Ep 178: Euro 2024, Indian Elections, & Cross-Cultural Experiences ft Ashwin Goutham Gopi

Raphael Harry [00:00:00]:
Welcome to White Label American Podcast. This is a podcast that brings you bold in-depth interviews with interesting people that are mostly immigrants taking down artificial walls 1 story at a time. This is a podcast that empowers immigrants to share their stories and listen to those of others. Thank you for joining us. Episode of white label American. This is the summer the official summer kickoff episode and I'm honored to have Ashwin in the house with us. What's up? And we also have, a little audience.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:00:54]:
We do have an audience. Studio. There's an audience in the studio.

Raphael Harry [00:00:57]:
We're glad to have an esteemed audience with us today, and, I'm allowed to say who the person is? Oh, yes. We have all the way from Ecuador. We have Josh. The mom of Josh is here with us today. So, we need to have an episode. So if if

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:01:19]:
you 3rd mic.

Raphael Harry [00:01:20]:
Yeah. Yeah. We we we can get on on on the next episode. So, yeah. So I just got back from, a short vacation in in Deutschland. And if you don't know where Deutschland is, join on Patreon, and you'll find out. And I had a good time there, but we'll come back to Deutschland because there's there's a lot of things that we can

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:01:43]:
do with them because,

Raphael Harry [00:01:45]:
with Euro 2024 going on Oh,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:01:46]:
that yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:01:48]:
That's And all all of America

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:01:50]:
is going

Raphael Harry [00:01:50]:
on there too. Care about that right now. Oh, well,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:01:53]:
there are 2 Ecuadorians in this

Raphael Harry [00:01:55]:
world now. Well, think Ecuador just did

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:01:57]:
not last. You get none.

Raphael Harry [00:01:58]:
They do the job. They're not

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:00]:
only through a penalty, which I think is the same as gambling. You know?

Raphael Harry [00:02:03]:
If they knocked out Argentina because I don't support Argentina. I know Argentina gives me money. So Of course.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:09]:
They're having a crisis right now.

Raphael Harry [00:02:11]:
Well, you know, that that don't pass no excuse.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:13]:
There's no excuse.

Raphael Harry [00:02:14]:
Don't get money from your treasury.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:15]:
Yeah. There's money there. There's someone from Ukraine donating right now.

Raphael Harry [00:02:18]:
Yeah. Yeah. Ukraine has Ukraine supported for almost 2 years. Mhmm. Yeah. Shout out to Ukraine. But, Argentina is my 1 of my nemesis Uh-huh. In the game of,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:29]:
football.

Raphael Harry [00:02:29]:
Of course. I don't support England. I don't support Argentina.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:31]:
Oh, yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:02:32]:
I got English family. Yeah. So anybody playing against Argentina, you have my support. Knock them out. Yeah. Yeah. So I can go troll my Argentinian friends.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:41]:
They did their best. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:02:43]:
Yeah. I know they did. They Yeah. They it's not gonna beat them on regular, in a regular time. So yeah. Yeah. We know they just want Messi to win. That's it.

Raphael Harry [00:02:51]:
But it's I mean, it's alright. Once additional loses, I'll be there.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:02:55]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:02:55]:
But, we'll we'll come back to Euro 2024. So, some things have been happening in the world, and

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:03:03]:
Yeah. We

Raphael Harry [00:03:03]:
have to start from Yeah. Something we hadn't, I haven't talked about it in a while, but I wanted to talk about it because, a friend of mine left, with his family, the the good friend of ours Yeah. Moved to Canada. Yep. Toronto? Yeah. But I won't say his name. And he he wasn't happy with me for the way I called out. He's 1 of his favorite New York congressman who lost his primary.

Raphael Harry [00:03:29]:
And I pointed out that, oh, boy, was a terrible congressman. I was too busy trying to look good on the Internet streets.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:03:35]:
Uh-huh. Also, wasn't he the redistricted?

Raphael Harry [00:03:38]:
Yeah. But everybody got kind of the everybody's district Uh-huh. Good, you know, got the map got redrawn

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:03:44]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:03:45]:
Because there was a court ruling. And so he wasn't the only 1, but he you know, the the excuse was like, oh, he didn't support Israel, so that's why he lost. I was like, that's the that's the shortcut excuse. You you had a job to do, and you weren't doing your job. 2 weeks until the day of the primary Mhmm. Jamal had his so called rock star rally

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:04:09]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:04:10]:
With Bernie Sanders Yeah. And the squad showing up. Mhmm. He didn't have it in his constituency. Mhmm. He held it outside his district Yeah. And telling the crowd, show up to vote. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:04:22]:
That's not your constituents. So what was the point of having that? You don't even know where to have your rally at. So, yeah, you don't even you're not serious. You you know, he he had he held something in February about, hip hop Mhmm. Hip hop something.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:04:37]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:04:38]:
That was the last day of it. Uh-huh. It it it sounded very Eric. If if you have switched the names from Jamal to Eric Adams Yeah. You would have said, oh, yeah. That that that makes sense. Bad news, Eric Adams will he will have the the rappers there with him. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:04:51]:
Yeah. I love hip-hop and all that. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Well, yeah, at least they showed up. They would have been in legit's office.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:04:58]:
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

Raphael Harry [00:04:58]:
Jamal showed

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:04:59]:
up. That Eric Adams was advising the DNC or an outage. So maybe. Hey. But I

Raphael Harry [00:05:05]:
I give Eric Adams respect for 1 thing. Uh-huh. He knows Yeah. The his people.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:05:10]:
He knows his audience.

Raphael Harry [00:05:11]:
He knows his audience. So Exactly. When he's campaigning, he goes straight to them, and he don't play with that. Exactly. In in most people who won't vote for him, so you you you won't see him in the neighborhood that's not voting for him. Jamal, he's on Twitter all the time. Uh-huh. And that's what I'm saying.

Raphael Harry [00:05:25]:
He sounds great. Yeah. Yeah. He knows the cool hashtags.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:05:29]:
Uh-huh. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:05:30]:
And our friend was like, oh, you don't care about Palestinian pain. So you were I was trolling on Palestinian. I was like, bro, you don't get it.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:05:40]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:05:40]:
This man has a job as a congressman.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:05:43]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:05:44]:
His number 1 job, he's not following up on it. Yep. Yep. So that's why he lost. Mhmm. It was he opened the gateway for a challenger to come in.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:05:55]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:05:56]:
And it's not because the guy outspent him. When AOC won the first time, she was outspent Mhmm. By 1, 000, 000.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:06:04]:
Yep. Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:06:05]:
But she did the work. She took it seriously, and she won. And when she got into congress, she didn't say, okay. I'm just only gonna be hanging out with people who with Bernie Sanders, and I'm not gonna talk to nobody. She started building relationships Mhmm. Within democratic party. And she won't talk to Republicans who were cool with her Mhmm. Until they tried to kill her.

Raphael Harry [00:06:24]:
Mhmm. But Mhmm. That's a whole other story. This man didn't build a single relationship. Mhmm. All he did was shouting matches with, the crazy woman from Georgia. Mhmm. The the face of, I guess she's the sexiest thing in Republican party right now, which well, was it a built Butch body?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:06:44]:
Oh, god.

Raphael Harry [00:06:45]:
And And

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:06:45]:
so this is why you guys had a fight?

Raphael Harry [00:06:48]:
Well Yeah. He he because I was in Germany, and he texted me.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:06:51]:
Yeah. Yeah. But he's not even in in his district.

Raphael Harry [00:06:53]:
And I was like, bro, you don't get it? Yeah. You don't get why I called Jamal out? And he was like, you don't care about Palestinians. Oh. You don't care about my pain. And I said, bro Yeah. You know, if I if I was really mean, I would have said Mhmm. You're not Palestinian. It's just you were born in Westchester.

Raphael Harry [00:07:11]:
Yeah. That's you know?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:07:12]:
Just from across the border?

Raphael Harry [00:07:14]:
I mean, yes. You have Egyptian roots Uh-huh. And Syrian roots, and you're not Palestinian. And if you wanna use that to say, I'm not voting for Joe Biden Mhmm. Okay? Fine. Well but you're running away from the country. Right? Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:07:28]:
So So, all that to say, it's been interesting. Mhmm. Because I see people saying, oh, this politician said this and that, so he's cool. I'm like, yeah. So he can pollute your neighborhood? You can sign sign up for the the the policy that pollutes your neighborhood? Because what's the point of attacking an Eric Adams and saying, he he's not funding my libraries. He's not funding, this and that, but he's he's my favorite rapper. He's hanging out my favorite rapper. Right? Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:08:00]:
So, I mean hey. You know? Hey. I mean, everybody can pick which 1 they they want. Like, 1 thing is cool. So I'm I'm trying to tell him, like, I can say he's cool on that, but you won't say cool because and he's like, no. You you hate police? I was like, oh god. Okay. So I, I came in to say, wish you goodbye, good luck, but, hey.

