Video of the Day: Vintage Hong Kong revealed

by Meg Nesterov on


Want to take a slow boat to China? Get lost in vintage Hong Kong in this 1938 video of the gateway to China. The harbor city was still under British rule, and you can watch men in linen suits and pith helmets stroll alongside rickshaw drivers. Some of the narration is a bit, uh, politically incorrect by modern standards but the footage is priceless.

Have more time for nostalgic travel? The Travel Film Archive has hundreds of videos from around the world from 1900 to 1970. Find a cool travel video from this decade? Leave us a tip in the comments for a future Video of the Day.

Video of the Day: Adorable little girls dancing samba at Rio Carnival

by Jessica Marati on

The scene outside the Sambodrome stadium on the first night of Rio Carnival‘s famed samba school parades was madness. Hordes of people moved in all directions while scalpers hawked tickets, street vendors fried food, and costumed paraders maneuvered in huge feathered costumes. As far as Fat Tuesday celebrations go, this was tops.

In the middle of the chaos, these two talented little girls attracted a crowd with their quick samba moves, coy winks, and adorable smiles. What showboats! If Rio’s samba schools are recruiting for future parades, they need look no further. These girls provided as much entertainment as the show inside the stadium.

Check out Gadling’s full range of Rio Carnival 2012 coverage here.

Video of the Day: Southwest hotpants

by Mike Barish on

We came across this Southwest Airlines ad from 1972 and, well, we’re pretty speechless. It’s simple and to the point.

Remember what it was like before Southwest Airlines? You didn’t have hostesses in hotpants. Remember?

No wonder Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge to check bags. Luggage doesn’t take up much space when your clothing is that small.

Video of the Day: Splitscreen: A Love Story

by Jessica Marati on

Whether you love or hate Valentine’s Day, there’s no escaping the amorous feelings in the air today. We might as well make a contribution with today’s Video of the Day. This short film, released last summer, celebrates transcontinental love: two sets of eyes, one in New York and one in Paris, passing days with similar experiences until the moment the eyes unite (reunite?) on London‘s Golden Jubilee Bridge. Cue single tear. The video will undoubtedly tug on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever attempted a long distance relationship… or at the very least make you want to visit the three cities.

Splitscreen earned the top spot in last year’s Nokia Shorts 2011 competition, which armed a select group of filmmakers with the Nokia N8 phone and a $5,000 budget. The film was shot entirely on the N8 by a team led by filmmaker James W. Griffiths, beating out seven competitors for the top prize. They do say that love conquers all.

Video of the Day: Japanese folding trick

by Mike Barish on

Travel experts love to share tips on the best ways to pack. Heck, we’ve done tons of posts on packing tips. However, thanks to the sorcery in this video from Japan, we’ve discovered the best way to fold our clothes. Of course, first we have to understand what the hell is happening in the video. We’ve watched this thing a dozen times and still have no idea how these shirts are getting folded so perfectly. We’d love to have our clothing pack down so tightly and neatly, but we’re having a hard time following once that twist and flip move happens. Guess we’re just going to have to shove our gear in our packs, as usual, and spend our days attempting to fold the fitted sheets for our mattresses. Are there any Japanese videos for that?