The Best Men Podcast

Episode 6: Travel Tales

• Michael and Sameer • Season 1 • Episode 6

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This week's episode is all about our travel tales! From Sameer's honeymoon in Sri Lanka to Michael's recent work trip to Barcelona (which included a nerve-wracking taxi ride!) Our travel tales will have you gripping your seat as we recount the highs and lows of our journeys, from a distracted London driver to unexpected friendships and the terror of feeling stranded in a new country!

This week Michael and Sameer also get heated chatting about teppanyaki (as you do!) with Sameer rallying for more female chefs at Benihana with the hashtag #BennyHireHer. 

Feeling competitive? We also have you covered with 'Spit's Quiz', where we test our musical wits with classical covers of pop hits. We round off this week pondering why we meticulously plan vacations but often neglect everyday life!

This episode promises a mix of humour, music, and thoughtful insights, all while fostering a sense of community and gratitude for your support!

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You can also write into us with your stories, comments and suggestions to: welcomesuzie@gmail.com

Michael:

Welcome to this week's episode of the Best Men Podcast. I'm Michael and I'm Sameer and if you found us, it means you're looking forward to sitting back and enjoying 30 minutes of two best friends taking the piss out of each other, debating life's big questions whilst ultimately learning how to become better men.

Sameer:

So sit back and enjoy this week's episode. Yo yo yo, welcome to the Pop-Pop Pod. Hello, how's it going? Good, good, Sameer, how you doing. I'm good. Thanks, man. How was your week?

Michael:

Very good, very good. It's been a couple of weeks since we've seen each other.

Sameer:

I know it's been far too long. Yeah, you've got some vibes going on today haven't you, what do you? Mean, I've got a t-shirt on that looks like I've been painting.

Michael:

Yeah, what is this? New Age, ibiza, renaissance, renaissance, midlife Crisis.

Sameer:

Ah yeah, yeah, exactly, mls.

Michael:

MLC. Sorry, MLC MLS. Anyway, it's been a while.

Sameer:

It has.

Michael:

What have you been up to? Pretty chilled.

Sameer:

Sounds boring.

Michael:

Yeah, it is Ask me. Ask me what I've been up to.

Sameer:

But before I get to what you're up to, there is one thing I will say is I didn't tell you this last night. I had to. He had an epiphany, I had to go out with 11 bankers to dinner.

Michael:

Oh my god, indian bankers. Can I just say the pod is going to get very boring and every week you end up going to dinner with some kind of financial institution but do you know where we went?

Sameer:

the bakery benihana oh, you went to benihana, we went to benihana, which I haven't been to in like I don't know since I was 12. And it was the most awkward thing that I've ever done in my life.

Michael:

So last night you went to Benihana. Last night I went to Benihana. You've obviously had a shower, because you don't smell Honestly.

Sameer:

So two weeks ago Dad went you need to book somewhere. This guy's leaving from the bank. We need to take him for dinner. Why don't you put Benihana? He wants to go Japanese. I went. Technically it's not Japanese, it's teppanyaki. But let's not get into the specifics. Where's teppanyaki from? I don't know. Is it from Japan? I have no idea. It's not Japanese, though it's teppanyaki.

Michael:

Wait, I think Japan have more than just sushi as a cuisine. Yeah, but it's mainly that we're going to go for fish and chips, but it's not really British. No, true, true, true.

Sameer:

But I don't think of. Okay, straight up Question to the pod Is teppanyaki cuisine the same as Japanese?

Michael:

Yes.

Sameer:

Okay, fine, so I booked it. We went and you know, last week you had Spits Top Tricks.

Michael:

Yeah.

Sameer:

Yeah, this week is Sam's top tricks. Okay, trick number one if you are ever meeting an indian for dinner, for drinks, never give them the real time never, ever give them the real time. Always have a buffer of at least half an hour to 45 minutes.

Michael:

We're waiting there for 45 minutes for them oh, my god, and trust me, the amount of time isn't the table like? Is it quite like a, like a? Aren't they quite precious about their time?

Sameer:

Very precious, very precious.

Michael:

So you get like an hour and 45 minutes Exactly, so you've already wasted 45 minutes.

Sameer:

So literally you've got to eat up twice the speed of a normal human.

Michael:

It's just hello, hello. How's everything going? Anyone who hasn't been to benihana's most people on the pod, most people.

Sameer:

What is benihana smith? So benihana is teppanyaki cuisine. What is teppanyaki? It's not japanese cuisine, but basically they cook it in front of you in like a live demo okay, and in what's the sort of person cooking the food?

Michael:

is it a chef? Is it a? Uh normally a japanese person, oh so japanese man cooking food?

Sameer:

yeah, I have an issue with this. There are no Japanese women cooking it. It's always Japanese men. Why is this? I don't know. It's a good point. Maybe they're at home looking after children. I was thinking about this. We need to have like a petition, we need to sign it, we need to get all of the pod people signing it and get more women chefs at Benihana.

Michael:

I think it's generally Japanese. The catering industry in the evenings tends to be men.

Sameer:

I think we need. I think we need to rise up, rise up Benny hire her yeah hashtag, benny, hire her.

