Juice - barber from South Central

Watch Juice full episode on his experience growing up in South Central and just a conversation between 2 homies.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

Alright man, that's weird. Hello guys, welcome to another episode. Welcome to another episode of Chile Whipper! And I'm your host, Bo. In this podcast, all we talk about is chill kind of conversation, you know, and how to be the best you. Come chill with me, man. What y'all doing, huh? Chill I Whippa! You know, just hear cool stories and just chill. You know the type of conversation you have while you're chilling with your homies. But you get to just witness that, witness that, witness that, witness that, witness that. Today we have Jewish. This is my homie, my brother, and one of my best friends, man. Appreciate that. He got me fresh, he gave me live advice, and you know, he does a lot of great things. It's an honor to have you here, man. I appreciate you having me here.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

I'm actually really excited.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

Yeah, so um, before we get into it, why don't we eat some chicken? Because it's it's already late. I'm starving, let's do it. Alright, so um, this is Korean fried chicken. I don't know if you ever had it. I don't think I have. What sauce is your favorite?

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Spicy.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Yeah. It's actually really good.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

It's amazing, actually. And this was a garlic one, huh? Mm-hmm. Honey garlic. That sauce too. It's really good. They be putting it down, bro. You know? It's fried perfectly.

SPEAKER_03 1:25

They'd be making that shit extra crispy.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

It's like an orange chicken, but better.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

And it's always more sweet, you know?

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Or they have flavors that are sweet. Growing up in LA, when I eat certain foods somewhere else, it reminds me of the portal back to that moment. Like, oh okay. You know, like the ice cream trucks, the the Ma ladies in the mornings. Right. You know, that's a whole vibe. Corn Mads. They even got cornmans. You know? And uh, yeah, bro, that's a whole vibe in itself.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Right. That's like me. We haven't gone to the Thai Temple yet, but that's like me seeing like the Thai street food. Man, I need to try that. I don't know why I'm gonna be able to do that. I thought you pull up one of this weekend. Yeah, and you said they have ice cream too, huh? Yeah, but I could take you to the Thai ice cream spot too. And I feel like that is like you say, the beauty of LA, like, and the beauty of like just meeting another person from different culture. Because we can be here and we can kind of experience just that these countries in life.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

It's super diverse. LA's always been super diverse.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

And I remember when I first moved here, right? Like, even like from Thailand as an immigrant, I was just younging, just taking the bus, walking, and I'd be like, oh, I'm in the Mexican area. I'm in the Chinese area, I'm in the Korean area, I'm in the Ethiopian area. You know, just taking the bus throughout different spots and just vibe out. And that shit was just cool. And then even growing up, right? Like going to like Kingseyer's and then going to like Christmas things.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

You ever came out in the King Sayra, like participating? I've never been there, what's it called?

SPEAKER_03 2:54

Chamberlain. Chambilan, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

I wasn't like that, but I didn't have the that's pretty funny because they have the whole limo experience. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:00

Yeah. I didn't have the footwork and the dance moves.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

It's very easy. They would have like usually a teacher coming, instructor coming, the steps, yeah. It's really cool because the dance on the limo, yeah. And you get to dress up, so it's like a whole, it's a whole thing in itself. It feels like it's your birthday. I mean, I'm for you.

SPEAKER_03 3:16

I was rep South Central. Like, so tell me more about that. Like, why do you rep South Central and how do you grow up? You know what?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

South Central's uh it's very humbling. It's very humbling just because it's very easy to stay in the environment. Gangs, drugs, you know, it's all around. Growing up, I remember in the sixth grade, it was a trend to dress baggy. Right. You know, and a lot of the people will stay in that. You know, maybe they did it as a trend, you know, the music that was going on around that time. And then they'll stay in the lifestyle of drugs, of gangs. Thank God for my parents, you know, they were always on my back. They really helped me get out of those traps. Where they would just be like, You know what, they won't let me out. Oh, yeah. I would sneak out, you know, I would try my best to have fun. Well, go out to parties, things like that, you know. And this is in like the sixth grade. The sixth grade, I think that's when more gang violence was going on. In the sixth grade, uh, my mom would have a CD store. Well, not even from the sixth grade. We had it since we were young. I would say maybe like since three years old, we would always work in CDs. And um, I would always be there. So after school, I would go to the CD shop. Okay, so this was before Blockbuster and Netflix. It was around that time too. Like all the rent team where you would go rent movies and stuff like that. And um, but there was a time where iPods came out, you know, MP3 is Walkman's, and that slowed the business down a lot. Have you ever do like LineWire where you would go like those computer places, download songs to like your iPod?

SPEAKER_03 4:42

I feel like, you know what? So I came here when I was 13 in 2009. I did a version of that in Thailand. So it's not Linewire, but it's like some other thing.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

But it'll be like your biggest. It's the same thing.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

I did have an MP3 and I used to download all this shit, and then you get like all these songs, and I have like older cousin, and they'll just give you the file, you know? So that went on, business went down. So y'all also see like music CD, not just movie.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Yeah, we also saw DVDs as well. But it was mainly CDs, cassettes, music, huh? Yeah, I think that's why I'm all around the genres. So my dad, as a hustler that he always is, he started a taco stand in the corner store by near my house. Oh, okay. So like two blocks away.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Well, what kind of taco he got? Because you know, some people are more limited, some are more You know what? Like, some don't have like what it's called, suadero.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

They just have like pastor. We have suadero, but we did have like uh tripa, one of my favorites. Um, pastor, asala, pollo, buche. And what is tripa? Tripa is your intestine. Oh, damn it. I don't know if that's a large intestine or small intestine, but it's it's basically your intestine. Yeah. How about buche? Buce tastes good. Buche is the stomach, I think the thing that holds your stomach. And it's pork, right? It's pork. It's pork.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

Because I'm not gonna hold you, bro. Sometimes I just be ordering stuff and I don't know what it is, but I know it tastes good.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

What's your favorite? My go-to is pastor. Like that's like all the time. And then sometimes I do suadero or buce or uh not, it's either cabeza or lingua, probably cabeza.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Why do you like pastor? Is it because of the sweetness inside thick? Some people add the pineapple. I love the pineapple.