Raphael Harry [00:08:21]:
I'm I'm drinking a drink, and I'm just gonna let you keep yelling. And when you're done, you're yelling. And he said, you're gonna come visit me over there. I said, when you're safe, I'll come. So, you went through an election in your country.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:08:38]:
Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:08:39]:
And Thank you. Were you happy with the results in India? Because we we we have 1 coming in America. We already had a taste of with the primaries.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:08:50]:
India is such a big question. You know, that's yeah. So we're starting to see the around the world, you know, kind of, like, dissatisfaction with incumbency. Mhmm. You know? And I think I would partly as you said, is also partly due to the media. You know? That that political aesthetics are So

Raphael Harry [00:09:14]:
you can't let them go where I said it.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:09:16]:
Ever present, you know, in our lives so that, you know, so people are tired of incumbency because people are, I think, actually, you know, bored bored of the thing rather than unhappy or something like that. And in India, you know, right now, there were we saw the different kinds of election strategies taken by the different parties. Okay? And so you definitely saw the BJP trying to be, like, super like, focusing on a couple things. 1 is, like, look at how much we have done. Like, look at how much we have built, you know, and look at all this stuff. Look at all this amazing stuff that we have made. And at the same time, being like, hey. Also, watch out for those Muslims.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:09:57]:
Yeah. Just to take your stuff. Okay. So that's that's the 1 strategy. Mhmm. Versus the, the other, you know, are the congress, for instance, and their allies are more, like, focusing on things that are affecting people. Right? Mainly on unemployment and the increase in, economic, what do you call it? Like, stratification. Increase in stratification.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:10:27]:
Economically, more unemployment and things like that. They're they're, like, saying yes. Okay. Fine. The BJP built a lot of cool stuff. However, that cool stuff is not owned by you. It does not benefit you. You know? You don't get anything from it, then blah blah blah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:10:42]:
So when the elections come to pass, it does seem to be true that, yes, at the end of the day, people are more afraid of unemployment than they are of Muslim people. Okay?

Raphael Harry [00:10:54]:
Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:10:55]:
But at the same time, I think people are more afraid of unemployment. Now it's more ever present in their being because of this lack of social support, lack of, you know, any sort of, like, safety nets, you know, and things like that. And, also, extremely high, you know, cost of real estate, you know, The the the, you know, inflation. Mhmm. Cost of fuel and vegetable. You know, like, whatever. Like, things that affect them are are changing

Raphael Harry [00:11:27]:
the months. Changes of life.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:11:28]:
But I think nobody is addressing that, you know. So even though like, even in my state, which I'm very proud of the result, they denied the BJP even 1 seat, which is huge. That's huge. That's, you know, few other states did that too. But to completely and also, of course, you saw in other states too, like Maharashtra also. Not they didn't BJP still won some seats, but they lost so many, you know.

Raphael Harry [00:11:57]:
Is that in the south or not?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:11:58]:
Maharashtra is Bombay. Like, I don't know. Bombay. Somewhere in the west. Wow. And so that's huge. And even in Uttar Pradesh and stuff like that, you have the same sort of phenomenon where people are very afraid. But this this is like I'm so on 1 hand, I'm happy with the people way the way people voted.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:12:17]:
However, I am still not hopeful that there is a way out of some of these problems, you know. There is a way out of, but it's like it's always it's always the ways suck.

Raphael Harry [00:12:29]:
Mhmm. You know?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:12:30]:
And and

Raphael Harry [00:12:30]:
How do you mean?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:12:31]:
Like like like, for instance, it's going to we're going to end up with dealing with a lot of homelessness. We're going to end up with a lot of, people picking up and, you know, like, a more transient population. We will end up with more consolidation of real estate under large companies, people losing ownership of land and rather relying on rental, you know, and people becoming more trapped in credit debt, you know. So these kind of things temporarily will make people feel better.

Raphael Harry [00:13:03]:
Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:13:03]:
But then you are now caught in a new kind of trap. And then from there, it's like a constant thing. Mhmm. And so that's the thing. I don't think the congress nor the even my my state's party is really very keen on, you know, it, they're very, very good at again, in my state from the aesthetically being like, no. Culturally, we don't like the North Indians and stuff like that. And, you know, we don't want them to impose. And also this this this of course, on the other hand, there is this view that India is a republic.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:13:36]:
Each state must have the ability to control itself, and the the the central government should not have more power over the what the states are able to do. And this is something that has been very concerning with the BJP Mhmm. Trying to consolidate the whole country through expanding fed like, federal power, like, central power, you know, which something people are also concerned here in the US. So but but vest is It it

Raphael Harry [00:14:05]:
it it's different. Very vest.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:14:06]:
It's different. It's kind of opposite. Yeah. And so, you know, people in, you know, like, I don't know. I don't know how much my state this party of my state is going to improve. Things like cost of real estate, housing crisis, housing severe housing crisis, severe severe urbanization problem, problem, and a lot of issues that come with urbanization. On 1 hand, I'm very proud of them with dealing with things like poverty, dealing with issues of, you know, like food security. You know, they do very well with education, attracting foreign investment, and they now they have the Apple factory and the Mercedes Benz factory and all these kind of things.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:14:50]:
And, of course, it generates jobs, but it's still creating a lot of severe stratification and other these other problems, pollution, climate change.

Raphael Harry [00:15:01]:
Mhmm.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:15:02]:
You know, other social problems like, you know, increased use of, drugs and, especially of Fentanyl, you know.

Raphael Harry [00:15:13]:
Oh, wow. And things like guys have the Fentanyl issue too.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:15:16]:
It's everywhere. You know? And so these kind of issues are, coming up and these issues are not like the these issues will be always be presented as a, oh, it's coming from outside. Yeah. It's like somebody else's, like, is doing this to us, national security and blah blah blah. But at the end of the day, what is actually happening is people are becoming sadder and less hopeful. Mhmm. That's why these kind of problems perpetuate. And I don't know who is there to give hope to I don't know people it's not Modi, but who who else is it? What else what is the, you know, issue here? Like,

Raphael Harry [00:15:52]:
so So let me ask.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:15:53]:
That's it's a very

Raphael Harry [00:15:56]:
What what's the name of your state's, ruling party? DMK. DMK. DMK.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:01]:
So there are different kind of political stances.

Raphael Harry [00:16:04]:
Stand for?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:05]:
The DMK Yeah. The The party for the progressive Dravidian party.

Raphael Harry [00:16:13]:
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You should have started with that. That's that's not easier for me.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:17]:
Or for the party for me

Raphael Harry [00:16:19]:
right now. So

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:20]:
The party for Dravidian progress.

Raphael Harry [00:16:23]:
Okay.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:23]:
So it's very, like, ethnonational ethno Mhmm. National.

Raphael Harry [00:16:27]:
So but it's always it's just for the states. It is for

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:30]:
the Dravidians only. That is only South Indians. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:16:32]:
So I can't join. I can't join.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:35]:
You can you can join. You you I you probably wouldn't be able to run for any of the central government positions.

Raphael Harry [00:16:41]:
Okay.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:42]:
But, I'm sure if you are naturalized as an Indian citizen, you could run for the state level

Raphael Harry [00:16:46]:
Wow.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:46]:
Okay. Politics for sure.

Raphael Harry [00:16:48]:
Alright.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:49]:
Yeah. Definitely. You know?

Raphael Harry [00:16:52]:
But, they're not they're not they're not as strict as, BGP?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:16:59]:
I they will do whatever it takes to win. I don't you know, it's like that. If they if you if you are going to if you, for instance, generate a large following, like a media figure Yeah. People from Instagram get picked up to become, like, a local councilman. You know?

Raphael Harry [00:17:14]:
Yeah. That's happening everywhere.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:17:16]:
Yeah. Of course.

Raphael Harry [00:17:17]:
That's happening everywhere.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:17:18]:
Of course.

Raphael Harry [00:17:18]:
And that's true. Media influences.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:17:20]:
In India, there's no difference between, yeah, film, social media, reality. It's all 1 thing.

Raphael Harry [00:17:26]:
I mean

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:17:27]:
It's all it's all a it's a spectrum. It's a spectrum. You know? It's a spectrum of aesthetics.

Raphael Harry [00:17:34]:
Oh, by the way, speaking of India Yeah. Did you hear the story of the student who got deported from is it Lay University? I don't know how you pronounce that. Leigh, LEIGH.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:17:48]:
Leigh, isn't it in the UK? No. Here. Here. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:17:52]:
He confessed to how he faked his dad's death to get a scholarship Uh-huh. On, Reddit. Uh-huh. And, I guess some people reported him to the school and Yeah. I think it was I think it was in February.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:18:10]:
What are they? A PhD student or a master's student graduate?

Raphael Harry [00:18:13]:
Leave their master's or PhD.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:18:14]:
Oh god.

Raphael Harry [00:18:15]:
Yeah. He I don't know if he was feeling guilty or it it was That's it.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:18:20]:
Ultimate student move. It's like, oh, my granddad died. I can't have a break on my assignment, please.

