February 23, 2025 • 52 mins
It's not uncommon for Hong Kongers to cross the border to the mainland to buy some "high copy" luxury items. While fake markets have been around China for a long time, host Mohammed Magdi remembers a time where a huge fake market was located in the middle of Shanghai, selling everything from questionable Beats by Dr. Dre to a flashlight that's also a taser.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
So I reiterate here, the bill isdead.
The story of this great city is about the years before this
night. We are free.
(00:23):
Hi everyone, it's a new episode of Hong Kong.
Sitting here kind of cold with my buddy who is warmer.
I am much warmer. I have the jacket on my body,
covering the hair on my arms andwarmed in my soul.
Yeah, that's why I'm cold, because my soul is cold.
Doesn't exist. Yeah, it's very empty in there,
(00:43):
Yeah. It's like every song, at some
point, every artist has had thatsong lyric where my soul is
cold. That's a rhyme that's going to
work. Yeah.
So you guarantee some of those. But yeah, so we're over here
again enjoying this hotted, thangot cold and got humid and got
dry. Yes, yeah, yeah.
It's, I think it's one of the longer, maybe we say that every
(01:04):
year, but one of the longer likecold weather things.
I can say that I think the last time I remember this happening
was back in 2015. The reason I say that is because
I went to Melbourne for the Comedy Festival my first time
and I remember precisely going there and getting there and
saying the weather is similar, similar weather.
And then? When I came back to Hong Kong in
May and I was like, oh, this is Hong Kong humidity, right?
(01:26):
I remember now. So the fact that I didn't
remember before going to Melbourne, I was like, yeah,
definitely that year had this year's temperature as well,
which tells you every time, ten years we're going to have good
weather. OK, well, do you consider this
good? Now we're recording?
Yeah, when it's like still kind of grey and.
Cold, well grey and cold is OK as long as you're like all like
sweaty and humid. That's true.
Yeah, it's a bit. Overcast today definitely, but I
(01:47):
would say I would take overcast days over humid sunny days.
That's true. We took the dog to around the
Taitam Reservoir area yesterday and yeah, I walked around for
like 3 hours. Not a drop of sweat.
Yeah, it's really good. Like so yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's like no one is like gassingout even like the high end
clients and stuff. Yeah, right.
(02:07):
Yeah, it's the time for it before maybe by the time this
comes out, it's already like over.
It's already like. Warm within the next 24 hours,
it's going to be like humid 42°.Yes, we're having like every
news articles about like climatechange.
Oh yeah, people are like wearingsports T-shirts, but somehow
it's supposed to be sweat wicking and doesn't Wick any
sweat. You know what I mean?
(02:27):
It's like it's one of those things where you have those
T-shirts where it's supposed to be like, it doesn't show sweat,
you know? And then it turns out, yeah, but
it's not waterproof. Yes.
So it's actually just soaked. Yeah.
So you have. Speaking of T-shirts, I am
wearing, coincidentally, a genuine Hugo Boss T-shirt.
Really. That it?
Yes. Are you serious?
Yes. Well, I've had it for.
(02:48):
A long time Hugo Boss T-shirt, Yes.
What's the What's the inspiration?
The inspiration is very simple. During COVID, yeah, the
government was giving people handouts and I exclusively
started buying dumb shit becauseI, I just like, I'm like, I
thought it was funny. So I actually bought like a
couple of like, yeah, basically luxury items.
(03:09):
And also I have Balenciaga shoesthat I've never worn because
they look so ridiculous, but they're also by thanks to the
Hong Kong government handout. I just decided to because I had
a job at the time, like the, thecoffee job.
So I didn't really need the money, like just extra money.
So I'm like, I'll just buy dumb shit.
So this is a genuine busty this is.
(03:30):
Brand new. Yeah, because I don't wear it a
lot, because it's luxury item. I just have it hanging.
So you're one of those people that you're like, when you have
that really good item, you're like, I'll keep it in sealed.
Yes. Are you the type of person that
when they have a television screen, they keep that little
plastic on the edges? Not on the TV screen, but on the
phone. On the phone, on the phone,
yeah. Yeah, like with that extra
(03:51):
screen protector. I keep that one on the TV
screen. A bit annoying because like you
can really see the reflection, the reflection, and also like it
just really mutes the colors. Yeah, but on the phone I keep it
for a while until it starts likepopping out from the side.
Yeah. OK.
So basically, you know those LEDscreens that have that little
thin layer of plastic? Yes.
(04:12):
So that you keep those for smallitems, Yes, yes.
What about then the edge of the TV?
In other words, not the TV screen.
Yeah. But you know how, like along the
edge of the TV, they have that one little thin plastic strip
that you need, like it's a really long set, but this goes
up. To be honest, I have not done
that for a very long time just because I never I haven't bought
(04:32):
a brand new TV. Buy second hand.
Yes, yeah, yeah, buy second handor it's like in the apartment
that I rent or whatever. Yeah.
So I actually I don't recall buying a brand new TV in the
last like since I came to Hong Kong.
So you're are you the type of person that when you buy stuff
you will keep the box as well? Yes.
So the box, yeah, I have a drawer of box of boxes of like,
(04:53):
like phones and like earphones and stuff.
Yeah. And my logic is usually like,
oh, you go back and like find like the warranty slip or
whatever. Yeah, none of this makes sense.
It's just junk in your drawer. Yeah.
So I now have like 3 phones ago.Actually what happens is that
when the phone dies, yes the go,the phone goes in back in its
box and now I have boxes of old phones.
(05:14):
So you have the old phone in this box in.
This box yes in a can't. Use correct dude that has that
would have a lot of retail value.
Yeah, probably. Sure.
That was not my intention, but Ishould go back and like
probably, yeah, just sell the phone like Shamshui PO with its
box. I'm sure, yeah, yeah.
And then people will be like, oh, it's a full collection for
people who want to have that kind of.
(05:34):
Collection. OK yeah.
You mean that collectors and stuff?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like literally, like, you know,
1015 year old phones in their boxes with all of their
accessories, like whatever is left, yeah, it's just all there.
It's just like a little coffin. Dude, this is like because I
tell you this because like when let's say camera lenses and
stuff, when I get second hand market, there's a there's you
get like an extra 5 or 10% with the boxes included.
(05:55):
Yes, yes, which? I'm the type of guy before not
so much because I was like I might myself since I have it one
day. Now I'm like I have limited
space in my home and I'm like the moment my item is in being
used, yes, the box is gone right, yes, I don't care if you
whatever you want to say. I cannot have this paper box in
my house potentially collecting bugs.
Yes, you know, I'm getting humidin summer.
(06:16):
Yeah. I think for the bigger items
like we talked about our Dyson'sa few weeks ago.
Got to go man. Yeah, yeah, that, that Dyson box
is just too big. I like the idea of having it,
but there's no chance I can stayin the house.
So that's gone. But then the Dyson like little
like cover thing that they give you with like I think mine like
give you a like a little like there's a couple for the
extensions. Oh yeah, like a little ouchy
(06:38):
thing. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That one has to stay because it's too nice.
Right, so. It's like the stuff that is
generally nice. I I keep.
Yeah, but like any box, like bigcardboard boxes, I don't know
who has space for that in Hong Kong.
That's. Well, I mean the good thing is
that cardboard boxes is highly attracted by many, many
individuals, correct? Yes, with the paper box,
(06:59):
cardboard box industry. What is the resale value of
these by the way? I think I heard it's like $1.00,
one kilo. OK, It's not too bad.
Not too bad. Yeah.
What happens? I remember the the process where
I was talking to someone, they would say that a lot of the
people who collect cover boxes, yeah, they would obviously put
some water over it. Yes, add the weights.
But yes, like if when you go around town you really do
collect them, you can get quite a few kilos of that stuff.
(07:21):
Yeah, of course, right. That's.
Why you got people with the trucks and everything coming
down like they're going all in. Yes, yes, right.
So I think that is the thing. And obviously you have the green
station that do the recycling. Yes, the six, The six, yeah,
yeah, you are a big fan of that I'm.
A big fan of that, yeah. I used to have one in front of
my old place in sign point that opened right when I moved out
which is really annoying becausethere was one behind me and I
(07:42):
was too lazy. And then I'm like, it's always
the excuse of like, I would haverecycled if you guys open at the
right time. So let me.
But it's your fault. Yeah, right.
You can make it convenient. For me exactly.
Which is true actually. Like initially when they took
away those recycling bins, I waslike, I screw this man, you
know, if you don't want to help me, I can help you kind of
things. Then they got the green stations
happening and the best thing that they do is now there's two
(08:03):
ways to play the game. One is you go in and you take
your stuff, can you put it into the the different compartment
bins. The other ones you line up and
you get your points for the weight of your items.
Huh. OK, so they actually have a have
a little point system and as much as as we mocked and made
fun of where I own 2 houses, yes, I will go line up.
Yeah. So you can get the points.
(08:25):
I get the points and eventually after I don't know how many,
maybe you. Get a pack of noodles or
something. Literally a pack of noodles,
man. Yeah.
Like you get like one of those like Shanghai noodles or like
maybe a bottle of oil. I'm like, let me just say the
best thing is what they didn't realize is that ball of oil, it
has a plastic container, yes, which I can then recycle.
And I'm like, this is called compound interest people.
(08:47):
OK, I'm reinvesting the plastic while they gave me back to go
into the next thing which I can now reinvest and reinvest.
I really hope did you ever get recognized in that line.
All the time. Do the guys recognize me?
All the time, man. Like they know who I am.
Yeah, they know who I am. Did.
They not call you out on it. Like, they're like looking.
You need to line up. No, you OK?
(09:08):
This is the thing you must understand the psychology of
someone who does work in those stations is that they are the
type of president who wants to save the plant, Right?
Yes, of course. So the fact that they see
someone like myself lining up, yeah, they're not going to be
like, are you cheapskate you or yes, they're like, oh, this
guy's legit. Like he's.
Really. Right.
You're right, yes. And they're forgetting the fact
that I'm trying to get that freeball of oil.
And the thing, this guy has a lot of junk he doesn't want to
(09:30):
throw away. Yes, and he's trying to recycle.
So they're seeing like the good,not the cheapest.
That's good, Yeah, because that's what they focused on,
right? Yeah.
Is what you focused on anyway. So the best part is that what
they don't, at least I don't feel that they give me The Dirty
eye and then the weird look of is like, you're back here this
week again. Yeah, with this much shit.
(09:51):
Yeah, yeah. It's like how much shit do you
buy like. What have you done in your life
that you got, like this much junk in one week?
Yeah. Now remember, I'm on camber,
which means we have 3 stations. OK?
On a Monday morning, we have it under the escalator.
On a Thursday evening, we have the same thing under the
escalator. I love that you know there is
scheduled schedule. Dude, yeah.
And then on Saturday afternoon, we have another one, like a
(10:11):
little far off, but I can walk to it and I can still somehow
every week at least hit two of them nice with stuff to give.
Yeah. Boy, this is so much.
And. And The thing is what?
Do you usually just like mostly plastic or just.
Like batteries big with paper like paper is my thing 'cause
like I get so much that say mailor or documents on this and I
got to do. So you give them even like they
(10:32):
like, yeah, if you get like a whatever bullshit advertising
and Oh yeah, yeah, like you can recycle that.
You just give it to them. Yeah, yeah, wow, that is
actually, I imagine it's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot for like the
whole household, 2 houses or whatever.
That is everything. What do they do with it?
I believe they will like get thepulp out and then like turn it
into that pulpy whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
OK. But I do, I do feel bad because
like, there must be some sort oflevel of human processing or
(10:54):
something where they got to go through all that stuff and find
someone messed this one up. Yes, Because I could totally
tell someone has definitely not cared.
Just chucked everything. Whatever.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Which is probably why they got rid of the street stations,
because people are probably doing that, dumping their junk
there. At least you get some
monitoring, right? The good thing, though, is that
you do this and then it gets me excited.
(11:15):
Yeah. And I think this is the power of
a deadline where you're like, I,man, it's Monday morning.
Yeah. And you think we have anything
to get rid of, you know? And you're like, oh, this is it.
And that's when I get the incentive to.
I have a new item and I'm like, do I want to keep the box or
not? I'm like, well, it's now or
never, dude, you have to get ridof that box today or wait till
Thursday. And that's when I'm like, I
screw it, let's go. Yeah, and like.
Quickly get processed, take out the little labels, whatever, and
(11:37):
I'm like, this has got to get out of here.
Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah, man, the how?
Do you, do you not worry? I have have this paranoia of
like like I take my name like ifI have a delivery from like HKTV
mall or. Something cut the label off.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Make sure that your name and
phone number or your address is not connected.
Yeah. OK.
So you do the same. I guess that's normal.
Yeah, it's for a lot of people, yeah.
I think like the only reason I take it off is simply because
(11:58):
I'm like, I don't, I'm not awareof what the QR codes actually
supply. And yes, and I'm like, you know
what? It's just like how people have
that thing where never take a photo of your boarding pass.
Yes, I was just thinking of that.
Yeah, Yeah. I told Annie about it and she
didn't believe me. And then I looked it up and it's
like totally, very true. Like the the news are saying,
stop posting photos of your boarding pass with a little QR
like that barcode on it because it basically has all your
(12:20):
passport information. Pilots, We have a bunch of
pilots watching and listening. You can correct us on this, but
I'm pretty sure when I looked itup that was the case And like
see did you block the the boarding pass with your finger
or something You. Know it's like be like oh, look
at my champagne with my passport, but who can see the
boarding pass right over there yeah.
