Ep 180 : From the Bronx to the Democratic National Convention ft Tasia

Raphael Harry [00:00:00]:
Welcome to White Label American Podcast. This is a podcast that brings you bold in-depth interviews with interesting people that are mostly immigrants taking down artificial walls one story at a time. This is a podcast that empowers immigrants to share their stories and listen to those of others. Thank you for joining us. Welcome to another episode of White Label American. Thank you all for joining us today. I'm your host Rafael Harry and I have the honor of having a extra special guest today. You know? I met this sister once at, a podcast meetup in the city, and I said, let me check up her podcast.

Raphael Harry [00:00:59]:
And I was like, oh, wow. You know? Before I went and checked out her podcast, I saw her socials, and I was like, oh, she got one of the things I'm envious about. She knows how to ride bikes, and I was like, okay. She got this going on, and, you know, she, like, just like Mimi, good friend of the podcast. And I'm like, okay. And then while listening to an episode, I was like, oh, they're talking about, the person she interviewed was talking about gardening and talking about a lot of stuff that I love, volunteering, and I thought, oh, you know, this sounds like my head was just in the right place. And I I I I was just at peace too. I was just enjoying it, and every time I see content from her, it's just fantastic.

Raphael Harry [00:01:41]:
It's you know, your mind is at rest. But, you know, you you're not here to hear me. You're here to hear who this person is. So I'm not gonna say too much. You know? I I need her to tell you about her podcast first, and then we're gonna dive into who she is and you know? So we're we're flipping it around because usually we wait until the end to talk about the podcast. But, first of all, can you introduce yourself to the audience and let them know, about your podcast?

Tasia [00:02:11]:
Yes. My name is first of all, I like to say thank you for having me on as a guest.

Raphael Harry [00:02:15]:
You're welcome.

Tasia [00:02:16]:
This is my second podcast interview being interviewed. So thank you. Oh. My name is Tasia, AKA Tay, rolling with Tay. That's the name of my podcast, and that's the name of all my social medias. So look me up, Rolling With Tay. And my podcast is about wellness. So what people do for their mental and their physical well-being, whether it's cycling, whether it's swimming, gardening, hiking, whatever they do that brings them joy.

Tasia [00:02:51]:
So I interview people who like to do mostly outdoors types, activities, but it could be indoors as well. Yeah. Why do they do it? What what do they get out of it? And I just I enjoy the outdoors, so I love talking to people who, are similar to me and, who inspire me to think outside of my box. Okay. Now I've interviewed people, for instance, who do triathlons. That's running, swimming, and cycling all in one event. And now I'm on the verge of doing a duathlon. Not swimming yet, but I'm doing running and cycling and then running again.

Tasia [00:03:38]:
So Wow. You know It's amazing. I really get joy from hearing from other people on why they do these things that bring them joy.

Raphael Harry [00:03:50]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:03:50]:
That's it in a

Raphael Harry [00:03:51]:
nutshell. Yeah. Once upon a time, I thought I'll be able to do those. I I still think I will one day. I just need to get over the cycling Mhmm. Thing. But, it's beautiful seeing people like yourself, you know, out there. And, and it's like I said before, I I began, like, before the recording began.

Raphael Harry [00:04:17]:
Yeah. I'm trying to be as transparent as possible with my kid, and, cycling is one thing that I was like, yeah. You're gonna you're gonna learn how to do this, but, she prefers the scooting, the scooter thing. Mhmm. Yeah. So she does that. Although she's in Germany right now, and where she is, like, cycling is like, you you can't you no cycling. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:04:34]:
You you don't have a life then. Mhmm. Whenever she's there, she jumps on a bicycle with her grandparents and cousins. And I'm like the only guy who's like, you know, I like walking. You know? It's flatlands here. You know? It's nice landscapes. So, you know, I walk with nature, that kind of thing. And they're like, oh, we can teach you how to ride.

Raphael Harry [00:04:52]:
I'm like, you know what? This would be a good place to learn how to ride because if I fall, I fall on the grass here. And the guy I think their health care is a little bit cheaper than over here. It's it's not as it's not like the UK, but it's still better than over here. So I'm like, yeah. Maybe. Next trip. Not not this one. So Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:05:12]:
But I I just love the the the way you show people embracing joy, finding joy in different ways, and, you know, improving their mental health. And, it's very important because, I'm I'm still on that journey of improving mine and, yeah, and using different means and ways and doing what I'm doing right now. So that's one reason why I was like, yeah. I gotta bring you on the podcast because it's it's beautiful. And then I read your bio, and I was like, oh, wow. There's even more oh, man. This is yeah. I'm glad I invited you to come.

Raphael Harry [00:05:48]:
So with that being said, let's go way, way, way, way back to the very beginning, you know, to the very, very beginning, like we normally do on the podcast. Can you introduce the audience to the meaning of your name, and if there's a story to how you came to have those names?

Tasia [00:06:09]:
Oh, okay. Well, Tasia, the meaning of it, I looked it up and oh, man. I shoulda I had a screenshot of it.

Raphael Harry [00:06:21]:
Oh, you can check it.

Tasia [00:06:22]:
I can check it. Let's see. Yeah. Well, my mom liked the name Tasia. There was a soap art soap opera. Yeah. Soap opera actress who had, the name Tasia that she watched. And she just named me Tasia.

Tasia [00:06:39]:
So that's that's how I got the name, but the meaning of it

Raphael Harry [00:06:44]:
Yeah. I'm not familiar with Tasia. It's it's a rare name.

Tasia [00:06:49]:
And it's and it might be short. Because when I looked it up, it might be short for, Anastasia. Fantech. Like yeah. So it's a it's a shorter

Raphael Harry [00:07:01]:
name. Fantech. Yeah. Anastasia, which is yeah. Yeah. That makes sense.

Tasia [00:07:06]:
So but my mom just liked the name, and bam. Here I am. Tasia. And I'm when I meet people with the name, I say, is your name just Tasia? Because usually it's

Raphael Harry [00:07:19]:
Oh, so you've met other people?

Tasia [00:07:20]:
Tasia. I've interviewed a a Tasia on my podcast. Oh, wow. That's

Raphael Harry [00:07:25]:
But you you you are the first person that I I don't recall meeting another Tasia before. So you're the first that I've met. So that's why I was like, it's a rare name because I'm names are one thing that I've always that have always stood out to me. Mhmm. So when I meet somebody who has a name that I've never seen before, it always stands out. It's something I always recollect because there are people who have met with a name that is very popular in certain countries. And I'm like, oh, do you have a background in this country? They're like,

Tasia [00:07:58]:
oh, how do you know?

Raphael Harry [00:07:59]:
You you've been there before. And I'm like, oh, buddy. You know, it's, you know, grown up with soccer and, sports, you know, and watch Olympics. You started seeing names from many places, and I was like, oh, so this is a name that they have in this place, and this is a name. And as a kid, it didn't mean anything to me, but I just noticed certain names. And then, by the time I'm in Texas and I'm working, technically, security, but I was more of a receptionist. Mhmm. Somebody will come check-in, and I'll they write their names, and I'll look, oh, that name.

Raphael Harry [00:08:34]:
Oh, you you do you have Bulgarian roots? And the person goes Yeah. What? Nobody ever how do you make that connection? Every person just are you Russian? Are you Russian? I'm like, and they they get mad with something like that because of you don't understand what the USR did to them. Yeah. And and we're like, you're the 1st. Like, wow. Yeah. And, automatically, I just made a friend right there because he's, like, he's the 1st person who's ever. Then he is like, they're looking for somebody just finally ah, they just have the oh, man.

Raphael Harry [00:09:05]:
Finally, somebody who knows recognizes that we exist too in this world. It's not just one country that owns the whole place. So, I never thought it will happen like that, but I just like, oh, wow. You know? I just so with time, I started taking note of names and trying to learn the differences between names and you know? Yeah. So when I see a name that stands out, I always, like, make a mental note. Okay. Keep that name in mind. So and then somebody actually gave me that question.

Raphael Harry [00:09:38]:
Like, hey. Ask the the meaning of the person's name. Well, you know, and if there's a story behind the name. And I was like, oh, okay. I never thought to ask that. And when I started asking that, the stories that I've been getting on the podcast, I've been like, wow. I did not expect that, but okay. That will be a permanent question on this podcast.