Raphael Harry [00:18:27]:
I've gotten, I think it was, like, half ride. I think either half ride. He had gotten some he he had been admitted by the school and Yeah. But he's he in the in the whole confession Yeah. He put the whole confession on his head. God. And he's just said,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:18:44]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:18:45]:
He didn't want to commit to like, even, think the admission ex the the exam which you you used to gain Yeah. Admission over there in India. Oh, yeah. He even cheated on that. Oh. He put he confessed a whole bunch of things. I'm like Oh, okay. Then he just went

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:19:05]:
to Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:19:06]:
He's he's like, I didn't want to eat my brain.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:19:08]:
His dad, he also cheated on his exams.

Raphael Harry [00:19:11]:
So No. He he was confessing confessing. He was like, I don't Yeah. I just didn't want to put my brain to work. I'm like, oh, dude. You are working. You you put your brain to work. He did.

Raphael Harry [00:19:23]:
He he did it. He did it. I he did the act

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:19:27]:
he is the actual the most cynical person and also the most genuine. This guy is like, he's got some I don't know. I don't I respect and and just IIII

Raphael Harry [00:19:37]:
was respected even. III was like, man, what happened to you that made you just come out and You know what it is? You know what it is?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:19:43]:
Too much success, he has to bring himself down to ground him. So that's why he snitched on himself. Right. He snitched on

Raphael Harry [00:19:50]:
his I'll tell you. He

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:19:52]:
he really

Raphael Harry [00:19:52]:
believed in the anonymous. I think he truly believed in the anonymous.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:19:56]:
I don't think someone this I think he wanted to get people leave trails because getting caught, that's the thrill. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:20:02]:
That's true.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:20:03]:
That's the thrill. And this is not this won't be his first or his last scam. Just watch for this guy. Put him on a list.

Raphael Harry [00:20:10]:
Right. He's going back to India.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:20:11]:
You know? You will see him in Canada next year. I swear to God. No 1 is gonna hold these guys. He wants to get caught. He did 1. He did the it's like a challenge. Next is Australia. You'll see him in New Zealand.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:20:26]:
You know? Oh. Yeah. I respect I respect I'm back on the respect for this guy. I'm a huge fan. By the way, scams? Yeah. I I like scam stories. I love. I think scams is the ultimate expression.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:20:39]:
They are people who love capitalism so much that they are imagining they're imagining capitalism scenarios. It is a fantasy, you know. It is a recursive fantasy and they it's like, you know, it's like what masturbation is to sex? Yes. Scams is to capitalism. And so I was like, why why are we what's all this moralizing? You know, we're like, okay. You picked up your first of all, who told you to leave your grandma with a credit card and a phone? Right? Oh. And a TV. Go go take her to the park.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:21:15]:
Go scammers to the park.

Raphael Harry [00:21:16]:
I mean,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:21:16]:
there are a few. The other day, there was this guy trying to sell me a bracelet. I'm like, okay. But he's there. He's on the street doing the work. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:21:24]:
You know,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:21:25]:
I gave him $5 to just to be like, I respect you. I don't want your bracelet.

Raphael Harry [00:21:29]:
You know? I respect that too.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:21:31]:
Doing this.

Raphael Harry [00:21:32]:
There was there was 1 day III, you know, I don't know if I think I shared this story on the podcast long time ago where, you know, I I had a friend who was, talking about what do you call them again? The stolen valor guys who are on the train. I'm a veteran. Blah blah. You look at them, and you're like, yeah. Veteran of what? And this guy kept going on and on, and I was like, they built 2 or 3 for in the car on on the train. And Yeah. I looked at him. He looked probably younger than myself, and he was just government navy veteran and blah blah blah.

Raphael Harry [00:22:09]:
I was like, hey, man. You've been you've been to the VA? Yeah. She said, no. And they don't I said, bro, man, well, all the stuff you just described in the VA will help you, man. You should go. Go get help. I said, really? Oh, man. Thanks, bro.

Raphael Harry [00:22:23]:
Thanks. I'll go. I'll go. I didn't know.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:22:32]:
That is a street actor. That is a unlicensed street actor. And you should respect all the arts. Can I can I tell you just 1 more capitalism story? Like, okay. This I'm seeing right outside my house. Mhmm. Okay. So, you know, sometimes because of street cleaning, I gotta move the car.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:22:48]:
Yeah. I was in the car for a while. Right outside my house, there's a new building being built. You saw it right across from my street. And then the building, of course, is being built with Ecuadorian immigrants. Some of many of them who just arrived. Oh. All of them very young men, and very hard workers.

Raphael Harry [00:23:08]:
Mhmm.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:23:09]:
You know? And, you know, they they build that building went up real quick. Okay? So every day at around 11 AM, so these, Ecuadorian women okay, also very entrepreneurial, hardworking women pull up with big coolers, okay, in which their their food. They pack premade food. Okay? Coolerian food, which, you know, my wife and I, we sometimes buy and enjoy as well, you know. Yeah. So the there are usually, like, 3 women who are coming to sell this food. Okay? A 4th woman tried to come, they chased her away.

Raphael Harry [00:23:45]:
Okay. Now

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:23:46]:
these women are competing

Raphael Harry [00:23:48]:
with each other.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:23:49]:
Okay? The women are competing. Just so now I'm noticing fashion changes in them. So this 1 lady, she wears like a like a sleeveless tank top. Okay?

Raphael Harry [00:24:02]:
Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:24:02]:
She wears sleeveless tank top and a yoga pant. Okay?

Raphael Harry [00:24:06]:
That that's

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:24:07]:
The other 1 wears a crop top.

Raphael Harry [00:24:11]:
Oh. Okay?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:24:11]:
And then the 1 in the middle wears a t shirt. And I swear to God, it works. Because the lady with the the sleeveless, what are the the, you know,

Raphael Harry [00:24:22]:
tank

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:24:23]:
top Mhmm. She sells out immediately, and she leaves. Mhmm. The crop top lady goes second. And, finally, everyone you know, the the the last lady, she has to go around trying to sell her food to Mexican construction workers on the other construction site. Oh. Just in case. Okay? So I'm saying, is that what American politics is? Is the that's what we need.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:24:47]:
It's like, the male equivalent of it's the same food. No. They're selling the same food. The food is all made in the same place, you know. So there is no difference in ideology. There's no difference

Raphael Harry [00:25:01]:
in You gotta remember, the audience were not privy to our Uh-huh. The the listeners were not they didn't get the first conversation. So you guys gotta go on Patreon.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:25:13]:
Yeah. You gotta go on Patreon.

Raphael Harry [00:25:14]:
Because we we had the whole conversation on Yes. American presidential Yeah. Politics. Yeah. So that's why it should be on page 9.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:25:21]:
Is it literally just something like you go to a McDonald's and then you buy the thing that whose picture is there?

Raphael Harry [00:25:28]:
You get number 1. Number 2. Exactly. The picture of number 1. Number 1 Uh-huh. Looks bigger. Uh-huh. The tray looks larger.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:25:35]:
It's a close-up photo.

Raphael Harry [00:25:36]:
And it says, if you get number 1 Yeah. It comes with an extra drink.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:25:40]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:25:41]:
Number 2, you just get number 2. Mhmm. There's nothing more. Nothing number 2. And you're like, but, actually, number 1 is more expensive. And then it says extra drink. Yeah. You're like

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:25:54]:
Think of for people who eat drinks. For think people who eat beef, think about American politics. It's like, would you eat an old cow or would you eat a cow with mad cow disease? You know?

Raphael Harry [00:26:08]:
It's a good way. I eat a good old cow.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:11]:
You can eat an old cow. Biden's the old cow.

Raphael Harry [00:26:13]:
Hell yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:14]:
Old, you can still eat the cow.

Raphael Harry [00:26:16]:
Hell, yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:17]:
But Trump is a cow with mad cow disease.

Raphael Harry [00:26:19]:
Disease. I don't even know what what what happens to you after that. But I'm I'm watching Yeah. Sweet tooth right now.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:27]:
Uh-oh. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:26:28]:
Awesome show.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:29]:
I've I've heard of it. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:26:30]:
Yes. Very, very Mhmm. You know, I love that kid Mhmm. Mhmm. On the show. All the kids on the show, they're they're good they're good kids. So you're like, oh, bless your heart. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:26:41]:
That's the reason. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I thought I thought

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:43]:
Oh, I have been watching The Boys on your recommendation

Raphael Harry [00:26:46]:
Oh, yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:47]:
Season 3. Oh. Man, we should have The latest episode we shouldn't give

Raphael Harry [00:26:51]:
that to the listeners. But yeah. Nope. But we can go ahead. We'll we'll we'll spoil it for them. Yes.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:55]:
But it's just okay. You know?

Raphael Harry [00:26:57]:
Last night last night for Patreon. Patreon.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:26:59]:
Last night no. But I'm thinking about the last night's episode was, I think, a little bit about the cynical aspect of politics.

Raphael Harry [00:27:06]:
Oh, yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:27:07]:
And the aesthetics now that I'm thinking. And the aesthetics is Boys.

Raphael Harry [00:27:13]:
Boys. I

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:27:14]:
forgot something very specific about it, but something I remember this lady was saying, like, oh, wasn't it she's the Kamala Harris. Right?

Raphael Harry [00:27:21]:
No. She she she was the she is

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:27:23]:
What is she?

