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Welcome to Quirky Podcast, where I reconnect with inspiring individuals from my circle and beyond to explore their unique journeys. This podcast isn’t just about talking to the elite 1% but about connecting with relatable people who’ve found success on their own terms. Through these conversations, I hope to uncover insights and advice that can resonate with anyone navigating their own path. Whether you're seeking inspiration, guidance, or just an engaging story, you’ll find it here.
Join us as we explore the diverse paths to success, share a few laughs, and spark meaningful conversations. Don’t forget to subscribe, engage, and be part of the conversation!
speaker-0 (00:00.286)
what's courageous and what's brave. Like, it's like you have to go, okay, what's gonna inform me?
speaker-1 (00:05.506)
Fear can be limiting, once you step over that boundary, you still have to learn in that process.
speaker-0 (00:10.988)
Yeah, my mother is Vietnamese and my dad is Thai. My mother and father met during the Vietnam War. Next thing you know, I started doing ballet because I walked into a ballet studio and this ballet director, I took one class. I said, how much do I owe you for this class? He said, you don't have to pay me anything. The only thing you need to do is clean the studio and I'll give you classes for free.
speaker-1 (00:38.572)
You're willing to go and push your discomfort and just, don't know if it's what the process is, but you go chase the unknown. Welcome back to another episode of Q's Quirky Podcast. For this episode, I sat down with my friend, Matthew Chun Lamontree. We met many years ago, working at Spaghetti Factory. Mr. Chun Lamontree is truly an amazing person who is one of the most joyful and fearless people I know. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.
If you like what you hear, make sure to hit the like or subscribe button.
So tell me what's going on in the world with
speaker-0 (01:16.29)
You know, working and caring for the summer.
speaker-1 (01:21.864)
Yeah, you were telling me off camera what's going on in the summer.
speaker-0 (01:25.666)
Yeah, Boy Scouts, I run a scout camp and I think I've been doing it since 1991.
speaker-1 (01:32.48)
Yeah, what's the scout camp all about?
speaker-0 (01:34.51)
We are a Boy Scout troop in Sacramento and our troop is 88 years old and we own our own summer camp. We own a facility up in the mountains and we've been part of this camp since 1968.
speaker-1 (01:53.518)
Yeah, and what's what's your goal because I know I know about it and what your mentality is but what's your involvement with it?
speaker-0 (02:01.58)
My involvement at this time right now is just making sure that the program is alive and it's still running in the community. Where our troop is based out of, we're in like a low income neighborhood in the Del Paso Heights area.
speaker-1 (02:10.286)
He needs it.
speaker-1 (02:21.356)
So you guys have a community goal to bring people that don't have access to a lot of means together and create a space where they have a week to go outdoors,
speaker-0 (02:29.314)
Yeah, yeah. We used to go outdoors and teaching kids about introducing them to things that they would never be able to experience in their life.
speaker-1 (02:40.108)
Yeah, I have to ask a hard question. How has recent lawsuits impacted the scouting or your
speaker-0 (02:47.278)
It's changed, you know, with post-COVID and the lawsuits and it's completely, membership is down, but the program has existed for over 100 years.
And there's an importance for it. People understand that, you know, it's like in this day and age of digital and, know, where we're going back to like, you know, touching grass and, know, remembering phone numbers.
speaker-1 (03:15.918)
It's almost like going back to a pre-cell phone era when you're up there.
speaker-0 (03:22.293)
yeah, 100%. Like our brains aren't designed to like, you know, to get so much information all at once.
speaker-1 (03:30.114)
Yeah, overload. And when you get up there, I imagine, I haven't been, but I've had fortunate enough experience to spend a lot of time outside. You just slow down and then you actually, you're not information overload. You can process things and enjoy the stuff as it comes to you instead of just feeling inundated. So the goal is to get some impoverished kids access to the outdoors. How long does this camp run usually?
speaker-0 (03:47.184)
yeah.
speaker-0 (03:53.774)
So our camp runs two weeks out of the year. Since we own the facility, there's three owners to the camp. We have to open up the camp and close the camp. It's crazy. It's just fun. I've been going up since 1991. 1999, I got my Eagle Scout. And I just stayed involved on the summer camp end because I moved to LA.
speaker-1 (04:09.132)
And you've been doing it since 91?
speaker-0 (04:22.612)
And I just went up to summer camp every year for two weeks. then eventually leadership changed and I just slowly, Charlie just took over.
speaker-1 (04:32.92)
Yeah, so what's your what's your role up there now?
speaker-0 (04:36.238)
I'm the program director, so anything that has to do with the program goes through me. Which means like, you know, the kids, wait from when the moment they wake up in the morning to when they go to bed, they're mine.
speaker-1 (04:47.34)
your script in another day for so funny. They're probably like, Matt's making us do activities again.
speaker-0 (04:52.91)
No, I keep it really fun. That's the thing is I go, what do you want to do? And then you got to kind of encourage them and you got to, know, kids are funny, you know, they're resistant. also very, kids are really like, they're courageous, but they're also really resilient. You just got to give them the opportunity.
speaker-1 (05:12.11)
I feel like once you break that barrier and they start to trust you a little bit, they're like, okay, now I'll trust you. Now I'll go along with the.
speaker-0 (05:18.286)
It's okay to be crazy. It's like a really primal instinct to like scream and yell and then somewhere you know you they kind of that gets muted and then they're all like mind your p's and q's but if you put them in like an outdoor setting and you let them be like primal beings or just like this is the best thing in world.
speaker-1 (05:36.456)
Yeah, it's nice to give back to our primal instincts and kind of recalibrate. That's how I use nature is to recalibrate. So we kind of started off with this topic. Why don't you go back and tell everyone how we met and kind of give a little thumbnail sketch from when we met to where you're at now.
speaker-0 (05:41.557)
yeah.
speaker-0 (05:56.6)
So we, I worked at the old spaghetti factory. got hired at the age of 15 and a half. I got, I had to remember going to get a work permit. Work permit in the state of California because you're under your parents permission. had a, you know, sign that you can work in the state of California. And, and, keep in mind, I also was working at a Denial's auction, which was like a flea market right outside of Sacramento. So I had a job on the weekend.
speaker-1 (06:10.998)
for me.
speaker-0 (06:24.556)
I was working, I got hired as a hostess at the age of 16. And then I was there for like a couple of years up until 18, 19, and you got hired as a busser and your brother was got hired as a server. And I remember me and your brother, we bonded over talking about fishing, fly fishing, cause I remember talking to him about snapping lines and, and like building our own flies and stuff. And how I just sucked at it. Cause I would, you know, I would always just.
play around and be, you an 18 year old, 17 year old kid just snapping flies. But then I remember, I remember like, I remember the one day I asked you, said, we were like inviting people to go on a trip with us to Monterey and you know, being 17, 18 years old, I remember looking at you while you're busing a table in the middle of the restaurant because do you want to come to Monterey with us? Because also I think Nick is going, which is also your best friend.
speaker-1 (07:21.294)
Yeah, yeah.
speaker-0 (07:23.426)
You said yes. then we, we, you know, working at a restaurant, it's like, you're digging the trenches and we, we, we bonded and there are many, you know, like we restaurants going to Denny's or I don't know, we come out and yeah. Yeah. Getting into trouble. And we just kept in touch all those years. I moved to LA to pursue the arts and, and then you went to school. yeah, there've been, I remember.
