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leverage-commentary · 4 years ago

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Leverage Season 2, Episode 10, The Runway Job, Audio Commentary Transcript

[Silence]

John: Marc?

Marc: Hi, I'm Marc Roskin, Producer and Director of this episode.

John: I'm John Rogers, Executive Producer, and the one with the Guinness, so you have no excuse for missing that cue.

Albert: And I'm Albert Kim, I'm the writer of the Runway Job.

John: Here we go. And this is a great opening sequence, what- is this a set Marc Roskin? How did you create this incredible look?

Marc: This is the largest girls school uniform factory on the west coast, and they-

John: So this is some sort of internet connection where you order school uniforms or-?

Marc: It was very hot. No, this was-

Albert: Strangely Marc knows a lot about girls’ school uniforms. I don’t know why, but-

Marc: Yes, this was an actual working factory. A lot of the background workers are some of the factory employees who knew how to operate the machines. It was right across the river, really close, and they opened their doors to us just like everybody did in Portland.

John: I love the fact that we wanted to do a fake sweatshop, so when we shot in there, when they saw the hours they shot the workers in the fake sweatshop, we're like, ‘These hours are horrible. How can you people work under these conditions?’ And Albert, since we’ve just seen someone collapse with these- this great shop, which, actually, I believe was the pitch. How did you come up with the idea for the episode?

Albert: Well as you know, I'm quite the fashion icon in the office, so it was quite natural for me.

[Laughter]

John: Yes.

Albert: No, I knew that I wanted to set an episode in the fashion world because it seemed like a fun environment to get into, and lots of great visuals and scenes with models and fashion designers and runway shows. So I knew the area was there, and then so the trick was coming up with a sympathetic victim, and then, as always, a credible villain and threat. So I did a little research and finding the victim wasn't too tough, because the real- in the real world, the fashion industry has sort of been dogged by allegations of sweatshop abuse for a while, so having the sweatshop victim came fairly easy. Finding the threat required a little more research, but as I dug into it, I found that it was actually a real world connection between sweatshops and global clothing counterfeiting, which is controlled by the Chinese Triads.

John: It's interesting because a lot of people talk about intellectual rights and stuff in new international treaties and people immediately think of movies, television, digital rights. A lot of it also involved intellectual rights on clothing.

Albert: Yes. Clothing counterfeiting actually counts for more of the income of these Triads than illegal narcotics trade. So it’s a huge billion dollar business for them and right then, sort of, the pieces fell into place for the elements of the episode.

John: And now these actresses are, Marc?

Marc: That is- um-

Albert: Jen.

Marc: Cathy Vu.

Albert: Cathy Vu and Jen Hong.

Marc: On our left and Jen Hong, and they were great though local Portland actresses. And they knew how to speak some Mandariarin and it worked out great. This was actually, in the shooting order, Jeri Ryan's first episode working with us.

John: Yeah, it's really interesting because, you know, the crew- the cast was genuinely kind of freaked out by Gina not being on set, and so a lot of the weird vibe you get on this episode is from ‘there's a new person’ and of course Jeri became great friends with everyone and really fit in, but it was a really interesting vibe the first couple days on set. It really felt like, yes, Jeri’s a new person here; we don't quite know how to handle it.

Marc: But we had to play it like she was already part of the team because we shot these out of order.

John: It does help that really you don't make her part of the team until the end of the previous episode.

Marc: Right.

John: This is almost a cold relaunch.

Albert: And we played that in the episode, too, so you sort of everyone's tentativeness around her worked well for the dynamics within- the character dynamics within the story as well.

John: And this is, again, this wass also a scene we added just to- It was interesting, we really wanted to make sure that everyone understood that Sophie- Because originally there was going to be a giant gap between episodes, we wanted to make sure everyone understood Sophie signs off on this. You know, audiences were very attached to Gina Bellman - rightfully so - and we did not want them to think we were shuffling her off and bringing in a new actor. We listen to you. Not a lot, not really.

[Laughter]

John: But we do listen to the bigger screams. Also love the callback there that Hardison screwed up in the Ice Man and that's what motivated this entire- this entire replacement.

Marc: We always like to bring up Hardison's screw ups; blowing up offices and whatnot.

John: Blowing up offices. But it's interesting that this is one of those trios where you just kind of park the camera and, you know, they have the dialogue, just let them run; let them do 4 or 5 versions, get the hell out of their way.

Albert: And this scene is really our version of: the kids are wondering where mommy went. You know, so it's like they are a little uncomfortable, it's a new family dynamic, so they're on the phone with her.

John: Yeah.

Marc: Right. But of course, they don't want dad to know that they are speaking to mom.

Albert: Yeah.

John: Yeah, and that's a- that actually started in Ice Man, where they are calling and not telling Nate. And we continued it all the way through where they just don't feel comfortable letting Nate know. And that was a nice little moment with Beth, you know, just ‘I miss you’. It's not often we crack the shell on Parker, that's part of the advancement of the character, to show that she's comfortable in the family, even if she’s not comfortable with other humans. And these two actors the- not those actors, that's stock photography- but the two actors playing the bad guys are?

Marc: Grace and what's her last name?

Albert: Grace Hsu and Tom Choi.

Marc: Grace was a Portland local, she was fabulous; and Tom came from Los Angeles. They did a really great job.

John: The con here is kind of convoluted. It's interesting, just watching this, is the idea that we really had to come into the fashion show from- the fashion industry is one of those industries where if you're inside it, you know everything. We had to constantly figure out, what does the audience need to know in order to understand what we're doing without overexplaining it?

Albert: Right. Again, this is a case where research helped. I mean, to actually looking into what happens during fashions shows. It's based on a real life event, Fashion Week, which normally takes place in New York though there are regional ones all around the country where there are big showcases for new designers as well as opportunities for the stylish designers to bring out their new lines and things like that. So we knew we had an event that was tied to a specific time which helped; it gave us a very limited time frame. And then, again, researching into how the Triads operate and what their connection is to the clothing industry. All of that just helped flesh out the con.

John: I love the Parker giving her instructions on how to be photographed, you know Sophie gave her instructions three weeks ago for some other con. And this was kind of fun, creating the idea for how do you create- in modern media, how do you create the illusion of an actual human existing for some period of time, object permanence to a great degree?

Albert: Right.

John: So you figured out how to- you know, my wife watches a lot of fashion TV and it was kind of backing up: how do I actually know who the hell any of these people are? And it was because of the fashion shows and magazines. Cover both of those and you're done. And DVRs have certainly been a boon. And also this, printing off one magazine it's actually easier than we made it look.

Albert: Yeah.

Marc: Oh yeah.

John: There's actually a service that prints off short runs of magazines that you can use if you're say doing a trade show or running a con.

Albert: This was all done on location. Beautiful house. This beautiful house in- was it in Clackamas?

Marc: Yeah, just outside of Clackamas.

Albert: It was great. It was a huge mansion that worked perfectly, and we ended up recreating the mansion later when we blow it up.

John: Also that what they're doing there, where they are looping, that's exactly what it looks like at Electric Entertainment - it’s basically just a laptop and a mic in the kitchen and that's how we finish up these episodes. No, but it was fun to be able to say, ‘Oh well, put the words on her mouth when we’re on her back, just like we do with actors.’

Marc: Right.

John: Presently, Tim Hutton delivers no more than 50% of the dialogue you hear per episode. We put the rest in his mouth later with a cunning Tim Hutton imitator. Yeah, this is to close off the sale that she's locked in.

Marc: Yeah, just to continue the sale.

John: Now Marc, you directed a bunch of episodes by this point, coming into this, right?

Marc: Yes.

John: And what was it like having a new human on the staff?

Marc: It was interesting. We- it brought a new life to it, and was interesting to see how everybody worked together. And she was just trying to get a feel for everybody and, you know, she was really easy going and said, ‘Listen, if you want a different performance, please, I'm here to help you guys.’

John: ‘Who likes to do this style? Who likes to do that style? Is that head writer really drinking that much in the middle of the day?’ Basic questions.

Marc: What is that smell coming from his trailer?

John: It's shame. It's the smell of shame. This scene was actually not in the original shoot, right? We wound up- this is one of the scenes that was: how much do we explain to the audience? Do they explain what Fashion Week is or isn't? And when we kinda looked at the first cut, it was like, you know what? I know because I watch it on Saturday morning on fashion TV, but we gotta make sure we establish the rules.

Albert: Right. Just a little more explanation as to how the fashion world works and where the con is going; just another step in the process.

John: And an excuse to get Aldis in orange.

Marc: Exactly and have Aldis in orange and Eliot in mascara.

John: That's eye makeup, that's not mascara.

Marc: Sorry.

John: Don’t. Please. Please, I don't want that phone call again, don't make that mistake.

[Laughter]

Albert: What's great about that factory, even this part of this set was also in that factory.

Marc: This was just another portion of it.

John: Wait, so all the dresses and stuff, did we bring those in or those were-?

Marc: Yeah, we just put up the bolts of fabric and some employees.

Albert: We spent a lot of time in that sweatshop.

John: Yeah. As one does.

Marc: As one does.

John: I love, by the way, in this episode, just watching what Kane is doing behind her during this scene. I'm- he's making a lot of interesting choices for Eliot there. Especially with the card snap coming up. And this was a lot of fun, too; this was a lot of the fun of the show is learning all the rules and idiosyncrasies of each industry.

Albert: Sure, that's part of the formula is figuring out what's the interesting world you can look into and then diving into and explaining to the audience how these worlds work.

Marc: Well it's funny, cause she needs to explain it to her teammates on the show.

John: And the card! I love the card delivery.

Marc: And the card the bam, yeah, you get to explain it to the teammates and explain it to the audience as well.

John: We’re really replicating what we’re doing in the room. Which is, one person knows the field pretty well and they explain- I remember when we did Iceman and we were talking about getting the serial numbers off the diamonds and Chris Downey was like, ‘I'm not following’ and I went, ‘It's like getting VIN numbers off a car’. ‘Oh, ok perfect!’ And that wound up in the script. Also this was fun having somebody who didn't know how the earbuds worked; it kinda reset the rules for the audience. And some beautiful- how did we get all this beautiful Boston stock footage?

Marc: Some we bought, some we shot.

John: You actually went out and shot a lot.

Marc: I did. Myself and Dave Connell spent a couple days running around the great city of Boston.

John: Now this is your directing debut, isn’t it Albert?

Albert: It wasn’t my debut, but it was probably the longest sequence I've done.

John: And it's just naked backs.

Albert: It was just tedious, grueling labor to just have to order these models around to take off their clothes and take off their shoes. No, it was great, it was. We already had the set, we finished the big scenes in the set, so Marc let me take a few people out and just get as much fun behind the scenes stuff you can, so that’s kind of where we ended up.

Marc: You and Norbert, right?

Albert: Yeah, Norbert. That was one of his first days there.

John: I love the hair. Whose idea was the Swiss Miss hair?

Albert: Well the other thing about this episode was hair, makeup, wardrobe, obviously had a field day with it. They were really excited about being able to put their best foot forward on a lot of this stuff, so they were able to-

Marc: Yeah, they really had a good time.

John: I also love the fact that Hardison is basically using CIA technique of human intel signals and analysis on the PA’s on a fashion show to figure out who’s in charge without actually figuring it out. It's a lot of fun, and our friend Apollo Robbins helped us out with the envelope slip, and it helps that Beth is very good-

Marc: This girl is great; she was a lot of fun, this girl, Caitlyn, Caitlyn Larimore. We- she read for us a few times on other things; we just knew there was gonna be something for her eventually.

John: So really, if you're looking to act, you should get out of whatever little LA or New York, whatever little hick town you're in and move to Portland because that's where you're gonna get some work.

Marc: Move to Portland; that's where it's gonna happen.

John: This actually hacking into the printer is something we've done before. A favorite trick of Apollo is to print stuff out in your office when you don't realize something is about to happen. And then the slide-

Marc: That wonderful calligraphy on those envelopes was my mother in-law’s.

John: Really? That's great.

Marc: Yes, Louise.

John: We didn’t pay her did we?

Marc: Oh god no.

John: Alright, just making sure. We are a cable show.

Albert: But she ends up featured as a featured extra in the episode, too. She's in the fashion show; you'll see her later staring down Parker.

John: Mother-in-law? You got your mother-in-law on tv?

Marc: That's right.

John: Wow, you're the best son-in-law ever. This actress- actually nice shot. We wound up repeating that character later. I remember we were kinda restructuring; we were like, ‘Oh, we can just use her again, that’s fine.’

Albert: I remember watching her read, and she was great at it, so we decided to, rather than use a separate character for a scene later on, just, you know, bring her back. And she wound up doing that scene later when they approach the security people.

John: Just some love for the extra, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ A little something from Eliot just for you.

Marc: Just a little.

Albert: Well he had to know that if you're gonna do a fashion episode, one with lots of models, that Eliot was gonna be right in the thick of things there.

John: Yeah. And the overheard- How did you stage this? The overheard conversation is a staple of the show and the bane of all directors everywhere.

Marc: Yeah, we didn't have a lot of time on this day, but we figured out a way; just keep her in the background, eventually a couple close ups of her ears perk, and soon they'll drag her in deeper.

John: Now each one of them is doing a specific person. I can't remember, he's doing-

Marc: Lagerfeld.

John: He's doing Lagerfeld. She’s doing Donatella Versace. I can't remember the British guy that Hardison is locked in on, cause I remember Aldis actually had pictures of him. I’m trying to remember...

Albert: André Leon Talley from Vogue, who is the legendary creative director of Vogue. And he's sort of channeling him. But yeah, again, during the course of research-

Marc: I got my ladder shot in there, by the way. I'm just two for two on-

John: On having ladders in your-

Marc: Yeah.