So like these kinds of things and I've also learnt how a lot
(12:43):
of the receipts you get at restaurants, yes, the ones when
they have like little carbon print on it yeah, those, those
can be recycled, yes. And those annoy me because I get
a shit ton of those. I'm like God damn it.
Man, yeah, very annoying. It's like they are like also
like quite like, like thin paper, right?
It's like it's too weak to recycle.
I guess that or maybe that type of paper is just not, no, yeah,
one of those things, but. Yeah, people are asking like
(13:05):
because I also it sounded now that I was just bragging about
my genuine Hugo Boss T-shirt. There is a point of me saying
this. And then we, of course, like
started talking about others. Yeah.
So the reason I was mentioning it is because I recently I
watched a documentary on like, the fake markets in China, which
is fascinating. I actually realized that there
is a guy in Hong Kong who we aretrying to get on the podcast
(13:27):
now, who, whose job? He has a consultancy company and
his job is to go. He gets hired by brands and he
goes into China, pretends to be like, he's like basically
investigative whatever. Yeah.
And he gets hired by brands to go into China, pretends to be
like a big wholesaler. And he tries to find their
their, their factories and then works with the Chinese
(13:48):
authorities to shut them down. Whoa.
And he's like a big white guy. And he's genuinely like, he goes
like undercover and stuff. He has like, wigs.
And it's fascinating. Oh my.
God, that's, that's just, that'sanother level, man.
When you're like sitting at homegoing like, you know, how can I
fuck something up, man? Yes.
Yeah, you know exactly. One of the cool like I've always
(14:10):
thought we have like, and we still do like have some of the
coolest jobs ever, the stuff that we do.
But I'm like, that's a job. I would be like, I would trade
lives with that guy just to be like put on like a wig and go to
China and be like, I am a traderfrom the Middle East.
Dude, show me your facts. Like he has he's like, is it
method acting? He has to be like, yeah, he's
(14:30):
like looking at mega like. What is this?
Yeah. No, no, no, I've done that.
I've done that in that mall. No, they'll recognize the voice.
What is this? Yeah, I was just like, yeah,
learn like a Russian accent. This works.
For like a month to sound like Borat, yeah.
Goes in there one, they just become the Donald Trump.
I want to know something like that.
(14:51):
Yeah. The best thing is that maybe he
keeps a whole log of which characters he used in which.
Mall has to Yeah, yeah. This is not even like secret
information. It's on the documentary that is
on Netflix. I can find it and put it in the
description of the episode. But yeah, like I recognize like,
like the the he was being interviewed and he was like
(15:11):
somewhere in Hong Kong. So I knew right away he was in
Hong Kong. And then I looked him up and
yeah, he still has a consultancyhere.
And I'm like, and he's showing his wig collection and stuff.
Dude, that is so cool. You know, like playing video
games when you make your character, yes, you're like Ding
Ding Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding yellow wig.
Yes, exactly. He's like, he's playing his own
kind. Yeah, yeah, for a job.
(15:32):
It's so cool. Dude, this is this is what I
mean. There's always value in
everything. On one hand, you're like, this
kid likes to cross dress what the hell you're doing.
Yeah. On the other hand, this guy gets
paid bucks. Yes, to do.
Exactly what a lot of people do just for fun for a party.
He's like, no, no, no, I don't do that for fun.
You pay me to do. That you guys, you are to this
is again not, not any secret information.
(15:53):
I just looked up the company because the company's called
Panoramic Consulting Consulting Limited and it's he has an
office on Devo Road. This is all public information.
This is his own website and the guy's name is Theo Cavo Ras
Junior and Theodore Cavo Ras Junior.
(16:13):
Who knows if it was his real name.
But if you guys find the information, e-mail him and tell
him we want you on this podcast.We genuine.
We did, you know, get in touch and we're hoping to hear back,
but you can put some pressure onTO and get him on our podcast
because I would love to talk to that guy.
Yeah, wow. The the best thing is I can
(16:33):
imagine that the day came when he had to write that letter in
school. But like, what do you want to do
when you grow older? So I want to be a doctor.
I want to be a fight fighter. This guy's like, I'm going to
shut down fake brands so I can help Hugo bosses and all those
luxury brands. Yes, exactly which is best
thing? Questionable.
Right. It's like, it's like you have,
let's say this mom and pop shop in, let's say mainland China and
(16:54):
they're working hard. They're like, you know what,
son? You know, like we couldn't
afford education for you. Yeah.
But what we can do is that we our hands, our hands are our
skilled. We can use our hands and create
stuff. You see that item over there
that's so expensive. But with our hands, we can do
the sun. Let's do this as a family
tradition. The sun's like, Daddy, that
makes sense. I'm going to spend the next 10
years of my life trying to use my hands and get mastery over
(17:16):
these. They start getting, let's say,
Gucci bags, and then they're like, let us mimic this thing
and. And out of honor.
I mean, after all, what's the word?
Copying is like a flattery. Of like, yeah, yeah, copying is
the the highest form of flattery.
Yeah, and they're like, we genuinely love you, Hugo Boss.
Your stuff is fantastic to the point I want to dedicate my life
to just be like you. But you'll never know who I am
(17:37):
because I don't have this, this,this is this.
So therefore, let me do the bestnext thing, which is I want to,
I want to copy you out of true respect.
Yes. And they're doing this.
They're sitting over there. You've got this romantic, this
this collage of videos. Where you have the guys like,
yeah, yeah, many times, like allthe drafts are like getting
thrown out. Yeah.
Not good enough. No.
My dad's like, yeah, cutting to dad at 4:00 AM No.
(17:58):
Yeah, start over. And you finally have the one
like the the kid over there is falling asleep next to the yes.
And the dad like sees him like put the put the blanket over the
head. And finally you cut to the shot
where you have the kid fast asleep.
And then the dad wakes up the next morning.
He brushes his eyes and he walksover to the lamp, the lamp just
like right over shining over thelittle handbag.
(18:20):
And he looks at, he's like. Approved.
Yeah, he puts it up in the sunlight.
He's looking at you like wow, wow.
And then and then he looks at his kid and he has a tear.
And I think we did it exactly. We finally can Hugo Boss.
We do it. And then this fucking Theodore
guy walks up and he's like, hey,today he has to be like, I don't
like a New York. Hey, what the hell is this?
(18:42):
Yeah, well, he's not even doing that.
He's like I buy many of your products.
There's a bit, there's that. No, hold on.
I'm trying to think like what? What kind of character you need
to be this time? OK, so let's so with Hugo Boss.
What do you think? It sounds German.
I can't do that. Me either.
Get to the get to the chopper. I have no idea.
So. You know, just fucking Arnold.
(19:04):
He goes there to the shop, he points out the item.
They're looking at him and they're like, oh, this is for,
let's say 10,000 renminbi. Yes.
He's like, ah shit, I don't havethe money on me, I better go get
something. So you know what?
He tells him I'll be back. I'll be back.
I would go to Hong Kong, but I will be.
Back exactly he comes back with 10,000 renminbi and and then
they look at him like and they're like in switch like I
don't know this guy doesn't seem.
(19:29):
Germany, right? Whatever, and.
Theo realizes like, shit, my cupis going to get blown and
everything and out of just pure anxiety and worry of like, I
shit, I get to, I get to prove to them I have something,
something European. Yeah.
He gets the bag and before he runs off he says hasta La Vista
baby. This is probably in a fake
(19:52):
market it in on the border of Hong Kong so you can run back
exactly so quickly. Yeah, the best thing is that he
doesn't have to run back becausehe has like the new license
plates. Yeah, so he can actually hop
onto his motor. He definitely has 1.
He would have one, yeah. He hops on his motorbike.
Yeah, he has his sunglasses on, just driving ahead.
And for some reason, electronic toll gate.
Yeah, yeah. He goes straight in.
Yeah, yeah. And for some reason, someone
(20:13):
that just looks like John Connorsits on his bike as well.
He's like, what the fuck? Yeah.
And then that all happens and hecomes back home.
He's like, I could do this for living.
Yes, this was too much fun. Yeah, I have to do this for
living now. Yeah.
But yeah, crazy, crazy job. One of the crazier jobs I've
heard of recently when I was living in Shanghai and all
Shanghai hands would know that we used to have a huge market on
(20:35):
W Nanjing Rd., which is the biggest, one of the biggest
commercial roads in Shanghai. And it was basically we just
called it the fake market because that's what it was.
Yeah, it's now it's shut down like a few years ago, before I
moved here, the Shanghai authorities started like
cleaning up. So there was that big fake
market was shut down, but it wasone of the main stops for anyone
(20:57):
visiting from outside of Shanghai.
You take them there. Oh yeah, you have to go take it
out. You're like, whoa.
Check it out. So I remember even taking my
brother around and you know other whoever was visiting and
you can get everything like starting from I remember like
back in the day, the good old days 2014 fifteen.
You can get a flashlight that isalso a proper Taser.
(21:20):
Like a legit like you can kill somebody with.
Such a mainland Chinese mentality of like let's take 3
items that sell well, combine them and hopefully sell three
times the price. Yep, but sell for that one the
same price. Dude, it was, it was a proper
weapon. Like it's, it's like a really
strong flashlight and it's just like, you know, you switch the
(21:41):
button and it goes just like the, the, the, the.
You. Can also see it like the movies
you're just seeing electric shock on it and it's like how
the fuck? And of course I bought 1 and you
know, you usually go for like 10% and then what happened is
that a couple of years later, like back in Egypt, like the
(22:02):
security was not that great. So I started like I'm.
Not going to take it. Out.
Well, I tried. So I actually went like, oh, I
was just going to buy a bunch ofmy cousin and my female cousins.
They can just all keep them in their pocket.
In their purses. Which would be cool.
So wait wait, so the the torch doesn't work simultaneously with
the Taser as well? You can do both.
OK, that's good. Because you want to see your and
(22:24):
I mean get tased. Yes.
Yeah. OK, I want to make.
Sure. Yeah, just like one of those
like generic like flashlight with like like black, Yeah.
And then, yeah, you switch the button and now we can also it's.
Light and taste. Dude that is so cool.
Like to see the expression on the face?
Yes, exactly as you're seeing itvery clearly.
Yeah. So I tried to go back to Egypt
(22:45):
one time and it was in my like not even the carry on.
It was in the checked luggage. Yeah.
And they, you know how like sometimes they send it back and
then like, oh, you have to go see like something is wrong in
your in your suitcase. Yeah.
And they go out and the securityguy just, like, takes it out and
he goes, this is a weapon. I'm like, yeah, that's why it's
my checked luggage, not. Yeah.
(23:07):
Exactly. I'm not stupid enough to take it
on the plane. Yeah.
And he's like, that is a proper weapon that he cannot fly with.
I'm like and then I told them I bought it from.
You security as in which before you board, before you board it,
yes, yeah, yeah. How do you get to see?
How do they? No.
So when you check in some, at least in Shanghai, they send the
suitcase to like a little quick scan thing and you have to wait
(23:29):
until they clear you and then they give you.
I think the reason because I you, you go to your checking
counter and your suitcase goes and you walk into the departure.
Yes, yes, but in, in Shanghai, whatever, they have this thing
'cause they're like everyone is fucking buying Tasers.
Yeah, exactly. Flying with actual weapons.
Yeah, like, like, like we actually have to just
immediately check, yes, the suitcase.
(23:51):
Yeah 'cause unfortunately, unlike everywhere else in the
world where it's unlikely they have Tasers, it seems to be like
the likeliness is like, Yep, we have another one.
Taser. Exactly.
Oh, wow. And.
I actually told them I'm like, I'm, I didn't like push back.
I'm like, I know it's a tailor, but also bought it legally in
China. I bought it here.
I'm not trying to smuggle it. And he goes, no, no, no, no.
(24:12):
And he's like, when I push back,I'm like, can I, can you keep it
here? And then when I come back, I'll
take it. Sometimes you confiscate
something, but if it's not illegal, you can keep it at the
airport or whatever. Yeah, But he's like, no, we're
going to definitely confiscate this and you're not going to get
it back. And if you give us more trouble,
we're going to, like, start likea case of like smuggling
weapons. I'm like, sorry.
(24:32):
All right. Wow.
But then part of the cleanup wasI went back to the fake market
because I really wanted one. Yeah.
And then they got rid of it. So I might have started.
The store is gone. The store, not just the store,
that particular item, because they used to sell them
everywhere. Crazy.
Yeah, you could just buy a Taser.
A proper Taser. You know what's funny though?
Like we're here, we're losing our shit over a Taser.
(24:54):
Yes, but like, let's say someone, let's say in the
States, so they say like, I can buy a gun, yes.
How much Tasers? Jeff Ross has a great bit about
how Walmart Mart sells boots until midnight, sells weapons
for 20, sells guns for 24 hours.Yeah, if you want to drink after
midnight, you just buy a gun androb Walmart.
It's just like. Right there man, the logic makes
(25:17):
sense. Just very tight logic.
Yeah. So it also speaks everything
about America's complete The fuck Yeah.
Yeah, it seems like a priority to complete the wrong man.
Oh. God, but yeah, so they used to
have these fake markets. Now they're gone.
Now I think they are in on like those are like obviously in
Guangzhou and stuff and a closerto the border here.