Raphael Harry [00:09:56]:
Yes. Yeah. So can you also introduce us to the city of your birth and, well, city or place of your birth? And what was childhood like for you?

Tasia [00:10:09]:
The Bronx, New York. Hey. The best borough ever. I have to say it.

Raphael Harry [00:10:14]:
I will love the Bronx. But let's let's just say Brooklyn.

Tasia [00:10:17]:
No. It's all it is.

Raphael Harry [00:10:20]:
And Curry is not yet to fight. But, like, Queens.

Tasia [00:10:26]:
Yeah. My childhood was I was a active child. My neighborhood, we were all active. I grew up in the nineties, like a true nineties kid, so I'm outside every day. It's doesn't matter if it's summer or it's winter. I'm outside, but very active. And, yeah, I mean, growing up, I think back at it I look back at it, and I'm like, I had a really great childhood. Like, I grew up in a great era.

Tasia [00:11:01]:
I probably everyone says that, but I really did. And, I feel bad for anybody who you know, the 2000. I'm sorry. You know?

Raphael Harry [00:11:24]:
So I think one special moment in my life was when I was doing my under my undergrad, and I had to, act there was a class that I took with 2, interesting women who gave, handled one class for us, and I call them, like, 2 of them. The there were 2 white women who were, like, very liberal white women, and, you know, they're, like, the most whatever you picture in your mind, they're they're they're they're type of, like, like, the the the white women liberal. We were that it was very funny, but I appreciate those 2 women because they opened my eyes to certain things, which I took for granted then. But I think the person that I was back then needed to meet those women. And one of the books that we had to that we had to use for that semester was, Supreme Court justice, Sonia's biography. And when she was talking about growing up in the Bronx in the seventies, reading that, and I was like, man, is she is she sure she's in America or what? Because they they they sound like me and being in city, talking about using kerosene lantern and power outages, and I was like, what the hell am I retired? I'll I'll close the book again. I'll check the fraud cover. Like, shit.

Raphael Harry [00:12:46]:
Shit. It's wow. She she in the Bronx? Like, damn. Like, okay. No no wonder there's a lot of Ghanaians in the Bronx. No. No wonder I'd be getting the best Ghanaian. That's where I get my best food.

Raphael Harry [00:12:57]:
I'll be because my for my roommate was Ghanaian, and we would take the train 2 hours straight from Brooklyn here all the way to the Bronx, and, man, we'll go get that Ghanaian food. And, yeah, you know, I I I remember one time we went, went to Grand Concourse, and we're just walking on the street. And this guy sees us, Charlie, come here. 2 of you. Come. Come. Come. Come.

Raphael Harry [00:13:18]:
The 2 of you look like you need. Come. Come with me. Come. Come. Come. I take you to work. How you look at me? You look at my face.

Raphael Harry [00:13:28]:
Do I look like I wanted to argue with him. I was like, you know what? Let me just follow you. This guy took us to one corner. They had, like, fresh, hot kinky there. I was like, man, you know what? I I we're gonna argue with you. We'll go buy your drink. I'm like, you know what? I love coming to the Bronx. After that, I'm not arguing anymore.

Raphael Harry [00:13:47]:
So yep. My favorite Ghanaian restaurants in the Bronx. I I just took a friend there last week. He's in the Galizan. He was like, man, oh, the Bronx, man. He love Bronx too. I was like, I mean, I was like, if I'd arrived in the Bronx first I think Bronx and Queens. If if I don't arrive in Brooklyn first, I probably would have been leaving the Bronx.

Raphael Harry [00:14:08]:
So shout out to the Bronx, man.

Tasia [00:14:09]:
Listen. You can always relocate.

Raphael Harry [00:14:11]:
Not too late. I've been spoiled. But I always go to have my food. My daughter my daughter has the same now. She she, they know how to place. Once we come in, she'll be like, you can because she she does this she used to do this thing before where she would say she only wants to eat rice, and then you get out of rice. And then when I'm eating my fufu, which whichever soup I'm in the mood for, and she would come out and be staring at me. What what are you eating? I look good.

Raphael Harry [00:14:40]:
And I'll be asking, like, I'm a how old are you again? Well, these questions. You know, you you can just go wash your hand and come eat if you wanna eat. I could have bought, like, 2 or 3. Oh, shit. It's not spicy. I'm like, you ask it's not spicy. You you are dipping hand inside and eating already. It's not spicy.

Raphael Harry [00:14:59]:
Mhmm. You know? And and I'm like, goddamn. You you you almost sick, and this is how you're talking. When are you gonna be? It seems like, what are you gonna be saying? Now when you become an adult? Oh, damn. It's gonna be but I don't know. Yes. So the Bronx did that, man. Brought it out of fire.

Raphael Harry [00:15:14]:
Brought it out of fire. So, yeah, I I love the Bronx, man. I love the Bronx. It's, yeah. If anybody talk talk bad against the Bronx, yeah, he yeah. I can I can fight for that? I I can fight, but

Tasia [00:15:24]:
I I

Raphael Harry [00:15:25]:
don't fight anymore. But I I can I can still you know, I I I fight you with words instead?

Tasia [00:15:29]:
But Thank

Raphael Harry [00:15:30]:
you. You know? So yeah. So since you you you you you you kind of touched on the next question in a way. Okay. What do you consider your favorite childhood memory to be at this moment?

Tasia [00:15:46]:
Favorite childhood memory.

Raphael Harry [00:15:48]:
Yes.

Tasia [00:15:51]:
And

Raphael Harry [00:15:52]:
does it come from the Bronx?

Tasia [00:15:54]:
Yeah. Alright. If they if they know you, you're right. You're right. Doesn't have to.

Raphael Harry [00:15:58]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:16:01]:
You know, I go back to, you know, being outside in my building. I grew up in a large high rise building. So there were always a lot of kids around. And just being outside, playing a game called manhunt, very similar to, hide and go seek, but you're playing on teams.

Raphael Harry [00:16:29]:
Okay.

Tasia [00:16:31]:
So playing games like that, with my friends, do I have a favorite? I'm trying to think. Like, that's a good question. Like, do

Raphael Harry [00:16:41]:
I have

Tasia [00:16:41]:
a favorite?

Raphael Harry [00:16:41]:
That's what I'm talking about. That's what that's what I'm that's what my question has. It's a mainstay because main if if you come back again and ask you that question, you're gonna give me a different answer.

Tasia [00:16:51]:
I know. I will. So

Raphael Harry [00:16:54]:
that's why that's why I had to rephrase the question. I I'd add little caveats to at this moment.

Tasia [00:16:59]:
At this moment Yeah. Yeah. Summertime, manhunt in the Bronx.

Raphael Harry [00:17:06]:
Manhunt. So did what what do you think you learned from playing manhunts that stayed with you to this day? Yeah. Don't make it easy.

Tasia [00:17:16]:
Listen. Hide by yourself. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to think. Like, oh, man. Favorite childhood memory. It would have to be something with being outside, outdoors, friends.

Raphael Harry [00:17:46]:
You you you can share, like, a particular experience if if that will make it easier for you.

Tasia [00:17:51]:
Particular experience.

Raphael Harry [00:17:53]:
An incident.

Tasia [00:17:55]:
Okay. Yes. Okay. So, again, I told you I grew up in this large building, and we had a playground outside. My mom would say, stay outside. Like, stay in the playground. Okay. I have a bike.

Tasia [00:18:12]:
My friends have bikes. Well, my mom you know, I'm probably about 12 years old, 13 years old. She's not coming downstairs to really check on me because, you know, I'm old enough to be downstairs in the park where she said, I left the park with my friends, and we went to Orchard Beach. That's in the Bronx.

Raphael Harry [00:18:34]:
That's a

Tasia [00:18:34]:
beach in the Bronx. Orchard Beach is about, I think, maybe 9 miles.

Raphael Harry [00:18:43]:
Oh, wow.

Tasia [00:18:44]:
I think it's about it's about 9 miles. So my friends and I rode to Orchard Beach. We were actually trying to get to another section of the Bronx, but we we didn't know how to. We're trying to get to this place called Coop City. We didn't know how to, on bikes at that time, how to get there. We just knew how the bus went, and we were like, alright. Well, we'll just go this way. We ended up going to Orchard Beach.