speaker-1 (07:38.178)
whatever we're doing, not getting into trouble.
speaker-0 (07:52.75)
eating dinner at your parents' house one time in your safari car that you had. I had a lot of windows and I remember you driving us one time and then you were like, I was like, there's no blind spots in this safari car. There's no blind spots. just like, it was the funniest thing. And there was a couple of nights at you, like one night you spent the night at my parents' house. My mom cooked a dinner.
speaker-1 (08:14.211)
Your parents cooked us all dinner,
speaker-1 (08:18.766)
last piece I ever had.
speaker-0 (08:19.81)
I grew up in the housing community, like in the projects. And I remember it just been so funny and so cool that I brought like all these people from mom to cook and then you, you're just not judging them at all. then, you know, and yeah, so yeah, we're.
speaker-1 (08:33.339)
Well, thank you for the compliment. I want to ask about your parents. Where are your parents from?
speaker-0 (08:37.493)
My, my mother is Vietnamese and my dad is Thai. My mother and father met during the Vietnam war when my father was working as a independent contractor as a mechanic for the American government. I'm fixing, I believe, planes fighter fighter, fighter planes. don't know something like that, but anyway, see my mother and he.
The story was he had to learn to speak Laos because Laos is kind of slummer to Thai and they got married. when the government, when communism took over Laos, they started shutting the borders. My father had to go back to Thailand. My mother decided to follow him. It was just the whole Southeast Asia. was, you know, poverty all around. they decided to go into a refugee camp to
basically come to America.
speaker-1 (09:37.472)
Yeah, and were you born here?
speaker-0 (09:40.768)
I was the one born here out of, out of five. There's five of us. Maybe I'm the baby. Actually there were six of, had an older brother that passed away during that time when my parents, when my mom made her way over to Thailand, that kind of like fueled my parents to like find a better life. But yeah, the baby I got the name Matthew Paul, and from a Christian church that sponsored our family from the refugee camp and.
speaker-1 (09:44.334)
Wow, so you're the big...
speaker-0 (10:09.07)
So people always ask that, like, is that your real name? Like, what you talking about? Like, it your Asian name?
speaker-1 (10:13.87)
I got this buttered in. What was the transition like for them coming from Southeast Asia to assume they came to Sacramento first?
speaker-0 (10:24.28)
I think it's always been, they were open to a lot of things. My mother celebrated Christmas and Easter and Halloween and all the American traditions. and they also went to church and we also went to the Buddhist temple. It was kind of, it was interesting.
speaker-1 (10:43.79)
We've got a whole nice little gamut of all the festivities and religious holidays and whatnot.
speaker-0 (10:49.294)
That was cool. Yeah, 100%. I love it. I grew up, because I grew up in the projects and there was a lot of refugees, I remember being one of the few families that celebrated Christmas and bought gifts and went and got a Christmas tree.
speaker-1 (11:03.81)
That's cool. That's what I loved about your family. They were just so opening and just your mom cooking us a full meal. think the meal took up the whole whole of the stable. still remember that we were sitting on the ground. And that was my first exposure to Southeast Asian food. And I'm going to jump ahead a little bit, but I remember I went to Vietnam and I came back and you're like, Hey, I'm going to.
Southeast Asia, I have a Google pin, and I'm gonna go try and find my parents' house. And I was like, how are you gonna do that? And then you just took off. Tell us about that story.
speaker-0 (11:38.485)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (11:42.926)
They, so I went when I was, I went when I was 16, which was, it was a horrible experience because it was like first time my parents had gone back since coming to America, like in the late seventies. And there was a lot of, a lot of unfinished business and you know, they just left. And so I was fortunate to see like my grandparents still being alive. And, but it was a horrible experience and I never went back after that.
And I decided to go back because I needed to go back with a different set of eyes and perspective. Yes. 100%. And there was a lot of anxiety and there was a lot of just a lot of feelings about, you know, the questions of who am I? Like, what am I? Where did I come from? Why? You know, what is my genetic makeup? And, and I remember walking and, and, and, and,
speaker-1 (12:16.494)
like redemption.
speaker-0 (12:38.926)
And finding and asking the questions like who were my great grandparents, was who, you know, who were my aunts and who are my uncles and going into Vietnam and also going into Laos. And this is crazy because I, I, I realize a lot of things. I, my mother had lost so many siblings because, know, know, growing up in a third world country and, and, and, and, you know, they didn't have access to health care and her siblings would just, just.
die like sick and they would die the next day and all the stories and my mother would tell me, you know, I, you you just kind of, listen to the tombstones and you're like, like my aunt is saying like this person that was your, know, that was the sibling, that was a sibling, that was a sibling. You're like, you know, and, I found cousins that I, I, you know, I had a cousin in, in the capital of Laos.
speaker-1 (13:16.098)
stories until you go there and experience them.
speaker-0 (13:38.126)
that I remember going to their house when I was 16 and I tried going back to find the house and there was like new builds and the roads were paved and I remember going to the vicinity and I speak very, it's conversational like Thai and Laos and Vietnamese, I understand it more than I speak it and I remember going to like a street corner and just asking in my native tongue.
like, excuse me, excuse me, I'm looking for a cousin by the name of, and I did that for one day straight and people are like, you're nuts, who are you? And then the next day, believe it or not, like I had no address. I just knew that this cousin lived by this temple and I couldn't get ahold of anyone from that family, that immediate family. But I walked around and I just trusted my instinct and I came across this girl sitting on the corner of street, she was selling.
like a lot of tickets or something. I said in my native tongue, said, excuse me, I'm looking for the cousin by the name of, and she looks at me and she goes, and I'm like, and I looked and they said, that looks like the house. That's so weird. Cause none of this was here. And I walked over and I said in, in Laos, said, there was like people standing behind, I recognize a house and I walked up to the gate, the gate was locked and there was like four or five people.
in front of this, behind the gate. I said, excuse me, excuse me. I'm looking for this person. It was her name. And then they said in the language, they said we're closed because there were also a restaurant and they said we're closed and they called me a Japanese is what they said. They said this Japanese. said, no, no, no, no, no. I am the son of, and they got quiet. And I said, I am the son of Chi Long, which is my mom's name and the son of my dad.
And then they all erupted in like scream and they were all like, my gosh. And they opened up the gate for me and you know, and they fed me, but then I had to go home that I had to get on a bus that day to Southern Laos to actually see my aunt. But it's like the story within the Meeda family and the cousins that I just like went to Laos and I barely spoke. I don't speak Laos.
speaker-0 (16:00.216)
very well and I just found like all these like cousins and stuff and so that's what happened like in the past.
speaker-1 (16:06.318)
This was all pre like cell phone where you weren't using maps.
speaker-0 (16:12.814)
Yeah, or like, yeah, you weren't using, what I should have done was someone should have told me you could probably go and get a SIM card. didn't really understand. I would be like, excuse me, Wi-Fi? You know, you'd go into these restaurants and you'd be like, Wi-Fi? And then you were like, man, I don't even know what I'm doing. But now, you know, and yeah.
speaker-1 (16:32.96)
Yeah. Well, what I like about that story is, and I've known you since I was 17, which I'm not getting over 20 years. I think I make these observations. And the first one was fearless. Like you just go and do things. And I don't know where that came from. Has that always been in you? You went to Vietnam and then you were the first of the friend group from spaghetti factory to be like, I'm packing on my beat on.
