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Jan. 17, 2023

Chancellor Jackson: Surviving Prison in Beijing

After graduating from college with a degree in Media and Communications, Chancellor Jackson decided to take off on an adventure and live abroad. Growing up in Georgia, the last thing Chance expected was that he'd find himself in a jail cell in Beijing.

Growing up in Georgia, the last thing Chancellor Jackson expected was that he'd find himself in a jail cell in Beijing.  After graduating from college with a degree in Media and Communications, he decided to take off on an adventure and live abroad.  This led to the traumatic experience of being arrested in China, and imprisoned.  After his release, Chancellor decided to write a book about his experience.  

This led to him becoming an "accidental author", and his book being a 15x bestseller on Amazon.  This is Chancellor's story.

Chancellor K Jackson (1995) was born in Fulton County, Georgia, to Native American parents, grew up in Smyrna, Georgia, and attended Stetson University. For nine years he played football at the high school and collegiate level. After graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Communication and Media Studies, Chancellor lived abroad in China from 2018-2019. 

Chancellor fell into writing after his traumatic experience of being arrested, and detained in Beijing. His first book, "14 Days in Beijing" has ranked #1 over fifteen times on Amazon in multiple genres. Chancellor has also released a romance saga about a mans first step towards gaining emotional intelligence titled 'You Love and You Learn' & 'Real Love Never Dies' now available on Amazon.

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Transcript

Welcome back to between the before and after a podcast about the stories that shape us, I'm your host coach John, McLaren, each episode at bring you an inspiring guest with a moving story that shines a light on the power of the human Spirit.

I'm excited to share this story with you.

So let's Dive In.

Alright, welcome back to another episode of between the before and after every once in a while.

I you know a lot of people don't know this about me, but I have a past history as a pro wrestling ring announcer as one of the things that I did every once in a while, I want to pull out that voicemail.

The ladies and gentlemen, introducing first on my right side, hailing from Smyrna, Georgia.

I'm not sure if that's where you are right now.

Chancellor K, Jackson.

How you doing, man?
Hey ma'am.

Listen balance, you John bless is imbalanced.

Everyone as children in.

Shout out to Yalta written, be peace real.

I love that.

Been this pleasure to have you on the show.

Here, you got quite a story man before we dive into that, I just like to let people know like where are you at currently?
Because then we're going to rewind the clock run if you're how you got that.

Yeah.

So what do you have to presently?
They are.

So I'm still in Smyrna, Georgia, where it all started been around the world though.

Yeah, I'm still here pretty.

I was raised born and raised here, had a good childhood was just me my mom and my brother primarily She did an amazing job.

Raising the both of us, we have excellent childhood.

We grew up in a good Community is really the only black community.

One of the only black communities in Smyrna, still stands to this day.

We had our own clinics schools churches, the whole nine back in the day, but of course, gentrification and all that started to take place.

But, yes, those Garden Still Standing to this day and we play football, vast majority of my life, so we can start playing me, my brother and start playing some middle school.

So, 7th grade for him.

Eighth-grade for me, but we were already good.

Kids honor roll students p.m.

in so football just sharpened us and fine-tune this even more.

Yeah, and when we both wanted to play at the college level, so we knew we couldn't be no Knuckleheads if that was our end goal.

So like I just, you know, saying just straightened us out even more and played all four years of high school.

Got to play all four years in college down at Stetson University.

There's a small Division 1 school in Florida.

I spent 40 years down there, got my bachelor's degree in communication and media studies, and then I let him my first job teaching English to children in China.

After I graduate, so Spirit of Georgia, isomer is the only place I've heard of is this like a small City, big city, you know, because we think Georgia, we just think I'll and I think is probably that's really, that's, that's really all George is.

Isn't that habeas making?
What is that?
Nobody worried about making Savannah.

Oh, by the way, about that either.

So it's really just a lana but we're smart as Northwest Atlanta yourself.

Okay.

What the Northwest we probably about like what?
15 20 minutes from downtown no traffic.

Okay?
Okay.

So it is not connected Lana, you just you just sort of on the outskirts of the city and its term that we don't even really use much here in Canada, you know and you said you were kind of the only black suburb in around.

In around Smyrna.

And so I'm kind of curious like, you know, we hear stories about like, South and Southwest and all this kind of stuff, but we don't hear a lot about it.

Was, is there or was there still like a fairly, like grown up like a fairly clear, divide between black and white or or was it?
Um, far as just wife us areas?
Areas people lived in?
Oh yeah, you plain as day, you know what Amigo would make him, stay, you know, what a black folks?
Say, you know why folks say, for sure you might find a communicate See I got all three um, Sam.

But yeah, you can say I'll just based on the subdivision who more than likely stays here.

I mean I grew up in a small town that had like two thousand people.

So my fear of, yeah, yeah, we were just talked away at tucked away in the middle of British Columbia.

So that's it.

Far, Far Cry from the world, I knew so, he said, you know, you decided that you couldn't be Knuckleheads.

If you wanted to play, want to play college football, and is that You know, it's Universe sports like a college sports, like a way to get, you know, maybe something University paid for get get a scholarship that kind of thing is that was up.

The goal.

Matt is wanted to play college football.

That was just a dream of mine and folks, ask me what do you want to major in?
I said, what you talking about?
Yeah what do you mean?
Like oh what do you want to study?
Why you here so.

Oh my God.

