This One Time | Comedy, Travel & Relationship Advice From Shevo

My drunken exploits from last week are the main cause of the title of this episode. I finished TBEX off in my classic style, which means the FAM trip to Palawan started on a low note. But a typical one, unfortunately. Well, for me. You probably found it funny. I’m happy to be a cautionary tale to you all. Mad props to Sheila’s sister wives Tammilee, Jeanette, and Steph for taking care of me. She was more than happy to let her counterparts shoulder some of the burden of my man-flu symptoms. I still blame the Irish. Through my self-induced hazy eyes, one thing about Palawan stood out: It is incredibly clean. Not a lick of trash to be seen, anywhere. Like all places, Palawan has anti-littering laws. But here, they are not to be trifled with. Or perhaps to be more precise, it’s the enforcement of the law that matters. If you know anything about current international politics, you don’t want to break the law in the Philippines. Things got better the first night when we stopped for a goodly amount of time at Palawe

Out of all the natural disasters we’ve survived (fire, flood, earthquake, tornado…) coming through unscathed through a typhoon in The Philippines was of the more mild. Though it did lead us to some really stupid choices. I’m pretty sure the “l” in Manila is silent. We recorded this episode of our travel comedy podcast at the tail-end of a 14-day trip to The Philippines. We had many experiences worth of sharing, most of which we’ve shoved into this episode. Listen in as Evo tries to talk about the lovely island of Palawan. But Sheila won’t let him. You’ve probably heard about the terrible traffic in Manila. It’s every bit as bad as people say, so prepare yourself. If you can, we highly recommend taking a Jeepney as part of your public transportation. Not because these stretched Jeeps decked with more chrome than any cholo’s hoopty in L.A. are faster than walking, mind you. But it’s hot out there, and you need to experience some local color. Because of the traffic and the typhoon, we didn’t get out all that muc

We dedicate this show to the passing of His Royal Highness King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Just a few days after arriving in Manila from Bangkok, we learned of the death of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej. As residents of Thailand, we felt obliged to respect the people of our adopted homeland. So rather than the funny travel stories, this episode tells you a little more about just why this man was genuinely loved by the overwhelming majority of his subjects. We’re keeping apprised of the situation back in Thailand and will return with our regular comedy-travel format next week. Music for our show is graciously provided by the fantastic band Velella Velella.  

In celebration of what will soon be our 20th country visited, we’re taking a break from Thailand-based stories this week and going with a tale before we were seasoned travel veterans. For our 25th wedding anniversary (yes, we have put up with each other for more than a quarter of a century), we spent an incredible 17 days in The Dominican Republic. While most of our time was spent in the lap of resort luxury, we did manage to get out and enjoy some local flavor. (Note: Food in the DR is pretty bland. So that flavor was mostly beer. Which was also bland. But it was a pathogen-free water source, so we imbibed. A lot.) This isn’t the story about the finest cigars Evo’s ever smoked. This isn’t the story of the few dozen fantastic friends and family that joined us on the getaway (although that was amazingly awesome). This isn’t even the story of a bloody bathroom (though that one is awesome in some people’s opinion). No, this is a story about Evo doing something really, really stupid on the final day of the trip t

Living in the tropics, you’d think sunglasses would be a way of life for the citizens of Bangkok. You’d be wrong. Yes, the sun is rather intense all the time, but sunglasses, while far from uncommon, certainly aren’t all that important to most people, with two possible exceptions: high-society young fashionistas who own dozens of pairs, and international criminals who claim to have light sensitivity. But we know they really just want to hide their true identity from Thai officials. As we told you next month we’re sending postcards from the Philippines to all our patrons. If you’ve not yet signed up, do so today and get on the list. The funding we get -- just a couple bucks per person -- keeps the show going every week. Music for our show is graciously provided by the fantastic band Velella Velella. They make killer tunes, and you should buy all of their stuff. It’s fabulous! Want more ShEvo in your life? Well… you’ve got options. Snapchat, Facebook, Flickr... those are just the beginning. Check out ShEvo.wtf