John: That's good; that's excellent.

Albert: This whole set was built; this was the whole fashion show.

John: We actually built this in the museum that we shot the finale for 207 in, right?

Marc: No, this was just an empty warehouse.

John: Did we have permission?

Marc: Yes we did.

John: Good. Cause sometimes we don't; sometimes we just build stuff and then get the hell out before the cops show.

Marc: Yes, we used a lot of fabric to hide things.

Albert: But the beauty of it is, if you go to real fashion shows, it's kind of what it is. The highlight of fashions shows are supposed to be the clothes, so they keep the surroundings very minimal, and that's- that's always the idea of a fashion show. So luckily for us, it's fairly easy to recreate realistically as a set.

Marc: A lot of times it's just a wedding tent and a runway and chairs.

Albert: Well anyone who's watched Project Runway can see what it's like. It’s just a runway and some folding chairs.

John: I thought we built- that's interesting. Where did we go back to the museum for? I can't remember; it's gonna drive me crazy. Whose idea was the buckles?

Albert: Buckles was something I came up with in the script when I was trying to figure out how to explain what a poor designer Gloria is.

John: What's the one thing nobody likes a lot of?

Marc: Buckles.

Albert: So it became a little joke that someone that- someone, I think it was Chris actually pitched the joke about ‘pilgrim chic’ which we put in there, and found out later that that's actually kind of a real thing. If you make up any kind of joke in the fashion world you'll find out eventually that it's a real thing somewhere.

John: Yes.

Marc: This was actually the workers rec room, which was pretty much an open area room and-

John: You're kind of ruining the whole sweatshop vibe with, like, ‘They had a rec room.’

Marc: Yeah, they had a rec room and basically we've pretty much four walled it.

John: Yup.

Marc: And, you know, put in-

John: Which means?

Marc: To put up a wall to close it off.

John: So this is a bigger space behind him.

Marc: Yeah, it's actually pretty much the same size, but it's just a platform where they had their lunch table set up. But we liked the ability to have shots like that where we can look down onto the floor, it was always-

John: And then shoot back up.

Marc: It was always something that I know that you guys mention, that we wanna have more connection with our victims. So we placed that shot-

John: It is tricky, particularly when we’re doing complicated ones, you can lose track of that vic that's in the opening, and we really tried this year to tie it back a little bit more.

Albert: Yeah, it was interesting. I had a conversation with another writer just the other day about - who works on a crime procedural - and they have the same issue about how to connect with their victims. It's much harder for them because usually their victims are dead. So they show up in the beginning dead, and they can wrap things up with the relative of the victim at the end. If you notice, what a lot of crime shows do is they have flashbacks, so then you get to learn the personality of the victims through the flashbacks.

John: Oh, interesting.

Albert: So we don't do that, but our victims are alive so there are opportunities, like in this scene, to reconnect with the people who we’re working for and establish what our emotional stakes are.

John: And this is also one of the places where we sort of set up- and if you watch what we did with Jeri’s character, and sort of the difference between Sophie and Tara Cole. Tara Cole is a short grifter. Sophie is never gonna push it, she's never gonna try to get the big payout. And Tara’s job is to get in and get out with as much money as possible, so this is one of the times where we really sort of set up how she needs to adjust. Though when you look at the back half, we don't really change it that much. The team doesn't really change, it's- she kind of adjusts herself to fit in the team a bit more. They wind up using her short term push just as a different sort of batter.

Albert: Whereas personality-wise, there's something you told me I remember which helped make everything click which was - Tara is really kind of a guy’s girl. You know, she's the kind of girl who sits around and watches football with the guys on Sundays. Sophie is very much a girl's girl; she's out there doing the shopping and fashion and all that stuff. So that kind of distinguishes the two characters. Although they fulfill the same role within the team, they're very distinctive in terms of their personality.

John: But that's also from when we originally created the show. A lot of these characters have slightly different personalities, and the actors brought other personalities, and we realized as long as that job was fulfilled in the team, you can range pretty widely within there. How did you shoot- where the hell is she?

Albert: She's supposed to be-

Marc: Tashkent, right?

Albert: Tashkent. So-

John: Uzbekistan?

Albert: Yes.

John: Oh right there you go. Of course. ‘Cause Tashkent is in Uzbekistan. Who doesn't know that?

Albert: Right.

Marc: And yes, so we shot Gina on a much later date, during a later episode, and just one green screen and some stock footage behind a little wind machine and there you are.

Albert: And camels.

Marc: And some camels, yes.

John: As one has in Tashkent.

Marc: In Portland.

John: Oh no, we went to the Portland zoo see, I was hoping you'd give them the whole speech about sand, and yeah. That's a little bit of jealousy, a little bit of- and that was another thing, too, to make sure that Sophie wasn't just a character that you checked in with once a week. She had to have her own little arc that whenever you went to her she had a distinct attitude about the team. Yes and the reindeer gag, which I really foolishly insisted on keeping in the script because it was my favorite bit.

Albert: It was brilliant; it was great; it was all John.

John: That's mine. Whenever you see a joke that doesn't quite work and seems kind of doomed but we keep, that's usually me diggin in at the table, particularly if it's absurdist. Now did we put banners up or is that digital?

Marc: Digital. Those were digital banners on the building. Do our little whip pans to Eliot and whip back.

John: Just to establish, yes, he's with a model. Where do you think he was gonna be? And he’s out.

Marc: And he's angry he has to leave the model.

John: The- and again, it was interesting to, sort of, know that we had to plot out these arcs on the back six, and figuring out exactly, like, how do we show trust and acceptance? And, you know, you can do it in dialogue, but you don't want people talking about their intentions. And the ear bud became kind of an interesting metaphor; it goes in and out of use over the back six and even with Eliot we wound up using it.

Marc: Yeah, it's like the chief asking for your gun and badge.

John: Yeah, exactly. And it also solved the problem later when you know it’s- she shouldn't have heard X.

Albert: Right.

John: And that's a big problem on the show is in theory, if they can all hear each other’s conversations... Whereas a lot of cop shows, a big chunk of the time is, ‘What did you find out from witness x, Billy?’ What did you find out about witness y? Alright now let's put it together.’ They know. Now how did we do this blow?

Marc: Now that wass digital smoke, and that is a model.

Albert: Green screen model.

Marc: Yeah, we modeled the windows and actually shot it in our parking lot right here in Highland, in Santa Monica Boulevard.

John: Now we built- we do builds on the- building’s blowing up is better with models. The cars we've found we can do just digitally, but the buildings really look great with the model.

Marc: But we still use the model for the car as well. We just don't have the time or the money to do full explosions, you know, we do just a little aftermath with some debris and smoke.

Albert: Especially when it's someone's real house.

Marc: Yes.

Albert: Don't want to-

John: Generally they kind of frown on that, of just blow out the windows.

Albert: Because last year we did, Marc and I worked on another episode where we blow up a warehouse. And it was an abandoned warehouse, so you blow out the windows and break the glass, so it's not such a big deal.

Marc: Yeah, we did a little damage to the Prison Break set on that. What they shot was-

John: I remember, because I pulled up the day you were shooting that, I was like ‘I hope I haven't missed the blow.’ I was a quarter mile away and my windshield shook and I'm like OK, that was a little bigger than we anticipated’.

Albert: But this was a house with six kids was it?

Marc: Six kids, yeah.

Albert: So it was-

John: So blowing it up wouldn't have changed it all that much.

Albert: Probably not. Actually that family was incredibly neat.

John: And this is a lot of fun. And again, this is where, if you pay attention, we never tell you Tara’s backstory; if you pay attention all six episodes, you can figure out exactly what Tara used to do before she became a con woman. The information she knows, the way she puts stuff together, you’ll figure it out. Also the yelling. This was a lot of fun, because Eliot would be annoyed in this situation, and Chris Kane is never funnier than when Eliot is incredibly annoyed.

Marc: That’s right, and it's usually with Hardison.

John: Yeah. Thank you, I don't know how you make this show without phone cameras I really- we couldn't have made this show in 1978 this would've been a lot harder.

Albert: Or earbuds.

John: Or earbuds. Well earbuds we could've got around, but- no earbuds might have made our life easier, actually.

Albert: This was another thing that came up in research, actually, when I wrote a book about the Chinese Triads, and it is actually true that they're signature weapon is a meat cleaver. We looked at a few pictures of them, they're pretty impressive; they are really big and they have engravings on them, stuff like that. I've also looked at way too many pictures of victims of the Triads.

Marc: Yeah, missing fingers, and hands, and arms.

Albert: But that, again, it just added another fun element, knowing that there was, in reality there was a signature weapon that they use, and gave Eliot another fight scene.

John: Of course they'd be fancy meat cleavers, you're not gonna just pick a meat cleaver at Tesco or the kitchen section of Best Buy; you're gonna get one specially made. This was a lot of fun, too, something we haven't done in a while, which was watching Eliot figure out his fight space. You know, control access doing the math in this head. You know, it's always a little easier if no ones around him, just so he can tear people around a little easier. Fun stunt. Jerri did this, right?

Marc: Yeah, she was really nervous about doing her first fight with us, but she was a trooper; she did a great job.

John: She actually killed that guy. I feel a little bad about that, that's the first time we've admitted that, but you know. This was one of my favorite fights, cause we don't do a lot of weapon fights.

Marc: Yeah.

John: And it really reads well; the cleavers read real. Also we do a nice fight style with Chris here.

Albert: We did use cleavers back in the first season with the Wedding Job.

John: Oh that's right, we had the kitchen thing.

Albert: A kitchen thing. But it was a different kind of fight; it was a one on one in an enclosed space. This was an open space with multiple attackers ,and again, different props to use. So like, you saw the mannequin dummy there, and the rolling carts, and things like that, and so it ended up being a really fun scene.

John: And again, thank god for the surveillance culture - the fact that there are so many traffic cameras. Although you may bitch about privacy, it really helps us.

Marc: It really, really helps us.

John: This was interesting. This- I forget how this came up, I think the fact he had two IDs, but they had only checked one. I had a friend who was a Mountie- and remember, we were talking about my buddy who had done undercover up in Canada, and gh said the problem was, the guys got the fake, ran up records on fake Canadian IDs and you never knew the original crimes. Yeah. ‘Hey, how does Tara Cole know how to handle a meat cleaver?’ You’ll find-

Marc: Yup.

John: There you go, and that's a nice hit. And the head butt. I love the head butt, I'm sorry, man, that's a great way to end a fight.

Marc: She gets to take part.

John: Also, there's a lot of really nice hair flipping around in that fight scene, I gotta say.

Marc: I love-

John: I don't know whose looks better.

Marc: It's like a [Unintelligible. Sounds like ‘Germat’?] commercial.

[Laughter]

John: And that's, again, one of the problems with having a really uber competent team is, ‘OK they would have run this guy's background. What is the one loophole we could find that Hardison could screw up?’ You know, it's not screw up, it's nobody’s perfect.

Albert: It's just overlooked.

John: That's the trick, it has to always be some sort of fair play thing. Not a mistake, not just a ‘I didn't look in that drawer.’ This is a legitimate loophole.

Albert: Look how great this location is, though. It's everywhere; there's stuff everywhere. We really would not have been able to duplicate this on a set.

Marc: No.

John: What? No?

Marc: Never.

John: I love that he keeps the voice up here. That killed me here the first time I saw the dalies I was like, ‘Is he still doing Lagerfeld’?

Marc: Jack Bouvier.

John: Yeah the fingerless gloves are really the pièce de résistance there. There's a lot of stuff there that could be on anybody, but the fingerless gloves really digs in.

Albert: Again, that's straight out of the Lagerfeld book.

Marc: Tim went for it.

John: Are those glasses actually rose tinted?

Albert: Yes.

John: Yes they are, that's magnificent. And the evil speech of evil: ‘Listen, I'm just a businessman. I have obligations.’ You know, in his head he's keeping many people employed back in China. You know, and he's a copy fighter, he's like those electronic freedom foundation guys who doesn't believe in copyright.

Albert: He's a hero, really.

John: He is a hero.

Albert: Of his own story, but-

John: Exactly, he just happens to interact with our story.

Albert: Exactly.

John: And this is actually a cue, this is a hint to where Nate’s- This winds up being the first episode of the second half of the season. This is kind of a hint of where Nate’s arc is going for the season, where he's getting so addicted to control and not losing and beating the bad guy, he's starting to make poor decisions. And he makes a series of remarkably poor decisions through the back six that really just the competence of the team protects him from.

Albert: He's kind of like those football teams that keep pulling it out in the 4th quarter and just decide that's just what they have to do. So they don’t mind coasting through the rest of the game or even, you know, getting down and behind before then.

John: Yeah it's- it's the mental discipline, and something that Parker says later on in the season which is, ‘Be the Nate Ford that we came back for.’ The mental discipline that made him legendary and which they count on is starting to slip. And it's not because of the booze, it's because of what he's substituting the booze with.

Marc: Right.

John: This is me drinking my Guinness, by the way.

[Laughter]

Albert: It's not your Guinness, it's what you’re substituting for the Guinness.

John: No, no, this is my Guinness; I'm actually drinking.

Albert: Oh ok. It's actually another Guiness that is substituting for his Guinness.

[Laughter]

John: It's, again, a Guinness that's somewhere else that I would like to be drinking. Some bargaining, trying to get them to take Eliot instead of Jeri.

Marc: That wasn't something he planned for.

John: No, no, and it's interesting, and again, this is all trust issues. She kind of volunteered herself for this position, she’s, you know-

Albert: The trick is, part of the whole episode was really the character dynamics. Because it was a new character, because it was a new team member, even though she'd been introduced in the episode beforehand, this is really the first full con they run together as a team. So it was a very tricky thing, and so I had the outlines of what the broad strokes would be, but this is the point when you go to the show runner and you say, ‘John how does this work, exactly?’ And then John takes over.