Phil and I almost fainting get to have the opportunity to present it to myself.

You're sad once it came to end of my senior season I ain't had no offers.

I have no interest.

No looks no College Scouts, none of that.

You're saying I got myself in Stetson, I made that possible.

I applied to school.

I got accepted, I reached out to the coaches.

I set up those meetings and the next thing I know, I'm on the roster, I'd made on that.

So DB defensive back, I've only as all position.

I've been playing my entire career Corner.

Free safety, strong safety, every position in this back.

End off, doesn't get quite as much glamorous, like the offense offensive positions and less like you're, you know, I mean, I'm dating myself a little bit here but like, growing up, it was like me on Dion, you know, back in the day.

Yeah.

Oh me, no fix.

Maybe to a lot of people just sounds like a very sort of like General Degree.

But what, when you get into this, what do you actually study and kind of learning how to do literally is communication, bro?
Like literally and but communication through the media you have seems like we don't study different forms of media and what's being communicated, how it can be interpreted, um, saying versus how it was delivered?
What was that author?
Richie chop, what message was he really trying to send versus how it was interpreted and all this says is what is communication?
Just how broad it is.

You have saying through the media.

So it's just like what we doing right now my cup of tea.

Um, saying for sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then somewhere along the way you decided hey, you know, I want to take a trip, I want to travel, you know?
We're I'm sorry man, I just it's just similar to football, really, I'm saying, when football came to him for me, my senior college.

All right.

Chance, what's next?
But we will not for real.

Like what we finna do, bro?
Yeah.

What do you like to do?
What are you good?
What's your purpose?
Who do you aspire to be?
What do you aspire to be?
Yeah, I can answer any of these questions.

So it's like it's Crossroads embodied and identified as a student-athlete football player for so long and now that's no longer the case.

Oh man, I gotta I don't know who I am, but I know I got Just try a bunch of different things so I can start figuring it out.

And it took what from that to me, just applying for jobs.

And I was my only plan for corporate position sales marketing management that whole not.

I'm Lana interviews, getting flown out, put up in hotels, in cars, run it out to me.

The whole nine, I cannot see the landing position though.

I did this whole process about eight months, straight got a graduated, I'm back home.

I'm like, but I still got the short end of the stick, but like, what is going on on the everything quote, unquote takes away Yes, and and and and they keep hit me with the same BS.

Excuse.

All this experience.

You like the experience?
Yeah.

You you knew that when I submit my resume?
Yeah.

Before you set up this whole interview, know that you saw that, it was that's--that was clear as day.

Now, you saw you might have saw chance of Jackson and all these accolades.

Fifth football player.

Whoa.

Okay, down out of stepped in your face.

Okay, yeah, I wouldn't expect you to look like that.

I don't think he'll say, I probably don't say no telling what?
What's wrong?
Can't.

A letter.

What could have been a real real root?
Because like y'all continue to set up these interviews knowing I don't have the experience and they all want to wait till after the fact and say, oh man, it's just experience every single day.

Every single job, I'm applying for a, keep it not, but I was like a clearly corporate might not be for you, bro.

Like you might need a, we need to take a different approach to this job searching because, yeah, the universe, let you know, but that ain't, it, ain't it.

So, I just took a different approach them.

Like, what you good at doing, bro?
Talking to people working with people, People Beyond saying something like that.

Sound like social work to me, I just typed in social work and its search engine answer went through the filters.

Yeah.

Yeah and this is wonderful time.

I never noticed before but I noticed it today.

Well it's that day I was just like it's a international Souls like a button to look internationally.

Why haven't I thought to look outside.

You were so opportunities.

I'll shoot myself in the foot.

Let me see what's going on.

Clearly, the USA I'm time I apply for jobs in Georgia.

And I'm cloud of jobs Across the Nation.

Clearly, u.s.

name.

Don't want to do me.

I'm finna.

See what else is out there in the world and that's when I came across the opportunity.

The job posting teach English to kids in China.

I'm like, hey, that sounds lit.

I read the job description.

I'm not.

Okay.

I feel like I could do that.

That's how I've been applying for jobs up to this point.

Anyway, I feel like I can do it.

I'm gonna cry requirements.

They had three of them that should agree.

No matter what your degree is in.

Yeah, clean background, native, English speaker.

That's all you need.

Like, I'll write a check all those boxes.

So, how do I apply?
All you gotta do is submit a resume that number two, clicks of a button.

Boom, boom.

I'm going by my search.

I don't think nothing of it because I've been in this position before.

Hey, back from the recruiter, we set up interview.

Do the interview, two days passed first try to finally, tell me.

Yes, just so happen to be on the other side of the world?
Yeah, no, if ands, or buts about it, it's about it.

Good to see you again.

My name is even though it was literally underneath my hand in front of my résumé.

Yeah you know it's it's interesting and you can imagine maybe from the the perspective of a potential employer, right?
They might be seeing a lot of these things just want to.

Yeah, other and it's this, you know, that kind of thing.

So but you know, I think you probably maybe I'm speaking bit for you.

But you hold this perspective, like these things, they all happen.

A reason, there's a reason why these doors were opening because, you know what, this is the one that needed to open.

This is what you to walk through.

How do you keep your chin up though?
Like you said about eight months and like searching and going through this experience your, how do you kind of keep your chin up and how did you make ends meet in that time?
When you're looking to, you know, find something to do My My First Love and first Passion was football.