Why can’t Evo leave things alone? Call his inability to not poke the bear a character flaw if you want, but know that if he were more of a rule follower, you wouldn’t have as many funny stories to laugh at. Or wonder how, even when purposely screwing with the cops, he doesn’t get arrested. Come to think of it, he’s never been arrested. It’s not for lack of trying. We’d say more in the show notes, but that would be too easy to Google later for easy discovery. It’s bad enough we’re letting the audio go, as it’s clearly evidence. Take this week’s episode as an example (or another example) of what not to do when you live abroad. Unless you also can’t not poke the bear. Then have at it! While you’re wondering how he’s still a free man, check out the Goal Zero Venture 30, a nifty little powerpack we just received from our friends at TravelSmith. This fist-size power brick is waterproof and holds a charge for both our phones. Nifty! Next month we’re sending postcards from the Philippines to all our patrons. If you’

Before we start: Have you heard about Snapappen? It’s a kick-ass event that recognizes and features the best snapchatters, and it’s happening in just a few days in London. Even if you can’t go (we can’t), you’ll want to keep up with the fun, activities, and awards at Snaphappen.com. It looks like a great lineup! Getting through immigration/passport control is a necessary evil of travel. But passport control at the Kuala Lumpur airport is a special breed of evil of the unnecessary kind. Disaffected agents. Inadequate staffing. An inability to forecast needs from dozens of planes soon to arrive. Couple that with their half-assed usage of metal posts and nylon strips to funnel the crowd and you’re in for a long, frustrating experience that almost makes you want to burn your passport in protest. But that won’t help, because you’d be stuck in the worst immigration area on the planet. Forever. Left to our own devices, humans will impose a messy, organic layer of organization on top of chaos, making what should be a

Before we get started, I need to tell you about PodcastLaunch.pro. It’s not just some new podcasting service. It’s my new podcasting service. After a few months trying out my hand as a podcast consultant, I think I’m onto something. Let me know if I can help you. Or if you know someone who needs help. It’s not hard to find good food in Thailand. But to find the really great places, you need to eat with a local. Hands down the best way to do this is with a food tour by Taste of Thailand. We recently took their Tuk Tuk Urban Odyssey food tour, where we were shuttled around in style to the best hidden away places we never knew existed. The next time you come to town, you simply must book a tour with Taste of Thailand. And I’m not just saying that because they’ve comped us a couple of trips thus far. It’s great, and now we’ve got a bunch of new places to try right near our new place in Bangkok! And you’ll want a full belly to get through our featured story today. S. Bedford -- Sue, to her friends -- is our kind o

It’s not a matter of if but when you get in trouble for bending rules and exploiting loopholes. And that finally happened to me in Thailand. No, I didn’t get a speeding ticket or nabbed on a visa overstay. It’s that these people are a bit of a stickler when it comes to paperwork, and my shortcuts caught up to us on Sheila’s latest job change. While it’s not deportation-worthy, it’s serious enough that I had to make a run back up to the Department of Consular Affairs to get things straightened out. Bureaucrats are bad enough to deal with on a good day. But when you’ve been caught not playing by the rules? They let you live a slice of personal hell. So much that I decided to re-tell my experience with an audio play in three acts. Act One: Mrs. Doubtful You’ll Get The Translator Act Two: Choose Your Own Information Desk Adventure Act Three: Baelzebub Needs You To Come In On Saturday Aside from poetic licenses taken on accents and dialog, this play is a farcical but all-too-accurate representation of my day at Th

In case you missed the news, I’m going to be the opening keynote keynote speaker for TBEX Asia 2016! The conference takes place on October 15th and 16th in Manilla, Philippines. If you know someone who should attend, please pass along the link to registration. And if you’re going, please let me know!You’ll notice there isn’t a guest on the show again. We’re OK with that. Like I said last time, we’re not holding stories hostage until we get a guest lined up. In fact, my goal is to give you more than a single episode a week, because we’ve got a backload of stories. And why the hell shouldn’t we share them with you, right? Speaking of that…You may recall from the flurry of photos, silly Snapchats and other various missives that we took a week long vacation in early July to lovely Khao Lak, Thailand. We, along with our friends Eric and Amber from With Husband In Tow, were invited down by the J.W. Marriott Khao Lak to sample their hospitality, accommodations, and check out the surrounding area. Well… we did a lot