SPEAKER_03 6:21

Like when they have the pineapple, that's like I'm like, uh, I'm weak.

SPEAKER_00 6:25

You know what? Because we have a catering business. And every time when I go to where there's more Asians, they eat the pastor more. Oh, for real? Yeah, and I thought about that. I'm like, all right, they like sweet stuff. You know, because when I go to Chinese food, I'll get like orange chicken. It's sweet, spicy. So that's what I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:41

That's true. We we like Thai people for sure. We cook with like people don't notice. Like, they're like, oh, why Thai food is so good? We put sugar in it, bro. Like we put sugar in fried rice. We even put sugar in curry.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

Like, I don't think people notice because people don't really think that they put sugar in savory food. I think teriyaki sauce, bro, is just soy sauce with sugar. Oh, really? I did not know that. I love teriyaki sauce. And then if you boil it, it just gets thicker. When you go home, put some soy sauce with some sugar, and then throw some chicken. You call it a day, bro. I'm gonna be doing teriyaki sauce now. You had the CD shop and then you had the tacos shop.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

No, sort of the tacos. Um, remember I mentioned the catering. So before the catering, we were in the street and an incident happened. And me and my dad, we would stay up selling tacos, I believe, till like 2 a.m. And how old were you? At that time, I was 11. There was this guy creeping up and he ended up robbing us that night. Yeah, so he came with some tacos for the money. I was sitting down in the table where the chairs were at, right? Because I'll be the guy that'll collect the money. Uh-huh. So he came up to me and he asked me to give him what I have. I had my iPod.

unknown 7:49

Damn.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

I remember I told you about the line wire, how I download the songs? Bro, I had downloaded so many good songs that day. Well, what's some songs that you had? Yeah, I know there's a lot of RB. Like I would say like Neo, like Genuine, like Kip Sweet. Okay, that's an interesting. Nah, I always just Mac Daddy.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

Like that baby making shit. Mm-hmm. Like Macing on Shorty kind of music.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Yeah, Chris Brown, all that type of stuff. And um, for that reason, I wanted to hold on more to the iPod. You know, I felt it like, no, not today. He was only 11. I was only 11, so I thought he was gonna like spare me and be like, oh, you know what, he's young, I'm not gonna steal it from him. I gave him like the puppy eye. He's like, nah, come on, man, please don't. And he's like, nah, you wanna die? He told me and he put the gun on me. Damn. And my father was right there, he was furious. He was so mad. The stare in his eye was what scared me a lot because I thought that they were gonna fight. You know, he had that look on him. Luckily, nothing happened. He threw the money to the floor, the guy got it. And he didn't collect all the money, the money was stashed as well. I think he only took $30. Damn, so he only robbed y'all for $30? $30, right? But very traumatic experience. He ended up leaving, and then my dad, he ran home. He didn't live too far away. Then I just heard him in the truck flying. So he followed, dude. He followed him. Yeah, he went to the direction that he ran. I stayed there, shaky. Yeah, I was shot. I believe I was crying too. Yeah, you said. You know, and then my mom ended up showing up because I guess she's seen when he went inside, came out quick. And um, yeah, we ended up going back home, came back an hour later. And that was the last day we sold in that corner. I think we only sold out probably for like a year, year and a half.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Then we started the catering business.

SPEAKER_03 9:33

So that was like a reality shake right away. So that's the first time you ever got a like you ever seen a gun or got a gun pointed at you? I believe so.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Yeah, and you was young. Yeah. Up close like that, yeah. And I remember the gun and everything. After that, was you just like scared or you was like mad? Yeah, that's a trauma. Like every time I would see some guy creeping up like that, you know, I would be on my toes. You know, that creepy walk. He had like this walk, like a limp. Right, right, right. Yeah, I still remember it. I'm telling you until like it was yesterday. And then we started uh only doing catering. Thank God right now, then boom, we have way more employees now. And uh yeah, you guys can support us. Uh check us out on Instagram, Ghost Tacos, G I L. It's tacos.

SPEAKER_03 10:17

You can see what we do, what we're about. So y'all do catering, and I know it's your whole family in it too.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

So family, the cool thing too. Like a lot of my friends are in there as well, you know, homies that I had for a minute. Side job. Yeah. Because it's mainly like on Saturdays, Sundays. It'll be rare when it's like on the weekdays, but they are events on the weekdays.

SPEAKER_03 10:34

And that's beautiful, man. That's on something like everybody eats, you know, whenever people need a job, come in, come out of it. What are some other jobs you got right now?

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Right now I cut hair and I'm also a chauffeur.

SPEAKER_03 10:44

So, what makes you want to make money? I mean, were you always like, man, I need to get money, get rich type of guy?

SPEAKER_00 10:50

You know, I added responsibilities way too soon. Like I had my son at 16 years old. Damn. I was at 16. So you live a lot of life, man. 16, had your first son. Like, how was that like? So that was almost like putting weight on a donkey and making it walk. Like, you have to put weight, you know. So there was already weight out on me. I just have to walk. So I think that's what really built me into working and making sure I had money. But thank God I've always had good role models. Um, you know, that I would see them always working. Right, and who were some of your role models? Oh, my pops, my pops. Uh-huh. He knew how to do a lot of stuff around the house. He was very handy. Whenever like my car was broken, he would fix it. And yeah, I would say he was always on the hustle, always on the move.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

And I feel like that's the importance too of having like grown men in your life, or like a father figure, or like a mentor in your life. Would you say so?