And for the backstory, you are an entertainer, singer.
speaker-0 (17:05.408)
I was a dancer. I actually moved out here to be a dancer.
speaker-1 (17:08.37)
So go and tell us about that story because I just I'm enthralled by how fearless you are and you're just like I'm gonna I'm gonna do it and if it doesn't work it doesn't work
speaker-0 (17:16.841)
Yeah, I guess I remember in high school when I went to go visit like my elementary school teacher, my sixth grade teacher, and he said to me, he didn't recognize my face because I've been like, you know, was it had been like six years he had seen me and he the first thing he said to me, he goes, he goes, I don't, I don't, I want to say Matthew and I go, yeah, Matthew, goes, my God.
Matthew, the kid that would go up to any stranger and talk to him. And I'm like, man, did I give up? I was like, so crazy. That's so like, that I'm an adult, like it's kind of cringe and also uncomfortable. like, cause I guess I'm a little bit more reserved because being in Los Angeles, you're just like, you know, I shouldn't be talking to these crazy strangers.
speaker-1 (17:53.336)
Shit!
speaker-1 (18:09.47)
Yeah, well, you it's its own vibe.
speaker-0 (18:11.534)
I, uh, but I'm not afraid to talk to strangers. That's the thing is I'll just go up and just, enjoy it. And, and, um, but the thing is, yes, I've always been fearless in a sense that I, you know, I, I, I, I've been counted by myself and people like, why I'm like, cause I wanted to experience that, you know, like, and it wasn't like the best camping trip. Cause you're just like, this is.
This is miserable. This is horrible. too much fun without No, without a companion to share this experience. But then there's parts of it where you're like, man, I'm alone in my thoughts. But then you're also thinking, Bear can eat me up right now. Or like a mountain lion can attack me from
speaker-1 (18:50.318)
It sounds adventurous, it sounds stupid, but it sounds like it can be very self-authenticating. You're there with your thoughts doing, and you probably don't have a phone, and you're just forced to sit.
speaker-0 (19:02.476)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Forced to be with your thoughts. And I think I come from that generation where I think I, I heard the term Zenial, which you're like Gen Z and then you're also a millennial. I grew up in like anal in, in, the day and age of analog and then having to master the beginnings of like digital and have, and then we're, you know, also having to be with one's boredom.
and manage the board and minutes and all, you we come from that generation. Yeah. Remembering numbers and carrying quarters in your pockets. then when, when the pay phone went from like a quarter to 35 cents, so now it's a quarter and a dime.
speaker-1 (19:40.11)
People don't even know what change is now.
speaker-0 (19:42.104)
it's crazy. Yeah. So then you would carry like you made sure you had two quarters and two dimes because that first phone call could go straight to voicemail. Your mom would be like, mom picked me up and you know, she's not smart enough to like to come home and press the, you know, the button. You just have to keep on calling, you know, or hang up right when you knew that the voicemail was gonna...
speaker-1 (19:49.961)
Okay, damn it, I'm out of
speaker-1 (20:04.364)
get three drinks. doesn't count.
speaker-0 (20:07.566)
yeah, and there was one time, I'm I digress, but there was one time that I used the payphone at the K Street mall in downtown Plaza where we're from Sacramento. And I had a friend who, two friends that came with me and they had taken the locker key. So I had, my shoes were in this key. My shoes were in the locker and my friend had went home with the key. So I had these ice skates on.
And I had to use the cell, I had to use the pay phone. I remember being like, oh, I have two quarters, you know, and I had to call like a neighbor who had to come and pick me up. I take my like ice skates off and walk barefooted like during the winter time.
speaker-1 (20:50.434)
The inconvenience we had to go through, right? Compared to nowadays.
speaker-0 (20:54.182)
Yeah. Just the crazy yellow pages and like maps and all that stuff. know, yeah, yeah. Going back to like boy scouts and all that, that's, that's part of like, like what scouting really taught me. was like processing and managing and, figuring out like obstacles and, know, as, as, a human being, like problem solving.
speaker-1 (21:16.331)
So how did you become involved in the dancing and the acting and the entertaining? Was that nurtured from a young age and how did that transpire in Los Angeles?
speaker-0 (21:28.11)
Not to not nurture at all. I remember my brother, there was five of us and she was very fearful. know, like she had, you know, cultural barriers, superstitions, she put all of her time and energy into my other siblings. You know, they were a lot. They were in and out of trouble. were in, you know, football and karate. And I kind of was like, youngest were just, you know, as long as he's alive, he's okay.
speaker-1 (21:57.966)
He's an afterthought.
speaker-0 (21:58.848)
He's okay. He wasn't after that. think that's a cultural thing. They're all like, we're not going to deal with him because he's a sweet kid and he's not. Yeah. He doesn't take up a lot of our energy, you know? And I remember being involved in the reason why I got into scouting was the second grade. There was a flyer that was passed in the classroom. And I remember it was an, was for an afterschool scouting program. And I remember being like, I want to do it.
speaker-1 (22:04.891)
He doesn't cause us any problems.
speaker-0 (22:26.358)
and go in and experience that. And that's how I got involved into scouting was through that. But, but basically I got involved into dancing was because I remember the fourth grade, a bunch of artists that came to our school and they had did like this art camp. And one of the things that I signed up for was like a interpretive modern dancing. I being like, no, it was like the third going into the fourth grade. And I remember running across
the stage in our elementary school and acting like an elephant, a giraffe. And they're like, okay, now be a tiger. And they're running and I'm like, I want this, I wanna do this, I wanna move. And I, sometime in the seventh grade, my sister was involved in the cheerleading and dancing. And I think I come from that generation of like, you know.
speaker-1 (23:09.484)
Yeah, yeah.
speaker-0 (23:21.678)
dancing and music was so ingrained in our culture, know, access, had to pay to listen to music and like, know, was just our records and all that, you know, the top 10 and singles and you know, the kids in the neighborhood were all dancing to, you know, it was like a boy group or.
speaker-1 (23:26.03)
Wait, 90s, right?
speaker-1 (23:32.63)
record
speaker-1 (23:42.83)
It was a good era for music. Yeah, and there was so much diversity of music
speaker-0 (23:47.79)
Yeah, 100%. And, and, but I got involved into dancing, I would say probably, I would say sophomore in high school. did a little bit of hip hop and, I just got good. Like it just, I just loved it so much. just, you know, and eventually I would say 18, 19 years old. remember I started doing, cause I also wanted to sing. I didn't necessarily want it to be a singer. I just wanted it to be a
Good singer. was like, okay, let me take this singing workshop at this studio. And the studio just happened to have like a body movement class for singers. And I got introduced to jazz, which introduced me to Afro Cuban. And everyone was like, how long have you been dancing for? I was like, no, just, this is my first class. And everyone was like, well, you're really good. You should pursue this. Next thing you know, I started doing ballet because I walked into a ballet studio.