John: We stare at the ceiling and- that's what the writers room is for. And this is great, we actually wound up paralleling this shot. You created this shot for this episode, Marc; we wound up paralleling this argument in, like, two other episodes. There's actually a similar version of this shot in the first half in the season finale, where it's like, we are now sitting judgment of Nate Ford, and we’re a little distrubed that we’re not feeling very comfortable here. Yeah, and this cutting pattern replicates, and it’s interesting, and it's because we have editors working over certain episodes that make certain choices. And those are I think the names of-

Albert: They were real Electric Entertainment employees.

John: ‘Maybe I want to meet...’ Yes. Hardison is the most hard done by character; he never gets what he wants. And that, again, is one of those things where this episode was shot in 6 ½ days.

Marc: Yes, there's my mother-in-law.

John: There you go; she's a lovely woman.

Marc: A lovely woman.

John: Are you checking the list of actors to pick her name up? That's not good.

Marc: No, gosh no.

John: You know, we had four different ways this scam works. All depending on exactly how this shooting schedule worked out. And I remember I had to sit down with my wife and I was like, ‘Alright’, cause she's big into this, I was like, ‘Exactly what is the timing and choreography on a fashion show?’ And there, the thing with the dresses and they're all transported across town. So it was a good lesson for writers is, the great thing about TV is you're shooting every week; the really great thing about TV that will also drive you crazy is, you learn how to have a bunch of choices. Because sometimes the world decides not cooperate with you, and you can't shut down production for two days and just go- You've worked on big films, you've seen this. Like, ‘You know what? We're just gonna take a day off and find the right location.’

Marc: Yes.

John: No. Not so much.

Albert: The scene coming up with Parker in the gown. This is really, if you think about it and you say that you're gonna do an episode with the Leverage team involved in the fashion world, kind of the promise of the premise is you're gonna get Parker in a fashion show. In a gown, in a fashion show.

John: Right, because she's the one person who would despise it.

Albert: Right, and you kind of have to deliver this scene.

John: This was also shot later, and it was interesting because we don't usually get Parker and Eliot- you know, Parker and Eliot in a two-hander. And if you go back, you can see in the back half of the season when we- especially when we saw how it worked out in The Lost Heir Job, it became kind of a little more standard that we go to this partnership. You also see it pop up in the bottle show, the bar show, what the hell did we call it?

Marc: Bottle Job.

John: We called it The Bottle Job, that's right.

Marc: The problem with doing these two-handers is he can get her to laugh and break.

John: Yeah, Chris can crack Beth up. Him doing the dirty dresses on the floor line, Beth I think broke character maybe ten times because we are in the basement shooting that day.

Marc: And this is the dress that Nadine our costume designer built.

Albert: Yeah.

John: It's a pretty amazing dress.

Marc: A beautiful dress.

John: The thumb drive of intent. Thank you thumb drive, for giving us a short hand so audiences know what we're doing.

Marc: Yes, so she basically- you'll see that all of the Andre V, that's the Andre V character, has a touch of yellow in it.

John: That's right. Nadine created a unified theme for the fashion line - the fake fashion line that we were doing.

Albert: She created an actual line.

Marc: Yeah, so she created a whole line and there's a touch of yellow in everything and as you’ll see when we get to the runway-

John: Where's this dress? We should auction this dress off.

Albert: Nadine probably has it.

Marc: It's actually in my car.

John: Oh no. I wish I didn't know that.

Marc: And then Dave Connell carried it with the lighting design as well.

John: Oh that's great, that is great. It's like we do this for a living.

Marc: Almost.

John: I love that Parker does the most- the little slide across the spot; that's a lot of fun. And now, did you shoot this at night? You had how many days on this set?

Marc: I think we did this-

John: You had the day, which was the warm up and then-

Marc: I think we had this location for two days.

John: That's not bad.

Marc: That's Jeffery Gilbert who played Andre V; he was just great. And I love Parker with the moves.

John: With the big head turn.

Marc: Just for a moment she thinks she got it under control, of course.

John: No, not so much. Walking is hard; walking in those heels is hard.

Albert: Walking in heels is hard.

John: I also love the little improv- it wasn’t in the script, but I remember seeing it in the dalies - she cracks her neck.

Marc: Yes that was definite Parker move. And I know this had to be- the scene coming up had to be a John Rogers line, where it's written that Andre V is banging his head repeatedly against the wall.

[Laughter]

John: Well, yeah, because I do that in the writers room.

Marc: And they said, ‘We gotta move on.’ I said, ‘No, I need to get the guy banging his head.’

John: Trust me, have some sympathy. And this is where we pay off the idea that Tara has heard about this team, and now believes she's given Nate one clue as to what she’s gonna do and she's desperately hoping they're as good as they think they are, and she’s doing the set up to this, she's setting up this beat. It was tricky, because we did actually play- she does actually look like she's selling the team out here, and if you're watching the DVD, you are watching all the way through the seasons. aAnd we did go back and forth on how loyal would she be to the team. And it really is the fact that one of the reasons you watch the show, or at least I think one of the reasons you watch the show, is the family vibe.

Albert: Absolutely.

John: And just having somebody who wasn’t into the family vibe in the middle of it, it might've been interesting from a writing standpoint, and we’re all fans of the show who write the show, it wasn’t interesting from an audience standpoint; it felt a little overly clever, a little constructed. But we do it just enough that we can get she's part of the team, but she doesn't buy into Nate’s bullshit, and as a result her actions in the finale make some sort of organic sense. And the van, oh, the van.

Marc: Gotta have the van.

John: Not anymore.

[Laughter]

Marc: Well-

John: No the- and this, again, we had like four variations how this particular con worked. Who did those designs? Who did-? We have a lot of actual fashion designs floating around in this.

Marc: I think Nadine.

Albert: Nadine and her team did pretty much everything.

John: They sketched them up and sent them off to Derek to do the computer graphics.

Albert: They did the sketches, they did the buckles sketches, they designed the clothes. Like I said, this was a real- this was a field day for the wardrobe and makeup and hair.

Marc: For the glam department.

John: That was nice, too. Cause the thing we originally missed, that having him hand him the badge, it’s a nice touch. Again, the trick when you’re doing- Some of the endings we stop and explain a lot, some just kind of unroll, and you have to make sure you set up all the pieces. And a lot of times when you're running and gunning and shooting, that stuff goes away.

Marc: It does. And so much of it is like, you get to a certain scene like, oh my god, in the flashback you're supposed to see that happens later.

John: Do you break those off separately when you shoot these or-? I mean, I know you, kind of, barely read the script.

Marc: A lot of times they are within the scenes and god bless Suzanne, our script supervisor, she just, she-

John: She's the best. She's actually the best I've ever worked with.

Marc: She's the gatekeeper, yeah, she’s amazing.

John: A Script Supervisor’s job, in case you don't know, if you're watching, is to sit next to the Director with a copy of the script, with special notations that they go to school to learn, to track what is in every shot, what the angles are, what the sizes are, who’s crossing, who’s walking in from what direction.

Marc: She's basically- she's keeping score and she’s the directors best friend, or worst enemy.

John: You will hear a lot of directors, even really experienced directors say-

Marc: As well as an editor, because, you know, an editor just gets a hard drive of footage, and if he can't decipher her notes, then he's gonna struggle as well.

John: I've seen really experienced directors, guys who are famous, they will finish and will turn to their script supervisor and go ‘What do I need?’ Cause they're watching the coverage while the directors watching the-

Marc: And we do a lot of different things and as a director, you're watching performances, and you're making sure you're hitting all the right emotional beats, and you know, when we do certain scenes where we have multiple characters, or you’re doing a 360-

John: We have a five-hander here.

Marc: Yeah, or doing a 360 and the camera’s going around and around, you need someone to be keeping score for you.

John: I like the physicality, by the way, watching this again, of watching Tim does with his face when he’s with the character and when he's just dropped it, and all of a sudden that kind of fake character, the wardrobe doesn't matter if he's just pissed, and you know he's dug in.

Marc: As soon as he's pulled off the glasses-

John: It's Nate.

Marc: It's Nate.

John: Great job.

Marc: And we haven't even had him say that, when Tom, later on, you know, points that out, you're not even who you say you are, he, like, looks at him in a certain way.

John: Yeah. No, nice call. The- oh yes, this was, again, interesting, is one of the things that really depends on the speed with which these guys can rip this stuff off. You know, in one of the original versions we were talking about where the dresses are actually transported- right after the fashion show, the dresses actually are driven across town and are put in a private closed viewing for the buyers. They won’t let anybody else close to those dresses because even with photographs, they can be knocked off within a matter of 48-72 hours. Which is stunning, which is what you're trying to fight when you're trying to fight piracy. And hung by his own sin, which is one of the rules.

Albert: There's always a rule. Yup. Going back to the wardrobe and hair and makeup departments, the other thing you don't end up seeing is that they went through a lot of their own iterations of what- before what you see on the screen. They did a lot of tests, they did a lot of different looks. If we had time, we could probably show all these other test photos they took, and different hair configurations, and make up, and at one point they did this whole sort of Kabuki look, but we decided that might've been a little too fashion forward for this show. They really went all out.

Marc: They went all out.

John: Did you say fashion forward?

Albert: Sure.

Marc: And some of them were just based on the element of time, you know, we wouldn't have time to change actors over to a certain style, and-

John: Yeah, cause I mean, that's the thing, is when the difference between shooting Parker as Parker, and shooting Parker as Parker as fashion model, is two hours to change that character's look.

Albert: At least.

John: At least. And the walk of victory.

Marc: Dun dun dunnn.

John: This is nice, this is- I, you know, I always love the 60s, 70s call back; it's a nice style choice. Also, you've got that great street to shoot down. Where was that? Was that outside of-?

Marc: That was right outside of the actual warehouse location.

Albert: Across the river.

Marc: Just across the river from downtown Portland, so it was really close; you know, had a nice overpass.

John: Looked like that section of T that’s elevated.

Marc: This, again, is supposed to be in Asia, which was actually just another area of the warehouse again.

John: And then that's a kind of an iconic shot for this show now. That's nice, the Jeri Ryan era, as the fans call it. If you go on the boards and see the fans arguing over which six episodes are the best in the giant ouvre of Leverage ouvre. And she pays a horrible horrible price for her treachery.

Albert: Those are real working steam presses, and I can tell you from having been there, they were ridiculously hot.

[Laughter]

Albert: I didn't want to be anywhere near it. I was like, ‘Wow, Gloria is really a trooper going through this.’ She had to learn how to operate it; it had, like, foot petals and things.

John: This is why it's good to be a writer, is, we write horrible things and then the directors and actors go live there, while we occasionally- Sometimes we venture from the hotel room to go visit the set.

Marc: At times.

John: But it's for the best if the writer isn't there; just causes trouble.

Albert: We can go pose and take pictures with the models; that's when we show up on set.

John: Yes. And then this is actually based on, there's a bunch of factories now that are owned by the employees that were taken over. Some car factories, some- there was a big thing in South America for a while of the workers seizing foreclosed factories and opening them up as co-ops.

Marc: I did not know that.

John: Yes, there you go. Anything we can do to undermine the infrastructure of capitalism of America in Leverage we try to, we try to.

Marc: Now this is a happier factory, it's brighter.

John: Brighter colors.

Marc: Yeah, it's brighter colors, there's sound.

[Laughter]

John: I love that. I love you sitting in the director’s chair like, ‘Alright, now make it the happy sweatshop.’

Marc: How else can we make them happy?

John: Lunch breaks.

Marc: Lunch breaks! Sandwiches. Sandwiches make everyone happy. Everybody’s happy with a sandwich.

John: There you go, and milk, that's delicious. Look, and we saw that particular extra was unhappy earlier.

Albert: That's right.

Marc: She was.

John: There you go; really sold it. And again, it's interesting because, you know, you shot two years of this now, and you understand the vics aren't a big part of actual screen time, they are on in the opening, they're on in the closing. Those actors are insanely important, because it means you have to like them really fast, and if you don't like them really fast, you know, it won’t pay off.

Marc: Yeah, and they have to keep up because, you know, it's not like we get a lot of time to do rehearsals, and so some of the crux of the episode can be in their hands.

Albert: Oh yeah, the emotional core of the story always hinges on the victims and their choices.

John: And sometimes those scenes with Tim Hutton in the bar, that's the entire reason you're gonna care about this episode. And this is a lot of fun with- this is when we- again, we really track, if you watch the back six episodes where Tara Cole feels in how she's getting the money. Happy about getting the money, ambivalent about getting the money, not caring so much, you know. She never doesn't care, cause that's just wrong. And now, it's interesting, Tim and I had a nice conversation about this particular phone call, cause he called me about this and he's like, ‘I'm not sure where we're going with this.’ I'm like, ‘You know that moment when you've had an argument with the wife and you've realized you've said the wrong thing and you can never take it back?’ And he's like, ‘Oh yeah.’ and I'm like, ‘That one right there.’ And it's one of my favorite little Nate/Sophie scenes and they're not even in the same room. Because it's, you know, it's- banter is fun, relationships are hard.

Marc: Right.

Albert: Oh I like that. Banter is fun, relationships are hard.

John: And, you know, end of day, unless you show a couple of these scenes every now and then, you don't buy these relationships as real. And that's why I think one of the reasons the Eliot/Nate relationship feels very grounded is, we give opportunity for Chris Kane and Tim to kind of dig in on the fact that they don't always agree, those characters.

Albert: And you gotta give somewhere for the characters to go. That's the thing about a scene like this, at the end it gives them somewhere to go after here.