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Yeah, of course. Also working out, he like would take me to go run at the park. And now to this day, I still run at the park. As though. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

And I feel like even me and you, we work out together. So I feel like, you know, I think there's a lot of beauty in like relationship between two guys, you know, whether that's like homies or like, you know, father, figure, brother, and stuff like that. I think you get to like put people on and, you know, practice that together.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Definitely. And I feel like it's it's a very good habit to to get.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Right, right. And it's like we get to like level up to it with each other. Because every time I even languish you at the barbershop, I feel like we just talk about bettering ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

Yeah. Pull up, you know? Yeah, yeah, for sure. No, it's beauty in there for sure. I feel like it's a structure. Yeah. But like it builds me the just that discipline from just having to wake up or always show up makes me show up to a lot of other things. I like that. So it's almost like stacking habits. It's almost like it's a one good habit, but it brings more with it. Right. You know how you do everything, it's how you do anything. Right, right, right, right. It's like a domino effect. I think that's what they call it. Yeah, no, that's dope. So, uh, what's it what's your workout plan looking like, man? It looks good, man. Oh, thank you, man. Right now, you know what? I've been consistent uh for about, I would say seven months. Uh-huh. I focus mainly on colesthetics. Okay. You know, mainly body weight, squats, pull-ups, dips, push-ups, but consistently.

SPEAKER_04 13:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

Low numbers, but every day.

SPEAKER_03 13:08

So what I think I think the key here is consistency and accessibility, huh? Exactly. So then you'll be able to sustain.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Because the days that I could push more. Right, right. But I'm just like, no, you know what? I still gotta do this the day after that. And there's some days where I burn out. So I'll wait one day, but I'll stack it up the next day.

SPEAKER_03 13:24

So when you were 16 and you had your first gig, were you scared to tell your family?

SPEAKER_00 13:28

Oh yes. Yes, I was. I was scared. I didn't know how they would react to it. How did they react to it? Well, yeah, I I didn't tell them. They actually found out. My mom was actually pregnant around that time, and we would take her to uh the hospital, go get her a monthly checkup. And in that time, um my partner, she was with me and she threw up. And when she threw up, she was gaining a little weight, and my mom's like, she's pregnant. And I was still trying to be like, nah, I don't think so, you know. And we eventually ended up telling her that she was pregnant. And uh how did they react? Man, you know what? I'm surprised because my dad took it like, you know what, if it's there, it's there, you're gonna have to adapt. And my mom first was like, oh no, it's not your baby, you know, it's not your baby. Yeah. She'll tell me stuff like that. Was she in denial or she just? Yeah, she was just like, you know, I I had really met her too as well. We didn't have that long. We had probably like two months, I would say. So it was fast. You know, I was in love. I would get in love pretty fast, you know, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

Do you feel like you still get in love pretty fast? Or like you did feel like that was a pattern at the time. It was a pattern at that time. Now it's yeah. What do you think was the reason you get in love fast though? You know what?

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Wanting attention, I would say. Yeah. Feeling loved, feeling like someone loved you. It doesn't feel good. And it was new to me, you know, like when you start dating, you take them everywhere to places that you don't go to, like doctor's appointment. Little things that you've never gone with a person or a partner with. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

You kind of get to like live an experience with another person. But you was listening to Mac Daddy music. You was doing the body or tell me a little bit about your game, man. What's your approach on dating?

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Tips to like other young men, you know? Show for yourself when you have confidence in yourself. It'll be easier for you to go and talk to anyone else because you'll be confident. Right. And what you mean by show for yourself? Show for yourself as and get the job done for you. You know, because I feel like in this dating game, nobody taught us. Yeah. You know, like my pops was always working, my mom's always at the house, you know, they're really not affectionate like that. So I feel like if you want to be ready for anyone else, the more you show for yourself, the more you'll know what you want with that person. Like show yourself love. Like, yeah, and you'll know what you want for yourself. Right, right. No, that's a good one. Yeah, self-love. Yeah. Self-love first. I would say. So how do you show off for yourself these days, man? Right now, like I said earlier, it was working out, waking up at a certain time, going to sleep at a certain eliminating things. Eliminating things that don't, you know, serve me.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Like what?

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Uh, like being on the phone for too long, like indulging in sex, uh, shiking off, anything, you know, anything that's gonna take your pure power.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

Yeah, because I need energy for most of the day. I need energy to work out. You know what I mean? So you have to move aligned to what you want. The reason why I started selling CMOs because I was buying it, right? And I was trying to find a way also to buy it, but not spending so much. So I was like, you know what, I'm gonna sell some. So I could at least get mine basically for free. You know what I mean? And I started like that and I enjoyed doing it. And there's a lot of people that have never tried it, so it's cool to put people on. I started around 2020. And at the time you were also selling plans. You were just like a multi-entrepreneur. And it was that same concept. Yeah things that I like, I would sell so I can get them.

SPEAKER_03 17:02

So you kind of came to a lot of hustle out of necessity or through like even showing up for yourself, like just wanting to get the things that you like, putting other people on and just getting it for free.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Exactly. Because there were times where I was moving and I was like, man, how can I make everything a little easier and still enjoy what I'm doing? And there's stuff that I consume. I can make money, you know, anything you like.

