Probably Fine the Podcast
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Probably Fine the Podcast
The Farmers and Egan Del
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We're here with Egon Rayo. We in the back rooms of Anadel Photo uh recording this podcast. Um, Egon, what's up, man? Not much. What do you want? Nothing, dude. Just hanging out. We're just hanging out, dude. We just wanted to chat with you.
SPEAKER_01How's your day? Day good. Work hard. Busy? As usual. Very busy today. And crazy people all coming together. What do you mean? People come in all the time together. Four or five together at the same time. How many rolls did you have to do today? Today I did, I guess, uh 12 or 13 rolls.
SPEAKER_03Is that what's what's the most that you've done recently in a day?
SPEAKER_01Uh 30. 30? Yes. 30 rolls in a minute. 30 roll of them, yeah. I did 30. Most many many days I did at 20, 24, 22, whatever it was. So sometimes too many come in and the same and I have to finish them. I'll work on late and then I'll go home late and come in early in the morning, finish the rest. That's a bit do. Because I'm only one in the working shop.
SPEAKER_03Why don't I mean I know I know why, but for like the listeners, like why don't you just hire another person?
SPEAKER_01Because they can do the same job I do. Same work I do. I don't like the other people's j work.
SPEAKER_03But couldn't but couldn't you don't you think that you could relax a little bit though? So then you're not going to do it.
SPEAKER_01I don't know what the relax is.
SPEAKER_03Fair. That's fair.
SPEAKER_01Work is for me is first. No, really, work is for me is first. Even at home and work, same thing is first. I don't finish the work, I don't sit. But you said you work at home too. Yeah, home work is different.
SPEAKER_04What's the like, what's that like? Lawn mowing.
SPEAKER_01It's a home is a different. You have to work hard home too, but it's gonna be different. It's a fun. This is more stressful. Yeah. Your customers coming, you have to answer them. You cannot sit down and look at the ice. They want a product, they want to work, whatever done to give it to them on time. Because I promise you have to do it. Home is just a fun, go to garden, climb the tree, cut the grass, clean the house. Stuff I have to do. You have to do it anyway.
SPEAKER_04So three and a half bathrooms you gotta clean?
SPEAKER_01Three and a half. Oh, don't talk about it.
SPEAKER_00Wait, what do you mean? You don't use it, but it's dirty.
SPEAKER_01Why don't you make you dirty? Make it dirty. So you have to Killin Bosh, Kalina. I'm getting another butt light.
SPEAKER_03Um that spilled the one. Um so when you um when you go home, you know, after a long day, what do you do to normally like wind down?
SPEAKER_01Just nothing. I just take a one shower and eat something and go to bed to sleep. What time do you normally go to bed? Uh 9 30, between 9 30 and 10 o'clock.
SPEAKER_039 30? Yeah. My guy, during the summer the sun's still up. Yes, sometimes.
SPEAKER_01Because I'm tired of it. What time do you wake up? Because uh I wake up at uh 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, and then I hit the road coming to shop by 5. I'm here.
SPEAKER_03You're at 5 in the morning? Yeah, I'm coming here at 5. Jeez. Why don't you open up at 5 then? You can get more.
SPEAKER_04No, I don't want him. It's also funniest things that Saturday closes at 5. I asked him, he's like, it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_03That's why. No, I know. Yeah, he that's he always says, Oh, yeah, I close like his door says that he closes at five, but he always closes at like 4, 4:30. Yeah. Sometimes five if he's like busy or something.
SPEAKER_01Because I know if I stay in the five at 5 o'clock, the shop is open, been closing, and still people coming. So you have to do the earlier and then they can hit the road and go. I have driving at least 40 minutes, 40, 45 minutes to get home. Damn. You have to go shop, you have to do some stuff.
SPEAKER_04You ever tired like three in the morning, your alarm goes off? You ever you ever tired?
SPEAKER_01No, sometimes I get tired, but um when I see I have a work to do, if I have to forget it, you have to sacrifice. All about the sacrifice. Or close the shop and go. What am I gonna do with that after this? You have to work. Well, work doesn't bother me. Not at all. I love the people enjoyed it. Most things is a racist thing, I say that. I love this country. I love this country, but never make me tired. That's uh never makes you tired. Never, never. I really do. I really do love this country.
SPEAKER_00You know the you know the uh what is uh Doris, Doris, you know the Doris? Yeah, she's super sweet, yeah, amazing.
SPEAKER_01She's a she's she is really something. It was an eagon, you cannot do that. You have to do this, you have to this, you have to some forget. Well, do what? I'm almost afraid. Tell him me do this, tell him this, do that, do that for your life. I said, forget about Doris. My most life gone, but we have to be bored about it.
SPEAKER_03What um I mean, what do you have a close group of friends, would you say?
SPEAKER_01Some friends, not many, but I'm some friend. Yeah. Because I don't have time for it. But the shop, you feel like these people are your friends, right?
SPEAKER_03Shop, everybody's my friend. But but do you feel like sometimes like do you get lonely sometimes? Uh not. Because I'm too busy to think about it. Really? You don't you don't ever just like you're sitting here like working like one day and you're like, man, like I wish I could call my girlfriend or my wife or just a friend even.
SPEAKER_01Uh and just talk to them. When I'm working, I'm working, I listen to music. That's it. Bas lower music, I listening, the one I like it. And I'm working last night I work until 10 30. I work sometimes. I'm working 12 o'clock, one o'clock, two o'clock. Uh you know that sometimes I don't go home, I stay here. And I do work. But that's sometimes make me tired, but nothing we can do. Your responsibility, uh you have the shop, door is open, people come in, you have to take care of them.
SPEAKER_04If you did retire though, do you think you'd get bored?
SPEAKER_01Uh not really. Yeah. Do you think that you travel? I like to travel, but uh when I was younger I did lots of travel, but not anymore because responsibility.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. You don't smoke?
SPEAKER_01No, I don't smoke.
