A Wealth Of Knowledge

[Music]

Zeke: I like to welcome everyone to another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast. I’m your host Zeke. In this episode I have Tea returning form the first episode, talk about anime and travel in more detail. You can follow her Instagram @noonetravelslikegaston. To learn more about travel facts and city histories. I like to give a content warning for any strong language used in this episode. I hope you have a nice day enjoy the show.  

Zeke: Origin story already,  so now we get more into your individual questions.

Tea: Okay.

Zeke: So in the same episode we talked about anime and travel. So my first question is how do, how does it feel to live in different countries?

Tea: Living in different countries is actually really cool. I think I’m a big advocate for travel. So like for me, whenever people are like, Oh, I don’t have a passport or I don’t like to travel. I’m like, no subs that you sorry. I just look at them. And I’m like, What? That’s one of the first things that like I wanted to do the moment I turned 18 that really started when I went abroad to Denmark, it was my first time going to a different country that wasn’t like the DR. And it, everything was just so new. And everyone was just super nice. And it was great because like, I actually I felt like I was in an environment where I was really learning. And I, I think my favorite part about traveling is the stories I take with me. Like every place I’ve traveled to, I’ve gotten into something. And when I come back, I’m like, it makes for a great story. it’s legal. Don’t worry,

Zeke: Interpol we got her.

Tea: Yeah, but like so I really enjoy traveling for that reason. And also, when you’re in another country where you don’t know anybody, you don’t know the language you don’t really know your way around. A lot of people like that scary but I’m like, No, this is great because it really puts into perspective how little time you have and you just really are so in the moment of like, I love this. What the fuck is that? What is This, who are those? It’s such a great thing because you’re really genuinely curious. Whereas, like, when I’m back home, yeah, things are great. But I get so used to the routine that nothing excites me. So when when I’m in a new country, it’s like, I want to do everything all at once.

Zeke: So with that, your name get like getting a each one of your names is a different different culture, right?

Tea: Yeah. So my first name is Spanish. my middle name is Farsi and my last name is French, Spanish because my mom’s Dominican, and she had to pick the most confusing name ever, as Dominicans do. My middle name because my mom’s Professor when she was in college was really helpful to her, especially like not only in terms of academics, but in terms of like, when my mom was pregnant with me when she was in college. So this professor really assisted my mom in like, you know, getting ready for the journey that is maternity especially when you’re like you’re basically a teenager And like, Oh, she’s just my mom and so much that she told like my mom told her like, oh, I’ll let you name My child, if it’s a boy or girl turned out to be girl, I think. And,

Zeke: Check again yes.

Tea: Yeah, so my middle name is Shahzadi, which is Farsi for like beautiful princess or something. The characters are cool. I think I would want to get that as a tattoo as well. And my last name is Gaston. And the germanic, like meaning of my name means stranger or someone that never belongs. But French connotation of it is like big cat. Like, yeah, big fluffy cat. But, yeah, having my last name has always been fun because everyone busts out in song and the beauty in the beast, or my first name is eamare. And there’s a lot of Spanish songs from the 80s that always start off with “Te Amaré Vida Mía” (I will love you, all my life). And that’s just like my introduction, whenever I walk into a room.

Zeke: So I can see each name as uh, fath for you to start traveling and experiencing different cultures. 

Tea: Oh yeah. Nothing. Nothing about me is standard. Yeah, but I like it like that it keeps things interesting.

Zeke: So what is your favorite place to travel?

Tea: My favorite place? Oh man. I think I would have to say my favorite favorite place that I’ve been to has definitely been Hungry. Like I spent the longest amount of time in Budapest. Well, I spent a lot of time in Budapest but I really spent it in a town two hours outside of Budapest called KESHKAMET. And it’s like a very tiny, tiny town. But I like Hungary because well prior to their prime minister because he’s a fucking racist. And yeah, I don’t care. The international community knows that. Um, it was a really great experience because Hungarian is not like traditional on any sense. Because whenever we think about going on vacation, you think of like, ooh, Cancun Ooh, Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic? Um, but yeah, I was basically shut myself off to Budapest to teach English when I got there. Hungarian is the second hardest language to learn in the world because they have 36 letters in their alphabet. And it has basically no like traditional roots. So there’s no Slavic roots. There’s no Latin or German roots. The only other language that’s like similar to Hungarian is Finnish. And they’re on different sides of the world. And no one knows why they’re similar, but they are. But Hungarian is the second most hardest language to learn in the world. So when I got there, I know Spanish. I did not understand this. Like I’ve been to the Czech Republic where it’s basically Romanian, like Slavic and Latin. I was able to read some things. But then I got to Budapest and I was like, What the fuck Yeah, but it really is one of those countries that has like, sadly, it faded into the background after World War Two, especially because of like, you know, the, the Soviet occupation. But it’s beautiful and it has such a like rich part of history, like Budapest is right there on the Danube River. And that’s the other thing people say Budapest, it’s Budapest. I learned that apparently, apparently SS are pronounced like Shh, but it’s almost like the Danube River, which has played such a like intensive role in history, if you’d like know about that, um, it’s gorgeous. You know, we paprika, which we think of paprika, and you would think it came from like the Americas but no paprika is native to their plums coming from that area to they have a really interesting drink called palinka. That it’s like fermented plum, and that stuff, like slaps harder than vodka. It’s a tiny bottle too. So you just need like two swigs, you’re just like whoa. And the food is great. I was joking around the whole time I was there. I was like Hungarians are basically just the Dominicans. Eastern Europe, because everything has meat and rice. And I loved it. Yeah, but it was great and everyone was just super nice. And I don’t know it’s picturesque it kind of looks like a Wes Anderson film but without the like sexual allegations. And I love that for that reason.