SPEAKER_03 17:22

You know, like you And that's how I came into fashion too, because I used to like clothes and I'm like, oh, I can't afford these things. So then I just used to thrift and then just start selling them. And then, you know, next thing I know, I'm selling, and then I'm almost like collecting all the items I always wanted that I couldn't afford. You know, because I always look at a lot of items like at like lifestyle from like a far. Like I always seen myself as like an immigrant, and I'm always like, uh, you know, so I'm always like, damn, uh because I grew up working in restaurants, so I relate to you on the whole, you know, when you was at the taco shop, and I've always been like, you know how that is with immigrant culture, you just kind of like work a case of immigrants, and you don't really partake in the mainstream culture all the time. At least for me. My family working in entire restaurants, but I was more so like the delivery boy and the one cutting vegetables, and the one kind of like washing the dishes, cleaning the tables, and the one who's like prepping the food. So I got the foundation and I get to see. But they for sure didn't trust me with cooking. Like my aunt and my cousin was the main one. So you were not the chef, but you were seeing the whole movement. See it in you because you work hard and you don't really complain, bro. And like you just like do it.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

I also do what I love, the cutting hair. I like the talking. There's some times where you know like there's blue days, but for the most part, it's fun. Like we gotta chop it up, like when I cut your hair. Right. It's a whole movie.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

You know, sometimes I go to you to get a haircut just because I'll miss you. Like I don't be even needing. I do I'd be needing haircut most of the time, but I'll be thunking it out or just, you know.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

And your hair actually looks good even grown too. You know, the way it grows out. Yeah, you know, good looks, man.

SPEAKER_03 18:54

Have you ever thought like, damn, bro, I want to be a drug dealer? Like, think about how much we all consume gangster movies. Like, was there a certain point where you're like, damn, bro, I low key? Like, you might not want to sell drugs for real, but you might just be like, man, I low key one that hustling life. You know, I want to steal some shit and then like do all this cold shit.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Yeah. But you just get caught stealing and you get a ticket. I don't know. And you're like, nah, it's not for me, man.

SPEAKER_03 19:21

I don't know if I ever get caught, bro. No. I got caught. You did? Yeah. Oh, but you got caught in America, so that shit is real consequential.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

I got caught, I got caught in right a. What you mean? You're in ridey? Funny. What were you just trying to steal? No, my partner at that time, uh, she wanted makeup. You know? And I was young, so I didn't have any money to buy her makeup, so I would steal it. And I was with my dad, so it was embarrassing. It was so embarrassing. Um, we were coming out. Some guy came, I guess he was like on the cover in the back. Damn. So I took it out, and I was like, what are you talking about? So I just took out the stuff. I just felt shame right there. Like, damn, my dad's right there seeing me still. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

So whack. I feel too whack. Cheating test. But I was seven years old, bro. You were seven years old? I was in the first grade. And they called my mom. I just was in your blood. I'm not even gonna say that shit in my blood, but I'm not gonna blame it on my ancestors. I don't know, bro. Like, low-key was like a I don't want to say a badass, but low-key, you know? Which is funny because I feel like when I got to America, just because I'm Asian, they just expect me to be this good ass kid, you know what I mean? But I was just kind of on some bullshit straight up when I was a kid. Like, I used to steal. I sheet on the test when I'm in the first grade, and I remember they were just like they call my mom. Well, I thought I was so smart, bro. I wrote all my answers down in a pencil box, and I keep opening the pencil box to look at all the answers. No way. I ain't gonna lie, I gave myself a pattern. The strategies like the thing is I love finessing. Like my uncle always told me as a kid, he's like, in Thailand, Shalad Gamko, which means like you're smart as it's cheating. And I feel like I love that. Like I love doing that as a kid. And I remember I would steal toys. Like, there would be street vendors a lot in Thailand, so I was just like, poor. When they're busy, I just grab things. And so now I would grab it, bro, and I'll go put it back. It's just almost like I just want to be see if I could do it. But yeah, but they called my mom and they threatened to kick me out of school. Which I don't wave. No, no, no. But they low-key, they like, they're not gonna do it. Yeah, it's just scare you. Yeah, but it did scare me, though. I cried. I was so I was so ashamed, bro. I was all like never again. I don't know, never again, but that's funny. And I used to do a lot of fuck shit, bro. I used to like throw rocks and shit, clump trees, and I would break windows, and then I would run away. And like in Thailand, drinks come in like this plastic bag, right? Like instead of a cup, like you you put drinks in a plastic bag, but small plastic bag, and you just drink coat. They have that in Mexico too. And you know what? We have the same coat. Like, I'm not How about Coca-Cola? Like, we have the sugarcane coke. Okay. And then I used to like, bro, sometimes I used to just throw that shit at people.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

No, but it's a bag with the straw. Yeah, yeah. I was just throwing at people. Yeah, it's a water balloon.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Yeah, I was just low-key tweaking as a kid. Like, I was throwing ice, throwing bags of like sodas. And I used to, um, one of my homies lived in an apartment next to the school and they had a pool. And I like, I I don't look Thai. I look more East Asian, you know, because my grandfather is Chinese. So I used to go over there, bro, and I would just like throw rocks into the pool and like throw chairs into the pool. I was on something. But you destructive. I was. And then like, and then what happened? And one time they caught me, you know what I did? I just act like I didn't know Thai. Because people never thought I was Thai. That's funny. Like, I just act mute. How did you um learn English? Well, the school where I went to also taught English, but they taught it like Spanish here. So I when I first came to the US, I was muted. Like I remember the first day I got here and I was like, You just do it like sign language? Yeah, I was just kind of like, man, I know it's just high. It's almost like if I go to Mexico now, and I know it's like, it's just hola, bro. Just say hola. But as a kid, you just like you choke, you know? Yeah. I'm like, I'm like, I literally my homie walk up and then just left. Like, that's she low-key, you know, like, and then it's crazy because like years later, me and this dude who like walk up to me the first day I was in school in in America, like just look at me and wait for me to say something and never say nothing. He just walk away. And then like we later became homie, and like, you know, like life goes on. We ended up like there was a period where we were just smoking with each other, talking shit, and we always talk back, like, damn, bro, who would have thought, you know? How long did it take you to learn English? I mean, I already kind of knew the words, but I think uh in the first two years I was starting to speak. But I used to not be able to understand people. Or people that used to not understand me. So I used to spell out the word. Like, let's say I'm like saying something like, Oh, I want a sauce. Uh, S-A-U-C-E. Like, I need I would spell out the word for people to just understand what it is, you know? And people used to talk, and I'll be like, man, why is everybody talking so damn fast?