SPEAKER_03And you drink a little bit?
SPEAKER_01A little bit uh beer.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, just beer. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Beer is the one I like it. I like it to drink more, but my cholesterol is to roof, so I don't want to stop it.
SPEAKER_03You don't you don't you're not on like medicine for your cholesterol?
SPEAKER_01No, I don't take it. I hate doctors.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but Egon, you gotta take care of yourself, my guy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they're gonna add it pill, pill, pill, pill. Before you know you have a 10 pill every day, you have to take it. That's easy to carry.
SPEAKER_03I mean, sure, that's I mean, that not saying that that you're wrong necessarily, but I mean if it's it's gonna help your cholesterol. If it's gonna help you live.
SPEAKER_01They say they could live, but I don't know that. I tr I don't try it. Only take pill I take it is my blood pressure tip pill. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Well, Egon, I uh wish that you would take the medicine. Yeah, take the medicine, just take care of yourself, man.
SPEAKER_01My doctor said my family is saying, but I'm butt hit.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but listen, we're telling you now, take med take the meds.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because like what if something happens and then like happen, happen?
SPEAKER_00Hey, the world all the time, people dying. You're not gonna leave forever.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but you there's but there's but it's being selfish to not try to prolong it though.
SPEAKER_01I think as I'm active in it.
SPEAKER_03It'd be one thing if you were like 80 something years old. Whatever. Yeah. But you're still young, even. Yeah, it doesn't matter. But like I'm just what, 50 something?
SPEAKER_01I just believe medicine. I don't believe medicine.
SPEAKER_03You're what are you, 56?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, 50. No, 59. No, you're not.
SPEAKER_03Are you 59? No, you're not. 62.
SPEAKER_04We're gonna order the medicine for you. How old are you, Egon? I'm close to 60, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you are you actually close to 60? Really? Yeah. Wow. I you I mean, you look really good. I thought you were much younger. Wow.
SPEAKER_01I'm close to 60. Very soon. That's why I'm not worried about it. My family, most they're living, do you know how long? Between 58 to 63, 67. 67, the highest one.
SPEAKER_0467, the highest.
SPEAKER_01Last generation. This generation, I don't know. My generation, I don't know. But average, I'm healthy, I'll run like a horse. Yeah. I'm old man, what are you gonna do? Nothing can stop me.
SPEAKER_03Well, I know. I know nothing's gonna stop you, but if your health will stop you.
SPEAKER_01No, my health average from my age, my health is okay. I'm not worried about that. Yeah, sometimes it's tough when you wanna wake up in the morning, and it's tough because you're tired. You didn't sleep enough. But it's nothing to do with the work. You're getting older, so nature, all the stuff. Yeah. I'm not young just like you guys.
SPEAKER_04As your friends, though, you know we're gonna tell you to take the medication. Uh medication.
SPEAKER_03Just as your friends. Um, just to for like a little background on you. Obviously, you were born in Iran, and then the war broke out, correct? Yeah. You had to flee.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I have to flee, yes.
SPEAKER_03Unfortunately, you had to leave everything behind, including your family.
SPEAKER_01You have to flee because not the war, because it was uh the revolution. No, the revolution, it's just a lot of people. We are infidel, they will kill you, they put you in prison, they do all kinds of things. So my family wants me to run away from country, so I did it.
SPEAKER_03But it sounds like you only did that though, no? Like you're the only one that left.
SPEAKER_01Uh, the family, I was the first one left them, yes. I was a teenager left them, yeah. Okay, and then your siblings left once they got old enough, or no, they get actually three of my sisters with two kids and husband, they left the country uh after m three years after I left them. Three years almost after left. I was here, they left the left Iran. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Wow. Must have been uh traumatic and hard for you, no?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's very very tough, but what we can do, nothing. We had no choice. I thought maybe we're gonna one day gonna be good and I'm gonna go back home, but there is no home. Now yeah it's home. There's nothing there. Everything is done and finished. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Do you do you ever wish that you could have moved back?
SPEAKER_01I don't think so very much anymore because maybe not anymore, but maybe 20 years ago, 40 years old. Yeah, 20 years ago it was yes, because I thought my mom and dad said, Oh, five years down the road everything's gonna go back to normal, you're gonna come back home. So just go to safety and then everything gonna be back. But never happened. I left home, I knew I left the Tehran capital, I lived there. I went into east of the Iran, which is uh across border Afghanistan and Pakistan boats, they're our neighbors. When I went them over there, I read the rest I said I'm done. So we left them, leave the Iran, we're never gonna go back. I feel it right away. And I went them dark, dark, dark for night in a mountain, all the stuff. Wait, what? You mean dark, dark dark? Yeah, well, we left them home night.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you left it at night, but you're saying that you only moved at night for four days? Yes. You didn't go out during the day. You only looked at the just at night time. What do you mean? What do you mean the mountain?
SPEAKER_01Do you see you're in dark, dark mountain? East of the East of the Iran is a mountain, it's a dry mountain. Is it a mountain?
SPEAKER_04Dang.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a mountain. With the we went um with the one person help us, we pay them. And um with the camel and uh the horse a little bit, but it was so difficult. I walk all the way with them. Some people they get a horse, sit down on the horse, but uh just walk the whole way, no horse? With them, right? Because it's so difficult for me, horse.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, wait, how long is that walk? I'm like, what are you doing?
SPEAKER_01Four days and uh the four nights, actually, four days and it was four nights. We could not walk data. We could not walk data because the police catch you. They see you, they arrest you and put in prison. Did did did any of your group get caught? No, we don't. No, but they saw police saw us, and the guys who was leading us to take them to corner Afghanistan, take them to Pakistan, and they saw the cars coming after us, and they this group left us for four hours. They we thought everybody thought they're not gonna come back, we're gonna die here. Uh only we saw it was too dark. Only thing I saw it was a moon, little moon. It was dark. Wow.
SPEAKER_04What age were you? What age? Put it in context. What age were you at this time?
