Sunday
29Jun
Rollin' on tha Eastside... the Far Eastside
Sunday, June 29, 2008
My dear readers, may I present to you my pièce de résistance! Two weeks in the making, 3 days in the production room, and I even learned how to use real editing software that I had to pay for (Magix Movie Edit Pro 12). All in an effort to properly bring you my China experience.
This video captures all (well, almost all) my adventures in China, from everyday scenes in Harbin, to dining, working and shopping. Then, we visit the Harbin Siberian Tiger Park, followed by 2 days of messing around in my new favorite city in the world, Shanghai.
In the spirit of fairness, I have to tell you it's 26 minutes long, so watch it in pieces if you must. But I promise you, I pulled out all the stops to make this video as interesting, educational and entertaining as possible (lots of short snippets and clips - ideal for blogger ADD).
Enjoy.
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Reader Comments (53)
DUDE! Michael and I just sat here and watched the entire video. It was so awesome, interesting, and it really gave a good look into a different place in the world. You did awesome and we thank you!
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[BusyDad] Dudette! It makes me so happy that you both sat through it - and so soon after I posted it. You rule.
I'm only 1:30 in, but to hear you call yourself a Princess has made my week.
Off to watch the rest.
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[BusyDad] I said I FELT like a... oh nevermind. Fine. I am a princess!!
BD - awesome. REALLY awesome. I stayed up 30 min past my bedtime to watch and you didn't disappoint.
Now I wanna go! I've never had an urge to go to China, but now, you need to take me!
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[BusyDad] Thank you Angie! Big happy. Just for that, you get a seat on the charter jet when the Chinese bureau of tourism decides to fly me back to Shanghai.
I was riveted . . . so looking forward to hearing about your trip!!!
Awe...you feel like a princess. :)
"A bunch of little Furys."
Some highlights for me (AKA What I learned) . . . The Russians speaking Chinese, it being so light out at 3 am, the Chinese buffet that looks like nothing I've ever seen, you talking out of your arse, high-end Pizza Hut, the dipping sauces--I'd so eat nuggets with those sauces!, SPR coffee???--downer, lotta Crocs, beer gardens?!?!, live animals for food (I remember buying some sardines for the dolphins, but that was it--certainly not TURKEY), that duck didn't have a chance, but, nice juxtaposition with the cute baby tiger, red bean pancake?, Green Tea donut!!! Cool (and you are so right about Krisy Kreme, taffy is hard work!, what is Venice doing in China?, FREE The fish . . . WOW!!!, super fast taxi! OMG. It is over . . . oh, boo. hoo. Oh, and it was much better than ironing.
Yup. Watched it all. I'm not sure what that says about me, but I sure am dedicated :)
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[BusyDad] Wow Laksi... if I ever do a Cliffs notes version of my blog, can I commission you to write it? You had no trouble with book reports when you were a kid, did you! Thank you for watching this and retaining all that!!
So I was supposed to be in bed an hour ago, but this was much better than tossing and turning.
The little Fury's part cracked me up.
I totally averted my eyes with the duck, but omgosh, was that baby Tiger cute or what?
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Is that purple ball building a skyscraper too? (I think it was purple)
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[BusyDad] I'm amazed that you chose to watch this over getting some sleep. It means so much more when a PARENT does that. Thank you! I think that purple ball thing is a TV broadcast tower. Very Jetsons isn't it?
Thanks for sharing that! Awesome stuff. Well done indeed.
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[BusyDad] Thanks PG!! You yourself told me my skillz would improve after my first W8loss Wed. I be proud!
Awesome video! I bet the fighter pilot helmet was a huge hit! Was that sold commercially, or something you just happened to find on the street? I was thinking those would be popular here in the U.S. as well, but wouldn't begin to know where to go buy one. Maybe eBay...
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[BusyDad] Thanks FrugalDad! He wears it everywhere! And total bonus that it looks like something out of Speedracer. I found it in the shopping district in a little army/navy shop. I was actually thinking about getting a bunch and eBaying them! They are pretty cool and I sometimes wear it around the house myself...
I have never had any interest in visiting China, but after your entertaining and informative video I may have to reconsider. If you ever get bored of your current job you could work for Tourism China.
