Nosh.org

America needs its space

2009-04-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

NASA's new motto appears to be "I Need My Space".

After a week shooting with them, I needed my space from NASA.

I went there last Sunday to shoot "Build it Bigger" for 5 days. The topic of the show is the ending of the Space Shuttle program and the building of the new Constellation program featuring the Ares rockets.

The technology is super cool. The people were amazing. The Public Affairs Officers (PAO's) were not so cool or amazing. They seem to see it as their goal to block access to NASA rather than present NASA in the best light possible. It was a nonstop battle to get a good show out of the shoot.

Despite it all, we came back with great footage. And write this down - within 5-10 years, SpaceX and other companies like them (not NASA) will be the people responsible for getting us into space.

See photos here.

Hello man my new friend

2009-04-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I received this lovely email from a Russian woman. It's clear I may have found true love. Her spelling errors and grammatically nonsensical writing do not mask the sheer eloquence she expresses in her longing for love. Perhaps she feels the same longing I do. Only time will tell.

"On Apr 1, 2009, at 9:12 PM, Hope Oliver wrote:

Hello man my new friend!

I understand, that you do not know me and I do not know you, but
probably in the future all can change. All good always occurs in the
future and I ask a few patience from you to read my letter up to the
end. In the beginning I want to be presented you and to tell a little
about my life. My name is Anna and to me it will be very pleasant, if
you will name me so. Was born 29 years ago and all this time I live in
Russia, in city of Kirov. Now I work as the seller in shop and I very
much like my work as I every day communicate with many different
people. My life goes in regular intervals and every day is similar on
previous. I like my friends and love my family. Certainly the most
important i want to found love and my the husband to be the happiest
woman in the world. For all my life I could not meet the man to which
I could trust completely and with which I would like to connect my
life, but very much I want.

Several days ago I laid at home on a sofa and thought. Why I am
lonely? Why I cannot find my special the man? Probably I have made
nothing to be happy? Certainly I can be together with the man which I
not love, to give birth to the child and simply to be mum, but to not
be happy in the family, but I do not want it. I want to love the man
and simply be happy to be with him. Also I have thought. Why to not
try to get acquainted with the man from other country if I could not
find my special man here in Russia? Now we live in 21 century and I
know, that many people use the Internet and "Marriage agencies" to get
acquainted with suitable the man in any point globe. I do not want to
be lonely during my life or simply to sit and wait, when my love will
come to me. I want to do itself my life happy and have found such
marriage agency here in my city. I knew, that their help will be not
free-of-charge, but they have asked the big sum of money from me.
Nevertheless I have thought and have decided to not be greedy this
money, for the sake of my happiness and my love. Money - never can
give to me of it. Probably my destiny to be with the man from other
country? I do not know, but I want to try to know.

They gave to me yours E-mail and have told, that you also are
interested to find the woman for a life. I think, that now you can
understand, how my letter has come to you, could learn a little about
my life and about me, but I do not know your desires and I ask to
think. We can try to build serious relations or probably simply to be
friends. If you do not have desire simply speak to me and I can
understand. Nevertheless if I am interesting to you it would be very
pleasant for me to learn also a little more about you and to receive
your photos. I understand in computers not much, but I hope, that you
also can receive my photos in this letter. Certainly appearance not
the most important in the person both his private world and soul are
of great value, but nevertheless it is more pleasant to receive the
letter from the person and to see, how he looks. All this, that I
wanted to tell to you and now I shall wait only your answer. Excuse,
if I something have offended you in my letter or something has told
not correctly, but understand, that I try it for the first time and I
worry a little. Even if serious relations are not interesting to you
or I am not pleasant, simply let to me know.

Please reply only to my personal e-mail: golubbceva@gmail.com

Ok? bye bye

Tired of loneliness Anna

P.S. My e-mail: golubbceva@gmail.com where I shall wait your letter!"

3600 miles later...