SPEAKER_01Uh that was probably around the 17. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Nervous, or you just were confident?
SPEAKER_01No, I was always confident they're gonna come back. I was the bravest one. I don't believe it negative, always seemed positive. Very positive thing. Everybody crying and they said no, we ain't gonna die here. And I said, No, they're gonna come back. Believe it, they they're scared because they can shoot them and kill them too. They are the the police looking for them. So they know some suspicious, some they know it. These people always take the people from Tehran, from Iran to somewhere else. So they make given money and they take them to Pakistan or Afghanistan, they can run to another place. And they're looking for them too. So they escaped and took a horse and camel and stay here. The car came exact. We were inside the hole, and the big hole was there, and they in their uh what they call dirt road, they came in very low light and uh Jeep and passed us and then came back. They did not see us. Dang yeah, they were lucky, did not see us kind of a move. Well, they were rest and taken all the way. And you weren't like I would have been freaking out. I did not I scared, but I did not figure out because I always think positive. Wow. Never I was thinking about it uh because like what like you everybody upset.
SPEAKER_03If if you would have been caught, they would have handed you over police.
SPEAKER_01There was Iranian police actually. There was Iranian police came in inside uh we have the corner of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We went in to Afghanistan first and corner of Afghanistan, it was army place, a small army place, protect them border. We passed them behind them, they find they saw something suspicious, and they was after us. After all the people who taken us. So, but we are lucky they did not see us. They came in, looked at them, and then back. And then four hours later, it was dark. Four hours later the guys came back, and I remember everybody's crying, and this is I never forget it. Crying and worried, and I told them no, can't come back, and and suddenly I was sitting there and I heard them tap, tap, tap, and I told them something I can hear. I was worried about it, not the police. I hope not the police, but it was too heavy. So I put my ear in the in the deck, in the ground, and I hear them listening this coming closer, closer. Bum bum bum bum. It's a dark every you don't see it very much, just a small moon. And then suddenly take my head from ground. I saw the camel is stand up. Camel doing this one.
SPEAKER_03It must have been a relief.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's what relief because everybody saw they came in. I said them get out quick, hit them road. Run! They had gone, both saw the camel, big, big machine gun. Damn. In case, yes. Wow, yes, machine gun, big one. And but they took us um that night for another four hours before dawn, and they took us someplace in the muddy, muddy uh house, a small muddy house made of snow. I put it there and left them. But somebody was there with us. They feed us, they gave us food to eat and uh water to drink. They had no water, they had a small wheel, they gonna in the in the yeah, a small wheel in dign in the in the dirt, yeah. And water that's the way it was, the the drinking. And I saw the a small what with I don't know, with like a war, a small black worm, tiny, tiny worm was there. But it was Thursday. We just picked them all hand, yeah, yeah, drink it. Yeah, and I never forgot that. Yeah.
unknownDang.
SPEAKER_01I never heard that story. You never told us that one. It happened to thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand people from many countries, many people. It's not only us, many people. Yeah. That's the way they they leave the country. But and then next night another, another team came in and picked them off and put behind a truck. Truck without any safety. 140 kilometers in the mountain, shh, dirt, our I can't say that one. And our body go top, top, top, top. Oh, up and in the car in the car. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It was m after 10 hours, 11 hours drive it. You don't believe it. You're just what this was didn't work. It was numb. Yeah, it was numb. Everybody, everybody. But was numb? Yeah, no. No, no, yeah. I remember. It was too much there. We we had one blanket. We put all the blanket top of us, uh, five of us in the back of the truck. Truck. There was no cover, just to just open the truck. That's only the butt of fast! Unbelievable they drive me.
SPEAKER_03So you so you escaped to Afghanistan.
SPEAKER_01Yes, Afghanistan.
SPEAKER_03And then from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Made it to Pakistan. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then from Pakistan to three, four days in Pakistan until to get the one city. They call him Kuwait. Kuwait is the first city of the border from Iran. That is almost two days. Kuwait? No. Kuwait. Kuwait. Have you ever heard of that? Q U T T A. Kuwait. It's a Pakistani. Pakistani border with the Iran, but it's one day drive. So we went over there and then.
SPEAKER_03Did you get on like a flight and then leave?
SPEAKER_01Yes, we got for l they got a uh ticket for us. We paid them. They got tickets from for us. And then we went them to um uh Lahore.
SPEAKER_05Lahore?
SPEAKER_01Lahore is a big city of the uh Pakistan. Nine million people living there. It's a big city. Nine million? Huh? Nine million, you said? No, one million, two million that time. Gotcha. Yeah, now God knows how much is because we're talking about 30 some years ago.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_0140 years ago, 39 years ago.
SPEAKER_04And then when did you come into America?
SPEAKER_01American, actually. I went first to my friend and sent them visa from Austria.
SPEAKER_04Austria.
SPEAKER_01Vienna. Yeah, Vienna, Austria. They sent a visa from for me and to from Austria. And then I went up to Vienna, Austria. I stayed there one year.
SPEAKER_04One year. Yeah. What was that like? Do you remember? Huh? What was that like? Do you remember? Was it like in Austria?
SPEAKER_01Austria is a beautiful you're talking about this beautiful country. I loved it. But it's small. Yeah. Yeah. A small country, but it's a beautiful country. Beautiful country. Well then my green card's ready. Then one day call me Egon, you have to get out of here. Well go to my plan was come to United State anyway.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03What um sorry. What uh what got you into like photography ultimately?
SPEAKER_01Oh when I came in here, somebody offered me because I was looking for a job, and I didn't work before because family take care of them. So looking for a job, let me see try it and try it. And I learned and fast and I like it. No, wait, it was fun.
SPEAKER_03Just to back up real quick. If you would have stayed in Iran, what do you think that your job would have been? What do you think that you would have ended up doing?
