.

Team Under Armour Vs Abraham Lincoln High School Alumni Game Featuring Sebastian Telfair & Lance Stephenson - Full Game Video

2011-11-12T14:13:00.001-05:00

Last night the gym at Lincoln High School had six NBA players. Five were suited up. Everyone knew Brandon Jennings, Derrick Williams, Greivis Vasquez, and Kemba Walker (DNP) would come. Who would have thought Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson would be there...playing?! Before Under Armour arrived I knew the Lincoln alumni were serious. Enjoy the videos.

Brandon Jennings Plays Hoops In The Hood Of The Bronx - Full Game Video

2011-11-11T09:54:00.001-05:00

Last night Brandon Jennings and the Under Armour folks visited Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club - Castle Hill Unit in The Bronx. By far the prettiest community center in the hood of NYC. The gym is lovely and the folks were all friendly. It was a very low key event. Not many people knew about it. Kemba Walker was in a soft-cast boot. That means he is done for the tour. Brandon Jennings suited up and played with the locals. The girl in the video ballin' is Taylor Ford. She signed her letter for University of Syracuse an hour before Jennings arrived. The Speedy Gonzales in the game is Iv Fisher.

Team Under Armour Vs Boys and Girls High School Alumni Game

2011-11-10T15:40:00.001-05:00

Last night at Boys and Girls High School. Team Under Armour brought in Brandon Jennings, Kemba Walker, Derrick Williams, and Greivis Vásquez to play and exhibition game. Below is the full game playlist. Enjoy.

Under Armour Roster (Grey):
#1 Kemba Walker Rice High School University of Connecticut Charlotte Bobcats
#3 Brandon Jennings Dominguez High School Oak Hill Academy Lottomatica Roma Milwaukee Bucks
#5 Matt Formato Kenyon College
#7 Derrick Williams La Mirada University of Arizona Minnesota Timberwolves
#21 Greivis Vásquez Montrose Christian School University of Maryland Memphis Grizzlies

Boys and Girls Alumni Roster (Black):
#10 D.J. Cutler
#15 LaRon Mapp South Carolina State
#20 Kevin Mills
#21 Jamine Peterson Notre Dame Prep Providence Friars
#22 Garfield Hinds
#23 Malik Jenkins Orange County Community College
#24 Lee Chruch
#25 Greg Plummer Transit Tech High School Eckerd College

Forest Sun and Ingrid Performs For Green Tortoise Passengers

2011-10-07T13:56:00.001-04:00

We get to Monroe Utah. Camped at Mystic Hot Springs. A place owned by Mystic Mike. Formerly the Greteful Dead art designer. He brought Forest Sun and Ingrid Serban to play for us under the stars. Who would have thought a personal concert played all of us Green Tortoise passengers?

When In Stanford University, Do See The Marching Band

2011-10-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

I was able to see Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal play the UCLA Bruins. That kid is the truth! I also saw The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band LSJUMB. Or the Stanford Marching Band for short. Boy, their donors do make building names more complicated than ever. Here is their have time performance.

Would You Date Or Sleep With Person Who Has A Room Like This?

2011-10-07T00:05:00.001-04:00

The title says it all. Opinions are welcomed.

I Love Flying

2011-10-06T23:54:00.001-04:00

Anytime I have a chance to fly, I will. Anytime I have a chance to record my take off, I will. Caught a beautiful day in sunny Los Angeles last month heading back to JFK from LAX. This is for those who aren't able to get on the plane.

Amazing and cheap haircuts at Nick Arrojo’s ultra upscale ARROJO Studio

2011-10-06T15:33:00.000-04:00

Personally I hate going to the barber and the salon that I tend to let my hair grow out or keep it very short. I never had amazing experiences that made me want to go back constantly. The addition of my mother cutting my hair when I was young did not help the cause. You can say I have some haircutting trauma from sitting on the chair. I found ARROJO Studio by sheer luck. A few months ago a young lady came to the store looking to buy a pair of running shoes. It was a random comment that led me to discover that she is a hairstylist. My eyes lit up like Christmas Eve that night. My hair was growing crazy. Why not give the kid a try, I thought. Shawnee told me she is currently in training and cuts by her are $25. It was nice that I was able to speak to her outside of her job to get a comfort level. Frankly, you never know as some people could and will butcher your hair.