Tasia [00:19:08]:
My friend got a hot dog. I was just like, I can't believe this. Let's go back before we before my mom, you know

Raphael Harry [00:19:16]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:19:16]:
Just so happily comes downstairs. You know? But she never found out about that until I, you know, told her as an adult. So I you know, that's but from that point on, you know, I I realized how far I could get on a bike. Yeah. You know, I wasn't old enough to drive.

Raphael Harry [00:19:36]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:19:37]:
You know? I took the bus, but when I took the bus, it was going to school. You know? So now it's like, oh, this bike? Okay. I'm riding to another section of the Bronx. Wow. It was it felt like freedom to me.

Raphael Harry [00:19:50]:
And without, MapQuest, without

Tasia [00:19:54]:
Right. Right.

Raphael Harry [00:19:55]:
I mean You you you are navigating on your own.

Tasia [00:19:58]:
Yeah. We Wow.

Raphael Harry [00:20:01]:
See. Oh, you're it reminded me of a memory that, the I I I I'd forgotten about. I think I was close to probably 10. I was close out to 10, and we we lived in a gated community then, which we call Estates. This was in Benin City, the Asian city of, Benin City. And so, yeah, everything you needed was in there. You know? We had a big playground. Well, we have multiple spaces for playing, and, there's a tennis court that we never play tennis on, but, you know, there was a swimming pool.

Raphael Harry [00:20:38]:
So it was bougie for that time period. You know? And so you never were supposed to go outside the estate, you know, go outside the the the the gate, the main gate. And there was one that I can't remember what made us go outside. Okay. Well, excuse me. Well, I went outside for after school classes, which we called lessons. There was some tutorial program that, yeah, that was we're allowed to go for that, but almost all the kids in the estate went together. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:21:08]:
So people who lived outside the estate, I remember running to one of them around early 2000, and the person was, like, asking me about the other kids. And, oh, why why are you asking me about them? I don't no. I haven't seen them for years. And they're like, oh, you're not the you are you are brothers and sisters. No. You all work together at the same time. So that day, for some reason, I don't know what the ex somebody came up with something that we had to go explore. But to us, it felt like going to the end of the world, but probably was, like, a 20 at most 30 minutes walk from our place.

Raphael Harry [00:21:43]:
And why you've never walked that far? That's why it feels like, why you're, like, 10 years old, But the bigger kids were, like, 15, 16. I think the oldest probably close out to 16. And we went with them. So I was like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, we are walking and, you know, you're looking like, oh, hopefully, there's somebody who knows us. Doesn't see us around here. Because we're thinking about the lie. We're gonna tell get back home. Like, oh.

Raphael Harry [00:22:08]:
You know? But it was, like, an exciting, there was this excitement. At the same time, it was fear. Right. Yeah. Big cut. And I went, well, we made it to home. Like, oh, we made it. Did it catch us? Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:22:21]:
Yes. Oh, and they're like, let well, let's do it again tomorrow. I don't know. No. No. No. It got caught the first time. I don't think I wanna get caught the next day.

Raphael Harry [00:22:31]:
But, yeah. But I think after that, I started sneaking out a bunch of times. Yeah. Oh, I I may have led to it, but now I think about it. Yeah. That was the beginning. Maybe that's why I I never left house to ride a bike too. But none of us had a bike in United States.

Raphael Harry [00:22:53]:
Somebody had a bike, but, only one key, and then it's, like, 10, 15 of course. Yeah. Good luck Thank you. Waiting for your turn. Yeah. So oh, man. But yeah. That's beauty of people sharing stories.

Raphael Harry [00:23:06]:
You know, sometimes you see connections. Yeah. Right. So when you were around that, you know, sticks thing with when you were, 12 around that 12, you know, around that age, 12 let's say, 12 to 15, what did you think if I met that Tayshia at that age, and I asked her, what did you wanna become when you grew up? What would she have said?

Tasia [00:23:31]:
I probably would have said a pediatrician. Oh. Specialist in asthma, right, for children because I have asthma.

Raphael Harry [00:23:44]:
Okay.

Tasia [00:23:45]:
And I would often go to the emergency room because I would have attacks.

Raphael Harry [00:23:50]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:23:50]:
And I was like, yeah. I wanna help kids with asthma and you know? Because I have asthma. Yeah. And that's probably what I would've said. And then I got older in school and realized, like, how many years I gotta go?

Raphael Harry [00:24:08]:
I was gonna be a doctor.

Tasia [00:24:12]:
Then, you know, little cousins, nieces, nephews, ah, and I don't even know if I wanna be around any sick kids. So all that changed. You know?

Raphael Harry [00:24:23]:
Oh, man. So you you never got the chance to try going near the in anything medical? No. Okay. I was just nah. I'm not touching that.

Tasia [00:24:38]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:24:42]:
So you you have an interesting career. You you you're you're you've done a lot in when it comes to outside the podcasting space because you're doing an interesting podcast at the same time. So was there any person that inspired you to go the route that you you went to take your first steps?

Tasia [00:25:16]:
So it's a roundabout story. I originally well, okay. So when I was younger, you know, in addition to being active, running around Mhmm. One of my closest friends, we started DJing. Oh. So we were DJing, and, I originally if you woulda asked me a little later as I got a teenager, what do you wanna be? Mhmm. I woulda told you I'm music director. Oh.

Tasia [00:25:49]:
For a radio station, I thought I had great taste in music. I still do. Think I have great taste in music. I can, you know, I can be a music director.

Raphael Harry [00:25:57]:
Okay. That that that that will come up You can show up with Okay.

Tasia [00:26:00]:
With that. So So keep

Raphael Harry [00:26:02]:
that in mind.

Tasia [00:26:04]:
The route that I thought I wanted to go was, you know, being on the radio. So I looked up to, like, Angie Martinez at the time of Hot 90 7, DJ Funkmaster Flex, DJ Clue because they were on the radio. And I was like, oh, they're on the radio, and, I wanna go that route. So I went to school for TV radio production. I graduated from SUNY New Paltz. That's in, New Paltz, New York

Raphael Harry [00:26:33]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:26:33]:
Not too far from Poughkeepsie, New York. And after after college, I was going I tried to get an internship at hot 97. Hot 97, very popular. Definitely wasn't getting an internship there because there was so much sort of in sort of in the entertainment industry. I said, hey. You know, I'm gonna try to get a small, internship at a small radio station upstate. He was like, don't do it. I was like, why not? Like, this is my foot in.

Tasia [00:27:18]:
I he's like, don't do it. I'm gonna talk to someone, and he does music videos. He'll you know, maybe he can get you on a music video. Okay. At at this time, I don't want any music. I mean, yes, it's music videos, but, okay, I still wanna do radio stuff.

Raphael Harry [00:27:35]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:27:36]:
Got in, did a couple production assistant jobs, on some music videos, and got my first couple checks. And I was like, damn. Maybe I wanna do this instead. So I dang. You know, I was along, but it was, like, exciting. It was like, wow. You know? And then, never took that internship. I got the internship.

Tasia [00:28:08]:
I was gonna go, but my cousin had said, don't do it. You

Raphael Harry [00:28:14]:
The internship upstate?

Tasia [00:28:15]:
Yeah. Got the internship upstate.

Raphael Harry [00:28:17]:
Alright.

Tasia [00:28:17]:
He's like, don't do it. Do this in like, you're not he kinda talked me out of it because he was like, you're not you don't wanna do that. You're not gonna go anywhere with with this. So I went this route, and I've been in TV entertainment production ever since then. And I kinda I'm kinda like, dang. Should I have taken a internship?

Raphael Harry [00:28:43]:
Yeah. That that was that was going to my next question.

Tasia [00:28:46]:
I've taken that internship. I did do another I did do another internship as well, but not as far upstate. So

Raphael Harry [00:28:56]:
and radio station?

Tasia [00:28:57]:
That radio station, and that didn't go anywhere either. But I just you know, since I didn't get that I didn't do that first one, I was like, I still wanted to even though I was being a production assistant on some videos, and I was seeing that, and I was like, oh, this is cool, but I still yearn for being a music director.

Raphael Harry [00:29:20]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:29:21]:
I did that internship, and, you know, it was kinda like, yeah. They're not hiring me after this. So okay. Cool. Let me go back to something where I can get some money, and it's make some connections, and then it's kinda cool as well.

Raphael Harry [00:29:38]:
So the internship that you did, was it still upstate, or was it in the city?

Tasia [00:29:44]:
It was in Westchester, so not as far.

Raphael Harry [00:29:47]:
Yeah.

