to lie to you. My my subconscious is my body. So be like, you know, somebody's been looking at me for a while.

00;45;56;14 - 00;46;14;20
Unknown
I catch the eye looking at me kind of like I, I'm, I'm looking down. But my eye on the top of my eye I'm still looking at. Yeah, yeah. How about you? Is different for me. It was like, more so. So when I first moved here, like I say, during the pandemic in place, I moved to virtually no black people.

00;46;14;20 - 00;46;33;10
Unknown
I think I saw, like, 1 or 2 other black people for three years in the, in the neighborhood because you village like they be there's major cities or even like, you know, smaller cities and then outside of it there's like villages. And the village that I was in, it was nice, super quiet. Yeah. A lot of like middle aged older white people.

00;46;33;12 - 00;46;46;14
Unknown
I remember going to like a grocery store and just kind of walking around and I felt like I was in a mix of between like House of Wax and Get Out. Like, you know, when it, when they brought that black dude out and they had to have an auction, a little day party. Everyone's kind of just like looking at like this.

00;46;46;14 - 00;46;59;24
Unknown
I was like broth. My skin was itchy, and I was like, bro in my eye, what's going on? I like, I don't drug me as like I was able what is happening? Because it's like and it's not even just like, oh, I'm looking at you as like kind of like a the. For me, it's the hair turn one.

00;46;59;28 - 00;47;17;04
Unknown
Yeah. Like you staring at me and I'm from point A and you watch me all the way from point B to around the corner. And then I walk around the corner and I can still see you looking for me. It's like this is uncomfortable. They do that even around the corner. Like still around the corner. But I was the arguably the only black person in like the village bro.

00;47;17;04 - 00;47;34;11
Unknown
I saw like 1 or 2 they I would have been like, yo, they trying to get me yo yo. They came around the corner at a supermarket trying to look at you. God bro, that is different at a Areva bro. At a and that's like, that's the most that's the uppity type of, grossest, bro. What? That's not a German thing.

00;47;34;12 - 00;47;51;15
Unknown
That's a German follow. Yeah, man. They they that's a German lurking. So I was like, oh no, I got more used to it over time. But also I think it's just like, sometimes I can tell almost immediately is it more of a natural curiosity? Where as opposed to when I first got here, I was like, is it like hate?

00;47;51;20 - 00;48;14;02
Unknown
Is it like anger? Which can be the case sometimes I'll be root you. It can't be this like a oh, like, what you doing here in our space environment used to be this way. Now it's, Yeah. And then there goes the neighborhood. Oh, right. So. But it's gotten some taken used to. I just don't I don't really trip on it unless it's, like really weird or egregious, like a super long time because it people stare at people all the time.

00;48;14;02 - 00;48;36;15
Unknown
I think it's like a natural inclination to just be curious about some or just be daydream. Sometimes people aren't even really looking at you like that. They just thinking about something. Yeah, you happen to be in a line of sight, but I think for me it's like when the when you can't be slick about it because like people, you look at people sometimes, you know, you can look and it look somewhere else is like if you look at me for a solid minute and not break an eye contact, I'd be worried, because now I'm curious about what is it thinking about?

00;48;36;20 - 00;48;58;09
Unknown
It's not so much what you staring. It's like, what is about me that has you so infatuated? Yeah, it took a while. I mean, shout out to social media. I'll talk about it in some people, like voice out. Why? Maybe it's like they like they literally don't know what they're doing is of like of not offense but of is taken out of a different context than what they think.

00;48;58;12 - 00;49;13;28
Unknown
So a German person staring so like they were like, I don't know, I'm just spacing out because, you know. Yeah. One thing I notice here in Germany especially, we take the ubuntu stuff. People don't not as many people will be on a phone that much sometimes. Sometimes they just sitting down and just looking. Yeah. So it's like, I mean eventually you will look at somebody.

00;49;13;28 - 00;49;34;09
Unknown
Yeah. You know, you look weirder just looking at an advert at the ceiling. Yeah. To look at eventually somebody. Yeah. So I'm like, I, I, I guess maybe this is better than me scrolling on TikTok enough. And I were watching some dumb stuff, but at least I can look at somebody and be like, okay. Oh, and you know, people can wear that type of jacket.