And this ballet director, I took one class and then I said to this ballet director who danced with the Royal Dance Academy in England, she said, I said, how much do I owe you for this class? She said, you don't have to pay me anything. The only thing you need to do is clean the studio and I'll give you classes for free. And that's how I got involved into doing ballet because I do remember I was like doing, I was suddenly was like doing the neck.
speaker-1 (25:11.214)
There's so much stuff going
speaker-0 (25:12.526)
So much stuff at that. And I was like, cause I was also in my first year of college at city college doing, you know, I'm studying music theory and like taking a sewing class. Like it was just the craziest thing to think about. Like, um, I was like, Oh, there's a beginning sewing class, you know, like when you take it and, and people were like, why are you taking so I was like, cause it's a skill when to learn, you know,
speaker-1 (25:34.798)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (25:35.534)
And to this day, still, can sew. Like I can, I have a sewing machine and I can like do patterns and you know, it's like, I don't have the patience for it, but I could do it. I could do it very well. um, but I, you know, what's funny is that I, yeah. So I got involved into ballet and I got really good, you know, not at ballet, but just in general, just dancing. And I was like, no, maybe I can do this. And, um, and I decided to move to LA.
with like $426
speaker-1 (26:08.344)
About the coolest beetle that anyone's ever owned.
speaker-0 (26:10.766)
Oh my gosh, I think I had a Volkswagen Beetle and I moved out here and then I somehow within that first year got introduced to an agent who needed Asian actors for like a Gillette commercial. And I remember getting sent out for these commercials and I like, oh, I guess I can act too. One thing led to another and I started taking acting class.
speaker-1 (26:36.046)
This is a big...
speaker-0 (26:40.334)
And I was there at the acting studio for 10 years, 10 years at a Method acting studio. there was parts of it where I had to work through a lot of things like fear and...
speaker-1 (26:57.364)
It's got to be one of the hardest industries to break into and how much like, just because you hear all these stories and people make it, but there's so many people that don't make it and so much resiliency just trying to put one foot in front of the next just to get a shot.
speaker-0 (27:13.326)
I, for me, I went in like with intentions of let me just experience this and possibly deep down inside, maybe I could make it. But also part of it was, um, the fear really, the unknown really like drove me catapult me into like, let's try these things and, um, you know, let's try acting. And, and, and also the question was why, why am I doing this?
Why did I get introduced to this? It was never like, Oh, let me try it. You this is stupid. These are my ideas, but always like, what is the universe telling me? Like what is, met this person. What, what am I learning from this person? I, I, I've experienced this thing. I'm, I'm being introduced to this thing. And it's like, and so I've always like led from that place. what I realized doing it, being involved in, in for 10 years in Zachary and Siri, it wasn't just about like,
speaker-1 (27:49.091)
Uh-huh.
speaker-0 (28:11.288)
being an actor, like I love theater. was about, I am really, I am working through a lot of not just cultural barriers, but a lot of like things that were passed on like for my forefathers, you know, what sword you would use, like things that you like.
I wouldn't say hereditary, things that you like, yeah, cultural barriers. think that's what I keep on using. Yeah. So you're like working through, you know, That was one thing, like karma that I've inherited. You inherit karma from your parents, right? You know, because they raise you with their energy and it's passed on to you.
speaker-1 (28:51.745)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (29:04.398)
It could be karma, could be experience, could just be belief systems or so much that you are passed down from generation to generation.
speaker-0 (29:08.024)
system.
speaker-0 (29:11.758)
Generational traumas I'm trying to say okay. That was the one thing. Yeah, that's that's what I was where I was trying to get to is and so through my Acting experience. I was like, oh, It was 100 % is therapeutic it was I was like, let me work through this stuff Let me let me like rip it apart. Let me understand it
speaker-1 (29:22.318)
It's kind of therapeutic almost.
speaker-1 (29:31.822)
deconstruct and then reconstruct.
speaker-0 (29:33.742)
Yeah, yeah, 100%. And I think a big part of that is I leave from that place and what I can give back to like also to the Scouts and to the kids and to my nephews and.
speaker-1 (29:46.498)
Yeah. Well, I think there's one or a few, common threads throughout your, conversation so far. One is the unknown. You're willing to go and push your discomfort and just, don't know if it's what the process is, but you go chase the unknown and you will do that to overcome fear. And I, I want to ask if that's something that was innate to you, but the second commonality I'm seeing is the way you live with intention and not.
speaker-0 (30:02.136)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (30:15.702)
for reward. Like a lot of people go into something like, what am I going to get from this? Be it financial, personal, you're going in. What can I learn from this? And I'm doing this because I want to do this to figure out who I am. I want to be joyful. So, going back to the fear, is that, we kind of talked on it. You kind of had this approach as a little kid, but for people who don't have that,
speaker-0 (30:33.25)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (30:45.058)
What are some steps that they can incorporate to try and overcome some things that are setting them back from attempting new things or new events or new experiences?
speaker-0 (30:54.666)
I think for me, it's, like, I'm not always fearless all the time. It's I, I, I'm very sensitive. So if I'm going to try something new, even like getting dressed and stepping out into the world and going to Trader Joe's something as simple as that, you know, you're like, you, my therapist used to say, you, you need the right amount of anxiety to function. And when you have too much anxiety, you're out of your mind and, and enough.
And my acting teacher used to say, when you're not nervous anymore, then the scene's going to be really bad. Like she just knew like you needed enough. When you come in confident and you're like, I got this. It's the worst like act. The worst. Yeah. And for me about the fear is that when, because it's, it's a feeling, right? And you, got to ask yourself, like, is this made up? Do I, like, where does this come from? Why is my mechanism?
speaker-1 (31:35.246)
The result is the worst.
speaker-0 (31:51.054)
is fight or flight. It's something, did I inherit it? Did I learn it? And it's like, you, did I just make it up? know, are you married to those feelings? You know, so for me, I realize, I guess, cause it's part of it, part of coming from like a family of five is I'm, could, I need to get things, if in order for me to get things done, I need to do it myself. That makes any sense, right? I can't rely on.
this sibling or my mother who's like preoccupied with this, you know, this thing. And, and the thing with like, like you gotta feel, you know, you're, you're, there's a book that says like, there's a book that's titled field of fear and do it anyways. I think it's just so cheesy. Like, like, the fear, but not, if you, yeah, yeah, 100%. And I, but it's like one of those things that you know, if you're going to do something new, you're, you're going to,
speaker-1 (32:39.118)
The messaging is probably better than the type.
speaker-0 (32:48.448)
run on a certain amount of anxiety and fear. think that's just such a natural, and you just got to just try it. And then when you try it, you really have to work through what happens. know, I think that is like, that's what's, that's what's courageous and what's brave. that's like, have to go, okay, what's going to inform me? What's what is, what is that water? Those feelings, when those feelings happen, how's it going to inform me? Does that make any sense?
speaker-1 (33:16.024)
Yeah, totally. It's like fear can be limiting, but once you step over that boundary, you still have to learn in that process. that experience can inform you what you were either missing or what you need to do better next time. But it's like one foot, one foot, next foot. And it can be a process.
speaker-0 (33:33.71)
100%. You know, it's like, they always say like showing up is half the battle. know, it's like when you, you just gotta, when they said, just try it. It's easier said than done, but like, just, just show up, you know, and, and, and getting dressed and, and once you show up and, and you, you might not be like at your 100%, but the least like you did it. And like those small. Yeah.
speaker-1 (34:02.23)
incremental steps. can be progress or change starts with small incremental steps instead of one gigantic change and then it's like little things and then you start seeing actual growth or whatever maybe.
speaker-0 (34:15.661)
Yeah, 100%, yeah.
speaker-1 (34:17.538)
I love that man. So to kind of book in this part of the conversation, where is the acting? What are we doing now?
speaker-0 (34:25.134)
I didn't retire. I needed to take a break. I got married. I had to live a life I didn't really. There was a lot of things I was missing in my acting. I needed to go and have my heart broken and travel the world and meet people. I was in acting class and I would read these plays and I'm like, I don't know these people.