Have you ever bought like something from the fake markets
(25:40):
on the Chinese side? Like.
I've never done cuz I think I was too young when that was the
thing to do. Yeah, I do know a lot of
relatives who would frequently go to China claiming they're
going just for a meal or business or whatever.
And I'm like, but you have a lotof Gucci bags and I don't really
think you can afford that many Gucci bags.
Yeah. And you get, there was something
off about it. You just like, I don't know, the
(26:01):
shimmer just doesn't seem right.Yeah, yeah.
Or like sometimes the glue is like showing a little bit.
Yeah, I think the one thing though, is that it's that shame
in people's eyes when they know that like, this is a fake.
Yes, I'm a I'm a fraud like likeyou can tell that like yeah.
There's a certain day, like, please, please don't look that.
That bag's too long. Please don't look at.
Oh my God, he's looking at it. Oh, yeah.
(26:23):
Whereas somebody has a real thing.
We were like, that's right. You look at that bag.
Damn straight. I had one at Manila airport that
I took a photo of and posted it on my Instagram of I will show
this on the screen as well on the edit it will be on the main
screen. It's it's YST.
It's Eve sent Trudeau. You said Laurel, That's what the
(26:46):
Trudeau's also. Yeah, yes, it's.
Just it's supposed to obviously be YSL.
Yeah, yeah. And that is like a proper, like
a full T That's why I'm like, all right, at least you're not.
Really. Yeah, Hiding it.
I think that's why clearly one of those loopholes, you know?
So instead of Hugo Boss, we callHugo Boss, Yes.
Yeah, there is like we had like when you go to the equivalent of
(27:06):
the fake market in like third world countries, you can get
like the really, really bad RIP offs.
And we like growing up, I would see someone like wearing like
slippers that are like not even like Adibus, but it's like not
even close to the. World it just had like 4 stripes
like what 4? Stripes, like, the world is
completely butchered. Yeah.
(27:27):
And I always thought, like, maybe, like Theodore, if he
comes on, you can tell us how itworks because I'm like, are the
fake ones also, like, ripping off each other?
That's why you can't have. Oh, yeah, You know what I mean?
Like. Oh.
Adibus, and it's like adibus. Yes, Adibus is suing Adibus.
That could be it, Yeah. That that that mean?
I think, I think that's probablya legal loophole, yes.
(27:48):
Or like a great area where like,well, it's not Adidas, it's
Adibus. So you saw me.
But then the Adibus guys like, hey man, I am Adibus, what the
fuck? Yeah.
Is that I, I, I have no, no idea.
But I think I think definitely if you ask me just purely from
instinctive guessing, yes, I would like.
No, it's not. I don't copy you.
I have 4 stripes, you have three.
You don't own stripes. I saw I saw one that was like a
(28:09):
really good North Face RIP off. Unfortunately I don't remember.
I think it was like a really good, like let me.
Guess the name is North Race. Something like that.
It was, I don't remember. No, it's.
Not North. Race.
But it's something so clever. I'm like, fuck, that's good.
If you if you have seen obviously a lot of China, like
(28:29):
people have been around China for a long time have seen like
this post like sometimes you take a photo.
There is the Shanghai observed Instagram account is a good one
for this. But in general people have seen
like fake like like jackets and stuff right in If you remember
your favorite one, especially with brands that are like a
little different. I remember Nick.
(28:50):
Nick was called. Nike, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I remember when I was young, it definitely two things.
I. There were two incidents I
recall right now #1 remember Reebok Pumps?
Yes, of course. OK, so I could never afford
Reebok Pumps. Depends.
Like hell no with that's insane,yes.
However, they got me Yamasakis, OK, which were like just made
some bullshit brand, whatever, right?
(29:11):
The thing I used to do, yeah, isI would go to school.
My friends had Reebok Pumps and everything.
Yeah. And the Reebok Pump thing is
like on the little tongue area, you got that little pump thing.
Yeah. And like, fill up your shoe,
right? Yes.
So the Yamasakis, Yeah, there's Yamasakis, yeah.
The sides of it had some extra padding.
So I would tell them, yeah, thatif I press the padding on the
side, it pumps my shoe just likeReebok Pumps, right.
(29:34):
My friend's like, really? I'm like, yeah, see, it's
tighter than like huh, sure and this purely came from me being
so ashamed yes that I was like, oh shit, I really have not.
It's not even like a fake one that looks like the real one.
This is telling you the brand has nothing like it.
Yes, that's one. The other one was the I remember
(29:55):
ladies market. Yes, before they would have a
lot of fake stuff. So that's also a bit cleaned up
now. It's cleaned up, yeah.
Yeah, but you do get like those handbaggy things.
But I'm guessing you'll see YST,you won't see YSL Yes yes,
because you can't sell that kindof fake right.
But what I do remember though, is like back in the day, I think
when I was listening to corn, that was a time when like the
Adidas, you know those those button on pants, the one that
(30:18):
the buttons on the side yes, that was a big trend yes.
And I remember watching the NBA and all these NBA players were
just like before they get on to court to play yes, just RIP
their pants up and again it's going I'm like, Oh my God, I.
Need to. Do that when I'm at school and I
get to play in the basketball pants.
I can't get up and undo my pants.
I'm I'm in the court, man. You know, so I remember talking
(30:41):
about. It's too easy.
Yeah, like, come on, man. And I remember seeing that and
then when I saw, let's say, Corn, Jonathan the the vocalist
from Corn, he was wearing that. I'm like, Oh my God, Corns.
Oh my God. It's all of your words.
Colliding every little collidingon that I need that has to
happen. That needs to happen.
And I remember my I told my mom and I saw something similar in
Ladies Market. We got it.
(31:02):
And at that time I wasn't observing enough.
I thought, oh, maybe because they don't have a shop.
Yeah, they're cheaper. Yeah, when you actually have in
the shop, it's like five times the price.
Yeah, they're paying rent or. Yeah, I think that makes sense.
You know, I got it and then I remember getting it and then I
it was probably like either the stripes were wrong or something
like that. And I went to school going like,
oh shit, man, yo-yo, call me into the court, do that.
(31:24):
And like people were looking. Like all the buttons flying.
Yeah, yeah, something weird. What happened?
And I was like, oh shit, this isnot the real thing.
Yeah, my friend's looking at me like, did you get a fake one?
I'm like, no, no, why would I get No, I I got the real deal.
They're like, no, so I look at this, I'm like, oh shit, yeah.
So that. Explains so much about you now
(31:45):
about how your everything you have is authentic.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Once you start having a little
bit of money, you're like, I'm going to buy the new, the good
software. Yeah, the good like game.
Absolutely man. Like, I'll tell you this all,
half of it also is a the fact that I need things to just work
yes. So I'll give you an example.
I'm sure all of us done this when we were young.
We always got like pirated videogames and everything.
(32:06):
Of course, that was the thing. It was like the the beginning
was the floppy disk copying. In Hong Kong, there were shops
that would sell computer Gads and everything.
Yes, yes. And they would have a full
booklet of catalogue of. Games and you can just copy it
on another flop they copy it for.
You yeah, you can actually bringyour own floppy disk or they
have obvious you can buy and they can do that.
I remember playing this game, for example, like when I was
(32:27):
young, I played games with by Lucas Arts.
If anyone recognized is that my God, you're awesome.
And I would play those games Andwhat is the game Lucas Lucas
Arts would basically George Lucas.
He had a game company, right? Yeah.
And they came out with a bunch of games with these puzzle
games. In other words, adventure games.
You gotta walk around town, solve problems, right.
Very creatively. Yes.
And I keep saying, and many people that asked me this, like
(32:49):
those games have shaped why I think the way I think.
All right, Which is why I'm sucha pro, pro gamer guy.
As I tell your kids to play games, it's going to shape the
way they think. They see the world differently,
everything. Anyway, So I copied all stuff to
the point that even the manuals they would photocopy in black
and white because back then video games, what they would
have, they would have like Lucasart especially would have
some of these these codes in thebeginning to have to saw to to
(33:12):
to play the game. So we know you don't have to
pirate a copy, activate, activate JS.
Yeah, you know, but it was an actual physical thing that you
have to spin a dial or whatever.Yeah, yeah.
What would be like so? I'll give you an example, Right.
Monkey Island used to have this little sundial where they would
have, let's say, hat the sundialwould have on the bottom dial is
top of the head, the top dial atthe bottom of the head.
(33:32):
And they would show a combination of like, monkey head
combined with fish head. That's what's interesting.
Yes. You know.
Yeah. And so you'd actually have to
photocopy that dial and cut yourown to spin it around.
Yes. You know, I did all that stuff.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
I remember that man. And then there's wait, there's
so the shop would sell you. The the photocopy.
Photocopy. Yeah, yeah.
And then you would go home and cut it up and put it off to
(33:54):
punch it all in together so you could spin the Dow.
Yeah, right. Similarly to that, like when I
would buy like a new computer orwhatever, like maybe like 2 when
I was like growing up. So the second one comes with
like a Windows like, but it's a trial thing.
And then after like 30 days, they're like enter the
activation code. So now we have to go online and
(34:15):
just like Google, like Windows activation code and you get like
so many like like fake pages andstuff.
And you have, I think you I musthave spent literally weeks.
Trying which one? Works Oh yes, yes, one of them
and then some of them back then you don't have a credit card as
a kid. So I'm like ask you for a credit
card and you're like, ah, I don't know what to do.
So you start looking for fake credit card.
(34:36):
Numbers. Oh my God, really?
I've never done that part, but yeah, wow.
As a teenager, you just tried everything.
Yeah. Like anything that needed a
credit card, then you're stuck. Then you actually go on.
Like, what we had then was like chat rooms.
Yeah. Of ICU and PAL talk.
So ask people, are you familiar with PAL?
Talk. No, I see you definitely.
Yeah, so pal talk was I guess like third word.
(34:57):
Yeah, like chat rooms and stuff.Yeah.
And you know, again, as a kid, this is a weird the tangent, but
as a kid, sometimes you walk into the wrong room and it's
actual pedophiles. And you're like, Oh, yeah, no,
no, no, no, no. No, you go into the rooms where
they're like like hackers, but they're like bullshit hackers.
(35:19):
It's like, oh, click on this link and get like the credit
card number and you click on it and you just go into weird
rabbit hole. And then this is all to try to
get a credit card to get the fake windows serial numbers.
You can put it on your real windows.
Yeah, Oh my God. Ages, yeah, and then maybe one
of them would hit eventually. Like holy shit I love like a
(35:41):
real Windows. Yeah.
Oh my God, no. Idea how much time we wasted
Yeah doing this. But then when you're a kid,
you're like screwed. I can spend the whole day to
save 10 bucks. Yeah, Yeah.
I don't have that and. There's no way I can get it.
Yeah. There's no way I can make $10.
There's no way. So I can stay all day or I
could, you know, get a job. I can't get a job.
No. Too young.
(36:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I mean, that's the thing.
The software wise, definitely. Nowadays though, there still is,
like obviously with the Taurus. So the when Napster came out,
yes, with the whole Metallica thing, suiting them and
everything, which, OK, I'll be honest with you.
When Napster first came out, on one hand they did kind of what
Spotify and all of them are doing now.
It's just that no one is gettingpaid for that, right?
However, you can now suddenly have access to all these
(36:22):
different music. Like, I've never heard of this.
This is awesome. But I'll be honest with you,
Napster it when I found a band or a song that I really like, I
would actually want to save money to buy the CD.
Nice. Because I want to own it.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah. Nowadays, all the end up with
Spotify and stuff I'm I don't want to go out and buy the CD
yeah because space yeah and alsoI don't want to see the player
yeah and at the same time I'm like well, it's all there it's
(36:44):
all there yeah what would I yeahit's more convenient here and
well. It goes back also to the Hong
Kong space issue, because even if you are to like collect CDs
or whatever, you're just like I.Don't know where to put it you.
Don't know where to put it. Yeah, he's a Limewire guy.
So Limewire was another thing that you like, go on.
And then you like download, like, you know, the new Britney
Spears song or whatever. And you're like, but then you're
(37:06):
like, oh, it's only one minute. So sometimes you just give you
like a little thing. But then at some point also
Limewire just gave up on trying to be legit.
And all the music was pirated. And I think that's when they got
in real trouble because the artists like the comp, the
production companies came for them.
But like, all my music was on this is this sounds like such a
nostalgic episode because you download them from Limewire, but
(37:29):
you don't play it on Limewire, you play it on Winamp.
Winamp. Yeah, Winamp.
This is something that Lava has asked.
Yeah, yeah. And if you're really cool, you
can change the Winamp skin. Yeah, and.
Make your own as well if you want to make your.
Own Yeah, I wasn't that you werethe nerd.
Do that. I would do that.
Yeah, I would just download skins.
I'm like, oh, then you Winamp. So it's like.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just play with Yeah, yeah, so
(37:52):
stupid, yeah. So go back to the fake products
between Hong Kong and and and mainland.
The. So according to the documentary,
there is still like malls, like right on the Lujo border, Yeah,
that you can just go and like get stuff from like because in
Hong Kong it's tighter, right? Like the authorities.
But then there they say that when you go and you like shut,
(38:13):
like the authorities go and shutdown the whole street the next
week just falls back up. Yeah, yeah.
So it's like they're describing it as a game of whack a mole.
Yeah, yeah, this one, yeah. I mean, I mean, I think isn't
that like with a lot of listed websites and everything, they
try to block it, They're like, yeah, we just go over there.