Our stay at the Niccolo Chengdu could not have been better. As far as we’re concerned, they set the bar so high for any other five-star experience. And we’re not just saying that because they picked up the tab! Bubble baths waiting for us at night. A tea service that included Earl Grape Iced Tea served in a wine chalice. Fantastic meals prepared by world class chefs. And some special treatment that include, among other things, our own personal driver to shuttle us to the Dujiangyan Panda Base some hour or so away from the city proper. But this wasn’t a zoo experience. Well, perhaps it was, but not one you get from walking around the zoo. Three of us in our party were volunteers at the base. Now before you get crazy notions of three people playing research assistant for the day, it’s not like anyone in our party had any special training. Hence, volunteers do things that anyone can do, leaving the staff of the base free to do things that require specialized skills. Yes, volunteers do get to actually feed the pa

When you travel the world, it’s not a question of if but when you’ll eat too much of something that doesn’t sit quite right with you. For Snapchat mogul Loren Murphy, that happened to him before he even started his globe hopping. And it’s rather surprising he’s still alive, as his sudden departure from a restaurant owned by the Korean mafia left them at an economic disadvantage. If we’ve learned one things from mafia movies, it’s that they like their money. All of it, please. Speaking of money: Did you hear that Sheila’s been in and out of the hospital for the last five days? The good news is that she received excellent care and is getting better. The bad news is that as good as the medical care is in Thailand, the insurance is every bit as bad. We’ll be lucky if they cover 10% of the costs incurred so far. But hey, health before money, and she’s getting great care. It’s just tapped us. Big time. If ever there were a need for you to become a patron, now’s the time. Anyone who signs up through the end of July

Life on the road is filled with perils. For full time travelers like us, some of those perils are due to Mongolian death worms taking up residence inside your intestines for a while until magic, science, or time push the odds back in your favor. For performers, they’re due to late-night trips with people who probably shouldn’t be driving. At least that’s what happened to our friend Grant Baciocco. Buses are a necessary evil when you’re part of a traveling troupe, and you don’t have the option of vetting those to whom you’re entrusting your life. And after listening to this story, you’ll wish you could! Speaking of odd things that happen when you travel, we had another chance meeting with a good friend and patron (you know you can become our patron, right?) when we were in Phuket. Meeting up with Justin was the fourth time our traveling friends have been close enough to our location for us to all get together. How cool is that? (And yes, Justin, you’re still getting your postcard!) Thanks as always to our fant

Before we get started, a moment to rave about the best little piece of technology we’ve discovered since traveling. It’s a VPN, which we didn’t really think we needed. Until we started this trip to China. Holy crap. It’s awesome. In all honesty, we’d planned using the 30-day no questions asked money back guarantee after we got back from China. Nope. It’s awesome. The links in the next paragraph? Some of them won’t work for us in Thailand. Unless we flip on the VPN. Then we get ‘em all! Welcome to the personal data revolution. Get this VPN today. You’ll love it. Now… what’s this week’s show about? Oh, right! We met funnyman and voice actor Hal Lublin over dinner in Philly almost a decade ago. (Thanks for picking up the tab and introducing us to your son, Bill!) If you don’t know the name, you’ll know the voice. Welcome to Nightvale. Thrilling Adventure Hour. Venture Brothers. Or the forthcoming Mighty Magiswords on Cartoon Network. Or maybe his own hilarious geek-fight podcast We Got This With Mark and Hal on

When it comes to adventure travel, India is an oft-mentioned destination. Even though the sub-continent is home to more than a billion people, there are still plenty of remote beaches, mountains, and jungles you can only get to by train. If you’re able to hold on. Our friend and self-identified Indian Sunny Thaper shares a story of returning to his homeland, where he was surrounded by family he didn’t know. One family, in particular, was a little less human than he’d hoped. Because… yeah. He had to beat off a monkey. Welcome back to India, Sunny. They missed you? India was, of course, colonized by the English, and the English have an unnatural and counterproductive mission of preserving something they call “real ale”. After six weeks living in England last year, we can categorically say that real ale is utter shite, especially when you compare it to the booming craft beer market in England. Not to get all political, but we think there’s a correlation between Brexit supporters and those who think warm, flat be