00;49;34;09 - 00;49;50;27
Unknown
I, wow, I didn't know, I didn't know that jacket pairs with this type of sneakers. I learned something about fashion today. My new fun things is being here in Germany, especially with the steering coaches. Like, now, I just like to come up with stories about people. Not true at all, you know what I mean? Like, I'll be looking at somebody and I see them do some, you know, some weird.

00;49;50;29 - 00;50;04;08
Unknown
And I just come up with the entire backstory of my, you know, in my head that pass the time for me. You know, you got a long train, right? Yeah. This is like, I had this whole story that got wife and kids. I don't even know. You know what I mean? I doesn't care what he. Abusive, I don't know, sometimes it depend on how angry, aggressive they are.

00;50;04;08 - 00;50;23;11
Unknown
Sometimes I don't know. Oh, and it it pass the time for me. And then I get up and I'm like, oh man, that was that was. I can see what people stare bro. You just oh my God. You know what? Fun game. It's a fun ass. So how about if some of the German people that are staring at they actually probably doing the same thing, but that's what I'm worried about.

00;50;23;14 - 00;50;37;29
Unknown
Oh, now we doing a blackness element because now it's like, what am I in your imagination? Oh, that's a good oh, because that's what I want to know. It's not so much that you're doing it because I'm doing it too. But I'm trying to figure out in your scenario, like, what is it that you have me doing? Wow.

00;50;37;29 - 00;51;05;16
Unknown
So little Tyrone, right? Little road here, came from Africa, has no family and famine, and he's just trying to. He came here on a raft. Yeah, well, he made it to the UK, but the wind swept him away to the shores of Spain. There's something that's. Oh, that's a good looking. Yeah. Oh, the Germans there. So yeah, for us it's like, all right, well we're not going to have it's going to be battle.

00;51;05;16 - 00;51;22;06
Unknown
This is a bit of a German white person. I'm like a little Tyrone. All right. You know, I wonder how he got his hair like that. It must be because of some of the other inhabitants in other the cities here in Germany. If you like. What? I was going. Oh, man. I'll call it. Of course. Tyrone loves his chicken.

00;51;22;06 - 00;51;40;12
Unknown
What? I'm vegan. Hold on. Wait. You know what I really hate about that stereotype about chicken? Well, like what? Black people specifically? It pisses me off because, like, they get chickens. Good. Very good. I love it as I watch people act like chickens. Not good. Like we the only ones that mutualist like it. Yeah, but I hate eating chicken in public.

00;51;40;14 - 00;51;58;26
Unknown
Oh, you got that too. I hate him, yeah, I tear it up at home. But when I'm in public, I gotta be so conscious. I was like, man, you can't eat this. Eat this comic. I ain't gonna lie to you, bro. Same, bro. If I. If it's like wings, it's like that. And it's hard. An establishment that's not, like, separate or separated wings, but like wings together with the whole thing.

00;51;59;03 - 00;52;19;27
Unknown
Bro, I will pick up a fork and knife, and I will. I will not as crazy, I bro, fork and knife. It depends on how big the pieces. If it's like some. If it's like going from my actual chicken, not the fucking. Yeah, like, you know, but, like, you know, if I'm at a bar, I mean, wings, but if it's like at the establishment and it's like, hey, here's an assortment of stuff on the plate, including wings and stuff like that.

00;52;19;27 - 00;52;36;20
Unknown
So here's the thighs with the wing attached. Then I'm like, damn. And he give you a fork and knife to put it there, and he look at you like so my goodness, Bon appetit. Here's the fork and knife if you use it or you like, but I, you know what? I'm going to use it.

00;52;36;20 - 00;52;54;03
Unknown
I get the fork and knife. Knife and then right hand fork and yeah, I'm just like, all right, let me clean at least some of the play here. Where the knife, the rest I look around, I'll be like, well, I can't get this with the fork and knife, so I have to use my hands. Right. This is I mean, it's logically, this is the only way.