Hmm.

I want to play college football.

Guess what?
I did to Mom at my efforts alone ain't nobody can stop me with me.

Yeah.

Nobody's got me, go me?
Yeah.

Fair enough man.

And and you said you got it brother.

Is he an older brother younger?
We 17 months apart.

17 months apart.

Okay.

You guys are close my brother and 14 months apart.

Yes.

Yeah.

Like twins, almost And he sort of sibling rivalry there and he sort of friendly competition you guys get along.

No just our Shoppers are you.

I'm saying he played a receiver so we really know it was the best bet but yeah work out all the time.

Now you're comparing that.

Ashley like outside of the US.

Yeah, I've been to London twice and Bahamas three times so I had a little bit of experience not like China.

Are you the one saying?
Yeah you know let it's pretty cool place like it's a very it's I mean it's like a almost like a country in and of itself tucked inside the UK, right?
There's like so many how much happening there, you know, now fact that you can speak English, that's the most important part.

Johnny, that's not the case in China, so speak English.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah, so when you're, when you're getting the plane and the flight to Beijing, I'm going to guess.

It's something like 12, 14 hours.

Was it fits well hit?
Well, I flew from Atlanta to Seattle, which is 5 hours, okay?
And then from Seattle so Beijing, which is 10 hours.

So, 15 hours in total.

But yeah, 10 hour flight to Beijing and what kind of running through your mind when you're wearing this plane like Seattle, the vision.

You're flying over the Pacific Ocean.

You're thinking, man time flies, I had a four-hour layover in Seattle.

So I went to the dispensary and Had my mind and then got back on.

Went back to the airport, got on the plane, go to China.

How we're gonna do this?
You know.

So this will be my last time smoking ain't no telling how long yeah and I got to know how we'll ever said.

I'm not just a Sydney airport before I was you crazy right right right.

Yeah.

I'm out of here.

Yeah.

And I mean like go to places like China like you know I think like North America has had its own sort of battles with racism and whatnot.

But when you go to a country like China, where it's A very homogeneous population over 90% like roughly 90%.

The Chinese population is the Han Chinese and the whole series of like smaller ethnic minorities, but you're gonna stick out like a sore thumb when you get there.

Oh yeah, you know.

Yeah, pushed out.

But with that being said, I'm not I don't mind being the center of attention, it'll matter.

I could walk in the room.

I'm going to track every everybody's attention or at least energy for a living in a split second.

I want to have to say, work, I just walk into the space.

So I'm used to, that ain't worried about that, let me be the center of attention for show.

I gave something to really look at you're saying, but it was definitely just like more just curiosity.

You understand, if anything and me being a former football player, my physique is a little bit more defined and bulkier than the average.

So, folks, really, and I had lots of time with folks.

Yeah.

A white van.

That's not really to act out this world and they see a person of color.

Oh, hold on.

Now, now doesn't hold on.

Hey, I know a lot about y'all just through the media do, but it is.

It's really just based on stereotypes.

But the same way that we can sit there in point that finger, then we can put anything out.

Ourselves how much how in-depth do we know about the Chinese and their coach?
Right.

Yeah, absolutely.

Just as ignorant.

That's all of Apparently, I'm saying when it comes to each other yesterday, just that fascinated, with that group of people that you took the time out to study everything about that and learn everything about them, but who's really doing that?
Not many people.

So, you're saying, that's why I tried and so important.

So important.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I mean, I've had the pleasure of traveling, and living living in other, seven, different countries, and have been to 45 countries.

And so lit, that my wife and I, we did, we went to this like globe-trotting Adventure, you know, we didn't really, really know it was going to happen, but we end up going for like three years.

Years and just we ban, we went from like Vancouver so the west coast of Canada all the way to eventually ending up in Australia where my wife is from and then we wanted to like a U-turn.

So instead of flying across the Pacific back to Canada, basically, you turn flee back, man.

Asia back into South Africa, up into Dino turkey, and across Europe, and stuff back to Canada.

It was quite a quite an epic voyage.

That was every one of them.

But, you know, one of the things that I'd kind of took away from like, you know, there was plenty of countries where I was very clearly visible minority, you know, we live down in Mexico, we lived in South Africa, we lived.

Yeah.

If you do this different places, and one thing that like really kind of struck me is, like we're always striving for the same thing at the end of the day, you know, of prosperity, little bit of food, clothing, shelter, some some family, all that kind of stuff.

Like it was.

And you're right.

It was a lot of times, it was a curiosity, my wife, you know, she's got, she had like, kind of blond, like, Curly wavy, sort of hair and so that would often attract a lot of attention to fact.

Everything ever go like one guy walking face-first into like this cast, iron gate.

Like Bing.

It's like, all right.

My brothers, Nick looking too hard.

So, we see a lot in Beijing and Beijing is a city of 20 million people or something.

It's just mind-boggling number of people, you know, and also, you think like a density of that population to like, they're jammed into a small area, like, you know, something like New York is like, you know, that's probably the more populous cities in the world, but it's somewhat spread out.

You gotta Beijing it.

Boom, your Packed into their, you know, and one of the things I learned about spending some time, southeast Asia is it's like personal space.

Wasn't really a big deal over there and we're like really courteous and queuing.

Okay, I'll let you.

I mean, you know, out this forget this man, he's like football practice.

Try to get on that train.

Yeah, but you know, nobody takes it personally.