I mean, I mean, now it is obviously the kids know torrents
and everything, yes. And with a lot of websites with
(38:34):
torrent sites, they they shut itoff like you say,
torrentsuper.com. Yes, yes, yes.
Next week, torrentsuper.net. Yes, yes, torrent super dot XYZ.
Yeah, forget it, dude. Well, as long as yeah, because a
lot of these servers are in likeRussia and Ukraine, you can't do
anything. And sometimes it's actually
actually like a almost a state sponsored thing when they like
want to fuck with America or whatever.
(38:57):
So they're just letting it slide.
But for the actual physical products, I also kind of get it
sometimes because when you're looking at the luxury items like
this and it's like, OK, I like the design or whatever.
I don't remember how much it was, it was not crazy expensive,
but it was like maybe 1000 Hong Kong dollars.
That's a lot for AT shirt. And then you can go there and
you're like, OK, when you're really thinking about it, it's
(39:20):
like, oh, am I benefiting Hugo Boss like a crazy company, like
big company in Germany or like afactory in China where maybe
it's supporting like a few otherfamilies?
Yeah. And I'm saving like 90% of it.
Yeah. So the the logic or the morality
of it is not so clear cut of like I should support.
It's like, why also. Yeah, luxury brands are also
polluting the planet. Yeah.
(39:40):
Yeah. I mean, I think that's the thing
with a lot of luxury brands, youget to a point where you're
like, this is not functional. This is pure just luxury yes so
like I'll put it this way. I would not spend a lot of money
on let's see a Hugo Boss T-shirtyes, because I'm like it's just
a T-shirt yes. I may spend a lot of money on a
Hugo Boss suit. Yeah.
That's different the reason why is because the suit has a
(40:01):
certain cut a certain this and that yes yeah T-shirt how much
you know creativity. Can you go yes, if I'm paying
that much money for just a print, I'm like, man, that's not
going to do it for me. Yes, right.
Reverse it. Like I'm willing to pay more
for, let's say Dyson vacuum cleaner, yes versus like another
brand that kind of copied the same thing.
Two reasons #1 because I believethat their their, their
technology can't really be copied to that level and #2 I'm
like, they did come up with thisthing, so I want to give it to
(40:23):
them as well. Yes And also we are both like
creative people. Therefore we're like, yeah,
well, you know, I get. To the word that exactly someone
like spend so much time. There is also the element of
risk when it comes to the appliances.
I think I might have shared it here like a few months ago.
I had like a like a second hand like a blender like a cake
blender thing and it basically literally just caught fire while
(40:46):
I was using it. Part.
Of the reason is also I was likethe wire was like a little bit
cut and I think it touched I just like created like a spark.
But then once it did it's like while I was using it, the inside
it just started like. Everything like yeah, shit.
Everything. That's what I'm like.
Should not buy like a cheap one,yeah, because they're gonna just
(41:08):
explode and fucking flow in my eyes.
That's. Actually one of the things,
well, for me now, yeah, nowadaysI'm looking at more from a
functional convenience point of view where I'm like, you know
what, dude? Saving, let's say $200, yes,
potentially having that another problem happened, let's say two
weeks down the line unless I I can't do that.
I bought 1 going back to the Shanghai fake market.
I bought 1 like a very fake Doctor Dre.
(41:31):
Like when they were Monster Beats when they were.
Like, Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's a, that's a very
popular item. And at least back then in the
Chinese fake market. Oh yeah, super popular, all kind
of Doctor Dre like headphones and like even the little one.
But then I realized also like how fake it was because I would
(41:52):
go to like the what we, what we have back home is called Virgin
Megastore. And when they sell the real
item, you can see it. So I actually walked in with my
fake Doctor Dre. I was like, oh, I'm cool.
I'm like one of the my first visits back to Egypt.
I'm like, I live in China now I have money and I'm wearing this
like clearly fake one, but it looks the same, right.
But then they make you like theyhave it on this place.
(42:13):
You can test it. I took off my fake one and they
put on the real one. Yeah.
Oh my God. The difference, the feel, the
difference. Like it's actually also, like,
heavier. Yeah.
And of course, the sound blocking even back in the day
was amazing and compared it to mine that it's not just that it
doesn't block anything. I realized because I put it on
my little brother and then I realized that you can hear from
(42:36):
outside of it, inside. Yeah, the.
Whole neighborhood, yeah. What you're and.
You're walking in there like this guy.
Can't even keep the beat up man.Can't keep the beat up.
He's out of sync. But clearly no real headphones
would like leak that WhatsApp. Yeah, unless they're like what
they call the open-ended ones oropen ones.
(42:58):
But yeah, I know you. Do they actually have that like?
Yeah, so, okay, so if you want to get geeked out, basically
there are certain headphones that I think I forget what the
word is. It's open your whatever, Sure.
The idea is that you actually hear music better because you
hear from a space. So it actually is opened up and
you listen to that way versus like those ones are compressed
into your right now. OK.
(43:18):
So if you want to hear like better quality music supposedly
where there's open ones. Yeah, OK.
I don't think that was on purpose.
That was not my, that wasn't the.
It just was leaking. It wasn't open.
It was leaking. Leaking so much.
Then I was like, ah, fuck. All right, Yeah.
It's like saying, you know it's always good to open your window
for fresh air. Yes, but when you close the
window and the water seeps in, that's not the objective here.
(43:40):
No, no, it's better to have fresh air.
I'm like, yes, but we're closingthe window and we're hoping to
keep it closed. Right now we want closed I'm.
Trying to think of other fake items that I bought over the
years. Are you more of a hardware fake
item or like software fake item guy?
I think hardware because you were mostly software.
Well, when I was young, because like there was no real hardware
I needed or could do anything with anyway, because OK, there's
(44:05):
you can't really get like a fakemouse.
It's either a mouse or. Sure, right.
Yes. Yes.
So that stuff, if you wanted that.
I mean, you can. It's just like it's got to be.
Brand, Yeah, yeah, you get my point.
Say that a lot of the hardware wise, I wasn't really big on the
fake one. I would get maybe different
brands, not like the top brand, for example, I may not get let's
say an HP computer, yes, yes, I may build my own, yes, right.
(44:26):
So you save on the brand of HP, you know that kind of thing.
I was never into Apple computers.
Me neither. I still actually to this day,
never owned an Apple product in my life.
Yeah. And in the short stint working
for the coffee company, they gave me like a MacBook, but
there was like a company laptop and I handed it back, so it
still didn't own it. And still to this day, not even
(44:49):
a single Apple product. I'm very anti Apple until they
approach us and sponsor us, in which case all of this will get
deleted. But until then.
Yeah, Apple, not a fan. Yeah, I had only 1 Apple laptop
one time because I was. I need to know what's this big
deal about every designer this and that.
What was your experience like? It was it was OK.
It was. I mean, back then Windows wasn't
as stable as it is now. So therefore this was oh,
(45:11):
everything just works and I enjoy the fact that it has
certain animation. When windows would pop up and
everything, I was like, Oh my God, it's a full experience.
Yes. That's when I learned the
difference. Like Windows back then was just
like window do this open do whereas Mac is like here's the
window yes we're going to do this now, right, that's
happening we're moving take a moment and I was like oh that's
the difference that's what people like so much about it but
was it like did it make my designs better did it help me
(45:33):
No, not at all yeah. So therefore I got one.
Well, the. The whole thing for them, as far
as I understand, is that they'realso supposed to be like we, we
can't get viruses, right? That's.
Yeah, that was the whole thing back then.
Yeah. Is that still true for like
iPhones? Sure.
Now I'm not too sure now, because I'm sure.
Anyone write in let us know. Does your iPhone get viruses?
Is that like I have one of the main selling?
Points. I have no clue, you know, now
(45:53):
you put it, I'm like, yeah. Then again, I haven't heard
about getting viruses in a long time now.
That's true. Yeah.
I think everything now gets verified or whatever.
Yeah, yeah, By going back to Speaking of Apple, that's
another big market in mainland as well, like the fake Apple
product. And again, it's a cat and mouse
game of like, you know, the bigger cities.
(46:14):
Like you can't have like a fake Apple Store in like, Shanghai,
but you can definitely have one in, like, a village in, in
Guangdong province. Yeah.
And then you see, like, you know, the logo upside down and
you go there is like everything is like.
Oh. And then, you know, the smaller
ones, they try to also because the English usually makes it
look more legit. Yeah.
(46:34):
But most of the time there's like a typo somewhere.
Apple. Apple.
Which is ironically how we say Apple back back home because we
don't have the peace out. So Apple is actually a perfectly
little store. And that store in China that's
got the fake Apple is only filled with Egyptian.
Exactly. They're like, oh, Apple Store is
(46:56):
here. Yeah, I did.
Yeah, even some of the tag linescan be quite ridiculous.
Yeah, and they're like, Apple would never say that.
Not that way. Yeah, but they'll say some shit
like, I guess so. Yeah, of course.
Yeah. So many fake brands.
One of my favorite ones are alsolike back in Egypt.
(47:18):
They have the RIP off of Puma which is Buma of course.
All Egyptians only. It's funny enough, buma in
Arabic means an owl. Let me change the the animal.
Yeah. Yeah, like a boomer.
OK. I guess we're doing that now,
yes. Exactly, I'm like just change
the logo as well. Yeah.
(47:39):
Oh, man. Well, I mean, I guess in that
sense that could be a new adventure for people to go try
it. Yes.
Like can you spot the fake? Can you find the fake and like
make that like one of a tour? Yes, Yeah, the the.
The genuine fake tour Yes, the genuine fake tour is actually a
good name for a comedy special. Yeah, the genuine fake.
But if now that like travelling is obviously to mainland so
(48:02):
easy, even for like people like Hong Kong, people with a card
like you can just go whatever. I highly encourage you if you
are in China and take a photo ofthe most ridiculous fake item
that you see and send it to us. Funny Vivek the other Muhammad
find it find us online and send it to us and we repost it.
(48:22):
I would love for this to take off just like the most absurd
yeah, like fake products until we get the Theodore on the
podcast go go find. Maybe I should not say that just
do it for the goof. Don't actually buy fake items
because if they explode, they can.
Yeah, bring this as evidence. Yeah, but it don't don't, yeah,
(48:43):
don't buy explosion appliances, but maybe it's just like AT
shirt or something. That's good enough.
Or take a photo. They don't actually like the
photos that much as well. They're like, I don't know, no
photos. But in Hong Kong, we can't
really find a lot of these like.Not much anymore, at least.
Like not obvious. Yeah, they might have like, I'm
sure there's like fake Jordans and stuff like that, but you
(49:03):
have to probably go take the lift to go up to some building.
Yeah, that's one. Of those.
Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, the fake like, like
sneakers and stuff. Yeah, yeah.
So you can still get them, but it's just a bit harder to.
OK, well, what genuine item you can buy is comedy show tickets.
They are very hard to fake because we don't have physical
tickets. You could just buy it online and
(49:25):
it will come straight to us. And unlike the big companies,
they come straight to the artistat the venue.
But you know, mostly the venue, some for us, but you just come
to a comedy show. What do you have coming up?
So right now, I'm still getting prepared for my upcoming
Australia, New Zealand tour. Hell yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm
getting ready for that. I'll be there for the whole
month of April and the beginningof May.
(49:46):
Then I come back to Hong Kong. Then I have my LCSD solo
Cantonese show in end of June, which should be announced at the
end of Feb, which is like this coming week.
Yes, yes, yeah. Those are the two main big
things that's on my list. And people would find all of
this information on your website.
Yeah, on my Instagram, funny Vivek website, funnyvivek.com,
basically. Yeah, it'll, it'll be announced
over there. Nice, all Cantonese based right
(50:07):
now, but who knows, English willcome later on.
Yeah, yeah. I mean we also have like
obviously a lot of locals listening and watching.
We at Backstage Comedy have a bunch of stuff coming up this
week. We have Anir Bandas Gupta coming
from India, headlining on the 1st of March. 8th of March we
have Rizal Van Gaisel coming from Malaysia. 15th of March we
(50:27):
have Las Mahesh Manteghani, one of the OG comedian in Hong Kong
unfortunately is leaving after so many years and it's going to
be his last show. If you have seen Mahesh before,
absolutely wonderful guy. Also just super lovely.
So come say bye to Mahesh. 22nd I forgot we do.
Oh yeah, 22nd, we have a regularshowcase and then in mid-april
(50:49):
we have one of our biggest bookings so far is Jogging
Summers Coming, the social mediasensation coming all the way
from LA doing a bunch of shows with us mid-april and that is
already on sale. So catch her shows.
Those shows well sell out and they are base hall, which for
her is not very big. So please get in early.
(51:11):
We also have VIP tickets where you can take photos with her
after the show. So yeah, grab your tickets, see
Jiao Young Summers. We still have a bunch of other
announcements to make. So this year is going to be big.
I am also confirmed to open for my friend Paul Taylor in May
Paul, if you are not familiar with him, is the biggest English
speaking comedian inside France.He's actually a British
(51:33):
comedian, but he he performs mostly in French and he's doing
in English and he is coming herein May at the the at the Art
Center in Wanchai. And he's a friend of mine.
He actually we we chat a little bit.
He doesn't usually have an opening act and it's just
messages like, hey, can I open it?
Like, absolutely. She just threw me on the show.