2008-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I've just driven from Berkeley to Boston in 7 days. Here's a quick review of my trip:

After emptying my apartment, I drove from Berkeley through Tahoe and then down into Reno. Passing through Reno, I ended up in the eastern Nevada desert and spent a night in a weird casino in Wendover. For $65, I got a room with a jacuzzi and a mirror on the ceiling above it.

Next day, it was through the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, passed through Salt Lake City, then into Wyoming, through the sparseness that is Laramie and Cheyenne, and down into Boulder to visit Garvin and Tania and their son Aden.

Leaving Boulder, I took I-76 through desolate eastern Colorado. This was my chance to see real tumbleweeds. I took a little video of them, but it doesn't capture the true weirdness of giant rolling bushes:

To get a sense of what I was really seeing, here's some more videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWm0SudZTvw (warning, horrible music!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_hKDp0Zlnk (my tumbleweeds weren't this big)

Entering Nebraska, land of "the Good Life", I encountered sleet and snow and long, flat prairie. Spent the night in Omaha. There really is a Mutual there.

Next day through Iowa. Very exciting. I spent the night in Chicago at Stacey's, with a quick visit to Tami and my cousin Erik and his new baby Frida Ruckus.

Passing through Benton Harbor in Western Michigan, I got to see the old Holiday Inn where my parents were married in the late 60's (now a Lake Breeze Inn).

Also got to see the former Howard Johnsons where my mother used to work as a waitress summers between college (now an abandoned 'City Buffet').

Next, on to Ann Arbor, where I entered heaven, aka Zingerman's, the best deli on the planet.

I bought something like $80 worth of their food, saw my friend Jacqe Kaufman, then headed to Detroit. In Huntington Woods, I saw my old friend Abby Rutheiser Kushner and her family.

Then brunch with Mandy and Mel, and a visit to my old high school, Andover, then to West Bloomfield, to see the house of my childhood.

On the road to Cleveland, with a surprise visit to Angela, and eastward through Erie, PA to the state of New York. A night in Oneonta then led me finally into Western Mass, where I drove through Northampton, Amherst, and stopped to admire the scenery for lunch at the Montague Bookmill with a pint of stout and some peanut udon noodles. The bathroom had a sweet sign.

Then, finally, after 7 days of driving, I arrived at John and Justine Neely's house in Boston, just in time for dinner.

Whew. I think I'll avoid the car for a few weeks.

On the road again

2008-10-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's finally that time. It's Sunday night, October 19th. 9:00 PM. My apartment is just about empty. My car is packed. Tomorrow, I will be doing a very quintessentially American task .. that is, driving my car across country to a new job in Boston.

We Americans are incredibly mobile. Moving cities for our jobs, sometimes across the country, to places where we know very few people. But I haven't done this kind of thing since my mid-20's. So I'm kind of stepping back in time.

It's probably one of the last times I'll be quite so mobile - able to uproot so quickly, sell everything and move. It's just me and my cat right now, so that's what makes it so easy.

I'm a little sad to leave my amazing community of friends, but strangely detached from the whole experience. Watching all my possessions sell and leave my world forever. Saying goodbye to everyone I've known for 9.5 years here in the beautiful Bay Area. Having my last Bay Area sushi dinner.

Who knows...maybe after 7 cold months in cold Boston I'll want to come back. I'm leaving the option open...

More stories from the road. Next stop, eastern Nevada.

I'm official.

2008-10-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

I now have two shows that have been officially published into DVD's by the networks who I produced them for. That means you can buy these programs and keep them in your home library. Right next to your copy of "The Matrix" and "Shrek". Seriously.

Here's the first...Hooked: Monster Fish!

Here's the second...Rebuilding the Boat: The I-5 Fix in Sacramento.

You know you want a copy of each. Don't deny it.

Actually, you can watch the entire I-5 Fix show on YouTube - how cool is that:

Fall 2008 Update

2008-09-18T12:42:00.001-07:00

My goodness, it's been 4 months since my last post. So much has happened:

-Field produced a show for National Geographic Television's "World's Toughest Fixes" in the arid desert near Antofagasta, Chile

-Produced and wrote KVIE's "Rebuilding the Boat" about a highway construction project in Sacramento

-Went to Burning Man for the 6th time

-Took a two week trip to Boston and New York, which led to...