SPEAKER_01I I believe it. I could have stayed that my father's job is a big we had a big farm. Oh, you'd have been a farm harm. Oh, that's probably why you like gardening so much and stuff. Okay. All right. That makes sense. The government took after I killed my dad, they took him, everything. Because we are infidel, remember that. We're not Muslim.
SPEAKER_03And and and what age did they kill your dad?
SPEAKER_01I don't know exactly what is. I was here probably five, six, not five, six years. Oh, so you were already here. I was here. I was here, yes. When it happened. Yes. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_03For some reason I thought it had happened while you were. No, no, no, no, no, no. Okay.
SPEAKER_01When I left them, everybody was alive. Wow. As soon as I get the Pakistan settled down, my grandmother passed away. I remember that. I loved him so much. I did not even say goodbye to her because we could not talk. When you leave the country, you cannot. Trust anybody closest one by accident. Some mouse goes there, police and a spy everywhere that time. They can follow you and catch you and put you in prison before you move, do anything. So even I did not say goodbye to my grandmother. As soon as I got Pakistan, later came in after a while, said grandma passed away. That was first fatality. Wow. Yeah, and then that's it. Then I came in here. So after Vienna I came in here. I was um actually when I come Austria was beautiful and it was very good. It was free. I know I'm safe, but I never feel it's home. Yeah, I didn't feel like home. Never feel as home.
SPEAKER_03I was just gonna ask. Um you I know I'm kind of jumping around a little bit, but your one of your sisters still lives in Iran?
SPEAKER_01One of my sisters, sh uh two of my sisters was there until probably 10, 12 years ago.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01And we pulled the children out of the Iran the same way. Uh-huh. Um and then they waited to see what's happened to our land, house, money, because government took them everything. And then finally, we gave up and said them, it's not worth it because they're not gonna do anything. The land is there, house is there, they already took them. They only they're not gonna give it to you. So it's better before anything happened to you guys, and the rest of the family could be crisis, leave the country. So they did it.
SPEAKER_03Um I was just gonna ask I I asked that because obviously uh they took your land and such.
SPEAKER_01Everything. Even our photo, our DVD, our music, everything. Everything. Take everything.
SPEAKER_03So I my question was gonna be like, since they took everything and and you did have some sisters there for quite a while, did they did they use did they go and visit your old place where you grew up? Like your old house or your land, or is it all gone? Like, you know, you know, like sometimes like let's say like like you move, yeah. Let's say like you move from like New York to to here. Yeah, you want to go back to New York and see your old house, right? And rem relive the memories. That's what I'm asking. Did your sisters ever do that or anything?
SPEAKER_01Or yeah, I'm sure they did it. I never asked them. I never asked them for them, probably what they did it, even they go to government, sometimes fighting with the government, uh, but they could not do they didn't know an answer for them. So we know that, but I'm sure I missed my home when I left them. And still I would dream to go visit that house because my mom and dad live in there, but there is no death house. They sold them to somebody else.
SPEAKER_03Well, yeah, I mean it's it's not your family's home, but the house is still there. Yeah, the house is still there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they sold them to somebody else. But but you could still go and and even just knock on the door. Yeah, no, but they're not the same. When the new guys buying them, demolish them, and make them the high-rise and everything. Oh, it doesn't look the hell? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The house doesn't look the same. Their job sucks. This job, their job is to destroy everything. You then all the memory goes away. That's why they do it. Try to this this way to destroy your imagination, your brain, your memory, and everything. And they learn from the communist Russia, their closest friend to Russia. They learn everything from them.
SPEAKER_04Eliminate everything.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's still working with them very well. They've cooperated very well together. They know exactly what they do. That's why eight and now close to eight, between two eight to nine million Iranians left the country. All educate one. Not the dumb one, educate one. Yep. Dumb one is still there.
SPEAKER_04Dumb ones are still there.
SPEAKER_03Man, so okay, so now I'm gonna jump kind of back forward here. Came here, you got the photography job. Um you obviously did that for a long time. You you worked with somebody. Yeah. Those people ended up, it just didn't work out between you two. So you were like, I'm just gonna open up my own shop since that's what I know how to do. Correct? Yeah, and then and you opened up Annandale Photo. Yes. And you've just been here ever since, basically, right? Yeah, 20 almost 24 years, yes. 24 years. What have you learned in the last 24 years about owning your own business?
SPEAKER_01Well, I love that uh it's tough, but I have I made it and I'm happy with it. I d I don't demand too much, but most important team with the people were very nice and understanding, and I helped them. I I'm happy I am happy. I'm grateful for the so to survive is very was important. Struggling, but I did it. And everybody tells I'm gonna be money years or two years maximum. The money's gonna be finished, and then I'm gonna close the shop. I said I told them that I said I did not bought the shop to closing. I'm gonna keep running. Yes, and I did it. That was my answer.
SPEAKER_03I mean, I think that to me is one of like the coolest things or the most inspiring things about you is that you have never given up.
SPEAKER_01I don't uh I am not negative at all. Yeah, I never look at in the back, all of a sudden the light is a front and the front door is coming. Yeah, back door. I never did that negative, or never negative. Never. It was the worst time in my life, and I always think positive. Because I always believe it myself. Doesn't matter if it's a big or a small, but I believe myself. Yeah. I said nothing can stop, nobody can stop me.
SPEAKER_03That's super cool. I mean, you know, a lot of people nowadays, maybe not with your generation, but at least I think with ours. Um, not that this needs to be like this serious of like a podcast, but I just feel like a lot of people like it things don't work out right away, and people just give up. They give up fast, yeah. Yeah, they give up so fast, and it takes it takes a long time for something to finally start working, you know? Yeah, like you can own the shop, and maybe you have two, three years, maybe longer, of not really any customers, and you're just trying to survive month to month, and then finally, you know, eight years later, all of a sudden all these customers and kind of so but like I guess to my point, like you have never given up, like you've always survived no matter the situation that you've been put in from early childhood till now. Yeah, like you've always just you're still running.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, still running. Still running. I was I was in a school very high grade. Very high grade. Yeah, yeah. Finished them high school very high grade. Good. Yeah. And I finished them high school seven and eighth grade one year. One year? Yes. Seventh and seven and eighth, one year. Is it different from here to over there? Okay. Yeah, it's a high school. Seven and eight is a high school. Oh, really? Yes.