Zeke: Nice and your least favorite place to travel?

Tea: Man. I, I would have to say Spain. I like I had fun with the people I went. But when I was in Spain, it was just so fucking racist. Like, a dude was on a smoke break from like his frickin lunch break. And he walked up. Okay, this is the dedication. He walked up a flight of stairs to where we were in a park, and he threw trash at our feet. And he’s like, welcome to Spain, PIEL DE LODO, which is basically Spanish for like MUDDY SKIN. And like I was the only one that spoke Spanish. So my friends that I was traveling with, they looked at us and they were like, what he say I’m like, Oh, he’s just being racist. And everywhere we went, like the men were like, insinuate to our friends, and they would say like, a el le gusta las negras (he likes black girls), which means like, Oh, we like the blackies. And it was just so much of that, that it got tiring to a point, like wherever we went, first of all, and then they would, there’s the thing that also pisses me off about Spain. They would hear me speak Spanish because I was the only one that spoke Spanish. And they were like, oh, you’re Dominican? And it was like, with so much disgus? And I’m like, hey, one of us is here involuntarily and I can tell you, it’s not you. They have like such an issue with people that come from like,

Zeke: Like it’s your fault give me the receipt and I’ll go back.

Tea: Yeah, I’m like, excuse me. I didn’t ask to be here. We’re a Spanish speaking country because of you. Um, yeah. And like that shit just pissed me off so much and beautiful culture. But I and you know what, if I ever get kicked out of Spain, I’m sorry, but it’s just kind of overrated. Like,

Zeke: Spain is going to hate this.

Tea: Spaniards are just like, Fuck this bitch. Um, ya know, like I feel like or maybe just Madrid but it was pretty overrated. Like you go. No, I won’t say you go to one European country you’ve seen them all. But like in terms of like New World architecture and everything. I had seen it all before everywhere he had gone and plus it was just like, it was just so immensely racist though like goddamn. But I’m gonna get from the old people though like younger generation that I interacted with that like clubs and stuff. They’re really chill, like they’re fun to talk to. But also they don’t understand like, how messed up Christopher Columbus is they like love him over there even though he’s Italian. And we had to explain to them like we don’t we don’t fuck with him, we don’t we change the name of our date for that reason. And they were like what he discovered you guys it’s like discovered or permanently borrowed is which one.

Zeke: He like, I like this land. It’s mine now.

Tea: You made this. I made this now. Yeah, so, uh Yeah, Spain. I’m gonna kicked out of Spain again, that’s fine. I’m planning going back.

 Zeke: Interpol don’t come after me. Just had a question, the last question. But like studying different cultures. You talked about- off camera about, how about how things happen in real time?Like a whole new country just  come out of nowhere.

Tea: Oh, yes. So, because of my major, I’m studying international affairs. And what I plan to do with that, I don’t know, but I do like anything involving traveling politics to an extent and you know, the betterment and fulfillment of mankind. That’s always been my thing. As much as I like, don’t like people, I don’t think that you should be mistreated because of what you practice or what you look like. Um, so my major requires me to, like, constantly keep up with politics. And that’s not just politics, like we hear politics and we think of, you know, two parties don’t like each other. But the politics of other countries is actually really deep and interesting. So much stems back from like, the aftermath of World War Two, even the aftermath of World War One, especially in Europe, where they like, still carry a lot of that. And I just remember, like, I constantly have to anytime, like a new issue arises in another country. I know for a fact I’m like, God Damn, I’m gonna be quizzed about this in class. So I have to, it’s not enough to just read the New York Times, you got to read so many news outlets. I’m like, because in my undergrad, I was a journalism major. I know, like, Hey, I have to fact check. They have to, like find sources and things. But like now, in grad school, especially because politics is constantly happening in real time. I have to keep up with that. And it gets to a point where it gets kind of like, it gets kind of depressing to read about, like all the atrocity atrocities happening in the world. And here I am sitting in a classroom complaining that I got to write a paper, and I’m like, Damn, I feel bad for two reasons now.

Zeke: But like this paper sucks, but then like, it could get worse.