John: That was great. Thank you so much, guys, that was a lot of fun. The episode was fantastic.

Albert: That was The Runway Job.

Marc: Thank you.

John: Anything you wanna say to the nice folks before we move onto the next one?

Marc: Stay tuned.

[Laughter]

John: It's a DVD, I don't think they’re gonna wander off-

Marc: For the season.

John: Oh for another season, that's right. Season 3. Albert anything you wanna say?

Albert: No this was great, this was, I think, my third episode working with Marc. Third, that I'd written. Kind of fourth.

John: Kind of codependent.

Marc: Yes, yes.

Albert: We are, but I've learned that one thing: banter is fun, but relationships are hard, so we gotta keep working on it.

Marc: That’s right.

#Leverage #Leverage TNT #Leverage Audio Commentary Transcripts #Audio Commentary #Transcripts #Parker #Alec Hardison #Elliot Spencer #Nate Ford #Sophie Deveraux #Season 2 #Episode 10 #Season 2 Episode 10 #The Runway Job

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Vogue (2005) Maison Margiela Spring 2006 Ready to Wear. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2006-ready-to-wear/maison-martin-margiela [Accessed 24 March 2021].

Vogue (2005) Maison Margiela – Spring 2006 Ready to Wear [fig.5]. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2006-ready-to-wear/maison-martin-margiela/slideshow/collection#17 [Accessed 24 March 2021].

Vogue (2011) Viktor & Rolf – Fall 2011 Ready to Wear [fig.26]. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2011-ready-to-wear/viktor-rolf/slideshow/collection#10 [Accessed 26 March 2021].

Vogue (2012) Mary Katrantzou – Spring 2013 Ready to Wear [fig.45]. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2013-ready-to-wear/mary-katrantzou/slideshow/collection#1 [Accessed 14 April 2021].

Vogue (2018) Mary Katrantzou – Spring 2019 Ready to Wear [fig.39]. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2019-ready-to-wear/mary-katrantzou/slideshow/collection#1 [Accessed 16 April 2021].

Vogue (2021) Noir Kei Ninomiya – Fall 2021 Ready to Wear. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2021-ready-to-wear/noir-kei-ninomiya [Accessed 25 March 2021].

Vogue (2021) Noir Kei Ninomiya – Fall 2021 Ready to Wear [fig.20-21]. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2021-ready-to-wear/noir-kei-ninomiya/slideshow/collection [Accessed 25 March 2021].

Vogue Runway (2021) Today, there’s the need of a new warmth, of more humanity. Instagram, 5 May [fig.54]. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/COgcTJrF2-N/ [Accessed 1 May 2021].

VPR (2021) Why are Cactuses Spiky? [fig.10]. Available at: https://www.vpr.org/post/why-are-cactuses-spiky#stream/0 [Accessed 30 March 2021].

WGSN (2021) Womenswear Forecast A/W 22/23: Rerooted Nature [fig.46]. Available at: https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/fashion/article/89994#page5 [Accessed 20 April 2021].

3 notes · View notes

gictg · 4 years ago

Link

Global IC Trading Group is one of the best independent and authorized wholesalers of electrical and electronics Components and have invested too heavily in a detailed inspection process with state of the art equipment, including X-Ray, XRF, and Decapsulation.

#global ic trading group #Global IC Trading Counterfeits #Global IC Trading Group Counterfeits

0 notes

carlaportoo · 8 years ago

Text

Inside the Secret World of Global Food Spies

A bowl of ice cream on a hot day in Shanghai gave American Mitchell Weinberg the worst bout of food poisoning he can recall. It also inspired the then-trade consultant to set up Inscatech — a global network of food spies.

In demand by multinational retailers and food producers, Inscatech and its agents scour supply chains around the world hunting for evidence of food industry fraud and malpractice. In the eight years since he founded the New York-based firm, Weinberg, 52, says China continues to be a key growth area for fraudsters as well as those developing technologies trying to counter them.

“Statistically we’re uncovering fraud about 70 percent of the time, but in China it’s very close to 100 percent,” he said. “It’s pervasive, it’s across food groups, and it’s anything you can possibly imagine.”

Police inspect illegal cooking oil, or "gutter oil," seized during a crackdown in Beijing in Aug. 2010.

Photographer: AFP via Getty Images

While adulteration has been a bugbear of consumers since prehistoric wine was first diluted with saltwater, scandals in China over the past decade — from melamine-laced baby formula, to rat-meat dressed as lamb — have seen the planet’s largest food-producing and consuming nation become a hotbed of corrupted, counterfeit, and contaminated food.

Weinberg’s company is developing molecular markers and genetic fingerprints to help authenticate natural products and sort genuine foodstuffs from the fakes. Another approach companies are pursuing uses digital technology to track and record the provenance of food from farm to plate.

“Consumers want to know where products are from,” said Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, citing surveys the Shanghai-based consultancy conducted with consumers and supermarket operators.

‘Business Opportunity’

Services that help companies mitigate the reputational risk that food-fraud poses is a “big growth area,” according to Rein. “It’s a great business opportunity,” he said. “It’s going to be important not just as a China play, but as a global play, because Chinese food companies are becoming part of the whole global supply chain.”

Some of the biggest food companies are backing technology that grew out of the anarchic world of crypto-currencies. It’s called blockchain, essentially a shared, cryptographically secure ledger of transactions.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, was one of the first to get on board, just completing a trial using blockchain technology to track pork in China, where it has more than 400 stores. The time taken to track the meat’s supply chain was cut from 26 hours to just seconds using blockchain, and the scope of the project is being widened to other products, said Frank Yiannas, Wal-Mart’s vice president for food safety, in an interview Thursday.

Shanghai-based Zhong An Information and Technology Services Co. said in June it will use the technology to track chickens from the coop to the processing facility and on to the market or store.

Blockchain Pilot

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., too, sees the potential for the eight-year-old technology to provide greater product integrity across its platforms, which accounted for more then 75 percent of China’s online retail sales in 2015. The planned blockchain project will involve the Chinese e-commerce behemoth working with food suppliers in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Australia Post and auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

“Food fraud is a serious global issue,” said Maggie Zhou, managing director for Alibaba in Australia and New Zealand. “This project is the first step in creating a globally respected framework that protects the reputation of food merchants and gives consumers further confidence to purchase food online.”

Fraud costs the global food industry as much as $40 billion annually, according to John Spink, director of Michigan State University’s Food Fraud Initiative. In China, where the 2008 melamine milk crisis resulted in the death of at least six babies, it’s a hot-button issue compounded by the country’s growing appetite for higher quality food and swelling middle class. A Pew Research Center study last year found 40 percent of Chinese view food safety as a “very big problem,” up from 12 percent in 2008.

Global Concern

“This is not a Chinese issue — it’s a global issue,” said Yongguan Zhu, director general of the Institute of Urban Environment, part of the state-funded Chinese Academy of Sciences. “What we have to do is reinforce our regulations to improve the transparency of the administration, for example information-sharing.”

Farmers pour away unsold milk in Hebei Province in Sept. 2008.

Photographer: China Photos/Getty Images

Zhu says blockchain could play an important role in improving traceability. Its database of records can be built like a chain and can’t be broken or re-ordered without disrupting the entire connection.

China strengthened its food safety law in 2015 in response to the spate of scandals. Counterfeiters and food tamperers face tougher penalties, including jail time in some cases, and more than $800 million has been spent hiring more food safety personnel and bolstering monitoring facilities, according to an April report from the Paulson Institute, a Washington-based think tank. Last month, Beijing emphasized to authorities the need to be upfront in disclosing food safety issues.

“Food-fraud will always exist,” said Yongning Wu, chief scientist at the government-run China National Center For Food Safety Risk Assessment. While authorities in China have joined the global fight against the scourge, Wu doesn’t see the problem disappearing.

“We can only develop technology to detect it,” he said. “However, fake-food producers will always update their technology to dodge inspections.”

Wily Scammers

The wiliness of fraudsters is what makes Inscatech’s Weinberg less hopeful about blockchain. His firm mainly uses informants on the ground to sniff out where in the production process food-fraud is taking place, and most of his work in China is with western companies that manufacture or source product there.

Counterfeit liquor is tested at the Beijing administration for industry and commerce center in June 2007.

Photographer: Teh Eng Koon/AFP via Getty Images

“The problem is the data is only as reliable as the person providing the data,” said Weinberg, who recalls seeing everything in China from synthetic eggs to fake shrimp that still sizzle in a wok. “In most supply chains there is one or more ‘unreliable’ data provider. This means blockchain is likely useless for protecting against food-fraud unless every piece of data is scrutinized to be accurate.”

A months-long Bloomberg investigation into the global shrimp trade last year showed how unreliable documentation had fanned an illegal transhipping scheme involving Chinese aquaculture exporters.

But blockchain is “light years” away from the system used by the global food industry today, which relies heavily on paper records, said Yiannas, Wal-Mart’s food safety chief. By recording the identity of those who input data into the chain, the technology removes the anonymity that has helped food-fraud to thrive, he said.

The role of humans in recording the supply chain will also diminish, said Yiannas. “More and more of these documents will eventually be captured in an automated way.”

China’s Food and Drug Administration didn’t immediately respond to an email requesting comment on the country’s food safety efforts.

Some companies are already bringing traceability to consumers. Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd., the world’s biggest dairy exporter, started putting QR codes on cans of infant formula in April, enabling buyers to verify the product’s authenticity.

Criminal Factor

The challenges for China — “the factory of the world” — are especially vast because of its size, population, multilayered administrative divisions, and “the willingness of criminals to exploit every corner that they can in order to make money,” said Michael Ellis, who ran Interpol’s trafficking in illicit goods unit until October.

At Interpol, Ellis, a former detective with Scotland Yard in London, was involved in “Opson,” an operation that led to the seizure of more than 10,000 tons and 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of hazardous fake-food and drinks across more than 50 countries.

Without a presence to fight it, food-fraud globally “will explode,” Ellis said. “It will just continue to grow, and who knows where it will lead.”

More From this publisher : HERE

=> *********************************************** Original Post Here: Inside the Secret World of Global Food Spies ************************************ =>

Inside the Secret World of Global Food Spies was originally posted by 16 MP Just news

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foodsciencebbyyy · 4 years ago

Text

Food Packaging

Introduction

Packaging is a process of covering/wrapping of goods into a package.

It also involves designing and producing packaging materials.

Packaging is an essential for providing safe and secure goods to consumers.

It is a $2 billion industry per year in Australia.

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Food Packaging

Food packaging is essential and pervasive:

●Essential, because without packaging the safety and quality of food would be compromised,

●Pervasive because almost all food is packaged in some way.

In the last 200 years the package evolved from being a container for the product, to becoming an important element of total product design, eg.

Example: Packing tomato sauce in glass bottles has evolved to squeezable co- extruded multi-layer plastic bottles with oxygen barrier layer for long shelf life

Self-lubricating surfaces http://liquiglide.com/

General types of packaging

Consumer packaging

Designed for consumer convenience and appeal.

The major emphasis is on marketing.

Industrial packaging

Designed to focus on the handling convenience and protection during transportation.

The main focus is on logistics.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Functions of packaging

Protection

Containment

Communication/Information

Convenience

A good package can not only preserve the food quality but also significantly contribute to a business profit.

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Protection

The quality of the food product can deteriorate biologically and chemically as well as physically, during distribution, .

Food packaging contributes to extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality and safety of food products.

Food packaging reduces food waste and spoilage during distribution, and decreases the cost of preservation facilities.

Protection

The requirement for protection is determined by the nature of the food and the type of protection needed.

●The product needs for protection ●Physical environment

● impact, compression, abrasion, tearing, puncture ●Climatic environment

● Oxygen, Moisture, Light, Taints and odours

●Biological environment ● Pests - insects & rodents; ● Microbiological - bacteria, mould

The climatic environment

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 14

The physical environment

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 14

The biological environment

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 15

Material loss by pilferage and tampering

● Security in distribution for protection against pilferage, tampering and counterfeiting

● lids may have plastic over-seal;

● perforated lid which breaks when opened;

● blister package sealed to a large paperboard backing;

● holographic packaging to reduce counterfeiting.

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Containment

Food products must be contained before they can be moved from one place to another.

Packaging facilitates handling, storage and distribution

Packaging has enabled the modern food distribution system, the development of supermarkets and the global food chain.

Includes both primary & secondary packages Package choices are based on:

Þ Dimension & Configuration requirements

Þ Material cost Þ Strength Þ Stability

Food Processing Plant Corporate video 1’40” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4EbS36TQYQ

Three levels of packaging

primary pack: in direct contact with the food or beverage, eg. bottle and cap, carton

secondary or transit package: contains and collates primary packs, eg. a shrink-wrapped corrugated fibreboard tray or case

tertiary package, eg. pallet, roll cage, stretch-wrap.

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Packaging for transport

Communication /Information

Consumers make purchasing decisions using numerous clues provided by the graphics, colours and distinctive shapes of packaging.

Packages also need to communicate information about the product ●identity, quantity, instructions for storage and use

●labelling information as required by FSC 1.2 (nutrition, ingredient information, allergen warnings, country of origin, use-by date etc. )

●Universal Product Code (bar code) read accurately and rapidly using modern scanning equipment.

Communication for informed decision-making

Communicate information to end-user as required by legislation, ANZ Food Standards Code 1.2, ACCC and Department of Fair Trading

●Product brand names and descriptions; ●Manufacturer's name and address, ●Quantity/ net weight, ●Use-by dates/ best before date ●Ingredient listing,

●Nutrition information panel ●Directions for storage and cooking instructions; ● Warnings and allergen advice ●Recycling or disposal of package

Marketing – to sell food

Self-selection impact – silent salesman how getting the customer to select your product over all the others in the supermarket.