Tasia [00:29:48]:
The place that I was gonna do the internship was about an hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours away. Mhmm. But I have fam I have family that lives there, so I would've stayed with them. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:30:01]:
That would that would not be too bad. Mhmm. Yeah. Okay. So, any popular videos, the artist that we know that you've worked on their videos?

Tasia [00:30:14]:
With the videos? Yeah. LL Cool J. Oh, yep. Little Mama.

Raphael Harry [00:30:23]:
Oh, yeah. Solange. I know that too.

Tasia [00:30:32]:
And I'm trying to think who else music video wise. I know I'm forgetting other people. I didn't do so I didn't stay in the music video world that long because in this industry, you network.

Raphael Harry [00:30:48]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:30:49]:
And I met someone. Shout out to Christina. Christina was like, hey. You wanna do live TV events? Sure. I'm new. Why not? Okay. I'll do it. And then from there, I did, date myself, 2,008, something for president Obama when he was about to get elected.

Raphael Harry [00:31:19]:
Oh, the the d n's the

Tasia [00:31:21]:
It wasn't the DNC. It was something for 1 of

Raphael Harry [00:31:24]:
the,

Tasia [00:31:25]:
I think it was something for Comedy Central. And, they had something for president not then president Obama.

Raphael Harry [00:31:35]:
But Then senator

Tasia [00:31:36]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:31:37]:
Bomb. What was it like a campaign? No. Like, an interview?

Tasia [00:31:42]:
I can't remember what it was. Wow.

Raphael Harry [00:31:44]:
But I remember it was So but were you working for Comedy Central?

Tasia [00:31:47]:
I wasn't. So

Raphael Harry [00:31:48]:
Oh, you're a freelancer?

Tasia [00:31:49]:
A freelancer.

Raphael Harry [00:31:50]:
Okay.

Tasia [00:31:51]:
So I was like, yeah. I'll do this thing. You know? Oh, you know, I I know what it was. It was the Colbert report.

Raphael Harry [00:31:57]:
Oh.

Tasia [00:31:58]:
And he did something on president Obama, when he was about to get elected, and it was it was fun to me.

Raphael Harry [00:32:08]:
Hey. Sounds, hey. Sounds fun to me. He was like So you you you go from music, videos to, live TV production. Right? Mhmm. So what was the difference? Because it's 2 different because to the to a layman, it just sounds like video video.

Tasia [00:32:29]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:32:30]:
But to you, what what what what what what was different in the way it worked or the system? What what was there any differences in how you saw the operations?

Tasia [00:32:42]:
The difference is one big difference was the videos that I worked on

Raphael Harry [00:32:48]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:32:49]:
Were one day videos, and they were all day. So I was on set from 5:30 in the morning till 11:30, 12:30.

Raphael Harry [00:33:02]:
Oh.

Tasia [00:33:03]:
You know? It was an all day thing.

Raphael Harry [00:33:05]:
Yeah.

Tasia [00:33:05]:
You know? Versus when I got into the live TV production world, it was a little bit more organized. It was, I I they weren't keeping me longer than a certain amount of time or else, you know, they got to pay me overtime. Yeah. The music videos did as well. They paid overtime as well, but it was like, no. You're gonna do your, 12 hours or you'll do whatever I mean, your hours and leave. We don't want you we are not trying to keep you here Okay. Longer because we don't wanna pay you.

Tasia [00:33:42]:
But, it was just it's just it's a it's more departments. Whereas some some music videos, depending on the budget, depending on who the artist is, you know, it's not that many people around. Like, you know, you have your crew, and then you have, like, a producer, director, you know, DP, you know, camera team, but you don't have, like, as in the live TV world, you have a whole department of you have a talent team Yeah. That might be comprised of 5 or 6 people. You have a production team management team who there, it might be 5 or 6 of them, plus the production assistants. There might be 5, 6, 7, 10 of them. Then you have lighting department. They it's it's more people when in the live TV production world, versus the music video world.

Tasia [00:34:47]:
Again, also depending on the the, video's budget.

Raphael Harry [00:34:51]:
Yeah. Yeah. I I got to see some some of the live TV stuff at the, season finale of, what's it called again? Was it real time with Bo Mani Jones? Mhmm. Yeah. I I went to the taping, and it ended up being the I guess, it wasn't re he had a feeling that he had a feeling that it wasn't gonna be renewed, so, he had because he said it himself, so I ended up I mean, it it so far, it hasn't been renewed ever since that show. I guess that was the final final. And, yeah, I saw that a whole lot of work went into it. So it was cool watching that in person and Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:35:36]:
You know, because on TV, you know, it's on HBO Max. You get, like, this like, almost 30 minutes. And Yeah. You don't get to appreciate all that stuff happening in real time. Somebody coming up and tell you, okay. Well, we're gonna redo that. We'll take again, and you're like, woah. Woah.

Raphael Harry [00:35:52]:
Woah. What? Damn.

Tasia [00:35:54]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:35:54]:
Wow. They got he got say that 2, 3 times? But he can't when there's an audience there watching all this, and, like, wow. Wow. And you just get one version on TV. It's it's it's I'm like, wow. This is, that's, interesting. He got you know, keep keep the face going and the smile and all that. I'm like, wow.

Raphael Harry [00:36:17]:
This that's okay. I said, everybody's cut out for this. People will leave your comments. I can do this job every day. I'm like, Yeah. No. You can't. And you and

Tasia [00:36:25]:
you just brought up something too. With music videos, it's not live. So Mhmm. That's why you're there. 16, sometimes 18 hours, you could be there because if they're renting this space Yeah. You gotta get this video. You know, they have to get their their shots. Live TV production, and I do, like, award shows.

Tasia [00:36:49]:
At this is it. Like, we're not reshooting this. This is is live. You know? In rehearsal, we might be there a little longer to for the actors and directors to rehearse, but that's it.

Raphael Harry [00:37:08]:
That's it. Yeah. It it reminded me of, an episode I did during the pandemic, and I interviewed Elena. I forgot Elena's last name. She's a comedian who who does more into she does more comedy in Spanish now. But she used to she started in in telenovas and then moved into comedy. Comedy is her true love. And she was tell me how, the telenovelas productions work, and it sounds similar to live TV.

Raphael Harry [00:37:45]:
It's like right there. The writers are there. Like, you know, they they respond to the audience. I'm like, oh, they didn't like this, so change it and all that. I'm always like, wow. I wow. Because telenovelas are huge in Nigeria. And he watches people like, oh, like, why why this not happen? People like this.

Raphael Harry [00:38:01]:
I don't know. And some of us back then, you know, guys like, man, it's for women. Man, don't watch this kind of stuff. Although some men will be there watching it quietly like

Tasia [00:38:10]:
Oh, wow. Interesting. No. No. No.

Raphael Harry [00:38:12]:
No. No. That happened. I'm actually with my girlfriend. That's why. It's just me and my girlfriend, but, you know, we kind of know everything that's happening, man. We wanna watch soccer. All these girls wanna come take me off the whole TV.

Raphael Harry [00:38:22]:
We kinda know everything that's happening at the same time. But when she was explaining the production side and how, you know, they have writers on sets, literally changing the story and all that. I was like, wow. That's do you do you feel me? She's like I was like, oh, wow. That's wow. Respect. Respect. We'll be so the more I know the details, the behind the scenes details, it changed how I, criticize or, or talk about, setting art out there.

Raphael Harry [00:38:49]:
So yeah. So shout shout out, you know, people who work in the industry. Yeah. So from now you're on the live TV, side of things. How how did you go from that to working at the the Democratic National Convention?

Tasia [00:39:10]:
Well, networking. So I met someone, and they were like, hey. You wanna do this event, this live TV event? Sure. Yeah. Then met someone else, and they said, hey. Are you doing anything for Thanksgiving? Like, yeah. Probably going to my and this is when I'm first starting out.

Raphael Harry [00:39:31]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:39:32]:
I'm like, yeah. You know, going to family's house, you know, for Thanksgiving. You know, alright. Well, if you wanna work on the Thanksgiving Day parade for CBS, you know, you can. I you know, I'll hire you. Thought about it. You know? I could see my family later. You know? I could see my family later.

Raphael Harry [00:39:55]:
Smart ways. And,

Tasia [00:39:59]:
yeah. This is opportunity.

Raphael Harry [00:40:01]:
Yes.