speaker-1 (34:27.16)
Did you retire?
speaker-0 (34:54.134)
I couldn't remember lines. can recite it, but I was like, what are you, what am I trying to say? What do I want? What, you know, and now that I've taken a little bit of a break and I've, and, and, I've lived a life. I'm like, okay, I miss it. I'm going to come back to it. Now's the time to do it. You know, obviously, you know, COVID happened and yeah, step back and, know, and, I also, big part of it too, was I just had a excuse, excuse my language, a shitty.
agent, know, and yeah.
speaker-1 (35:26.4)
sounds like there's a lot of those in this industry.
speaker-0 (35:29.784)
Yeah, mine unfortunately was stealing money from me. yeah, it was like a whole thing and like there was a deadline article written about him and you know, just instinctually I knew there was something wrong and but I, it was part of that, you know, and I, but I miss it. I'm gonna get back to it. I just need to like make it happen again.
speaker-1 (35:32.983)
wow.
speaker-1 (35:50.222)
Yeah, that's kind of, you know, I think that's the industry is you just got to keep at it at it. And it's such a fickle industry, seems. those people and I have another thing, you're a worker. You are a grinder. And a lot of people like you just got a grind, you got to keep showing up. And even if you don't make it big, at some point, there's going to be some modicum of success. Or if there's not, at least you can say, hey, shit, I gave him a
speaker-0 (36:15.566)
Yeah, yeah. No, 100%. I... Man, even with this scouting thing, and we were just talking before that, like, I, you know, the nonprofit, and in the beginning, like, having this idea about, I'm gonna form this nonprofit to help kids. And it was just an idea, but going through the process of, like, forming the 501C3, oh, man, that's, a whole thing. know, and I remember...
speaker-1 (36:42.766)
to that you don't
speaker-0 (36:44.846)
And I, I, was like one of those things again, I jumped into the deep end and I'm like, well, let's figure it out. Let's like, what do I need to do? Oh, there was so much. Oh yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I would say, yeah, it's like, you know, you just, you, you just got to do it. You know?
speaker-1 (36:53.71)
This where the missed paperwork comes in.
speaker-1 (37:07.51)
Yeah, I like that. It's, you are always the one that was willing to try. were fearless, but you were also like the, you were so giving. wasn't just like, that was where I was going. You don't tackle things out of what can I get? You tackle things of what can I get? You come from a different heart. think a lot of us, like I,
became a lawyer to help people out, but also to make a living. You're not looking at this from financial gain. You're looking about what can I gain from life and what can I give back to the world? It's such a unique skill set or it's such a unique perspective. A lot of people don't have. So talk to me about where your heart, like you have the biggest heart. Where did that come from? Where was it nurtured? it?
speaker-0 (37:57.08)
Definitely my mother because she her her her love language is is is to give nurture and I'm such a giver and you know, that's that's thing is like there was a period where I I don't tell a lot of people but when I when I worked at the restaurant down the street here I used to collect the leftover food I used to stop and give it to this homeless guy living off of at the bus stop off the large one I would tell no one about it but those those are the little things that I
I do, don't think like, just makes me feel good. And no, no, not at all. And I even there's someone reminded me the other day that I there was an experience that I had at Sushi Mac over off of Franklin that I walked out. I was with this girl named Rebecca. I walked out with her and there's a homeless guy shirtless. And she reminded me recently, she said.
speaker-1 (38:30.638)
You're not doing it for a pat on the... no. ...anonymously.
speaker-0 (38:53.902)
Do you remember that guy that you, I walked out, he had no shirt on. I walked up to him, just walked right up to him. says, Hey, where's your shirt at? And he just looked at me smoking a cigarette and I took off my jacket. have like a polo jacket and I just gave it to him and he just starts crying. And I, I went back into the restaurant cause we were waiting for a friend. And when we came back out, cause I said, Oh, I have a pair of shoes to give him in my car. Cause I might put my beep prepared Boy Scout stuff that I don't even use.
speaker-1 (39:23.246)
You just go back
speaker-0 (39:24.664)
He just disappeared. He wasn't around. And this girl that I was with, this coworker said, I swear, swear to God, I think that he was a ghost. I was like, no, he's probably some homeless guy that was like strung out. But there's those little things that I, that sometimes people will like remember me that I'm like such a giving person that I. No, I don't.
speaker-1 (39:43.458)
You don't even remember these stories, do you? I've so many of them and we're just like, where'd the food go? And you're like, I gave it back, you know? We would just be hanging out and be like, our leftovers are gone. But yeah, we always went to a good place. It was so neat to see someone who, it was so second nature that someone will tell you the stories and you're like, yeah? And you're like, okay.
speaker-0 (39:57.07)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (40:04.108)
Yeah. I, you know, I know I got it from my mother because she, she said the other day she made a comment. cause she feeds like people in her neighborhood and she said, and she said, had a conversation because I check her on the blink camera at the house and just to make sure she's okay. And she had a neighbor coming in and asking for, an orange and my mom, I started laughing and go mom, she
I gave her, my mom said, I gave her the apple, but she wanted the orange. And then my mom said something like, she, it's funny that she, that's what she wanted. And like her, she's a, she, she's a human being with feelings and that's, it's, it's, it's, she's a soul. She said something like that. And I'm just like, Oh, my mom is the most compassionate person that you would ever, the way she said it, I was like, Oh, I really do get that from her.
speaker-1 (40:57.632)
It sounds so philosophical.
speaker-0 (41:00.174)
You know, then, but you know, you, the reality is, know, you always hear it. You're, you're, you're going to die anyways. And none of this stuff is you're going to, you're going to take it with you, you know? And, I all, you know, I grew up poor and I didn't have a lot of things. I mean, we had things, but we weren't like really rich. And I, and I always think to myself, like it just, just, if I come into money and I come into lavish things, it's not going to change me. It's not, I'm never, I'm just going to give it away anyways.
speaker-1 (41:26.83)
Yeah, you know, that was the other observation I have was you're so joyful. I've, I've met a lot of people and we live in a culture of accumulation and you know, work harder, you get more and the benefits will come. But you have always been true to, yeah, I might get something, I'll enjoy it, but I'm also just going to be joyful with what I have. remember going to your apartment, I think by the Beverly center. And I was like, you had a
bed, like one pan, all my needs are met. And I was like, yeah, I don't know, man, you might want to, you know, can I help you out? You were happy. like, man, I'm living the dream.
speaker-0 (42:04.334)
My sister makes fun of me till this day. said I remember her walking into my studio when I first moved out here and I had a to go tin from P of chains and I had remember which is washing it and using it as my as my plate because I was like, oh, it's just me, you know, and I don't have to do dishes and and I just remember being like, this is this is mine. This is all I have. have a roof. have I can walk to work. I can eat.
you know, and just being so happy, you know, I just, and I, and I wake up like that, even though it's like there's some days I'm like, my body and I got to go to work. But for the most part, I'm like, I, am like, what am I going to do to make me like, like feel good? You know,
speaker-1 (42:51.118)
What do you attribute that to just having that cost? I don't say it's constant because I know you're human and you're not like this You're not you're not a robot who's always happy, but you always do have a good mindset or you try to cultivate a mindset How do you how do you actively do that?
speaker-0 (43:06.03)
I realized something, it's the one thing that I attribute it to is feeding the inner child, feeding him the artist's inner child. That's the number one key I realized. Like the whole sewing thing we were talking about earlier, I've been in this whole thing about sewing these merch for the Scouts. I leave.