Michael:

Yeah hashtag hire her hashtag.

Sameer:

Anyone listening hashtag Benny hire her. We need to get more female teppanyaki chefs with riz. Do you know what riz is? Is that like?

Michael:

do you know what? Riz is is that like, uh, like flair, yeah, yeah charisma, charisma, charisma.

Sameer:

So I'm swag, swag. I'm certain that in benihana's they invented riz fantastic.

Michael:

Thanks very much for listening everyone um join us next week to hear more about benny hires yeah, exactly how was your week? Tell me about it so this week, very exciting, I've been away. I've been traveling for work I've had I've had three days away from my family. It's been amazing hard work. Of course, I've been guess where I've been. Uh, where have you been?

Sameer:

barcelona very nice very nice.

Michael:

Did you say it like that when you went there? Because obviously you've got to say it in the accent of the locals, I did.

Sameer:

And do you know what Did you have? Paella, I did. You don't like paella, though Not always, so what are you talking about?

Michael:

Not always, but I was with others, so I had to pretend that I knew. Oh fine fine, fine, Just for giggles for shizz and rizz and giggles. I found out that I actually could speak a little bit of Spanish.

Sameer:

I didn't even know that you remembered it from your GCSE days.

Michael:

I remembered it, I remembered cuánto cuesta you know how much I remembered, I'd like to go to this place. Quisiera, vamos a ver.

Sameer:

Okay, did you actually say this when you were out there? I did.

Michael:

And I was with a guy who was 26, like a junior to me, and he's like, was you dating him?

Sameer:

no, my name's not philip scofield brilliant. Anyway, I went away to spain, to botolano, for three days and in, in, in in respect to my travels yeah uh, this week's theme I thought could be about travel, good, perfect, um, and that's the end of the film no, uh.

Michael:

So shall I tell you how my day started, and my journey started. Please had a taxi take me to the airport. Went to Stansted Airport, Nice Pretty quick, Nowhere to lie. From the minute the taxi driver got here I knew it was going to be a bad journey. I was bricking it from the moment I got in the car. I think I felt sick the moment I got in the car Really. Firstly, he pulled up into my drive. Okay, he actually parked next to my house, in in the window, not like okay on the road, like everyone, double parks yeah, he parked in the drive.

Michael:

His car was battered. He had a hole in the side of one of his doors. Oh my god, I thought to myself. This is a joke. Presumably this is like a local company no no, this is. This is a private hire high-end company. Wow, I don't know how this guy got away with it. Anyway, got in the car. No word of a lie. I didn't know if this guy knew how to drive or not. Okay, he was steering with his hand left and right like he was.

Sameer:

Having a seizure.

Michael:

No, it was a mix of Parkinson's seizure and he thought we were driving a boat. I thought to myself okay, just hold it together Because I live near the motorway.

Sameer:

Did you say this to him? Did you whisper in his ear from the?

Michael:

backseat. Just please hold it together. It gets worse. Right, I held it together until we got to the motorway. I thought right when we get to the motorway, it'll be okay. No word of a lie. He was accelerating and braking, accelerating and braking, and.

Sameer:

I was like where the hell?

Michael:

are you going? Where are you going? Anyway, eventually I had enough. I shouted at him.

Sameer:

What do you mean? What did you say? I was like boss because, you know, you never know the name of the taxi. Oh, you never know. Boss, boss, boss. Anyways, it turns out it's.

Michael:

Same with. Are you doing? Oh, I want to go in that lane. I said, no, you don't go in that lane to go in this motorway, you go in this lane. Oh yeah, sorry, I'm very tired today.

Sameer:

I'm very tired. That's exactly what you want to hear from your taxi driver.

Michael:

This also isn't the okay, because I'm not in a rush to get my flight and I don't have checks in bags yeah, no, you probably left seven hours early oh okay, I thought because you had a flight to airport we had to get there really quickly. Long so short. Asked him where he's from, he said Enfield, oh okay.

Michael:

Mahmoud was clearly not born in Enfield yeah, yeah then it transpires he's from amsterdam. Again, makhmud doesn't look like he's from amsterdam okay then it transpires he's actually from saudi arabia. Okay, then it transpires. Actually, I wasn't really born in saudi arabia.

Sameer:

I was born in ethiopia can I just say makhmud sounds like he's lived in every country in the world.

Michael:

Sounds like a big mac liar. That's what makhmud sounds like, mclire. Anyway he was telling. Maybe he was just scared that you were gonna like deport in every country in the world Sounds like a big Mac liar.

Sameer:

That's what.

Michael:

Mac Mood sounds like Mac liar. Anyway, he was telling me.

Sameer:

Maybe he was just scared that you were going to like deport him.

Michael:

He was telling me that he regularly drives from London to Amsterdam. I thought you were going to say Saudi and he says yeah, for sure, no problem, I do six drives like this. There's no way you haven't had more accidents.

Sameer:

Yes, your door has a hole in it. That's why he's got a hole in his door, because, you know, he's basically been shelled.