Marketing trends - increasing emphasis on the look, sales appeal and quality of retail packaging.

High quality graphics and promotional links between graphics and advertising to support brand identities, plus the ability to reflect current consumer trends and images.

Interactive marketing - new APPS to inform and educate the consumer, eg.

iAllergens, FoodSwitch, Traffic Light Food, Woolworths, Coles, Shop Ethical!, ShopWell, Frugal, ACCC recalls

Design Aesthetics & Marketing

"The Coke bottle is the most perfectly designed package in the world." The original contour of the "Mae West" bottle was designed in 1915. The bottle has undergone several redesigns in its 100-years.

Bar-codes

UPC bar code QR code

Micro QR Code

https://www.gs1.org/standards/barcodes

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Pallet, carton and bar-coding

A different barcode for each level of package, carton, etc.

Print important information, including use-by date

Each level treated as a product and scanned on receipt, etc.

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Convenience

Packaging plays an important role in allowing products to be used conveniently by the consumer.

Size – manageable for the consumer (small, regular, bulk)

Shape and proportions - variety of pack sizes, designs and pack types

Unitizing - primary package discrete units packed into secondary packages (multipacks)

Package design for the consumer use – easy to hold, portable, easy opening, re-close, dispense or pour, squeezable, spray, microwavable, recyclable, biodegradable, etc.

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Convenience

Packaging also plays an important role in allowing products to be handled, stored and efficiently distributed by the manufacturer

cartons pallets shipping containers

https://www.packworld.com/trends-and-issues/traceability- authentication-serialization/video-track-and-trace-serialization

Environmental considerations

Australian Packaging Covenant

http://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/

Initially launched in 1999, with 3x 5 year cycles of review. On July 1st 2010, an open-ended Australian Packaging Covenant commenced.

an agreement between companies in the supply chain and all levels of government to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer packaging, by:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qGZYPOLAos example: https://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/documents/item/1088 ●design packaging that is more resource efficient & more

recyclable;

Henderson Island

North Pacific gyre (Pacific trash vortex) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLbJZjYyXAs

http://coastalcare.org/2009/11/plastic-pollution/

Types of plastic & recycling options

New Scientist 19 May 2018

Australasian Recycling Label

https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste-resource-recovery/plastics-and-packaging

New Scientist 19 May 2018

Packaging types and selection

Day in the Life of a Food Packaging Professional

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXa-yqP9e3Q

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Selection of packaging

The design and development of appropriate packaging for food, one needs to consider:

The product’s characteristics : physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological nature,

Mechanism by which it can deteriorate, It’s fragility in distribution Possible interactions with packaging materials

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 13

Nature of the product

Physical nature

Gas, liquid, viscous liquid, solid blocks, granules, free-flowing powders, emulsions, pastes etc

Chemical or biochemical nature

Ingredients, chemical composition, nutritional value, corrosive, sticky, volatile, perishable, odorous etc.

Dimensions

Size and shape

Volume, weight & density

Method of fill, dispense, accuracy, legal obligation etc.

Damage sensitivity

Mechanical strength properties or fragility/weaknesses

Product deterioration

Intrinsic mechanisms including changes in:

Organoleptic qualities

Taste, smell, colour and texture

Chemical breakdown

Vitamin C breakdown in orange juice, riboflavin loss from milk in light, Maillard browning of dried milk

Physio-Chemical changes

staling of bread, crystallisation of lactose in ice cream or condensed milk

Biochemical changes

enzymatic browning, cheese ripening, respiration in fruit & vegies

Microbiological status

bacterial or mould growth

Product shelf-life requirement

Average shelf life needed Use-life needed

Changes in packaged food during storage

The processes by which food quality is lost often involve interaction with the environment – either from substances taken up or loss through the packaging.

Type of Change

Food product impacts

Moisture loss

Drying – a problem in frozen food; wilting of vegetables,

Moisture uptake

Softening of crisps, biscuits; lumping of powders,

Oxygen uptake

Oxygen causes oxidation rancidity – fats and oils,

Light

Light initiated oxidation of fats; bleaching /colour loss

Packing material options

● Glass

● Tinplate

● Aluminium

● Paper and paperboard

● Plastics

Primary Packages

GLASS

METALS

PAPER

PLASTICS

COMPOSITE

RIGID & SEMI-RIGID CONTAINER

Bottle Jug Jar Tumbler Vial

Cans - Fe/Sn Alumin. Cans

Metal boxes (Slip lid, Lever lid, Hinged)

Trays Drum

Boxes Cartons

Form-in-line (cup, tub, tray)

Egg box

Bottle Jug Jar Tub Cup Tray Thermoform

Drum Laminated cartons IBCs

FLEXIBLE WRAPS, BAGS, POUCHES & SACHETS

Tube Foil

Vegetable parchment Folded wrap Sealed wrap Bags

(plain, treated)

Preformed Form-in-line FIBCs

Foil laminates Laminated pouches

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Cost of packaging

Packaging is a major cost in the retail price

Direct cost of package plus indirect costs for empty as well as full packages, including handling, storage, transport, insurance, management

The ‘added value’ of the Package should exceed costs ! to remain competitive and innovative

Weight of packages and different package options

Weight

Milk 12 L

Beer 9 L

Wine 6L

Bottles

7500 g

6840 g

Cartons

340 g

Steel can

1300 g

Aluminium can

580 g

Cask

400 g

Glass

● Inert with respect to foods

● Transparent to light and may be coloured

● Impermeable to gases and vapours

● Rigid

● Can be easily returned and reused

● Brittle and breakable

● Needs a separate closure

● Widely in use for both single & multi-trip packaging

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 17

Tinplate can

Aluminium can

Tinplate and aluminium

● Rigid material

● Steel can – high density, suited to retort canning process

● Aluminium can - low density, suited for canned drinks

● Good tensile strength

● An excellent barrier to light, liquids and foods

● Needs closures, seams and crimps to form packs

● Used in many packaging applications: food and beverage cans, aerosols, tubes, trays and drums

● Can react with product causing dissolution of the metal Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 17

Paper and paperboard

● Low-density materials

● Poor barriers to light without coatings or laminations

● Poor barriers to liquids, gases and vapours unless they are coated, laminated or wrapped

● Good stiffness

● Can be grease resistant

● Absorbent to liquids and moisture vapour

● Can be creased, folded and glued

● Tears easily, Not brittle, Moderate tensile strength

● Excellent substrates for inexpensive printing

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 17

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Plastics

Wide range of barrier depending on type of polymer

Permeability to gases and vapours to varying degrees

Always consider oxygen and water vapour transmission when selecting film, with respect to the likely spoilage mechanisms of the food.

Range of physical and optical properties flexible or rigid opaque or transparent variable tensile and tear strengths

Functional over a wide range of temperatures depending on the type of plastic polymer

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003; Chap1 page 17

Packing film selection

Wide range of plastic polymer materials.

Each polymer has differences in permeability to air, water and light, rigidity/flexibility.

Different foods have different requirements;

●Foods susceptible to drying but not affected by oxygen (e.g. bread) need high moisture barrier [LDPE ]

●Foods susceptible to moisture pick-up and affected by oxygen (e.g. crisps) need high moisture barrier and high oxygen barrier, [ OPP ]; plus laminate with Aluminium foil will further prevent light and oxygen.

●Food requiring containment (liquid foods) need rigid plastic.

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Plastic (polymeric) packaging materials – examples of applications

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) – squeezy bottles and shopping bags

High density polyethylene (HDPE) – rigid bottles, carboys

Polypropylene (PP) – rigid

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Common packaging polymers

1. PET – Polyethylene Terephthalate (e.g. soft drink bottles, peanut butter jars). 2. HDPE – High-Density Polyethylene (e.g. milk bottles, yoghurt cups).

3. PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride (e.g. some types of cling wrap for meat, fish, cheese, vegetables; clear plastic containers for fresh fruit or takeaway sandwiches).

Common packaging polymers

4. LDPE – Low-Density Polyethylene (e.g. some grocery bags; bags used for bread and frozen foods; some types of cling wrap).

5. PP – Polypropylene (e.g. bottle caps, yoghurt and margarine containers, food storage boxes).

6. PS – Polystyrene (e.g. plastic cutlery; drinking cups and yoghurt cups; lightweight foam trays used to package meat and vegetables).

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Thermoplastic vs thermoset Packaging polymers may be classified into thermoplastics and

thermosets, depending on whether crosslinks are present.

Thermoplastics

Soften and melt when heated, but resolidify upon cooling

Can be easily shaped by heat and pressure (e.g. films, bottles, etc.)

Support hot-forming methods such as injection-moulding.

Heated in several cycles, polymers are melted and cooled to become solid without significant loss of properties.

Recyclability: Easier to recycle.

Typical polymers: Acrylics, Nylons, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene

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Thermoset polymers

Change irreversibly when heated.

The change usually involves cross-linking (setting) which strengthens the polymers.

They are often made from multi-part compounds and formed before setting (e.g. epoxy resin).

Setting accelerates with heat, or for some polymers with UV light.

Thermosets will not melt, and have good heat resistance.

Heating does not soften the materials, but severe heating irreversibly destroy covalent bonds (decomposition).

Much harder to recycle.

Examples: Phenolics, epoxies, silicones, some polyesters, polyurethanes and elastomers

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Heat seal strength

The strength of the bond formed by heat sealing is important in heat sealable plastic packaging.

This property related to a film’s ability to make a peel-resistant seal.

Measured by testing the sealed samples under controlled temperature, pressure and dwell-time (time during which heat is applied).

Then measure the seal’s resistance to peeling on a tensile tester.

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Plastic Laminates

Since no single film can satisfy all packaging requirements, several different films may be combined by lamination or coextrusion.

Lamination of plastic films can be done using an adhesive, Or If the two plastic films each have heat-sealing properties, they may be joined together by passing the films through a heated roller

Laminates can include layers of different plastic films, paperboard and metal (aluminium), achieving barrier properties with the summation of all the different components.

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Polymer coatings and laminates

Polymers are also used to coat other materials; for example, paper coffee cups are often coated with a thin layer of polyethylene, which makes them hard to recycle.

Polymers are also used in laminates (multilayer films), either with another polymer, or paper or metal.

Different components may serve as barriers to light, moisture, oxygen, taste and aroma compounds.

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Tetra Pak - laminated paperboard

Coatings

Coatings are applied to the surfaces of plastic films to improve heat-sealing, barrier and printing properties

Acrylic coatings – glass clear, hard, heat sealable, very glossy PVdC coatings may be modified to produce either a good heat-sealing polymer or

a high-barrier polymer

Direct vacuum metallising with aluminium on plastic films results in a significant increase in barrier properties

SiOx applied by vacuum deposition. SiOx coated PET film is used in the retort pouch laminates, is transparent, retortable, recyclable and has excellent barrier properties.

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Water vapour transmission

The steady state rate at which water vapour permeates through a film at specified conditions of temperature and relative humidity.

This is a measure of a film’s ability to retain freshness, preventing the escape of moisture from moist products, or preventing dry products from picking up moisture from outside.

The moisture passing through the film in a given time is reported as water-vapour transmission rate (WVTR) in g/m2/24 hours.

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Gas permeability

The ability of a gas or other volatile substance to penetrate and pass through a material.

Gases include oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and various volatile compounds found in foods.

This property is associated with the retention of colour, flavour and odour.

Permeability is expressed as cc (mL) of gas permeated per 1 square metre of film in 24 hours.

A material is considered as ‘high oxygen barrier’ if its Oxygen transmission Rate (OTR) is < 15.5 cc/m2/24 hr.

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003;

0 = Not suitable, * = short life, ** =medium life, *** = long life, MAP = modified atmosphere pack.

Coles, McDowell and Kirwan 2003;

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Important properties in storage

The product/package interaction.

Permeability to gases and vapours.

Resistance to ‘scalping’ of flavour and aroma components, which may be lost by dissolving in the polymer.

Alternatively, packaging components may diffuse into the product, causing contamination, off-flavours, etc.

Innovative packaging

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) – employs gas mixtures to reduce enzymatic and microbial changes during storage

Active Packaging, inclusions with added functionality: Antimicrobial, Oxygen scavenger, Ethylene oxidation, Odour removal,

Intelligent Packaging, sensing and informing; eg. indicator for ripeness or freshness.

Han, J. 2005.

Gases and food quality effects

Nitrogen is an inert and tasteless gas, no antimicrobial activity. It is not very soluble in water, and it is primarily used to displace oxygen and prevent package collapse.

Oxygen inhibits the growth of anaerobic micro-organisms, but promotes the growth of aerobic microbes. Oxygen is responsible for some undesirable reactions in foods, including 63

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

Retail food product

CO2

Raw red meat

70%

30%

Raw white fish, other seafood

30%

40%

30%

Cooked, cured, processed meat fish poultry, Ready cook chill

30%

70%

Fresh pasta, Bakery products

50%

Dairy products

100%

Dried foods, Liquid foods & drinks

100%

Air Products. 1995

Active Packaging

Active Scavenging systems remove undesirables such as oxygen, excess water, ethylene, carbon dioxide, taints and others ............... ABSORBERS

Active Releasing systems add desirables such as carbon dioxide, water, antioxidants and preservatives................ EMITTERS

Diagram of active packaging systems

Intelligent Packaging

Intelligent or smart packaging include time-temperature indicators (TTIs), gas indicators, microwave doneness indicators, radiofrequency identification (RFID).