SPEAKER_03So there's no ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth grades?
SPEAKER_01I finished them all of them, but I finished it seven and eighth grade together, one year.
SPEAKER_03Wow. Yes. It's like finish one year. Because very high grade vibers. Yeah, no, I mean I get that, but like finish them one year though.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01They finished them one year. How'd you do that? Because it's in lots. Before I know, even United States, I know all everything about this country. I'll go all the time after school to library and read about them. All kinds of books read about it. So that was always your dream.
SPEAKER_04It was always your dream to come here.
SPEAKER_01It's not about a dream, it's about to knowledge, it's about to learn. You to learn just to learn.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I didn't know when I was kids, go to library. I was a kid for many years. I didn't know I'm gonna one day revolution gonna happen, we're gonna leave the country. Right. And we didn't know that. We just as a knowledge. So learn about the countries, yeah. Any country, any country, all about the Brazil, no, yeah, yeah. Europe, everywhere. Yeah, yeah. History was like it, I like it a lot. Like history.
SPEAKER_02Dang.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. What's been the saddest thing that you've learned while owning a shop? Or the most disappointing maybe.
SPEAKER_01I don't have sadness thing, but I know it was so so tough for me struggling. I was thinking about it. Am I gonna lose the shop or no? And then I said no, there is there is no way you have to lose the shop. And you guys don't know. I sold my house and I moved to an apartment, the house, the townhouse I had it, uh work f long term for this townhouse. So bought this shop, and I have to now everything changed suddenly from old-fashioned filming stuff to digital, and the machine was here, it was not only for the for digital, it was only for the film. Now you have to sell your house by the machine.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because I mean the machine, like just like the machine that that prints your photos is everything over a hundred thousand dollars.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yeah, which is eighty thousand dollars.
SPEAKER_03You have a machine here that can process film, it's broken or whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01No, it was a because change. It was the machine could print a film, old-fashioned film, not the digital.
SPEAKER_03No, no, no, but this one, this the the the one that's yeah, this one, yes, the old one, yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's broken, and I get another one is broken.
SPEAKER_03Right, but so my my point being, so now you hand developing it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I can do it. It's better than machine. I do better than it's a lot of work for you. It's a lot of work for me, yes. I told you, nothing can stop me. That's that's who I am. Everybody in my family say I'm really butt hit.
SPEAKER_03Man, like no, I mean, like that's I mean, it's it is for me at least, it's inspiring to hear that because like there's a lot of times at least in my life where it's like I just want to give up. Like, I'm just no, I don't give up. No, I know, but like that's why I love talking to you and hearing your story.
SPEAKER_01No, I don't give up. I never give up. Never give up.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, this is the day we met you very positive. Always positive. Always thinking positive.
SPEAKER_01And you've been my family sometimes bugged me, but I just listen and Yeah, but you're literally the nicest human being maybe I've ever met. Nah, yeah, millions and people better than people. But I'm saying that I've ever met. Yeah, nicer people. You're you guys nice.
SPEAKER_04But like you're just so generous with your time and your customers, you can tell you love all the people.
SPEAKER_01Customer people, I love the people. I people are human. I don't um some people maybe I don't like or they don't like me, but we don't I don't act anything. They come in and normally respect, I respect them and they respect me, and I go. It's just a it's a human nature.
SPEAKER_04What do you think made you so wanting to serve other people though? Like that's something you obviously you take pride in, like helping other people.
SPEAKER_01No, I love to help the people.
SPEAKER_04What do you think caused you just born that way, or do you think your family influenced it?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I learned this way. I learned this one, I helped the people in the street. If I see somebody fall down out the run and make sure you get up and help them.
SPEAKER_04You mean like in Iran?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, this is the nature. This is no, no, here. Oh here. In here. Oh here. It's a nature. It is nothing you can nothing can change this one. Some people aren't born that way, so I was just curious. I tell you, I tell you something, maybe you don't believe it. Can you believe it? Most of the people they don't. Can you believe it? I found them almost ten thousand dollar value thing in this country not too long ago. What was you found it? Ten thousand dollars some stuff. You found it? Yes, I found it.
SPEAKER_04Just randomly. I'll call the police, come and get them. You didn't take you in keeping No way.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Was it drugs? No.
SPEAKER_01Money? No, I don't want to talk about it. You don't have to say it. I don't want to talk about it. All right, I'm called Don't be hating. Yeah, I'll call the police. Shut up. Police came in, and police came and said what it is. Police are afraid to even see what it is. I said, not them. Look at him, that's your job. Two police came, two police cars came in. Late. 15 minutes. Oh, we have to wait. So they came in, I was pissed off. I said I have to go to work. I mean shop. Are you late? Anyway, they came in here and look at them. They are afraid first, and then they find out maybe nothing dangerous. I don't think it's a danger. It was a box stuff there. Yeah. And they picked them up, put them on top of the back of the car and look at them and then open it and see what value thing is there. And then said, okay, you have to give me your license. I said, Well, you have to give me my license. What are you gonna? I found them, this is your police, go take care of them. I said, No, no, you have to give a license. I didn't know the rule. Yeah. And I gave them my license, anyway. I'm not gonna argue with them. I'm gonna get works. I gave it to them, they have my license, they got my license. This, I'm never gonna forget this one. They get my license and all the information was there. And then after maybe six months, five or six months, I received a letter from Fairfax County. I said, What's this letter? Did I get a ticket? I did not pay it, forget it. Because I'm sometimes I did, but I never go court, always pay them because I know I did a mistake. I don't lie. I don't lie. I paid. I call and pay. So I sent this letter. I did not understand and said you have something there. I thought maybe ticket. And then it was the day before Thanksgiving, or two days before Thanksgiving. I have to go to Columbus, Ohio, my family bathing. So I went and showed them this letter to my friend. He read it and said, Egon, you have something in the Fairfast County. I said, No, I read it, I don't understand what it is. And he said, No, you have to you have something. Go to County. I went them over there and I found them places I have to go to the Fairfast County. It's not easy. I went and find them and then I saw four more people sitting down around them. And I showed a letter to them, say, yeah, just wait. I waited them and they saw the guys came and sent the box I found and given to police. They said this is yours. And you have to tell some I don't have anything here. I have nothing to do with the Fairfax police. He said, That's the one you found. After six months, I found, oh, that's the one I found. The mystery box. And they said, This is yours, and you have to do whatever you want or expose expose it. Expose of it? Yeah, expose of it. Whatever you want. So when they gave it to me. And then I took him. I said, okay, I have no choice. I take him and I called my friend church. One of them, my church friends. Oh, church friends, yeah. I said this is my situation. But if it was anybody else, they say, Oh, thanks, God. This comes from God. Right. No, it's not from God, it's from somebody else. You have to find it should have given it to me, Egon. Come on. Should have given it to us. I tried to find the person. Yeah, me. I would have taken it. I thought my um police can find them. That's why I did it. The police? I thought maybe police. Oh, you could find who.
