Eric on the World

Hey guys, I think this is going to be the last episode of Eric on the World. Sadly, the listenership never grew (it's basically ~50 people for each new episode a week), no one expressed any interest in Patreon, and no one had rated or reviewed the show since it's debut in November 2020. So basically this is your fault. But in all seriousness, if you'd like to have me host a different kind of show, please let me know the topic, etc. But this one just hasn't been working out. You can hit me up at https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld/ Thanks for listening, and until next time—whenever that is—wherever you are in the world, be well, and be loved.

This week I talk about continuing to put temporary roots down in Lisbon, my phone breaking, and whether or not you'd want to pay for any of my content so I don't starve.

I talk about returning to Berlin for a week and performing comedy as well as my tearful goodbye to the girl I'm seeing. I also talk about my initial experiences in Lisbon, including trying to be vegan and performing comedy for the first time here.

I talk about my Prague experience, where I'm going to next, my hopes for comedy, and why I can never have a house cat.

This week Prague comedian Mohammed Babiker aka Babiker the Traveler joins me to discuss a wide variety of topics, including the cultural shock of moving from the U.K. to Sudan to Saudi Arabia to Prague in his young age, to what it's like being a Muslim in comedy, to other more general questions of Islam and living a lifestyle of faith. Please be sure to follow us, subscribe, and leave reviews with the links below: Babiker Youtube Instagram Eric Youtube Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify Facebook

I talk about being diagnosed with bronchitis, how I spent my Christmas, and my plans of where I'm going after Prague.

I await my Covid home test results while recording, contemplate if singing karaoke induced my sickness, and talk about a Q-Anon Czech guy I met.

I wrap up my time in Budapest, talk about being pepper sprayed my first night in Krakow, and how I stayed at the second-worst hostel I've ever been to.

This week I explain why I don't have a guest (again), how I'll be alone (in Prague!) for Christmas, and how I almost got my ass kicked twice in my first night in Budapest.

I'm in Prague, and what a gorgeous city it is. Should I stay over Christmas? Should I fly home? Should I study in Lisbon? These are life's questions that plague us.

This will likely be my last few days in Berlin, at least for the foreseeable future. I am so conflicted about what to do next and how to do it. I was accepted into an Erasmus program in Lisbon, but I don't have the funds to make it happen, unless making money in Lisbon is somehow a much easier thing to do. But, at least for the next few weeks, I'll be going through Eastern Europe, hitting up Prague (where I have 3 shows at the Czech Inn, November 27, 28, 30 - come see me!), Brno, Bratislava, Budapest, Krakow, and then either flying back to live at home, trying again for Berlin, or perhaps going to Lisbon. I don't know what the hell to do, someone please give me your thoughts. ericontheworldpodcast@gmail.com Also, the movie Vanilla Sky made me cry. That sound track.

I talk about taking a bath and how maybe I can save money by buying a plane ticket and an iPhone.

Why am I even making these anymore? Is anybody out there?

Coming to you from the streets of Berlin, I talk about how a comedian friend (give him a follow) gave me another month of life in Berlin, and having a bloody a**hole. I had to change the name of this episode because certain podcast aggregators wouldn't accept it haha.

I talk about how I have no idea where I'll be living next week, ask why it's so expensive everywhere in the world, and how we're all screwed.

I talk about why I might have to leave Berlin (again), rediscovering some magical moments of youthful wonder, and why Berlin itself has beaten me up.

This week German-British comedian Fay Walsh is on the podcast. We discuss her background and growing up in Berlin proper, how she discovered she wanted to be a comedian, how we both deal with depression, and much more. Follow Fay: https://www.instagram.com/okfaybaby Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld

Sorry for the late podcast. I've been feeling pretty crappy for about nine days, but have tested negative twice for Covid. Also, anyone have any housing leads in Berlin? Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld

This week comedian Bruno Mazzini returns to the podcast. We have a wide-ranging conversation, ranging from relationships with women, why I think I'm over sex, and how most people hate their lives. Follow Bruno: https://www.instagram.com/brunochillpls Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld Rate and review the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eric-on-the-world/id1539080302