-Accepted a job at Boston's Powderhouse Productions, where I'll produce and write two shows for Discovery Channel's "Build it Bigger".

Yep, that means I'm moving to Boston. After 9 years in the Bay Area, I'll have my first winter in a decade. I haven't lived on the East Coast since 1995, when I spent 9 months in Washington, DC. Since then, it was 4 years in Michigan and 9 years in San Francisco. Needless to say, I'm expecting some culture shock. Who knows, maybe I'll return to SF. Or head to LA or NYC. Either way, it's a change, and that's always good.

In case you've never seen my show "Berlin Wall: Great Escapes", part of National Geographic's Megastructures series, it's been posted online at Google Video.

It's a fun watch, and one of my favorite shows. For some reason, this version was revoiced by a hilarious Scottish VO artist. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos by Patrick van Beusekom (smoking his first ever cigarette), Kat Covell, a number of Kat's film friends, and even yours truly crawling through a tunnel.

Free Wireless Internet in the Santiago airport

2008-05-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

Overnight flight from San Francisco/LAX to Santiago Chile. Now that I'm here in Santiago, with a 6 hour layover before I head to Antofagasta, I have to say, I'm happily surprised that there's free wireless internet in the airport. That's more than most American airports can say. They'll charge you $10 a minute!

LAX is an absolute pit. Confusing, dirty, poorly staffed, poorly laid out. I consider it the 7 levels of hell...in one location. An example, the security check through point for the int'l terminal looked like the back hallway of a rundown YMCA. Ceiling tiles drooping. Makeshift barriers cracking and peeling, and out of place. One barrier had a hole that had been papered over with paper towel that someone had ripped, so it fluttered in the warm air. Ugh. The line was stretching across the hallway, so they divided it in two, only to have those two lines come together again only 50 feet later. Bizarre.

The flight was nice. Free chilean wine.

Chile is a touch European. They drink capuccino and espresso standing up at wooden bars. Very civilized.

Song that got stuck in my head...

2008-05-05T00:27:00.001-07:00

For some reason, in the last week, I can't get enough of this song...

Tattoos in New Zealand

2008-02-29T23:37:00.000-08:00

When we were finished in Japan, our next stop was New Zealand. First, I had a couple days to write script and see my friends Matt & Minette and their daughter Lillian:

It was a bit windy on the Auckland volcano where all the tour buses stop (CAUTION: LOUD WINDY NOISE ON VIDEO!):

Then we went back to their house in Ponsonby. Matt and I headed out for beers. After a long red-eye flight from Japan via Australia, this was the perfect antidote:

Back at their house, Lillian showed off:

I headed off for some surfing in Raglan...and stayed in an eco-hostel where the cabins were made from recycled train cabooses:

Then we got to work. In Auckland, we met Maori tattoo artist Tu Duley, a great guy and excellent artist. He tattooed our host:

Then he invited us to join him on an adventure. He was heading up into the mountains of the
Te Urewera National Park, to a village called Te Mapou, where his tribe, the Tuhoe people have lived for centuries. They're the only Maori tribe who weren't colonized by the Europeans, and they live pretty close to the land - under the shadow of their sacred mountain, Maungapohatu:

We filmed the drive:

When we arrived, they did a traditional welcoming ceremony:

Here's a video of us approaching the Marae:

Then Tu tattooed some facial mokos on other members of the tribe:

Tu looking like a stud:

Rua Kenana is the prophet who founded the town in 1908:

Then we spent the night in the longhouse - the marae - and left the next day. All in all, an amazing trip.

Tattoos in Japan

2008-02-29T23:07:00.000-08:00

Working on a History Channel show about the history of tattoos, I went to Japan and New Zealand to see what tattooing was all about in both of those places.

I took millions of photos and videos, so I'll condense it down to the highlights.