Hmm?
No.

Not at all.

You get right onto my rammed in the back.

Like, what was going on here?
It's my job to make sure I catch.

Get to work and that's just kind of how it goes.

It's like a herd of humanity here.

Just just trying to function.

So what was like, the most surprising thing for you.

When you, when you go to Beijing, the hygiene.

Yeah.

Their definition hygiene is drastically different than what we consider hygienic on the west side of the world, straight up straight.

That wasn't like, settling shock you or surprise you.

But you saw they don't wash their hands.

Yeah.

Don't brush their teeth like that.

So they not washing their hands and brush their teeth like that.

You think they watching a body like that, come on out, or something like that?
It was not surprising to me.

And so some of the stuff yourself or so they put us.

So I came in like we like a recruiting Russo was like 28 of us you have seen, they put us up in a hotel for two weeks and within that two weeks was going through training for actual jobs and we had to find a place to live so that was interesting trying to house hunting apartment, huh?
In Beijing.

But they had wrist agents that they was partnered with right here.

We can work with and you've seen a show us different spots.

I'm saying based on where we going to be working at and stuff like that.

So that process is pretty smooth.

Yeah and I think that's kind of a nice little bit of a transition that I have two weeks and have maybe a few sort of familiar faces in this cohort, kind of thing.

So you don't feel like you're entirely alone and isolated in this entirely different world.

My No facts.

Facts.

Are you gonna make some?
And like I said, what does 2828 some of us?
Like in the group it was Couples, um, saying if he was a couple, there's a few couples actually aside from that everybody else, but we all we got we all we need.

I mean, I know when I was in some of these countries Snowed hear someone speaking English.

Oh Bing me.

Look at yours till I ask, you want to find that person, you know, and in Canada.

I'd have like, whatever I'm going to talk to you about Bing.

Hey, you're here.

Hey, you can I can speak to you.

My brain doesn't hurt when I try to talk, like that's exactly how it's a more deeper reference.

When you're not the commonality you, I'm saying you're now.

You're aware interesting.

Now you're saying that if tables have turned.

Oh yeah.

And it's fun.

At least Americans most Americans that Lisa, I know, but I've never left the country for real for real even left a even home City.

He owns his own home state.

Yeah, come on so far as being a foreigner.

They don't have no clue what that they experience.

Like now they have well there ain't no foreigners.

They seem pointless growing up but far as what it's like to be one.

That's a whole different ballgame America's.

We so, self-centered and entitled and they, the world just revolves around us, for real, for real.

No.

Is that first in the classroom?
How'd that go for you?
Oh, so do my job a really easy into it?
Like I had some people in my recruiting class so who's that with training?
They was thrown straight into the fire.

I'll time I got like five six classes.

I'm like, whoa, that's crazy.

I'm sorry this none of us certified teacher before we even saying got this job.

So I was like man, I just hope somebody man.

My job blessed me.

They ease me into it.

I'm time I was Pretty much I was sorry been for weeks like I'm watching the other teachers that's already in my school teach.

I'm watching how they run a lessons and then they started working me.

Now, you gonna go sit in this class, you can go sit and so on, so class.

But they going to do this part of the lesson, this part, unless we want you to do this part.

Yeah, I'm saying.

Now we're gonna just spoon feeding me to you, okay.

Now you can run the whole thing on your own now.

Okay?
Now smile.

It's about time halfway through it that's when I started really getting like the folk of my classes.

Real for real, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

That's what a great way to do it.

I know when we started teaching down in Mexico, when Guadalajara like the, and they wouldn't, they just handed us like a curriculum with like lesson plans, like the like minute-by-minute.

Like, at this minute, you're doing really keeps this this minute.

You're gonna teach this thing here, you know?
And so it was all like, pretty pretty laid out for us.

So it wasn't all that work.

But but then, you know, the world teaching English for those who haven't like taught English abroad, the world or teaching English can also be a very, very D World.

We were traveling and having these visions of like this.

I don't know if again, probably, because I come from a small town in Canada.

You know that everyone's nice and all that sort of thing.

Yeah, you know, nice.

And honestly say hi to people and stuff like that.

Turns it, all the world isn't quite like that, you know.

Um, but I don't, you know, there's a lot of people like they pay cash.

They don't, they hide the fact you're working for them.

They, you know, remember one school like taking her passports, be like, we're gonna hold on to these.

I'm like it.

Done on that sort of piece of identification that well me Yeah, like you're not gonna hold this house is like that.

Yeah, none.

That's all I can tell ya like that.

Beijing did they definitely had a look system set up for show for show because it's easy for you to utilize that program to get in China.

And then now that you there and you got all you need, you can get up out of there and legal, folks, high and dry.

So the company I work for, they definitely had like a little system set in place.

Like, you have to look, you had to at least be there.

At least half of the time for you to get your lecture actual like, identify Chinese identification Williamson.

And change sides.

So I'm some, I probably just got out of there right before we just actually supposed to get them, but it's like, once you get that card, yeah, good.

You can do it, right?
And there's kind of an assumption that maybe like modern city, like Beijing.

That you might actually encounter people who, who speak some English from time to time.

But I imagine, you know, I remember seeing a sign, it was like, there are five We're maybe flying through.

London is like, there's five times as many people learning to speak English in China.

As there are people in the UK.

In other words, there's more than at that point time.

There was like more than 300 million people.

In China learning how to speak English.

