the illworld: China

Not much to say other than watch this episode.

Its really easy to forget about American holidays living in China, yet we manage to remember the biggies like Thanksgiving, New Years, and Christmas. In this episode you see how we celebrate Thanksgiving, international style.

The whole theme about shopping for clothes was supposed to be podcast #2, but I somehow never got around to actually filming it. See how something as simple as buying a shirt turns into a serious affair.

Way back in the sixth grade when me and Shug became friends, we thought it would be cool to study kung fu in China. Who knew we would both actually end up living here. I always wanted to go to the Shaolin temple, and now my dream has been fulfilled.

I was walking around one day and ran into some foreigners that looked really lost. I basically took them under my wing and showed them around. They invited me to watch their summer program's closing ceremony; how could I turn them down? I was bored, but you should enjoy the 3 hour program cut down to less than 10 minutes.

Xiamen once upon of time was better know as Amoy, hence the name for this episode. My friend Sakura was a new arrival in Fuzhou and hadn't been to too many places in Fujian. Me being the kinda guy I am, I planned a trip and we toook off for the day. See us fend off the tour guides and eat at a 4 star Pizza hut before my batteries died.

This is the wind-up to the Chengdu Trip. We head to the panda park and learn that there are more Black and White people than the black and white animals that we are there to see.

The name change is not really new; it's always been called Black man in China if you can read Chinese. I have put a few new ideas into motion with this episode. I'm hoping to make things bigger and better. Speaking of bigger, this epodsode I go to see the Big Buddah in Leshan near Chengdu.

My podcast is jacked by 3 Brits, and they do that whole british comedy thing. If you like Mr. Bean like I do, then you will think these guys are funny as hell.

Me and my buddy Wily take the question of race to the streets of Fuzhou. Can The Fuzhounese tell the difference between a Black man and a Korean one? Though I say this is podcast 15 in the vid, it's actually number 16.

This bonus is as crude and strange as it gets. My friends took us to an even smaller island with strange rock formations. On the way to the island we saw a naked woman just walking in a field. In the begining of the vid I say " I hope there are some naked women on the boat." Ha- now you know the joke. Sorry, there is no footage of the lady in the field.

This is the 3rd installment of the island adventure, and IMHO I think it's the best. We go horseback riding, go-karting and finally make it to the wedding. Warning: The humor in this episode is as crude as a 15 year old at band camp.

We still haven't made it to the wedding but we have been enjoying the ilsand folks' hospitality. The motive behind our invitation to the mystery wedding is also revealed.

Eileen (the movie starish women pictured) invited the gang to her hometown, which happens to be an island. We have to get on a ferry that looks like a big version of one of those little plastic battleship from the game of the same name. I was not too enthused.

I figured now was as good a time as any to do a podcast about teaching English. Sit through this episode and see exactly what my work is really like. (Two words agg raa!)

I walk the streets of Fuzhou to capture an avergae night. That's right people, night markets and English corner. I visit a few friends as well as make some along the way.

Part 2 of the Canton trip unfolds. We meet up with Jane and look for an Indian Restaurant. I feed my addiction for curry, and Shug gets the BG's (bubble guts).

Not gonna spoil too much of the conclusion for you, but IMHO I think this is one of the best video*podcast thus far, I hope you agree. We meet our metaphorical wizard too bad I didn't have enough tape to catch it. I'm going on vacation so next week's episode is up early. Surprise!

My apartment is being painted and my brother from another mother Shug let me crash at his pad (did I just say pad?!?!). We decided to go to the Guangzhou (Canton)Trade Fair, the biggest one in China in hopes of finding something that will make us rich, in short "the Wizzard". This was a weekend adventure so the podcast will unfold in three parts. We kept meeting friends from Fuzhou along the way. We're off tho see the Wizzard the wonderful Wizzard of Canton.

I have no idea why hiking up paved mountains is fun for Chinese folks, but they love it! Who am I too be a hater and not go along with the flow? Sammy with a "Y" is back with her posse. It's me versus them on the way to the top. Little did I know, a few surprises were waiting for me near the top of Drum Mountain (Gu Shan)

I planned to meet a girl named Sammi for lunch; I met her while filming the last video*podcast. See how I botched this one.

Rocket is not only a gret guy, but he is also my go to man for all my tech needs. This may have been his first time on camera, but I think he quickly realized how fun it can be. I ran out of tape early in the shoot so we changed course and headed to buy one. Watch us shop in the computer mall and see what characters that we meet along the way.

Disclaimer: I really, really, really, wish I could show this podcast in its entirety but, I can't for very good reasons. I suspect, if anyone listens closely to it you may understand why, and that is all I am saying. I went to a small village with friends to check out a big ole' field of flowers; it turns out we weren't the only ones. See what happens when a bus full of Chinese folks, plus one Lao Wai descent upon the tiny village.

I was supposed to go hiking, the Chinese version of a walk in the park, but it rained so I had to think of something quick. Luckily, a new friend called and invited me out, see what we did.

I never thought I would eat any of the food sold on the streets...that's all I have to say. Check out this episode to see why.

When I was younger, a friend of mine went to a well know mall barbershop chain and they gave him the worst hair cut ever. He was the first black customer at that store. If he couldn't get a decent cut at the mall, how do I expect to get one in China? Check out this episode and see if I will be wearing a hat for a few weeks. A bad haircut is always funny.