In Japan, we visited the world's busiest intersection in Shibuya:

We also stayed in some tiny hotels:

On our search for tattoo history, we visited Jikei University, which has a dried and mounted tattooed skin - preserved from a dead Yakuza in the 1930's. Kinda gruesome, but very very interesting. They were very nice to us and showed us the skin:

Here's a video of the skin:

We met Horiyoshi III, the country's top hand-poking tattoo artist. He gave our host a tattoo. Horiyoshi has a tattoo museum with some interesting displays, including preserved tattooed heads from New Zealand and Kewpie dolls:

When the shoot was over, I headed to the slopes for a little skiing:

I found some funny menu items, as well:

Turkey Day in Stockton

2007-11-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

I decided to stay in San Francisco over the holiday, so my good friend Kathleen took me in as a holiday orphan, and invited me to have dinner with her parents in Stockton. Also in attendance were 2 dogs, 3 neighbors over the age of 90, and Kathleen's 90+ year old grandmother. Lots of food, and some opera singing.

Some videos.

Kathleen sings in Russian:

Kathleen sings in French:

The Buster Brown Band Performs at Ashkenaz

2007-11-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

About two months ago, I joined a music program called Bandworks. You sign up and tell them what instruments you play. They place you in a band with 4-5 other people, give you some songs to learn, and someone to instruct and guide you.

I originally wanted to play the drums, but they assigned me to the bass. So I also became the lead singer. My group - the Buster Brown Band (myself, Patty, Jim, Oren, Bernie and our instructor, Bhakti) - met once a week for 8-9 weeks and then had our first and only performance at Ashkenaz in Berkeley on 11/14/07. Seemed to get a good reception, and I had a great time having my big rock and roll moment.

Check it out...(special thanks to Sean and Ingrid for taking the videos and photos).

Photos from the performance and later that evening:

Band Performance at Ashkenaz - 11/14/07

Videos from the performance:

The warmup and soundcheck:

Song #1: Island in the Sun, by Weezer:

Song #2: Friend of the Devil, by the Grateful Dead (video is sideways, sorry):

Song #3: Samba Pa Ti, by Santana:

Song #4: Learn to Fly, by the Foo Fighters:

Song #5: Suzie Q, by Creedence Clearwater Revival:

My show screens on the USS Ronald Reagan

2007-11-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I finished my latest 2 hour show for the National Geographic Channel (NGC), "Supercarrier: USS Ronald Reagan". It's a pretty fast show about the technology aboard this massive military ship, as well as what its like to live and work on the ship. All in all, a very fun show to make.

On November 13th, NGC held a special screening of the finished show (before it aired) on the deck of the carrier itself. Hundreds of Navy crew were there to watch the finished show, along with my staff from Indigo. My sister came down for the weekend and brought her kids, Gaby and Ben. They went to Disneyland, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo. A very fun time for the kids - Gaby evidently told her teacher the highlight was seeing her Uncle Dan.

Photos from the screening:

USS Ronald Reagan Screening - 11/13/07

Videos from the screening:

Gaby and Ben walk into the chains room (the Fo'c'sle):

Chris on the flight deck:

Gaby and Ben playing with the tires of an F18 on the flight deck:

Carrie, Gaby, Ben and I in the ship's bridge:

Gaby and Ben go down ladder after ladder after ladder...:

Katie on the big plane elevator, about to go up:

The big elevator goes up:

During the screening itself (giant screens & sound system):

Elevator going down:

Burning Man 2007

2007-09-09T00:52:00.000-07:00

Another year, another Burning Man. Actually, this was my 5th time, but I hadn't been since 2002. And its changed a lot since I was last in Black Rock City. Its grown from 20,000 to 50,000. Which is just insane.

Many things haven't changed. Its still fun, friendly, dusty and hot. And a wacky place to spend a week.

I went with the Recharge Ranch - we provided recharging for humans (not batteries). That meant free ice water, cold wash cloths, watermelon, sunscreen, and alcohol for passersby. All of whom were very appreciative.

Here's my photos from the trip.

Here's other photos from the trip.