It's going to be wonderful. So look up Paul Taylor show as
(51:53):
well. And I would be opening.
So yeah, bunch of cool stuff. Find us online.
Thanks for all the support and we will see you at a show.
(52:30):
Music.
So I reiterate here, the bill isdead.
The story of this great city is about the years before this
night. We are free.
(00:23):
Hi everyone, it's a new episode of Hong Kong.
Sitting here kind of cold with my buddy who is warmer.
I am much warmer. I have the jacket on my body,
covering the hair on my arms andwarmed in my soul.
Yeah, that's why I'm cold, because my soul is cold.
Doesn't exist. Yeah, it's very empty in there,
(00:43):
Yeah. It's like every song, at some
point, every artist has had thatsong lyric where my soul is
cold. That's a rhyme that's going to
work. Yeah.
So you guarantee some of those. But yeah, so we're over here
again enjoying this hotted, thangot cold and got humid and got
dry. Yes, yeah, yeah.
It's, I think it's one of the longer, maybe we say that every
(01:04):
year, but one of the longer likecold weather things.
I can say that I think the last time I remember this happening
was back in 2015. The reason I say that is because
I went to Melbourne for the Comedy Festival my first time
and I remember precisely going there and getting there and
saying the weather is similar, similar weather.
And then? When I came back to Hong Kong in
May and I was like, oh, this is Hong Kong humidity, right?
(01:26):
I remember now. So the fact that I didn't
remember before going to Melbourne, I was like, yeah,
definitely that year had this year's temperature as well,
which tells you every time, ten years we're going to have good
weather. OK, well, do you consider this
good? Now we're recording?
Yeah, when it's like still kind of grey and.
Cold, well grey and cold is OK as long as you're like all like
sweaty and humid. That's true.
Yeah, it's a bit. Overcast today definitely, but I
(01:47):
would say I would take overcast days over humid sunny days.
That's true. We took the dog to around the
Taitam Reservoir area yesterday and yeah, I walked around for
like 3 hours. Not a drop of sweat.
Yeah, it's really good. Like so yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's like no one is like gassingout even like the high end
clients and stuff. Yeah, right.
(02:07):
Yeah, it's the time for it before maybe by the time this
comes out, it's already like over.
It's already like. Warm within the next 24 hours,
it's going to be like humid 42°.Yes, we're having like every
news articles about like climatechange.
Oh yeah, people are like wearingsports T-shirts, but somehow
it's supposed to be sweat wicking and doesn't Wick any
sweat. You know what I mean?
(02:27):
It's like it's one of those things where you have those
T-shirts where it's supposed to be like, it doesn't show sweat,
you know? And then it turns out, yeah, but
it's not waterproof. Yes.
So it's actually just soaked. Yeah.
So you have. Speaking of T-shirts, I am
wearing, coincidentally, a genuine Hugo Boss T-shirt.
Really. That it?
Yes. Are you serious?
Yes. Well, I've had it for.
(02:48):
A long time Hugo Boss T-shirt, Yes.
What's the What's the inspiration?
The inspiration is very simple. During COVID, yeah, the
government was giving people handouts and I exclusively
started buying dumb shit becauseI, I just like, I'm like, I
thought it was funny. So I actually bought like a
couple of like, yeah, basically luxury items.
(03:09):
And also I have Balenciaga shoesthat I've never worn because
they look so ridiculous, but they're also by thanks to the
Hong Kong government handout. I just decided to because I had
a job at the time, like the, thecoffee job.
So I didn't really need the money, like just extra money.
So I'm like, I'll just buy dumb shit.
So this is a genuine busty this is.
(03:30):
Brand new. Yeah, because I don't wear it a
lot, because it's luxury item. I just have it hanging.
So you're one of those people that you're like, when you have
that really good item, you're like, I'll keep it in sealed.
Yes. Are you the type of person that
when they have a television screen, they keep that little
plastic on the edges? Not on the TV screen, but on the
phone. On the phone, on the phone,
yeah. Yeah, like with that extra
(03:51):
screen protector. I keep that one on the TV
screen. A bit annoying because like you
can really see the reflection, the reflection, and also like it
just really mutes the colors. Yeah, but on the phone I keep it
for a while until it starts likepopping out from the side.
Yeah. OK.
So basically, you know those LEDscreens that have that little
thin layer of plastic? Yes.
(04:12):
So that you keep those for smallitems, Yes, yes.
What about then the edge of the TV?
In other words, not the TV screen.
Yeah. But you know how, like along the
edge of the TV, they have that one little thin plastic strip
that you need, like it's a really long set, but this goes
up. To be honest, I have not done
that for a very long time just because I never I haven't bought
(04:32):
a brand new TV. Buy second hand.
Yes, yeah, yeah, buy second handor it's like in the apartment
that I rent or whatever. Yeah.
So I actually I don't recall buying a brand new TV in the
last like since I came to Hong Kong.
So you're are you the type of person that when you buy stuff
you will keep the box as well? Yes.
So the box, yeah, I have a drawer of box of boxes of like,
(04:53):
like phones and like earphones and stuff.
Yeah. And my logic is usually like,
oh, you go back and like find like the warranty slip or
whatever. Yeah, none of this makes sense.
It's just junk in your drawer. Yeah.
So I now have like 3 phones ago.Actually what happens is that
when the phone dies, yes the go,the phone goes in back in its
box and now I have boxes of old phones.
(05:14):
So you have the old phone in this box in.
This box yes in a can't. Use correct dude that has that
would have a lot of retail value.
Yeah, probably. Sure.
That was not my intention, but Ishould go back and like
probably, yeah, just sell the phone like Shamshui PO with its
box. I'm sure, yeah, yeah.
And then people will be like, oh, it's a full collection for
people who want to have that kind of.
(05:34):
Collection. OK yeah.
You mean that collectors and stuff?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like literally, like, you know,
1015 year old phones in their boxes with all of their
accessories, like whatever is left, yeah, it's just all there.
It's just like a little coffin. Dude, this is like because I
tell you this because like when let's say camera lenses and
stuff, when I get second hand market, there's a there's you
get like an extra 5 or 10% with the boxes included.
(05:55):
Yes, yes, which? I'm the type of guy before not
so much because I was like I might myself since I have it one
day. Now I'm like I have limited
space in my home and I'm like the moment my item is in being
used, yes, the box is gone right, yes, I don't care if you
whatever you want to say. I cannot have this paper box in
my house potentially collecting bugs.
Yes, you know, I'm getting humidin summer.
(06:16):
Yeah. I think for the bigger items
like we talked about our Dyson'sa few weeks ago.
Got to go man. Yeah, yeah, that, that Dyson box
is just too big. I like the idea of having it,
but there's no chance I can stayin the house.
So that's gone. But then the Dyson like little
like cover thing that they give you with like I think mine like
give you a like a little like there's a couple for the
extensions. Oh yeah, like a little ouchy
(06:38):
thing. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That one has to stay because it's too nice.
Right, so. It's like the stuff that is
generally nice. I I keep.
Yeah, but like any box, like bigcardboard boxes, I don't know
who has space for that in Hong Kong.
That's. Well, I mean the good thing is
that cardboard boxes is highly attracted by many, many
individuals, correct? Yes, with the paper box,
(06:59):
cardboard box industry. What is the resale value of
these by the way? I think I heard it's like $1.00,
one kilo. OK, It's not too bad.
Not too bad. Yeah.
What happens? I remember the the process where
I was talking to someone, they would say that a lot of the
people who collect cover boxes, yeah, they would obviously put
some water over it. Yes, add the weights.
But yes, like if when you go around town you really do
collect them, you can get quite a few kilos of that stuff.
(07:21):
Yeah, of course, right. That's.
Why you got people with the trucks and everything coming
down like they're going all in. Yes, yes, right.
So I think that is the thing. And obviously you have the green
station that do the recycling. Yes, the six, The six, yeah,
yeah, you are a big fan of that I'm.
A big fan of that, yeah. I used to have one in front of
my old place in sign point that opened right when I moved out
which is really annoying becausethere was one behind me and I
(07:42):
was too lazy. And then I'm like, it's always
the excuse of like, I would haverecycled if you guys open at the
right time. So let me.
But it's your fault. Yeah, right.
You can make it convenient. For me exactly.
Which is true actually. Like initially when they took
away those recycling bins, I waslike, I screw this man, you
know, if you don't want to help me, I can help you kind of
things. Then they got the green stations
happening and the best thing that they do is now there's two
(08:03):
ways to play the game. One is you go in and you take
your stuff, can you put it into the the different compartment
bins. The other ones you line up and
you get your points for the weight of your items.
Huh. OK, so they actually have a have
a little point system and as much as as we mocked and made
fun of where I own 2 houses, yes, I will go line up.
Yeah. So you can get the points.
(08:25):
I get the points and eventually after I don't know how many,
maybe you. Get a pack of noodles or
something. Literally a pack of noodles,
man. Yeah.
Like you get like one of those like Shanghai noodles or like
maybe a bottle of oil. I'm like, let me just say the
best thing is what they didn't realize is that ball of oil, it
has a plastic container, yes, which I can then recycle.
And I'm like, this is called compound interest people.
(08:47):
OK, I'm reinvesting the plastic while they gave me back to go
into the next thing which I can now reinvest and reinvest.
I really hope did you ever get recognized in that line.
All the time. Do the guys recognize me?
All the time, man. Like they know who I am.
Yeah, they know who I am. Did.
They not call you out on it. Like, they're like looking.
You need to line up. No, you OK?
(09:08):
This is the thing you must understand the psychology of
someone who does work in those stations is that they are the
type of president who wants to save the plant, Right?
Yes, of course. So the fact that they see
someone like myself lining up, yeah, they're not going to be
like, are you cheapskate you or yes, they're like, oh, this
guy's legit. Like he's.
Really. Right.
You're right, yes. And they're forgetting the fact
that I'm trying to get that freeball of oil.
And the thing, this guy has a lot of junk he doesn't want to
(09:30):
throw away. Yes, and he's trying to recycle.
So they're seeing like the good,not the cheapest.
That's good, Yeah, because that's what they focused on,
right? Yeah.
Is what you focused on anyway. So the best part is that what
they don't, at least I don't feel that they give me The Dirty
eye and then the weird look of is like, you're back here this
week again. Yeah, with this much shit.
(09:51):
Yeah, yeah. It's like how much shit do you
buy like. What have you done in your life
that you got, like this much junk in one week?
Yeah. Now remember, I'm on camber,
which means we have 3 stations. OK?
On a Monday morning, we have it under the escalator.
On a Thursday evening, we have the same thing under the
escalator. I love that you know there is
scheduled schedule. Dude, yeah.
And then on Saturday afternoon, we have another one, like a
(10:11):
little far off, but I can walk to it and I can still somehow
every week at least hit two of them nice with stuff to give.
Yeah. Boy, this is so much.
And. And The thing is what?
Do you usually just like mostly plastic or just.
Like batteries big with paper like paper is my thing 'cause
like I get so much that say mailor or documents on this and I
got to do. So you give them even like they
(10:32):
like, yeah, if you get like a whatever bullshit advertising
and Oh yeah, yeah, like you can recycle that.
You just give it to them. Yeah, yeah, wow, that is
actually, I imagine it's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot for like the
whole household, 2 houses or whatever.
That is everything. What do they do with it?
I believe they will like get thepulp out and then like turn it
into that pulpy whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
OK. But I do, I do feel bad because
like, there must be some sort oflevel of human processing or
(10:54):
something where they got to go through all that stuff and find
someone messed this one up. Yes, Because I could totally
tell someone has definitely not cared.
Just chucked everything. Whatever.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Which is probably why they got rid of the street stations,
because people are probably doing that, dumping their junk
there. At least you get some
monitoring, right? The good thing, though, is that
you do this and then it gets me excited.
(11:15):
Yeah. And I think this is the power of
a deadline where you're like, I,man, it's Monday morning.
Yeah. And you think we have anything
to get rid of, you know? And you're like, oh, this is it.
And that's when I get the incentive to.
I have a new item and I'm like, do I want to keep the box or
not? I'm like, well, it's now or
never, dude, you have to get ridof that box today or wait till
Thursday. And that's when I'm like, I
screw it, let's go. Yeah, and like.
Quickly get processed, take out the little labels, whatever, and
(11:37):
I'm like, this has got to get out of here.
Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah, man, the how?
Do you, do you not worry? I have have this paranoia of
like like I take my name like ifI have a delivery from like HKTV
mall or. Something cut the label off.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Make sure that your name and
phone number or your address is not connected.
Yeah. OK.
So you do the same. I guess that's normal.
Yeah, it's for a lot of people, yeah.
I think like the only reason I take it off is simply because
(11:58):
I'm like, I don't, I'm not awareof what the QR codes actually
supply. And yes, and I'm like, you know
what? It's just like how people have
that thing where never take a photo of your boarding pass.
Yes, I was just thinking of that.
Yeah, Yeah. I told Annie about it and she
didn't believe me. And then I looked it up and it's
like totally, very true. Like the the news are saying,
stop posting photos of your boarding pass with a little QR
like that barcode on it because it basically has all your
(12:20):
passport information. Pilots, We have a bunch of
pilots watching and listening. You can correct us on this, but
I'm pretty sure when I looked itup that was the case And like
see did you block the the boarding pass with your finger
or something You. Know it's like be like oh, look
at my champagne with my passport, but who can see the
boarding pass right over there yeah.