And so, did you, did you find that like, like, when you trying to function data?
If you know, like buy food or, you know, get on Trends or things like that?
How did you find kind of getting around?
I did you learn to speak a little bit of Mandarin along the way.

Yeah, so when it was, once I got higher, I got hired and I drew Lots 2018.

So, is a three month long process.

Just get your visa to go over there.

So at that time, I was like, let me start learning some of this language.

I started looking through an app called mango, really good attitude.

Yeah, really, really good app.

Definitely encourage other tapping with mango.

You can learn this any language you want to and it ain't like traditionally like how they try to show you to be the beginnings, like ABC's 123's nodded.

They start off teaching full sentences.

We don't break down each census.

What he's worried mean, all that you I'm saying.

So you learning Fall in death sentences and then as the lessons progress, now they're going to take you back to the very beginning simple.

Some stuff but it's very interesting the way they run it.

So I was using that to learn a little bit of language that I don't want to be out there not know nothing.

Yeah.

Just foolish.

So I knew just enough to Move & Groove now fathers having to end up conversation like you and I have right now.

It's quiet.

Yeah because like Mandarin is a tonal language as well and so the same Sound pronounced in a different tone.

Has it totally a potential me different meaning.

Oh me, facts is it's and I thought, I don't know.

I'm like that's how I get there and I have some really monks the people on my about time I get out of China, be fluent in Mandarin.

So if folks started speaking I was like, okay, I see.

Now that's why I'm saying like to be a foreigner now.

My okay, yeah.

Now I see how it feels when any person from like Mexico or any other country come to America and they don't speak English like that.

Yeah.

How about a challenge intimidating man?
Stressful anxiety at all time?
High like.

Hey.

What?
Like especially dire in dire need of some?
You can't even communicate for real.

Nah, that's a yes.

Yeah.

You got like a whole lot more empathy, you know.

Yeah.

I remember, like, living in Poland and in Poland, they don't either speak a lot of English or real.

Just refuse to because they don't speak English perfectly.

Like, there's this like sign with Jonathan's.

Yeah.

And so trying to buy, Buy bus tickets and I'm thinking I'm saying something correctly.

I'm like looking at my phrasebook of like, man, I'm sure I got this right, you know.

No, not not at all and they're just like, I don't understand.

I don't understand, you know.

And I was just like, so angry.

I just like felt like more frustrated than angry just like Frozen in place.

And like, I'm literally trying to buy like a $1 bus ticket.

I can't even do that right now.

Like it was a humbling experience, you know, really sadly.

That's why I feel like everybody needs to travel.

You need to trap a man's mind expanding and yeah.

You know what?
We have a lot of Filipino workers that come over to Canada and, of course and they work a lot of like the coffee, chains and restaurants and things like that and and of course among themselves, they're going to speak whatever their dialect happens, via Tagalog or whatever dialect.

It might be and over here still there's there's quite a few people that.

I mean I live in kind of a redneck Province still because I've traveled like I have a different perspective, I hear them like man if only you understood like how comforting it is to like you know, in a world where surrounded by People talking to totally different way to find someone who speaks the same way you do man it smells ripe.

I get it and your braces.

Phrase haired man.

In China is just noise.

Like you hear a bunch of talking.

You hear so many different conversation, you don't know what's being said, you folks can be plotting against you all.

You know, it's just noise to you.

And yeah, literally, every time I step side, step foot outside of our apartment, like, we finna go.

We just commuting anywhere or man, I got my headphones on.

I'm listening to music, I ain't talking to nobody, I know.

Forgot my headphones on, but like, I'm back in college walking on campus like, for real like a bunch of noise, you hear English like what?
Who was that?
Babe, here's to ya.

Go slip, says here in Thailand and Vietnam and China One Work spoken can mean up to 15 different things that scare you can bad at work.

Yeah, yeah, thanks.

Yeah.

It's so we'll know along the way here.

I mean, I obviously, I love travel.

I love hearing people's stories of travel and I never actually made it to China.

That was like one of the Trees.

I didn't get to I've been to Southeast Asia but along the way you ended up getting arrested.

Yes, yes.

So six months, April 4th 2019, it's a day off for me.

I'm going to get ready to go to an event where I'm going to meet friends and colleagues.

At it's a fan painting then.

So we're going to customize our own Chinese fans, so I'm like, all right.

Before I go on to the pregame, for those that don't know what pre-gaming is say you and the group of your friends.

Friends or family, whoever group of folks.

Going to go out on a night full of festivity.

I don't have a blast but before y'all go out and say, hey, let's meet at so-and-so house, first, and we don't tell him his house and then we go out of having even more fun.

So I'm in my apartment by myself pre-gaming.

I'm drinking the Chinese wine cooler, smoke, some cannabis, I'm a little silver pipe, I get done.

Get dressed with will make sure I got everything for.

I need to go.

You're not going to do guess.

I don't familiar with curious to see who it is.

I looked through the peephole and there's the three officers when Beijing police and instantly right there but my heart sunk to my stomach, you don't say I'm single.

Yeah.

Oh, what they doing here now?
Is this their first time showing up randomly to our apartment?
No, this is the third time.

So I'm like, ain't no.

The first time was just want to check out these.

Make sure we was here legally.

The second time was just reminding Us by some safety hazard.

Don't like clearly this they do routine checkups on foreigners more dips and regularly so I'm like okay no telling what they want this time so it's gonna put everything up.