Michael:

Honestly, it was getting from bad to worse. I was so thankful. How do you pick these people? When I got out of the car, take like five minutes to stop, like just compose ourselves. We got into the airport. You know we did pass a drop off. Yeah, I literally said here's fine, as soon as we got in and he's like no, no, no, I'll take you to the runway. I'll take you closer to the doors, like no, no, no, he's fine. Please, please I'm not in a rush please, absolutely absolutely fine, absolutely fine.

Michael:

Honestly, I've never thought I was gonna hurl more in my life than in this car wow and that was the beginning of a flight. Wow, this is, this is the pre-flight. And then, when I was on the flight, guess what? Sitting in the row number one, makhmud. That would have been the biggest twist that would have been amazing.

Sameer:

Hey, I'm going back to saudi brother. What are?

Michael:

you doing this flight to saudi? No, it's a flight to barcelona uh, I was sitting in row number one. Okay, guess who's sitting next to me. I don't know who's sitting next to you. An influencer.

Sameer:

Really yeah. How do you know? Well, as in did you recognize them.

Michael:

No, or did they have their phone out and stuff? Actually, he did look familiar.

Sameer:

We should do a shout out on the pod to them. Maybe they'll follow us, maybe.

Michael:

He did look familiar firstly, I had no idea who he is, but then he started doing his video editing next to me, which I couldn't help but see.

Sameer:

Nice.

Michael:

Slash watch.

Sameer:

Who are you allowed to say who it is? I can, yeah.

Michael:

It's not someone you're going to know, just FYI. Okay, fine, so I'll just pretend to be surprised. His name is Johnny Montero. No way montero, no way johnny mon. You were next to johnny montero. Yeah, fucking hell, he's got bright red hair and he's a famous influencer for being able to dance on roller skates okay, cool, and he's ripped as well.

Sameer:

All right, I mean fine, good, good, well done, johnny honestly, I guess, if you, can dance on roller skates. You've got to have a wicked core.

Michael:

The guy is amazing like I was watching him edit his videos. At one point he was rollerblade. He was roller skating on the plane, on the plane. I was watching him the video of him roller skating while he was being pulled by a dog like a husky. What do you mean pulled by a dog? He had his dog his husky on a lead and the dog was running with him it was unreal.

Sameer:

Wow. So is everything sort of rollerblading skating related? What for johnny?

Michael:

for johnny, johnny was in montana, montana, montana I googled johnny skateboard skater and then all the sudden seeking skater came up and he was like wow 40 000 followers. Geez shout out to johnny montero.

Sameer:

Let Just call him Johnny M. Johnny. Well, we've already said his name Johnny M, congratulations.

Michael:

So yeah, traveling. So what? So you're the worst taxi journey I've ever had? Go on, tell me. Alex and I got a cab to the worst airport, london Gatwick.

Sameer:

OK, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Michael:

Early morning, yeah, and looked at the taxi driver on the motorway at six in the morning, fully, fully playing Candy Crush on his phone while he's driving.

Sameer:

Or is he driving like a Tesla that can drive?

Michael:

itself. No, he was driving a Mercedes that can't drive itself. This guy was fully playing a game on his phone.

Sameer:

How? In one hand and then with it on the other?

Michael:

He had the phone on a stand in a wow and he was doing this like with his finger just constantly touching the screen, wow I had a panic attack. I said I'm not like nudge alex so good is that, alex? I need you to see what's going on.

Sameer:

Yeah, he's about to complete candy crush, I said, alex, I'm you to see what's going on yeah, he's about to complete candy crush.

Michael:

I said, alex, I'm worried we won't make it through this car journey properly just playing on his phone. I could not believe it.

Sameer:

I could not believe that's so I have a similar one in sri lanka. We got in a cab very, very early it must have been like two or three in the morning and the guy was fucking out of it like his eyes were like. I looked at him and you know when you look at something like, oh, I'm falling asleep just looking at this dude just looking at it.

Sameer:

I was like you know, when someone yawns, you have to yawn. I was like fuck, his eyes are making my eyes tired. So he sat in the front and he didn't say a word and I thought we're not going to make it through this. And he basically bought like a minivan to get me and Gidji. So there was like 10 extra seats in this minivan and I was like something's not right.

Michael:

Did you just lie down? We're in the second row. Maybe that's his house.

Sameer:

We're in the second row and he's driving and we're sleeping in the back, fully me, and Gidji are sleeping. And then I was just like shuddered awake and I saw this guy, literally, and I saw this guy literally. I was looking forward straight through, looking at the motorway and he's swaying from one lane like the right lane. He fell asleep he was fully asleep and I said boss, boss, boss, you're asleep. He's like no, no, no, no, I'm not, I'm just dozing, I'm snoozing, I'm telling you now.

Sameer:

I just saw you drifting into that lane. Can you please wake up, please, please? He did it again and I said to good you. I said put your fucking belt on and and wrap up tight like put like brace, brace.

Michael:

Yeah, honestly, I was like wrap up tight, I'm really worried that it's cold. Yeah, wrap up tight, wrap the belt around you and hold it hold this belt tight to your chest because, honestly, it was not. I mean I don't know how you did that journey, all those journeys that sounds like a. I know it's your honeymoon I.