Tasia [00:40:03]:
CBS, Thanksgiving Day Parade. I've never before that point, I had never gone into the city or even watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving. I just it just didn't. Mhmm. You know? Spending time with my family, running around my cousins. Like, you know? And I said, yeah. This okay. I'll do this.

Tasia [00:40:25]:
Then from there, I started getting networking. Okay. The same people that did that show did another show. They did the Tony Awards. Okay. You wanna work on a Tony Awards in, you know, June? Sure. Great. Then from there, you meet other people, and then I just networked and did some other shows.

Raphael Harry [00:40:49]:
So how how was that like you know, what was that experience like during the Thanksgiving Day parade? Was was it on a day that was cold? You know, now you're outdoors unlike other live shows that you you've been doing that seem to be indoors most of the time?

Tasia [00:41:07]:
So that, actually, that one well, you're not really outside. The only people that's really outside are the cameraman.

Raphael Harry [00:41:18]:
Okay.

Tasia [00:41:18]:
So I'll have to go in and out Yeah. But I don't have to be outside. Okay. Good. Up until, like, the last one that I did, you know, I I stay inside. I look from we have a nice view. Okay. Alright.

Tasia [00:41:34]:
Do you need me outside for anything? Nope. I don't need to go check on anything. Okay. I'm good. I'm I'm inside. Alright. That's

Raphael Harry [00:41:40]:
good. Yeah. That was that was why I was concerned then a little bit like, oh.

Tasia [00:41:46]:
No. No. No.

Raphael Harry [00:41:46]:
Them Thanksgiving cold sometimes, it'd be

Tasia [00:41:49]:
I know. If I don't have to be outside, I am not. Not in the wintertime. Nope.

Raphael Harry [00:41:55]:
So what was that experience like being at the Democratic, National Convention, and and which year was that?

Tasia [00:42:02]:
So so what I spoke about earlier, that was in 2,008, and I didn't go then. But I got a opportunity in 2016 to go to the one in Philadelphia.

Raphael Harry [00:42:14]:
Oh, yeah.

Tasia [00:42:15]:
And I couldn't believe it that I was there. So I do a number I'm a a freelancer, so I do a number of positions. Right? So I work in production management. I work in postproduction. Postproduction is, you know, basically with the editors.

Raphael Harry [00:42:44]:
So you're doing editing?

Tasia [00:42:46]:
I was not. I was a post production coordinator. So I didn't really do any editing. Only, you know but I'm just help coordinating with the editors and the producers and directors and what they need. I'm I'm just didn't really didn't really get the chance to edit anything. I don't know if they wanted me to. But so when I went to d not DC. When I went to Philly Yeah.

Tasia [00:43:12]:
I was on the postproduction team.

Raphael Harry [00:43:14]:
Okay.

Tasia [00:43:14]:
And the whole experience was great. Like, I'm here seeing all these people excited. You know? Unfortunately, you know, Hillary didn't win, but, still, like, I had got a chance to see president Obama. I got a chance to see here boys to men. They came. There were so many people that came, and just to be in a room was like, wow. This is, like just to think, you know, 8 years ago, I was, you know, just starting out at the Colbert reports, especially president Obama event. Now I'm, you know, in Philadelphia working on the DNC.

Raphael Harry [00:44:05]:
Witnessing history.

Tasia [00:44:06]:
Yeah. Right.

Raphael Harry [00:44:07]:
So you actually witnessed history twice. You can see you you were at the beginning of Obama and then

Tasia [00:44:13]:
Yeah. And then yeah. And it was and, yeah, it was it was something. They were protesting. It was just the whole thing was it was something.

Raphael Harry [00:44:26]:
Yeah. So if if anyone listening knows, Kamala Harris team, you know, they they they might wanna get they want they might wanna get that taste here to come. You know? Just just just saying. I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying. But you you all know I'm Joe Biden 20 24, but I'm just saying. This is taste yet to just be walking around when vice president Kamala gets interviewed on something. Just have Taysia This in the back.

Raphael Harry [00:44:54]:
Just you know? I don't know what you're gonna hire out to do. Just hire.

Tasia [00:44:59]:
I like that. Thank you. I

Raphael Harry [00:45:00]:
am my homegirl.

Tasia [00:45:01]:
Yeah. Thank you.

Raphael Harry [00:45:01]:
So, oh, another question. So are you part of a union? You're just freelancing?

Tasia [00:45:08]:
I'm not a part of a union. Okay. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:45:11]:
Because, there because I there there's unions for people who do your jobs too. Right?

Tasia [00:45:16]:
Yes. There, yes, there are. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:45:19]:
Have you thought about joining?

Tasia [00:45:21]:
I have, and I just haven't I don't wanna say pull the trigger. You know, but you know what I'm saying? I just have it. You know? No.

Raphael Harry [00:45:37]:
If it's not the time, it's not the time. Yeah. That's it. That's nothing wrong. So what advice will you give to someone looking to a younger person? Oh, let's say a younger Taseer who's trying to go the route, going to the the the TV, yeah, live live TV, TV in the not just the TV industry like you did who's at phase 0?

Tasia [00:46:10]:
Network. When you when you get when you meet someone who, is doing what you wanna do or may know someone that is doing what you wanna do, network with them, follow-up. When I first started, I didn't I thought, like, oh, people will be calling me.

Raphael Harry [00:46:29]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:46:30]:
No. You have to call them. You have to reach out to them and ask them with the especially with the music videos. Hey. Y'all gotten anything? You know? No. We don't have anything. And I'm like, oh, man. You know? And I felt like I was bothering them.

Tasia [00:46:43]:
But just, you know, contact them. Let them know, like, hey. I'm, you know, I'm available looking for work. And just don't even contact them when you are looking for work, but just to keep in touch. Because out of sight, out of mind. If you if I just recently saw you or you just recently text me randomly and someone calls me and is like, hey, Tasha. I'm looking for someone. Oh, hit up so and so because they just called me, and I think they're available or they might be available.

Raphael Harry [00:47:15]:
That's true.

Tasia [00:47:16]:
You know? I networking has gotten me this far. Talking to people, being nice to people. Yeah. The that I did. Be nice. Be nice to people.

Raphael Harry [00:47:28]:
Yep. That's highly

Tasia [00:47:30]:
They really be nice to people.

Raphael Harry [00:47:33]:
Yeah. That's a global one. It's global. It's global. It's,

Tasia [00:47:39]:
yeah. People like nice people. I was told by I was going for this position. And I asked my coworker. I'm like, you think I could do it? He's like, yeah. I think you could do it. Then he was like, you know what? But, you know, there are other people who, you know, could probably do it better than you. He said, but people like you.

Raphael Harry [00:48:03]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:48:04]:
So if if would I rather be around a person I don't like all day or someone who I do like, and I may have to help out a little bit.

Raphael Harry [00:48:14]:
Yeah.

Tasia [00:48:14]:
I'm gonna be around that. I wanna be around the person that I like and I can stand versus the person who I don't like. And I've been in rooms where people won't hire people. They can do the job. No. I don't like that person.

Raphael Harry [00:48:26]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:48:26]:
She's like, oh my gosh.

Raphael Harry [00:48:27]:
That's true.

Tasia [00:48:28]:
You know? So definitely be a a nice person and, network with people.

Raphael Harry [00:48:34]:
Yeah. Talk.

Tasia [00:48:35]:
Talk talk to people. Try to, if there are internships available, go have coffee with people or just go to a cafe or whatever. Just, you know and talk to them and tell them what you what you're trying to do because people generally wanna help. So if you tell me, like, Tasia, I wanna do this, this, and that, I'm gonna try to help you. If I can, You know? I'll try to help in any way. But, definitely yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:49:12]:
So one more question before I move on to Mhmm. A different category. What are some of the biggest challenges that you faced working in in the TV, industry, and how did you overcome them?

Tasia [00:49:33]:
Biggest challenges. You know, the biggest challenges, I can say, were with my confidence. Like, I I didn't feel that I was good enough Mhmm. You know, to do Hence, why I asked my my coworker. I'm like, am I good enough to do this? He said, yeah. And to do certain positions. Again, I'm like a Jackie of all trades where I am if there's a position and I didn't used to be like this, but whatever I felt comfortable and I was good at, I stayed there.

Raphael Harry [00:50:19]:
Yeah. That sounds like me.