00;52;54;06 - 00;53;21;19
Unknown
That's crazy. It's like we we started this whole conversation. We done the thing about, like, the a little bit of the masking that you have to do sometimes being for the first, like black person. And it's like on that topic of like eating bread, it's like I went to this like staff party thing that they had last week, and we went to this really nice, it's like a certain that served as a show, but it's like a show where they have meals and then they also have like live show going on during it, and then they'll take a break and then they bring another portion of the meal, and it's like getting there in

00;53;21;19 - 00;53;37;06
Unknown
my head. I'm like, man, I got, you know, capitulated to like, because no, it was one in places where they had three of them for three different knives and two spoons, you know what I mean? And it was crazy. Is it like I have I just pick and choose sometimes when I allow myself to fully come out like I have a gold grill.

00;53;37;09 - 00;53;53;26
Unknown
You know, I actually have a good grill, and sometimes I wear, sometimes I want. So I know the perception of what that can be like going into a place like the Gold Grill in Germany. Yeah, I don't, I always have it. And so even going to a place like that, the environment, the set up, you know, when you see all these different things, I was like, I know the the perception is like this.

00;53;53;26 - 00;54;11;28
Unknown
Yeah. How many utensils is he's going to use. Right. And then I throw some shots and I was like, you know, that's your cell. If okay, I should put that on the other side. But it's like, you, you know, you know, sometimes you get those low at home like that. Oh, you probably be throwing them off like, yo, how you know, go to the utensils for salad.

00;54;11;28 - 00;54;38;06
Unknown
What about you? Will you ever have proper, dining etiquette? It's like. Whoa, that was a trick question. Actually. We put it on the plate here for you. We know you knew that one. Congratulations. Okay. Right. So, like, my fun thing to do is I do reefer. I do, but it's just like, sometimes when I'm out and about, I intentionally have two different books that look really challenging in terms of just the verbiage and language that I have in open, and I just set them where I'm working it, and then I'll be on my Instagram or something like that.

00;54;38;09 - 00;54;53;06
Unknown
So it's like when people kind of like, what are you reading about? You know, is the geopolitical science really the landscape that's going on in Eurasia? Mostly within the context of the 1800s? The. No. I'm saying just have that first that quote down and then be like, yeah, I know what I'm talking about. Oh, man. Yeah, you probably be blowing my mind.

00;54;53;07 - 00;55;10;18
Unknown
I don't know what it's about, but you know, you like it's it's it's you. I'm just here to dispel the notion that you think, yeah, the black people don't read. And where we're not educated, even though we're not reading technically right now. It's just that I don't want you to think that we don't. Yeah, don't just don't judge this book or me by the cover.

00;55;10;18 - 00;55;30;04
Unknown
All right? Look at the. All right. So. But yeah, man, I mean, even, like, masking in and of itself is like, as I'm getting older, I'm also learning, like, you don't want a mask, which is weird because I think everyone, regardless of race to a certain degree, we all grew up thinking that like, there's a way you're supposed to behave in society, you know, and that doesn't mean they act ignorantly.

00;55;30;04 - 00;55;48;05
Unknown
But it's like, for me, I feel like when you mask, you mirror anyone, we are preventing ourselves from opportunities that we don't know existed when you're your authentic self. I've noticed that I've ran into people or form relationships, or had opportunities come from that based off of just you being your normal self versus when you kind of be like, yeah, yes.

00;55;48;05 - 00;56;09;13
Unknown
Okay. Thank you very much. Like, you know. Yeah. Which is there's a time and place for everything. But you know, overall it's like authenticity I think wins of course. And I think it wears you down after a while. You try to like mask it. Can you be like, you know what. And then it doesn't pay off sometimes. Like, or it'd be that thing where you mask yourself so much that people have an assumption that this is who you are.

00;56;09;16 - 00;56;30;06
Unknown
And, you know, especially when you black person to you find people get comfortable with doing certain things. You black hot. Now you got me fucked up, all right? I was being pleasant. Let me call switching. Let people know about the code switch. It's like this is my corporate self. You know when I go home and I put my durag on and I relax, it's a different type of energy.

00;56;30;10 - 00;56;45;10
Unknown
Yeah. For real. You put the gold grills on you know I mean like y'all like golfing. You know, I mean, but, you know, it's crazy. I actually know how to golf, too. That's the crazy part. You know how to golf? Yeah. My dad loved, you know, black dads loved Tiger Woods. So I was, like, growing up. I was like, oh, Tiger Woods, you know?