Sameer:

I misjudged it, but it's a horrific trust. Do you know the irony? You?

Michael:

know, only we were going to do that honeymoon and it's sri lanka. We nearly booked sri lanka, other than the fact that she got unwell and then we were scared there were no, there wasn't adequate health care in the country yeah yeah, we nearly booked shankar, and we did. We were looking at all the tea plantations, the elephants, the temples. It sounds like a nightmare holiday. Holidays from hell.

Sameer:

I just didn't realize how huge Sri Lanka is. It's fucking massive. So it took us like 10, 11 hours to get there. Long flight. Like me and my wife probably. I mean I'm a bit of a better flyer, but she's not. She doesn't like long haul flights, so it was a long, long flight. Got there, Landed Long, long, long, long, long long. That was the name of the guy at.

Michael:

Benihana's Long, long ways.

Sameer:

Yeah, and so we landed and we met this guy Cab, really nice guy, I can't even remember his name Abdul.

Michael:

This is the driver that you started texting when you were in UK.

Sameer:

yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, we still keep in touch no, you don't yeah, yeah, yeah, he's got like a. He's building a hotel.

Michael:

I don't know if this is true or not yeah, I don't know if this is true.

Sameer:

He said he's building a hotel. I don't know what he's doing. Um, anyway, we got there, got in his cabin. I was like, oh yeah, really looking forward to the first place. Uh, I went, oh, he's like an hour or two away. I checked on google maps.

Michael:

He's like, sir, it's four hours away oh my god, and I was four hours in his driving.

Sameer:

I was like local driving no because we landed and there was like a coup.

Michael:

Oh, my god against the government on those films where it all goes wrong honestly like they.

Sameer:

They raided, like the presidential palace. There was a fuel crisis and he's like. Normally it would take three hours, but I have to stop and get a jerry can for my car oh, my day, and I was like four hours. So, and it was every journey was four hours, four hours, four hours, four hours. I was by the end of it. I was like I've just made a huge mistake booking sri lanka beautiful place.

Michael:

Yeah, lovely people, and you know you get. You get ratty when you're tired it's just car I mean, what did you do like we sleep?

Sameer:

like what do you do you? You sleep you stop off, you take a couple pictures of a waterfall, you go back to sleep. That's basically. It was that the holiday yeah, that was it the best thing for me was like I like spicy food and. I don't know if anyone's had Sri Lankan food. It's even like chillier than. Indian food. But the thing is is they have this for breakfast.

Michael:

I'm not burning, after all that chili Mate.

Sameer:

I loved it, it was great. And think about it. We're going on a fucking four-hour journey and I'm talking to him like dude. I think I need the toilet pretty soon, to be honest. So like 15 times on this journey, I'm just like shitting myself to sleep and Gudji's just looking at me being like what the fuck is. Why did you have?

Michael:

the spiciest curry for breakfast. She, she by the way yogurt. Honestly, I think she must have detoxed for like 10 days because she's clever, but your wife's from far more intelligent news she is.

Sameer:

But I don't like if I'm going to a country I'll just eat whatever, like street food, curries, whatever, it doesn't matter.

Michael:

So you know what? You never really told me much about your honeymoon. Uh, I remember you just messaging me going. It's not gone.

Sameer:

Well, I'll tell you the highlights right number one never, ever, ever tip number two sam's tip. Number two tips you're going to sri lanka, do not stay in the tea plantations area do not stay there.

Michael:

Do not stay there why?

Sameer:

this was my error, okay I love it was.

Michael:

I love this is vindication. I can't wait for your wife to come on this episode.

Sameer:

Honestly, we like, of all the places in Sri Lanka, this is the one I was looking forward to the most. The hotel was amazing. It was perched on these like these beautiful like like on the edge of a forest, like. It looked amazing, right. So we traveled for six hours in the car, so longer than normal. We got there it was like midnight 1 am and we got a little like um golf buggy to our room. I was like oh this is really cool, beautiful room.

Michael:

I immediately I knew there was a problem because we why we got a golf buggy was no, we got into the room and there was netting around the bed. Okay, isn't that normal? No, mosquito nets.

Sameer:

Nowhere else in Sri Lanka had I seen like thick netting around the bed. I was like what, like a?

Michael:

I mean like See-through netting or like a shroud.

Sameer:

Like a shroud.

Michael:

Oh God it's like impenetrable. And I was like this is not normal.

Sameer:

This is what I was thinking.

Michael:

Why do you need this? Why do you need this?

Sameer:

Sat on the bed exhausted and immediately thwack right on my neck what I felt something heavy hit me Was it Abdul. I was looking around and I saw, honestly, like a golf ball-sized flying wasp or bug.

Sameer:

I was like, I was like Googie get the fuck on the bed, wrap the shroud around us. Wrap it around us like an invisibility cloak, like harry potter, put it around you. We got there and basically we were sitting down, sit down. And she said, oh, you know, a bit peckish let me. Let me just call up, get some room service. I opened the phone. She looks out of the shroud up at the ceiling, sounds like a horror film up at the ceiling.