Raphael Harry [00:27:24]:
She's the AOC.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:27:25]:
Oh, okay. Yeah. I I yeah. And she's the vice president.

Raphael Harry [00:27:28]:
But she's

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:27:29]:
But but I thought she said something that what you said is that she is like, I am the 1 who has been doing all these things while this guy is just, I think they may have rewritten some scenes after the, like, the debate. Because I'm like oh, she's like, oh, I'm the 1 who's been doing all this. This guy is just an old guy who who's a danger to whatever, you know, the US.

Raphael Harry [00:27:49]:
You gotta you gotta remember.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:27:50]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:27:52]:
She was selling has, selling, the way they've been selling her Yeah. From when she started, which is why which was the big Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:28:06]:
I forgot. I already was that. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:28:09]:
She was like the AOC Uh-huh. Type with the language Yeah. Everything, the posture. Yeah. She looked very AOC. And then we find out that she's the 1 literally killing people.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:28:20]:
She's a soup. Yep.

Raphael Harry [00:28:21]:
Yeah. She's a soup. But she but it's not just any type of sup that she's a bloody killer.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:28:25]:
It is.

Raphael Harry [00:28:25]:
Because it was that press conference where heads were popping off and you're like, oh, who who was doing that? Was that an assassination attempt on her? We thought somebody was trying to kill her. Meanwhile, she was the 1 taking out people. Yeah. And it looked like somebody came to kill her. That's what it looked like. And people were like, oh, protect her. You know? She you must protect her. Her life is precious.

Raphael Harry [00:28:43]:
And you're like, I can assure the 1. Yeah. Yeah. So it's always it's the thing where until Homelander discovers that she's a supe, and he's like, that's why he's always insisted. You gotta come out. You gotta come out. Uh-huh. And, you know, come out and show the world because, you know, a man that doesn't even know how to play the game, really.

Raphael Harry [00:29:02]:
Yeah. Yeah. It's just all about It's

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:29:04]:
easily, man. Punch.

Raphael Harry [00:29:04]:
You just gotta be punch. Punch them. That's it. The solution is punch everything. Yeah. But that's where that's why she said she started with, no. I'm not doing the AOC talk, you know, because even the guys there, we're all looking at her

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:29:18]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:29:18]:
Like an AOC type. Like, oh, use you just soft, pet petite, liberal type of chick. You know, that's well, you know, we we can't really and then she's like, no. I can be this type of person too. And Mhmm. This is it no. We we are running a kingdom here. We'll Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:29:33]:
Yeah. Give you what you want and give you power and all that. And then, oh, you're speaking my language. And I just get oh, I'm aroused now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Toast to you.

Raphael Harry [00:29:44]:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now now we're talking because the person who would have made the speech, she was out, Sage, you know, who's been Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. With the brains behind the scenes. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:29:54]:
Who knows how to twist? I I'm still wondering what Sage's goal end goal is because I I know she has something. She's she's too smart to just be comfortable being in the black person in the room Yeah. To all these crazy people, but I know she has something going on. Yeah. She has a plan. She she she's because that's the thing about the boys. They're no good person. No.

Raphael Harry [00:30:14]:
No. That's why I love the show.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:30:16]:
Yeah. But that's my question. So, you know, it's a very cynical perspective on power and things like that. You know, this, of course, listeners will not know this because we spoke in real life. But remember our last conversation about, Homelander. Mhmm. Like, what is he what does it represent? Is it something that he's kind of like a nuclear bomb, You know? My question is, is Homelander a person? Is it a per or is he like a technology? Something that has been made and created, you know, like in a lab, and programmed programmed by what? You know?

Raphael Harry [00:30:55]:
Technically, he he was programmed.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:30:58]:
Do you think it's broken, or you think there is still, like, there is a, like, underlying psychological way where where for instance, like, is there a control? Because, you know, is is that's my question. Is it, like, easy a my idea is.

Raphael Harry [00:31:16]:
Yeah. That's true.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:31:18]:
That is true.

Raphael Harry [00:31:19]:
That's that's how you're

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:31:21]:
that simple.

Raphael Harry [00:31:22]:
Yeah. Well, the thing with Homelander is this. You know? As of

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:31:25]:
That's my question. Is he is he, like, literally, like, a robot or an AI or something in the sense that he's not really a person? Like, there is no actual person.

Raphael Harry [00:31:37]:
Umland, is the way many people Mhmm. See think not just America, but Mhmm. Their country is Superman, a Clark Kent type.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:31:51]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:31:52]:
But, actually, they are homelander.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:31:54]:
Yeah. Severe repressed trauma.

Raphael Harry [00:31:56]:
Exactly. There's a whole lot

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:31:59]:
of Yes. You Violence.

Raphael Harry [00:32:01]:
The violence is

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:32:03]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:32:03]:
So your joy comes from

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:32:05]:
psyche. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:32:06]:
You know? You you don't have any empathy for humans. It's like Yeah. I'm a god Yeah. And a merciless god. Mhmm. Mhmm. So why should I worry myself with Mhmm. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:32:19]:
Puny humans? Mhmm. Mhmm. And there are so many that that's why he has so many fans Mhmm. Mhmm. Who cannot Yes. See him as the evil guy.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:32:29]:
Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:32:29]:
And it took it's up to, until season 4, and they're like, wait. Oh, why why why you say Homeland is a bad guy? I'm like, who's been the bad guy for us? Ep episode 2 of Yeah. Yeah. Season no. I think it was season 1. Episode 1. Episode 1. You're on the airplane.

Raphael Harry [00:32:44]:
Woah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:32:44]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:32:45]:
Because that that's when I thought, oh, I was I was like, wait. Is he because when I saw him take out the armed robbers at first, I was like, okay.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:32:50]:
Shave. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:32:50]:
Maybe this this,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:32:52]:
comedy. Okay. And then on the airplane Uh-huh.

Raphael Harry [00:32:53]:
When Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's just

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:33:00]:
dark. It got very dark very quickly.

Raphael Harry [00:33:02]:
We gotta save them, and he's like, no. I'm only saving you. Yeah. And he picks up and Yeah. Bye.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:33:07]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:33:07]:
Out of the plane. I know. I was like, oh. 0. Mhmm. What? Well, he didn't even attempt to save everybody on the plane. He he didn't wanna try. He's like, no.

Raphael Harry [00:33:16]:
I ain't wasting my time here. Nope. Mhmm. Out and leaves. Mhmm. And, like, he zaps people even because people were trying to run up to him. Like, save us save us, like a get back on Zoom. All that, bro.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:33:28]:
This got spoiled for me because I watched the invincible before I watched the boys.

Raphael Harry [00:33:33]:
Oh, you you do the best. I did the best. I watched the boys first.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:33:36]:
So, you know, by then, I was already primed for, like, a little bit.

Raphael Harry [00:33:41]:
Uh-huh.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:33:42]:
Yeah. I thought, oh, you know? Yeah. Both are on Amazon.

Raphael Harry [00:33:46]:
I I highly recommend it Yeah. Because, it's for people who can't look like, I don't watch cartoons. Okay. Don't watch invisible. Oh, yeah. But watch the boys. It's yeah. Except if you like it.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:33:57]:
I don't like blood. Very cartoonish. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:33:59]:
I don't like the I don't like blood. I don't like naked people. I don't like naked naked nude. A lot of people were like, mafia doesn't show naked people. You know this. Well, you got the boys. If you wanna see nudity, you're gonna see nudity. Are you gonna be like

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:34:13]:
You're gonna see things you don't

Raphael Harry [00:34:14]:
wanna see. And then we're gonna find out if the problem with Marvel is nudity. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Because there are people who are like, I was eating when this happened, and I was watching the boys. They didn't warn me. I was I there's a warning on the on the screen. Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:34:27]:
Don't watch TV while you're eating. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:34:30]:
Don't don't yeah. I mean, you can watch for some shows, but, not the boys. Yeah. Not not the boys. Don't anything that has set, set, Rogen

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:34:38]:
Uh-huh.

Raphael Harry [00:34:39]:
In it, don't don't once you see his name pop up, yeah, producer, written, whatever, don't start eating or drinking and watch it. Nope. But enough about that. Let let's get to Germany. A few things happened while I was in Germany. Yes. You know? I got to witness a big soccer tournament live in person for the first I'll be in a and also be in a host country

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:05]:
Oh, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:35:06]:
For the first time. Now who are

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:07]:
they playing?

Raphael Harry [00:35:09]:
I I went to watch the, Spain against Italy. Okay. That's my Father's Day present Got it. For this year. Yeah. And,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:17]:
Good good teams.

Raphael Harry [00:35:18]:
Yeah. Good teams, but I've always been pro Italia.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:21]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:35:21]:
Even though my favorite club team is Real Madrid. Uh-huh. So you always piss yourself a lot of Madrid fans. Uh-huh. They're like, how can you love Real Madrid and you don't watch you don't support Spain? I'm like, Spain is the European country that's literally on the African continent. It's hard for them to have black players.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:37]:
Fair enough.