Open the door, they walk in the officers in front he's talking to me of course is the language barrier.

So I'm looking at him like I'm drunk.

I don't know what he's saying.

So he pulls out his phone speaks into a shows me the translation I'm reading.

Are you on drugs?
Huh.

Now for I'm from 11, the land of city of finesse you live by the Finesse you die about a finesse.

So easy.

I'm on drugs.

Now, what am I talkin?
My passport.

Yeah, but you might want to see my path, but you got me confused with somebody else.

Time passes another officer enters the apartment, he has something in his hand, he hands out item to the officer that I was originally speaking to, and that officer communicates to me that I need to pay into this cup.

So it's a drug test right there on the spot.

It's I said, it's over with now.

And I don't know what the legalities are in cannabis are in China.

Is it is a lot?
Is it legal?
I mean, how do you acquire it there?
My youth is not legal, no drugs illegal in China, right?
But far as a quiet, my tiny thing, when I first got there, I didn't think I was gonna be able to, I wouldn't even worried about no type of drum.

Like you ain't gonna be able to find nothing like that trying to strict only, I think they'd so straight day 90, you ain't gonna be able to find it.

I was wrong.

Michael my teachers that's been at 34 years.

Well you smiling which I mean I smoke cigarettes like is nothing so I'm like nah that's what I know is like that.

But so do the drug test.

I failed a drug test.

Of course, by this time it's like eight officers in the apartment and now they just were they really ransacking the place.

But one officer speaks English fluently.

And he said here, question me about failing a drug test.

When was the last time I smoked if I had any more on me who I get it from him saying, yeah, like I said earlier I'm from Atlanta, the city of finesse little body fitness you die by the Finesse.

So me and also we just going back and forth.

Everything he asked me first thing that comes to my mind.

I'm just learning that mind you.

I'm still hot in my mind.

I'm still geeked up.

It's the fog of War.

It's a critical hour I'm panicking.

I'm saying, mom is too big.

My leg not really an athlete, all of that.

So but we just going back and forth.

I'm just answering but without you, I'm saying person to come to my mind.

It got to a point where I was catching myself live so I knew he was catching me.

If I'm catching myself line, I don't know if that he's catching me lie.

Right.

Right.

Right.

You live out of finesse, you know, how about Fitness.

So I'm going to see him finesse till I can't no more.

So once he realized, I was gonna give him any extra information, he can work with that's when he made it.

Clear that the Stray was up caught red-handed.

They knew I had more Okay, for sure.

Like my body is suddenly dressed in the coldest Waters but it's like, hey, I died about a finesse.

I've got to hold myself accountable now, for show.

Yeah, yeah.

So I faced up to it though.

So on my stash, they confiscate everything through the cuffs on me.

Put me send me down and police van.

And I'm just reflecting on everything.

That's just transpired and disbelief, that is everything has just happened, has happened in.

I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I'm like, hey, just stay tuned.

You better yourself.

Yeah and out soon enough.

So do to my precinct we they're like 30 minutes till we get back in the van.

I don't know where we going.

Now, he gets another Precinct.

This one's a little bit bigger hats, hold of sales.

They change my clothes, give me a uniform, throw me in a holding cell for a little bit, then come get me to do my official interrogation.

Now, this is dramatic within the book because they take me to the basement of the precincts and to this all-white room and welcome to this, all metal chair.

That looks like an electric chair and open it up.

And that they look at me and I'm Looking at them, looking at each other.

I'm looking like, like I really want me to sit my ass down in this type of chair, they like hell yeah, so I said my ass down, I'm not seeing anything like my shins eyes waist, chest and arms all in one place.

Only part of my body, I can move with my head.

So I did my whole interrogation, just like this here locked in his chair, but by this time, they gave me plenty of time to come up with a good story to finish some with.

So Get him off of my made-up story.

They brought the transcription over for me to read it, but everything is in Mandarin.

I don't know what this thing says, but they say the sign and I signed it is a thumbprint, a thumbprint that Release Me From the chair.

Now we go upstairs to the mugshot handprint now, they throw me back in a holding cell.

Now I'm just in there right in a holding cell.

Are you by yourself or with other people?
I'm in embalming ever like eight other Chinese man.

Um saying - he's casting his sleep so they really upsetting pay me.

No mind.

I'm I'm still high and I'm just really just, I'm just reflecting.

Wait, like just running through this entire scenario over and over again.

What I could have, did better what?
I could have said better than interrogation.

Like wonder if they bought the statement.

I'm just like, man, how I could have avoided the situation?
Of course, you know, Sam was like Hey man, it is what it is.

Like just just and I just I wore my reflection.

It's really, that's all it is Young.

And now I'm starting to fade, not my highest.

I'm coming down now.

I'm starting to sleep now.

I was passed then they finally come get me from the wholesale.

Bring me to the lobby.

Give my best to close to me get dressed.

Hey, look see what you comply you work with these folks?
Your energy is good.

Hey good things.

Go your ways.

I'm not in that dress and wait for the next set of orders.

Like, whats up, Whats?
Happenin we finna.

Do they have me?
Followed him through the door and through the door behind the front desk in the lobby.

So, if the through this door, now we in a hallway at the end of the hallway, small room crowded with Officers can't really make hesitated with this room is but I'm gonna find out because I get so and into the room I can only guess is some form of evidence room is evidence bags.