00;56;45;10 - 00;57;02;28
Unknown
Okay, cool. So I've been on a course before, so it's like, I feel like I could my go to is where I'm. Maybe I'm just weird. Like, I want to throw the grills in. I want to, you know, put some and want to go to a course with a bunch of, you know, oh, no, older like white dudes.

00;57;03;00 - 00;57;21;02
Unknown
Oh, you have to do that and just see how, like what it's going to be like and then hustle them. Oh bro, you have to do that. And you actually play too. Yeah I mean I'm not great, but it's like I know how to swing to slow the process. Have to battle. Yeah. I don't know about you, bro, but every time I try to swing a little stupid, I'm too big to start playing golf right now because I'm trying to swing it.

00;57;21;09 - 00;57;38;10
Unknown
I look like I should be physically able to do so, but it takes finesse. Yeah, and I'm, like, swinging it hard. I'm not hitting the ball. I'm like, all right, I'm sweating. This is not a problem. I'm getting nothing out of this. Right? Yeah. I'm sweating and the ball is still on the tee is not good. Oh, so so all right, I got some more questions for you.

00;57;38;10 - 00;58;11;26
Unknown
So, so one thing I saw from you is that I saw you do interviews with, some people, mostly black people on the street. Yeah. In Germany. Yeah. And what was that about? So, yeah, that's a really good question. I'm glad you asked that. Like I said, when I first moved here, I bought the camera, and in my head, I was like, I want to do content from the from the perspective of an American and a black American being over here outside of the pocket of America, because I think, as you can probably remember, like in the 2020, 2022, 21, America was dealing with a lot of like historically always dealing

00;58;11;26 - 00;58;29;20
Unknown
with like, you know, racial inequality and police brutality, but especially at that time, it was the heels of like, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery. And it was like back to back to back to back to back. Yeah. So for me, also leaving America was like, I got to get away from this because my mindset like, I'm still like, I'm going to like every day I'm waking up, mad interactions are the thing.

00;58;29;20 - 00;58;52;24
Unknown
I'm mad. I see, like, it's like it was felt like a lot mentally. So when I came over here, I was like, let me not even just in the context of race, let me get perspective other people about other stuff. And so that is what inspired the idea to go out and do interviews with people and also from the context of like, let me just figure everything out, let me figure out what content is, let me figure out how to edit, let me figure out how to what type of questions to ask.

00;58;52;24 - 00;59;08;13
Unknown
And so based off of that, I'd also been doing comedy. But it's just like once those popped, I kind of looked at like this. I was having a conversation with my buddy of the days, like how come you don't keep posting no more? He's like, once I started generating whatever, I'm like one video say like 600 something on TikTok or something like that.

00;59;08;13 - 00;59;23;29
Unknown
I get on my TikTok is pretty good, but I won't be posting on it. Yeah, and he's like, why are you no, stop. And I was like, for me, it was more so like, I figure I know how to do this. Not that I have a super a lot of experience with it, but like, okay, I know this type of video would generate this.

00;59;24;02 - 00;59;39;25
Unknown
Let me focus more on the comedy aspect of it and let me figure out what I want to say. Meaning like, yeah, those are those are like generic type questions. Let me figure out the heart of what it is that I'm trying to explore. Especially with comedy as well too. And then let me readdress it. Meaning like now I know.

00;59;39;25 - 00;59;54;24
Unknown
Okay, I have 30s to do this within the first eight seconds. How you get people's attention online is how you generate metrics. These are the type of things to show who you need to like. I want to get that information first once I develop the content, which is what I've been doing over the last year and a half, now I have the content, now I know the metrics.

00;59;54;24 - 01;00;16;12
Unknown
Now I can put it together and grow it from there. And so asking people questions and getting perspective is something that I like to do without a camera anyway. Like I enjoy having dialog with someone who's thinks completely different than me is from a different space, because that's the only way to grow, I think, in my opinion. Like there's no way you can really like stretch is like, I don't know, some, but this is like how you subscribe to this, your lifestyle.

