How Did You Do That?

That's When I Realized, I Can't Live Like a Machine Anymore.

Jiabao and KK grew up in Taishan in the Guangdong province in China and became friends as they were studying before classes for their highschool entrance exams. In China, when students graduate highschool they take an exam that ranks education by tier for all future higher education. This exam is called Gaokao and is a very high stakes National College entrance exam. During the goldrush in the 18th century many people from Taoshin came to the United States in the hope of providing for their families. Jiabao's great grandfather came to San Francisco but returned to his home town.   There is a culture of sending your relatives aboard to make more money. This is still the future of toashan. This is why KK’s mom wanted KK to marry someone who was financially successful and take pride in that perceived, cultural success KK said that the book, The Law of Attraction [https://www.abraham-hickslawofattraction.com/the-law-of-attraction-the-basics-of-the-teachings-of-abraham.html] by Esther and Jerry Hicks was a wake up call for her. She has a quote from that book tattooed on her arm. The quote is, “what is harmonious with you, you shall attract”. KK started creating art with the intention to communicate her feelings after seeing the Pixar Movie, Soul [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2948372/]. If would like to see KK’s work, or book a session with her, please find her on Instagram @detectivelkk or on Xiaohongshu  小红书 . RedNote/Xiaohongshu 小红书 is the social media platform that KK used to promote her work in China during COVID. KK likes to listen to the song, Cut to the Feeling by Carly Rae Jepsen [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o97_jDomyqc] when she is feeling down. Jiabao likes to listen to the music of Eason Chan Yick-shun [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=eason+chan]. Eason is a Hong-Kong based song-writer, singer and actor. 孝順 Xiàoshùn is filial piety and is a Chinese word to describe children respecting their parents, elders and ancestors. Thanks for listening!

I don't even know if those people exist. That's the point...

Hello Listeners,  As a warning this episode includes material about violence, police brutality, being detained against one's will, sexual assault and murder.  Thank you for tuning into Episode 2 of How Did You Do That,  “I don’t even know if those people exist. That’s the point…” Our show notes for this episode are long and although I am no journalist, I did my best to provide credible links to information and fact check some of what our guest speaks about.  With that said, our complete show notes are available here, [https://drive.google.com/file/d/15S5j6iK2SyLN6z7rOTb5swhILcjRa8_B/view?usp=share_link] and I hope you'll read them. There is a lot of information to take in and some incredible things to learn. Otherwise, please know that our guest this episode is a twenty-one-year-old Belarusian, (now) Polish citizen who has recently graduated from college and was detained by his own country earlier this year when he went home to renew his passport. Although his entire family lives in Belarus, it is no longer safe for him to return to his home country and he is unable to do so for the foreseeable future.  His story is enlightening and incredibly relevant.  I met our guest when I had the opportunity to travel to Poland in May of 2025. He agreed to an interview and I am forever grateful to him for his generosity of spirit and teaching me so much about things I knew so little about. That's the point of travel, isn't it? Plus, he showed me his favourite ice cream and coffee shops! Win, win, win! The city I was visiting during this recording was Warsaw, or Warszawa. (pronounced vahr-SHAH-vah with an emphasis on the second syllable). Thank you again to our guest and the people of Poland I was able to meet and interact with. The world is more familiar because of you! Wherever you are, talk to the people around you, learn their stories, witness their experiences and take in the truth - none of us is alone. So happy you're here!

This What I Should Do. This Is What Makes Me Happy.

Our guests today were Jilann Spitzmiller and Hank Rogerson.  Hank and Jilann [http://www.jilannspitzmiller.com/] are creators of Philomath Films and the makers of the award winning and globally celebrated documentary, Shakespeare Behind Bars [https://www.shakespearebehindbars.com/]. If you would like to see that film, you can stream it here! [https://shakespearebehindbars.vhx.tv/checkout/shakespeare-behind-bars/purchase] Philomath was asked by The National Indian Council on Aging [https://www.nicoa.org/] to work on a video that was filmed on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota that was being taken to congress to advocate for elders services. The Pine Ridge Reservation sits on the traditional territories of the Mnicoujou, Oohenumpa, Tséstho’e (Cheyenne) and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ peoples. (If you are curious whose land you are on, check out the Whose Land website [https://www.whose.land/en/]and app for wonderful information and learning!) CORRECTION: In our interview I said that Shakespeare Behind Bars has been seen in over seven countries. This is incorrect. As a result of its syndications on broadcasting networks, it has been shown in over fifty countries! However, it has screened as part of film festivals in over seven countries. Shakespeare Behind Bars is a program that works with incarcerated people at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex and was founded by Curt Tofteland. It has been running for thirty years! Return citizens who participate in this program have a 6% recidivism rate. The national average is 68%. Learn more about the program here [https://shakespearebehindbars.org/].  Hank most recently had a guest star appearance on Episode 4 of Pulse [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31407116/episodes/?ref_=tt_ov_epl], which is available on Netflix! Jilann had two films in SXSW this year (2025) . She was the DP for Creede USA and was also the DP for a segment of the Tallest Dwarf. The Early Show with Alax  [https://askalax.org/]which she co-created, won a regional Emmy in 2025.  Jilann is also one of the artists in the Santa Fe Studio Tour [https://www.sfestudioart.com/] this coming June 2025. The movie that Kieran used to describe her life was Wes Anderson's, Royal Tenenbaums Hank likes to listen to the Talking Heads', Naive Melody when he is feeling overwhelmed.  Our theme song was created by Kieran and produced by Jesse Deluxe. Our log was inspired by the Book of Finnish Fairytales and Folk Tales.  Thanks for listening!