Sameer:

This sounds like a horror film up at the ceiling and there's a little perch, there's like a little perimeter and. I fucking shit you not. There is probably a lizard the size of my leg look at my leg my leg is in front of you, that size on the fucking perch of the ceiling and I looked at her and I went what are you doing? I went holy fuck, where the hell are we? And she looked at me and she went.

Michael:

I can't stay here.

Sameer:

I wouldn't be able to stay here and I said to her like in my panic, I was like where do we go? We're in a forest phone number phone number. We're in a forest. We're six hours away from the closest fucking village go. And she was like I can't sleep and I was like listen, if I can get them to remove the lizards, will you be okay sleeping?

Sameer:

in this room and I've never seen panic like this in a rise. She was like I, I don't think I'm gonna sleep tonight. So my first thing was is I, I fuck, fuck the room service I called up right the manager and I went. I'm really sorry that lizard was your room service on its neck is like a donut or something. And I called. I was like I'm really really sorry. Uh, this is going to sound like I'm just like being a real like about things.

Michael:

No one told me that in the middle, yeah in the middle.

Sameer:

I know we're in a forest, but I didn't realize that there would be all these bugs. Can you just like get rid of them, like somehow? And he was like so I can get rid of them, but they'll come back, and that scared me a lot and I was like so is this because you were like you weren't in a building? No, we're just surrounded by forest in a hut in a hut surrounded by forest this sounds terrible.

Michael:

You need to take a buggy to every like it sounds like a sleep in the morning the lizard's gonna come.

Sameer:

I will wake up, I will go to the toilet, maybe in the night, even after my curry I will go to the toilet and there's a sunken bath and I will look in there, or I will look in the sink and there'll be a fucking lizard and I will shit myself I will shit myself.

Michael:

There must have been a review on nowhere, dude, nowhere and nice place, but a couple of actual visits this is anywhere.

Sameer:

So I, I, literally I, I left her. I said, look, come with me, we left all of our stuff I can't.

Michael:

We took a buggy.

Sameer:

We went to reception. We sat there and I said find me somewhere else please. I will forego the cost of this, but just find me anywhere else. And he was like sir, you are in the middle of a tea plantation. Every hotel is like this. So this poor guy was calling up all these hotels. There was a brand new one. And he said I found you a room and they've assured me.

Sameer:

Only small lizards in this room. They've assured me. They've checked the room. There are no bugs, there are no lizards. You can go there. Fortunately found this place went there. It is the shittest room I have ever stayed in in my entire life the lizard room. I mean there were no lizards, but this room was basically clay it was made of fucking, it was like made.

Michael:

Sounds like this, sounds like the dream tourist trap.

Sameer:

It was made of mud. I went into this room and I was like this is not a permanent structure and we sat there, there was, there was no people to welcome us in. It was like a mat with a key underneath. There's no people there. At two in the morning we went to sleep. We woke up, shit. You know like seven and I was like abdul, get this car, now we're going to the next place, um I've never heard that story about.

Michael:

I've never heard the story about the lizard. I went because, you know, in cyprus we there's lizards everywhere, yeah, but the lizards are small.

Sameer:

They're like this big yeah yeah, yeah, I say this.

Michael:

it's less than the size of your hand.

Sameer:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and they're not scary, and you kind of shoo them and they run off. Yeah, but not like something that looks like a Komodo dragon?

Michael:

Was it more of an iguana than an lizard? Yeah, yeah basically was huge it was like a spiky beard and yeah, it looked like eddie izzard eddie lizard. Eddie is not, has riz for sure yeah, he has riz for sure.

Sameer:

In fact, he used to work at benny hardest.

Michael:

So so my question to you is when you go when you went on your honeymoon.

Sameer:

Yes, uh, keep it clean yes, did you play any games All this journeys?

Michael:

traveling.

Sameer:

Not really. I mean, we played like when we got to like the hotels and stuff. We played like card games and stuff.

Michael:

What games did you play? Did you play like?

Sameer:

do you have Indian games? Yes, do we have Indian games? Rummy have you had a rummy? Yeah, I've had a rummy, no we didn't play rummy, or tinpatti is another one Three card poker.

Michael:

Who's more competitive, you or your wife? Probably me, really.

Sameer:

Probably me, yeah.

Michael:

Well, I think I'm quite competitive.

Sameer:

Would you say, I'm competitive.

Michael:

Smith, yeah, I'd say you're quite competitive. Well, in light of the competitiveness spontaneity, I've got a game for you tonight. Okay, it's a music game, okay, nice. So I'd kindly ask you not to look at my screen as I start to play the music. Okay, Very simply put, it's a very quick game we'll have and it's going to consist of some music, some tunes and you have to guess what the tune is okay, do I have to guess the name of the tune or the singer?

Sameer:

um?

Michael:

I mean, you'd get more best man, best pod points. If you can get all the name, the name of the song, okay, uh, if you can sing it, you'll get a point. Oh, okay, fine. Um, and if you genuinely Don't have a clue, you will lose a point. Okay, fine. Okay, if you can get to five yes, you get a prize. Okay, are you ready for this? Yes, so I don't have a name for this Game. This is just called Spitz Quiz. Okay, go on.

