Bootlegs in China? Sounds like peanut butter and jelly to me. Yet, I’m guessing that on the long list of things the government is keep a lid on in advance of the summer games, bootlegs of the mascot Fuwa gets lost in the shuffle.

Here’s a pretty funny essay, written in Chinese and translated into English, about some (lousy) bootleg paraphernalia of the mascot (which to my eyes looks to be more appropriate for the upcoming Vancouver winter games) found on the outskirts of Beijing over the weekend.

I could hardly believe my eyes—Fuwa Nini? Could it really be you? That flirtatious glance, those seductive red lips, er….is that a tongue? But…what’s with the microphone?

The author also provides a guide on how to spot a fake Fuwa:

The swallow wings on its head are the wrong color!
The swallow in the middle is the wrong color!
Nini’s missing two light-colored dots on her head!
The cloud-like things below the swallow wings have vanished!
The black hat band has turned brown!
A shine has been added to the eyes. How clever!
A shine has been added to the nose, but it still seems okay!
The mouth is open! Or its tongue is sticking out!
Who knows where it stole the microphone from!
The position of the five-rings and the Beijing Olympic logo have been switched!
Wait! That’s not the Olympic logo! You’re…you’re not Nini! Who are you!

(Taken from Danwei)