I did not feel I had substantial experience to write about this place after my first time. Today I went for my second visit. I will certainly share the details of my experiences.

ARROJO Studio is huge. This type of studio can be intimidating. There are about sixty seats for clients, a coffee shop, and there is a beauty school inside too. I am no fashionista. For me it is all too foreign. Shawnee briefed me up on who Nick Arrojo is. Normally the haircut prices range from $70-$500. The latter price will get you the man with the golden scissor, Nick Arrojo, himself to cut your hair. As with any distinguished studio, one would need to go to beauty school before coming on board. At ARROJO Studio that goes out the door. All new stylists go through their rigorous two-year training within ARROJO Studio to learn their specific technique and style of cutting. If the stylist is supremely talented like a LeBron James of hair cutting then I am sure they would be very happy to move them up the ranks quicker. The goal is to become a personal assistant to Nick Arrojo - the Robin to the Batman. The two years in training, the stylists are required to cut hair with models. It can be extremely difficult. At times they have to go out on the streets and find willing participants.

During the training period on certain days of the morning the students cut hair for $25. In the two times I’ve been there, I got cut by Shawnee and Tim. The only catch are that its 9:00 A.M for the cuts and its usually two hours in the chair as Nick and Lina Arrojo, along with other veterans overlook at the students work. Not the entire time of course. The two hour long session can be really good if you’re keen on picking up terminology and jargons as they talk. I take in a great appreciation for them having a wealthy of knowledge and a sharp hawk eye to see tiny mistakes as upper management overlooks upon the finished product. Having the big boss over the student’s shoulders will make them perform better or crumble under pressure. It is a pretty good deal if you have the time and the patience. And if the cut looks good I tip them as a nice gesture. I can’t afford the normal rates as my part-time job won’t justify the spending but for $25 this is a really good deal.

It’s not likely one will have the same stylist over and over but I am sure your hair will be in good hands. It’s a great way for me to start fresh and lose the fear of thinking my hair will be butchered. The cut by Shawnee and Tim were pretty cool. Shawnee layered it very well and Tim is meticulous with the scissor. I am young. I can experiment with new styles as much as I want. When I get older then I’ll keep it vanilla and boring.

3/6/2010 Update: I went for my third model hair cut after I returned from Brazil in February. My stylist this time was Martina. She is terrible. I had a feeling from the moment I laid eyes on her. She has been cutting hair for 15 years. That's what she said. Not at this studio. After chatting up with her a bit I got the feeling she doesn't really want to work there if she has to take all those haircutting exams. She sounded like she has her routine down and she isn't flexible to change it. I was right. When I told her to cut my hair a certain way, her reply was, "Are you a stylist now?" SMH. Overall I think she is not humble to start from the bottom. She didn't have the can-do attitude. She's couldn't layer or cut my hair like Shawnee or Tim. I hope she doesn't make it on to the floor. It would be a sad day for the person who is sitting in the chair.

5/7/2011 Update: I went for the fourth time. Tim cut my hair. At the end of this month he will be on the floor full time. That's great for him. Well deserved. A sad day for me if I want the student model price again from him. Shawnee also moved up to the advance track. I also filmed it for anyone interested in going to get the student model hair cut. Normal hair cuts are much shorter in time.

10/6/2011 Update: Shawnee told me she is a stylist now. Super fast for a 19 year old. If you want her to cut your hair for half off on Saturdays call the studio at 212-242-7786. It comes out to $40-ish after tax. Mobile is 740-680-1310. And video is back on. Had to wait awhile until Youtube gave me the green light for videos longer than 15 minutes.

Last Minute Trip to Los Angeles + Missed Flight + Almost Missed USC Football Game

2011-09-07T15:37:00.001-04:00

Getting to Los Angeles had a few bumps. I missed a flight. Almost missed another one. Landed a pair of tickets for Minnesota Vs. USC game. Almost missed that game too. Well here is the summary.