Raphael Harry [00:35:37]:
So shut up. Y'all wanna go there? Uh-huh. I'm like, uh-huh. So shut up. I can choose which team I want.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:46]:
Yeah. Yeah. But

Raphael Harry [00:35:46]:
I've always liked Italian style of plane and German style of plane until I learned World War 2 history. I was like, oh.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:51]:
Okay. Okay. Fair enough. Fair enough. I

Raphael Harry [00:35:53]:
don't know what it what it says about me being team German. It's Hey.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:35:56]:
You know what? I like Japanese cars.

Raphael Harry [00:35:58]:
Okay? Okay? Japan is my favorite Asian team too. So, yeah, I'm very problematic on my soccer. You know? It's, that's why I don't say it too I don't say it out loud too much. But, you know, going to the game, something funny happened. You know? You know, if you have the tickets, you know, you have the app. I need to delete the apps from my phone now because I'm I'm no I'm no longer using it. Mhmm. But you had to download the app.

Raphael Harry [00:36:21]:
And if you had those apps, it's free train ride to the stadium for you.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:36:25]:
That's very nice.

Raphael Harry [00:36:26]:
So, we got off the wrong stop. Uh-huh. And it led to, our discovery of a mini instant bowl.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:36:34]:
Uh-huh. Yeah. So

Raphael Harry [00:36:35]:
I got to discover a place that I think the likes of Steve Bannon and, them other Fox News people and

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:36:42]:
You know?

Raphael Harry [00:36:43]:
Yeah. They they go that's that's the type of place they went to in Europe. I'm like, oh my god. Sharia law and you

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:36:49]:
It's kebabs kebabs.

Raphael Harry [00:36:50]:
It's taking over the whole of Europe. I think I saw it because I we got out there, and we're walking around

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:36:56]:
stabbing this meat.

Raphael Harry [00:36:57]:
I said, let's find somewhere to eat. You

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:36:59]:
know? My food was slowly rotating. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:37:01]:
We looked around. I was like, This place is named Istanbul. This 1 is named after Ankara. Uh-huh. It's named after some other Turkish. I'm like, well, why are they everywhere here named after Turkey? Everybody just smoking on the streets like cigarettes in their mouth

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:37:14]:
and some

Raphael Harry [00:37:15]:
hijabs. I'm like, okay. Yeah. Okay. I'm I'm feeling I'm not feeling like I'm I don't belong here. I'm feeling at home, but except for the cigarette smoke that just hitting me from everywhere. And I was like, well, there must be some good place to eat here. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:37:28]:
That's all I was after. And I was like, 0II didn't I miscalculate the weather, so it was getting a little bit cold. Mhmm. And I was only wearing a a soccer jersey. Mhmm. So maybe I should get a, light jackets to put on. Oh, I saw a store nearby. Like, maybe I should go in there.

Raphael Harry [00:37:44]:
And V was like, nah. I don't think we'll have anything for you there. I was like, why? So, like, covered the neighborhood and look at the look at the name. I look at the store. I was like, oh, women only. That's technically what he was saying. I was like, oh, yep. That's

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:37:56]:
Bad enough.

Raphael Harry [00:37:57]:
Definitely what Steve Ball was like, dang,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:37:59]:
I went to Europe. They discriminated against the men.

Raphael Harry [00:38:02]:
They had 1 section. They're saying that men

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:38:04]:
should be naked. Oh. It said women Oh, Muslim.

Raphael Harry [00:38:07]:
There's Muslim taking over the whole of Europe. I said, oh, you know what? I could have done that type of video here. Uh-huh. I said, look. I witnessed it, but, man, I

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:38:15]:
sat down and beat the

Raphael Harry [00:38:16]:
place and got myself some good kebab Uh-huh. And yell. The only the only down thing for me downside for me was that there's no goats. There's no love goat. No No goat meat. There's only lamb.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:38:26]:
People in Turkey eat goat. I don't

Raphael Harry [00:38:28]:
know. They should. Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:38:30]:
Why why shouldn't they for mountainous. I mean Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:38:33]:
Go find the goat. Hey. I don't know who else goes find it for you. You find it. You know? And that's my little complain about, you know, gem most places in Germany. So it's lamb and Uh-huh. Yes. They they they they they had well, let me see.

Raphael Harry [00:38:45]:
Did they have lamb? It was chicken chick chicken and, yeah. They they had lamb. Mhmm. But, it was good. It was good eating and sat down there. And I I counted 1 or 2 black people walking by. Mhmm. I I know I know my Africans when I see them.

Raphael Harry [00:38:59]:
Mhmm. So each other went, yep. Yep. Mhmm. Mhmm. I see you. I see you. I see you.

Raphael Harry [00:39:04]:
Yep. So we get we jump on the train, jump back on train after 18.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:39:09]:
Yep.

Raphael Harry [00:39:09]:
Then jump on the next train to head to the stadium proper. So a bunch of Italian fans, like, on our way to the stadiums, like, all Italian fans jump into the train at the same time, and they're all singing. And then this guy comes to sit down next to me. There's a guy from Switzerland. I mean, guy, a German dude next to me, and then, you know, the guy wearing Italian shirt. He's like, where are you from? I said, New York. And where are you from? That is Switzerland. And the other 1, Germany.

Raphael Harry [00:39:38]:
Mhmm. He said, me? No. He said, Belgium. Belgium. I said, oh, nice. Nice. And they talked to me again. He said, where are you from? I said, I I said, New York.

Raphael Harry [00:39:48]:
I don't know what I what he had when I said New York.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:39:51]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:39:51]:
He said, I love Congo. I was like, damn. I'm like, yeah. Yeah. I love Congo too. It's a good food. Right? Good food. Congo, good food.

Raphael Harry [00:40:05]:
I love Congo women too.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:40:07]:
Belgian Belgian guy.

Raphael Harry [00:40:08]:
Yeah. Belgian

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:40:09]:
guy. No. You any of that?

Raphael Harry [00:40:11]:
Yeah. I was like, Yeah. I'm let's Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:40:14]:
Oh my god.

Raphael Harry [00:40:14]:
I was like, yeah. Congolese women. Yeah. Yeah. No. Fine. And Congo food. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:40:18]:
1 guy said, yeah. Congo food. So I said, city city city? Brussels? Brussels? He said, yeah. Yeah. Brussels. Yeah. Yeah. And somehow we're just all of us finding a way to communicate.

Raphael Harry [00:40:32]:
So we were just it was a mess of a communication, but it was cool. And then make it into the stadium.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:40:41]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:40:42]:
Get to our seats. So sit down, and the guys next to me wearing Italian jerseys. There were some African guys from Mozambique.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:40:50]:
Yeah. Sir, can I just say 1 thing? Yeah. It's very funny that everyone said what country they're from, and you said New York. Now I just think that's such a New York thing to do. Yeah. Somebody asked you where you're from. I'll never say the US. I'll just say, no.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:41:03]:
I'm from Brooklyn.

Raphael Harry [00:41:04]:
But that's it. Once you say New York, they they know.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:41:07]:
That's it.

Raphael Harry [00:41:07]:
They know. That's all they need to know. And I get to my my seats. There were some guys from Mozambique.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:41:13]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:41:13]:
2 rows from me, and, you know, we also did our greeting to each other. Mhmm. And they were also supporting Italy. So I'm like, oh, that's cool. The Africans here. They get they get the memo. Cool. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:41:24]:
Because you would think they'll be supporting Spain Mhmm. Because Mozambique, Spanish. Well, actually Portuguese, so it makes sense. And the guys, to my right were all in Italian jerseys, and then the guy neck right next to me is, like, I forgot what we're doing. I think it was the Italian national term. Mhmm. And then he's like, where where you from? Same thing again. I was like, New York.

Raphael Harry [00:41:49]:
And I was like, what about you? So I'm from, Israel. Mhmm. Israel said, we love we love Eric Adams.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:42:06]:
It's so bad to be known.

Raphael Harry [00:42:08]:
No. III didn't I didn't no. I didn't judge him. I didn't judge him.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:42:13]:
I don't blame him.

Raphael Harry [00:42:13]:
I don't blame him.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:42:14]:
Eric Adams.

Raphael Harry [00:42:15]:
I was like, I was like, I got him. Because he's acting the stunts he was doing. So I'm like, I hear you. So I asked when I asked I asked him where in Israel he was from, it's the close to the area where they are fighting with Hezbollah, actually.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:42:27]:
Oh, in that.

Raphael Harry [00:42:27]:
So he he was surprised. I knew all that. I was like, yeah. I know a Nigerian player that played for your team. He's just. Where? What? But he didn't know how I knew that there was a Nigerian player that's, like, their big legend because he played for them, like, early 2000. Mhmm. She's like, what? Wait.

Raphael Harry [00:42:41]:
You know you know that? You know our team? What in New York? I know our team. You you do love it. So they're they're like, well, Eric Adams. I was like, okay. Let me just stay. You know? Eric Adams, we don't we don't we don't like him like that. But it's all I mean, it's okay if you you like you like him and love him, but, He's a media figure. I mean, figure.

Raphael Harry [00:42:58]:
I mean, if your car is down, we we all done. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're not all crazy about him, but Yeah. Yeah. It's all good. III feel you.