When Jeff Moriarty isn’t busy dragging traditional media into the present, he’s doing silly things -- very silly things -- in Phoenix, Arizona. Through Jeff’s tenaciousness, a team of willing “agents” routinely subject the citizenry of the desert Southwest to flash mobs and other tomfoolery. The story he shares in this episode comes from South By Southwest, a giant party in Austin, Texas that bills itself as a tech conference so attendees can expense five days of debauchery. Marketing powerhouse Jay Baer probably still regrets inviting Jeff to his book launch party. Because when a guitar worth a few grand is on the line, Jeff will do what it takes to win. Even if he can’t play a lick. Speaking of licking, we start the show with the story of Sheila’s attempted kidnapping by a prostitute. No, not of a prostitute. By one. Yeah. Only in Thailand. Luckily she was returned unharmed (or charged), which has allowed her to fall in love with her new tote from TravelSmith! RFID blocking, reversible… it’s the perfect ca

John Lenahan is a man of many talents. His primary gig is dazzling passengers on cruise ships with his magic shows. Yes, that’s his real job. As such, he’s traveling much of the time. In between, he’s a published author and has been known to do a stint on a comedy tour or two. John has lots of stories to share with us over the coming weeks, but the first one comes from Tenerife, on of the Canary Islands just off the coast of Africa, but owned by Spain. Actually, there are two stories of magic and travel, one about a reverse vanishing prostitute, and the other about the one trick that got away. Speaking of that, did you know that Sheila was almost detained for carrying contraband in her carryon bag? Ah, the things you learn about people when you travel. As you may know, Evo writes articles on behalf of our sponsor, TravelSmith. They recently published his story on the Yak Sant Tattoo Festival in Thailand… and it’s really, really good. So good, in fact, that they’ve asked him to submit it to some travel writin

George Hrab is the perfect combination of smart, talented, and funny. Sort of like a Nest thermostat crossed with Spotify that created incredibly ironic playlists and called out hypocrisy with abandon. Oh, and was a snappy dresser. Such a contraption would look a lot like George. Geo’s main gig is, well… gigging. As drummer for the Philadelphia Funk Authority, he travels a fair bit. All of those miles create plenty of opportunities for funny stories to develop, though one trip in particular left an indelible mark on Geo. If you’ve ever done something embarrassing at your job, you’ll feel a bit better after you hear how bad George boffed the evening. He’ll never forget it or live it down. For good reason. A huge thanks to TravelSmith for making sure Evo wear’s pants. No, seriously. Without their generosity, he’d be pantsless, as their 5-Pocket Flyaway pants are the only thing he’s covered his ass with for the last two months. Yes, he washes them. You do not want to be here on laundry day. And another shout-ou

Welcome to episode 30! Astute listeners will be aware of the historic relevance of that number for us. The rest of you will just want us to get on with it and tell you what’s happening on this week’s show. Speaking of that: We have two more stories on today’s show, one from Thailand and one from Korea: 1. Unpopular With The Thais Music credit: Upbeat Forever by Kevin MacLeod Something happened last Sunday. We’re not exactly sure what. Time rift? Demonic possession? Whatever it was, it caused the Thai people who live around us react to Evo as if he was a three-headed monster. Or someone to be dealt with very, very carefull. If not outright avoided. 2. Tattooing The Pickle Music credit: Finding The Balance by Kevin MacLeod Lots of travelers like to collect ink as a memento of their travels. Tattoos are no longer considered marks of gangsters, drug dealers, or ex cons. They are often true works of art, worn proudly and paid handsomely for. Contrary to what Evo’s grandmother thinks, they’re perfectly acceptable.

We just celebrated our 27th year anniversary, which apparently is a big thing. And even bigger considering we’ve spent the last 18 months hopping the globe together. And they said it wouldn’t last. But that’s not what we want to talk about. We have two more stories on today’s show, one from Thailand and one from Mexico: 1. Shopping For Support Music credit: Upbeat Forever by Kevin MacLeod Bangkok is a hotspot for shoppers. Yes, people take vacations to Bangkok just to go shopping. Which is nuts, but happens. For us, it means we’ve a wide range of options to choose from, though Evo’s stereotypical disdain of shopping keeps him out of most stores. He’s found one he likes, however. But that’s probably because he doesn’t need a sports bra. Yet. 2. Mexico By Motorhome Music credit: Party Complex by Kevin MacLeod Talk about your epic family road trip. Paul Kortman’s family of six -- plus dogs! -- lives the location independence lifestyle via a motorhome. When he’s not helping others lead a similar life, he’s battli