In Los Angeles Checking Out The Dark Knight Filming

2011-09-07T15:31:00.000-04:00

I've been in Lost Angeles the past few days. I was able to see some Dark Knight Rises filming in downtown. Enjoy.

Ooh Way Vs Team Nike - Dyckman Tournament Championship - With Full Game Videos

2011-08-18T14:33:00.005-04:00

As tired as I was going to the semifinals of the Dyckman Tournament Tuesday night I decided to go to the championship game on Wednesday night. Most of the people know that I film this stuff because I do it all out of love. There are a lot of people outside of New York City who don't get to see this and also a lot more who could not even make it to the game. Hopefully this shines some light into what you missed out. Now on to this crazy game.

I am not going to write a lot. The full game video below will pretty much explain everything that transpired. Ooh Way came mad late to the game. That pissed the referees off. It really didn't sit well with the white ref who did the last game. Director, staffs, and fans were all hell bent too. When Ooh Way arrived Team Nike wanted to leave because it was a joke to come this late. Team Nike came back and just as the game could have started Ooh Way complained about leaving because they did not want the white dude to official the game. They knew he was going to blow the whistle. And he did but not as much as the semifinals. If Ooh way could have done one thing right, it would be to come on time and please the referees. This did not happen so it resulted in some very controversial calls that could have gone either way.

Team Nike being marketed and sponsored by NIKE is going to get the calls because what giant company want their main piece to loose to a small uptown record label? I am not discounting the squad. Both team were evenly stacked. However if Team NIKE lost what was the point of this entire campaign for their Hyperfuse shoes that came out this year? Could Ooh Way have won it? Absolutely if the guys on the bench kept their cool from the get go and work some persuasion with the referees. All the what-ifs'.

I had a great time at Dyckman. They can improve the game experience by giving bracelets out to everyone that lined up because too many people cut the line. The real fans who waited and were left out felt cheated. They could add another giant bleacher by the scoreboard to accommodate more fans. Market this game better. Finally Team Nike video crew, some outsourced company, made this rule no one can bring their video equipment in to the game. Are they that asinine? First of all it is a free game. Second your editing team takes you ages to process the raw footages. People around the world want to see this game asap. Third it is free marketing for you, idiot. I am sure Dyckman League wants their product to gain more exposure. Right, Dyckman? Finally seeing Pee Wee Kirkland talking to the youth was awesome. Big shout out to the MC, Joe Pope. Dude is funny. Him and his bacon neck collar jokes. Word on the street is someone had 32 grand on the Ooh Way squad. Dayum!

2011 Dyckman Semifinals - Ooh Way Vs Body Snatchers + Team Nike Vs United Brooklyn

2011-08-17T14:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday the weather was wonderful. I went to Dyckman Park. Unfortunately they moved the game back to Gaucho's gym. Again. SMH. Jumped back on the public transportation system and got my butt over to the Bronx. The ride was fine. The wait on the damn line was over one and half hours. Security and organization sucks when it's a hyped game. Makes one appreciate NIKE PRO CITY much more.

The first game between Ooh Way and Body Snatchers started very late. I got a chance to watch the second half. Videos below. The second game was the main event, Team Nike Vs. United Brooklyn. I filmed the entire game. Video playlist also below.

A few observation from the game. This was a streetball game played inside the gym last night. WTF. The director should have known better that the weather was going to be good. Once again I miss another streetball game. There was two referees. One of them was a white dude. Not because he is white but he blew that whistle constantly. He totally killed the flow of the game. It was chaotic at best. I am sure the environment got the best of him. United Brooklyn was clamped down in the first half. Team Nike was hyped for this showdown and it showed on the scoreboard. United Brooklyn shot themselves in the foot plenty of times with easy missed baskets. They also had two NBA players - Taj Gibson and JJ Hickson. Neither played well in this game. A few fights broke loose in the game. First between the two team. Second between teammates on United Brooklyn, one of the players was Eugene Lawrence. Later another fight in the bleacher as well. This game dragged for too damn long. Team Nike is getting the push to win this league. With all the promotions, marketing, video crew following them, who does not think some calls wont go their way?