Sameer:

You like that, don't you? Just so you know, that's.

Michael:

Beethoven. That's not the question. That's the theme music to Spitz Quiz.

Sameer:

Oh nice, yeah, I thought you'd like that.

Michael:

I do like it.

Sameer:

Thank God, I didn't have to guess that one.

Michael:

So the first classical song I'd like you to listen to. It's classical, yes, son.

Sameer:

Oh my God, Dude, how am I going to guess? This Did you not get?

Michael:

that when I played Beethoven.

Sameer:

No, yes, son. Oh my God, dude, how am I going to guess this? Did you not get that when I played Beethoven? No, I just thought it was like classy music.

Michael:

I'm not going to get any of these Benetton. Okay, are you ready? So they are classical covers of pop songs.

Sameer:

Okay, fine, all right, that's a bit better. Fine, are you ready for this one?

Michael:

Yes, hang on, that's all you get what I need a bit. Ariana Grande. Oh, that's one point, yeah okay and the name of the song oh, thank you.

Sameer:

Next, obviously half a not getting, you're getting one.

Michael:

So that's the first one.

Sameer:

Very good yes, thank you, thank you, thank you all right, you ready for your second question?

Michael:

yes, okay, this is one of your favorite bands, so you should get this coming to me tell you I'm sorry come on, it's a cold play, correct that's one point.

Sameer:

Yes, and the name of the song uh, coming to meet you tell you yellow oh no, uh, this is incorrect I take your first answer, son the scientist oh, that's a great song, yeah, okay, fine, so what am I on one, still two points, okay, if we average one, you'll get a prize.

Michael:

Yeah, okay, fine, good, uh, all right, so you got two so far, my favorite song this is your favorite it's my favorite, well, one of my favorite songs when Okay, fine, good, all right, so you've got two so far, my favourite song. This is your favourite. This is my favourite, well, one of my favourite songs. When you hear this song, you cannot help but sing along. Okay.

Sameer:

Are you ready for this?

Michael:

Yes, yes I need a bit more. That's what you're getting.

Sameer:

Do you?

Michael:

want to spend a point to see if you can get a bit more time. Yes, please, all right, so you had to. No, no, no, I don't want to spend a point. No, you said I took your first answer. No, no, no, I don't want to spend a point. You took your first answer Pass, pass, no, no, no, I'm passing this song.

Sameer:

Answer no. No, I don't want to pass, I'm passing the song. So you're saying you don't know, so you're gonna lose a point? No, I don't lose a point because I haven't guessed anything wrong, you? No, you don't gain a point. I don't gain a point, so so you're on.

Michael:

You were on two, now you're down to one.

Sameer:

You should no, no, no, I'd stay on two.

Michael:

I think I think you should gamble, I think you should spend the point you hear a little bit more of the song, it's probably gonna tell you what the song is we've got to lose nothing apart from a point that's all you're getting. That was all your point got you despacito oh you got your point back and it's Lewis.

Sameer:

Fonzie and Justin Bieber.

Michael:

Oh my goodness, it was a gamble. It was a gamble. We're not happy.

Sameer:

Yes, okay, fine, great, all right, nice, I'm quite happy I gambled. Then what am I on Three or four? You're on three. Well done, all right, thank you. I'll give you another. No, I should get two points for that, minus one. You're on one, you've got two.

Michael:

Now you've got three. We need someone to keep score. Okay, fine, all right, okay, so for the audience, you're on three points.

Sameer:

Yes, okay.

Michael:

Yeah, got to get to five to get prize. Yes, okay, we've only got one question left. Oh, oh, here we go. I'll let you play. I'll play a little bit extra. Just give me more of a chance to kind of get your full prize.

Sameer:

okay, gosh, gosh Na na na na Do, do, do, do. I don't know this song.

Michael:

Come on, I don't know this song, I don't know who sings it, I don't know what the song is. You disgust me.

Sameer:

Hang on. Goddamn Shoop, do do do, do, do, God damn, I don't know this song. I actually don't know this song. It was going so well for you son, it was going so well.

Michael:

That was the amazing One in a million, mariah Carey.

Sameer:

I would never have got that. I would never have got that. I would never have got it. Three out of five. It's not bad.

Michael:

Yeah, yeah.

Sameer:

Okay, good.

Michael:

Unlucky, oh well there we go.

Sameer:

Hang on, just humor me. What was the price? I'm not going to tell you why. Next time we play, okay, fine, it'll be a rollover. Oh, okay fine.

Michael:

Very good, very good very good For Riz and Giggles. Riz and Giggles. I also found this version, which those of you who are dedicated to the pod, yes, those of you who have been with us through this journey so far- yes um, who have, dare I say, traveled this journey with us exactly um. This is a gift for you.

Sameer:

This is you sound like your own fucking magic.

Michael:

This is joe esposito, the best cover. And remember when life gets you down, be the best. So yeah, that's the end of Spitz Quiz.

Sameer:

Very, good, did you like that I?

Michael:

did like that. That was good. I thought you would do worse, so you've impressed me, thank you.