Tasia [00:50:21]:
You know? And that hindered me because I I wasn't I didn't grow like that. You know, I wasn't able to grow because I wasn't I didn't feel confident that I can do this these other roles. Yeah. Then when once I started saying, okay. Well, just do it. I mean, try it. Why not? What you you can't stay at this level forever, so then I started trying and doing. And people would ask me, like, hey, Tasha.

Tasia [00:50:53]:
We're looking for, for producer. Yes. I could do it. Didn't produce nothing in my life, but I, you know, started saying, yes. I could do it. And, again, talking to people like, hey. This is what I wanna do.

Raphael Harry [00:51:09]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:51:09]:
And then it people started hiring me and, recommending me, and I just, you know, built up the confidence to say, yes. I could do it and do it. That was something that I had to really overcome because I stayed at, you know, sort of like the entry level for a long time because I was scared that I couldn't do you know, I couldn't I I wasn't ready or I didn't feel ready, but I was.

Raphael Harry [00:51:42]:
Yeah. I think that's one issue many of us have. So far from that too, like, you know, that. In here, it's like I can see I see the part. I see a lot of things, and it's like, I don't know if I'm ready or not. You know? And then sometimes, like, just it's like the Nike

Tasia [00:52:05]:
Yeah. Just do it.

Raphael Harry [00:52:06]:
Just do it. And then Yeah. You do it, and you're like, man, it's just like I'm in Magneto with met metal. You know? I choose my X Men. Name.

Tasia [00:52:15]:
You know?

Raphael Harry [00:52:15]:
I'm a big net on that. But then you're like, man, why why was I beating myself up Right. So so hard. But if you don't try it, how would you know? Right. So yeah. So just, you know, stop. I know one of my previous guest has said that, yeah. I like he likes you know, you like you like doing that immigrant team of, I don't want to I'm being so humble.

Raphael Harry [00:52:39]:
I'm not gonna I'm like, I guess there's a lot of us who do that. Say the immigrant team says black team is

Tasia [00:52:46]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:52:47]:
Person of color thing. We we use different languages to say the exact same thing, but, that's why it's good to have people around you who sees who who say it for you sometimes. Like, man, go do it.

Tasia [00:52:59]:
Right.

Raphael Harry [00:53:00]:
Go do it. Like, you got it.

Tasia [00:53:01]:
You Right.

Raphael Harry [00:53:01]:
Yeah. You can do it.

Tasia [00:53:03]:
You know, what's the worst that can happen? Like, you know well, in my industry, no one it's not like, you know, we're saving lives.

Raphael Harry [00:53:10]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:53:11]:
Go do it. You know? If you mess up, you mess up. And hopefully, what you mess up on is not like, you know, it you know, the show's not gonna air, but most likely, the show's gonna go on. So just go ahead and do it. And that's what I had to tell myself, and I still have to remind myself, like, why are you stressing over? Girl, just go ahead.

Raphael Harry [00:53:32]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:53:32]:
You know? So that was my biggest challenge, having to get over that.

Raphael Harry [00:53:38]:
So how do you find time to balance your adventurous pursuit with your demanding career on, with television?

Tasia [00:53:49]:
Well, I am a freelancer, so I I can kinda pick and choose.

Raphael Harry [00:53:55]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [00:53:58]:
And once the show is over, I if I don't have anything immediately lined up, I'm I'm either booking a trip someplace or I have things on marking events on my calendar. Like, okay. I wanna do this. I wanna do this. I wanna do this. And I try to stay committed to that. And even when I have, you know, work, I tailor my schedule to what I have to do. So while I was in I was in California for a couple months, I got up.

Tasia [00:54:37]:
I didn't have to be to work till about 8:30, 9 o'clock. So and it was about maybe 25 minute, 30 minute drive to work. I would get up every day at between 5 and 5:30 and read, journal, do, like, light exercises, and then run, either a mile, 2 miles. And I made the time for it. You know? I knew that I was going I wasn't getting home until 6 or 7 o'clock, 8 o'clock at night.

Raphael Harry [00:55:11]:
Yeah.

Tasia [00:55:12]:
And once I got home, I'm not doing it. Yeah. So I said, let me let me just try to, you know, tailor my schedule. And and same thing with podcasting. I was podcasting at at work. You know, once work kinda, you know, died down, I'm in there. Alright. Can you hear me? I'm looking at my on my computer screen.

Tasia [00:55:37]:
And so, you know, I just have to make the time.

Raphael Harry [00:55:44]:
So can you share a particularly rewarding experience from your adventures in cycling, hiking, running, or swimming?

Tasia [00:55:54]:
What an experience. Just off the top of my head, the when I first did my 1st century. So my 1st century. So a century is a 100 miles. I'm a part of this cycling organization, Black Girls Do Bike,

Raphael Harry [00:56:10]:
Oh, cool.

Tasia [00:56:10]:
And they have different chapters.

Raphael Harry [00:56:11]:
Okay.

Tasia [00:56:11]:
So they have Black Girls Do Bike NYC, Black Girls Do Bike Brooklyn slash Queens, and 2020. A couple members, Wendy and Yvette, were like, hey. We wanna do a Sentry. At this point, I'm 2 years into riding my bike. Like, I had just gotten my, road bike 2 years earlier. And I'm like, okay. A century. A 100 miles.

Tasia [00:56:44]:
Okay. Prior to that, I wouldn't I I I wasn't into riding a 100 miles. Like, if you would've asked me, like, you wanna ride a 100 miles, I would've told you no. But, you know, I started training, and then more people got involved, and they made it like a whole event. And I remember it was October. I just looked at the, we got certificates. I just looked at the certificate, and I think it was, like, October 6th. 6th or 9th.

Tasia [00:57:19]:
It was on a Saturday, and it was warm that day, actually, which I was worried about because I'm like, I wanna be outside cycling in the cold. We rode from, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx all the way up to Brewster, New York and then back. Wow. So Brewster is 60 mile I mean, 50 miles, and then back is another 50. And I was so happy. Like, I was happy for a couple reasons. 1, to be off the bike. But 2, once we got back, like, I can't believe I'd hold a 100 miles.

Raphael Harry [00:58:01]:
Yeah.

Tasia [00:58:02]:
I can't believe it.

Raphael Harry [00:58:03]:
That sounds that sounds amazing.

Tasia [00:58:05]:
It was so much fun, with a great group of women that went with us, and we had a beautiful day. Everything was just it was great. And after that, I was like, oh, man. I want to do more. And after once we got back, I'm like, dang. This was great. Only thing would have been you know, woulda topped it off if we woulda got, like, medals or something. And then Yeah.

Tasia [00:58:34]:
Lisa Oshiro, she gave us certificates, which was I was like, wow. This is so great. So I still have got that framed? Yeah. I did. I got that framed.

Raphael Harry [00:58:45]:
Yeah. I I I I framed that over, my university degree.

Tasia [00:58:49]:
Yeah. Right. My my diploma is I don't even know.

Raphael Harry [00:58:54]:
It's on my bookshelf somewhere.

Tasia [00:58:57]:
But that is right on the wall.

Raphael Harry [00:59:00]:
Yeah. That's yeah. Yeah. I I think I think that I'll I'll I'll add something like that to my bucket list. I'll do something like that one day. That has to be Yeah. Yeah. I got I gotta do something like that one day.

Raphael Harry [00:59:12]:
Yeah. And I've I've worked longest I've worked is, in a day is about close to 30,000 steps in one day. So I gotta do something like I don't know. There's just some mental block I just have to get over this riding a bike, because I've I've seen that they teach people how to ride bicycles at Prospect Park Yeah. For free.

Tasia [00:59:36]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:59:37]:
And I was like, okay. Okay. Because everyone miles can ride. You know? My my wife's from, you you know, Europe. She's German. So Mhmm. I'm part of Germany. This this thing you know? Like, the first time I went to Amsterdam, that's when I I realized how European stick bike.

Tasia [00:59:50]:
Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:59:51]:
Riding seriously. I was like, goddamn. This everywhere. That's like they got apartment buildings with more more the parking have they have more parking for bicycles than cars. So I was like, oh.

Tasia [01:00:03]:
I love it. I was

Raphael Harry [01:00:03]:
like, yeah. There's people talking about, oh, I'm I'm I'm if anything bad happens with Trump, please, I'm leaving America. I'm moving to Europe. I'm like, can you ride a bicycle? That's

Tasia [01:00:15]:
That's a good question.