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[BusyDad] Thanks Sinead! If they paid me to wander around and talk out my arse, I'd be ALL for it!
I watched the entire video straight thru and was bummed when it was over. Fascinating. Those wiggly cocoons on the buffet table...OMG!! The tiger bit amazed me. Big cats (especially lions and tigers) are by far my favorite animal. And BRAVO to the old school tunes at the end!
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[BusyDad] Thanks for watching it ALL. I remember from a past comment that you don't watch videos (that was you right??). So extra cool! You can't have fast driving (or a strip club) without some Motley Crue tunes.
Didn't you just start working there? And already off to China! You are my hero. Peace, Mike.
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[BusyDad] I actually worked there a few years ago, then left, then came back. So, I actually know the biz quite well. But I'm still cool, right?
I can't believe how good you are at the whole travelogue thing! I also can't believe you resisted buying some of that meat, and throwing it in the cage just so you could say, "Eat the meat Tina!"
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[BusyDad] :) Thanks Momo! Believe me, if they had a llama, it would have SO been on the video. Even Fury does that bit! I would have done it for his amusement alone.
Commenting as I watch...
Russian buildings, cool...
Badminton in the lobby, cool...
You said/wrote 'arse' as opposed to 'ass' - brilliant...
The conference, whats that on your jacket? you look like you're at a wedding...
Tigers....feeding live turkeys to them!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH - Ducks are my favourite...oh lord....
Shanghai looks stunning, but I have to go and vomit now because of the poor duck.
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[BusyDad] haha - I was like WTF when they put a corsage on me. It was like prom nite all over again. But I guess that's how they differentiated guests from attendees. And those who got to eat at the banquet (which is why I kept it on). A moment of silence in your honor for the duck...
awesome! haha, so LA has finally made you into a film person. Took how long? :) Thanks for including the obligatory cute tiger footage. Shanghai is great. Glad the huns didn't get you - although wait, wouldn't that be great video footage for the blog...
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[d Bro] Now you understand the mind of a dad blogger. Bad things happening to you is fine. As long as you get footage of it to post the next day.
I was waiting for the chinese-speaking Russian. Dude, where were the pork/chicken intestines in the street food segment? I would love to go to that Tiger Park. The one in Manila, they have them in cages and only get to roam for a period of time and we only go to buy dressed chicken - no live animals - lame-o! I loved the ending - Fury putting on the helmet the same way you did when you got it. Loves it! So we are now planning for Shanghai in the near future? I'm glad you're back though...
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[d Hubby] Fury would love the Tigers, YOU would LOVE the shopping. We all know what I would like. So yeah. Sounds like a good deal.
Well, I don't Iron, I never liked friends, and my family is fed. I LOVED this, I'm watching again. It's poking the travel bug in me. I want to go to China, but I'm NOT eating a wiggling silkworm!
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[BusyDad] But think of how easy it would be to win fear factor after that! Thank you for watching it TWICE! Dang, I really am amazed. :)
Awesome video man! Took me about five hours to watch it because people kept walking into my office...but I finally saw the whole thing. Favorite part? The Motley Crue driving sequence....totally got me pumped. Thanks for sharing...looks like a fantastic trip. Gotta go look online for some Transformables now.
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[BusyDad] Damn had I known the demand for authentic Transformables, I would have brought a whole bunch home with me!! Glad you liked the video, Matt. Thanks!
Hey Princess,
Ligers. They're pretty much my favorite animal. And by the way...I'm still not convinced that that was not your voice with the baby tiger. lol. Glad you had fun. The video was great. I really did learn some stuff (although, I'm not sure how much of it is true and how much of it you pulled out of your ass)...but, cool nonetheless :)
BossS
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[BusyDad] I just sound like I know what I am talking about. Don't tell that to the readers of Stark Raving Dads!!! Ligers rule. I wish they actually HAD some. haha!
That was awesome! I'm opening that fish business here with all our tourists. What kind of tech work do you do?
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[BusyDad] Seriously, it could work. Or sell them at a PETA rally. You'll make bank! (I do biz dev/marketing for an IT consulting/application development firm)
Seriously the most educational and awesome thing I have ever seen about China.
Borsht.... just had some my Polish mommy made me today.