This week Irish comedian Rob Moriarty is on the show, and what a great conversation it was. Rob is living in Berlin (a notoriously difficult housing market), and we start by discussing the crazy situations he's encountered living with two other roommates and an occasional girlfriend all in the same bedroom. Later we get into our mutual hypochondria, and some of the medical ailments Rob's faced in recent years, including having an adult circumcision to correct an overly tight foreskin. We wrap things up by talking about our sexual identity, and how that affects the audience's perception of us on stage. Rob Moriarty: https://www.instagram.com/robdoescomedy Eric Barry: https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld Please subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eric-on-the-world/id1539080302

This week comedian Bruno Mazzini is on the show. Bruno is a Peruvian who recently moved to Berlin to pursue a career in standup comedy. We discuss his journey, the comedy scene in Berlin, what inspired him to start performing, and girls in Ohio who are anxious to cheat on their boyfriends. Follow Bruno on Instagram Follow me on Instagram

I talk about needing a comedy hour and bar stories. I can't figure out why but I think the audio is super scratchy on this one.

This week opera singer and burlesque performer Diva D'Luscious joins me as my first in-person guest in nearly 9 months. Diva (aka Sarah) discusses why she moved to Berlin from the United States, how she got her start in opera, and how she eventually started doing burlesque. We then diverge to talk about the state of dating in relation to social media and apps. Finally, Sarah discusses her recent breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and how that's affected her outlook on performance and life. -- If you have questions or comments about this episode, living in Berlin, traveling, dating, or life in general, send them to ericontheworldpodcast@gmail.com

That's about it haha. I also have a comedy show this Wednesday in Berlin, check it out. 

This week the hosts of the Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey podcast return. Geoff and Alex join me to discuss how it feels to live in Berlin now vs. when I left during the lockdown in January, tips for lakes and exploring the greenery of Berlin outside "the Ringbahn," why cycling is the best mode of transportation in Berlin, and so much more. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more adventures and comedy dates.

This week my friend and fellow foreigner Maila joins the show. Maila discusses her move from Brazil to Portugal and eventually Berlin, plus we get into an impassioned debate about domestic violence and traditional gender roles in different countries. Here's a news article in relation to the studies I was referencing.

Through the haze of cigarettes and cocaine, I talk about the continued nuttiness of my adventure in trying to move to and secure myself as a resident of Berlin. From finding housing to having my wallet stolen to the weird socks Berliners put on their water faucet, it's been quite a week. Enjoy!

It was a harrowing journey of over 6 months, but somehow, I made it back to Berlin. I talk about missing my flight here, being back, and the wildest bartender reaction I've ever seen to someone making sure they were served the right drink.

Despite being fully vaccinated, I contracted Covid in Barcelona. I talk about how it all happened, my symptoms, what I've had to do since, how it's messed up my plans, why Airbnb is the worst ever, and how crazy this variant is.

This week I talk about how my mental health is progressing, how hot Europeans are, Park Güell, Covid in Barcelona, and doing comedy here.  

Estoy in Barcelona, baby! This week I talk about the craziness of getting to Barcelona, my retrospective on my time back in the U.S., the state of my mental health, and why you should eat the ham in Spain.

I'm feeling a little better, which is good. The brain is weird and fragile. I (probably) have a comedy show this Thursday at the White Horse in Oakland you should come to.

I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure I got something out

I have been feeling a lot of feelings the past... 7 years? And nothing has encapsulated and made more real those feelings then the masterpiece and work of art that is Bo Burnham's new Netflix special "Inside." From the ravages of the internet and social media, to mental health, to a general sense of hopelessness in ourselves and the world, Bo's special is all that and more, singular, genius, raw, moving, depressing. I talk about it.

This week I ramble about an instagram exchange I had that ended up turning into a bit on stage, my continued frustration with medical insurance, the history of HiP House co-op as the former Le Chateau co-op featured in the documentary Chateaupia, and needing a job.