Sameer:

You know what I thought I was going to do. Worse as well. I'm surprised. Which one did I lose my, my points for? I shouldn't have lost points then uh, I wouldn't want ariana grande.

Michael:

You couldn't work out. And the scientist, that's a. That's a failure. You love coldplay? I love coldplay. That was just that was.

Sameer:

But you know what? I never know the name of coldplay songs. I know them, I know the lyrics, just don't know the names what's that song?

Michael:

Wires, who sings that Coldplay? Athlete, athlete is it Athlete?

Sameer:

yes, I think it is Athlete. You've got wires.

Michael:

Yeah, yeah, yeah coming in, wires coming out. That's actually not the right song. It's. You know what?

Sameer:

that's the lyrics you've got wires coming in.

Michael:

That's the lyrics.

Sameer:

It's a wonderful world life, it's a wonder and it's not a wonderful life because this person's got wires coming in and wires coming out, hey man, if you're living that's brilliant. That should be the next um, that should be the next quiz where you take the lyrics of one song but you play it to the beat of another. If this doesn't work out, maybe we should do covers, maybe we should be like a wedding singer band. That would be fun.

Michael:

Yeah, what would your role be in the wedding singer band Would?

Sameer:

you sing Lights Acoustics.

Michael:

Lights Great, great to hear You're in charge of the lights.

Sameer:

What would you do? You wouldn't be the singer.

Michael:

There's no way, I'm a better singer than you. I'd be the MC. You'd be the MC. Yeah, musical coordinator Right To whom?

Sameer:

Because there'd be no one singing.

Michael:

You, idiot, not me or you, no, I'd do the introductions. And, ladies and gentlemen, to what Introductions? It's my pleasure to introduce you to the new.

Sameer:

It's my pleasure to introduce you To no singer.

Michael:

I have to say, though, the the master Of whatever it is bait.

Sameer:

Is it mc, is it? The master mc yeah, master of ceremonies, yeah, yeah, yeah, mc they have the easiest job.

Michael:

I think I should do that job. I don't think it's that easier job. I'd love that. I'd live for that job. I would live for that. Look, let me give you, let me question to pod do you think I could do this job ready? Who am I going to introduce? Um michael jackson you see, we do stuff like that. I can like that. I can't even play along.

Sameer:

Please, please, just introduce Michael Jackson, as though he's going to be the wedding singer for a wedding.

Michael:

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce you to the world-renowned Michael Jackson. Please make your applause for Michael Jackson.

Sameer:

Kids leave the room.

Michael:

Oh God, it's not Hugh Edwards, oh man. But yeah, I think playlists they make the journey go.

Sameer:

But travel is really important. What was your playlist for Barcelona, then? I'm sure you're all good. I'm glad that I played a good role for your trip to Barcelona, but that wasn't a pledge that for your trip to barcelona, but that wasn't a pledge, that wasn't like.

Michael:

I'm going to go and enjoy myself.

Sameer:

I mean I didn't drop myself, I bet you did it wasn't.

Michael:

Uh, it was work, so I didn't have a playlist. Did you have any time?

Sameer:

to have fun out there yeah massively okay, give me what was the? What were the top highlights for you from your trip to barcelona? We went to the timeout market in barcelona oh, very nice what's the timeout market in barcelona uh, so it's a timeout, yeah the timeout magazine. Yeah, they're famous for the food and they choose certain destinations and cities and effectively it's like curb or like um, Fine, fine fine Food was amazing. Really.

Michael:

Food was fantastic. I had loads of stuff to eat.

Sameer:

Including paella.

Michael:

My expenses were a lot. Did you expense it all? Yeah, of course, decent.

Sameer:

That's right, isn't?

Michael:

it. I had octopus, I had squid, I had lamb.

Sameer:

What's the difference?

Michael:

What's the difference?

Sameer:

Between octopus and squid.

Michael:

Yeah, what the what's the flavor no, what's the difference between them?

Sameer:

I'm not too sure. I think one is a mollusk. Question to the pod is the difference between an octopus and which one is a mollusk? I?

Michael:

don't know. One is a, one is. I love this.

Sameer:

I knew for a fact, I knew for a fact, you didn't know and I I had to push you because I could see your face here no, I don't, but I'm asking you because you're the king of food.

Michael:

I know they're different. I know that please write in.

Sameer:

Write into us. What is the difference between an?

Michael:

octopus and a squid.

Sameer:

I'm sure that there's like a one is a pod no, we're on the pod to pod, we're on the pod the octopus doesn't host a podcast octopod spin-off next year.

Michael:

Uh, featuring squid. Eight things you want to learn about spain octopod. Not bad, that's quite a good idea, it's a travel pod.

Sameer:

I hope no one is listening, because then we can still use that as an idea. Octopod just eight things just eight things.

Michael:

Well, it's got to be things about something. No, obviously eight things about x. Octopod is a great name for a podcast yeah, it is a great name, but anyway, I think I think travel's super important. It's very stressful, for sure, if you think about the act of traveling yeah small travel. Go to work, right. Yeah, you gotta make sure you've got your keys, your wallet, your bag. Everything's charged right. Yeah yeah, level of preparation out of 10 for going to work Three out of 10?