Tea: Yeah, like it really it may be like that. This paper sucks. But I’m not on the other side of the world. Oh, yeah.  So I guess traveling studying poses, makes you rethink how you your place in the world. And how America is the most, like egotistical and monsters  more centralized everythings about us. But then we say the world is more like. You can see that, there are different things going on. Yeah, I think it’s definitely especially because like I’m a woman of color. It definitely is like not to fold like three fold because I do have the privilege of being born in like a developed country like now. But even in a developed country. I still have like the backlash of things that happened years ago that like, we’re still now trying to break. And then I look at other countries where, you know, in some other developed countries, like I when I was in Denmark, no one even looked twice at me. They were like, Okay, cool. She’s here. She’s American. And both I’m like, when I was in Paris, it was just like, oh, you’re American. The fuck Yeah, so it’s so like when I’m not. When I’m in the US, it’s I’m Dominican American. I can’t just be American. When I’m in another country. It’s like, well, who do I want to be today? When I was in Cuba, I was not American. I was Dominican. And they loved me.

Zeke: They was like we like this one.

Tea: Yeah. But when I was in the Czech Republic, I was American. And they were like, oh, our allies cool. So every other place I go, I like it’s cool that I get to like code switch between wherever I go. But it’s also kind of like unfair, because in other countries, I can code switch and I can be like, Oh, I’m this I’m that I’m this. But like, when you’re in the US, it doesn’t matter if you’re racially ambiguous. They’re just like, you’re brown go away. It’s like, damn it. But yeah, it’s one of those, like, damned if you do damned if you don’t, because especially like if I talk poorly about the United States or like the internal problems that it has, it’s like, well, if you don’t like this country, then Leave.

Zeke: Give me the receipt, I’ll go back to Africa we’ll build over there.

dominican

Tea: Well, no, thats even the thing there because like in a lot of like African countries and African states, their issue of colorism is still prominent. And a lot of these things stem from like colonization and it’s such like a deep rooted issue even in Dominican culture. There’s colorism and like that’s something that I’ve been trying to break like with my family for the longest because you look at my mom and you look at me and we look nothing alike. It’s my dad. That’s like the darkest one. Um, and that’s something that like, I have to carry with me everywhere. I have to constantly tell my story of like, basically everywhere I go, I have to explain my existence and why I’m brown because when I’m in the US it’s like, why are you brown colonization? When I’m traveling in Europe. It’s like why are you Brown? colonization but from one of your own?

Zeke: One of you guys.

Tea: Yeah,

Zeke: Good stuff. For me, I just have I’m just like a black American, but to say I always never really struggled finding culture was more like my friends have they have the Dominican culture, Puerto Rican culture and American culture. I was like, I’m in my country origin. So I’m just like this is all I have.

Tea: Well, yeah, that’s the other thing like, within like the Dominican culture, there’s this thing of like a lot of Dominicans want to claim that they’re black. And like, you look at me, I identify as Afro Latina. So one, I have to check off the little boxes. It’s like, are you Hispanic or Latino? Yes. And then the next question is, which do you identify as? And I was like, didn’t I just click Hispanic and Latino, but then they’re like, no, you’re either black or white or whatever. And it’s crazy because like my cousin who is extremely light skin and like, has green eyes and like blondish hair. He gets to click the white box, and I click the black box. But mind you, we come from the same family. So really, like, that’s one of the things that I found interesting. And I never had an issue with identity growing up. It was more so like, like, I knew who I was, and I knew my culture. And I because I was taught so much, but then it always came down to like, Well, I know what I know. And I’m happy with what I know. Why can’t other people just be happy with for me? And it’s having to constantly Explain yourself. And I found that that’s one of the things like when I travel, that’s another thing that I thought would go away. But that doesn’t basically like all of my roommates when I was in Budapest or from like other European countries and some from like, Middle Eastern countries. And there was like, one other American and he was Indian American. And like we had, we would just talk about, like, racist situations that we were just caught ourselves in, in the United States. And everyone in the room was like, What is that allowed? Yeah. And like, I, I’m happy than other countries, they’re just like, why do you guys do that? But then you have to remember in other countries, it’s like, very like homogenous societies where they don’t it’s now that things are starting to change.

Zeke: As well, who never traveled? I don’t know.

Tea: It’s okay. I’ll take you traveling with me. We’ll start off somewhere small nice.We’ll go to DR.

Zeke: Wait I’ll get traped over there. They be like aren’t you Dominican? I’ll be like maybe.

Tea: You can pass for Dominican.

Zeke: I get Dominican all the time.

Tea: Dominicans are all shapes and colors.

Zeke: People be like do you speak Spanish? No,

Tea: That was Spanish right there. Deport em. Oh no.

Zeke: When people ask me to speak in spanish, like what made you ask me?

Tea: You just looked like a tall Dominican, that’s it.

 Zeke: And in my head is not nappy, right. Like I was a black person. The people assume? No, I was I was very comfortable. Sometimes like, well, nice.

Tea: My hair is not coachable. And but people never pick Dominican on the first try, like, at my job because it’s me and another girl who speaks Spanish, but the other girl looks white. And I obviously do not look like and so when they come up to us, a lot of the Spanish speakers will look at me and look at her. And then they’ll go right to her and they’re just like you speak Spanish? And then Sometimes my friend doesn’t feel like speaking Spanish so she’s like, no, but she does and they’re shocked. They’re just like, she speak Spanish. I’m like, bro, my bro we we came on the same boat. What are you talking about? Oh man, I should probably start making these jokes. Next question.