So like these kinds of things and I've also learnt how a lot
(12:43):
of the receipts you get at restaurants, yes, the ones when
they have like little carbon print on it yeah, those, those
can be recycled, yes. And those annoy me because I get
a shit ton of those. I'm like God damn it.
Man, yeah, very annoying. It's like they are like also
like quite like, like thin paper, right?
It's like it's too weak to recycle.
I guess that or maybe that type of paper is just not, no, yeah,
one of those things, but. Yeah, people are asking like
(13:05):
because I also it sounded now that I was just bragging about
my genuine Hugo Boss T-shirt. There is a point of me saying
this. And then we, of course, like
started talking about others. Yeah.
So the reason I was mentioning it is because I recently I
watched a documentary on like, the fake markets in China, which
is fascinating. I actually realized that there
is a guy in Hong Kong who we aretrying to get on the podcast
(13:27):
now, who, whose job? He has a consultancy company and
his job is to go. He gets hired by brands and he
goes into China, pretends to be like, he's like basically
investigative whatever. Yeah.
And he gets hired by brands to go into China, pretends to be
like a big wholesaler. And he tries to find their
their, their factories and then works with the Chinese
(13:48):
authorities to shut them down. Whoa.
And he's like a big white guy. And he's genuinely like, he goes
like undercover and stuff. He has like, wigs.
And it's fascinating. Oh my.
God, that's, that's just, that'sanother level, man.
When you're like sitting at homegoing like, you know, how can I
fuck something up, man? Yes.
Yeah, you know exactly. One of the cool like I've always
(14:10):
thought we have like, and we still do like have some of the
coolest jobs ever, the stuff that we do.
But I'm like, that's a job. I would be like, I would trade
lives with that guy just to be like put on like a wig and go to
China and be like, I am a traderfrom the Middle East.
Dude, show me your facts. Like he has he's like, is it
method acting? He has to be like, yeah, he's
(14:30):
like looking at mega like. What is this?
Yeah. No, no, no, I've done that.
I've done that in that mall. No, they'll recognize the voice.
What is this? Yeah, I was just like, yeah,
learn like a Russian accent. This works.
For like a month to sound like Borat, yeah.
Goes in there one, they just become the Donald Trump.
I want to know something like that.
(14:51):
Yeah. The best thing is that maybe he
keeps a whole log of which characters he used in which.
Mall has to Yeah, yeah. This is not even like secret
information. It's on the documentary that is
on Netflix. I can find it and put it in the
description of the episode. But yeah, like I recognize like,
like the the he was being interviewed and he was like
(15:11):
somewhere in Hong Kong. So I knew right away he was in
Hong Kong. And then I looked him up and
yeah, he still has a consultancyhere.
And I'm like, and he's showing his wig collection and stuff.
Dude, that is so cool. You know, like playing video
games when you make your character, yes, you're like Ding
Ding Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding yellow wig.
Yes, exactly. He's like, he's playing his own
kind. Yeah, yeah, for a job.
(15:32):
It's so cool. Dude, this is this is what I
mean. There's always value in
everything. On one hand, you're like, this
kid likes to cross dress what the hell you're doing.
Yeah. On the other hand, this guy gets
paid bucks. Yes, to do.
Exactly what a lot of people do just for fun for a party.
He's like, no, no, no, I don't do that for fun.
You pay me to do. That you guys, you are to this
is again not, not any secret information.
(15:53):
I just looked up the company because the company's called
Panoramic Consulting Consulting Limited and it's he has an
office on Devo Road. This is all public information.
This is his own website and the guy's name is Theo Cavo Ras
Junior and Theodore Cavo Ras Junior.
(16:13):
Who knows if it was his real name.
But if you guys find the information, e-mail him and tell
him we want you on this podcast.We genuine.
We did, you know, get in touch and we're hoping to hear back,
but you can put some pressure onTO and get him on our podcast
because I would love to talk to that guy.
Yeah, wow. The the best thing is I can
(16:33):
imagine that the day came when he had to write that letter in
school. But like, what do you want to do
when you grow older? So I want to be a doctor.
I want to be a fight fighter. This guy's like, I'm going to
shut down fake brands so I can help Hugo bosses and all those
luxury brands. Yes, exactly which is best
thing? Questionable.
Right. It's like, it's like you have,
let's say this mom and pop shop in, let's say mainland China and
(16:54):
they're working hard. They're like, you know what,
son? You know, like we couldn't
afford education for you. Yeah.
But what we can do is that we our hands, our hands are our
skilled. We can use our hands and create
stuff. You see that item over there
that's so expensive. But with our hands, we can do
the sun. Let's do this as a family
tradition. The sun's like, Daddy, that
makes sense. I'm going to spend the next 10
years of my life trying to use my hands and get mastery over
(17:16):
these. They start getting, let's say,
Gucci bags, and then they're like, let us mimic this thing
and. And out of honor.
I mean, after all, what's the word?
Copying is like a flattery. Of like, yeah, yeah, copying is
the the highest form of flattery.
Yeah, and they're like, we genuinely love you, Hugo Boss.
Your stuff is fantastic to the point I want to dedicate my life
to just be like you. But you'll never know who I am
(17:37):
because I don't have this, this,this is this.
So therefore, let me do the bestnext thing, which is I want to,
I want to copy you out of true respect.
Yes. And they're doing this.
They're sitting over there. You've got this romantic, this
this collage of videos. Where you have the guys like,
yeah, yeah, many times, like allthe drafts are like getting
thrown out. Yeah.
Not good enough. No.
My dad's like, yeah, cutting to dad at 4:00 AM No.
(17:58):
Yeah, start over. And you finally have the one
like the the kid over there is falling asleep next to the yes.
And the dad like sees him like put the put the blanket over the
head. And finally you cut to the shot
where you have the kid fast asleep.
And then the dad wakes up the next morning.
He brushes his eyes and he walksover to the lamp, the lamp just
like right over shining over thelittle handbag.
(18:20):
And he looks at, he's like. Approved.
Yeah, he puts it up in the sunlight.
He's looking at you like wow, wow.
And then and then he looks at his kid and he has a tear.
And I think we did it exactly. We finally can Hugo Boss.
We do it. And then this fucking Theodore
guy walks up and he's like, hey,today he has to be like, I don't
like a New York. Hey, what the hell is this?
(18:42):
Yeah, well, he's not even doing that.
He's like I buy many of your products.
There's a bit, there's that. No, hold on.
I'm trying to think like what? What kind of character you need
to be this time? OK, so let's so with Hugo Boss.
What do you think? It sounds German.
I can't do that. Me either.
Get to the get to the chopper. I have no idea.
So. You know, just fucking Arnold.
(19:04):
He goes there to the shop, he points out the item.
They're looking at him and they're like, oh, this is for,
let's say 10,000 renminbi. Yes.
He's like, ah shit, I don't havethe money on me, I better go get
something. So you know what?
He tells him I'll be back. I'll be back.
I would go to Hong Kong, but I will be.
Back exactly he comes back with 10,000 renminbi and and then
they look at him like and they're like in switch like I
don't know this guy doesn't seem.
(19:29):
Germany, right? Whatever, and.
Theo realizes like, shit, my cupis going to get blown and
everything and out of just pure anxiety and worry of like, I
shit, I get to, I get to prove to them I have something,
something European. Yeah.
He gets the bag and before he runs off he says hasta La Vista
baby. This is probably in a fake
(19:52):
market it in on the border of Hong Kong so you can run back
exactly so quickly. Yeah, the best thing is that he
doesn't have to run back becausehe has like the new license
plates. Yeah, so he can actually hop
onto his motor. He definitely has 1.
He would have one, yeah. He hops on his motorbike.
Yeah, he has his sunglasses on, just driving ahead.
And for some reason, electronic toll gate.
Yeah, yeah. He goes straight in.
Yeah, yeah. And for some reason, someone
(20:13):
that just looks like John Connorsits on his bike as well.
He's like, what the fuck? Yeah.
And then that all happens and hecomes back home.
He's like, I could do this for living.
Yes, this was too much fun. Yeah, I have to do this for
living now. Yeah.
But yeah, crazy, crazy job. One of the crazier jobs I've
heard of recently when I was living in Shanghai and all
Shanghai hands would know that we used to have a huge market on
(20:35):
W Nanjing Rd., which is the biggest, one of the biggest
commercial roads in Shanghai. And it was basically we just
called it the fake market because that's what it was.
Yeah, it's now it's shut down like a few years ago, before I
moved here, the Shanghai authorities started like
cleaning up. So there was that big fake
market was shut down, but it wasone of the main stops for anyone
(20:57):
visiting from outside of Shanghai.
You take them there. Oh yeah, you have to go take it
out. You're like, whoa.
Check it out. So I remember even taking my
brother around and you know other whoever was visiting and
you can get everything like starting from I remember like
back in the day, the good old days 2014 fifteen.
You can get a flashlight that isalso a proper Taser.
(21:20):
Like a legit like you can kill somebody with.
Such a mainland Chinese mentality of like let's take 3
items that sell well, combine them and hopefully sell three
times the price. Yep, but sell for that one the
same price. Dude, it was, it was a proper
weapon. Like it's, it's like a really
strong flashlight and it's just like, you know, you switch the
(21:41):
button and it goes just like the, the, the, the.
You. Can also see it like the movies
you're just seeing electric shock on it and it's like how
the fuck? And of course I bought 1 and you
know, you usually go for like 10% and then what happened is
that a couple of years later, like back in Egypt, like the
(22:02):
security was not that great. So I started like I'm.
Not going to take it. Out.
Well, I tried. So I actually went like, oh, I
was just going to buy a bunch ofmy cousin and my female cousins.
They can just all keep them in their pocket.
In their purses. Which would be cool.
So wait wait, so the the torch doesn't work simultaneously with
the Taser as well? You can do both.
OK, that's good. Because you want to see your and
(22:24):
I mean get tased. Yes.
Yeah. OK, I want to make.
Sure. Yeah, just like one of those
like generic like flashlight with like like black, Yeah.
And then, yeah, you switch the button and now we can also it's.
Light and taste. Dude that is so cool.
Like to see the expression on the face?
Yes, exactly as you're seeing itvery clearly.
Yeah. So I tried to go back to Egypt
(22:45):
one time and it was in my like not even the carry on.
It was in the checked luggage. Yeah.
And they, you know how like sometimes they send it back and
then like, oh, you have to go see like something is wrong in
your in your suitcase. Yeah.
And they go out and the securityguy just, like, takes it out and
he goes, this is a weapon. I'm like, yeah, that's why it's
my checked luggage, not. Yeah.
(23:07):
Exactly. I'm not stupid enough to take it
on the plane. Yeah.
And he's like, that is a proper weapon that he cannot fly with.
I'm like and then I told them I bought it from.
You security as in which before you board, before you board it,
yes, yeah, yeah. How do you get to see?
How do they? No.
So when you check in some, at least in Shanghai, they send the
suitcase to like a little quick scan thing and you have to wait
(23:29):
until they clear you and then they give you.
I think the reason because I you, you go to your checking
counter and your suitcase goes and you walk into the departure.
Yes, yes, but in, in Shanghai, whatever, they have this thing
'cause they're like everyone is fucking buying Tasers.
Yeah, exactly. Flying with actual weapons.
Yeah, like, like, like we actually have to just
immediately check, yes, the suitcase.
(23:51):
Yeah 'cause unfortunately, unlike everywhere else in the
world where it's unlikely they have Tasers, it seems to be like
the likeliness is like, Yep, we have another one.
Taser. Exactly.
Oh, wow. And.
I actually told them I'm like, I'm, I didn't like push back.
I'm like, I know it's a tailor, but also bought it legally in
China. I bought it here.
I'm not trying to smuggle it. And he goes, no, no, no, no.
(24:12):
And he's like, when I push back,I'm like, can I, can you keep it
here? And then when I come back, I'll
take it. Sometimes you confiscate
something, but if it's not illegal, you can keep it at the
airport or whatever. Yeah, But he's like, no, we're
going to definitely confiscate this and you're not going to get
it back. And if you give us more trouble,
we're going to, like, start likea case of like smuggling
weapons. I'm like, sorry.
(24:32):
All right. Wow.
But then part of the cleanup wasI went back to the fake market
because I really wanted one. Yeah.
And then they got rid of it. So I might have started.
The store is gone. The store, not just the store,
that particular item, because they used to sell them
everywhere. Crazy.
Yeah, you could just buy a Taser.
A proper Taser. You know what's funny though?
Like we're here, we're losing our shit over a Taser.
(24:54):
Yes, but like, let's say someone, let's say in the
States, so they say like, I can buy a gun, yes.
How much Tasers? Jeff Ross has a great bit about
how Walmart Mart sells boots until midnight, sells weapons
for 20, sells guns for 24 hours.Yeah, if you want to drink after
midnight, you just buy a gun androb Walmart.
It's just like. Right there man, the logic makes
(25:17):
sense. Just very tight logic.
Yeah. So it also speaks everything
about America's complete The fuck Yeah.
Yeah, it seems like a priority to complete the wrong man.
Oh. God, but yeah, so they used to
have these fake markets. Now they're gone.
Now I think they are in on like those are like obviously in
Guangzhou and stuff and a closerto the border here.
Have you ever bought like something from the fake markets
(25:40):
on the Chinese side? Like.
I've never done cuz I think I was too young when that was the
thing to do. Yeah, I do know a lot of
relatives who would frequently go to China claiming they're
going just for a meal or business or whatever.