Sameer:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not really taxing.

Michael:

Level of preparation if you go for a weekend away. Six out of 10, I'd say.

Sameer:

Yeah, yeah.

Michael:

Okay, what was. Barcelona. So for me barcelona is pretty much nine out of ten. I'd say really yeah, because it was work. It was work. I have to get my work stuff ready this is what I'm trying to say.

Sameer:

Did it require more preparation than if you were just going to barcelona for pleasure of?

Michael:

course. My point is travel requires preparation yes and it's it. It positively correlates the amount of preparation you have to do. It directly links to the amount of travel you're doing.

Sameer:

So when you went on your honeymoon, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. When you went on your honeymoon, shit, loads of prep, 10 out of 10. And you still end up with Lizard in the room. Lizard in the room. There are some things you can't control. There are some things you can't control.

Michael:

There are some things you can't prep for, but I think that the act of preparing for a journey, yeah. We will give more attention.

Sameer:

Yeah.

Michael:

To that journey than we will with most of our life.

Sameer:

Why you think we give more attention to preparing to travel, yes, than we do on our day-to-day life yes, why do we give ourselves? Yeah the.

Michael:

Why do we give ourselves the the scope? Yeah freedom, yeah. And the preparation to say, right, I'm going to do travel, I'm going to do this thing. I will then need to allow time to prepare for it. We are mentally going through something which says, right, I am now ready to do this yeah, I think that's your perception, because not everyone prepares when they travel. You just said you prepare for your honeymoon.

Sameer:

Me and you are similar that way, though I think there are some people who are so spontaneous that they would basically just go travel and they don't prep anything. I guess you know what. Here's another thing if there's a positive correlation between the amount of time that you go traveling for at some point that diminishes.

Michael:

If you're going away for two months, you can't prep the whole two months, right oh, I've never thought of that right or three months, or four months or six months if someone has never been away for three months, one month, six months, maybe I've been away for a month and that was the longest I think I've ever been away for.

Sameer:

But there are plenty of people that go traveling for a long time. I don't think they prep the whole six months.

Michael:

My question to the pod is this do you prepare subsequently adequately when you go on holiday, when you go on travel? Yeah, whatever it may be, the answer I would guess for the pod people out there is yes.

Sameer:

Yeah.

Michael:

But why, as people? Maybe men, I don't know but why, as people, benihana? Why, as people, do we give so much attention and mentally prepare for a journey where we don't think about our day as a journey, because we should give ourselves the same amount of allowance?

Sameer:

Yeah.

Michael:

As we do for a holiday, as a journey, as a travel.

Sameer:

You know what For me? I can only answer from my perspective. The reason and I agree I probably do put more time and effort into planning a holiday than day-to-day life is because I want to maximize that experience. For me it almost becomes an escape from reality, from life, from the day-to-day that I want it to be not as perfect as possible, but I want to extract as much value and joy as I can, and for me to do that I need to prepare and I need to make sure that that's something that we can do on holiday, whereas I don't do that in my day-to-day life because it's just day-to-day life. But that's why I think we've gone wrong, because why should we can do on holiday, whereas I don't do that in my day-to-day life because it's just day-to-day life.

Michael:

But that's where I think we've gone wrong, because why should we only do it and maximize life for the moments that we go away?

Sameer:

Yeah.

Michael:

For the moments that we do something. Yeah, because life isn't about all of those moments. It's not the quantity of moments, it's the moments that take your breath away. Why is it we don't do it? Which which rom-com did you get that?

Sameer:

from. There's definitely a rom-com where you've got that from. It's not. What did you just say? Say it again for everyone who did.

Michael:

You didn't hear it what did you just say? You just ruined the pod for me. No, no, you ruined this. What did you?

Sameer:

just say you said I know it's a deep and meaningful moment, as we always try and do at the end of the podcast for our listeners to leave them with.

Michael:

We do, if your mental health more than anything. That's true, but tell me, what did you just say? It's not. It's not. Live is not about the amount of moments and breaths you take. It's about the moments that take your breath away yes, yes, yes I agree, and it's from the thank you very much, susan surrounded why am?

Sameer:

I susan welcome susie, welcome susie welcome, susie. I'm not susan sarandon um no, I I agree with you though if you want to know the question to your answer.

Michael:

The answer to your question yes, hitch, hitch. Oh, it is, it was will smith. Yes, those avid listeners out there that is oh, you should have.

Sameer:

You should have held that as a pod question. Where is my quote from?

Michael:

anyway, on that note, what I want to say is thank you so much for listening so far. Um tell us about your travel, um, let us know about anything you've been doing, whether it be a taxi journey, holiday. Remember the email address to write into us is welcome, suzy, at gmailcom, samir. Any else to add from you?

Sameer:

no, not really. Thanks. Very much for much for listening, and you can get this drivel next week as well, if you're interested in listening.

Michael:

Thank you once again. Remember, don't forget to click, like all that good stuff, subscribe, send us a message, send us something you're interested in and remember, when life gets you down, be the best.