Raphael Harry [00:43:05]:
Well, you know, I'm not gonna down your your spirits. We're gonna enjoy the game. Alright? Yeah. Let's enjoy the game. I'm here for Italy too, but I'm nowhere in Italy and Jersey. Yeah. So the the 1 another funny thing I witnessed going to the restroom at halftime, that's the longest line I've ever been in at the restroom in a stadium. Beer.

Raphael Harry [00:43:26]:
Because, I can't very not, this is the spot that men really watch.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:43:31]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:43:31]:
Because in America, the line is never longer. Uh-uh. This is soccer stadium. So deadline was so long. I knew second half had started, and I was still in line. And then a guy came out of the stadium wearing Argentina jersey. I saw people wearing United States jersey too Yeah. Which I was like, why are you doing that here? But, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:43:48]:
I was wearing South African jersey, funny enough Uh-huh. When the Italian guy Yeah. The Israeli guy wearing an Italian jersey was talking to me. And the Argentina guy just came out from the restroom. His hand was wet, so I knew he washed his hands. And he just came out, hugged me. Hey. And I was like, what? What in the world? I don't support Argentina.

Raphael Harry [00:44:10]:
Yeah. What what what what

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:44:13]:
So what possessed you?

Raphael Harry [00:44:14]:
Yeah. He he was so happy to see me. Hey. I'm like, I I seen a lot of black people in the stadium, so it's black. Who you who you mistake me for?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:44:22]:
You're wearing the wrong. What? I'm not with you. What?

Raphael Harry [00:44:27]:
But, anyway, I just I just smiled. Yeah. Yeah. But, man, I was pissed.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:44:31]:
That I get imagine someone took a picture of that moment.

Raphael Harry [00:44:34]:
Oh, man. They they they they they they they they they see me smiling and Yeah. Like, did the side smiling thing, like, what the hell going on here? I was confused. He was just, hey. He was happy, and he just walked away. I was like, what what what was going on in his mind? Oh, man. But, yeah, it it was fun. Got to, you know, after the game, you know, it's Spain won the game, well, to my disappointment, but, that was fun to watch the whole ex have that experience.

Raphael Harry [00:45:06]:
And, yeah, there was, 1 1 funny thing I witnessed from, even that game, but, almost all the matches I've seen on TV Yeah. And I've I've not been watching them games since I got back because American commentary is just trash.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:45:20]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:45:20]:
Well, over there, it was better watching it in German. Mhmm. They'll be playing plastic cups on the field. Yeah. Yeah. Almost every game. Oh. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:45:29]:
They'll be training their players.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:45:31]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:45:32]:
Yeah. I don't Wow. Their fans don't matter because Yeah. Sometimes you think it's the Bakan teams, like, say Serbia reported, Croatia, Albania, and some other person. They were making chance against Serbia, like, and then the Eagles sign. They made the Eagles sign, which is, for, apparently, like, a racist sign to Serbia. So they banned 1 player. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:45:54]:
And then Turkey did, when Turkey won their game, was it 2, 3 days ago? The player it was the 30th anniversary. Apparently, it was on the 30th anniversary of the massacre. What what's this Turkish minority called? Al Allev Allev, something like that. And the player made a sign that looks like, wolf. Mhmm. The wolf sign. Mhmm. I didn't I didn't know what it was.

Raphael Harry [00:46:19]:
Those pieces Apparently, it's a far right it represents a far right group in Turkey. Uh-huh. And, the gesture now it's a big thing that's led to the diplomatic route between Germany and Turkey Mhmm. And Turkish. Edogan says he's coming to Turkey's next game in the neck knockout round. I think they're playing Netherlands.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:46:37]:
Mhmm. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:46:37]:
Yeah. I think they're playing Netherlands. He's coming to that game. Mhmm. Mhmm. And they are stuck that he might do it. If Taki scores, he's gonna make that sign because he's lost support from that group. Uh-huh.

Raphael Harry [00:46:46]:
Oh. So Oh my god. Is that this an opportunity

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:46:49]:
This is like out there.

Raphael Harry [00:46:51]:
What is it? What is it?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:46:52]:
There was a there's like a sign going, like, okay sign.

Raphael Harry [00:46:55]:
No. No. This looks like it's looks like

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:46:57]:
Don't do it. Don't do it on camera. Hide it here in the morning. Okay. I'll do I'll

Raphael Harry [00:47:00]:
do it like but it it this what he he did Yeah. Looked like this. Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:47:04]:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:47:04]:
But he did it with 2 hands.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:47:06]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:47:06]:
And he scored 2 goals, so he did it twice. But, apparently, that very day the game was being played was the 30th anniversary that that group, Mastercard Very like, in minority in Turkey.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:47:19]:
You know, like, gang signs and wearing specific colors. Mhmm. Gangs and football teams.

Raphael Harry [00:47:26]:
But he when they asked the player at the press conference Yeah. After the game, he was like

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:47:30]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:47:33]:
III don't hate anybody. I'm just I love Turkey.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:47:37]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:47:37]:
I'm a proud Turkish man, and, I I was just showing love for my country and I'm like, The language he was using was very interesting. Not like he denounced the group. He's just like, I love my country. I'm a very proud patriotic son of my country. Then I'm like, oh, interesting how much? Because Yeah. Because Yeah. Yeah. The main racism that normally takes place is people always focus on the teams that have black players Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:48:04]:
Like England Yeah. And all that. But England hasn't lost yet. Yeah. Yeah. So it hasn't happened. Yeah. France hasn't lost yet, so it's still it's it's under the surface.

Raphael Harry [00:48:13]:
Germany hasn't lost yet. I think by now, we'll find out Germany and Spain will, have played. So Mhmm. 1 of them has lost. So but Spain just started adding black players Mhmm. And they're like teenagers right now. So Mhmm. They they need they got they got some time before it.

Raphael Harry [00:48:28]:
But Germany, France, Spain England. England are the chief bastards. The more they lose. What the black players doing? You know? I think they're being over these overpaid players. The the the article the article have started coming out because England has not played too well.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:48:48]:
Oh, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:48:48]:
Yeah. But the the biggest town, their team now is a young black guy who's just 21.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:48:53]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:48:53]:
But, yeah, you you gonna carry the sins of the world carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Yeah. Yeah. So that's usually the focus, but it's funny to see all these other countries like, damn, I'm gonna quit the tournament because they they they they'd be racist to us. I'm like, oh. Yeah. And I'm just they're like, oh, no. This is happening.

Raphael Harry [00:49:12]:
Oh, this is what I do. Oh, 0, it's like all European history. It's literally like Game of Thrones.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:49:17]:
Uh-huh.

Raphael Harry [00:49:18]:
Uh-uh, this last weekend's episode of, like, what? Why did they why what started the war? Nobody knows what started the war. We just thought there's beef that, you know, that is coming out. I'm like, dang. This country got this. Like, who knew that this far right group existed

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:49:30]:
in Turkey? Specific

Raphael Harry [00:49:32]:
I didn't know that this far right group was in Turkey.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:49:34]:
Yeah. Hate.

Raphael Harry [00:49:36]:
Symbol Now they're like,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:49:36]:
why did

Raphael Harry [00:49:37]:
you that France has banned the group. Yeah. Why did

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:49:38]:
Germany not ban the group? Uh-huh. Now they're like, oh, Germany should ban like, there's moved.

Raphael Harry [00:49:45]:
And Erdogan's like, I'm calling the German ambassador. I'm like, oh, shit. Well, Germany's calling me Turkish ambassador. Now the player's like, I'm a proud Turkish man. I just did it to show love for my country. The guy who got kicked out of the tournament from Albania, he was he he apologized. He actually did a like, I'm sorry. I got carried away.

Raphael Harry [00:50:05]:
Mhmm. Because he not only did the gesture that's Right. Against Serbia. Yes. After the match, he went and was chanting with the crowd. Oh, okay. Yeah. So I'm like, damn.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:50:17]:
This Yeah. You can't

Raphael Harry [00:50:18]:
And then oh, and I've seen again. This just happened a few days ago. Romania against Netherlands. Somebody threw a pair of shoes Oh, okay. At Romania's just in front of Romania's goal when the Netherlands scored their 3rd goal. Netherlands won the game. Yeah. And I'm wondering, was he throwing it at the Romanian goalie, or was he throwing it to stop Netherlands from scoring? Because when the guy takes the shot,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:50:43]:
you see the ball pass. Here.

Raphael Harry [00:50:44]:
We have

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:50:45]:
to do a biopsy on the shoes

Raphael Harry [00:50:46]:
to find

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:50:46]:
out. Scrape the DNA. Shoes. You had to scrape the DNA and the sole of the shoe to find that out.

Raphael Harry [00:50:52]:
A nice pair of shoes. For a nice pair

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:50:54]:
of shoes.

Raphael Harry [00:50:55]:
Walked home barefoot Barefoot. Or with socks, but whatever.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:50:58]:
I'm like angry and satisfied.

Raphael Harry [00:50:59]:
How angry do you have to like, man, as if cops people throwing the plastic cops.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:51:04]:
Iraqi war journalist who was throwing the shoes at George W Bush.