Green Tea donut... yummy.
Trans Formables... hysterical.
Late night dining.... unreal, so cool.
All of it, was amazing. Well done!
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[BusyDad] Thank you OHMommy! Maybe I can get Fury's school to play it during international week. It's never too early to learn about guts on a stick.
Don't have the time tonight to watch, but will definitely be back to watch. I need to go out and buy more popcorn.
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[BusyDad] I may have to warn you about eating while watching some parts of this...
When I was a young boy, I visited Korea with my family numerous times. I couldn't get used to those funky toilets either! She eventually installed a more familiar appliance, much to my delight.
You make a great point about the juxtaposition of the ancient civilization and being more modern than NYC all at the same time.
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[BusyDad] It really IS the little things that matter, isn't it? haha It just amazes me how freaking old China is. Like 3000 years or something??
OMG that was amazing BD. Seriously. I laughed, gasped, and even cried a little at the end when Fury rocked the helmet. There are SO many little things that caught my eye during this but I will not hog your comment section, well commenting about them. I can break it down over beers. But I do wonder WTF was going on with the carpet in the mall? That was weird... and the wiggling cucoons? YUCK. Oh and that taffy pulling guy looked like he hated life. Probably came from a family full of generations of taffy pullers... or noodle makers. Kadoosh!
Glad you made it! Now I now never to run late in China. Now would you PLEASE stop talking about yourself so much and get back to the cute kid that this blog is about??! ;-) Later Princess!
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[BusyDad] haha you noticed the carpet. That section was under construction. But in China, since liability isn't a big deal, they just throw a run over all the jackhammered concrete and say watch your step. Poor Fury, he'll have hit puberty by the time I'm done bloggin about myself!
Awesome documentary of your trip. I loved the Ligers and food parts. The best was Fury's presents though! Welcome home man!
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[BusyDad] Thanks Jeremy! I hate carrying things on the plane (I always get small, packable gifts), but I took one look at that helmet and it had Fury written all over it.
Transformables? Cool. reminds me of when I went to mexico and came across (for the first time) El Pollo Loco- and they actually had with 11 secret spices (in spanish) as their slogan.
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[BusyDad] Dang, I really should have bought those Transformables. I love El Pollo Loco. I wonder how many of those spices made it to the US version.
How Awesome! My daughter and I just went to France, and used a flip video camera the entire time. I MUST figure out how to insert the video into my blog! Any suggestions? LOL! Have a great day! And thanks for stopping by my blog!!
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[BusyDad] If you have a PC, Windows Movie Maker (comes free with Windows I think) is great for basic movie editing. Just download the clips to your computer, open Windows Movie Maker and just do it. You'll be surprised how intuitive it is!
What a trip! Literally! You've got memories and blog fodder for a lifetime!
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[BusyDad] I'm at like 4 posts and counting! That's ALMOST as much blog fodder as LEGO has given me. And that is quite amazing.
Dude, moving silkworm coccoons???? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!
I sat through the whole thing (with a potty break for K) and really enjoyed it!
Pizza Hut, fine dining? Ha!
I have to wonder what was going through all the locals minds seeing you. "Dude, he looks like us but is acting like a tourist. Maybe he's a movie producer!" :)
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[BusyDad] I feel bad for the people from China who move here and go on their first date. "Hey babe, only the best for you. We're going to Pizza Hut!" They'll never know what they did wrong. And I just looked like a crazy guy. If I had a real video camera, I may have looked important. Instead, all I had was my digital picture camera, so it looked more like a guy taking snapshots and talking to himself.
Wow, that was amazing! Thanks for the virtual trip to China. I hope you tipped your cabbie well. And I'm glad you decided against bringing Transformables home for Fury (Transformables: More Than Your Eyes Have Met) and picked up the fighter pilot helmet instead. That ruled.
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[BusyDad] HAHAHA! Ok, we need to do a full scale marketing push for Transformables here in the US.
Buy one get one free building permits? Only in China, right? Great job on the vid, BTW.
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[BusyDad] Thanks Kori! Yeah, I wish they did buy one get one free's here. I'm getting a remodel done in my house and building a bar. Two bars would be nice.