01;00;16;13 - 01;00;33;11
Unknown
All right. So tell me, like why, like why, why. Okay. What about this. And so putting that just in front of a camera is like it's a it's an ongoing process. It doesn't happen overnight. And so for me it's like, I'm inspired to keep doing that. But I've also been focused on the comedy aspect as well too, because you can't I feel like you can't.

01;00;33;13 - 01;00;47;23
Unknown
You can. But when you try to split your time between this this is this Ambien student. Ambien. This is like, bro, you don't have time. They're going to burn out. So, for a large part of time, I took a break from that to focus on a comedy. I feel like comedy's getting to a point where I feel more comfortable.

01;00;47;25 - 01;01;02;13
Unknown
And, now I want to address that. Now, having the knowledge of what I've done through comedy and being here for a while now, I can get to the heart of what I want to ask. Nice, bro. Yeah, I mean, I saw it and I think, like, you know, especially when people are intrigued by hearing other stories from people.

01;01;02;13 - 01;01;23;21
Unknown
I mean, it just adds, it adds more to the world in terms of understanding and nuance and things. Yeah. And then also, as you mentioned, you're a comedian and, you know, you perform out here in Germany. And where do you study comedy? Really? I tell people, I mean, I really feel like all my life and I'm not saying that just like I've always been funny, I was like, even we were kids.

01;01;23;24 - 01;01;39;06
Unknown
Like, we would do my sister. Now we have, like, guests come over. I'd be like, hey, let's go put on some like nice clothes. You know, you get that one chair suit like I'll go put on, I get super dressed up and then come down stairs and just put on like a little show, you know, like do they ask you do you know what it's like.

01;01;39;09 - 01;01;56;11
Unknown
So from that I was like, oh man, if you make people laugh like it feel good, you know? So growing into that, like the first time I actually did traditional comedy where you standing in front of it, like doing it. It was like I was, I was actually deployed. I was on deployment. We were trying to break up the monotony of just being out in the heat.

01;01;56;11 - 01;02;15;12
Unknown
And so like, there's I'm telling jokes. And I thought to myself, I actually did bad at the bad. And I was like, I gotta do this in a real in a real context. So in 2016, 2015, 2016, I went to a comedy club in Spokane, Washington, and I signed up for amateur night. And, I think it was like five minutes and I did that five minutes.

01;02;15;12 - 01;02;29;28
Unknown
And I remember, Q and I was like, oh, I like this. I was like, I can do this. And then the like two weeks later, I was like, I'm gonna do it again, did it again, and I bombed and I was like, I hate this. You know? I was like, based on the two three, like, like killing.

01;02;29;28 - 01;02;49;29
Unknown
The first time, I was like, oh, yeah, I could do this. And then goddamn bomb. And I was like, hey, like, this would happen. So yeah, 2016, I really kind of fell in like in love with the process of it. 2021 first time I was really doing it consistently here in Germany. And I say 2024. The beginning of 2024 was the first year I stopped saying amateur comedian, because for a long time I would limit myself.

01;02;49;29 - 01;03;02;21
Unknown
I'm just an amateur. I mean, I'm just figuring it out, but I remember the first time I got paid and it was only like 20 bucks. But I remember I was looking at the 20, but yeah, I remember looking at the 20 bucks and I was riding home and I was like, I just got paid, tell some jokes.

01;03;02;23 - 01;03;19;10
Unknown
I was like, all right, I'm not an amateur no more. So in 2010, for the first time, I said that, and I remember literally that moment, like within two days, once I said, I'm not amateur no more, someone reached out to me, hey, would you want to come to us like it pays? They did it. And that from this year is the first year I've consistently, every month to some extent gotten paid to do comedy, some nice.

01;03;19;16 - 01;03;37;03
Unknown
And so for me it's like, okay, go go in with it. Like go take it more seriously. Craft your writing. You know what I'm saying and work on your sets and, just get more exposure just even while I'm here in Berlin, you know, it's like I'm trying to expand, trying to learn, trying to pick up stuff and, you know, and you can aspire to where you know, they are.

01;03;37;03 - 01;03;58;17
Unknown
So, yeah, you, your perspectives, your jokes and everything. Right. That is like very new, interesting probably from people all around that region. Yeah. So I mean, you know, really the war is your oyster in that sense in terms of what you want to do. So, one question I'd like to ask some, people on this podcast. The last question is that, you've been to a lot of cultures, man.