Everywhere.

No formal organization structure whatsoever but it's hard.

Yeah, and the center of the room is the table and the middle of the tables, everything else confiscated from my apartment.

So the officers sitting at the table he takes it the weed and ways it up right there in front of me.

No, this is interesting phase within the book.

Because one, as a reader, you're curious to know, okay?
How much does he actually have on him too?
When have you ever heard or seen law enforcement?
Way, up whatever, they just confiscated from the, um, say the person to criminate just risk.

Yeah, that was, that was like, okay, this is interesting.

Yeah.

And so I was curious myself.

I'm I only know how much I have it in three.

Happened to this point.

I haven't received no information, follow us find happen.

Next.

I'm just learning as I go and it's like this, the entire story and so when the agent your name, but with that being said, I receive a lot of signs and messages from my ancestors, my guardian, angels higher Powers.

Let me know how long I would be in a situation.

How am I release will be as well.

But this is the very first sign I received and only live in Action Sign, receive the other two occurred in my dreams, but he weighs the weed up in front.

Of me and Toes out to be 1 .4 G.

Now, for those that partake of cannabis, you know, one point four grams isn't a lot if you don't partake in cannabis, we're talking Hewitt's of measurements one point four grams of anything isn't a lot.

So I have much on me, but you look at that number 1.4 if you removed that decimal, what nobody can get one, One point for you move the point.

Oh yeah, 14.

Sorry, 14, I'm running down my head.

That was a fair first sign.

I received you don't saying now that I catch it and this lie.

Absolutely.

Now the thing with clean over my head, it wasn't to out of wrote the book and now I'm editing it.

That's what I'm able to pinpoint everything.

I'm saying all the subliminals that you're saying I received, but so they put everything on paper.

I can't read it yet again.

Sign thumbprint, we get back in the van.

It's like 1:00 in the morning.

At this point I'm like I've been in custody all day.

I work with y'all.

It's no way I'm not taking me home at this point, so you're riding.

We riding 40 minutes past.

We arrived to the facility detail with tall walls and Barbed Wire.

Yeah, I'm like we just get started.

We just get a quick physical, then they get my official uniform.

Give me a plastic bowl, a plastic spoon.

And then they took me upstairs to the second floor with him in our house.

We got the sail 2009.

It's like 4:00 in the morning, the CEO opens the For my psych essentially thrown by setup of the cell.

The cell is number.

The big rectangle, I say 15 yards in length, 10 yards and with you have about three steps.

That's a really solid to good steps before.

The best are in the Bears are number wooden bunks wooden planks.

And they stretch from let's say you take two steps into the sale.

They start from there and they stretch all the way to the bank.

So it's an ally to walk down this way.

It's pretty much a are like this here, right?
Right.

Yeah.

So, I do a head count was it's full Cosmos.

So people are sleeping.

Well, I described the people sleeping as a slumber party in the book.

It looks like SpongeBob.

So I do a head count including me is 15 of us in this cell.

Account to B 9 days.

I will that explains why it looks like a slumber party across from the slumber.

Party are two Chinese inmate standing up against the wall wide awake watching, rest of those people sleep.

So, of course, with us only be in a few people up.

We make eye contact.

Now, the last thing these people expected to see.

Come walk through this bill just brother with locks, right?
Right.

Yeah, I expected to see was to Chinese motherfuckers want to sleep.

So, we just got this Awkward Moment of just like, Oh, come on here.

Oh me, trying to make sense of what's going on in.

The bathroom is to the left is his own separate room, but all the walls made of glass.

So everybody to sell can see inside.

Got a sink, a squat, toilet was a pretty much a hole in the ground.

You got to squat over and Shadow will number the water hose with a showerhead duct tape to it, black mold coats, the walls, get gnats, and flies & insects, and stuff flying around.

It's not the most sanitary place to say the least.

So I approached the slumber party trying to find a spot got to lay down one of the inmates.

I was taking watch weights to people up to make room for me and they do, they had me set, my bowl and Spoon.

And the Cubbies is underneath the bumps.

And I lay down between these two Chinese dudes, my hands on my chest, just like this here.

And I'm staying at the bright light on the ceiling, and that's when reality fully kicked in.

Hey boy.

Hey, looking good right now.

It ain't looking so good.

We gotta hold ourselves accountable.

We can't blame nobody for us, being in this predicament, but uh, so it is what it is.

We got it.

However, long.

We got to be here and we want to take that to the chin.

Now, moving forward, what needs to take place, forget about here where people got to realize you're here for or so, what needs to happen in order for that.

Well, you were supposed to meet friends and colleagues at that event today that you didn't show up to.

I'm sure they called you and you ain't answer.

Is that a red flag?
No, it's weird though now, you don't show up for your classes, Saturday and Sunday.

All hell's breaking loose, cause now I got to find somebody to cover all your classes last minute.

And one of those colleagues that I was gonna meet at that event me, her worked in the same school, so I didn't show up to the event and they call that an asinine showing up for work.

They caught him stealing answer.

Something's wrong.

Something's wrong.

So, that was one.

I'm like, all right, boom, to.

I'm gonna had a girlfriend at ton of Steel in America when I don't respond to her messages, all hell's breaking.

Somewhere.

I know I'm at the least sit through the weekend before I become missing on people's radar.

So right.

Right.

See it in a light cycle step by step and come Monday.

Hopefully the search for me will begin in, you know I'm saying.

