Check out the video above of a young kid who is so dedicated to his job selling peacock-themed souvenirs to international tourists, he’s learned his pitch in 13 different languages including French, Italian, German, Arabic, Russian, and Japanese.
I’d imagine this was taken somewhere in India — the classic black and yellow taxis can be seen driving in the background, and the familiar sound of the horn-flooded streets almost guarantees it’s somewhere on the Subcontinent.
I sure hope the videographer purchased the souvenir — this kid deserves it! Click here, or on the photo above to watch the video. [via]
(Sorry, I couldn’t find the video on YouTube or elsewhere. This one is hosted on a site that uses annoying audio ads. You’ve been warned!)
I don’t have a GPS device. For me, part of the fun of road trips is getting lost; I enjoy navigating unknown cities and long, remote stretches of highways with my trusty Rand McNally. That’s not to say I wouldn’t use a GPS device in conjunction with a paper map — but I wouldn’t rely solely on the satellite navigation system. Case in point: Back in March, the driver of a £96,000 Mercedes relied on her GPS system a little too much and ended up following its directions right into a river.
“The Mercedes SL500 was swept 600 yards downstream, bouncing from one bank of the River Sense to the other as the woman, in her late 20s and from London, frantically tried to escape,” described the Daily Mail. “She was finally rescued by villager Alice Clark when the car ran aground.”
This seems to be happening more and more often. A driver in Italy recently trusted their GPS device’s directions when it advised pulling off the road and onto a train track. Here’s a rather boring video of said car being pushed off of the tracks:
And even when you’re not blindly following incorrect, computer-generated directions, studies have shown that “using GPS while behind the wheel is actually more distracting and less safe than unfolding a paper map and using it to find your way,” reads our sister site Engadget. Thirteen percent of drivers, according to the survey, relied exclusively on their GPS for directions, “rendering them completely oblivious to the world around them.” With numbers that high, I’m surprised we don’t have more people driving into rivers and onto railroad tracks.
Now, here’s one way to get to Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. This You Tube video of Damien Beresford and Jeff Gilkey’s trip in their microlights is more of the landscape on the way there and back. I don’t think they actually stopped at Acoma. The effect of the shots of Damien’s microlight against the New Mexico scenery is surrealistic. Damien’s commentary along the way is laced with humor and landmark details. He has also included music to create a mood. He said it’s the longest ride he’s taken so far. This video makes me want to try a microlight flight one of these days.
I heard or read somewhere that one of Walt Disney’s inspirations for Disneyland was Tivoli Gardens in Denmark. Why not? Tivoli is a charming place. Sounds good to me. When I was in a foriegn exchange student at Copenhagen University, Tivoli was one of my most favorite places to go. I think I went three times in two months.
This is a place with a history of people watching, flower gardens and attractions. Opened in 1843, it still holds a certain simple charm. I remember that the fireworks there were among the best I’ve ever seen. I had a terrible camera so most of my shots are dark and smoky and mostly of people’s heads.
Now, here’s an interesting statement that sounds a bit Walt Disneyish. When the park was first proposed to King Christian III, one reason for the okay was that if people are amused they don’t think about politics so much. I wonder if this history fact is true. When Walt Disney designed Disneyland, one idea was to create Utopia where at least in one part of the world, people could leave their troubles at the gate.
Here’s a You Tube video that captures the flavor of what Tivoli is like. It captures some of the rides, gardens and the entertainment. Let your worries float away.
Last week, approximately 50 people were on Delta Flight 5367 which was delayed on the runway for four hours at Kennedy International Airport. The air-conditioning was turned off, and nobody — pilot included, it turns out — had any idea why they’d been sitting for so long, or when they’d actually take-off. David Ollila, one of the passengers, and the owner of V.I.O — a company which develops small, “wearable video cameras” — took one of his own products and marched towards the front of the plane to find out from the the horse’s mouth. The video above shows his interrogation of the pilots. Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t close the door on him. Instead, they do a really bad job answering his questions. Have a look. For the full story on the incident, head here.