01;03;58;17 - 01;04;25;08
Unknown
You know, I mean, not only in the military, but like in the South. And then you go into Spokane, Washington, Germany, from the base to living in a village, basically all these things you've been through, what is what's the what's the number one advice you would have given to your younger self to all this time? Oh man.

01;04;25;10 - 01;04;31;26
Unknown
That's good. Question number one piece of advice I would give to myself.

01;04;31;28 - 01;04;55;13
Unknown
Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Quick to listen, to slow to speak. Which is basically just means like. Take your time and process information wherever it's coming from. Even if you may feel like it's being offensive, you just sometimes you gotta sit in it and learn. Don't just say the first thing that come to your mind, because sometimes we think we're right and we're not.

01;04;55;16 - 01;05;08;25
Unknown
Excuse me, I say a first. The biggest voice is something my father told me before I even when I left tournaments. Right. He said man put God first and I'm not I don't take in anyone's religion or spirituality, but in terms of call it creator, call it whatever you want to call, whatever you want to call it.

01;05;08;28 - 01;05;24;18
Unknown
I call it God. And basically that means is don't get too high on yourself. You know what I mean? Like, understand every problem that you have, whatever it is, may be, is, is minuscule to the larger picture of what it is you're trying to do with your life. And in the way that you're trying to live your life in the fashion that you want to do it.

01;05;24;18 - 01;05;41;11
Unknown
So maybe it's like two pieces of advice based off of that. Be quick to listen to slow to speak. That's a real issue right there. Yeah, yeah. Especially navigating through different cultures because yeah, I quickly be like, yo, what the. And then you be like, oh, I was wrong. That's the hard thing. Like sometimes admitting that you're wrong is really kind of tough.

01;05;41;11 - 01;05;59;23
Unknown
Sometimes if you don't have a big ego, you know, like, is we be wrong, man? It's like, not like sometimes you be dead wrong. Like I've said there too, in one on one time. Like, yeah, I was wrong for that. Yeah. You like? Damn, y'all, I really fucked up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, man, just be be be quick to listen.

01;05;59;23 - 01;06;20;19
Unknown
Slow to speak. You know that was nice man. And then also to for anyone who wants to find you man keeping up with So that's the YouTube. I really should change the hoodie, but actually my, my Instagram tag is, John John underscore Jones Johnny s underscore comedy. Like Jon Jones UFC fighter. Yeah. Jon Jones of Jon Jones comedy.

01;06;20;24 - 01;06;42;01
Unknown
You can find me there on Instagram, I think, as well as TikTok. I have my link in there and, I'll be posting, you know, some of the regular shows that I'll be doing, very soon. In January of 2025, I'll be on a four city, four night tour towards the end of January, I think, like some Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Mayans or Darmstadt and that region and then and things are picking up as well too, for me as well.

01;06;42;01 - 01;07;02;01
Unknown
So I think maybe even in Stuttgart, the month after that. So I'm looking forward to the experience. Nice, bro. You been moving out here? I'll try. Man, I don't. Thanks. Yeah. So much for amateur. You professional out here. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Luxembourg to coming on. Oh, look at that. You know, dates coming in. Bow bow bow bow bow.

01;07;02;04 - 01;07;17;10
Unknown
But also, I won't take the time wisely on camera. I appreciate you, even inviting me on to the podcast in and of itself. And, I appreciate what you're doing in this hub of black culture, you know, blackness as a diaspora. But even as a black American living over here, I'm also proud of you. Camera's on the cameras off.

01;07;17;10 - 01;07;32;12
Unknown
Like I'm proud of what you doing for yourself? Because it's not necessarily easy. We'll hear that a lot. And there's a lot that we deal with it. We probably. I know about it. Yeah, it's a lot. So I'm proud of what you doing out here man bro. Thank you very much. Thank you man because in this podcast you know every every time you blog I don't know.

01;07;32;12 - 01;07;46;27
Unknown
But you know that not that means a lot bro. No it is you're doing it. Thank you man I appreciate you. Thank you. Yes sir. And guys thank you for listening and are watching to the third Culture Talk podcast. I'm your boy Nya Yeanafehn and I'll see you guys in the next one. Peace.