At the end I was exhausted. Made me realize how civilized NIKE PRO CITY is. Dyckman is its own animal. Can't really compare. It is a war zone when you step on the court. For real ballers who seeks challenges, this is the place to bring your A+++ game.

Team Nike roster : Anthony Pimble, Antawn Dobie, Keydren Clark, Vernon Goodridge,

Kenny Satterfield, Allan Sheppard, Quinton Hosley, BJ McFarland, Adris DeLeon, Anthony Glover

United Brooklyn roster : taj gibson, lamont momo jones, eugene lawrence, gary ervin, jj hickson

2011 Dyckman Playoffs At Gaucho's Gym - JTA VS Body Snatchers

2011-08-16T12:55:00.000-04:00

Last night's game was tight. Came on a last second shot. Here is the full game videos between JTA and Body Snatchers.

2011 NIKE PRO CITY FINALS - The Franchise Vs Dyckman / NYAC ( NY Athletic Club )

2011-08-12T13:32:00.002-04:00

The 2011 Nike Pro City finals came and went. The Franchise and Dyckman / NYAC ( New York Athletic Club ) went head to head. In the end Dyckman ran away with the trophy. It's been awhile since I went to a Pro City game. Last time was at Hunter College. Baruch College ain't bad. Here is the entire game playlist for those who could not make it. This is for all you basketball junkies around the world waiting for the NBA to get a damn deal done.

Also the playlist for the Nike Pro City playoffs at the bottom.

Wudaman2000 Youtube Account Is Dead

2011-06-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

Yep, that's what happened. All my videos are gone. Once that happened I was not in much of a motivating mood to blog as you can see it's been almost a month since I was on here. I have a new channel now. Subscribe. Thanks!

The Amazing Spider-Man Movie Filming in Woodside, Queens Was Dope!

2011-05-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

Travel Advice for Brazil - Things To Bring & Prepare before Visiting

2011-05-10T23:43:00.001-04:00

I've received a lot of questions about going to Brazil. I figure instead of answering the same things 100 times, let me make a few videos to help those that are going there.

Today's Run At Queensborough Community College

2011-05-10T23:35:00.001-04:00

I got to the track too late. It was midday. Warm and nice but sure was hot for a workout. Did about 6.9 total. 4.5 miles at a nice controlled pace. I wasn't too satisfied with the run.

Men In The Kitchen: Today's Lunch!

2011-05-10T23:27:00.000-04:00

NYC Bike Route of Alley Pond Park, Queens to Central Park Manhattan

2011-05-07T15:32:00.000-04:00

Here is one of the bike routes from Queens to Manhattan. Starting from Alley Pond Park through the old Vanderbilt Expressway to Cunningham Park to Kissena Park to Flushing Meadows Park to Corona to Jackson Heights to Woodside to Astoria to Long Island City to Central Park. 23 miles!

1200-1000-800-600-400-200 Intervals

2011-05-07T15:17:00.000-04:00

After taking a few days off due to a long bike ride, I went to St. John's track field today. Did a 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400, and 200 meters workout. Pace was 6 minutes per mile and the rest was equal to the run.

Nikon D5100 Unboxing And First Impression Video Review

2011-05-06T12:44:00.000-04:00

Since Nikon released the D5100 into the wild there hasn't been much places to find them. One would think there would be plenty available. But there are not many to be found. This camera contains many areas to cover so I made a video.

It's simple. I unboxed the Nikon D5100. Go through the basic set-up a la winging-it. Over all it is light weight, small DSLR camera compared to its predecessor. The new effects feature for the photography and filming are sweet. Downside thus far is the cheaper build and microphone. Not using any externals the D5100 sounds muffed compared to D7000. More to come.

Update (5-7-2011): After playing with this camera for a good amount of days, I decided I am sticking with the Nikon D7000. I provided three videos. No.1 is the final review. No.2 is test sample from D5100. No.3 Is how the video looks from a D7000. Disregard my rambling.

The GoPro HERO HD Is AWESOME!

2011-05-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

I borrowed the GoPro HERO HD from a friend. I wanted to see what this pocket camera can do. After testing it out I love it!