What exactly is comedy? Why do we laugh? What is it that makes us feel bonded when we share a joke with another person? This week Professor Brett Mills of Freie Universität Berlin joins the podcast to try and answer these questions and more. Brett teaches a course I'm taking called "Comedy in Film," and it's a complete hit with the students, thanks in part to his wealth of knowledge concerning comedy history and theory, and ability to ask provocative questions. Some more topics we attempt to tackle: What are signifiers used in media to let us know something is intended to be funny? The difference between standup and improv as praxis Why the British Office is superior to the American version Is there an increased sensitivity to comedy with social media and cancel culture, or has it always existed and we just didn't know about it?   It was a long and fascinating discussion (that I gladly would've had go on for many more hours), so have a think and a laugh and enjoy! Follow Professor Brett Mills on Twitter and follow me on Instagram.  

I talk about moving into my new co-op reserved just for grad students, getting a terrible massage, how crappy Medi-cal is, and whether happiness is something you can "fake until you make it." 

I ramble about the hypocrisy of people who don't want to follow the CDC mask guidelines and eating a weed cinnamon bun.

As the world continues to open back up from the pandemic, and I find myself literally in the same co-op system I was in when I graduated UC Berkeley at 20, I've been confronted with a very soul-shaking fear that frankly, my life is going nowhere. The moment-to-moment can feel complicated, and like tiny steps of progress are being made, but when I zoom out on the whole, it seems that nothing has "gone my way" since I've graduated college, and I have no idea how to course-correct myself. My life back then seemed so promising, "ahead' of all those around me. Now it feels mired in pursuits that bear no fruit, and a crippling sense of existentialism and nostalgia. So yeah, that's what I talk about haha.

The plot twist no one expected, or the plot twist everyone expected? I'm living back in the Berkeley Student Cooperative, the student co-ops I lived in when I was an undergrad at UC Berkeley, and boy is life crazy. I'm going to do a co-op specific podcast, but for now, I give some general life updates, including what it's like to be back in student housing, Berkeley in general, and why shaving my beard has me looking more lady-like than ever. 

After 123 boring days, I decided to give up giving up alcohol. I've taken a booze break at the beginning of the last 4 years, which usually ends when I end up traveling. That didn't happen this time as I was traveling to Turkey which was in lockdown, had very few tourists for socializing, and as a "Muslim light" country doesn't have a massive drinking culture. So in that respect, this is one of the easiest goes I've had of it. But being back in the U.S. and now with friends in the Bay Area, the time felt right. I discuss how it went down, as well as my relationship to alcohol, and how my inability to do many things in moderation has affected that, as well as my eating habits. It's a lifelong struggle, and I'm just trying to find the healthiest approach to it both for my body and mind. Please be sure to subscribe to the show's Youtube page!

In 1994, Miles Hargrove and his family were living in Cali, Colombia when his father, Tom Hargrove, was kidnapped by FARC, a militant guerilla political group. With a ransom of $6 million being demanded, and threats of Tom's execution, Miles' family had no choice but band together and form their own task force with one mission: get their father back safely. Miracle Fishing: Kidnapped Abroad is Miles' documentary of those events, told using actual home movies he shot back in 1994. Miles joins me this week to discuss the events in Colombia, the emotional rollercoaster of it all, and everything that happened when the camera wasn't rolling. It's an incredibly harrowing story, and Miles does a phenomenal job of enriching his film even further in our conversation. You can watch Miracle Fishing on Discovery+, and view the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7z6ru6jkBc For more episodes, be sure to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. For travel pics and way TMI about my own life, follow me on Instagram @ericontheworld

Three days ago I received the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. While I initially thought I'd gotten away without having any side-effects, 12 hours and 45 minutes later, the muscle cramps, fever, and fatigue hit. I talk about the experience leading up to and the days following getting the vaccine, as well as adjusting to being back in the Bay Area, and where I may head to next. Here's the link to the Youtube video I made about my travels to the United Stated from Turkey: https://youtu.be/PZfLin0n_Q0

Well everyone, I'm back in the United States. Don't believe me? Here, read this article CNN wrote about it. I detail my long, 40-hour journey getting from Bodrum, Turkey to San Francisco, California. A bus, three flights, a 90-minute detention by Homeland Security and so much more happened. Plus, I'm getting vaccinated on Thursday and talk about being sad about the stray cat I adopted and had to let go. I'm gonna be honest - I think this episode is kinda boring. I'm exhausted, so I do a pretty dry play-by-play about the events, but that said, I want t know your feedback about the show, and questions, and feedback for future episode ideas. Email me ericontheworldpodcast@gmail.com  

