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We are back! In Episode 69, Ken and Carson bridge the 6,000-mile gap between California and Austria to debrief Carson's recent business trip to Shanghai, China. What started as a last-minute trip for the automotive industry turned into a deep dive into one of the most consumerist cities on earth. Carson breaks down the complex reality of modern China, from the "Great Firewall" that blocks your favorite apps to the cashless society where Visa and MasterCard are useless. We discuss the insanity of the Chinese auto market, where 100+ brands are in a price war so deep the government had to step in. Plus, we get into the shopping. Carson takes us inside the "fake" markets where goods are hidden in secret suitcases , and a second-hand luxury warehouse featuring 12 aisles of Louis Vuitton bags.

In this episode:

• The Visa Struggle: Why it's easy for Europeans but a hassle for Americans.
• Tech & Payments: Surviving without Google and why you need Alipay to buy anything.
• The "Fake" Market: How vendors use secret suitcases to hide counterfeit luxury goods behind invisible walls.
• Shanghai Disney: Why the tickets are only $50, the obsession with a pink bear named Lotso, and the Zootopia craze.
• Cost of Living: Taking a premium EV taxi for two hours for only $12.
• The Malbon Haul: Carson’s "streetwear golf" shopping spree.

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In this heartwarming special episode, Ken reconnects with lifelong friend Mike Pardo to celebrate a bond that has lasted nearly 50 years. The two reminisce about their glory days at Cabrillo High, sharing hilarious stories of lifting Mike’s wheelchair into the back of a Pinto wagon to cruise Ocean Avenue 1and relying on him to be the designated beer buyer at local pubs. Mike opens up about how meaningful it was to be treated as "one of the guys" despite living with cerebral palsy, while Ken’s son Carson calls in from Austria to trade notes on coaching European football, the realities of Austrian "peasant food," and the enduring power of friendship across generations.

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On Episode 67 of At Witt's End, Carson recounts his epic solo trip to a festival 10 years in the making: SAIL Amsterdam. After a Reddit post sparked a fascination in 2016 and a global pandemic canceled the family's plans in 2020, Carson finally made the journey to the world's largest nautical festival.

Join us as Carson details his adventure, starting with a unique trip from Austria on the Nightjet sleeper train in a claustrophobic "capsule pod." He then dives into the festival, which coincided with Amsterdam's 750th birthday, describing the incredible "SAIL In" parade where thousands of boats escort majestic tall ships from around the world into the harbor. Hear about boarding a massive Peruvian naval vessel, witnessing a pink Cadillac Eldorado cruise the canals on a pontoon, and the fun local tradition of passing beer up to sailors in buckets.

Was this once-every-five-years event worth the decade-long wait? Tune in to find out!

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