Bangladeshi and The Bronx

by Jamie Rhein on

Back when I was in high school, I went to The Bronx Zoo as a volunteer with adults with developmental disabilities . I had a blast and planned to go there again sooner than later.

Now that it’s much later, I wonder what I’m waiting for. This summer may be the time to get on a subway and head to the zoo when we are visiting my brother who lives in Manhattan. I just read that there is a TV ad campaign touting The Bronx, New York is a place to go for a vacation destination. The zoo is one reason. When I searched for the commercials, I came across this one. The news of The Bronx as a vacation hot spot has either made it to Bangladesh or is geared for a Bangladeshi audience. You may not be able to understand all the words, but the names of the tourist destinations are clear. The last one is a bakery. This was posted on You Tube by zasarif and is titled Kabir’s Bronx. This video interests me because I wonder if part of the aim is to get Bangladeshis who live in New York City to visit The Bronx or go the bakery? Or both?

A Hilarious Read: Brian Sack’s Squat Toilet Story

by Jamie Rhein on

I have just finished laughing harder than I have laughed in months. I kid you not. I’m still chuckling and shaking my head thinking about how hard I was laughing a few minutes ago.

While I was browsing our Gadling comments, I came across one posted by Gadling reader Marilyn Terrell who often leaves wonderful traveling tips on various posts. On Willy’s post on squat toilets, she posted a link to another how to use a squat toilet missive. This one was written by Brian Sack and posted on his blog Banterist. This is piece of writing that rivals David Sedaris in the funny factor, and I adore David Sedaris. Sack is hilarious. Because I loved Sack’s essay “China Dispatch: How to Use a Squat Toilet” so much, I wanted to give it its own post. His weblog isn’t exactly a travel blog, but he travels.

Sack’s is the male version of using a squat toilet. A female version would need to have some reference to trying not to pee on one’s shoes. I can see a series of squat toilet stories. How about a book, Squat Toilet for Dummies? It could include an entry on how to use a squat toilet on a moving train, for example. How to use a squat toilet when you have your personal belongings with you such as a camera bag, sunglasses, a purse, a day pack or whatever.

For another laugh, check out the You Tube video on the “About Banterist” page. It’s an interview with John Mayer. Thanks, Marilyn for such a funny, funny read.

John Safran’s Race Around the World

by Justin Glow on

Those of you that aren’t from Australia might be surprised to learn that ABC (that’s the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ran a series in the late ’90s called Race Around the World. The premise behind the show was this:

Eight “racers,” selected from thousands of video auditions, were chosen to travel the world for 100 days with a video camera to produce a series of short documentaries of their choosing. They could go anywhere they wanted and document whatever they found to be interesting. When the show aired, the documentaries were shown and a panel of judges in the media and film industry, along with the audience, voted on the best ones, selecting an overall winner. It’s sort of like a mix between American Idol and Amazing Race, but without the stupid tasks.

In the first season, a filmmaker from Melbourne named John Safran was selected to appear on Race Around the World. Although he came in last place in the competition for breaking the rules (no hidden footage was allowed, but John whipped the camera out in a confession booth), his documentaries often won the audience vote and were by far the most entertaining to watch. “From getting mugged in Bangkok, to having a camera broken in India,” notes another racer, Kim Traill, “John has easily become our most disaster-prone writer.”

Thanks to YouTube, you can find 10 of the documentaries he filmed on the show, and they’re a blast to watch. Catch them all after the jump.


Story 1: “Don’t screw with the rules in Japan”


Story 2: “Ambulance Chaser”


Story 3: “Anarchy in the Renault family hatch-back”


Story 4: “The right to bare grudges”


Story 5: “Mum, I’m not Jewish anymore”


Story 6: “Father Pino vs. the devil”


Story 7: “Mohammad’s guide to busing a move”


Story 8: “Football’s my religion”


Story 9: John’s audition tape


Story 10: “The happiest place on Earth, my butt”

Thanks for the story, MeFi!

Do You Feel A Breeze? Yup, We’re Skydiving In the Nude.

by Willy Volk on

Unless your goal is to get others to laugh at you, I can’t possibly imagine what thrill there could be in nude skydiving. Nevertheless, there appear to be a number of people who are not only into nude skydiving, they actually promote it by posting videos of it online. This short clip is my favorite: there’s a very funny thing going on it that red circle. Although the video probably won’t get you into trouble, there is a small (tee hee) chance this video could be NSFW.

If you’re interested, here are a few more nude skydiving clips (again, possibly NSFW), as well as some more details about how to do the sport properly. Watch out for that rip cord!

And here’s an interesting clip in which Daryl explains the pros and cons of the nude skydive this group is about to take. (If nipples are NSFW, then this clip is definitely NSFW.)

If you’re still with us, I’ve got a special treat: guess what happens to a a woman’s naked breast during free fall. It ain’t pretty, and it may not be safe for work.

Need more nude skydving tips? Check out this how-to, which addresses, at its end, a question that I would never, ever, in a million years, have thought of.

World Nomad/LP Filmmaker Scholarship

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s a cool opportunity that just came across the transom (i.e. email). A company called World Nomads is looking for budding young filmmakers to make a World Nomads/Lonely Planet Travel film in Kenya. It’s a scholarship that will get you working with a fellow named Trent O’Donnell, who I have never heard of, but who, once you google him, seems quite well-accomplished.

The scholarship won’t just be playing around with cameras. You will help refurbish a remote primary school and film a short documentary about the effort. It looks, too, like you might get some sweet equipment including a Sony HDR-HC5 video camera, professional mike, headphones, and Low Pro camera bag. That stuff is apparently from the folks at Lonely Planet who are part of this whole project. In fact, the winning scholarshipee will have his film broadcast on the LonelyPlanet.tv website, as well as through World Nomads. To apply, first you have to be a film or video or communications student at a recognized educational institution. Then, compile a 3 minute (or less) short video based around the theme of ‘Places I love to visit’. This could be compiled from previous travel video you’ve shot, pictures you’ve taken or it could even be your favorite local destination.

Applications close August 15, so get busy.

Dunno about you, but I’d do this in a heartbeat. If you want more info: go here.