The item is a bit expensive compared to normal pocket cameras because GoPro HERO HD's accessories and is aimed for action sports users. GoPro makes all their income by selling attachments to the camera. That is great thing about them. I have yet to see other pocket cameras invest in additional attachments yet. Because of these add-ons it gives GoPro more versatility.

I've owned the Kodak Playsport Zx5 and Zx3. This GoPro HERO HD came out last year and blows both of these cameras out of the water. The HD video is sharp and clear. The wide angle is a big extreme but it is better than having one with far less angle.

There are downsides to this camera such as price, no LCD screen, 1999 set-up menu, and unable to see what you filmed.

Overall I think this is one sweet little toy to capture the world on film for travelers.

Today's Run At St. John's Track

2011-05-01T22:08:00.000-04:00

Two sets of 8X200 with 45 seconds of rest. After one set it was a 4 minute rest. I think the rest was slightly too long.

Lexerd Screen Protector For My Nikon D7000

2011-05-01T00:53:00.000-04:00

I had the Lexerd screen protector for my Nikon D40 since 2008. It worked very well. I decided to buy it for the Nikon D7000 also.

Right On Schedule

2011-04-27T22:07:00.000-04:00

My running is right on schedule. It's exactly where I wanted. On Monday I had a fantastic workout. It requires a combination of things: good sleep, great weather, no headwind, right amount of distance, and right amount of rest period. Focusing on the speed and turnovers so I gave myself a little more rest than usual. The bout was enough to fatigue me at the end.

The workout was a Set 1 - Rest 2 minutes(8X300 meters). Rest 6 minutes. Set 2 - Rest 2 minutes(6X200 meters). Rest 6 minutes. Set 3 - Rest 2 minutes(4X100). Finished. I didn't get 6 minutes of rest. Due to playing with the watch I had about 11:15 minutes of total rest combined for the 2 long breaks.

Tonight's Dinner is Oxtail Soup

2011-04-27T21:14:00.000-04:00

A scene from Captain America: The First Avenger

2011-04-24T20:27:00.000-04:00

There I was strolling through Time Square minding my own business yesterday. I saw a set staged in the middle of the street. Some guy said it was for a commercial. With all the Acuras I guess it was. I look closer and I see Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Evans. Nick Furry and Captain America in my own backyard! Sweet.

Awesome Effect Features From NIKON D5100

2011-04-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

Shot a few cool videos with the Nikon D5100. From selective color and miniature effect.

Interval Workout at QCC

2011-04-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

12X400 meters repeat with 90 seconds rest. The Garmin 305 doesn't read the laps correctly.

Random Photos of Brazil

2011-04-21T19:27:00.001-04:00

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo

$900 Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V Edition

Brazilian January Playboy Playmate

Insert Penis Joke

Brazilian edition of Asics DS Trainers

Cockland Whiskey!

Now that's screwing!

Havaianas, best slippers in the world. If Nike use this rubber it would be game over for everyone.

Cataratas do Iguaçu - Iguazu Falls

2011-04-21T19:10:00.000-04:00

This is the places one should see before they die.

~~Double~~ Triple Rainbow!

Photos of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

2011-04-21T18:47:00.000-04:00

Botanical Garden - Jardim Botanico

Japanese Brazilian Grocery Store

Oscar Niemeyer Museum

Opera de Arame

Tangua Park - Parque Tangua

View of Downtown Curitiba by Bosque Alemao

Bosque Alemao

Oi Tower

Bus shelter

Video Effect Tests Of Nikon D5100

2011-04-19T23:56:00.000-04:00

I took some video footages earlier tonight with the Nikon D5100. Enjoy.

Niterói, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2011-04-19T00:41:00.003-04:00

Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói AKA MAC

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum

The Dark Knight invades Brazil

Itacoatiara beach

Parque da Cidade, Niteroi

Great spot for para-gliding

Over looking Rio De Janeiro

Best view for new year's fireworks in Rio De Janeiro

Getting Fingers On A Nikon D5100

2011-04-19T00:06:00.000-04:00

If you happen to live in New York City chances are you happened to be one of the lucky folks to get your hands on a Nikon D5100. Otherwise be patient and wait for the skipper to call you off the bench because they are all sold out. As an owner of a Nikon D40, this is a sweet little toy. More to come or you can find me on Youtube.