SPEAKER_00 24:21

There's a lot of people that have the English, you know. I mean, there's people that speak Spanish want to learn English, but they're scared to talk it. Mm-hmm. Of how what people are gonna say when they speak. And I'm not gonna lie, like, it'd be pretty funny. I'll be here people when I'm in class, you know, as a Spanish talking people. Yeah. And there's it's their turn to read, you know. Teachers will pick, okay, you read. And man, I can't hold myself sometimes. You're funny. But but the hustle, like, I respect them to trying to read.

SPEAKER_03 24:49

And I'm not gonna lie, I was one of them kids. Like, people were always laughing whenever I read or say something in class. That that didn't make you feel um. Nah, I don't know why. I feel like I always had thick skin. I think it's cuz, yeah, I don't know why. Or did it get you more happy, like, yeah, I'm getting this. Growing up, I was really on some like fuck everybody mindset. Like, as a kid in America. Cause I came here, bro. I was like the only Asian kid in middle school. I didn't really speak the language, I had an accent. I used to be sad as hell. I used to just be like, and everybody was picking on me, and everybody was just like, you know? And I feel like that's when I kind of just always lean into like the sports. Like I wouldn't be able to communicate with people, but I was like playing basketball with them. And I was like, I was always strong, so I was still key, like I was killing it in PE. Like I could always do the players. From the time that I known you, like you've always always had a good physique. So I feel like that carried me, you know, and I kind of just took that athleticism to a way of getting respect, sports. Cause I feel like people wasn't respecting me in other parts because I was different. Let's play ball then. Yeah, pretty much, and I'm not that good, but I'm just athletic. You know what I mean? That athleticism just carried. And then like, I think it wasn't until I went to college that's when my English got better. I wasn't around family, so I needed to just speak English all the damn time. Gotcha. Like I needed to live in English. You know, like back then I was just working in restaurants. I just go to school, stay most of the school time, come back, work, took care of the nephew. You know what I mean? So I was still like in my own world. I also didn't have like a per se childhood. I didn't have no friends in middle school and shit like that. I just came home and push-ups in the restaurant. You're already probably buffing middle school, then? I was low-key like hella in shape in middle school and high school. Like I wasn't lifting weight buff, but I was always like push-up, like color sendings. I definitely play my Asian card sometimes. Oh, you do? In what scenario? Like, bro, when I first tried to apply for a tutoring job, I bought these fake glasses and I wore the glasses, and I'm just like, yeah, I could tutor. You know, I play on that fact that people think Asian people are smart and they're good at mad. And I remember I went to apply for this Kumon job. You know what Kumon is. It's like some mad tutoring. And I failed the test, bro. No way. I feel like I saw a big shift, man, after you had your daughter. Like, how was that like? You know, some people call it a girl dad. I feel like that's when like I felt you like, like, jokes aside, right? I mean, no, this is jokes. Like, I feel like when you had your daughter, you was like, oh man, my baby decided to grow up on the home. And like I'm always thinking, I'm like, damn, none of your son ever did this.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

You're like, hey, this little guy can thug it out. But when you know your daughter, like, oh, this is my princess. You know what? That's funny you say that, but it's really true because I say, oh, when you know, a guy has a girl, he gets more sweeter, you know. I feel like some some of it is true. Yeah. My little girl uh came into the picture, it definitely did uh make me realize, like, damn, you know, I gotta get it together. My little girl growing up. And I don't know, it brought a lot of love to me. Yeah. It brought a lot of love just seeing her feel happy. You know, and that's what's really helped me push, even right now. You know, I think about them just like, nah, you know what, I gotta get them a little home. You know, we're a home. Yeah. Right now we're renting, you know, so we got that going on. But yeah, I want to get her own room, the kids' own room, you know?

SPEAKER_04 28:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

That's a reason that keeps me pushing. Uh-huh. That's a reason that that makes me want to work out. You know, I'm like, man, I don't want my daughter to see me like a fat guy. You know, so I want to be a great example for my daughter. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:42

That's beautiful, man.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

My daughter's with that sweet touch inside me.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Yeah. So you kind of have like this motivation of self-love and also selfless love, and that's like the motivation. That's why you always talk about love, huh?

SPEAKER_00 28:53

Mm-hmm. I feel like love is the drive. You know? And love is what helps me enjoy everything. That's beautiful, man. Mm-hmm. Did you always have that kind of mindset? You know what? I've always leaned into love, but never fully like committed myself into like love. Now I remind myself, like, hey, yo, you know, I'll relax. Try to be present and accept this for what it is. Right, right. And try to find uh try to be compassionate, you know, towards everything.

unknown 29:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Compassion brought love. True into me. For say someone else, yes, say I see someone having a bad day, but they're just being really rude. I'll try to be compassionate. I go, you know what, maybe they just started this job, or you know, they're maybe I don't know. But I'll think of something in my head that'll just make me have compassion and not let that affect me.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

Right.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

I try to keep my brain like a VIP, you know, like you don't want to let a lot of things control you. Some things we can't control at all, but we can control how we feel. Right. You know, it's always free to tap in. That good feeling. It's like if I told you, hey, oh boy, imagine yourself right now, you got everything you need. You got the house, you got the woman you always wanted, you know, your friends, everything you need. Imagine right now, I tell you, what do you want? And you're like, okay, I want this. Boom. You got it. You know, how do you feel right now? How would you feel right now if you had everything you need? I don't know. But see, you smile, right? So you're tapping into it, you know, and I feel like it's free to tap into that.