Zeke: Let’s first let’s switch on to anime.

Tea: Okay, I can do that

Zeke: Things that we like we both like. What’s type? What types of anime do you like?

Tea: I like horror anime. I like horror and Shonen anime. I like Shoujo sometimes, but like, really, Shoujo it gets annoying with the like, I’m the main character and I’m either super frustrated all the time or just really bad at school. And I can attribute that to being a personality. Yeah, but then like was Shonen anime. It’s like, I don’t know, there’s always a plot to it. If I can find like a Shoujo anime that wasn’t overly like, Ah, my life revolves around this boy that I’ve had a five minute interaction with. I’d love it and if anyone has any recommendations, please Please recommend.

Zeke: For me definitely Shonen because action.

Tea: Yeah,

Zeke: Environments. There must be something wrong. Or like these violent shows.

Tea: You should leave like I think it would definitely like supernatural or like horror animes like the gory horror animes get like intense like Hell Girl Jigoku Shoujo is one that when I watched it I was like yo I had to pause for a second and like recollect myself was like What the fuck? Another isn’t like intense as fuck because you got high school kids dying left and right. Um Yeah, was it My Diary Mirai Nikki that shit had me shook. Yeah, I suppose anything with like tsundere type characters those. Those are the ones that like they’re super calm or like lovable but they’re like murderous and psychotic. Deep down.

 Zeke: Like Monster.

 Tea: Yeah. He was What’s next?

 Zeke: What is next? So you watch sub or dub anime?

Tea: Subbed I took Japanese a lot on high school and now so my Japanese is good enough that I can watch it. Now if I gotta turn around I’ll still understand what’s going on. But like now whenever I watched dubbed anime it’s usually because like either watching it on the TV. But the cringiest gets so annoying because they try to do the they try to add like the prefixes to names so like they’ll say like I don’t know she no me Chan and I’m like that doesn’t sound good in English it just sounds weird as fuck. Especially when like you have the overly cutesy characters that are like so animated. In Japanese it sounds like okay, the voice inflection wavers but in English, it tends to be really annoying because the characters’ voices like tends to be high pitched and not hearing that in English. It’s just like, oh my god, what the fuck? Yeah, man.

 Zeke: Yeah, dub all the way um audience she is wrong. You’re wrong dub is all the way.

Tea: I’ll break your record right now.

Zeke: Dub is easier for me to hear it and then read and then try to go pay attention? I didn’t read.

Tea: Catch it but like that’s how you catch the interesting stuff. And you learn a little bit too. You’re nodding your head okay.

Zeke: I’m a visual learner and it’s like when I see words it’s also I hated school and I also hated the reading time we had to do. So then this-

Tea: I loved reading times I didn’t have to talk to anybody.

Zeke: And then manga or anime which one?

Tea: Well, I used to read a lot of manga but I think now I just prefer anime because like, for manga, I blew through so much money buying the comic books. I went through so much. And after a while, it just starts to get messy because I had everything stockpiled in my room whereas like With anime, I’m like, Okay, I will watch it. And if I got to wait like a year or two for the next one to come out cool, I tend to just let like animes pile up and then I’ll binge watch it.

 Zeke: And I remember from the first episode we talked about how we, in episode we counted Avatar and  the Boondocks as animes.

Tea: Yes,

Zeke: Equals, like people call themselves purist. And it was like, it was not me Japan is not anime.

Tea: See, I I understand where the purist come from. And while I don’t agree with it, because I think that’s one of the great things about like animation is that it has come so far and expanded. There’s so many like cultures and as a medium of art, that saying that just because it was made in a certain country doesn’t constitute as something else. I’ve heard people say like, Oh, that’s cultural appropriation. Like, um, I don’t know how you could appropriate something like that. But I mean, I guess I can understand why they would say it. But I think like the Boondocks and Avatar, The Last Airbender airbender or Legend of Korra I think those count as anime, they’re just American anime. But the medium is still the same the storytelling format is still the same. The over exaggerated like expression expressions, and like TV forms are still the same like those. I say that those are anime especially the boondocks.

Zeke: It had like a whole Naruto fight scene in there.

Tea: No, yeah, the fight scenes are awesome in the boondocks. I love them. And it’s politically charged. Amazing. Amazing.

Zeke: You can  shows my who doesn’t watch anime and show them like Avatar visual. So like, My Hero Academia they probably won’t be able to tell the difference probably. But this is all the same.

Tea: I mean, if you have them both in English, then they’ll probably be like, okay, these are the same. Yeah, but since avatar, The Last Airbender was made in English. And then you show them My Hero Academia. I think for a lot of people’s like, once they hear something is in like a different language. They’re like, Ah, that’s different. I don’t want it but then the there people who are like that’s different. I’ll try it.

Zeke: How do you feel about when anime was like early 2000s? Like 4Kids, heavily edited?