People of Brazil

2011-04-16T20:04:00.000-04:00

Arraial Do Cabo, Rio De Janeiro

2011-04-15T16:13:00.001-04:00

Things To Do in Curitiba, Brazil: Visit the Bosque Alemao

2011-04-13T19:56:00.000-04:00

Bosque Alemao stands for German Wood in Portuguese. It was built in tribute to the German settlers in Curitiba. It’s a really interesting piece of work. Take a look.

Comida Do Brasil - Food of Brasil

2011-04-13T19:51:00.000-04:00

Acarajé - Tracing all the way back to Africa

Açaí and a Salgado (pastry snack)

Brazilian Buffet

Rice, beans, chicken cutlet, mashed potatoes, and farofa

Arroz, feijão, frango, batatas, e farofa

Suco da manga - Mango juice

Feijoada - Paolista aka São Paulo style with salsa on top

Brazilian pizza

Rice, beans, ground beef patties, mashed potatoes, and farofa

Arroz, feijão, bife, batatas, e farofa

Caipirinha

Ice cream (Sorvete) buffet - 66 flavors

Chocolate and honey

Eat your fruits and vegetables, kids

REVIEW OF THE KODAK PLAYSPORT ZX5

2011-04-13T11:56:00.002-04:00

Kodak unleashed their newest model of the Playsport line, the Zx5, into the wild last week. I was curious as to how the Playsport Zx5 compares to the Playsport Zx3. I ordered it on Amazon. It arrived earlier this week.

The price increased by $30 to $180, which can only mean that they had a solid sales number on the Playsport Zx3 and they are now banking on the Playsport Zx5 to do even better. Obviously both are great products with the body and the simplicity of the operating system.

The packaging is very simple. Inside are the camera, USB cord, power plug, manual, a note from Kodak, and the wrist strap. And still no god damn video camera pouch. They could have gone greener by reducing the packaging size. I read the note: register the camera online to receive a free micro HDMI cord. Nice way of saying, We don’t have it and we screwed up. The mini HDMI cord that came with the Kodak Playsport Zx3 will be unsuitable for the Playsport Zx5. Once the Zx5 is register online, the owner can receive the free micro HDMI cord by paying for the shipping and handling. Not cool, Kodak. Not cool.

The Kodak Playsport Zx5 design is slightly longer by a hair than its predecessor. It is thinner also. The body is flatter than Zx3. The screen remains the same size. The buttons are much softer. A new additional “Share” button is added. The “Share” option is a gimmick. This allows the video to be uploaded to social network sites via WI-FI. Nice try but this is old technology you are selling. A smart phone can do this and it will not need WI-FI. With no micro HDMI cable included in the box, the new micro HDMI port is a useless until then. Finally the main concern is the built in battery for the Playsport Zx5. For travelers who are going off road to remote areas that are far away from an electrical outlet, how will this fair for them? For those who are out for an entire day shooting various clips, how long will this last for them?

The improvements: The power-on/off on the Playsport Zx5 is very fast. The sound quality is smoother. The color is richer. In dimmer settings it picks up more light. Saturation is much better than the Zx3. In the past it looked like images gone wrong. This time they got it right and toned it down a bit. With the normal video quality enhanced there isn’t a need for saturation during most normal recordings. The lens has a wider angle. Autofocus is finally included. Filming subject up close on Zx3 was a nightmare. Now it is a sweet dream. The zoom is fluid. All the video effects that are in Playtouch are featured here. They added a built in trimming tool. It is average but it is nice to have it just in case. Also a lot of languages are included which is good if they want to sell none English speaking countries.

On a Sandisk Ultra SDHC Class 4 15MB/s 16GB card the minutes allowance are: 1080 – 2:51:36; 720p60 – 2:51:36 ( a little choppy compared to 720p60 on Zx3); 720p – 4:16:38; VGA – 6:48:27. There is still a minor lag with the two larger sizes. Better than Zx3? Yes. I’d still prefer 720p because of the smoothness. How long does a full charge last? On a 720p it lasted roughly 2 hours and 39 minutes. It does not over heat either. It was luke warm the entire time. For the Playsport Zx3 on 720p60 with a full charge it last less than 75 minutes. I am positive it is under 1 hour and 30 minutes.