SPEAKER_03Bad boy, bad boy. Woo-hoo! Yeah. So um go ahead. Sorry, I'm gonna cut you off. No, that's all right. I was just gonna add uh just speaking of finding stuff and being rich. Um you're God, see, I'm gonna mess this all up. You're related to like a chic or something? To who? Like uh oh my god, what's it called?
SPEAKER_04I wasn't here for that conversation. I know.
SPEAKER_03You're like a sheik or uh uh king or a prince or something. Yeah, you know. Oh, the Shaw family? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Related to Shah family, yeah.
SPEAKER_03But but so so how far removed are you from the Shaw family?
SPEAKER_01And not very close, but very close. What the hell does that mean? Same blood as they like a like a cousin, like this cousin from generation two generation, but I'm the Shah. Second generation of the cousin kids. Um the cousin. That's pretty close.
SPEAKER_03That's pretty close.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That's closer than I thought. Yeah. I thought you were gonna be like, yeah, 20 generations now.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no. The people, the more closest friend, he's a it was a god of Shah Viran. God Shah Viran, he's always in YouTube. And when I I'll go visit them, always it's like Mr. Beast of Yeah, and always acting like for me, acting like Prince, calling me Prince. Prince? And he's they always I go over there, they take her on me like a prince, and I don't like it, but they do. When you go over there, they house, they go to the prince.
SPEAKER_03Sorry, I thought you meant like now.
SPEAKER_04We know your Halloween costumes, Purple Rain. Oh, purple rain. Purple rain. Prince the musician, you know. You know Prince? Prince.
SPEAKER_00I think I knew them. Yeah. No, it was just one person. One person.
SPEAKER_04He did.
SPEAKER_00He did.
SPEAKER_04He did? Yeah. Prince? He died a long time ago. He was like he was like comparable to Michael Jackson. You know Michael Jackson? Yeah, I know Michael Jackson very good. Prince was like around. That's Kyle's view on that central company.
SPEAKER_03Prince is a white one. No, I mean, but some people be like, are you?
SPEAKER_00Prince wasn't white or black.
SPEAKER_04Prince was black. Black, but he was he looked kind of different. Well, no, I mean Michael was.
SPEAKER_00I believe that I knew it. Prince.
SPEAKER_04He was from Minnesota. They in Minnesota they have a big like Prince.
SPEAKER_02Cold I Minnesota. Cold I Minnesota.
SPEAKER_03So what um I'm just gonna ask you some random questions. Um What's your favorite shoe brand? Shoe brand? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Whatever's in the Walmart. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04I did have a question for you. You said you did the McDonald's order. What was your McDonald's order when you first came to the country?
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to lunch with McDonald's. Oh, I love Big Mac and French fries. Welcome back to lunch with Ray on Moore. Yeah. Oh yeah, exactly. Wait, no, what was it? Big Mac and Fries? Yeah. Supersize me? That guy's a scammer. I think he's dead now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they should have RP'd that.
SPEAKER_03Whatever. Um, what um not too good at this podcast stuff. Um What's your favorite color? Ooh, yeah, what is your favorite color? Color blue and green. Blue and green. Green number one. Green number one. Oh, same with me. I love green. Yeah. Peace.
SPEAKER_04Would you ever, I know you chill at home a lot. Would you ever get a cat or a dog? No, I'm not a person. Not the person.
SPEAKER_01You're not a person? No. I'm farmer, but not. What do you think about cats? Had cat?
SPEAKER_03You gotta speak into the microphone, Econ. I know.
SPEAKER_01No, sorry, I don't. Not a fan of cats. Dog or cat person. Gotcha. I don't have time for it. Yeah. It need a lot of takeout. It's not fair to uh take it and you don't take up them. Yeah. I know my older friend, they have a dog. But you like animals? Oh, I love the animals.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Favorite animal? Uh huh. Which is animal? No, any most of them I love the and the bird. But I don't like it in the cage. I like it here from the trees and singing for me. That's in my backyard that sit down. That's cool hawks. No, uh not a cage. I don't like a cage for them.
SPEAKER_03What's um when when's the last time like you just did something like sporadic?
SPEAKER_04Like you just like vacation, got in a car.
SPEAKER_01No, a car long time ago. Yeah, win. Vacation long time ago. Well, but like when's the last time they even bought a car? But the car it probably was 2018.
SPEAKER_03Oh, so not that long. I mean, almost 10 years ago though.
SPEAKER_04I thought it was something 1994.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no. 2018 I bought this car.
SPEAKER_04Have you ever been to any of the Washington sports games? The football, the hockey, basketball. Have you ever gone to football?