Tea: Okay, so funny story. Um, I actually had this discussion like two weeks ago with a friend of mine because one of the like, executive, like, PR people for 4Kids works right across the hall from my friend. And it was crazy because he came up to my friend like one time and like the break room. And he was like, hey, you’re you’re younger. Did you watch like a channel called 4kids? And my friend was like, yeah. And he was just like, you know, like, that was my team that worked on that and everything. And he was like, Oh, wow. And when my friend told me he was like, Yeah, I didn’t know that. Like, he worked for 4Kids. And he was like, really big in getting the like, rights to the shows to come here to the US. And I looked at my friend and I was like, hey, ask them what the hell happened to One Piece. Why did they do that?

Zeke: Why did it take One Piece in general?

Tea: Yeah. And so apparently it was explained that like, it was just so popular that they were like, Oh, yeah, this is fine. We’ll take it. And then when they actually when they already bought the rights, and they started watching, they’re like, Oh, we gotta edit this. And they left it like they got rid of so many episodes. So yeah, things like One Piece or like,

Zeke:Yugioh.

Tea: Yeah, Yugioh. Things like that. I’m like, if you’re gonna watch, like, if you’re gonna have a platform to show anime to an American audience, they are going to edit things, at least edit them right? Or like, Don’t Don’t add lib or do your research ahead of time and know whether it’s even worth getting it because you’re going to be spending more money on editing then, what’s the point? Especially when you omit episodes.

 Zeke: Like as a kid, that’s definitely how I got into Anime, I was watching I was like, this is just a cartoon. And everything that shows in America was made in America. When you start getting older, start realizing some are French some are Candian those anime I’m like okay.

Tea: I think for me how I got into anime was like my mom would just let me watch TV all night and I remember like, I would watch Adult Swim, and they would show things like a Inuyasha, YuYu Hakusho.

Zeke: Prince of Tennis.

Tea: Yeah, Prince of Tennis. I remember that. What other show there was? There were several shows.

Zeke: Zatch Bell was lit.

Tea: Yeah, Zatch Bell, but that was on Toonami talking about like, adult swim. Like Adult Swim had several shows. And like they were animated. I was like, Huh, what is this particular thing? And I like I was just when like, the internet started becoming a major thing in households. So I remember just looking up like anime, and I would find like those. Those like torrent websites where I could watch them. And like, I started learning like, Oh, this is called anime. And when I started, I remember the first time I’ve heard it in Japanese. I was like, the fuck is this and then I start Read like reading more on it. That’s the other thing. Like once I get obsessed with something, I researched the hell out of it. Yeah, and so I started researching on anime and then like, that’s how I learned about it. I was like, oh, wow, that’s cool. Like, that’s how I got into it. I don’t watch anime as often as I used to, cuz like, I just don’t really have time. And by the time I get home, I’m like, I want to just go to sleep.

Zeke: Yeah my mom called anime super tall people. I’ just like yeah.

Tea: Yeah. I’ve tried to get my mom to watch anime with me and she’s like, she doesn’t. She can’t, she can’t stand the voices. So she’s like, I’m not gonna watch it and think okay, you do that. You do that

Zeke: Each their own.  Earliest show talked about spooky anime and then you like spooky stories we all know that, so why?

Tea: Um, so my interest in the occult really started with my family. Just growing up, it was always like a supernatural service. Once in my lifetime because my head there was always like, stories being told, especially in the Dominican Republic where we’re from. So we live at like the base of a mountain and it’s a tiny tiny town. So when the lights used to go out because like the generator for the whole town would just stop so when the lights will go out. One of the past times that we would do is like, everyone would take the candle and just come to whoever’s porch like whoever’s everyone took turns with like, who was gonna host the night parties. That’s what we used to call them. And we would just sit in the front porch on like a hot night while DR. So it’s hot every night and like a hot night, just eating fruit and like, you know, drinking juice and we would just tell stories, and one of the things that they would tell me were like a lot of Dominican legends so like a ciguapas or something that I learned a lot about learn. ciguapas are there like creatures that they look like people except their feet are backwards. And they come out of the sea. So when they walk in when they come out of the ocean at night, it looks like they walked into it. And when they walk into the ocean, like before the sun comes up, it looks like they walked out. So it would leave a lot of people confused, like, Where are these tracks coming from? Because they don’t want people following them. Yeah, ciguapas. Every animal that’s like, native to DR has like a legend associated with it. There were a lot of like, native legends associated with it. So it was always this, you know, this theme of like mysticism and the occult. And we always had like, we had a quote on data that lives near us. So put on that as like, as the equivalent of like, witch doctor, but it really just means like curest. And she taught me a lot like growing up. And then, like, we would play with tarot cards, and we would tell like, stories of possessions. I saw an exorcism growing up. Yeah. And we don’t know there was always just something and the like especially where I’m from because it’s like, I basically live in the bush. It was like this just densely just wooded area there were trees, there’s like, leaves flowers everywhere. That’s why I like like herbal medicines a lot but don’t get me wrong. I follow science, vaccinate your kids. But I learned how to make a lot of like natural candies, a lot of them I love tea. Like, I love tea so much because I learned how to make tea from scratch. And I learned how to do so many things. Just because like everything was right there. And at least in my town were hits moved away from the like the practice a lot. But you know that your worship of nature. And I sort of learned like, everything that you take from the earth you give back to it and you got to appreciate it. And that’s why I like scary things. So scary. But yeah, that’s why I like the occult because it there’s so much But we don’t know that like, I really appreciate it. And like it was such an integral part of me growing up, like, everything from how the stars moves to stories that like the native thinos would associate with the stars and the moon and the ocean. Like that was all cool. And then like, you compare that to a lot of the, like pagan stories from other countries. And that’s the other thing that I learned when I went to other countries, it was like, before Christianity took over what it was there. And you learn about that. And I was like, wow, we basically almost all had sort of the same culture, except, like just different aspects and like, different different things. But yeah, it’s just cool, man. And then the whole point is that like no one knows of ghosts exists. That’s what everyone claims are like, there’s anything if there’s life after death, or like if there’s anything after death, that I’ve never been afraid of that like even my tattoo is associated with death. My tattoos my mental Morty means like, remember, you’re gonna die. Yeah, so I’ve always been attracted to To bones and you know what’s out there? fuck with me and aliens love alien. Sorry Nudrat.