SPEAKER_03 30:27

Right, right, right. You know, I think you told me about that.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

Yeah, I like to always that feeling is free. So why not tap into it?

SPEAKER_03 30:34

You know, it's something that takes time to tap into it. Because you don't need all this to feel that.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

It helps at any time. You gotta feel like you're already there.

SPEAKER_03 30:43

But I also smile because I, you know what? Like, I do like my life. I think I was just telling you about this. I didn't always love my life, but I do like my life.

SPEAKER_00 30:50

You see all the blessings, huh? Yeah. You do get a lot of blessings. You got a cool ass crib, but you do live a good life. I can't complain. Nah, good luck, man.

SPEAKER_03 30:59

Let's talk about the barber shop, bro. We didn't even talk about the barbershop at all, you know? Oh, okay, okay, cool. Like, how do you get into that? Because I know you were working in like a like a fat warehouse before.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

Yeah, working in the warehouse. Because you had your kid young, so you needed to do all that. Mm-hmm. Yeah, so when I I believe I was already in the 12th grade, already almost graduating, I got hired to work in his warehouse. Printing, uh, it was a printing job. Um, but at the time I had a friend, his name was Domingo. Uh-huh. And he was working at the shop, and the shop was gonna close down. He wanted to keep it open, but he needed workers, you know, to help him pay the rent. So he's like, hey man, you know what? This shop is gonna close down. Will you be down to help me out, you know, learn how to cut hair? I'll teach you. And um, we'll keep it open. I told him, yeah. He's like, okay. So one day he came, he dropped off a clipper, and I was practicing on my friends, my son, on myself too. I'll give myself crazy boat cuts. I used to think they look fresh, but they were pretty crazy. And I would go out like that too. It's crazy. And I would think I'll look fly, but I would just feel bald, you know, so I feel the air on me. I'm like, yeah. So no offense at all. You just say it. Yeah. But he didn't end up uh keeping that shop, you know, but I still stayed with the habit of cutting hair. So um also though, remember I did have my son, so cutting hair was saving me money too.

SPEAKER_02 32:21

Because he was cutting your sounds.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

So I never really went into cutting hair like I want to do it, you know, because my friends would cut hair. Two of my closest friends would cut hair. He was one of them, and I have another friend named Joshua, he would cut hair, and my cousin as well. So I've always had a spot to cut my hair. You know what I mean? It was more like I learned to love it. But there was this time that I ended up quitting my job. And once I quit my job, I started cutting hair. My dad went, he spoke to this barbershop. He's like, hey man, I found you a spot to cut hair. I know you're looking for a job. Why don't you cut, you know, start right there? He said he's willing to give you a chance. Bro, my experience was very low. I only had like two clips, so I didn't even fade properly. I would just look at the video, look at the haircut, and I won't imagine it. I knew the steps very little. So when I went there, you can say my experience was, I would say, like not even five percent, like two percent out of a hundred percent, you know. There was nothing really there. So I just got thrown in the water and I started adapting. The boss right there ended up teaching me, showing me things, you know, how to start up. But keep in mind I had responsibilities, I had my rent, you know, I had my dues in the end of the month. Right, right. That's crazy. So that's why the job was so important to me. So from not making that money every month, there was times that the barbershop crew would go eat. And I would say that I wasn't hungry, but I really was hungry.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

You know, I was starving actually, especially when they'll be eating it in front of me. I'll be like, nah, it looks bomb. And they'll even ask me, like, hey, yo, you want something? Like, get something, and I'll be like, nah, I'm good, I'm good.

SPEAKER_03 33:59

Embarrassed. That's why you were telling me about this.

SPEAKER_00 34:01

Yeah, I need to keep every dollar. And I would look at the calendar and I'm like, all right, if I do two haircuts, one haircut, because there are days I only do one. Yeah, I'll take a long time too cutting hair. Right, right. So that was a struggle. You know, I started already kind of late for myself for my situation. Because I already had the structure that I needed that I had duals in, you know what I mean? And uh yeah, I would say it was tough. It was very tough in the beginning. After um, it paid off. It paid itself off. Because then now it makes more time for me. I have my clientele already set. I work at a certain time, I'm free at a certain time. That right there is amazing. Because it gives me more time to think other things, you know what I mean? I do have my studio. I have about like 10 years cutting hair now. But the beginning was tough. There was even a time I had to like get a side job while I was still cutting hair because I wasn't making the ends meet.

SPEAKER_03 34:57

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:59

Wait, what's uh some tip you want to give to other people when they get into cutting hair or just being in between a rock and a hard place?

SPEAKER_00 35:06

You know what? I would say stay patient. Sometimes uh the door is right there, it's a bottle open, but sometimes it looks really dark where you don't see the other side, and you're just like, man, I'm gonna just give up here.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

Right.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

Stay patient. Like nothing comes overnight. You know, a baby doesn't get done in two days. You know, it has is a growing period. Right. You know? So everything that lasts has you know, it's time to build up.

SPEAKER_02 35:36

It's pretty good. I said, Oh now it's like an hour. What is taco la verga, bro?