SPEAKER_01I liked it, American football like it. I've watching them in the TV. TV. We should go. We should go, yeah. No, I never tried. I know, but we should get tickets. I never. But why not? Because I think it's more relaxed for me to sit down home and uh watching TV. That's actually fair.
SPEAKER_04It is, but off a bucket, let's just say you did it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you can sit better than a CV TV. Yeah, but but what if we what if we go to like a wizards game basketball and then we sit like courtside.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but I never liked the the uh visit at a doll and uh skating all the stuff.
SPEAKER_04But it's just to say you did it. It's game, it's not it's not regular.
SPEAKER_01It's how you like it football, the one was a lot of watching for many years. And I hate cowboys. You hate the cowboys. Yeah, we'll go to football.
SPEAKER_03So are you a commanders fan?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Camden's fan. Yeah, everybody was uh my old friend was uh most of them. They were cowboy fans. And I was a Reddit skin fan that time. Not to hate them and say that I don't hate nobody, you know that. No, I know. Yeah, the game Redskins? Yeah, because maybe you guys are the Cowboy fans.
SPEAKER_03So I don't want to Actually, you know what I saw? Uh if you go on like the Commander shop or the you go to like their store or something in person, uh I guess every so often they still legally or they don't have to, but to retain the name of the Redskins so it doesn't like go vanish or get taken over. Yeah, get taken over. They have to print something on it with that says the Redskins on it. Yeah. So they just dropped a whole bunch of shirts of like ex-players or some something like that. Interesting. And that said like the Washington Redskins are like the old one.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because someone else would take it.
SPEAKER_01I don't understand why they changed uh red skins. It's nothing to do with the people. 43 minutes, 36 minutes. But not very much left. Because they don't want to still running. I believe it. The people they don't want to hear about the red skin. They should not change their name. The name is not in there, actually.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. I mean, peop I mean, so uh according to some people, I'm not gonna even say who, because I don't know if it's true or not. Some people don't have a problem with it, uh, when it comes to that community, from what I understand, but I could be completely wrong. Yeah. Uh I think that it's better that we just like move past it. Is it always gonna be that name to me? Sure. But like I do accept that they're just the commanders now.
SPEAKER_04Might be why they're keeping it on just in case though.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but I don't think they're ever gonna change it back. I think unless you're gonna buy the team.
SPEAKER_01I guarantee you somebody gonna buy the team and change the name. To what?
SPEAKER_04What would you change the name to?
SPEAKER_01Huh?
SPEAKER_04What would you change the name to?
SPEAKER_01I don't I don't know, but I think it's really scheme was a good one.
SPEAKER_03I don't know what's but see that's just we only say that because like that's all that we know. Yeah, but we don't know any other name.
SPEAKER_01I don't know any new name, all the stuff. Lots of name is there. But they're gonna find it anyway. Every day something happened, they're gonna find a name for it. What's um I don't know, dude.
SPEAKER_03I'm just I just there's some stuff that like I want to know about you, but like what uh what type of music?
SPEAKER_04Do you like music? Do you like listening to music? Uh red neck button. Red neck like country music. Country music, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I like uh country music very much. Yes, I loved it. What's uh well who's your favorite country artist? Uh number one is uh Johnny Cash.
SPEAKER_04Johnny Cash, let's go. Interesting. I love it.
SPEAKER_01I've sung a lot, lots of them. But not of Johnny Cash, my favorite.
SPEAKER_04Egon definitely in a past life was like from Iowa.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god, yeah. Egon, you're you're a completely different human being.
SPEAKER_01It literally is like You know, they have the song about the Baltimore. The meaning of the song is I cannot sing it because they're talking about the Baltimore and Gail.
SPEAKER_00Ethan. What did you say?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I said in a different life, your name is Ethan. Not Egon, it's not a good thing. And you're listening to country music out, you know, the in the farm.
SPEAKER_03You're a white boy named Ethan.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Sorry. Anyway. That's okay. What um you haven't been to the movie theater in a while. Yeah, what's your favorite movie?
SPEAKER_01But it's been not many months. Not a lot.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, what's your favorite movie that you've seen?
SPEAKER_01Uh I saw some movie, I don't remember it for a long time ago. Uh thanks.
SPEAKER_03About this movie. Yeah, I thought you were gonna say my movie.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's your movie is uh I love that. See, see that's different.
SPEAKER_02This guy.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's different. This is you can feel it. This is real. You can feel it. This is a uh first of all, we're like family. That's not what you said.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you said I saw a movie a long time ago. No, I thought not about vertical image.
SPEAKER_04Have you ever seen I'm talking about that? Have you ever seen Jaws with the shark? No. You've never seen Jaws movie? It's a shark that attacks people, it's all I don't rem no.
SPEAKER_01About Star Wars. No, I don't like it. But you've heard. Yeah, for me, unreal. I don't like it anything unreal.
SPEAKER_04Unreal.
SPEAKER_03So what about Remember the Titans? No, never heard. Remember the Titans? No. It's about TC Williams, the high school here, and like uh Alexandria.
SPEAKER_04No, no. What's like a famous movie that's not like that's like a drama?
SPEAKER_03Uh because he doesn't like a drama, famous drama?
SPEAKER_04Shawshank Redemption?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, or um uh Dead Poets Society.
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04I don't watch that Orson Wells, maybe back in the day.
SPEAKER_01I like Cowboy. Cowboy. I love Cowboy. Instead of watching the cowboy, I have an old TV with the antenna. Only thing I'm watching him Sunday, one movie Cowboy. Uh I love the cowboy.
SPEAKER_04What uh what about Django Unchained? Or two weeks. No. I feel like you would have to do that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, guys, we're trying to maybe host something at Anadel Photo. We're not sure what, um, but we think that it could be fun. Uh anybody got any ideas? Either movie.
SPEAKER_04Small, very small, very movie viewing or a I'm voting Halloween party.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it could be a Halloween party, it could just be some sort of viewing experience, could be an art show.