Raphael Harry [01:00:16]:
Me that? Oh, man. Yeah. You're gonna goddamn black. What? What? Oh, it's yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They they take it seriously.

Tasia [01:00:25]:
That they do. That they do.

Raphael Harry [01:00:27]:
So that that was one thing I appreciate about them there because, you know, what I try to know the person who's been laying there in charge of the DOTs Mhmm. Bike lane stuff. He lives in my neighborhood. And, the old heads in my some old heads in my neighborhood, they'll be complaining. Man, he tried who? They tried turning on to Europe. They're not turning on to Europe. Why are they making all your bike lanes? And I'll be sitting down there in some evenings that I'll I'll be dying laughter like, why y'all complaining about this? Why why am I getting a Europe? Why am I getting a Europe? I've been living in this neighborhood for for 40 years. We didn't we're trying to make it look like Europe.

Raphael Harry [01:01:06]:
You seem like it's a bad thing. Is it a bad thing? No. It's not really. But I'm just saying, where am I gonna do? I was like, oh, boy. Just wanna complete. Like, what? Yeah. Maybe I need to stop sitting down with those guys. I can't go let out to ride my bike.

Raphael Harry [01:01:24]:
But it's entertaining. Yeah. Oh, but yeah. Yeah. I I I think, yeah, I'll add something like that. Maybe 20 miles one day or knock that out.

Tasia [01:01:36]:
But Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:01:37]:
Yeah. I will. I will. That's You will. I will one day. And I hit you up. Yes. Did it.

Raphael Harry [01:01:44]:
So, yeah, I gotta start, round, wrapping

Tasia [01:01:47]:
up. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [01:01:48]:
Thank you for giving me your time. But there are some questions I gotta ask you before I let you go. So, don't step away from the world we've been in. And, well, we're still staying in that world, but, in a different we're moving to a different section. So something you said earlier, I'm gonna come back to now the music thing you mentioned. So everybody who's been on this podcast is considered a dancer. If you claim you don't dance, we stop recording and kick you off right now. It's too late because you already been on on the show.

Raphael Harry [01:02:23]:
You've been talking for a long time now, so it's too late not to deny. However, we're gonna twist your question a little bit.

Tasia [01:02:31]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [01:02:32]:
So let's see. What is your favorite genre of music to listen to while hiking or cycling? And that's part 1, by the way.

Tasia [01:02:44]:
Mhmm. Maybe it's running on music.

Raphael Harry [01:02:50]:
Or running. We can add running.

Tasia [01:02:53]:
It would probably be, oh, maybe house music?

Raphael Harry [01:03:01]:
I love house music. That's a good one to use for anything.

Tasia [01:03:05]:
You know? Because the beat Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [01:03:09]:
Yeah. It keeps you in your Yeah. You can maintain your reading. So yep.

Tasia [01:03:15]:
That's what I would I would say. And, you know, it changes depending on the mood I'm in, but

Raphael Harry [01:03:22]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [01:03:22]:
I'll say house.

Raphael Harry [01:03:23]:
Yeah. You might like my friend's mix on, SoundCloud.

Tasia [01:03:28]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [01:03:29]:
She's been on the podcast a few times. She's, she DJ'd at my birthday. Oh. She stopped DJing. She she she wanted to be a DJ at one point in time, and then she had kids. I was like, I'll go take out my kids. And then but she's back now.

Tasia [01:03:43]:
Okay. Great.

Raphael Harry [01:03:43]:
I know. Yeah. So, like, girl, do and she's good. Okay.

Tasia [01:03:47]:
That's good.

Raphael Harry [01:03:48]:
So she's back. Our kids are teenagers now, so she's like, you you can fend for yourself. Go into the wild. You know you know your way. So, do you do gardening?

Tasia [01:04:04]:
I do have my balcony garden.

Raphael Harry [01:04:09]:
Okay. That counts. Yeah. Yeah. So give me 3 artists that can keep you going through a session of gardening.

Tasia [01:04:18]:
Three artists.

Raphael Harry [01:04:19]:
Yeah. So, normally, I ask about 3 artists that can keep you dancing for 1 hour, but I'll flip it this time. Oh, wow. Instead of using hiking or cycling,

Tasia [01:04:27]:
I said,

Raphael Harry [01:04:28]:
let me go gardening.

Tasia [01:04:29]:
Gardening. Yeah. Okay. Three artists.

Raphael Harry [01:04:33]:
At least 3.

Tasia [01:04:34]:
You can

Raphael Harry [01:04:34]:
name 4, but

Tasia [01:04:36]:
Erika Badu.

Raphael Harry [01:04:38]:
That's a good one there. Oh, wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Okay. Well, Erika, I'll let you that that the first answer is acceptable.

Raphael Harry [01:04:44]:
But, normally, I I make it a little bit difficult for people by saying, you know, would I want the most popular names? And since you're from the Bronx, you know, you gotta give us artists from the Bronx. Oh, yeah. What? Okay. Yeah. See see, that's how that's how I get people. What? You know? You but I'm not saying you must stick to all of the Bronx, but at least one artist is gonna be.

Tasia [01:05:09]:
One artist from the Bronx. Yeah. Okay.

Raphael Harry [01:05:11]:
Yeah. But, I will you yeah. I I forgot to name the caveat.

Tasia [01:05:35]:
Oh my goodness. Yeah. But I I like Cardi B.

Raphael Harry [01:05:39]:
Oh, yeah. We we we we don't dispute that. But for god's names. How you going what kind of plants are you planting with? What are you trying to grow? You're trying to grow money? If you're growing money, that's different. But,

Tasia [01:05:52]:
Listen. Yes. I am. Yeah. But, I mean,

Raphael Harry [01:05:55]:
that that that that was a rhetorical question. Yes.

Tasia [01:06:03]:
Yeah. Oh, gosh.

Raphael Harry [01:06:04]:
Yeah. Yeah. You know? Like, I I can't I can't make the I can't make it too easy for you to answer. So there you go. Oh,

Tasia [01:06:14]:
okay. Okay. Okay. Cash Cobain.

Raphael Harry [01:06:19]:
Okay. No. Well well well well well. Okay. We'll we'll accept that. It's not it's not like the it's not too popular. I don't know. So okay.

Raphael Harry [01:06:31]:
Okay. I mean, technically, but, I mean, Yeah.

Tasia [01:06:38]:
Is he from Bronx? Yeah. He's he's upcoming artist.

Raphael Harry [01:06:41]:
Okay.

Tasia [01:06:41]:
Producer from the Bronx. He has some music on the radio and some features. He's produced some things. And my niece, who actually is from Brooklyn

Raphael Harry [01:06:52]:
Hey. Okay. But, you

Tasia [01:06:53]:
know, put me on to him. So Oh,

Raphael Harry [01:06:54]:
oh, some some well, okay. Say no more. Say no more. You know? Brooklyn Brooklyn. That's how you know it's the best borough, but, you know,

Tasia [01:07:00]:
that there

Raphael Harry [01:07:01]:
you go. There you go. So who's gonna be a 3rd artist?

Tasia [01:07:05]:
Okay. Gardening, 3rd artist. Larry June. He's an artist from California. Alright.

Raphael Harry [01:07:16]:
I

Tasia [01:07:17]:
think he's from the Bay Area.

Raphael Harry [01:07:21]:
That makes sense.

Tasia [01:07:23]:
And he has a he has a song about plants.

Raphael Harry [01:07:26]:
Oh, okay. I'll have to check that out then.

Tasia [01:07:30]:
And do I have one more?

Raphael Harry [01:07:33]:
Up to you. If you wanna add one more you got 3 already. But if you wanna add one more, if you give me that, I'll take it. I'm the one who's gonna check up, check out the artist. I mean, I already know Erika Badu. So Larry June, I'm very interested in. Larry June. Kankash Cobain.

Tasia [01:07:49]:
Yeah. I'll I'll just leave it at those 3.

Raphael Harry [01:07:52]:
Okay. So next question. What's the most memorable cuisine you've discovered on your adventures? Is there a particular dish of food experience that stands out as a favorite?

Tasia [01:08:11]:
When I went to Turkey, I went to Turkey for my birthday.

Raphael Harry [01:08:14]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [01:08:15]:
And they have the kebab. They called it I think it's called pottery kebab, if I'm not mistaken. They make it in these this this pot.