SPEAKER_00 35:46

Yeah, it's funny. I always use that one when people don't really know Spanish that well. Tacos de Vega, you know, it's dick uh uh dick tacos. You know, so there's times when uh say if you didn't know Spanish too good, I'll be like, hey bro, um me and my brothers, we did this to one of my friends, he's black, and we're like, hey, um, we should go get some tacos at Vega right now, she's on bomb. He and he don't know. He probably thinks they're like tacos asala or something, you know. He'll be like, Yeah, hell yeah, bro, we should. So there's times that I'll be thinking like Yeah, we'll forget we'll forget. You know, we're jumping into the conversation and we forget, and we're thinking like, damn, bro, what about he actually went to a tacos standard taco de verga, you know? It's just like a joke, you know. That's a funny one. But I do that for the ones that don't understand Spanish. So beware.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

I remember we went one time, we came back, and Ismo had the rental car and the cops just pulled us over for no damn reason. Yeah, his car too. But that should be happening, huh?

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Yeah, it's rare how we got stopped that day because they had no like probable cause.

SPEAKER_03 36:54

We didn't do nothing. It's just like they just like Oh, they were looking for guns. That's what the guy said. He's like, we're just looking for guns, man. I know, but they just pulled us over for no reason. Yeah. Just because it was a nice car in the hood, quote unquote.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

Mm-hmm. And we could have been a dick about it, but I was like, ah, maybe you know, we're right down the street. We could have pressed the issue, like, yo, what's and people was getting handcuffed.

SPEAKER_03 37:13

Like they had they got us all at the core, face the wall, searched the car, and then we came back, and I'm like, damn, this shit kind of. You guys didn't want to eat no more. You guys are just eating the nachos, shaking. I was just like, uh, I was like, I was like, yeah, I was shook. I'm not sure. Yeah, that was a little pill trip, huh? Yeah, because I feel like, man, the only time I feel like I got encountered by a cop in a fucked up way was that I rolled down the window one time and they was looking for somebody and they pointed a gun at me. Oh man. And then that's the only time I ever been like, damn. And I never I got pulled over before, but I never got like out of the car curve, da-da-da. So that shit was that shit shook me for real.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

No, I had this one story. This one's pretty crazy. Okay, now tell me. You'll be having crazy stories. So um, my friend was still over in my house. So I remember that day, my mom wanted me to go to the consolado. Uh-huh. Consolate. Yeah. So that's for like the passport and shit. Exactly. It was over there by MacArthur Park. Yeah.

unknown 38:14

Right?

SPEAKER_00 38:15

So MacArthur Park, we parked in one of those parking lots that you pay like 10 bucks, you know. We're walking and there's this guy pushing, I don't know if it's his mom, his grandma, but he's like mad dogging, you know, really hard. And I'm not trying to look at him because he's with his mom or whoever he was with, you know, they were in a wheelchair. So he even was breaking his neck. So I got to I just told him, like, what's up? You know, and he said, What's up? So I was like, uh, we didn't think much of it. Kept walking, and some other guy looked just like him. I think it was his older brother, just pulled up. Like, I don't know if he had some sort of signal. He went like, da-da-da. You know, and that guy seen, he hit us up. When he hit us up, he came out and used all crazy. He was from um the Malasa Vatrucha, I think that's what they call him. They mess 13. DMS 13, yeah. And um, he started banging on us and whatever, and then I told him, like, oh, so what, you know, like I was I was ready to give it to him too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? And um, he took out a knife though. That's when it all changed. When he took the knife out, I was like, all right, no beef. And but Chevart, I had a knife on me too that day, but I had an army knife. Yeah, the army knives, the ones that have a lot of different blades in it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I can't really pull off the blade. You gotta like it. But I'm grabbing it and he's walking towards me. Damn. He's getting closer, and the guy in back of me takes a swing at me. Oh, no. So I like go through the side of the sidewalk. I have one foot down, I kind of almost trip, but not really. And then the guy in front of me swings the knife. Talking about like right here. Damn. You dodged that shit? Well, he did his hand wasn't long enough. Uh-uh. You know, so I'm dodging this punch and I'm dodging the. And thankfully, okay, that's it. He wasn't too close. Once that happened, I hit the street. I didn't even mind like if I would have got ran over. Ran. I ran through the middle of the street, ran up like a block, there was this parking lot that had the entrance and the exit. Right? So I ran through it. They're following both of them. If they chased me, I would have stayed for like 10 minutes. But I was running through the street so cars can call the police. So I was making the scene. I was running, he was like, Oh, you're a bitch, you're a bitch. Did anybody call the police? Yeah, a lot of people called the police. Just imagine you're running. That that was the whole point, though. I ran into this um bar and I told them, hey man, help me. Like, I need help. You're trying to kill me. And they're like, nah, get out of here, get out of here. And I was like, fuck. And like, you know, right here when you run how it hurts. Both sides hurt, because over there the streets are inclined. Yeah. So I ended up getting to uh the park, the collar park. Some truck pulled up. I was already out of breath, you know, and um right there with my hands on my knees, like trying to catch my breath. And he's all like, get in the car. I can't really see him because it's like a pickup truck. It was like this dodge, but it was pretty high. I could only see like his arm, you know. He's like, get in the car, I seen what happened. Um, you know, to take you. So I got in the car, and it was this black man. Yeah. And he's all like, I seen what happened. I told him, hey man, like, I have my friend. I need to go get my friend. You take me to go get him. He's all like, oh, okay, okay, don't worry. And I guess he was already talking to the police. And he told me, he's like, right now, there's a lot of police over there. Do you have anything on you? I told him, Yeah, I have a knife. He's like, put it in my car. We pulled up to the location, bro. It was flooded with cops. They had the street already closed down. Yeah. And this was the scariest part. You might think the scariest part was getting chased and almost getting hit. This was scary because we got there and there was a whole lot of gangsters in each side. So that they already probably knew what was going on. And they were looking. So when we pulled up, there was a guy right there, and that uh black guy was talking to a detective. We were gonna move cars, so they were gonna put us in the cop car. He's like, All right, nah, you guys gonna walk to the cop car? I'll tell him, nah, I'm not walking out of this car. Because they're gonna see. I'm like, look around. They're all right there, they're from the same gang. They're gonna see. I'm tripping out because I'm thinking, what about one of those foods are crazy and they just shoot up the car right there, you know? Right, right, right, right. And um, so they ended up parking the car like right next to each other. We ended up going to the same car. I was right there, and then we seen that one of the guys kind of noticed, one of the gangsters right there kind of noticed. He was looking in the car. So what me and my friend did, we were on the back seat, and where you put your way you rest your feet, we laid down, like one in the bottom, one on top. So we were right there like a sandwich, you know. And you can there was a guy trying to look inside the car. We ended up leaving the location and went to the station. Some guys they look like G.I. Joes, body armor, buff, don't come, and they just ask you questions. Crazy. I don't know if they ever got caught or not, but that was a whole experience in itself, man. That park, bro. It's real. Yeah, it's crazy. Don't tell any of that. You always gotta be on your toes. You don't know what to.