And I'm like, but you have a lotof Gucci bags and I don't really
think you can afford that many Gucci bags.
Yeah. And you get, there was something
off about it. You just like, I don't know, the
(26:01):
shimmer just doesn't seem right.Yeah, yeah.
Or like sometimes the glue is like showing a little bit.
Yeah, I think the one thing though, is that it's that shame
in people's eyes when they know that like, this is a fake.
Yes, I'm a I'm a fraud like likeyou can tell that like yeah.
There's a certain day, like, please, please don't look that.
That bag's too long. Please don't look at.
Oh my God, he's looking at it. Oh, yeah.
(26:23):
Whereas somebody has a real thing.
We were like, that's right. You look at that bag.
Damn straight. I had one at Manila airport that
I took a photo of and posted it on my Instagram of I will show
this on the screen as well on the edit it will be on the main
screen. It's it's YST.
It's Eve sent Trudeau. You said Laurel, That's what the
(26:46):
Trudeau's also. Yeah, yes, it's.
Just it's supposed to obviously be YSL.
Yeah, yeah. And that is like a proper, like
a full T That's why I'm like, all right, at least you're not.
Really. Yeah, Hiding it.
I think that's why clearly one of those loopholes, you know?
So instead of Hugo Boss, we callHugo Boss, Yes.
Yeah, there is like we had like when you go to the equivalent of
(27:06):
the fake market in like third world countries, you can get
like the really, really bad RIP offs.
And we like growing up, I would see someone like wearing like
slippers that are like not even like Adibus, but it's like not
even close to the. World it just had like 4 stripes
like what 4? Stripes, like, the world is
completely butchered. Yeah.
(27:27):
And I always thought, like, maybe, like Theodore, if he
comes on, you can tell us how itworks because I'm like, are the
fake ones also, like, ripping off each other?
That's why you can't have. Oh, yeah, You know what I mean?
Like. Oh.
Adibus, and it's like adibus. Yes, Adibus is suing Adibus.
That could be it, Yeah. That that that mean?
I think, I think that's probablya legal loophole, yes.
(27:48):
Or like a great area where like,well, it's not Adidas, it's
Adibus. So you saw me.
But then the Adibus guys like, hey man, I am Adibus, what the
fuck? Yeah.
Is that I, I, I have no, no idea.
But I think I think definitely if you ask me just purely from
instinctive guessing, yes, I would like.
No, it's not. I don't copy you.
I have 4 stripes, you have three.
You don't own stripes. I saw I saw one that was like a
(28:09):
really good North Face RIP off. Unfortunately I don't remember.
I think it was like a really good, like let me.
Guess the name is North Race. Something like that.
It was, I don't remember. No, it's.
Not North. Race.
But it's something so clever. I'm like, fuck, that's good.
If you if you have seen obviously a lot of China, like
(28:29):
people have been around China for a long time have seen like
this post like sometimes you take a photo.
There is the Shanghai observed Instagram account is a good one
for this. But in general people have seen
like fake like like jackets and stuff right in If you remember
your favorite one, especially with brands that are like a
little different. I remember Nick.
(28:50):
Nick was called. Nike, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I remember when I was young, it definitely two things.
I. There were two incidents I
recall right now #1 remember Reebok Pumps?
Yes, of course. OK, so I could never afford
Reebok Pumps. Depends.
Like hell no with that's insane,yes.
However, they got me Yamasakis, OK, which were like just made
some bullshit brand, whatever, right?
(29:11):
The thing I used to do, yeah, isI would go to school.
My friends had Reebok Pumps and everything.
Yeah. And the Reebok Pump thing is
like on the little tongue area, you got that little pump thing.
Yeah. And like, fill up your shoe,
right? Yes.
So the Yamasakis, Yeah, there's Yamasakis, yeah.
The sides of it had some extra padding.
So I would tell them, yeah, thatif I press the padding on the
side, it pumps my shoe just likeReebok Pumps, right.
(29:34):
My friend's like, really? I'm like, yeah, see, it's
tighter than like huh, sure and this purely came from me being
so ashamed yes that I was like, oh shit, I really have not.
It's not even like a fake one that looks like the real one.
This is telling you the brand has nothing like it.
Yes, that's one. The other one was the I remember
(29:55):
ladies market. Yes, before they would have a
lot of fake stuff. So that's also a bit cleaned up
now. It's cleaned up, yeah.
Yeah, but you do get like those handbaggy things.
But I'm guessing you'll see YST,you won't see YSL Yes yes,
because you can't sell that kindof fake right.
But what I do remember though, is like back in the day, I think
when I was listening to corn, that was a time when like the
Adidas, you know those those button on pants, the one that
(30:18):
the buttons on the side yes, that was a big trend yes.
And I remember watching the NBA and all these NBA players were
just like before they get on to court to play yes, just RIP
their pants up and again it's going I'm like, Oh my God, I.
Need to. Do that when I'm at school and I
get to play in the basketball pants.
I can't get up and undo my pants.
I'm I'm in the court, man. You know, so I remember talking
(30:41):
about. It's too easy.
Yeah, like, come on, man. And I remember seeing that and
then when I saw, let's say, Corn, Jonathan the the vocalist
from Corn, he was wearing that. I'm like, Oh my God, Corns.
Oh my God. It's all of your words.
Colliding every little collidingon that I need that has to
happen. That needs to happen.
And I remember my I told my mom and I saw something similar in
Ladies Market. We got it.
(31:02):
And at that time I wasn't observing enough.
I thought, oh, maybe because they don't have a shop.
Yeah, they're cheaper. Yeah, when you actually have in
the shop, it's like five times the price.
Yeah, they're paying rent or. Yeah, I think that makes sense.
You know, I got it and then I remember getting it and then I
it was probably like either the stripes were wrong or something
like that. And I went to school going like,
oh shit, man, yo-yo, call me into the court, do that.
(31:24):
And like people were looking. Like all the buttons flying.
Yeah, yeah, something weird. What happened?
And I was like, oh shit, this isnot the real thing.
Yeah, my friend's looking at me like, did you get a fake one?
I'm like, no, no, why would I get No, I I got the real deal.
They're like, no, so I look at this, I'm like, oh shit, yeah.
So that. Explains so much about you now
(31:45):
about how your everything you have is authentic.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Once you start having a little
bit of money, you're like, I'm going to buy the new, the good
software. Yeah, the good like game.
Absolutely man. Like, I'll tell you this all,
half of it also is a the fact that I need things to just work
yes. So I'll give you an example.
I'm sure all of us done this when we were young.
We always got like pirated videogames and everything.
(32:06):
Of course, that was the thing. It was like the the beginning
was the floppy disk copying. In Hong Kong, there were shops
that would sell computer Gads and everything.
Yes, yes. And they would have a full
booklet of catalogue of. Games and you can just copy it
on another flop they copy it for.
You yeah, you can actually bringyour own floppy disk or they
have obvious you can buy and they can do that.
I remember playing this game, for example, like when I was
(32:27):
young, I played games with by Lucas Arts.
If anyone recognized is that my God, you're awesome.
And I would play those games Andwhat is the game Lucas Lucas
Arts would basically George Lucas.
He had a game company, right? Yeah.
And they came out with a bunch of games with these puzzle
games. In other words, adventure games.
You gotta walk around town, solve problems, right.
Very creatively. Yes.
And I keep saying, and many people that asked me this, like
(32:49):
those games have shaped why I think the way I think.
All right, Which is why I'm sucha pro, pro gamer guy.
As I tell your kids to play games, it's going to shape the
way they think. They see the world differently,
everything. Anyway, So I copied all stuff to
the point that even the manuals they would photocopy in black
and white because back then video games, what they would
have, they would have like Lucasart especially would have
some of these these codes in thebeginning to have to saw to to
(33:12):
to play the game. So we know you don't have to
pirate a copy, activate, activate JS.
Yeah, you know, but it was an actual physical thing that you
have to spin a dial or whatever.Yeah, yeah.
What would be like so? I'll give you an example, Right.
Monkey Island used to have this little sundial where they would
have, let's say, hat the sundialwould have on the bottom dial is
top of the head, the top dial atthe bottom of the head.
(33:32):
And they would show a combination of like, monkey head
combined with fish head. That's what's interesting.
Yes. You know.
Yeah. And so you'd actually have to
photocopy that dial and cut yourown to spin it around.
Yes. You know, I did all that stuff.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
I remember that man. And then there's wait, there's
so the shop would sell you. The the photocopy.
Photocopy. Yeah, yeah.
And then you would go home and cut it up and put it off to
(33:54):
punch it all in together so you could spin the Dow.
Yeah, right. Similarly to that, like when I
would buy like a new computer orwhatever, like maybe like 2 when
I was like growing up. So the second one comes with
like a Windows like, but it's a trial thing.
And then after like 30 days, they're like enter the
activation code. So now we have to go online and
(34:15):
just like Google, like Windows activation code and you get like
so many like like fake pages andstuff.
And you have, I think you I musthave spent literally weeks.
Trying which one? Works Oh yes, yes, one of them
and then some of them back then you don't have a credit card as
a kid. So I'm like ask you for a credit
card and you're like, ah, I don't know what to do.
So you start looking for fake credit card.
(34:36):
Numbers. Oh my God, really?
I've never done that part, but yeah, wow.
As a teenager, you just tried everything.
Yeah. Like anything that needed a
credit card, then you're stuck. Then you actually go on.
Like, what we had then was like chat rooms.
Yeah. Of ICU and PAL talk.
So ask people, are you familiar with PAL?
Talk. No, I see you definitely.
Yeah, so pal talk was I guess like third word.
(34:57):
Yeah, like chat rooms and stuff.Yeah.
And you know, again, as a kid, this is a weird the tangent, but
as a kid, sometimes you walk into the wrong room and it's
actual pedophiles. And you're like, Oh, yeah, no,
no, no, no, no. No, you go into the rooms where
they're like like hackers, but they're like bullshit hackers.
(35:19):
It's like, oh, click on this link and get like the credit
card number and you click on it and you just go into weird
rabbit hole. And then this is all to try to
get a credit card to get the fake windows serial numbers.
You can put it on your real windows.
Yeah, Oh my God. Ages, yeah, and then maybe one
of them would hit eventually. Like holy shit I love like a
(35:41):
real Windows. Yeah.
Oh my God, no. Idea how much time we wasted
Yeah doing this. But then when you're a kid,
you're like screwed. I can spend the whole day to
save 10 bucks. Yeah, Yeah.
I don't have that and. There's no way I can get it.
Yeah. There's no way I can make $10.
There's no way. So I can stay all day or I
could, you know, get a job. I can't get a job.
No. Too young.
(36:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I mean, that's the thing.
The software wise, definitely. Nowadays though, there still is,
like obviously with the Taurus. So the when Napster came out,
yes, with the whole Metallica thing, suiting them and
everything, which, OK, I'll be honest with you.
When Napster first came out, on one hand they did kind of what
Spotify and all of them are doing now.
It's just that no one is gettingpaid for that, right?
However, you can now suddenly have access to all these
(36:22):
different music. Like, I've never heard of this.
This is awesome. But I'll be honest with you,
Napster it when I found a band or a song that I really like, I
would actually want to save money to buy the CD.
Nice. Because I want to own it.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah. Nowadays, all the end up with
Spotify and stuff I'm I don't want to go out and buy the CD
yeah because space yeah and alsoI don't want to see the player
yeah and at the same time I'm like well, it's all there it's
(36:44):
all there yeah what would I yeahit's more convenient here and
well. It goes back also to the Hong
Kong space issue, because even if you are to like collect CDs
or whatever, you're just like I.Don't know where to put it you.
Don't know where to put it. Yeah, he's a Limewire guy.
So Limewire was another thing that you like, go on.
And then you like download, like, you know, the new Britney
Spears song or whatever. And you're like, but then you're
(37:06):
like, oh, it's only one minute. So sometimes you just give you
like a little thing. But then at some point also
Limewire just gave up on trying to be legit.
And all the music was pirated. And I think that's when they got
in real trouble because the artists like the comp, the
production companies came for them.
But like, all my music was on this is this sounds like such a
nostalgic episode because you download them from Limewire, but
(37:29):
you don't play it on Limewire, you play it on Winamp.
Winamp. Yeah, Winamp.
This is something that Lava has asked.
Yeah, yeah. And if you're really cool, you
can change the Winamp skin. Yeah, and.
Make your own as well if you want to make your.
Own Yeah, I wasn't that you werethe nerd.
Do that. I would do that.
Yeah, I would just download skins.
I'm like, oh, then you Winamp. So it's like.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just play with Yeah, yeah, so
(37:52):
stupid, yeah. So go back to the fake products
between Hong Kong and and and mainland.
The. So according to the documentary,
there is still like malls, like right on the Lujo border, Yeah,
that you can just go and like get stuff from like because in
Hong Kong it's tighter, right? Like the authorities.
But then there they say that when you go and you like shut,
(38:13):
like the authorities go and shutdown the whole street the next
week just falls back up. Yeah, yeah.
So it's like they're describing it as a game of whack a mole.
Yeah, yeah, this one, yeah. I mean, I mean, I think isn't
that like with a lot of listed websites and everything, they
try to block it, They're like, yeah, we just go over there.
I mean, I mean, now it is obviously the kids know torrents
and everything, yes. And with a lot of websites with
(38:34):
torrent sites, they they shut itoff like you say,
torrentsuper.com. Yes, yes, yes.