SPEAKER_04Um like how funny would it be to hand out c uh candy to kids walking around? Yeah, but what kind of art show is then? All the junk is here. Their parents are at Silver's or something on Halloween night. What the hell, dude?
SPEAKER_03Okay, creep. You want to get you wanna hand out children candy? Whatever.
SPEAKER_04Uh I think there might be. Do kids come here on Halloween?
SPEAKER_03Uh I don't see too many. Some couple times.
SPEAKER_01Well, like during the day, during your business.
SPEAKER_00Do you ever listen to Frank Ocean? When I'm home, I turn the light off.
SPEAKER_01Make sure nobody comes in.
SPEAKER_04I just got that part sedentary for it. When I'm home. Do you ever um do you ever dress up for Halloween or never when since you've been in the States? Even when you were in the host family with like the kings or whatever? Not very much. Yeah, you're the host family, right? Well, not very much, but you have dressed up before. No, I do before, yes. What was it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, it was a suit, regular suit with a tie or what are you, a lawyer? I hate it. I hate it, but I sometimes blues brothers, maybe?
SPEAKER_03Well, yeah, with blues, what do you what's the costume?
SPEAKER_01There's uh there's other respect. For example, sometimes it was a wedding, you have to go there. No, no, no, we're talking about for Halloween. Halloween. Halloween, no, no, I don't I don't wear the never dressed up. Halloween, my face already himself is Halloween. I didn't need to wear anything. But have you ever dressed up in your life?
SPEAKER_00Add at all.
SPEAKER_04Halloween never.
SPEAKER_01Add at all.
SPEAKER_04Add at all?
SPEAKER_01No, man, never. Oh, so you thought we were talking about dressed up like just go to party with a friend before I was a lot of friends I had and one by one go different place. I'll go to I'll just go simple, like this. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, yeah, no. I mean, I can't.
SPEAKER_03But my friend that you I mean, I can't I can't imagine you in a suit and tie.
SPEAKER_01No, no. No, I'm talking about the the wedding stuff. I thought you were talking about you really was serious for something about that, or you go to your friend family, king family, you go this or stuff. Yeah, yeah. Before sometimes, but not anymore. Most of the time you see me with the jean and t-shirt, dollars. I know. Simple life. Like my father.
SPEAKER_03A nice flannel? Yeah. Good hat? The hat. Always with the hats. Always with the hats. Yeah. Can I get you a good hat? Yeah, we should.
SPEAKER_01No, this hat is good.
SPEAKER_04Oh, we should buy you some. I have six, seven of them in the back. You like he likes like the shorty ones, the ones that are kind of just like what they're called. They don't have to be.
SPEAKER_03It should just be like it should just say like Anadel Photo on it. Would you wear a hat that just said Anadel Photo on it? We make some merch. NovaCat slash Anadel Photo. He would wear it. Come on. He says he wouldn't, but I tried. We'll work on it. I tried. We'll work. Devil wears Prada in here. Um I don't know. Egon, I think this has been a fantastic uh episode with you. And I I just thank you for sharing your story and some of your wisdom about life, man.
SPEAKER_01Love you, buddy. I'll learn from you guys. No, we learned from you. Yeah. You're you're you're a young you're a good friend, and I'll love you all, but it's like family. Absolutely. And my family knows about you guys. My sister sometimes yesterday I was talking about then. She asked about you. From the West. The New Zealand one. New Zealand one. They met you.
SPEAKER_04We should go to New Zealand. Oh, we should do we should do an episode with them. Yeah, in New Zealand. Wow.
SPEAKER_01That's very good. News. I went in three times to New Zealand. I was yesterday talking about when you're coming aside no more. Because I cannot just sleep in an airplane. Yeah, that's a long flight. 15 hours from Los Angeles for 13 hours, 42 minutes from Los Angeles. Jeez. And then you have to fly it from North to South Island. Sometimes they don't have it directly, and yeah, they have the another. You go to Capitol Christchurch. No, go to Capitol City. What was the capital of it? Then you fly the other one, go that's no, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Well, they're Kiwis, I know that.
SPEAKER_01No, it's not Kiwisabert. No. I know the capital of the New Zealand is not the what was it? Not a it's Auschwitz, isn't it? Huh? Auschwood? Are you talking about this?
SPEAKER_04Kyle's talking about that's where my history is. Yeah, Kyle Kyle's talking about the Jewish side of him. It's like it's like Auckland or something. Auckland, yeah. Auckland, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Auckland is in Auckland. Auckland is not the capital. Auckland is not the capital. Auckland is a big city. He's in North North uh North Island.
SPEAKER_03Egon, you went to the Hobbiton, okay? Or the Shire.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they're in the the South South Island. They are in the South Island. Okay, I don't know what that is. North Island, Auckland is the one if originally uh main um airport is there. So you go to north and from north you go fly the different islands. That's not the capital? You sure? No, nothing. No, capital is different. Capital is um very mountain yho oh and goes in airport like this, and then suddenly you know what gonna happen? See the airport, shh sitting down like this.
SPEAKER_00I don't uh I don't forget it.
SPEAKER_01Shit.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you're saying the airplane drops?
SPEAKER_03Doggy style. Very bad. Well, probably because it's going over a mountain and it needs to come down. Yeah, drop it. Well, I think on that note. No, I know. I think on that note, I think we should call it for the first one. Thank you, Egon.
SPEAKER_04Backroom. Thanks, Egon. Yeah, backrooms and the photo of the back, literally in the back of the room.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the dark room. Uh yeah. Guys, if you guys need any if you're listening to this and you have no idea what this is, which would be insane to listen to this and not know. No, but like, if you guys need uh photos printed or uh you know film transferred to digital concept or concept. I don't know what I'm saying. Anyways, if you need anything uh film related, come to Anadel Photo in Anadel, Virginia, and uh our boy Egon here will take care of you. And uh episode number one. Peace. Yep, you