Raphael Harry [00:51:08]:
Yeah. That at least the the car is right there. I mean, you're not walking the length of, I don't know, but your your your fellow Giants could pick you up. I don't know, but Uh-huh. That this is a stadium.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:51:17]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:51:18]:
Like, 60, 000 people. No, man. Nah. I don't support no team. Nah. I don't have a love for a team like that.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:51:25]:
Well crazy. Take up my the opposite of being, like, a rock star when someone throws a bra at you and then you know?

Raphael Harry [00:51:31]:
I mean, if that that's that's that's far more healthier. I mean, it's far more healthier because, III can't my bare feet on the no. I'm a I'll start crying. Nope.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:51:44]:
You know, the other day, I was, like, on Fulton Fulton in Washington. There was this guy outside the subway. He was so drunk. He was very drunk. And he was talking to this other guy who he had captured in a conversation somehow. And I was just walking by who who wanted to leave and, you know, And I was walking by, and I just kept walking. But I heard this 1 part of what he was saying, which I resonated with me a lot, which was he was saying, hey. You know the game that they play in Europe, that's football because they're kicking the ball.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:52:16]:
You know? So that's football. What we play here should be called soccer because all they're doing is soccer each other.

Raphael Harry [00:52:26]:
Oh, boy.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:52:26]:
They just

Raphael Harry [00:52:27]:
sucking each

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:52:29]:
other. And I was like, listen to this man. He's got a point. This is the most intelligent point I've heard in a while on the street.

Raphael Harry [00:52:37]:
Oh, man.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:52:38]:
You're right.

Raphael Harry [00:52:38]:
I'm not gonna get it. Oh, by the way, there was a marketing campaign. Mhmm. What's it called? I think, the word will come to me. But I noticed that every restaurant I went to, not only just restaurants, but, like, almost around I kept seeing this Puma jersey that had, like, German colors. Mhmm. And I was like

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:01]:
I have seen them a lot around Park Slope.

Raphael Harry [00:53:04]:
No. No. It I don't think it's here.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:05]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:53:06]:
But in Germany Oh, okay. Because Germany's national team is made with, is made by Adidas.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:12]:
Yeah. Oh, sorry. Maybe that's what I saw here.

Raphael Harry [00:53:14]:
But in Germany, I kept seeing

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:15]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:53:16]:
I saw the Adidas 1. I couldn't even you can't find it to buy. It's sold out.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:20]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:53:21]:
Except you order online.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:22]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:53:22]:
And it's like a €100. I'm like, yeah. I'll I'll wait till you the price drops. However, Puma I kept saying Puma. Yeah. Yeah. And Mhmm. I was like, why is there a Puma? And then he has, like, a check, some it's something written on the on the front, check 24 or something.

Raphael Harry [00:53:36]:
Mhmm. And I was like, What is this? I don't know. And I just found out that Puma took advantage of the tournament happening in Germany Uh-huh. And did an ambush ambush marketing.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:53:48]:
Okay. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:53:50]:
So they gave away 5, 000, 000 shirts. Oh. You just have to give them some information on a website, and they mail the shirt to you. So that's why I was seeing that shirt everywhere. Mhmm. The the jerseys. Mhmm. And I was like, oh, that I wish I had known.

Raphael Harry [00:54:07]:
I would have gotten 1.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:08]:
Had it

Raphael Harry [00:54:08]:
mailed to my in laws.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:09]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:54:10]:
Yeah. Out of because I was like, man, I keep seeing this shit everywhere. Yeah. Oh, because I'm like

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:15]:
Oh, you get 1. Yeah. Yeah. We find 1 on eBay now.

Raphael Harry [00:54:18]:
Oh, man. This this people are selling are selling it for the exact same price as the Adidas. Uh-huh. I was like, hell, but I'm not buying that.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:26]:
I like this.

Raphael Harry [00:54:27]:
You got it for free, but I sell it for 20. I'll I'll pay I'll pay 20 for for that. Uh-huh. But, it was nice to see the vibes around the host country because

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:36]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:54:36]:
You've like, here, you you you you can just be going about your business. You if you don't know anything about

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:43]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:54:43]:
Soccer, you won't know that there's a tournament happening, you know, in,

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:54:46]:
United States. See it soon.

Raphael Harry [00:54:48]:
But, yeah, well, for the World Cup, I I don't know. But we'll see. But Yeah. There, you knew. Once you arrived, you got into Germany. Yeah. Because we we came from, through Amsterdam. So once you drove into Germany, it's like the whole air changed.

Raphael Harry [00:55:02]:
Every you just saw flags, different European flags and apartments are like, oh, the guy an English man living here. The guy a Georgian living here. Mhmm. You saw a Scottish flag. You just you just know the whole of Europe was in town. Mhmm. You went to the city center. You just saw euros, euros.

Raphael Harry [00:55:16]:
Everything was there was just soccer talk. Places that didn't accept card payments before were not accepting card payments because the number of, visitors in in the country were expected to increase. Mhmm. So everything was much more accessible, much more easier. So but you just everywhere, there was multiple soccer ads, TV. Yeah. Yeah. That's what it felt like back home when there was a tournament happening, a major major tournament when I was in Nigeria Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:55:47]:
Growing up. The moment a tournament came on You knew? The all the commercials were just Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:55:53]:
Just Yeah. Yeah. Changed everything. The colors on the selling. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:55:55]:
Yeah. Well, whatever they're selling Yeah. It's either they start using soccer players Definitely. To sell it or but That was it. So

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:56:03]:
Yeah. We don't have that here. You're right. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:56:05]:
But have

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:56:06]:
that here. There's You

Raphael Harry [00:56:07]:
have to go online and Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:56:08]:
It's it's broken down.

Raphael Harry [00:56:10]:
That's how because yeah, it's not okay.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:56:12]:
I'm sure, like, if you go to certain states, they have a very, like, football oriented Yeah. Probably a very local team. But you're right. There's no, like, large uniting

Raphael Harry [00:56:24]:
You got, like, we went to a viewing center for Germany against Switzerland game, which was I was like, oh, that's good. Mhmm. It's and it ended up in a tie with a late very literally last minute goal from Germany. Mhmm. And I was like, hey. Let me see how, because I I didn't there was none of Germany wasn't playing anywhere around us, so we we couldn't go to that in the stadium. But I was like, let me see what it's like to watch Germany play around Germans.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:56:50]:
Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:56:51]:
Because you're seeing a lot of Germans driving. It was the first time I saw Germans having German flags on their car. Because Germans are very sensitive

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:56:57]:
Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:56:58]:
Showing too much of that Yes. Though, because they're like, yeah, we should a little bit, but not we don't go too far. You know? Yeah. Yeah. So, being there and, Switzerland scores first in the first half, they were like, oh, but you're wasting out our drinks. And then when Jim is called, yeah. Yeah. Then well, then I realized there were a bunch of Swiss guys around.

Raphael Harry [00:57:23]:
There are a bunch of, people who are suspected where they have, Africans. Mostly or mostly Africans who showed up and, you know, they they weren't like, I wasn't wearing a German shirt. I wore Mhmm. Tanzania showed up there and Uh-huh. Just yeah. They'll yeah. People will give me looks and someone just, like, trying to now, like, I ain't talking to me. I'm here for the game.

Raphael Harry [00:57:44]:
Uh-huh. Even at the stadium, the I I saw 1 of the the TV anchors that was interviewing right after the game was a black guy Mhmm. Mhmm. For Eurosport. Mhmm. I was like, oh, look at that. Like that, I haven't heard about black jobs. So I was like, man.

Raphael Harry [00:58:02]:
You know? Maybe if I'd heard about it, maybe that would have been a black job. I was like, oh, is this a black job?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:58:06]:
Job. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:58:07]:
Let me go up to him. I'll say, how how you doing? Yeah. How's how's this black job work?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:58:11]:
Weather man at local TV station.

Raphael Harry [00:58:14]:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, it was a fun experience over at at the train station.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:58:19]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:58:20]:
That's when I noticed what they were doing with the with the police presence. Mhmm. So for the Spain Italy game, there was German police. There was, police here from Spain, and, what they call Italian police again. I forgot him. But he was just standing there by himself. There was 1 police from, Italy, but there was a bunch of Spanish, police and from Germany. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:58:44]:
And the German the Spanish police were interacting. And I was like, oh, I guess they they there's no language barrier there Mhmm. Somehow. When but it seemed like nobody spoke Italian. Yeah. Just by himself.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:58:56]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:58:57]:
But they're all there for the fans watching. And then I saw some German teenagers being arrested. Oh. 0, well, being written up. I don't think they were arrested, but I don't know what they were doing. I saw a German guy getting him, it's 10 talking too. Damn. Damn teenagers, knuckleheads, whatever you're doing.

Raphael Harry [00:59:12]:
I don't know what you're doing what what you did wrong, but that's good to get you guys. Seeing how you guys get talked to and

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:59:18]:
go Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:59:19]:
Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah. And then and then 1 tourist was being freak was freaking out every Where where are you going to? Wait. I'm going to this city. Is the train coming? I'm like, dude. Uh-huh. Up there, it's in English.