Zeke: Sends to Nudrat specifically this part.

Tea: Yeah, um, especially like, yeah, especially like, stars stars are really chill. I have a close relationship with the moon. Um, no, but I really did like it was just always there. And I really did it. And I really appreciate the fact that my family never like shied away from it. They’re always just like, if I asked a question, I was like, Hey, what’s a poltergeist? Or like, Hey, what’s this, though? Sit us down. And the thing about, like, at least in Hispanic culture is that that storytelling aspect is like such a big part of our culture. Like, that’s how you get the family together. And like, I don’t know, I just associate the stories with like, you know, my roots and where I come from, and that’s why like, it’s so important to me. What I teach my kids later on in the future, anything, I think I’ll let them figure things out on their own. But I don’t that storytelling aspect. Absolutely. I’ll tell you a story tell you I’ll tell you story right now. Yeah, and I love storytelling for that reason.

Zeke: Storytelling. I don’t really have storytelling in my family’s more than like have ask a question. How do you get the answer probably won’t get the answer depends on the topic.

Tea: My family will sit you down for like two hours over a cup of tea and they’ll tell you a story though. That’s, that’s like what we really do. We just tell stories all day. thing. That’s why I got into writing because it was like, give me a medium to create. Um, that’s the other thing like I love writing. But I haven’t been able to do it in like a long time, at least for fun.

Zeke: So writing, that’s already your creative outlet. So-

Tea: Yeah, writing and photography. Now. Anyone who follows my Insta knows that like, I write long winded passages about whatever it is I’m feeling but like creative writing. I really like it. I especially because like I played Dungeons and Dragons a lot. So the notion of like world building, I love it. If I get to come up with a whole world with a whole new subspecies with like, if I can just create something out of nothing like I’m happy for the end of the day, so I love writing like, stories characters, but the thing is that I never liked coming to an end. So I’ll always leave everything on a cliffhanger and then just start a new story.

Zeke: Like what is the answer there is no answer I’ll get back to you never.

Tea: So what happens next? Nothing.

Zeke: I don’t know.

Tea: Yeah, so that’s, that’s what I do for fun. Yeah, photography. I really like I got into photography recently. Um, it’s Yeah, when I got into traveling, I started taking pictures. Because with a photo you can attach a story you can attach to the history. And there’s a quote that says, If you want to know what someone cares about the most look at what they take pictures of. And like, all the photos I take are of my friends. My dog, or like of places I’ve been to, because I, I think I’m true to my name my name means I’ll always love you. And like I’m I do love the time that I’m in because you can have so many things like my grandma tells me stories about like, how I only have very few pictures of my grandmother, like of her growing up, because pictures are so scarce. And like now, my grandma and I will like take so many photos all together. Because it’s something that’s new and it’s great to capture all of these moments while you’re young. Quoting my grandma.

Zeke: For me I don’t like writing but you can at least drawer or like. I used to create like. I remember one time when I created my own wrestling men out of paper.

Tea: Oh.

Zeke: I had a whole story behind it. I used a Capri Sun box for like the um bus.

Tea: Oh,

Zeke: Used to be like super creative with that, but then tired with math. So I had like, have a two different skills analytical within the math. Possibly good creative stuff. Those confused on where to go, which is the next.

Tea: Probably an architect.

Zeke: Nah that’s mad, mad work. I seen that I was like, Oh no, have to create buildings and make sure that don’t crumble.

Tea: I used to be able to draw like I’m not good at drawing people but like landscapes are fine, or like ha I don’t like contemporary art.

Zeke: Someone sold a banana for $2 million. Isn’t

Tea: Someone ate it, you know that?

Zeke:The person sold like two other bananas with tap to walls.

