My Visitors So Far (In Red)

CKY

Carspotting (16): Saab Sonett III

I was amazed to see my first Saab Sonett in America. It was not in great shape but, What a find!

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Six-Four: Never Forget Tiananmen Square Massacre

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Kim Jong Il: Anal Retentive Foodie

"Sort the gum by color and size, NOW!"

Kim Jong Il, without a doubt, is a weirdo. Here are some food-related anecdotes.

• Before cooking rice, his waiters and kitchen staff inspect every grain, looking for chipped, defective, and discolored grains.
• His chef had to fly to Urumqi for melons and grapes, Czechoslovakia for beer, and Iran for caviar.
  
• One evening, he was able to tell that his sushi rice had 10 grams of sugar less than normal.
  

Source: The Atlantic

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How to Make A Chicken Bus

Here is an example of how a few industrious fellas converted a yellow Texas school bus into an Antigua, Guatemala, chicken bus.

1. Buy a used American school bus and drive it to Guatemala.

2. Add window treatments. Note that the vertical window pillars have been replaced with angled pillars, giving the bus a more "speedy" look.
3. Paint the bus in psychedelic colors.

Photos and description credit: chickenbus.net

CKY

Top 10 Travel TV Show Hosts

I have watched a lot of travel shows on TV. Here is my take on the good, the better, and the best.

10 (Tied). Rudy Maxa, Burt Wolf, Samantha Brown. I really don't "get" these three hosts. Obviously, many people like them. They all have semi-successful shows which cover interesting locations. But none of them are anything to write home about.

9. Rick Steves. This guy gives me the creeps but his programs are chockful of useful, easily digestable, travel information.

8. Ewan MacGregor/Charley Boorman. Technically, these two are not travel show hosts. However, they have to get the nod for their epic motorcycle journeys Long Way Round and Long Way Down.

7. Michael Wood. His In the Footsteps of Alexander series was the first travel show I ever got into and started my interest in Central Asia. He is passionate but tends to ramble on and on and on.

6. Andrew Zimmern. He certainly gets credit for the unique locales and the open-mindedness to try new and weird things. But the writing on the show is just terrible. He is probably a smart and insightful guy, but you can't really tell by watching his show.

5. Grub Smith. This Englishman's short-lived series Travel Sick was the predecessor to Bizzare Foods and had the frivolity and locker room humor of Insomniac. He is truly an underrated talent.

4 (Tied). Ian Wright and Simon Reeve. Ian is the best of the Globe Trekker hosts. He never takes himself too seriously but his shows are serious. Reeve is a relative newcomer and has the potential to be the next Michael Palin.

3. Dave Attell. Attell became my favorite comic after I watched his Insomniac series. The show's premise-- anonymous comic stays up all night-- was ruined by the very success of the show. Everyone recognized Attell from his show and the magic was gone. But when he was a relative unknown, he explored the dark, the depressing, and the mundane with wit and a bit of compassion.

2. Tony Bourdain. He's about as good as it gets. His complex, neurotic, anti-establishment turned semi-sellout persona is clearly exhibited in every episode. His ability to verbally and poetically share his ideas and experiences with the viewer is uncanny.

1. Michael Palin. The king of travel shows. I've never been a fan of Monty Python, but Palin truly shines in his second career as a travel presenter. The way he interacts with the locals is charming. His ability to share his experience through the camera lens with just body language and facial expressions is unequaled. And the sheer insanity and length of his journeys are the envy of any serious traveler. His earlier works (Full Circle, Pole to Pole, Around the World in 80 Days) are admittedly better than his more recent works (Sahara, Himalayas, New Europe).

CKY

Iceland Hot Dogs

I'm taking my own advice and planning a trip to Iceland. As a result of the banking crisis, Iceland's krona has plummeted in value by 50% vis-a-vis the USD. Nevertheless, everything is still relatively pricey.

I think I can minimize my food budget by eating their famous hot dogs, which are readily available in the capital and gas stations throughout the country. Apparently, the secret ingredient is lamb. The price of one has dropped from $4 to $2.

But then again, after watching this video on how hot dogs are made in America, I have second thoughts. At least the factory is clean.

CKY

How to Make Casa Sanchez Salsa

I'm addicted to Casa Sanchez chips and salsa. Here is how they make the salsa. Check out how much salt they use. No wonder I'm thirsty after I eat the stuff.

CKY

Fiat Shellette Beach Car

I have never been a big fan of beach cars. The most popular was the Fiat Jolly. Coachbuilder Ghia lopped off the tops of Fiat 500s, added some wicker chairs, and sold them to millionaires who used them on their yachts or Mediterranean estates.

But yesterday, while skimming through the NYT Sunday magazine, I saw an odd, and yet strangely beautiful, beach car. It was a lime green Fiat Shellette. The current owner, designer Philippe Starck, is seen behind the driver's wicker chair with his girlfriend/wife, a Frida Kahlo lookalike, standing in the foreground. The car used to belong to soprano Maria Callas.

The Fiat Shellette is a masterpiece. The wheels are the only giveaway that the car is a Fiat. Everything else is unique, understated, and elegant. The rigid but flowing lines of the non-existent door opening. The grill-less amphi-car front end. The subtle crease that bisects the car from the front fender to the rear bumper. It's just pure awesome.



CKY

Bad News: Oprah Giving Away VW Routan Minivan

As a part of Oprah's Summer Giveaway, Oprah is giving away one (1) VW Routan minivan, which is essentially a leather-clad Chrysler. This is not a good sign for VW. The last cars Oprah gave away were Pontiac G6s. That model ended up being a commercial flop and Pontiac is now officially dead.

The Grand Prize is a trip for four to see Oprah's show. Apparently, that is more valuable than the minivan. Speaks volumes about the vehicle, and Oprah's ego.

CKY