SPEAKER_02 43:09

I got robbed somewhere close to that park, too. Oh, really? During COVID.

SPEAKER_03 43:13

No way. I had fucking COVID and I went to like this clinic to get some medicine. I was in my pajama and like a beanie or some shit. And this dude just came up to me and just like, man, what the fuck, whoops? And then he just like went, ran back, and then got like two other homies and they all ran up on me. I was sick. I I didn't even do shit. And then at one point this dude was like trying to wrestle me. No, no, no, no. But you know what? Growing up, I did a lot of that. Every time like people run up on me, I be acting like I know how to fight. That's funny. And sometimes I do get away with it. Do you do the sound effect like the Bruce Lee? No, I don't. I just kinda like doing some like Muay Thai shit. Cause I kinda know that shit more.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

Oh, more Thai, okay.

SPEAKER_03 43:57

So then uh, but this time I just like this dude was trying. Grab me, so I kind of grabbed him with me, and then like we fell onto the street, and the other two dudes was just like trying to hit me, so I'm just covering, and then dude was like, I got a gun, da da da. And I don't even know he got a gun, and it's by a bus stop. But nobody did anything because everybody was scared. Cause then when they started saying they had a gun, and then bro, it's a random ass day, and then somebody pulled up, and then he was like, Hey yo, what the fuck? When the fuck did you start tweaking? Da-da-da. Like, I just saw you at church. Like, what happened to you, bro? And then, like, you know, they kind of get off me and ran away, but they took my money my wallet. And I was like, fuck. And then the police came late. And then I was like.

SPEAKER_00 44:40

That sucks. I know you traveled a lot. How's Chicago been? I know Chicago has a lot of violence.

unknown 44:46

You know.

SPEAKER_03 44:46

I remember seeing this dope guy running toward me. Oh shit. I was going down right at the moment. You put your hands over, like, no, no, no. I didn't even do that. I just I was out. And then I just wondered cars driving around trying to find each other and shoot and all that. And I it's just Oh man. I think I just like stay in the tuck until everything kind of died down, and then I got an Uber bag or take the train. But I was with a shorty too. So we were just out here like. If you can come up with a national holiday, what would it be? And what would it look like?

SPEAKER_00 45:19

National holiday.

SPEAKER_03 45:20

Like if you get to create a holiday, like what would happen in that day? And what would you do?

SPEAKER_00 45:27

I would say it has to be with spreading love. Maybe like a dance day where they like maybe like New York town where they have like this big area where people can go and dance. You know, maybe like in parks you go and you dance. Kind of like a big party. But pretty much like a big party, yeah. Where love and dance gets spread, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:50

What would your date? I never thought about it, bro. I just sit here and ask the question. But you know what? I'm gonna tell you a Thai holiday that I love. That I don't mind. Like, here, you want more? Yeah, I'll take some more.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

That's fine right there.

SPEAKER_03 46:03

So, like, I love Thai New Year, bro. So Thai New Year is like everybody go out there and they just like they get a water gun, they got water in the back of the truck, and they just splash each other with water. It's supposed to be a cleansing day, the hottest day. And then there's tradition too where people pay respect to the elders. You get like this powder and you do like almost like tribal pattern on your face, and you wear like all this Hawaiian shirt, and like, you know, you can also get like this flower and you put it on each other's face, so people get to kind of show love to each other, you know. But usually like guys would do it to girls, it's more of like a flirting. It's not a flirting thing, but I don't know the tradition too much, but as a young kid, it's more a flirting thing, that aspect of it. You know, you just splash each other with water. I should know more the cultural significance, but I just took it as like, bro, this day is lit as fuck. That's only and people like pull up or pick up truck, they blast music at the back of the truck, they put ice in the water bucket so it's cold as hell, so you can splash water, and you're like, ooh, and like I'm running from truck to truck, like car to car, just jumping from car to car, just splashing people. But yeah. Alright, bro, I think we're good, bro. We got way enough content and then we can call it a day. You can look at the camera. Where's the camera? Which one? Is it loud? I don't know. Let's just look at the screen. So we're all looking the same thing. Thank you, y'all. Subscribe, like, do all that shit. You know, all right, thank you, Jews. Love you.

SPEAKER_00 47:24

Come on, thank you for having me, brother.

SPEAKER_02 47:26

Alright. Thank you, Kalina. Let's eat this chicken. Okay. Let me go to our tea. Oh, she already did. Oh no, she did.

SPEAKER_00 47:38

Oh, so you can see this in the bottom? Huh? You can see this in the bottom, like I think so.