There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it?

I have. In Hong Kong. It’s the awakening of awesomeness. For some reason, the Special Administrative Region of China is getting massive love from Disney/Lucasfilm in advance of the movie’s opening. In fact, it will open in Hong Kong a day before it does in the United States. Maybe it’s to beat the pirate DVD sales. But I think I have a better explanation…

For the 22nd time, I find myself back in HK doing shows at TakeOut Comedy, possibly my favorite place to play in the world. The wonderfully supportive crowds here never fail to make me leave the stage feeling like I made the right choices in life. Over the course of 100+ shows here in the last decade, they’ve proven themselves to be the greatest audiences ever. And for this, The Force is rewarding them!

The Causeway Bay area is in full-on Star Wars geek mode, and I’m a happy fanboy. As I was admiring the scattered swag, I couldn’t help but smile and sigh. A rude passer-by heard my quiet moan of geek ecstasy (geekstasy?) and said, “It’s just a movie, get over it.” To which I replied, “JUDGE ME BY MY SIGHS DO YOU??!!”

Check out the amazing stuff that is awakening in Hong Kong:

Outside of the Times Square mall is a giant Lego AT-AT! Much of the other parts are shrouded behind paneling for now. “Difficult to see,” as Yoda would say.

Next to the AT-AT is a giant Lego Shuttle Tydirium!! They tried to cover it with black cloth for now, but obviously they suck at secrecy. Or maybe it’s just wearing Kylo Ren chic. In the distance, you can see giant Lego Snow Stormtroopers (snow clones?) hiding behind the paneling. Also a rare view of the AT-AT rear exhaust port, a.k.a. its “AT-hole.”

Meanwhile, on the inside of the mall, you can take your photo with a squad of new-style Stormtroopers. And what’s this thing covered in black cloth? Oh yeah, IT’S THE MILLENNIUM GODDAMN FALCON! C’mon, there’s only one thing in the world shaped like this (welllll… maybe two things) so you ain’t fooling anybody. Maybe they used up all their black cloth on hiding the Falcon, which explains the horrible cloaking of the Shuttle Tydirium outside.

But I’ve saved the best for last. And now, FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS AWESOMENESS:

This is playing on the giant TV screen in Times Square. And this is why I love Hong Kong so much.