● Clever, smart, interactive

● Indicator must be easily activated

● Must show measurable, reproducible changes

● Must be irreversible

● Easily correlated to food quality

Insignia Embedded Colour Changing Labels - 40s http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=k0kpOoe-42g

Smart packaging – oxygen exclusion/absorption https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=VH_SdO9u0nA

Intelligent Plastics – ripeness & freshness indicator

Packaging Innovations

CES 2011 - Interactive and intelligent food packaging 4’ 34’’ http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=MpKukF48Tac

New 2011 NutriSmart embeds RFID tags directly within food 1’ 50’’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3_EjOecfOA

Cook-chill Meal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMdaj5owBU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwobWIEl3f0

Amazon go 1’50”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmMk1Myrxc

Future trends in food packaging

Development of new materials that possess very high barrier properties, thus reduce the total amount of packaging materials.

Convenience is a "hot" trend” ; in either productivity, processing, warehousing, traceability, display qualities, tamper-resistance, easy opening, and cooking preparation.

Safety another important trend, related to public health microbiological control or security against bioterrorism.

Forth issue is the trend to natural and environmentally friendly. Substitution of artificial chemical ingredients with natural ingredients. Increase in recyclable and reusable (refillable).

Edible packaging https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLEWeP3WJ8M

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atravellingfoodie · 6 years ago

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The best time to visit Dubai is in the cooler months when the days are breezy and invigorating and nights can be nippy. During this time your Dubai itinerary will overflow with things to do and places to see without the fear of heatstroke or dehydration.

The United Arab Emirates with Dubai as it’s glamorous poster child, has always been at the forefront of innovation in architectural marvels, improvement of it’s infrastructure and the standard of living for the benefit of it’s residents. In one generation Dubai has gone from a sleepy fishing village with pearl diving, weaving and regional trading as it’s main sources of income, to the City of Gold where everything is bigger, better and shinier and expats come to fulfill their dreams.

Nothing can prepare visitors coming to Dubai for short breaks or a Dubai layover for the beauty, prosperity, modernity and goodwill that they will encounter during their Dubai visit. In this city of convenience, comfort and exceptional customer service there is so much to see and do that you may regret not staying longer than a 96 hour stopover.

Whether you are a solo traveler, newly weds on a Dubai honeymoon or coming on Dubai family holidays, the Dubai weather in December makes it the best time to visit. Dubai excursions are more enjoyable and there are so many things to do in Dubai with kids outside of the malls. This essential insiders Dubai vacation travel guide includes everything you need to know to plan your city break in Dubai.

Private boats at Dubai Marina

Dubai Opera house at night

The best time to visit Dubai for outdoor activities

When friends and relatives ask what is the best time to go to Dubai for a vacation or stopover, I always recommend visiting between November and March. By November the heat starts abating and cooler temperatures prevail with occasion rain showers. This also coincides with the peak season when accommodation is in demand and prices can be higher in popular areas.

Dubai weather in December, January and February is ideal for outdoor activities in the city’s many parks, beach and creek side recreation areas. Barbecues and picnics are very popular in the beach parks at this time.

The weather is mild and the temperature seldom goes above 28-30 degrees Celsius making it possible to walk around outside without fear of a heatstroke or dehydration.

The more temperate weather makes sunbathing and water sports like kayaking, canoeing, fly boarding as well as recreational fishing more bearable.

Christmas in Dubai is an awesome time to visit because the city goes all out to make non-Muslim residents and visitors feel at home during the holiday season. Malls have beautifully decorated Christmas trees and hotels have special events for non-Muslim children to experience the holidays.

This is also the best time to visit Dubai because it coincides with the annual Dubai Shopping festival (DSF), the Dubai International Film Festival, the Commemoration Day and UAE National Day celebrations.

Many seasonal attractions that are mostly outdoors like Global Village, Dubai Garden Glow and Dubai Miracle Garden are only open during the cooler months.

Schools and colleges have their year-end vacation and many families take the opportunity to visit their home countries to spend the festive season with family.

Many visitors from the Northern hemisphere visit Dubai to escape the cold in December, and it is advisable to book everything from hotel accommodation to tickets for the Dubai Opera or even dinner reservations in advance.

JBR The Walk

Summer in Dubai

Summers in Dubai are very hot and most residents take the opportunity to enjoy the summer Dubai holidays in cooler climates in other parts of the world. A decade ago Dubai was practically deserted during the summer months from June to August. That has changed since the emirates have been promoted as a haven for sun-seekers, and cheap holidays to Dubai are advertised in foreign markets.

During summer in Dubai the hot and dry desert winds, known as shamal, blow sand and dust from Iraq and Turkey down through the gulf states for 3-5 days at a time. This results in huge sandstorms carrying very fine dust that settles onto everything and significantly reduces visibility on urban and desert roads. People may suffer from respiratory distress if they breathe in the fine dust and it is advisable to refrain from outdoor pursuits during this time. There are many indoor activities at malls, museums and other places of entertainment.

The best time to visit Dubai for low prices is between June – August when it is high summer and average day time temperatures reach 40 Celcius and higher.

Cheap holiday packages to Dubai are usually offered by travel agents during the hottest summer months and may include the cost of visas, flights, airport transfers and accommodation. It should be noted however, that the high humidity and temperatures often make any Dubai excursions and outdoor pursuits very exhausting.

Things to know before visiting Dubai

My Dubai vacation travel guide will assist you in choosing the best time to visit Dubai while making the most of your Dubai short breaks. Whether it is taking Dubai day tours, fun activities or finding the best places to visit in Dubai. It should be noted that Dubai is one of the safest solo female travel destinations and also one of the best places to travel alone as female.

Read more: Top Destinations for solo female travellers

Modesty – Always be respectful and maintain your modesty and personal space in public, especially when visiting places of worship.

Sun protection – Remember to carry a sunhat and wear sunblock in summer months and also during the winter months when it is still very warm.

Malls – Many activities are indoors inside malls to enable residents to enjoy it year round. This includes ski slopes, aquariums, cinemas, jungles, ice skating rinks.

Bargain hunt – Visit and haggle in the markets and souks to secure a discount. Most Mall stores have fixed prices unless discounted during sales. Steer clear of sellers of counterfeit clothing, handbags and perfume in souks as their prices are ridiculous.

History and culture – Venture outside of your hotel and the well known tourist attractions to learn more about the history of the emirate and how it’s location has shaped the economy and culture of the people.

Transportation – There are taxis, uber, busses, metro and tram lines to get you around the city. There are even air-conditioned bus stops so you don’t have to break into an unnecessary sweat.

Alcohol – This is not available outside of licensed hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants and their license covers Non-muslim patrons. It is not advisable to be in public in a drunken state as this may result in arrest or prosecution under the UAE Penal code. Tourists may now obtain a free alcohol license for legal purchases of alcohol and consumption outside of the licensed hotels, pubs and clubs. Click here for more information.

Eve teasing / sexual harassment – This is prohibited by the UAE Penal code and carries a maximum fine of AED 10,000 or one year imprisonment, if convicted of molesting a woman by words or actions in a public or frequented place.

Public displays of affection – Many visitors to the United Arab Emirates overlook the fact that it is essentially a Muslim majority country and that they should also observe modesty in behavior when out in public places. Visitors should not offend the cultural sensibilities of local residents by engaging in indecent public displays of affection. Kissing and other overt sexual behaviors are frowned upon especially in public places frequented by families. Complaints may result in arrest or prosecution under the UAE Penal code. This includes shopping malls, supermarkets, cinemas, theaters, outdoor markets, parks, tourist attractions, the public areas of hotels and government offices and institutions.

For information for your Dubai vacation I recommend that you familiarize yourself with general information about Dubai before visiting.

Read more: Pros and Cons of Expat Life in Dubai

Dubai public beach view of Burj al Arab

How to apply for a Dubai transit visa or tourist visa

Travelers who are not eligible for visa free entry or a Dubai visa on arrival must apply for a tourist visa or transit visa by completing a Dubai visa application form.

Transit and Tourist visas may be applied for online through Emirates Airlines, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia and Etihad Airways when booking onward flights with those carriers. Click here for more information on visa types, prices and duration of the visas obtained through Emirates.

Tourists may also apply for a Dubai visa through local licensed travel agents and hotels who will require that you make your travel booking or hotel reservation with them.

The visa validity may be 96 hours (transit visa), 30 days or 90 days and you can check the Dubai visa price here.

Passports must be valid for six months from the date of travel to Dubai and must be machine readable.

How to travel to Dubai for the first time

Dubai has two international airports welcoming visitors coming for their Dubai vacation or stopover.

The oldest and busiest is Dubai International airport which is the main airport with it’s three terminals located between Umm Ramool and Al Qusais in the city limits. This is the main hub for Emirates Airlines.

The newer airport is Al Maktoum International airport located in Jebel Ali, approximately 37 km south of Dubai city center. This airport is used by many regional carriers and low cost airlines.

Etihad Airways flies into Abu Dhabi International Airport and provides complimentary inter-emirate shuttle coach services for economy class passengers from the Abu Dhabi International airport to Mazaya Centre in Downtown Dubai. First and business class passengers may avail of complimentary chauffeur services.

Air Arabia flights come into Sharjah International and Ras Al Khaimah International Airports. There are metered taxis from these airports into the city of Dubai. There are also coach services between Sharjah and Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai (AED 20 / US$ 5.45).

Dubai Al Seef

Finding free wi-fi in Dubai

When you arrive at Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 at Dubai Airport you will see signs with instructions on how to connect to the free wi-fi service within the terminal buildings.

There are also free wi-fi services on the metro as well as in the Dubai Metro stations. This map of the wi-fi hotspots will be helpful.

Many of the city malls have free wi-fi that is available after registration on their site.

A number of cafes and quick service restaurants like Costa and Mugg and Bean offer 30 minutes or more of free wi-fi with every order.

Best time to visit Dubai and how to get around

Airport taxis are available at designated areas in the arrivals terminals and charge a higher starting rate of AED 25 plus a per km rate for all trips originating from the airport.

Metered taxis operate throughout all areas of the city and can be hailed or ordered via the Dubai Taxi service operator.

Commuters using public transportation in Dubai use a NOL smart card that allows the holder to utilise all the public transportation modes operated by the Roads and Transportation Authority (busses, metro, tram and marine services).

The red and green metro lines connect all areas in the city and the Dubai International Airport may be reached via the red line. The metro connects to the Al Sufouh tram line at the Damac and Jumeirah Lakes Towers stations (cross Shaikh Zayed Road via the airbridge from the metro stations) to reach the Dubai Marina.

Car rental companies operate at Dubai International Airport and various locations in the city. Rental car bookings can be made online in many cases or in person. They will require an international driver’s license as well as a passport and valid visa to issue the vehicle.

There are also Uber and Careem e-hailing services that can be ordered via their apps. These services may now access the airport terminals as well as the malls throughout the city.

Best time to visit Dubai and what to wear

Dubai has very hot summers and mild temperate winters that sometimes require a cardigan or light shawl in the early mornings or evenings during the cooler months.

Flowy dresses or wide leg / loose fit trousers with tops are the most comfortable in summer and the cooler months. Cotton, linen and other natural fabrics are preferable in the heat as they are lightweight and breathable and less clingy than synthetic fabrics.

Shorts, culottes and capri pants are also comfortable as long as it is not too short (hot pants).

Always pack a hat and sunglasses to protect your skin and eyes from the harsh sunlight, even in the cooler months.

Sunblock or a high sun protection factor sunscreen is essential throughout the year to prevent sunburn and sun damage.

If you suffer from dust allergies it may be advisable to carry a mask or fabric respirator during a summer visit when there may be sandstorm conditions.

Where to stay in Dubai

Every neighborhood in Dubai has it’s own charms and there are countless options for visitors who want to experience the best cultural activities, resorts, restaurants and leisure facilities.

Dubai four and five star hotels are some of the best in the world in terms of value for money, comfort, spaciousness and customer service.

There are however also many cheap hotels in Dubai suitable for all budgets and comfort levels, especially in the older historic areas of the city like Deira and Bur Dubai. During the summer months this area is very crowded and the humidity can be unpleasant to experience.

Although the premier hotels can cost an arm and a leg there are many that are located near to the main attractions for a more reasonable rate. You can read more about that next week in my article on where to stay in Dubai.

Best time to visit Dubai for a food experience

Dubai is a multi-cultural melting pot with residents from all over the world who have come to make their fortune and their home. This makes the city abundant with exotic cuisines that can be found in road side cafes, independent restaurants, mall eateries and fine dining hotel restaurants.

One of the most common complaints I always hear from friends and relatives on their Dubai visit is that they did not expect the food to be so affordable. I suspect that because the city has the reputation for luxury, glamour and excess, travelers automatically assume that everything is expensive. Although that may be true for highly regarded hotel restaurants fronted by celebrity chefs, there are many establishments that cater for the average man on the street.

The best time to visit to Dubai and get amazing deals from the best restaurants is during the annual Dubai Food Festival held during February and March every year.

The farmer’s markets operate between October – April and offer a wide variety of locally grown produce from the farms in Dubai and the neighboring emirates. This is the time to reduce our carbon footprint and buy local because fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful and bounteous.

To read about where to eat in Dubai please stay tuned for my resident’s guide to the best Dubai restaurants and cafes.