Tea: Yeah, but like old school art. I when I went to Versailles in Paris, there’s like, these big portraits that took hours to paint and like the colors are vibrant and like just to the dedication to make this thing because that material was so scarce, and someone was like, I’m gonna make this like, but things like that I love and like Um, there’s some art that I’m like, Okay, cool. I don’t understand it, but I’m like rock. Yeah, but for me, it’s writing and photography, to an extent video editing, like, I like making music videos. Um, I’m currently making one with a couple friends of ours. So watch out for that. And I like that stuff. But I think the part that I frickin hate is the editing aspect of it.

Zeke: Maybe that’s why I still haven’t touch any of these videos.

Tea: I know, like, I have to really be, like, caught, like focused, or really be focused for me to be like, Okay, I’m gonna sit and edit these because it takes so long. I can just make the concept and give it to someone else to edit that or more fine. I would become an animator but it takes time. It takes a lot of time.

Zeke: Both of us was like, editing.

Tea: Yeah, that’s what I was. Did you were like oh help me edit these I was like Oh okay, I guess.

Zeke: I probably got it.

Tea: What’s the next question?

Zeke: What’s the next question? Want to take a break?

Tea: No we’ll rock through it.

Zeke: With that so it seemed like everything you liked connects to each other how we’re taking photographs but traveling and then pitches 1000 words to a writing yeah and the like culture and people’s and you like um Dungeons & Dragons which makes you talk to people and then you make your own adventure now.

Tea: Yeah not even a low key nerd I’m a straight up nerd.

Zeke: How is Dungeons & Dragons? Slowly that one on game like cartoons really shows who the user is like nerd.

Tea: I like the thing of, first of all, the reason that Dungeons and Dragons is associated with like nerdiness is because like in the 1980s. It was like, it was affiliated with people who were not socially like bloomers. And I guess that sort of just carried through also have to understand that like Hollywood in the 1980s perpetuated this image of like, you know compartmentalizing children basically high school students in different subgroups such as jocks, cheerleaders, nerds goths. And the only reason they really did that was because I’ve done a bunch of cultural analysis on like subculture fucking movies. You can get me on movies to my favorite movie of all time is All About Eve 1953 look it up like that is my favorite movie. It is three hours long and I don’t care I will sit there and watch the shit out of it. But I digress. The I like doing movie analysis because that sort of genre in the 80s that stemmed from like having so many subcultures within a high school. Like if you think about it, they’re always in like Middle America. And I guess people Who went to school in like New York City that didn’t really didn’t apply. But it’s all because of music. Like, the reason that they made these like, cliques is because they were meant to represent the different sub genre of music. And like some cultures that were coming out of the time, so so like the goth movement, which was just like the sister to the punk movement in the from the 1970s, which is just the child of rock and roll from the 1960s and 50s, which is also just the child of jazz, and like big band, so there’s like this long timeline, but like the, the way you dress the way you talk is associated with the things that you listen to. Hence why I think now that the decades ending the 2000 10s are going to be fucking great, because there’s going to be so many things. Billy Eilish did not create goth, just putting that out there. And these subcultures stemmed from that. So with the nerdy subculture, and Dungeons and Dragons sees, I got back to my point, with the nerdy subcultures of Dungeons and Dragons, and That it was really affiliated with like, men because at the time, it was never believed that like, girls played Dungeons and Dragons. It was like these dudes that would rather stay in create and like play pretend there was this stigma of like, oh, they’re not they’re just doing this and created their own world because they’re not socially attuned to what’s going on and like the outside world. Now, Dungeons and Dragons is such like a widely played concept because people see that it is great about it. I love I love Dungeons and Dragons because like, one, I love world building. I love the characters, but there’s so many things you can do. Like I remember I made a party once, and I had my board and I had my rogue and I had my barbarian, and they went into a tavern. And like, you literally did ask them okay, you’re in the tavern. What do you want to do? And like, my rogue was like, Imma go up to the bartender. Ask him for a beer when he turns around. I’m a steal from him. I was like, why would you do that? Not like, not really. It’s more so. It was just the fact that like, they could do it. And the board was like, I see a sultry girl sitting over there. I’m a sleep with her. And it’s just like, you can do whatever you want. But then me as the DM, I have to mark down what you’ve done because everything has a consequence in the game. And they’re different mechanisms. It’s like a video game. Yeah, dungeon dragons is like a IRL video game that like I’m just creating as we go along. Because I create a story, but the characters necessarily have to follow the story. We just have to get back to the story eventually. Um, yeah, but that’s why I love Dungeons and Dragons. It’s so immediate, like, I think it’s really fun. A lot of my friends who didn’t grow up with like that, as a form of entertainment. I’ve gotten friends to like, join in and they were like, wow, this is actually like, cool, because once they see how much freedom they have in this makeup world, they were like, Whoa, there’s actually a concept called murder hobo. And it’s the you I so you made a face. Well, let me explain. So murder hobo in Dungeons and Dragons is basically like, you have a character that Their initial reaction to any circumstance you propose is a kill it. And everything has a consequence. So if they roll the dice and they get a 20 it means like they killed it and they killed the good and they roll a one it’s like they didn’t kill it and the thing is trying to kill them now. Um.

Zeke: Negative tree in video games we decide. Only go to the bad thing.