This week's episode looks back at New York City one year ago, from the perspective of two people living there when it was the epicenter of the coronavirus in the world. Comedian Dustin Hempstead wasn't just living in Manhattan when the city shut down—he was one of the first New Yorkers to get the virus. Dustin takes us through what Covid felt like and the strain it put on his ex-girlfriend who gave it to him, and other moments that stuck with him through the experience. Follow Dustin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustin.hempstead Samantha Glitterstallion is a life coach who was living in Bushwick, Brooklyn when the pandemic hit New York. Samantha describes changes she saw in the neighborhood and how the pandemic brought out the true spirit of New Yorkers she's familiar with.  Check out Sam's coaching practice at https://blissfulaf.com/ and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blissfulafcoaching Be sure to review the show in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eric-on-the-world/id1539080302 And check out the website for more travel and culture updates: http://ericontheworld.com

One year ago, myself and a host of others from all over the globe found ourselves stuck in Quito, Ecuador at the Secret Garden Hostel in the middle of a pandemic. What was at first a frenzy of failed attempts to get home and confusion in the world, soon turned into a found family of individuals who may have had the best quarantine experience in the world, set against the Andes Mountains, having the time of our lives. I spoke to Marcella from Argentina, Ebrahim from England, and Gleb from Ukraine, who were all members of that group, who share their experience of quarantine in Quito. --- Please check out Gleb who makes AMAZING travel videos with our other quarantine buddy Artem on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12oYE8vfzM If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, leave a review! Follow me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld 

Food guru and former award-winning chef Karl Wilder is an American currently living in Berlin. He joins the show to talk about German cuisine, and specifically some of the struggles that we Americans face when being introduced to the German palate. Karl dives into how German cuisine is largely based around a history of war and scarcity, meaning things like spices weren't available, and items that delivered a simple, high-calorie punch (potatoes, bread) were the highlights of most German diets. From how Covid is affecting restaurants to the elusive search for decent Mexican, we discuss a wide-range of German food related topics. -- From the intro - if you'd like to read my first piece on one year since Corona, you can click here. If you have questions or comments, feel free to write at ericontheworldpodcast@gmail.com and I can read them on the show.

This week we turn to the stars for part 2 of my conversation with Emma. Emma follows and believes in some tenets of astrology, whereas I do not. We get into why that's the case for both of us, including similarities to religion and my own religious upbringing. I see astrology as inherently anti-science, and consequently against the aims of the left, whereas Emma doesn't and thinks the political spectrum is a fabrication of its own. Emma believes astrology is fun and ultimately beneficial, but I think it poses a philosophical threat, particularly as more and more disinformation enters the world and the safety net of truth begins to wear thin. For more travel tips, opinions, and interesting conversations, subscribe and rate in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eric-on-the-world/id1539080302 And Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtprTJ-7rxvd5KFGT_Zi07A And follow me on Insta: http://instagram.com/ericontheworld

This week Emma, an English travel friend I met in Thailand joins the show. We talked for over 2 1/2 hours, plus I (of course) had some technical difficulties, so I decided to split this up into two podcasts. This week's show we discuss some fun (and not so fun) drug stories, and then dig into finding purpose in life, and what that looks like in the context of being an adult in corona times. Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmlaar Follow me on Instagram: http://ericontheworld.com/ There's a website now! www.ericontheworld.com Leave a review in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eric-on-the-world/id1539080302  

New podcast, who dis? I talk about why I rebranded the show. But don't worry old school listeners: I also talk about being fat and void of joy. Be sure to rate the show in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eric-on-the-world/id1539080302 Follow my new Insta handle: https://www.instagram.com/ericontheworld

This week, Mike, a German friend I met in Thailand comes onto the show to discuss why he sold everything and left Deutschland to travel SE Asia, eventually settling in Bali, Indonesia. We cover a wide range of topics from different attitudes our families have towards traveling, why he chose SE Asia, our mutual struggle in Cambodia, what life has been like for Mike in Bali, and what he misses most about Germany. It would mean the world if you would rate and review the show in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/an-american-in-berlin/id1539080302