And as always, a few videos...

The famous "Sex Bomb" dance - a hit with the neighbors:

The strobing monkey art:

Brian makes it funky at the Deep End:

The Trippy Balls art:

Fire turning end over end:

Fuckin' Hank recharges someone at the Ranch:

Le Moulin Rouge!

2007-08-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Tish Headings threw a birthday party last night - the theme was "Moulin Rouge", and about 40 people showed up in full 1890's Paris outfits to wish her a happy birthday and dance their asses off.

I'm a big fan of costumes and costume parties, but I found it a true challenge to even envision what Moulin Rouge entailed. I mean, sure I can put together a cowboy outfit or a 70's disco outfit in a New York minute.

But Moulin Rouge is a little more of a challenge. I never saw the film, and when I looked online at photos from the film, all I could determine was that it seemed to involve men in tuxedos, top hats, and with crazy mustaches. Seemed a little dull overall, to be honest. I think I was a little frustrated by how to make it interesting.

Then I got lucky. The first and only store I went to for costumes was Stop the Clock, in Berkeley. It's a small store, and I sidled up to the counter and explained what I was looking for. Evidently, someone else had just come through looking for costumes for the same party - so they had actually taken some time to think through what would work. One of the staff (I think named Michael Moore!) is a former Broadway costume designer. It was a true stroke of luck for me. He immediately showed me an outfit that he assured me would be the best-lookin' mens outfit of the night.

Lo and behold, he may have been right. Most guys showed up at the party in variations on tux and tails. I was wearing a white tux shirt, striped pants, and a bright red smoking jacket that seemed to be a big hit. AT least two people bought me drinks in honor of my smoking jacket. I even took it off at one point to dance, and many party goers asked me "where did the smoking jacket go!?"

Either way, it was very fun. I even found a fake plastic monocle for $2 and a wooden cane for $5 at a costume shop. And a fake mustache. The accoutrements really helped.

And here is the result...not bad, eh? Helps to have a pretty lady draped all over me...

More photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/debris7/MoulinRougeTishSBdayParty81907

I also really love this one of Pat in full wacko mode:

And speaking of wackos, here's Barry performing show tunes:

Here's a video of some dancing:

Samba in Alameda

2007-08-16T23:34:00.001-07:00

My samba group, Samba Rio, recently played samba drums at the opening of a new cultural center in Alameda called Rhythmix. Here's some videos:

From the left of stage:

From way back in the audience:

New Yawk

2007-06-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from 4 days and 3 nights in New York, visiting Joanne:

Tali:

Ophi:

and Jonathan:

What a blast. It was sticky hot and humid in New York, and we went out all 3 nights, and two of them involved singing karaoke. For 3 hours each night. My voice is still recovering.

Here's a sample of some singing:

1. Joanne sings "You're so vain" (by Carly Simon):

2. Dan sings "Safety Dance" (by Men Without Hats), quite poorly, I might add:

3. Tali sings "Joey" (by Concrete Blonde??):

4. Ophi sings "Before he Cheats" (by Carrie Underwood?):

5. We all sing "Even the Nights are Better" (by Air Supply...oh god..):

6. A late night, sidewalk singing of "The Longest Time" (by Billy Joel):

Couple more photos here.

Life Updates

2007-05-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should include here an update on my life, since its been about 5 months.

I left my longtime employer in January, and went to become Director of Video Production at a fast-growing sustainability media company in San Francisco. I built the video department up, streamlined operations, moved us to a new office, built a new edit studio, and produced a number of videos for Wal-Mart and Autodesk. In the end, it wasn't a good fit, and I left in May.

Since May, I've been working with Indigo Films in San Rafael, CA - writing and producing a 2 hour show for the National Geographic Channel's Megastructures series - a series I've already produced 3 shows for. This newest one is my first two hour show. All the others have been one hour long.

The topic is the USS Ronald Reagan - the Navy's newest aircraft carrier. Should be an interesting show. Stay tuned for air dates ... probably in October or November at the latest.

Carnaval!