A few of my favorites are on the blog:

Social by Heinz Beck – Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah

Mezzerie – Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah

Ultra Brasserie – Marina Plaza, Dubai Marina

Fume eatery – Pier 7, Dubai Marina

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finickyengineer · 7 years ago

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ICE HSI Ho Chi Minh City participates in destruction of 13 tons of seized counterfeit items

The destruction – which marked the first time Vietnam has invited U.S. government representatives in Ho Chi Minh City to attend such an event – came on the heels of a visit to Vietnam by White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Vishal Amin and HSI Global Trade Investigations Assistant Director Alex Khu. from ICE Headline News Feed by Category - Operational https://ift.tt/2NAq5rh

#ICE Headline News Feed by Category - Operational

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tenaciouspandgonghong168acl-blog · 7 years ago

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GongHong winding machine manufacturer New era of RFID, RFID in intelligent packaging applications - News - Global IC Trade Starts Here - ICEach.com

New era of RFID, RFID in intelligent packaging applications - News - Global IC Trade Starts Here - ICEach.com Article Source: Yinji.net &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Published: 2018-03-15 Share to:

New retail is a key word for 2017. The unmanned retail boom caused by this has attracted the attention of many capitals, and the smart packaging industry associated with it can break out in the spring of “new retail” and deserve everyone’s attention!

New retail

New retailing, that is, companies relying on the Internet to upgrade their production, distribution, and sales processes through the use of big data, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies, to reshape the structure and ecosystem, and to provide online services, A new retail model of deep integration between offline experience and modern logistics.

From the definition of new retail, we can see that big data and artificial intelligence are two key words for new retail. RFID, on the other hand, can provide technical support for new retail big data collection and artificial intelligence. Thus, the application of RFID technology in smart packaging is fully reflected.

Application of RFID in Intelligent Packaging

Radio frequency identification (RFID), also known as radio frequency identification (RFID), is a communication technology that can identify specific targets and read and write related data through radio signals without identifying the mechanical or optical contact between the system and a specific target. .

RFID can give each item a unique 'electronic ID card' (which cannot be copied or tampered with). It can realize the value of anti-counterfeiting, traceability, and anti-defective goods. Through intelligent packaging of thread cone winding machine using RFID technology, traceability and traceability can be easily achieved throughout the supply chain, ensuring complete end-to-end transparency. Provide consumers with extra product information and interact with them. After the integration of the back-end big data platform, it finally formed supply chain big data and anti-fake large-scale data.

In addition, according to specific needs, intelligent packaging can also introduce labels with diagnostic or detection functions, such as: time-temperature indicator, freshness indicator, oxygen indicator, carbon dioxide indicator, package leakage tag, pathogen indicator Wait.

Opportunities and challenges coexist

The wave of new retail has brought unprecedented opportunities for the transformation and upgrading of traditional intelligent packaging. Whether it is anti-counterfeit traceability, supply chain data, or artificial intelligence, there will be demand for smart packaging. Of course, smart packaging is also facing some obstacles to development, such as: high costs, shortage of high-end R & D personnel. These issues need to be solved.

As chip and tag technologies mature, the cost is decreasing after the quantification of the scale, which will free up space for smart packaging to reduce costs. In addition, the added value of smart packaging to the “new retail” will also end Reward smart packaging companies.

Of course, companies want to make profits, and ultimately have to rely on thread cone winding machine to speak, companies should actively create smart packaging thread cone winding machine that meet market demand. And good thread cone winding machine need talented people to build. Smart packaging companies must strengthen personnel training, speed up R&D, and turn technology into productivity as quickly as possible.

In recent years, with the rapid growth of online retailing, there has been a tremendous increase in demand for packaging. As most of these packages are used for one-time use, the pollution of packaging waste that ensues is very grim. This brings new requirements to the packaging industry: green environmental protection.

Foshan GongHong Textile Machinery Co., Ltd.’s administrative systems and management team are extraordinary-you'll need them to get a new location up and running. Check out GongHong Textile Machinery for optimal quality products, and get your winding machine in textile problem fixed. Send us an enquiry or make a call if you are interested. What Foshan GongHong Textile Machinery Co., Ltd. discovered was that innovation occurs when business models match up with one or more of the winding machine where technological advances overlap with market needs, thus resulting in growth and transformation. Media contact Company Name: Foshan Gonghong Textile Machinery Co., Ltd. Address:Floor 1, building B8, XinGuangYuan base, Luocun, Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong, China 528226 Contact Person: Becky Kwok E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.windermachine.com

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newstfionline · 8 years ago

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Inside the Secret World of Global Food Spies

Michael Schuman, Bloomberg News, August 6, 2017

While adulteration has been a bugbear of consumers since prehistoric wine was first diluted with saltwater, scandals in China over the past decade--from melamine-laced baby formula, to rat-meat dressed as lamb--have seen the planet’s largest food-producing and consuming nation become a hotbed of corrupted, counterfeit, and contaminated food.

Shanghai-based Zhong An Information and Technology Services Co. said in June it will use the technology to track chickens from the coop to the processing facility and on to the market or store.

The challenges for China--“the factory of the world”--are especially vast because of its size, population, multilayered administrative divisions, and “the willingness of criminals to exploit every corner that they can in order to make money,” said Michael Ellis, who ran Interpol’s trafficking in illicit goods unit until October.

Without a presence to fight it, food-fraud globally “will explode,” Ellis said. “It will just continue to grow, and who knows where it will lead.”

#food fraud #China and food fraud

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thaitung · 8 years ago

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Shop Frontiers: The Rise of Cross-border Buying around the World

They are the people who take their passports out shopping in search of an international bargain.

Globalization has been breaking down boundaries for a generation or more, no more so than in the parts of the world where consumers routinely cross frontiers to make their purchases of everything from household goods to petrol and groceries.

From Europeans who buy alcohol and cigarettes over the border, to health tourists popping next door to get medical supplies – or even to get their teeth fixed – the notion of cross-border consumers appears to be here to stay.

FINLAND | RUSSIA

In the middle of a Finnish forest not far from the border with their homeland, two Russians are doing a bit of low-level sanctions busting.

Vasily Yermolayev and his friend Dmitry have bought some salmon at a supermarket just up the road from the crossing point. “You can’t get it in St Petersburg, it’s on the EU’s blacklist,” says Vasily, 37.

Vladimir Putin put a stop to salmon imports from Scandinavia last year as a riposte to EU sanctions after Russia annexed Crimea. The two Russian salesmen blame Europe for the lack of salmon in their shops.

In the car park outside, Markku Puhakainen, 62, a Finn, is anticipating his weekly trip to Russia to buy petrol at less than half the Imatra price. The steelworker is an ice-hockey referee in his spare time, so he travels a lot to games and saves thousands of euros each year by making the two-hour round trip to fill up over the border. While he is there, he’ll pick up a block of cigarettes at a fraction of the price charged at home.

Here among the endless pine trees, Russians and Finns are figuring out how to navigate the shifting winds of economics and geopolitics to make their lives better.

The Russians enjoy the assistance of three huge supermarkets that opened 18 months ago at the Imatra border crossing, where Finnish retailers do a brisk trade with Russian consumers prepared to drive 150 miles from St Petersburg and beyond. Almost all the checkout staff speak Russian, the signs and labels are in Russian, and the product range is chosen with Russian tastes in mind. Companies in St Petersburg offer “Finland for an hour” bus tours here for 800 rubles, about £11.

Once, St Petersburg’s aristocracy frequented Imatra to admire its famous rapids and fish for salmon in the Vuoksi river, which joins Lake Saimaa, Finland’s largest, with Lake Ladoga over the border to the east. But now the Russians have other pursuits in mind.

Sergei, 33, is stocking up on washing powder. “Russian brands make a lot of froth but don’t get the dirt out,” he says. “Rather like politicians.”

Stanislav, 40, and his wife have driven 500 miles from Vologda and are breaking their journey at a B&B on the Russian side, giving them more time to load the car with meat, cheese, coffee and jar after jar of trout roe caviar. “Things are more expensive here, but the quality is much better,” he says.

“It’s all down to what the ruble is doing,” says Tomi Törmä, chief customs officer at the Imatra crossing. “When it’s up, the Russians come – when it’s down, the Finns go.”

Currently the traffic is fairly equal each way, with about 1,000 crossings a day, he said. But late last year when the ruble fell off a cliff the queues of Finns were hundreds of cars long. The nearest petrol station is less than 500 meters from the border in the town of Svetogorsk, whose giant paper mill looms over the treetops. The only potential hiccup is the time it can take to get through customs.

Smuggling is a problem. Only last week, Finnish customs bust a car with 100 blocks of cigarettes – only one is allowed. Drivers never know when their car will be singled out for close inspection. Finns are forbidden to make more than one trip every 20 hours.

But with a one-year multiple entry visa costing around €130 (£93), it still makes a lot of sense for Finns living near the border to exploit the petrol price differential. EU law says they can only fill their petrol tanks plus one spare canister, otherwise the volumes would be ever larger.

Imatra is one of five crossing points in Finland’s south-east. Each year, more than 10 million people cross the Russian border in both directions in south-east Finland, and Finland’s interior ministry has predicted that this could more than treble by the end of the decade.

Russian customers spent €360m (£255m) in southern Karelia in 2013, according to Mika Peltonen, head of the local chamber of commerce. The weak ruble shrank this trade last year, with spending estimated at €250m.

“Still, these are huge figures for a small Finnish region,” Peltonen says, amounting to more than a third of the total spending by Russians in Finland. For purchases over €40, Russians can claim back the VAT at the border.

Last year, Russians made more than 2m shopping trips into south-east Finland. Despite the weak ruble, numbers were only slightly down on the peak in 2013 after Russian visitors soared in the middle of the last decade.

“There is so much more money in Russia nowadays, that’s the simple answer to why they come,”says Heikki Laine, of the Imatra municipality. The local economy benefits greatly from the flow of Russians, he says, and there is consternation whenever the numbers fall.

Finns have been exploiting the ruble-euro exchange rate ever since the border crossing opened at Imatra in 2001, and the local economy has adjusted as a result. But still there is a sense of guilt among Finns that they might be bilking the system, with customs officials embarrassed that their colleagues sometimes nip across the border.

“It’s not for me, I’m not going to Russia – I pay my taxes in Finland,” barks one shopper at a border supermarket.

HONG KONG | CHINA

Sheung Shui has become a booming shopping town. Once a quiet backwater of Hong Kong from where you could peep into the Chinese mainland, it now welcomes thousands of people every day pulling trolleys or laundry bags tied on wheels.

On a weekday afternoon, every few minutes the railway station disgorges dozens of hurried people, who fill their luggage with baby formula, nappies, toilet paper, vitamin pills, over-the-counter drugs, shampoo and some food items. As soon as their bags are full, they are gone – back across the nearby border to China.

They will return with empty trolleys, and start all over again, loading up their bags awkwardly in the middle of the hectic streets, queuing up by the bus station weighed down by luggage, eager to cram yet more journeys in and out of China.

The parallel-trading phenomenon in the small border towns of the northern territories of Hong Kong caught most by surprise, and many residents feel that the disruption is now too great.

Of the 60.8 million tourists who came to Hong Kong in 2014, more than 47 million were from the mainland – of whom about 60% were “parallel traders”.

What these visitors do is not illegal. Nor is it exactly legal, either: taking advantage of Hong Kong’s lower prices for imported goods and stricter quality controls that protect it from the food scandals and counterfeiting common in China, they purchase tax-free goods to resell across the border at a premium, with no custom duty applied.

The demand for baby formula in the mainland is so overwhelming that Hong Kong has seen many shortages in recent years. In 2013, in an attempt to control the problem, authorities forbade the export of more than 1.8kg of formula per person, and stipulated that it be for personal consumption. More recently, the authorities tightened up on cross-border movement, allowing one return trip per week, per person.

Yet a shop assistant at Hang Kin pharmacy, standing in front of piles of milk powder tins, says: “We see repeat customers often. Some are familiar faces.”

The trade has now led to a backlash. Protests have on occasion turned into ugly shouting matches, with protesters and mainland shoppers hurling abuse at each other. Police have intervened heavily, with pepper spray deployed inside shopping malls and the arrests of a few protesters – but not very much has changed.

A shop assistant at another chemist, sporting a red shirt with “Carnation” written all over it (a baby formula brand in high demand in China), says there have been fewer customers recently. “Maybe 30% less? I cannot tell. The weekends remain very active, but the numbers are down,” he says.

A glance at the bags carried by the visitors hopping on the trains to China shows that the formula milk limit is not enforced. Recently, one Chinese clerk was jailed for smuggling 20kg of baby formula in one trip. Smugglers have also been stopped with scores of iPhones strapped to their bodies.

But for every case that ends up in court or on a suspects list, tens of thousands more carry on the practice in plain view, and neither the police, nor the immigration or customs departments, can keep abreast of it.

HUNGARY | AUSTRIA

With its homely riverside cafes, elegant Habsburg facades and beguiling baroque churches, Mosonmagyaróvár is at first glance just another one of the sleepy towns near the western Hungarian border in which Magyar folksiness blends with Austrian grandeur.

But one thing sets the town apart from its peers. Mosonmagyaróvár’s secret is hinted at by the signs and hoardings on the sleepy high street that direct visitors to Laserdent, Eurodent, 5Dent and sundry other related businesses. With about 350 dental surgeries, Mosonmagyaróvár – population 30,000 – can claim to have more dentists per head than anywhere else in the world.

The draw for foreign customers is the cost. “Implants here are half or even a third of the Vienna price; compared with Denmark or Switzerland it can be four times cheaper,” says Zoltán Veress, a specialist in implant treatments who has worked in Mosonmagyaróvár for 12 years. “We mainly treat one-day patients from Vienna – which is only 60km [40 miles] away – and its surroundings. I guess around 90% of the patients are from ‘the neighborhood’.”

One visiting dental patient, Werner Ubl, who works in fashion textiles in the Austrian capital, says he has been visiting Mosonmagyáróvar dentists for three years. He adds: “It is a lot cheaper here, but that’s not the only reason I come. In Vienna I always have to wait: sometimes it can be quicker to drive to Hungary.

“It’s a short holiday and in the meantime I can get my teeth done. For this price I could only spend a night or two in Austria, and without the dental treatment. In times like this everybody has to hold their money close.”