Raphael Harry [00:59:35]:
And then the guy finished drinking his beer on the track. I was like, man, you're lucky to cop. None of the cops. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Saw you. I'm like, man, you see, like, 10 cops right behind me? I I would've just

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:59:44]:
shoot him. With this He

Raphael Harry [00:59:45]:
he not with me, man. Take him away. I'm a snitch here. Take him away.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:59:53]:
For littering. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:59:54]:
God damn. You you're standing right there. Just

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [00:59:58]:
and Littering in traffic light.

Raphael Harry [00:59:59]:
There was, I don't know. Maybe I don't know if they're the gypsies or but they they'll they'll look they were not black, but they were their skin was lighter, but still darker. Mhmm. But they were walking around with, like, bags, watching people. And if they saw that you were almost done drinking, you had, like, a plastic

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:00:18]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [01:00:19]:
Container in your hand or a can. They just walked up to you. They didn't say anything, but Sure. Sure. Sure. It was implied that, hey. Drop your Yeah. Instead of throwing your can or bottle plastic bottle Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [01:00:27]:
Or glass bottle into the trash can take it, ma'am. Bottle into the trash can pick up. Yeah. Throw it into their bags. So I knew what is like, the guys who go around Yeah. Here picking up, recyclables from bags. They were so they were doing that there. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [01:00:41]:
And then I also met a junkie at the train station. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I was gonna say junkie.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:00:47]:
Train station? Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:00:49]:
Yeah. Came up to me and was like, she was speaking. I was like, oh, sorry to say. I could from the teeth, I could tell. And I was like, yeah. Yeah. It's been rough.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:01:00]:
Uh-huh. But Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:01:02]:
Sorry to say, but I'm not I'm not gonna reach it for my pocket and Yeah. Give you this. Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:01:08]:
Yesterday, I saw the most romantic thing.

Raphael Harry [01:01:10]:
What?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:01:11]:
I saw a, I was in Flushing. I saw a Chinese hooker and a Mexican construction guy have a conversation about a car, about how cool it was.

Raphael Harry [01:01:24]:
That sounds very romantic.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:01:25]:
It was so sweet. It was 1 of the sweetest things I've

Raphael Harry [01:01:29]:
ever seen. That sounds very romantic. Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:01:32]:
Yeah. And, talking about and romance is not dead in Brooklyn, people, either. Because the other day, I saw this this lady, a crack addict, I assume, based on her behavior, Scatch herself her reflection in the in a I don't know if I can say it. In in the car in a car mirror and then she fixed herself.

Raphael Harry [01:01:54]:
Oh, it's right.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:01:55]:
She saw this guy, this very, very, very lost looking white guy standing across the street looking at his phone. Okay? Fixed herself up, you know, fixed her boobs in the mirror, in the car windshield. Mhmm. Walked sexually across the street to him. And she said, hey, daddy. I'll suck your dick for $20. The guy jumped out of his skin in fear. I don't even think he heard what she said.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:02:24]:
I think he just was like this lady approached it directly and spoke to him and he just jumped out of his skin. And I was like, who said romance is? There's romance in Brooklyn.

Raphael Harry [01:02:33]:
I agree. Romance It's so romance.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:02:35]:
Alive. So beautiful.

Raphael Harry [01:02:36]:
It is beautiful to see. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Mhmm. There's mirrors everywhere. Yeah. Fix yourself.

Raphael Harry [01:02:44]:
Approach. When you see what you want, go get it. Yeah. Go get it. You see, we started with serial

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:02:50]:
I thought no. I really appreciated the small gesture of her. Like, she planned it. Like There

Raphael Harry [01:02:55]:
you go.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:02:56]:
She appreciated it. Intentionally. Intentionally.

Raphael Harry [01:02:58]:
Put she put she put in the the work. You know? And our guy was saying he don't wanna use his brain. He use your brain. People using your brain. I respect that. You know? If I if I if I had spare cash today, I would have said, here you go, sis. Take $5.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:12]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:03:12]:
And I ain't give you more than $5. If I have $5 to spare, I'd say, here you go. I I encourage, Entrepreneurship. Yeah. Entrepreneurship. Yes. Yeah. There you go.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:21]:
Exactly. Same thing. I'm, you know, big fan of the women selling mangoes. Hey. Sliced mangoes on the street. It's the

Raphael Harry [01:03:28]:
best thing that I have to do. Yeah. Don't bring up mangoes right now.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:36]:
But it's good. It's price fixed. Anywhere in the city is $4. You know?

Raphael Harry [01:03:40]:
It's What? $4 for 1 mango?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:42]:
With sliced

Raphael Harry [01:03:43]:
cold Oh, sliced. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:45]:
Sliced peeled cold mangoes I was

Raphael Harry [01:03:47]:
about to jump out of my skin.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:49]:
In a cup with a fork and napkins.

Raphael Harry [01:03:51]:
Oh, I should go get that.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:03:52]:
$4 anywhere, and it's yeah. You know? Almost every traffic light at a big junction in Brooklyn. So I'm like,

Raphael Harry [01:04:01]:
you know yeah. I'm a What what what what do you eat your sliced mangoes with?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:04:07]:
In India with nothing.

Raphael Harry [01:04:08]:
Yeah. That that's that's all I you know, I never knew mangoes could be eaten with anything until I came here.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:04:14]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:04:14]:
I grew up eating mangoes. Just mangoes.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:04:17]:
Yeah. There's 1 very specific Indian mango called, which only grows in the town of the same name.

Raphael Harry [01:04:24]:
Oh, yeah. I ain't gonna try to say that. Yeah. So Your town names, man. I still know your mom calling me out for.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:04:32]:
Yeah. What what did you pronounce? Oh,

Raphael Harry [01:04:35]:
yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh. 0, man. I think this should be a good place to end it for now. Go ahead. I'll be back again.

Raphael Harry [01:04:48]:
I gotta get you and, Vlad. Mhmm. Vlad is, he he's he's all about philosophy of the mind. I'm like, man.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:04:57]:
Okay. That's very good. That's right up my

Raphael Harry [01:04:59]:
He wants a revolution of the mind.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:05:01]:
It's very close to my field.

Raphael Harry [01:05:03]:
He's a jeweler. A jeweler? Yeah. The episode I just released last week.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:05:08]:
Yes. Yes. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:05:09]:
I wrote that. That was that was Vlad. I was like, no. You gotta well, you gotta share your story first. Uh-huh. Before he kept trying to go into the the revolution of the mind. I'm like, yes.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:05:18]:
Let's do it. Let's bring let's do 3 mic a nice 3 mic.

Raphael Harry [01:05:23]:
Alright. I'll let him know, and we'll we'll set it up.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:05:26]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:05:26]:
Alright, guys. So if you wanna get the extra that we discussed The prologue. Yeah. The prologue. Go on Patreon. And if you wanna see what it will look like, including me making a Yeah.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:05:42]:
A problematic gesture. And consider donating more than the minimum.

Raphael Harry [01:05:47]:
Yeah. Consider donating more than minimum. Yes. That's the minimum is for, people who are, you know, just coming off the streets. So you you're not you are not coming off the street. So maybe if you're from Argentina, then we understand. But other than that, we are still on love to support Argentina. But other than that, yeah, we can separate that beef.

Raphael Harry [01:06:06]:
But if you're from England, you just got a new government elected. So you you should be paying quadruple. I don't know what's wrong with you guys in England. You know? Maybe I'll support you guys after after you get knocked out. So with that being said, thank you, Ashwin, for joining us. Do you wanna let people know where they can find you?

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:06:24]:
Nowhere on social media. That's right. So I

Raphael Harry [01:06:27]:
thought I thought the answer would change this time. But Mhmm. No.

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:06:30]:
That's fine. Not yet.

Raphael Harry [01:06:31]:
Yeah. So you guys know where to find me. I don't I don't really

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:06:35]:
Connor of Grand and Pacific.

Raphael Harry [01:06:42]:
Oh, man. Yeah. If you want me to let you know how to trap Ashiwin Uh-huh. Sign off

Ashwin Goutham Gopi [01:06:48]:
for me. Never. Never.

Raphael Harry [01:06:48]:
I'll I'll let you know. I haven't been putting out newsletters. I should. I should. I you know, I will my niece just hit me up on that. So, yeah, I'll write a newsletter and put it out. You know, I don't wanna use chat GPT to write news. That's but I would personally write something and put it out.

Raphael Harry [01:07:06]:
I'll try and be doing that twice a month. Okay? Mhmm. Alright, guys. Thank you. Appreciate y'all. Keep the love coming in. Share with your friends. Ciao.

Raphael Harry [01:07:15]:
Ciao. Ciao. Thanks for listening to White Label American. If you enjoy the show, please give a 5 Star Wars review on your favorite podcast app. You can follow the show on all social media platforms. Visit the White Label American website for links for donations, episodes, feedback, guests, merch, and newsletter. Don't forget to download the free White Label American app on the Google Play Store and Apple coming soon. Thank you for the privilege of your company.