Raphael Harry [01:08:31]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [01:08:32]:
And it's well, you can have any type of meat, chicken, lamb, beef. And, we ate a lot of that when we were there. But we went to our last restaurant. It was just a presentation of it. And I'm a I'll show you because I was just like, this is great. Like, it was just so unique to, I guess it I don't think it was unique to this area. I went to Cappadocia. I don't think it was unique to that area, but maybe Turkey.

Raphael Harry [01:09:11]:
Mhmm.

Tasia [01:09:11]:
But that, I would say, I just just the most recent meal that I had, and I was just like, dang. I ate a lot of chicken and rice, beef and rice, while I was there. And it was just it was really good. Mhmm. But they made it in these, like, potteries. They they they stewed it in there, and once it came out, it was it was good. That's the the latest one I could remember off the top of my head.

Raphael Harry [01:09:48]:
I know in in Germany, we had donut kebab. That's literally Turkish kebab. This kebab from Turks.

Tasia [01:09:58]:
Oh.

Raphael Harry [01:09:59]:
The largest minority in Germany is Turkish. So, like, if you see the German national like, the current captain of the German national team, Gundogan, is of Turkish heritage. So a few years ago, he had a controversy where before just before the 2014 World Cup. Himself and were pictured with, the memberhood, or Edu well, what's I've got his first Ed, Edougano. I've got his first name, the current president of Turkey. Mhmm. And, he used it as a political stunt. He's always doing he's he's a he's Trumpian too in his own he he uses Islam as his own thing, but, yeah, he and he but, you know, they also the right wing guys in Germany were on uproar.

Raphael Harry [01:10:40]:
Like, oh, you know, they're not really looking out to the they're not patriotic to Germany. Look at them with Turkish president. You know, like, their their families. Well, obviously, you grew up at going the guy. So they kinda put them in tight corner, and he ambushed them. So but, you know, I was I just came back from Germany, and, the euro's still going on, European Cup of Nations, their version of the Copa, the African Cup of Nations. Every continent has gas. And any game Taki was playing, oh, it was like a home game over there.

Tasia [01:11:15]:
Really?

Raphael Harry [01:11:16]:
The old crowd. So I I went to one game, and, we I got off at the wrong stop. Stop stop early, and I ended up discovering, mini Istanbul. And I was like, man, I gotta eat here because the whole place was just like where people are just smoking on streets. Mhmm. Put like a different rule. I was like, is this where the the likes of Steve Bannon and, Steve Miller came to when they came whenever they come to Europe? Like, oh, Sharia law is happening here. This is it.

Raphael Harry [01:11:48]:
They start freaking out like, oh, no. That's because you just see, like, all this shop is for only women. Only, you see people in hijab and all that. But you just know that the the shops have names, Istanbul and and talk and, Cara and all that. There's Turkish names everywhere. I'm just like, wow. Where? Where the food at? Yeah. I saw a bunch of restaurants on the same names, different names.

Raphael Harry [01:12:09]:
They're Turkish. I said, which one do I pick from now? Mini Money Mo? Just vibes. I'm using vibes to pick I'm I'm like, yeah. Okay. Middle one. I'll sit down there. The all the soft drinks were Turkish. I was like, oh, I'm in Germany, though, but, yeah, I could see some right wing person getting pissed.

Raphael Harry [01:12:26]:
Get a piss. This is Germany. Right. This is Germany. Yeah. I'm like, man. The bratwurst. Go get bratwurst.

Raphael Harry [01:12:35]:
I mean, I I eat bratwurst and all that, but, hey, that's me. I'm winning. I eat everything.

Tasia [01:12:41]:
What part are you Germany?

Raphael Harry [01:12:43]:
I I normally go to the northwest, so I'm, very close to the Dutch border. Mhmm. So sometimes I fly through Amsterdam Mhmm. To the biggest city is, and, the village is Havix Havix Beck, where I'm normally staying. But, the way I where I run into the main Istanbul was on my way to gas gas gas in Kessin, and just like a stop before gas in Kessin, that's when I got off this city. I don't even know the name of that little small place, but it's just small. I was walking around like, oh, man. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:13:19]:
This feels like my vibe, man. Oh, it's like when I was in Middle East. Man, I could I could just, you know, hear the whole day, but I got a game to catch. But I had to I had kebab there, and everywhere all Germans that I know, I hang out with you right there. Like, every time, we don't eat kebab. I'm like, man,

Tasia [01:13:33]:
I'm a German. I don't

Raphael Harry [01:13:34]:
eat kebab, man. I don't eat all that stuff. I think enough kebab. And I was one of the first German I learned too. Kebab. Donut kebab. Just literally, just it's kebab. They they they make it longer.

Raphael Harry [01:13:49]:
Do not kebab. I'm like, come on, man. I know it's kebab now. Oh. But, anyway, it's a food question. But, next when you come for part 2, I'll ask you the original question normally asked about food. That that would be the one that would trap you.

Tasia [01:14:05]:
But listen. I'm a, like, a plain Jane

Raphael Harry [01:14:09]:
food person. Jane. Oh, that's right.

Tasia [01:14:11]:
Plain Jane. Like, give me some rice. Give me some chicken.

Raphael Harry [01:14:16]:
Alright. Rice is universal, though.

Tasia [01:14:18]:
Yeah. So it's like that's right. So when I was in Vietnam Oh. You know, when I was

Raphael Harry [01:14:23]:
That's guys went too.

Tasia [01:14:24]:
You you know what I'm saying? So give me some rice and chicken. That's chicken? Okay. I get it.

Raphael Harry [01:14:29]:
My my my weakness is goat meat, though. But, if you got good goat meat I mean, I eat chicken all the time, but goat meat, oh, that's it. That's it. That's why I can't be a billionaire because I was just marrying people everywhere. I'm just I'm just married. Yep. Yep. My well, I thought you married me.

Raphael Harry [01:14:45]:
Oh, I've gone through this. Oh, yeah. We go again. So final question. What would you like to leave the audience with? Is it a freestyle moment?

Tasia [01:15:01]:
What would I like to leave the audience with? Well, I first like to say thank you again for having me on as a guest.

Raphael Harry [01:15:08]:
Oh, thanks goes to you.

Tasia [01:15:10]:
And You bless us

Raphael Harry [01:15:11]:
a lot of awesomeness.

Tasia [01:15:15]:
You can do it. Whatever that it is, you can do it. You know, whether it's riding a bike, whether it's swimming, whether it's going for that job, you know, you can do it. You know? Yeah. Just build that confidence and go for it. You know, even if you're not all the way there, go for it. I'm taking swimming lessons in, at 40 years old. K.

Tasia [01:15:50]:
Listen. I'm I'm I wanna learn how to swim.

Raphael Harry [01:15:54]:
It's a lifesaver too.

Tasia [01:15:55]:
Right. It is. I wanna learn how to swim. So do it. You know? Do it scared, but just do it. Yep.

Raphael Harry [01:16:06]:
Like my kid would tell you, you've got it, papa. Yeah. You got it, mama.

Tasia [01:16:11]:
You could do it.

Raphael Harry [01:16:11]:
No. You can do it. You know? If you don't believe that you can do it, just wait till the 5 year old tells you you can do it. And then you're gonna be like, goddamn. Alright. I I I could do it. Right. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:16:24]:
So, please let people know, you know, please plug yourself in again one more time. I know you did at the beginning, but plug yourself in again.

Tasia [01:16:33]:
Yeah. I have a podcast, rolling with Tay podcast. I'm on social media, on Instagram at rolling with Tay, on TikTok, outdoorsy Tay, YouTube, Rolling with Tay. Just search for Rolling with Tay, and, my videos will pop up. Yeah. Follow me.

Raphael Harry [01:16:53]:
Alright. And give her 5 stars. Write awesome reviews. Keep the support coming in. Keep the love coming in. Alright, guys. Thank you for listening, and I'll see you at the next episode. And, as my people say, and, for, your time, spending your time with us today.

Raphael Harry [01:17:12]:
And, yeah, be good, be kind, be awesome. Thanks for listening to White Label American. If you enjoy the show, please give a 5 Star review on your favorite podcast app. You can follow the show on all social media platforms. Visit the White Label American website for links for donations, episodes, feedback, guests, merch, and newsletter. Don't forget to download the free White Label American app on the Google Play Store and Apple coming soon. Thank you for the privilege of your company.