The global financial woes of recent years have not affected Mosonmagyáróvar’s dental surgeries. Veress says: “We didn’t lose patients from the financial crisis because more and more people want treatment that is a little cheaper but still good quality. In fact our numbers have slightly risen.”

He adds: “We have customers from countries other than Austria: mainly Switzerland and Denmark, but other places too, even from Greenland – real Inuits. For these clients we have a minibus that picks them up at the airports in Vienna and Bratislava, which is half an hour away by car. They fly here for a week, we do some extractions and they come back later for the surgery.”

“When we fit a bridge or crowns they stay for a week, the minimum time frame for such procedures. A front tooth implant with a ceramic crown on it can cost €4,000 in Denmark, or €3,000-€4,000 in Austria. Here we can do the procedure for around €1,000,” he said.

Word of mouth is the main motor for new customers in the town. Heinz Singer, a Vienna resident who has been visiting Mosonmagyaróvár for dental implants, says: “I first heard about Mosonmagyaróvár from friends in Vienna who come here every year.”

The historical roots of Mosonmagyaróvár’s dental tourism industry lie in the relative liberalism and freedom of entry that Hungary enjoyed in the goulash communism era of the 1980s. “As a young dentist 27 or 28 years ago, I saw that Germans and Austrians holidayed in the resorts around Lake Balaton because it was one of the only meeting points with their relatives living in the eastern bloc,” says Tibor Koltai, 65, who employs about 40 people at KG Dental in Mosonmagyóvár.

“These tourists also visited dentists, and I had the idea to found this business, mainly for Austrian patients. There were 30-40 dentists when I first opened a dental surgery here,” he said. Now that number has increased tenfold. “There are 2 million people in greater Vienna and this is enough to support so many dentists here,” Koltai adds.

After years of sending patients to local hotels, Koltai decided to build a hotel of his own. Szilvia Husz manages KG Dental’s Hotel Lajta Park. “We offer a complete service: as well as rooms, we have a restaurant with a special menu – there’s always a soup or salad – and a new menu being devised by a celebrity chef.” Born and bred in Mosonmagyaróvár, Husz says the dental industry has helped counter Hungary’s brain drain trend.

“Hungarian doctors often want to leave, but the dentists can stay. There are only 350 dentists in Mosonmagyaróvár, but each one employs two assistants, plus receptionists and marketing managers. The bigger clinics also employ drivers, chefs and apartment managers too,” says Husz.

ESTONIA | FINLAND & SWEDEN

For most, visiting Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, means a day trip or perhaps a night or two wandering the cobbled streets of the picturesque old town, a place of gorgeously preserved buildings from the high middle ages. Others, though, have different touristic quarry: inexpensive liquor.

Though prices have increased in recent years, many Scandinavians, frequently travelers by boat from Stockholm and Helsinki, are taking home cartloads of discount beer and spirits and making Tallinn a port of choice for just such shopping sprees.

Alcoholic beverages in Scandinavia are highly taxed. In Sweden drinks are taxed by alcohol content with weak beers taxed the least and vodka and other hard liquor taxed at 40%. Likewise, in Finland taxes are based on strength. The price for alcohol in Finland is 75% above the EU average. All of this makes Estonia an attractive destination in which to stock the home bar.

Eva Lena Svensson, a special education teacher from the small city of Kristinehamn in central Sweden, admits that part of the reason she and her husband come to Tallinn is to stock up on discount alcohol.

“We take the night boat from Stockholm and it’s fun,” she says. “We arrive in the morning and enjoy the old town which is great for the day. Then at night we can load up on beer and vodka at the shop and take the boat back. The amount we buy isn’t a lot but for us it’s enough to last for many weeks. The prices are so much lower here than in Sweden.”

In Sweden there are no limits on how much alcohol travelers can return home with, as long as it is for personal consumption and not resold. Finns are allowed 110 liters of beer, 90 liters of wine and 10 liters of other alcoholic drinks tax free. Greater volumes brought to Finland and resold illegally have been a problem in recent years.

“Yeah, we Finns like to shop for liquor in Estonia,” says Janne Mattila, a salesman from Pori, as he sips a cocktail in a swanky old town bar. “I always bring home some because of the great price difference. But not the crazy amounts you see at the port.”

Whereas Sweden to Estonia is an overnight trip on what is in essence a cruise ship, Finland is only two hours away by ferry. And though most Finns such as Mattila shop for modest sums on planned holidays, a small but determined number of Finnish shoppers bring home a staggering amount of booze.

A recent survey of nearly 4,000 Finns who had traveled by ferry to Estonia over the past year has shown that just 5% of Finnish visitors account for more than half the alcohol taken back to Finland. The study, undertaken by Finnish market research company TAK Oy and published in the newspaper Keskisuomalainen, also underscores the immense volumes purchased by so-called “alcotourists”. The results show that last year, tourists took 64m liters of alcoholic beverages back to Finland, including 32m liters of beer, 9m liters of cider, 11m liters of long drinks and 4.5m liters of spirits.

“Of course, we bring back loads of alcohol when we come to Tallinn,” says Karsten Jonsson, a worker for a Swedish defense contractor living in Stockholm as he sips an A Le Coq, Estonia’s popular lager, at the port of Tallinn. “They tax the hell out of us for liquor at home. But really, we don’t bring back so much. We’re not like the Finns you know.”

MOLDOVA | ROMANIA

In the Romanian industrial port city of Galati, on the border with Moldova, locals know where to go to get cheap cigarettes: a place known as the Moldovan’s Market.

“You can taste the quality difference between the cigarettes that come from Romania and the ones from Moldova, but then again they are less than half the price,” says one local, who often goes to the market to buy his cigarettes.

The Moldovan’s Market is primarily a place to sell fruit and vegetables, but do a quick lap and you’ll soon be approached by various sellers offering the chance to buy a few packs of bargain-priced cigarettes brought in from across the border.

There is a reason for this. A packet of 20 in Romania costs on average the equivalent of £2.57, according to the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association. Across the border, and just outside the EU, a pack is as little as 57p.

Smugglers, taking advantage of the price difference, go back and forth across the border and though Romania has tried to crack down on the trade it does not seem to have made much difference: the black market for cigarettes accounted for 15.9% of cigarette consumption in Romania in 2014, with Moldova the source of about a fifth of those – though with 46% of illicit cigarettes of uncertain provenance that number could be far higher.

“Our data shows that in 2014 the illicit trade of cigarettes recorded the highest share in the total cigarettes market in the past four years,” says Marian Marcu, managing partner of Bucharest-based research firm Novel Research.

Much of the smuggling is larger in scale – in February, border police caught one truck driver crossing to Galati with 624 packets of cigarettes – but the chance to make a quick profit is not lost on those who regularly cross the border.

Late last year while crossing the border from Moldova into Romania on a night bus, this correspondent was, along with other passengers, optimistically handed two packs of cigarettes by the driver who was hoping to get around the two-pack maximum when crossing by land from a non-EU country. Once across he went back around the bus collecting the packets from those who had been willing to take them. From the reaction of everyone on board it was not even close to the first time they had been asked to be temporary mules.

VENEZUELA | COLOMBIA

During the golden days of sky-high oil prices in the 1970s, Venezuelans would cross over the border to Colombia to snap up clothes, jewellery and anything their then-strong currency could buy. A common phrase heard by Venezuelan shoppers in Colombia was “that’s cheap, give me two”.

When the Venezuelan bolivar took a dive and the government of the late Hugo Chávez set price controls for basic goods, it was Colombians who crossed into the neighboring country to take advantage of prices they could not even dream of at home: just pennies for cooking oil, corn flour and milk.

But as the Venezuelan government tightened restrictions on the purchase of such items to try to stem contraband – shoppers must now be fingerprinted at the cash register – Colombians left it to smuggling organizations to bring the goods across the border. The Venezuelan goods go for higher prices than inside the country but are still far cheaper than the Colombian equivalents.

Today, Venezuelans who cross over to Colombia no longer look for Colombian-made luxury items. On their market list is soap, detergent and toilet paper made in Venezuela but impossible to get there.

One resident of San Cristobal, a Venezuelan city 20 miles from the border, says he recently bought Venezuelan detergent in a Colombian border town. He paid 1,300 Colombian pesos, equivalent to about 130 bolivars on the black market. The official Venezuelan price for the product is 70 bolivars.

The Táchira state government reckons as much as 40% of the food sent to the state ends up smuggled into Colombia. At the Cenabastos central market in Cúcuta workers unload packs of Venezuelan corn flour, rice, soap, oil, powdered milk, selling wholesale to shops in the city center.

A kilo of corn flour, very popular in the region to make arepa corncakes, costs just Bs 14 (about 20 US cents). The same package fetches five times as much as in Colombia, putting it out of reach for most people in Venezuela, where the minimum monthly wage is just US$51 pesos at the black market exchange rate.

For as long as anyone can remember, Colombians on the border have taken advantage of their neighbor’s dirt cheap petrol prices. At about 7 US cents a gallon Venezuela has the cheapest petrol in the world. Figuring that if authorities can’t beat the smugglers they might as well join them in the profits, last year the Venezuelan government established a special price for gas stations near the border with Colombia at the equivalent of 37 cents a gallon and in April increased it to $1.48 a gallon.

Still, when you can sell it at $2.75 per gallon in Cúcuta, taking it over the border makes sense.

Every day dozens of motorcycles coast down the steep, windy road from the town of Capacho in Venezuela to San Antonio, their tanks filled with the cheap petrol to sell in Colombia. To avoid checkpoints, drivers walk their motorbikes across the thin, shallow waters of the Táchira river that serves as the border between the two countries. And to add to the profits, often the young motorcycle drivers stuff their pockets with bath soap and strap cuts of beef to their chests with plastic wrap to sell in Colombia.

Even currency gets smuggled. In March Venezuelan authorities seized 3m bolivars in cash hidden in the doors of a pickup truck bound for the border. The Venezuelan border patrol agency says Colombians will pay a premium for the bills of as much as 10% either to pay for Venezuelan goods in cash to then smuggle over the border, or to bleach them clean to make counterfeit dollar bills.

BELARUS | RUSSIA

Gambling became a multi-million dollar industry in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. But after it banned casino gambling across most of the country in 2009, many began going abroad play.

Minsk quickly became the hot spot for Russian gamblers, who enjoyed its accessibility and cheap prices. Belarus is an eight-hour car ride from Moscow through an open border, and everyone speaks Russian there.

Glittering casinos such as the Shangri La and the Grand Bellagio opened in the still very Soviet city, many of them catering to well-heeled clients who could afford to come for a weekend of poker at tables with a minimum $200 bet.

According to a 2012 report in the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, wealthy players were visiting Minsk so often that many found local girlfriends and installed them in their own apartments.

But the number of gamblers from Russia and the amount of money they spend has reportedly fallen after the value of the ruble plunged late last year.

“For a lot of people it’s getting too expensive, so the number of those wanting to go somewhere and gamble has gotten three to four times less. For all destinations, not just Belarus,” says Ruben Yakubov, whose Moscow-based company organizes such tours. “Tour costs are calculated in foreign currency, and now the sum in rubles has increased by a lot. Plus airfares have gone up.”

Staying home to play is still not an alluring alternative. Although the government had set up four official gambling zones within Russia, only one – in Krasnodar region – managed to become a viable gaming center. However, as of this year, the casinos will reportedly be closed down with an eye to moving them to nearby Sochi.

SWITZERLAND

In January the Swiss National Bank made a surprise decision to stop pegging the Swiss franc (CHF) to the euro.

In the chaotic days that followed, the Swiss discovered their money could buy an awful lot more over the borders in the eurozone, as the franc soared from buying around 85 cents to being on a par with the euro.

So they jumped in their cars and headed for neighboring France and Germany as well as Austria and Italy for a shopping frenzy.

Even before the SNB sent the Swiss franc soaring, Swiss shopping tourists were spending around 10bn francs (£6.8bn) abroad every year. A survey in 2013, the first of its kind, found that one in four Swiss consumers went shopping in neighboring countries at least once a month.

The most popular foreign purchases were clothes and shoes, followed by food, then toiletries and home furnishings. According to the survey, carried out by the GfK market research institute and commissioned by a group of Swiss retailers, shoppers in the Italian-speaking region of Ticino were most likely to cross the border to shop.

The attraction was not only lower prices, but more attractive opening times and a wider range of products.

Frenchman Jean-Christophe Boudot, who comes from five generations of wine dealers and who runs the Vinotheque du Leman, just 100 meters from the Swiss border at Ferney Voltaire, says sales have increased between 5% and 8% since the beginning of the year, and this is helping to offset a collapse in sales to China.

“It’s difficult to say if the cross-border boom will continue because Swiss customs have clamped down to slow it down and reduced the amount people can take back,” Boudot says.

While retailers in Switzerland have launched more aggressive marketing campaigns to keep shoppers buying at home, customs officers have increased random searches for Swiss residents bringing back goods worth more than 300 francs or €200.

Swiss Netto, a major Swiss car dealer, told Euronews that its outlets have been deserted since the beginning of the year, and a number of companies had suspended orders for new vehicle fleets. Suppliers are being forced to agree to aggressive discounts.

“It’s clear for every car we sell we get 15% less revenue, and we have to sell more vehicles to make up for this loss,” says Sergio Protopapa, director at AMAG Fribourg.

When the euro was introduced in 2002, it led to a boom in the French-Spanish border town of Le Perthus as French shoppers rushed from nearby Perpignan into Spain to snap up cigarettes and alcohol that were about a third cheaper. At the height of summer, an estimated 70,000 visitors cross the border to shop every day. French consumers also shop in Andorra, where VAT is only 4%.

- The Guardian

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