Tea: Yeah, yeah, it’s definitely the negative tree. Because like, and that’s where those those placements come from, like lawful, good, lawful all that. Yeah, it comes from Dungeons and Dragons. But yeah, these murder hobo characters. Just always decide, hey, we’re in a tough situation. Let’s just kill them. And see. Yeah, but like, the thing is that with murder hobos, you have to want to have to write it down because everything has a consequence. So I like you killing that traveler on the side of the road. It’s gonna come back and bite you in the ass because turns out that traveler was just the prince of this kingdom that you want to go do a job for in disguise, and now you’re wanting to murder. Yeah, and then but the thing is that if you’re doing Like when you play you play with a party. So your party, whatever you do affects your party. So if like you murder them, they’re an accessory to murder to. At least that’s how I make my games. Because it’s also fun. This is this is my sadistic part. One, one character does something to fuck up, I make sure the whole group gets fucked up. So they can start inviting and start arguing with each other. Because when they argue with each other, they’re just like, why would you do that? You idiot. And then like, the infighting is such a real concept, but what I find with my characters and like my players, is that when they start getting these like frustrations out on the game, everyone leaves Dungeons and Dragons feeling so good because they gotta yell at each other and they got to curse on each other and they got to like, say just the wildest things. And it is really it’s a medium creative medium, but like a very emotional one because it’s so cathartic to just be like, you fucking dumb bitch. I told you we were going to cast a freaking chameleon spell. Why would you drink the potion? You know, they’re not really mad about that they’re mad about something that happened later on in the day, but they just really wanted to get here. And it’s great. It’s a great.

Zeke: Reminds me of video game you play like Call of Duty. Well, like Siege, Rainbow Six Siege and you have to like they made a plan, but somebody was like I’m a do my own thing.

Tea: Yeah. Yeah, no, it’s definitely like that, but IRL and it’s hilarious because you get to see their face and you get to see everything happening real time and you’re just like, I remember one time, like, I when I used to play now I DM I was a rogue and like, my, my character really liked to steal no matter where she was. She was like, Imma steal it. And saw like, one time they stole like, I stole a potion. And that potion was like the one that we needed. But then we came across like a Dragon’s Den, and I was like, I’m gonna steal that egg. And I stole the egg. And like the dragon really just yetted me and then ended up locking up my like teammates in a dungeon somewhere and they were just like, See you pissed it off. Um, but it’s great because those are things I like I can’t I would never steal in real life. But in the game I’m like, I’m gonna be the baddest bitch that I can be.

Zeke: Like a mission of GTA and like, um Mass Effect stuff like that we have…

Tea: Oh yeah, or like-

Zeke: The open world of GTA but the choices of Mass Effect.

Tea: Yeah. Or like, like Detroit. The video games. Yeah, we’re like everything you do like you do has a consequence but you’re free to roam around the world and do whatever. Mm hmm you should play Dungeons and Dragons with me some time. Yeah, I’m not doing anything. That’s winter break. Except for working,

Zeke: I’ll be working.

Tea: Yeah, but it’ll be great. I have a whole story that I’ve been dying to try out. Yeah, join in join in. We just need someone’s house to do it. And let’s see. Dungeons and Dragons etiquette is when you go to someone tells you you have to bring a snack everyone brings a snack cuz you’re gonna be there for a while. Yeah.

Zeke: This is like 46 minutes.

Tea: Okay, it’s up to you if you want to call it. It’s up to you.

Zeke: I am the host. I keep forgetting that sometimes.

Tea: Yeah, that’s one of the things I do in Dungeons and Dragons. about like, can we do this? And I’m just like,

Zeke: Can you?

Tea: Wait, can you? Oh, I made the world. Yeah, go for it. I am God.

Zeke: Or like the Sims,

Tea: I love Sims. You see, he knows a theme anything where I don’t have to live my actual life. I love.

Zeke: Let me try this out.

Tea: I spend so much time just making my character and like their origin stories. By the time I start playing, I’m like, Okay, I’m bored.

Zeke: Now, i’m more into linear games where theres like, I have a beginning and end.

Tea: And I like freeform games. I’m like, I’m gonna follow storyline or structure.

Zeke: Now other than that, there’s so many choices. Decisions are like, I’m really tired.

Tea: No, I dig that because I will do all the choices and decisions.

Zeke: I’m just like I have to make the decision. Nah give me game where you shoot or go to something that.

Tea: Nah, I like games where there are so many things you can do. But like how you play determines the ending, or like determines the outcome.

Zeke: Yeah I’ma call it an episode.things so thank you for coming to another episode.

Tea: No problem.

Zeke: That was fun. Anyway want to plug in anything?

Tea: Um follow my travel account at @noonetravelslikegaston I post facts about how to travel, how to travel effectively and safely. And history facts about all the places that I’ve gone to.

Zeke: Nice episode done.

Tea: All right, yeah, hey,

Zeke: That brings another episode of The let’s get a podcast so close. Again you can follow Tea at her  Instagram @noonetravelslikegaston. For next week I have a friend Isaac coming into discuss to create a mindset of someone who creates film and writes poetry. Hope you continue to have a nice day and hope to see you there.

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