Nice video. Very VERY Tony Bordaine (A Cooks Tour) intro and outro. hahah .. was waiting to hear you speak the native tongue though. Whats up? Why didn't you break out in the Madarin.
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[BusyDad] Thanks Julia! You know what's funny? The day after I posted this, his show No Reservations was on, and it was the China episode. And we actually went to the same places. And you did not witness me speaking Chinese because I was never actually drunk in any of those clips.
Wow. That was sweet! I felt like I was there. I just watched the whole thing. Thank you, by the way, for the info about averting the eyes during the unfortunate duck scene. I'm not a big traveler, but for a second there I thought it would be pretty cool to take a trip to Shanghai. That mall looked nice...I enjoyed the Motley Crue montage at the end. Such a cool video and very satisfying to my ADD-ness. Welcome back!
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[BusyDad] Thank you SDub! I'm really happy you were able to sit thru it all. I have major ADD as well, so I try to make my videos montages rather than long subject. Makes it hell to edit, but worth it.
Thanks BusyDad. I'm glad you came by and hope to see you again soon.
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[BusyDad] You will - your blog is entertaining!
OMG! SO worth the wait! I saved your clip as my first on my thing to-do this morning online :) You did an amazing job putting this together. You forgot to put the disclaimer:Do not watch this clip if you're eating. I nearly hurled my bagel w/cream cheese when I saw the toilet, and then the worms, and then.... the duck. The DUCK!!! *sobs*
I'm writing McDonalds Corp right now and demanding those nugget dipping sauces.
The woman making the sticky rice things wrapped in leaves (my grandma's specialty) was amazing! Lightening speed!
Fury is adorable in his helmet :) Did he get a Transformable too?
Hope the incense brings your luck!
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[BusyDad] oops haha! Yeah, disclaimer - good idea. But thanks for watching it despite the toilet and edible insects (and perhaps the duck snuff film too). I really wanted to get a Transformable (told him about them on the phone and he cracked up!), but they were so damn huge.
Can you sign me up for weekend bloghopper? It sounds fun and I do it 24/7 anyway. But beer will definitely enhance the experience. If I have to change the 'call-sign' can it be Mrs. Weaselmomma????? Looking forward to the weekend.
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[BusyDad] Sure thing! Welcome aboard.
SO looking forward to this...hopefully I'll get to it today during naptime.
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[BusyDad] :) Funny. Naptime seems like the only time parents can EVER get anything done. Or hope to.
This is great, Jim. I've been to China and I've seen some of the stuff in the video. You made it a heck of a lot more interesting, though. If I have to make a video of China, it'll be about shopping, buildings, and more shopping.
Have you ever wondered why they haven't made a real steadycam video camera available for us tourists?
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[BusyDad] Thanks Rudy! I think even if I did have steadycam, I still would have made a few people nauseous with this video!
Commenting on your comment to Julia: Yeah, hungover but not drunk....
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[d Hubby] She's right.
Commenting on Tom's comment: Loved your Transformables slogan! It totally made me LOL - and I don't LOL much. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
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[d Hubby] Can you copyright a butchered pirated slogan?
Thanks for stopping by my blog!! Please come back anytime!
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[BusyDad] Will do!
Duuuuuuuuude! Awesome Video (I'm 39, I can say "dude" and "awesome" if I damn well feel like it!)
Still doesn't make up for 2 weeks without you!
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[BusyDad] :) You just miss Fury! But I'll gladly take credit. And duuuude. I say stuff like yo.
OK - I am now officially desperate to find someone to pay for me to go to China. Although that toilet seat is just...wrong.
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[BusyDad] LUCKILY Hotels have western toilets. I had to do some tricky timing to avoid the pit toilets. Also KFCs, McDonalds and most western chains have them too. It can be done.
Jim, go back to shanghai!
hhahaha. If you heard that now, you'd say OK! Maybe after all those years we're realizing she meant well?
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[d Bro] hahaha! yeah, if Mr. Cruickshanks (for you folks out there, he was my 6th grade teacher who told me to go back to Shanghai) paid for my ticket, i might have taken him up on that.
That was a phenomenal video. I sat and watched it one viewing, so that says something. Have a great holiday weekend, and welcome back to the good old U.S.A., the home of elevated toilets.
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