after completing like a small menial task of like sewing like D ring tabs for this like tote bag. I'm like, I'm in such a good mood. this. 100%. It's like, you know, it's like coloring. It's like we, we forget that as like, as, as, as adults, you know, like that the play, how important that is, you know, you know, if kids understand that if animals.
speaker-1 (43:44.046)
Your cup's full.
speaker-0 (44:00.45)
birds, dogs, like where do we in our mind do we turn that off? Where do we lose it? We lose it, yeah.
speaker-1 (44:04.97)
It's okay to be playful and have fun and go outside and do shit we used to do without even thinking about
speaker-0 (44:12.878)
Oh yeah, and some people understand it more than others and the ones that do understand it, that are constantly doing it, they're just so happy. You know, that's the thing is like.
speaker-1 (44:22.702)
It's so hard because it's also like the the prioritization of what we need to do and it's like a checklist throughout the day and it's like Have fun play never enters that agenda and then when you do accomplish that it's like my gosh, I feel so rewarded Why don't I have 30 minutes just to go out and run around the grass or sit here and stare at the scene? I don't know. It's just whatever whatever gets you going. I think is pretty cool and I always I always notice that about you. You just were so
and joyful and it wasn't about what you had it was just so innate to you and I was I just never asked you about that so thanks for sharing that. So you did mention that you took some time off what do we what's the next five years look like for Matthew Chulamadri? I finally got your name right! It would take me 26 years.
speaker-0 (45:10.274)
Hey, know, if you just start with the first couple letters, I
speaker-1 (45:17.268)
It's really phonetic once you learn how to spell it.
speaker-0 (45:19.554)
Yeah, yeah. Well, the thing is, there's, you just got to, there's a lot of energy reading, you know? So you're just like, he's going to go, I know he's talking about me. And what's the next five years looking like? Well, you know, I think for me, it's like, I, know, anything that's working in the arts, you know, and, and whether it's, you know, starting my own company or, you know, starting
anything that I realize that and being out in the outdoors and not being so stressed. That's my key.
speaker-1 (45:58.798)
You know, it's weird as we've entered our 40s how my mind shift definitely shifted into what can I shed or streamline to try and become less stress. I mean, a certain amount of stress is good, but shedding down and because I don't have the energy I used to have, I have, you you, you, the responsibilities you have, you're like, man, do I need all these responsibilities? So it's interesting to try and
speaker-0 (46:20.046)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (46:27.572)
say no to some things and it's like addition by subtraction. So that's that's kind of my tangent. Yeah. I like that though. I wanted to ask you about this because I forgot to ask you working as a creative now in LA talk to me about that. It's got to be tough with all this stuff going to like Georgia, Texas, Carolinas, Canada.
speaker-0 (46:30.946)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (46:34.606)
I love it.
speaker-0 (46:48.814)
I think it's like one of those things, know, unfortunately it's money, right? You know, so if this project is going to save money on all these tax breaks and they, you know, they don't have all these strict rules and guidelines like California, of course it's like, yeah. But you know, it's,
speaker-1 (47:11.595)
Yeah, they're gonna go where they can.
speaker-0 (47:16.694)
I think what's happening right now with the state of, not just the economy, it's something's got to give, right? So it's got to kind of implode and this whole city, it's like, it's like, there's, if there's no projects, there's no movies or it's not just the movies, it's music. It's, it's, no projects are being made in Los Angeles. It affects everyone. Yeah. Restaurant workers, you know, from, you know, craft services, know, people that are doing, you know, art.
speaker-1 (47:36.396)
Yeah, total ripple effect.
speaker-1 (47:42.03)
to the light.
speaker-0 (47:47.116)
you know, production design, all that stuff. It's, you know, hair stylist and,
speaker-1 (47:53.262)
feel like there's kind of a rebound a little bit. I know Newsome tried to get some incentives back, like the show, like The Pit was filmed in Burbank. I feel like there's always going to be some segment that is here. I just don't know to what extent, because I'm definitely not in the space, but I feel like there's so much history here and there's so many people that are innovative and there's going to be a rebound, maybe not to the levels of when Hollywood was at its epitome, but it's top.
but I feel like there's gonna be, there's opportunity when there's down way.
speaker-0 (48:26.226)
Yeah, yeah, 100%. You know, with what's happening with TikTok and people are getting cast because of their following and all that. Also, I have actor friends that are on social media trying to gain followers and I'm like, this is the whole world.
speaker-1 (48:43.566)
new frontier. How long has social media helped people get rolled? Is it a recent phenomenon?
speaker-0 (48:51.118)
I think it's one of those things with, I think they realize, because it's like they have a following and there's a market and people are, they're going to cast people because they have over a million followers.
speaker-1 (49:08.622)
But it's also like good for those creators and taking the power to promote themselves and not having to rely on people to get your name out and distribute, you know, because I feel like once you had an agent, you were kind of out there when you could do a little bit. now social media has given everyone like a voice and a platform and may not all be good, but there is a lot of people that are empowered by.
speaker-0 (49:29.55)
Yeah, it's not just social media that's also has changed. It's the way people are getting cast, you know, for parts and how projects are, you know, streaming service and all that stuff. It's just, it's a little... Yeah, like people are doing it. You're doing online, like, additions at home now. You don't have to go, you know, learn, you know, go to like a casting agent agency and, you know, it's like a whole...
speaker-1 (49:42.104)
Totally adapting and evolving,
speaker-1 (49:56.366)
It's almost like the hazing's gone off. I feel like going to the casting agency would be like college hazing almost. Like you're just gonna get dressed down and people are gonna yell at you and you're walking by the same 10 people you've seen for the last two years in the same room reading the same lines. So what a different experience.
speaker-0 (50:14.69)
Yeah, it's just, yeah, it's the whole, the whole industry and film and everything, how it's, you know, like who, like even watching, going to go watch movie in the theaters, it's changed. Watched yesterday, Hell Mary, I believe that's a, with, what's his name? I forgot his name. Anyways, I watched it. It was, it was so good. I was,
speaker-1 (50:27.63)
What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
speaker-0 (50:44.15)
It was good because it was like an homage, like the 80s and the storyline and the, you know, you know, it was, the writing was great and it had me hooked and the cinematography was great. there was moments where I was like crying and it was poetic and there was moments it was really cheesy. I was like, yeah.
speaker-1 (51:05.046)
You went through all the pendulum of emotions.
speaker-0 (51:07.378)
Yeah, I went to the Alamo, I think that's what it's called, drop house. You ever been there? I like you can like order like food and drinks. cool. Like an app. And where's this? There's one in downtown. I know there's probably an other one in Los Angeles.
speaker-1 (51:21.836)
I live near downtown, I've never even heard of it.
speaker-0 (51:23.79)
It's where that, you know, Uniqlo is at. You know, it's like that in that area.
speaker-1 (51:30.188)
to check it out. I can't even tell you the last movie I saw in the theater. I'm not even gonna try. It's been so long.
speaker-0 (51:37.656)
Do you have time to watch shows or stuff?