The cons: During recording the battery indicator is gone. When I had 30 minutes remaining during the recording session it showed up on the screen as low on battery. 720p60 lags for some reason. The battery being built in can not be replaced. In the long run it would need to be replaced by Kodak. It's doubtful this would happen during anyone's ownership because by the end of this year we will be seeing something better.

Is the Kodak Playsport Zx5 for you? If you can over look the micro HMDI fiasco, no replaceable battery, and you are an average user, then the answer is, yes. If you have a long film session with no outlet around then it can suck but those moments are rare. It’s even rarer if you do run out of battery because it can be charged the night before. For the average Joe this is not a bad choice.

If you find this post resourceful please use the Amazon link to contribute so I can write more.

Update: 1) It froze twice during two different recording sessions. I could not turn off the camera. I had to go home and use a pin to reset the camera to turn it off. Otherwise it will not shut down. 2) On normal film settings during recording as it takes in light it goes into saturation on the display screen. It confuses me that the recording is in high saturation mode. It's not. Just the display. Watching it in the computer it looks normal. 3) The lag is noticeable on the 760p60. 4) Froze during play back. 5) I've updated the firmware. The High Saturation glitch is off. Hopefully no freezing issues also.

Update (4-13-11): 1) The firmware does help. 2) Recorded over 30 minutes straight of UConn pep rally. Did not feel the camera over heat at all. 3) I will be return it to Amazon not because of the above reasons. I bought a Nikon D7000. It's mind blowing awesome. For pocket camera I'll use my old Kodak Playsport Zx3. This was a financial reason.

A Small Glimpse of Rio De Janeiro

2011-04-13T11:47:00.000-04:00

The lagoon

Sunset on Ipanema Beach

The Sugar Loaf

Graffiti Artwork in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2011-04-12T23:17:00.001-04:00

Many more out there in the beautiful city of Rio De Janeiro. This is a tip of the iceberg.

My Nikon D7000 Has Left Me Speechless

2011-04-12T22:55:00.000-04:00

I didn’t even start using it for more than 15 minutes and this test video got me hyped with the potentials! Glad I bought it on Amazon. Going to return the Kodak Playsport Zx5. Nikon D7000 and Kodak Playsport Zx3 is enough.

Home of the 2011 National Champions!

2011-04-07T21:47:00.002-04:00

UConn won Monday night. I made a last minute effort to head up to Storrs, Connecticut to see the homecoming pep rally. Moments like this don’t come too often. Good Luck in the NBA, Kemba Walker.

Things To Do In Curitiba, Brazil: Visit Oscar Niemeyer Museum AKA The Eye

2011-03-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

Are you an architecture buff? Love design. Prefer outside the boundaries of plain Jane buildings. This is for you.

How To Lower Your Sallie Mae Student Loan After Graduating From College

2011-03-14T23:02:00.003-04:00

Like many graduates who enter the real world, it is not always that easy. Expenses pile up. The money you borrowed to attend college need to be paid off. If Sallie Mae is the lender, every month you receive a letter from them notifying you, the borrower, owe money. A lot of money. Depending on the size of the loan, the monthly bill can reach over $1,000.

There are many future graduates who will be in the same situation once they step out of college.It has been a stressful process. I know I am not the only one. Fortunately I have a few grand left to pay off. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My current monthly bill is at $214.87 with a 6.8% interest rate. With one phone call to Sallie Mae, I was able to reduce my month bill down.

I called Sallie Mae (888-272-5543) and asked if I can lower my monthly bill because I could not pay it off. Less than five minutes on the phone, the operator on the other end told me the lowest monthly bill can be $30 with a 6.8% interest rate. I accepted the offer. I did not want the obligation to pay at least $214.87 every month. In the meantime I can pay more when I want.