2007-05-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

This past Memorial Day weekend, I drummed with my samba drumming group - "Grupo Samba Rio", led by Samba master Jorge Alabe. I've drummed with them for 2 years, and this is my 2nd carnaval. Very very fun stuff.

Here we are warming up:

Here's us on stage:

Big changes afoot

2007-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Feels like a big week. After 3 incredible years and 17 hours of cable documentary programming, I'm leaving my job as a TV Producer/Writer at a Bay Area production company.

Some highlights:

I've spent countless days and nights shooting re-creations on Alcatraz...

I've interviewed Joey Pallotta, the man who caught the world record white sturgeon...

I interviewed Sitting Bull's great grandson...

Helped direct some Crow Native Americans in a re-enactment of the Battle of Little Big Horn...

And met some fanatic re-enactors...

I directed a group of actors in the Battle of Little Big Horn...

Including one guy who did a great Teddy Roosevelt...

And perhaps best of all, I was the Greek general Miltiades in the Battle of Marathon...

I've done 7 shows for the National Geographic Channel:

-Alcatraz: Defying the Rock (2004):
-Thrill Zone: Extreme Powerboats (2005)
-Megastructures: The Berlin Wall (also known as The Berlin Wall: Great Escapes or The Berlin Wall: Escape to Freedom) (2005)
-Hooked: Monster Fish! (2006)
-Alcatraz: Living Hell (2007)
-Surviving Alcatraz (2007)
-Megastructures: The Golden Gate Bridge (2007)

You may notice an Alcatraz theme there...

I also was part of a team that wrote and produced a 20 part series about historic battles on the History Channel called Command Decisions. I wrote 9 of the shows:
-Battle of the Bulge
-Battle of Midway
-Battle of Stalingrad
-Battle of Little Big Horn
-Battle of San Juan Hill
-The Six Day War
-Battle of Inchon
-Battle of Saratoga
-Battle of Iwo Jima

Back in Bangkok

2007-01-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

After two and half weeks of traveling, I was ready to be back in Bangkok. And ready for a little fishing. In a bizarre turn of events, Jean-Francois Helias, the expert guide who appeared in my show "Hooked: Monster Fish!" and who I was hiring to take me fishing, had a stroke two weeks before we were to meet. He was feeling better by the day of our fishing excursion, but was still in the hospital, and not able to join me.

So Jean-Francois' wife, Lek, and his assistants, Nok and Kik, took me out for 10 straight hours of fishing. Basically, fishing was once described to me as hours of boredom punctuated by 30 seconds of sheer terror. This was close, but instead of sheer terror, it was just arm wrenching.

Basically, we sat in bungalows around a reservoir stocked with fish. No real skill is needed to hook these fish, rather, it was like the old saying of shooting them in a barrel. Still, once these monster fish were hooked, I had to wrestle the damn things to shore. Nearly tearing my arm muscles, I managed to reel in 5 striped catfish, 4 Mekong giant catfish (including this 50 pound bruiser)...

and the grand prize for my day, a Siamese Giant Carp...

The next day, I took a cooking class and just wrapped up the trip...

On to Laos...

2007-01-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

(To go straight to my Laos photos, go here. Ashley's Laos photos are here.)

So after Ashley and I found Boonrian, our plan was to check out the Gibbon Experience, a jungle trek run by a conservation organization in Laos. To help preserve the Bokeo rainforest in Laos, this group built a bunch of treehouses for eco-tourists to be near wild Gibbon monkeys, accessible only by trekking and taking long zip lines through the jungle. For a mere $140, visitors can spend 3 days and 2 nights in the jungle, zip lining about, and sleeping in treehouses perched a few hundred feet in the air. With luck, we might even see a Gibbon or two.