speaker-1 (51:40.75)
Yeah, we love shows. It's kind of, you know, what's the whole Paramount shows kind of got her interest because we moved out of state and there was a show that was filmed really close to our house that started all the Taylor Sheridan Yellowstone production. that was always interesting. so I don't know, I like to get out, but I like to read books more. the books I read,
And the shows I like are like The Lincoln Lawyer, because I've always read Michael Connelly books. So that stuff really intrigues me. And then of course Suits is, I don't know, I remember watching Suits as a young lawyer. Now I've rewatched it and I like...
speaker-0 (52:21.934)
The first season was so good, it so quick. I loved it. was, know, Meghan Markle.
speaker-1 (52:31.062)
I think going back to it, there's so much content now and it's hard to always find what's good. And I think a lot of good things get lost and then they get rediscovered later. And when they're like, you're watching a
speaker-0 (52:41.644)
Yeah, no exactly they're they're they're doing like a He-Man movie I saw a promos for which is really it's crazy, you know a group and during that He-Man area and then everything is like a Marvel movie, which is you're just like I don't want to watch another No exactly trust me trust and believe I love X-Men. I I'm an X-Men fanatic I had you know comic books I have like five comic book boxes like stories stored somewhere and
speaker-1 (52:54.214)
my God.
speaker-1 (52:58.83)
But they're gonna make money.
speaker-0 (53:11.512)
But I'm just like,
speaker-1 (53:13.056)
recycling the same same material. I don't know. There's there's going to be, you know, there's there's a market for everything. I think it's kind of like what people buy and what they eat up. I do this podcast to reconnect with friends and to talk to people who found success, whether it be personally, financially, professionally, what do you think for you as someone who's been able to
speaker-0 (53:15.218)
yeah.
speaker-0 (53:22.894)
Yeah, 100%, yeah.
speaker-1 (53:42.35)
transition so many facets of life. What are some keys to you being able to do that and find joy and find success and find fulfillment doing what you've done for the last 25 years?
speaker-0 (53:54.926)
I think the one thing that comes to mind is kind. That's like the one thing. It's like if you're kind and then you live your life as a kind person, especially in the city, you know?
speaker-1 (54:13.932)
Yeah, it's so hard in this city. mean, this, mean, not all cities, but definitely like big cities. definitely lose, kind of, kind of come into yourself and you're just, you lose your humanity almost. Yeah.
speaker-0 (54:26.722)
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly like you're you even driving in the city, you know, and it's just like
speaker-1 (54:35.278)
Yeah, it's like you flipped off and then people are honking at you as we sail here and listen to the Dodger traffic building up. But I like that. It's my friend used to say it a little more crassly. like, just don't be a dick. But I like how you say it. Be kind and live with intention. Just like kind of how you've told everyone. that's how that's just really you to the core. And if you ever meet you, you will recognize that instantaneously and how genuine authentic you are. So.
speaker-0 (54:47.171)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (54:56.568)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (55:04.416)
Who kind of, you talk to your mom, what other people have influenced you and kind of shaped you or molded you or who'd you look up to?
speaker-0 (55:13.166)
I would say there is like two people that come to mind. My scout master, name is Richard Lozano. everything like his character qualities and who he is as a person, I, not just about the scouting thing, but just like how he treats people. I remember from a very young age, he, one of the kids, one of the scouts forgot his jacket and my scout master just like.
gave him his jacket, you know, just from being like 11 years old being like, that kid should have brought a jacket. And then, know, this adult was giving him his jacket to his kid and he didn't think twice about it, but you know, he's influenced me and, and, and, and just the way he talks to people who talks to kids and, always helping. And I think that that's definitely, you know, it just wasn't just about like being in scouting and the morals and the teachings of scouting. was just like.
being with another human being who is this energy and this entity that is like treating other people. see that you're like you you, you know, you learn from it, you inherit it, you know.
speaker-1 (56:24.75)
Yeah. It's like osmosis. You want to be like that. I think that's, I think you said it really well. It's not just about the organization you join. It could be about the people that lead that organization. Cause you could have joined scouts and had someone who was really by the book or was a turn out. It's not a nice person. And it could have been, imagine if you hadn't met that type of person, 25 years of you not being involved in scouts and impacting so many different young kids and now adults, like just.
speaker-0 (56:41.314)
knives knife
speaker-1 (56:55.702)
Just the amount of influence one interaction or one small interaction can have on people and to see how it pays forward years later. What a powerful example.
speaker-0 (57:05.388)
Yeah, that's it. So going back to, I always ask myself, like, why am I so active in the Boy Scouts of America? Scouting America is is like. I always leave from a place of saying if this kid who has no control over his environment can experience something so profound and so positive in his life and he he can think back and go, man, that was the best experience I've ever had.
not just camping, like this person really made me feel valued and love, you know, and, and, and, and, and he can look back and go, that was, that was great. That that's all that's worth it. Totally. You I don't have any control over, know, what's going to happen after he leaves scouting and how he lives, lives his life and what he believes in. But at least I know that he can look back at this moment in time and in, in this program and go, that was great. It's like,
our teachers and people in your life that comes in your life, like, you know, us, why we're friends and our experience and stuff like that, you know.
speaker-1 (58:10.646)
See a moment in time can impact so many, so many people or one person, and that person can take that and just remember it for their life. It's truly remarkable. Like to see friendships maintained, relationships developed and who I've interviewed a lot of people and who they can automatically recall. Like this point in time, this person in time, and it's like, wow, you know, and it's truly goes to show that you, each individual might say, well, how can I,
change, whatever, just be one interaction at a time, being nice. There are not going to be always tangible changes because you might not see it 20 years down the road, but at the same time, those little interactions are going to have a difference in people's lives. And being able to give back and serve and do it so selflessly. I know you probably have that pull like, don't want to do it this year. It's such a time and energy drain, but once you get up there, you're in it.
speaker-0 (58:56.129)
Yeah, yeah.
speaker-0 (59:05.484)
Yeah.
speaker-1 (59:09.277)
yeah. Tell us to the point where you can't do it.
speaker-0 (59:11.32)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
speaker-1 (59:14.239)
I want to ask you this question. What happened to that bug? I always love that car, Please tell me you still have it.
speaker-0 (59:22.286)
The Beetle is sitting in front of my brother's garage. I think he pulled it in. I'm gonna send it to you. It's still the engine. Obviously I need to replace the engine and it needs a whole, you the body probably has like, you know, rust damage, but for the most part I still have it. Yeah, it's still silver.
speaker-1 (59:30.574)
You're gonna to send me a picture. Yeah.
speaker-1 (59:45.71)
This is so silver. It's yeah. What was his nickname? forgot. Silver beetle.
speaker-0 (59:52.27)
I think maybe we call it the great burger. don't know.
speaker-1 (59:55.79)
I remember we'd all pile in there be like... It started! Let's go!
speaker-0 (01:00:02.318)
My odometer would, the faster I went, it spun in a circle and the faster it spun in a circle.
speaker-1 (01:00:10.136)
going faster. We just hit 25.
speaker-0 (01:00:12.846)
My dad had a, he put like the heat gauge on like a cardboard. Do you remember that? It was so rigged. was like two gauges around a cardboard. It was so much fun.
speaker-1 (01:00:24.654)
Hey man. Fun though. It was fun. It was back when like you had so little and you're just so happy to have something when you're a teenager.
speaker-0 (01:00:33.326)
Yeah, when we were like 17, 18, we didn't have much. We just had each other you know, slinging spaghetti and just doing the grind, you know.
speaker-1 (01:00:43.994)
Yeah, so that's another good question. I always have this with people I talk to. What was the importance of one working young and two, the importance of working at a restaurant?