So it's me just being aware of the situation holding myself accountable and just taking it step by step.

But man, I was like the 24 hours a day 7 days, a week 12:45 sale.

Now, wooden bed 3 soups a day and literally all I had was that one summer where bowl and now, At one plastic spoon and you just you kind of just learned to coexist.

Did anybody in your cell speak English at all or so, first three days.

I'm the only for non-english-speaking myself.

So, the first three days.

First, three chapters is no communication, only time people are communicating with me, is in regards to the.

We do officers interrogate me about the drugs.

That's the only time he for stalking me, aside from that, it's, it's quiet.

I don't know what it's quiet.

It's a lot of me, just reflecting observing was going on and just my perspective from it, you're saying just now me just reflecting on it.

But on day 4, chapter 4, I moved to a new cell and I'm amongst three new foreigners.

One is a Russian from Russia.

He only speaks Russian in Mandarin.

Big do Loves Me Like 63 240, 250 big cat.

I'm too much.

I called Ryan.

Throw it all boy-crazy.

You had a chinese-american in California and you had a Brazilian from Brazil you have said, so yeah.

Chinese-american the Brazilian they both fluent in English and Mandarin so not only can I communicate with to English speakers.

I could communicate with everybody in the sale now because I have translated.

So now you learned about all these new characters, all the Chinese folks I was locked up in a Cell before two of them moved to this new cell with me so he can learn more about them.

I mean, locked up with these folks, three days ain't been able to talk to them, so it's just learning all about, you're saying about China.

The culture had a law enforcement work, had a prison system work, just it's all his and then just all for my lens, um, saying, and And then yeah.

My my concept today seven so whole weekend as finally make contact outside world, I meet with my Embassy to date in chapter 10 but yeah it was nothing they could do for river is absolutely for us to get out the sales centrally and then one day a man they just finally call you later.

Come on.

Yeah.

You know and there's a lot of detail in there that's going to we're going to sleep for the book Mission.

It sounds like absolute fasting because I can see.

Now why?
Why it's 15 times like best seller on Amazon.

There's a lot in there man.

What a crazy experience.

What did it feel?
Like walking out of that walking out of the prison?
Like, did you know, like walking out like I'm released and they deport you or were you allowed to stay or so, once they ripped, when they call me to go, like, like this time me to be released.

I was blown away because I had a dream.

Let me know.

You're pretty much showed me exactly how this my release will be and my dream was dead ass like damn there.

Spot on.

So I was just I was really, I was just so just blown away with how intoned I was with my subconscious and you're saying the spiritual round throughout this whole two weeks.

Yeah.

I'm Sam, I don't think I've ever been this tapped in my entire life so that was just more.

It was just so mind-boggling, folks telling me to go, and I'm just sitting there stuck in space just like, Wow, I can't believe I just had it.

Man had a vision.

I had a vision about this and I was like, this is coming into fruition.

Then I snapped back into regular, oh, hold on me for telling me to go, honey.

So took me straight to my apartment to pack up the rest of my stuff and then straight to the airport while support from the country.

Okay, man.

That that is a heck of an adventure to get you to where you are today, just as you wind up a couple things to close up man, there, because there's someone, I'm gonna have to bring it back at some point because there's more, you've written multiple books and you are as well.

Away from this conversation.

What would you like them to take away?
Long-winded running through this life, like it was mine.

Never settling but setting every goal high 1000 burpees on the path to my own self destruction or success but what is mistake without the lesson you see the best teacher life is your own experience and none of us know who we are until we fail.

They say, every person is defined with a reaction to any given situation, well, who would you want to Define you?
Someone else or yourself?
What have you choose to do, homie?
Can your heart suit?
Stay strong.

I love that man.

Thank you so much.

It's been an absolute pleasure hanging.

Likewise from appreciate you.

Thank you so much for tuning in to between the before and after if you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review because that helps his podcast to reach and Inspire more people.

I love exploring the stories that take place between the before and after the powerful experiences that shape, who we become and I love human potential.

I love the possibilities that lie within us.

So, whatever you may be up against.

I hope these stories inspire you because you're still here, your story's not done yet, so, keep moving forwar

Jonathan McLernonProfile Photo

Jonathan McLernon

Coach

Coach Jon is a weight loss coach and emotional eating expert who has lost 100lbs. From nanotechnology researcher, to Navy marine engineer, to globetrotting nomad, Coach Jon spent most of his life running from his true calling, until one question changed his life. Now he's on a mission to help others lose weight for good and leave BS diets in the rearview mirror.

With Freedom Nutrition Coaching he marries the Science of Metabolism with the Psychology of Behavior Change and the Compassion of Human Connection to create life-changing transformations with his clients.

Chancellor JacksonProfile Photo

Chancellor Jackson

Bestselling Author

My name is Chancellor Jackson, I am looking for various platforms to expand/unpack deep topics. I know my perspective will provoke critical thinking, and grow understanding most importantly. I am also interested in promoting my books, '14 Days in Beijing', an unforgettable tale of my experience being locked up abroad in China, as well as 'You Love and You Learn' & 'Real Love Never Dies' a romantic drama about a man's journey of gaining emotional intelligence.

Writing is a late hobby of mine in addition to many more. I've ranked #1 best seller on Amazon over 15x since releasing 14 Days, and I want to keep the momentum going. I also coach aspiring authors to turn their dreams into reality.