Sounded amazing, so we crossed the Mekong River and headed north into the one-horse Laotian town of Huay Xai (pronounced "Way Sigh"):

First, a 3 hour car ride on one of the world's bumpiest roads, arriving at a small Hmong village:

Then a 3 hour hike into the jungle. We arrived at a small hut where a volunteer named Marianne welcomed us and introduced us to 3 monkeys - including 1 small sick Gibbon she was carrying...(this turned out to be the only Gibbon we saw)...

and 2 very energetic macaques:

Here's 2 videos of the monkeys having their way with our group of 12 tourists:

Then, it was on to the zip lines. With just a climbing harness and a wheeled contraption, we attached ourselves to thick cables and just jumped. Off we went, whizzing through the jungle canopy, sometimes hundreds of feet in the air, and for what seemed like miles. It was definitely one of the most fun and intense things I've ever done. Ashley, who is a bit scared of heights, was not so sure:

I was into it, however...and tried taking a video as I zipped...

Our last zip line led directly to our treehouse, where we'd be sleeping...

All 6 of us (2 Belgians, 2 Swiss, myself and Ashley) were blown away by how beautiful the spot was:

Guides cooked us our meals...

and we watched the sun go down. With no lights for many many miles, we were about as far from civilization as I've ever been. And the stars were amazing.

One issue...the bathroom was basically a squat toilet perched right next to the edge. So it took some nerve to use it while looking 200 feet down...

Next morning, it was off to our next treehouse, starting off with more zipping. Here's the Swiss members of our group, Oliver and Carine, zipping off in the morning...

Then 3 more hours of tough up and down hiking. Then a dip in the coldest (and smallest) waterfall on the planet:

Here's our second treehouse. You can see the rather slim trunk of this tree does not inspire confidence:

Nor does the toilet...

But the incredible views made it all worthwhile...

Although Ashley didn't enjoy the last zip line out of the treehouse:

Then it was back to the Hmong village, where Ashley played a little catch with some local girls...

Desperately Seeking Boonrian

2007-01-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

So after I was finished diving in the Thai islands of Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, I headed up to the north. My friend and coworker, Ashley Adams, was coming to Thailand to learn how to train elephants, and she invited me to meet her in the north and go on a trip to the Laos jungle. Sounded like fun, so I went.

We met up in Chiang Khong, which coincidentally, is where she was nine months ago to film interviews for my recent show "Hooked: Monster Fish!" We decided to track down one Mr. Boonrian Jinarad, the man who caught the world-record freshwater fish - a 646 pound Mekong Giant Catfish. When she was in Thailand doing interviews a few months before, Ashley interviewed Boonrian. But she had only a vague memory of where he lived - so we had to use our investigative sleuthing skills (second nature to a documentary producer) to find him.

We walked from Chiang Khong to Ban Hat Khrai, Boonrian's village. We found the big fish statue, and we knew we were on the right track:

We went and had lunch at a nearby restaurant, supposedly they knew about big fish:

They had a few dishes that we didn't try, like the Fish Bowel Salad:

and Frog in Jungle Curry:

Not sure what Lungle Curry is, but we both skipped that one, too. After lunch, we spotted another clue down by the river - the canoes that they used to catch the Mekong Giant Catfish. And I discovered the floating buoys that hold up the nets:

Back on the road again, Ashley's sixth sense is on alert. Suddenly, we see a man sitting in front of his house doing paperwork. On a hunch, we decide to ask him if he is Boonrian:

Well folks...it was Boonrian. But I'll let the videos tell it from here. (Note that neither of us speak any Thai, and Boonrian speaks not a word of English.

We spent about 30 or so minutes with the man, yet I don't think Boonrian had literally any idea who either of us were, the entire time.But he seemed game for just about anything, so he posed for photos with us.

Elephants

2007-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Here's some photos I took of elephants in the north of Thailand:

http://picasaweb.google.com/debris7/Thailand4Elephants

Here's some videos I took of elephants from the north of Thailand:

A few random photos...

2006-12-19T03:10:00.000-08:00

I wasn't able to get these photos in earlier, so I thought I'd post them here. They include the puppies and kitties for sale at the Weekend Market, a police officer on a Segway at the Weekend Market, and some very weird snacks at the 7-11 (Did you know 7-11 is everywhere in Thailand?)...