Next week, torrentsuper.net. Yes, yes, torrent super dot XYZ.
Yeah, forget it, dude. Well, as long as yeah, because a
lot of these servers are in likeRussia and Ukraine, you can't do
anything. And sometimes it's actually
actually like a almost a state sponsored thing when they like
want to fuck with America or whatever.
(38:57):
So they're just letting it slide.
But for the actual physical products, I also kind of get it
sometimes because when you're looking at the luxury items like
this and it's like, OK, I like the design or whatever.
I don't remember how much it was, it was not crazy expensive,
but it was like maybe 1000 Hong Kong dollars.
That's a lot for AT shirt. And then you can go there and
you're like, OK, when you're really thinking about it, it's
(39:20):
like, oh, am I benefiting Hugo Boss like a crazy company, like
big company in Germany or like afactory in China where maybe
it's supporting like a few otherfamilies?
Yeah. And I'm saving like 90% of it.
Yeah. So the the logic or the morality
of it is not so clear cut of like I should support.
It's like, why also. Yeah, luxury brands are also
polluting the planet. Yeah.
(39:40):
Yeah. I mean, I think that's the thing
with a lot of luxury brands, youget to a point where you're
like, this is not functional. This is pure just luxury yes so
like I'll put it this way. I would not spend a lot of money
on let's see a Hugo Boss T-shirtyes, because I'm like it's just
a T-shirt yes. I may spend a lot of money on a
Hugo Boss suit. Yeah.
That's different the reason why is because the suit has a
(40:01):
certain cut a certain this and that yes yeah T-shirt how much
you know creativity. Can you go yes, if I'm paying
that much money for just a print, I'm like, man, that's not
going to do it for me. Yes, right.
Reverse it. Like I'm willing to pay more
for, let's say Dyson vacuum cleaner, yes versus like another
brand that kind of copied the same thing.
Two reasons #1 because I believethat their their, their
technology can't really be copied to that level and #2 I'm
like, they did come up with thisthing, so I want to give it to
(40:23):
them as well. Yes And also we are both like
creative people. Therefore we're like, yeah,
well, you know, I get. To the word that exactly someone
like spend so much time. There is also the element of
risk when it comes to the appliances.
I think I might have shared it here like a few months ago.
I had like a like a second hand like a blender like a cake
blender thing and it basically literally just caught fire while
(40:46):
I was using it. Part.
Of the reason is also I was likethe wire was like a little bit
cut and I think it touched I just like created like a spark.
But then once it did it's like while I was using it, the inside
it just started like. Everything like yeah, shit.
Everything. That's what I'm like.
Should not buy like a cheap one,yeah, because they're gonna just
(41:08):
explode and fucking flow in my eyes.
That's. Actually one of the things,
well, for me now, yeah, nowadaysI'm looking at more from a
functional convenience point of view where I'm like, you know
what, dude? Saving, let's say $200, yes,
potentially having that another problem happened, let's say two
weeks down the line unless I I can't do that.
I bought 1 going back to the Shanghai fake market.
I bought 1 like a very fake Doctor Dre.
(41:31):
Like when they were Monster Beats when they were.
Like, Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's a, that's a very
popular item. And at least back then in the
Chinese fake market. Oh yeah, super popular, all kind
of Doctor Dre like headphones and like even the little one.
But then I realized also like how fake it was because I would
(41:52):
go to like the what we, what we have back home is called Virgin
Megastore. And when they sell the real
item, you can see it. So I actually walked in with my
fake Doctor Dre. I was like, oh, I'm cool.
I'm like one of the my first visits back to Egypt.
I'm like, I live in China now I have money and I'm wearing this
like clearly fake one, but it looks the same, right.
But then they make you like theyhave it on this place.
(42:13):
You can test it. I took off my fake one and they
put on the real one. Yeah.
Oh my God. The difference, the feel, the
difference. Like it's actually also, like,
heavier. Yeah.
And of course, the sound blocking even back in the day
was amazing and compared it to mine that it's not just that it
doesn't block anything. I realized because I put it on
my little brother and then I realized that you can hear from
(42:36):
outside of it, inside. Yeah, the.
Whole neighborhood, yeah. What you're and.
You're walking in there like this guy.
Can't even keep the beat up man.Can't keep the beat up.
He's out of sync. But clearly no real headphones
would like leak that WhatsApp. Yeah, unless they're like what
they call the open-ended ones oropen ones.
(42:58):
But yeah, I know you. Do they actually have that like?
Yeah, so, okay, so if you want to get geeked out, basically
there are certain headphones that I think I forget what the
word is. It's open your whatever, Sure.
The idea is that you actually hear music better because you
hear from a space. So it actually is opened up and
you listen to that way versus like those ones are compressed
into your right now. OK.
(43:18):
So if you want to hear like better quality music supposedly
where there's open ones. Yeah, OK.
I don't think that was on purpose.
That was not my, that wasn't the.
It just was leaking. It wasn't open.
It was leaking. Leaking so much.
Then I was like, ah, fuck. All right, Yeah.
It's like saying, you know it's always good to open your window
for fresh air. Yes, but when you close the
window and the water seeps in, that's not the objective here.
(43:40):
No, no, it's better to have fresh air.
I'm like, yes, but we're closingthe window and we're hoping to
keep it closed. Right now we want closed I'm.
Trying to think of other fake items that I bought over the
years. Are you more of a hardware fake
item or like software fake item guy?
I think hardware because you were mostly software.
Well, when I was young, because like there was no real hardware
I needed or could do anything with anyway, because OK, there's
(44:05):
you can't really get like a fakemouse.
It's either a mouse or. Sure, right.
Yes. Yes.
So that stuff, if you wanted that.
I mean, you can. It's just like it's got to be.
Brand, Yeah, yeah, you get my point.
Say that a lot of the hardware wise, I wasn't really big on the
fake one. I would get maybe different
brands, not like the top brand, for example, I may not get let's
say an HP computer, yes, yes, I may build my own, yes, right.
(44:26):
So you save on the brand of HP, you know that kind of thing.
I was never into Apple computers.
Me neither. I still actually to this day,
never owned an Apple product in my life.
Yeah. And in the short stint working
for the coffee company, they gave me like a MacBook, but
there was like a company laptop and I handed it back, so it
still didn't own it. And still to this day, not even
(44:49):
a single Apple product. I'm very anti Apple until they
approach us and sponsor us, in which case all of this will get
deleted. But until then.
Yeah, Apple, not a fan. Yeah, I had only 1 Apple laptop
one time because I was. I need to know what's this big
deal about every designer this and that.
What was your experience like? It was it was OK.
It was. I mean, back then Windows wasn't
as stable as it is now. So therefore this was oh,
(45:11):
everything just works and I enjoy the fact that it has
certain animation. When windows would pop up and
everything, I was like, Oh my God, it's a full experience.
Yes. That's when I learned the
difference. Like Windows back then was just
like window do this open do whereas Mac is like here's the
window yes we're going to do this now, right, that's
happening we're moving take a moment and I was like oh that's
the difference that's what people like so much about it but
was it like did it make my designs better did it help me
(45:33):
No, not at all yeah. So therefore I got one.
Well, the. The whole thing for them, as far
as I understand, is that they'realso supposed to be like we, we
can't get viruses, right? That's.
Yeah, that was the whole thing back then.
Yeah. Is that still true for like
iPhones? Sure.
Now I'm not too sure now, because I'm sure.
Anyone write in let us know. Does your iPhone get viruses?
Is that like I have one of the main selling?
Points. I have no clue, you know, now
(45:53):
you put it, I'm like, yeah. Then again, I haven't heard
about getting viruses in a long time now.
That's true. Yeah.
I think everything now gets verified or whatever.
Yeah, yeah, By going back to Speaking of Apple, that's
another big market in mainland as well, like the fake Apple
product. And again, it's a cat and mouse
game of like, you know, the bigger cities.
(46:14):
Like you can't have like a fake Apple Store in like, Shanghai,
but you can definitely have one in, like, a village in, in
Guangdong province. Yeah.
And then you see, like, you know, the logo upside down and
you go there is like everything is like.
Oh. And then, you know, the smaller
ones, they try to also because the English usually makes it
look more legit. Yeah.
(46:34):
But most of the time there's like a typo somewhere.
Apple. Apple.
Which is ironically how we say Apple back back home because we
don't have the peace out. So Apple is actually a perfectly
little store. And that store in China that's
got the fake Apple is only filled with Egyptian.
Exactly. They're like, oh, Apple Store is
(46:56):
here. Yeah, I did.
Yeah, even some of the tag linescan be quite ridiculous.
Yeah, and they're like, Apple would never say that.
Not that way. Yeah, but they'll say some shit
like, I guess so. Yeah, of course.
Yeah. So many fake brands.
One of my favorite ones are alsolike back in Egypt.
(47:18):
They have the RIP off of Puma which is Buma of course.
All Egyptians only. It's funny enough, buma in
Arabic means an owl. Let me change the the animal.
Yeah. Yeah, like a boomer.
OK. I guess we're doing that now,
yes. Exactly, I'm like just change
the logo as well. Yeah.
(47:39):
Oh, man. Well, I mean, I guess in that
sense that could be a new adventure for people to go try
it. Yes.
Like can you spot the fake? Can you find the fake and like
make that like one of a tour? Yes, Yeah, the the.
The genuine fake tour Yes, the genuine fake tour is actually a
good name for a comedy special. Yeah, the genuine fake.
But if now that like travelling is obviously to mainland so
(48:02):
easy, even for like people like Hong Kong, people with a card
like you can just go whatever. I highly encourage you if you
are in China and take a photo ofthe most ridiculous fake item
that you see and send it to us. Funny Vivek the other Muhammad
find it find us online and send it to us and we repost it.
(48:22):
I would love for this to take off just like the most absurd
yeah, like fake products until we get the Theodore on the
podcast go go find. Maybe I should not say that just
do it for the goof. Don't actually buy fake items
because if they explode, they can.
Yeah, bring this as evidence. Yeah, but it don't don't, yeah,
(48:43):
don't buy explosion appliances, but maybe it's just like AT
shirt or something. That's good enough.
Or take a photo. They don't actually like the
photos that much as well. They're like, I don't know, no
photos. But in Hong Kong, we can't
really find a lot of these like.Not much anymore, at least.
Like not obvious. Yeah, they might have like, I'm
sure there's like fake Jordans and stuff like that, but you
(49:03):
have to probably go take the lift to go up to some building.
Yeah, that's one. Of those.
Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, the fake like, like
sneakers and stuff. Yeah, yeah.
So you can still get them, but it's just a bit harder to.
OK, well, what genuine item you can buy is comedy show tickets.
They are very hard to fake because we don't have physical
tickets. You could just buy it online and
(49:25):
it will come straight to us. And unlike the big companies,
they come straight to the artistat the venue.
But you know, mostly the venue, some for us, but you just come
to a comedy show. What do you have coming up?
So right now, I'm still getting prepared for my upcoming
Australia, New Zealand tour. Hell yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm
getting ready for that. I'll be there for the whole
month of April and the beginningof May.
(49:46):
Then I come back to Hong Kong. Then I have my LCSD solo
Cantonese show in end of June, which should be announced at the
end of Feb, which is like this coming week.
Yes, yes, yeah. Those are the two main big
things that's on my list. And people would find all of
this information on your website.
Yeah, on my Instagram, funny Vivek website, funnyvivek.com,
basically. Yeah, it'll, it'll be announced
over there. Nice, all Cantonese based right
(50:07):
now, but who knows, English willcome later on.
Yeah, yeah. I mean we also have like
obviously a lot of locals listening and watching.
We at Backstage Comedy have a bunch of stuff coming up this
week. We have Anir Bandas Gupta coming
from India, headlining on the 1st of March. 8th of March we
have Rizal Van Gaisel coming from Malaysia. 15th of March we
(50:27):
have Las Mahesh Manteghani, one of the OG comedian in Hong Kong
unfortunately is leaving after so many years and it's going to
be his last show. If you have seen Mahesh before,
absolutely wonderful guy. Also just super lovely.
So come say bye to Mahesh. 22nd I forgot we do.
Oh yeah, 22nd, we have a regularshowcase and then in mid-april
(50:49):
we have one of our biggest bookings so far is Jogging
Summers Coming, the social mediasensation coming all the way
from LA doing a bunch of shows with us mid-april and that is
already on sale. So catch her shows.
Those shows well sell out and they are base hall, which for
her is not very big. So please get in early.
(51:11):
We also have VIP tickets where you can take photos with her
after the show. So yeah, grab your tickets, see
Jiao Young Summers. We still have a bunch of other
announcements to make. So this year is going to be big.
I am also confirmed to open for my friend Paul Taylor in May
Paul, if you are not familiar with him, is the biggest English
speaking comedian inside France.He's actually a British
(51:33):
comedian, but he he performs mostly in French and he's doing
in English and he is coming herein May at the the at the Art
Center in Wanchai. And he's a friend of mine.
He actually we we chat a little bit.
He doesn't usually have an opening act and it's just
messages like, hey, can I open it?
Like, absolutely. She just threw me on the show.
It's going to be wonderful. So look up Paul Taylor show as
(51:53):
well. And I would be opening.
So yeah, bunch of cool stuff. Find us online.
Thanks for all the support and we will see you at a show.
(52:30):
Music.
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