EP 12: My Life as a Carny + Trapped in Mexico but the Meds are Cheap!
02/21/23 • 44 min
This episode is a fun ride with stories from American's, Mexican's and Canadians living in, or around Yuma, Arizona. Originating from Rick's Kitchen on Frontage Road, the podcast begins with the diner's namesake, Rick, who hasn't always been a restauranteur--he started his career as a carnival worker and stuck with it for 57 years! Rick's shares a few stories that will make you actually say WTF out loud.
Bill, a full-time Yuma resident who lives in an RV park, talks about the "snowbirds" who flock to this desert oasis every winter and the recent migrant "crisis" that has been declared by local authorities because of a huge gap in the U.S. border wall.
Podcast host John Murphy steps away from the diner and crosses the border into Algodones, Mexico to see the gap for himself, and in the process, meets Pepe, a Mexican father whose entire family lives in the U.S. while he's stuck in Mexico because of a teenage drug trafficking felony. Pepe shares what it's going to take to reunite with his family.
And finally, back at Rick's Kitchen, Deb, a former Canadian Pharmaceutical Tech, talks prescription Med prices in Mexico versus the U.S. and Canada, as well as the downside of living with Universal Health Care--you're gonna wait to see a doctor.
Diner Info:
RICK’S KITCHEN
12471 FRONTAGE RD.
YUMA, AZ. 85367
928-342-8143 (MAIN)
https://ricks-kitchen.com
This episode is a fun ride with stories from American's, Mexican's and Canadians living in, or around Yuma, Arizona. Originating from Rick's Kitchen on Frontage Road, the podcast begins with the diner's namesake, Rick, who hasn't always been a restauranteur--he started his career as a carnival worker and stuck with it for 57 years! Rick's shares a few stories that will make you actually say WTF out loud.
Bill, a full-time Yuma resident who lives in an RV park, talks about the "snowbirds" who flock to this desert oasis every winter and the recent migrant "crisis" that has been declared by local authorities because of a huge gap in the U.S. border wall.
Podcast host John Murphy steps away from the diner and crosses the border into Algodones, Mexico to see the gap for himself, and in the process, meets Pepe, a Mexican father whose entire family lives in the U.S. while he's stuck in Mexico because of a teenage drug trafficking felony. Pepe shares what it's going to take to reunite with his family.
And finally, back at Rick's Kitchen, Deb, a former Canadian Pharmaceutical Tech, talks prescription Med prices in Mexico versus the U.S. and Canada, as well as the downside of living with Universal Health Care--you're gonna wait to see a doctor.
Diner Info:
RICK’S KITCHEN
12471 FRONTAGE RD.
YUMA, AZ. 85367
928-342-8143 (MAIN)
https://ricks-kitchen.com
Previous Episode
Ep 11: Guns & Billionaires. Winds of Change in the Wild West!
Episode eleven was recorded at Yankee Doodle's Cafe in Alpine, Wyoming, just south of Jackson Hole and home to hard-working, gun-loving ranchers, and high-tech billionaires who bring their money and liberal ideas to an area steeped in history and patriotic traditions.
Property values are soaring forcing locals to move away to find more affordable housing. There's mounting debate on whether Wyoming's limited gun restrictions need to be changed in the wake of America's mass-shooting crisis.
Yankee Doodle's owner, Alisha, proudly displays a sign at the front door that reads: "Lawfully concealed weapons welcome on the premises."
Tim, a local lodge owner, breaks down why guns matter in this wild country and why out-of-staters need to mind their own business.
Sean, a custom gun-maker, shares the importance of gun education and responsibility, the right and need for people to protect themselves, and his heartbroken feelings every time there's another mass shooting.
Finally, Adam, weighs in on the billionaire effect impacting everything from rents on service workers, sixty-mile one-way commutes, and exploding property taxes all caused by wealthy elites who only spend a few weeks a year in Wyoming.
Diner Info: Yankee Doodle's Cafe
20 U.S. Route 89
Alpine, WY. 83128
(307) 654-7507
www.yankeedoddlescafe.com
Next Episode
EP:13 Aloha Hawai'i! Pearl Harbor, Natives, Haoles, and the Love of Spam!
Quite the deep dive into Hawaiian culture, history, diminishing real estate, and the islander's love of Spam!
The story of our diner location is quite a tale in itself. The Forty-Niner has been open on the island of Oahu in Aiea near Peal Harbor since 1947! Started by two Japanese American brothers, Richard and Henry Chagami, the two young men grew up in a small fishing village across the street from the diner's current location and witnessed firsthand the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Afterwards, the Chagami family went into hiding for a few months as many Japanese American's were being rounded up and held against their will in internment camps. Richard and Henry decided to enlist in the Armed Forces and spent time on the European front fighting in France and Italy. They survived and returned home to open the Forty-Niner.
The restaurant has only had TWO owners in its 76-year history. Current owner, Will Cordes, shares how he acquired the place and didn't change a whole lot despite his initial big plans to turn it into Oahu's first Mexican restaurant. Will also talks about his native Hawaiian heritage and the challenges his people have buying homestead land, and why Hawai'i is the number one market in the world for Spam consumption!
Angelica, a local Filipino-Haole born and raised on Oahu but not culturally Hawaiian, shares what it's like to live on the island today and what it costs to own/rent a place to live and tries her hand at answering Hawaiian culture trivia questions.
Millennial Cassidy worries whether she'll be able to afford to stay in Hawaii and fears if she's forced to relocate to mainland U.S.A., she won't be accepted. She also talks about the remote island of Niihau, which is only inhabited by native Hawaiian's who survive with minimum amenities, zero hotels, shops or much infrastructure.
Diner Info:
Forty Niner (Original 1947 location)
4304, 98-110 Honomanu St.
Aiea, Hawai'i 96701
(808) 484-1940
Forty-Niner (Waikiki)
445 Seaside Ave.
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96815
(808) 923-2058
Owner: Will Cordes
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