speaker-0 (01:00:57.364)
man, working young, what it really taught me was, well, it taught me that if you need to make money and provide for yourself, you need to do it yourself. can't depend on other people to it. If you're an able-bodied person, you should be able to it. It's like, if you can go and collect cans and you can make money. working at a restaurant, what it really taught me was...
resiliency, you have you're having to deal with people. You're having to deal with people's habits and serving food. And it's you know, it's all a farce, right? Like you think about like who came up with like this, like I'm going to like they're going to cook you food and you're going to sit down. They're going to bring it to you. It's like it's all make believe. It's just so funny, you know. But what it really teaches you is using multitasking. You know, it's like it teaches you, you know, using your brain and
and that human connection, good or bad, it's just like every day is like a new day.
speaker-1 (01:01:58.974)
Yeah, you never know what you're gonna get. will add it like it taught you to think on your feet. Because you can't, you know, you're gonna have good, bad and ugly when you have customers. And trying to navigate that as a younger human is like, wow, you learn easier, like so shocked and then it's then it's over and it's on to the
speaker-0 (01:02:10.803)
yeah.
speaker-0 (01:02:19.752)
Yeah, onto the next. Yeah. And then you forget about it and you're like...
speaker-1 (01:02:23.182)
Okay, yeah. How funny. Five dinner guests that you wish you could have at your dinner table, past, present, or not yet formed.
speaker-0 (01:02:34.094)
Past, present, but not yet formed. it would probably be, past would probably be the person who gave the summer camp to the Scouts. His name was Harry B. Ogle. And he, and he, he, he was part of scouting. He like gave our summer camp to like,
speaker-1 (01:02:38.328)
Hey
speaker-0 (01:03:00.91)
Three troops. Anyways, he, would, I would like to pick his brains because they're not Tom. I would, know, he also grew up not far from those spaghetti factory where we, where I grew up at was, which was really interesting. Um, I'd probably be my great grandparents. I'd probably be really curious to know, you know, the turn of the century. It'd be really probably be like my mother and my dad's side. And, um,
speaker-1 (01:03:22.346)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (01:03:30.57)
Also my... That's a hard one.
speaker-1 (01:03:34.638)
It's a question, huh? Mine always changes depending on the day.
speaker-0 (01:03:37.814)
Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. I would have to think about, you know, probably my, my Scott master that brought me into the scouting. Cause he kind of, we kind of had a fallen out, but there are a lot of questions that I, that I would have liked to ask him, but I didn't, I didn't understand now that I'm in my forties, I'm like, I should have really paid attention to that stuff. Like what he was saying and the history of like, you know, the troop and weird things. know it's, it's, it's so like a scouting and he's like,
speaker-1 (01:04:05.774)
I mean, it's like when you're younger, you're kind of you kind of think you know everything and like what's this older person doing lecturing me? I already got it figured out and then yeah, the wisdom isn't quite there Yeah, and then once you get the wisdom you're like damn it. I wish I would have paid attention
speaker-0 (01:04:22.068)
Yeah, I would I would like to know if with my great-grandparents is like the whole language and the dialects and how did you guys end up in this country and all that stuff like where's certain like traditions were formed
speaker-1 (01:04:37.044)
Yeah, that to me is like crazy because I think the borders were like a, they probably lived at a time when borders weren't borders and there was just so much intersection of people that spoke different dialects. And then once, you know, the Western powers or whoever drew the borders, all of a sudden there's an arbitrary border. And it was like, now you're this country and your neighbors over here are different. You what a, what a crazy time.
speaker-0 (01:04:58.07)
So yeah, we're going to bring Catholicism into and teach you of all this stuff and language. We're going to write your language for you. And yeah, that's, and that wasn't that long. I am the, I was, I am the epitome of, uh, the Vietnam war, like the kid, the kid that was like born after that. And my parents is, uh, my parents is grandparents for you guys. I they were, you know, the early 1900s.
speaker-1 (01:05:08.142)
hope you know that. no. It's the 50s, right?
speaker-1 (01:05:25.912)
You know, even when I went to Vietnam and we did a whole country tour, you could still feel some of the strong resentment for when I was in the North was a little more like, hmm. And then you go to the South, they're like little more welcoming, you know? So I wouldn't say resentments. I would just say there was a degree of antipathy towards people and they weren't as open and rightfully so. I think they were on guard. So.
speaker-0 (01:05:39.832)
Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-1 (01:05:55.776)
It's still, it's not lost on a lot of people yet and it's definitely valid.
speaker-0 (01:06:01.556)
Yeah, Yeah.
speaker-1 (01:06:04.174)
But some of the best food I've ever had. One message that you could disseminate to people, whether it be on a billboard, social media, what's one message that you would want to get out to anyone?
speaker-0 (01:06:17.71)
One message I could give out to anyone. man, I would say, you know, it's so crazy to, you always hear about it. You know, people always say like, live your life like it's your last. Like you start to like, I guess cause we're getting older. Not just think about like, I'm like, I'm at that age where I'm like,
speaker-1 (01:06:40.063)
Think about it more,
speaker-0 (01:06:44.204)
people, I'm like losing people around me, right? So you're just like, you're I've lost that person this year. You know, my aunt passed away. You know, you're just now that we're getting older, I'm like, you're and so you that's one message. You know what? What? This is what I would tell myself. I would say just relax. Just relax. Why are you so uptight? Just relax.
speaker-1 (01:07:03.692)
I like that.
speaker-1 (01:07:08.462)
You what it's no.
speaker-0 (01:07:12.334)
Just relax. Like you don't need to like power through, you know, just go into it. Like it's, it's not that don't put so much pressure on that, you know, don't hold it. Like it's so precious. Like just relax. It's okay. It's all f****. We're going to die anyways. Just relax. Like 100%. Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-1 (01:07:29.326)
Enjoy the ride. We'll get there eventually. Well, thank you, man. It's been real. Is there anything you want to ask me?
speaker-0 (01:07:37.592)
Thank you.
No, think, well, I guess how is living? And that's one thing. How does it feel to be in this, like, such a different culture, right? You're like, go from one to the other.
speaker-1 (01:07:54.886)
well live in between two different states. I love it, man, because as much as I love being in the grind, but I think growing up the way I did having a nature retreat or being able to get away from just the noise and especially I've gotten older, I needed to recalibrate. But I do love the creature comforts that a city has. But I also like the solitude that
I have as well. So I'm very fortunate to have that. Not a lot of people get to experience that, but I see the pros and cons to both. And I think as I get older, I've always been able to, I don't think I was ever meant to be in one area for 20 plus years. So I'm starting to get that itch from LA like, okay, I've lived here for 10 plus years, where's next? So it remains to be seen, but I think that the next chapter will involve hopefully either another city or a foreign country.
speaker-0 (01:08:53.71)
I love it.
speaker-1 (01:08:55.458)
Yeah man. Well, Mr. Chulamontri, thank you buddy. Thank you. It's been real. Appreciate it. Thank you for tuning into this episode of Corky Podcast. I hope you enjoyed diving into another inspiring journey and found some nuggets of wisdom to take with you. If you love this episode, don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss a conversation. You can find all our episodes on your favorite podcast platforms and on YouTube. Until next time.
speaker-0 (01:08:59.128)
I'm
speaker-1 (01:09:23.156)
Stay curious, be inspired, and keep carving your own unique path. Catch you on the next episode of Quirky Podcast.