What I was offered is called GRAD CHOICE. This did not require any paperwork to be filed out. It takes a few minutes to process the new plan over the phone. Under this I will be paying a minimum of $30 per month for the next 24 months. After those two years, the minimum increases to $89 for the remainder life of the loan until it is paid off. The other option is called INCOME SENSITIVE REPAYMENT; I was trying to apply for this originally. Glad I did not. INCOME SENSITIVE REPAYMENT requires the borrower to fill out a lot of forms. The monthly bill for the loan is based on what the borrower earns along with other variables. GRAD CHOICE is the better option. No-brainer.

Now if I can only get a 0% interest rate. That would be icing on the cake.

Hostel Ipelandia - The Closest And Best Hostel To Stay in Foz Do Iguacu

2011-03-06T19:16:00.001-05:00

I’ve explained that there is nothing near Foz Do Iguacu National Park. The main strip consists of hotels which are very expensive and far away. If you are on a budget or not, Hostel Ipelandia is the place for you. It is the closest hostel or hotel to the entrance of the park.

From the rodoviaria bus station terminal take a local bus to the main local bus terminal. From there transfer to A41 or 401, I believe, it will drop you off at a rotary (video below). You will see Hostel Paudimar first. Don’t go there. The place is lively but the rooms are old and humid. The fan blows into the wall. They also will not give you a deal.

Go down the empty road and walk toward Hostel Ipelandia. It’s owned by Japanese Brasilians. The place is about two years old. They have free Wi-Fi and offer breakfast in the morning. There is a kitchen to make your own meal. The place is very clean and calm. They have rooms with air conditioner. The rooms without air conditioner don’t feel like an oven compared to Hostel Paudimar. The high ceiling and windows by the wall allow the heat to pass through. There is a pool and a miniature golf course. If you ask the owner nicely they might give you a deal on the room.

There are no grocery stores around this area because this is the closest place to Foz Do Iguacu National Park. It is about a 6 miles drive to reach the city. The families who stayed came by car. They were able to drive to downtown and buy groceries. The other option is to order food. A traveler will not need more than two nights here. If you are looking for further activities, go to Hostel Paudimar. They provide a list of traveling options.

Distance From The Nearest Hostel to Foz Do Iguacu

2011-03-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

Based on what I saw, walking to Foz Do Iguacu is NOT an option. This is a film from the closest hostel to the entrance of the national park. The distance is well over 4 miles or 7 kilometers. Be prepared to take a bus, taxi, or ride a horse.

Things To Do in Curitiba, Brazil: Visit The Farmer’s Market – Super Mercado Municipal

2011-03-06T18:13:00.000-05:00

This place is a foodie’s dream. I didn’t see this in Rio De Janeiro but I certainly saw an amazing supermarket in Curitiba. In the city they have a Super Mercado Municipal with a lot of vendors selling products. I was drooling non-stop.

Things To Do in Curitiba, Brazil: Visit the Bosque Alemao

2011-03-06T18:00:00.002-05:00

Bosque Alemao stands for German Wood in Portuguese. It was built in tribute to the German settlers in Curitiba. It’s a really interesting piece of work. Take a look.

Things To Do in Curitiba, Brazil: Visit the Botanical Garden

2011-03-06T17:53:00.000-05:00

Jardim Botanico in Curitiba is beautiful. Do go if you appreciate nature.

360 Degrees View of Curitiba from Oi Tower

2011-03-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

Curitiba is wonderful city in the state of Parana. There was too much ground to cover. One of the best views of Curitiba is from the Oi Tower also known as Torre Panoramica. Here is a 360 degrees view of the city. The audio was compromised so I opted for some music. Enjoy.

Welcome to Icari Beach in Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2011-03-06T17:08:00.000-05:00

I finally qualified to put over 10 minutes of video on Youtube. If you are traveling to Niteroi, do visit Icari Beach while you are there.

Movies To Watch AFTER Visiting Brazil

2011-02-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

There are great shows and movies produced inside of Brazil. Some movies are watched right away because they’re awesome. They depict the positive and neutral side of Brazil in a well balanced manner. Then there are some movies which you should NOT see prior to visiting Brazil. Watching one or more of these intense films can put you in a hegemonic spell. It’ll cause you to think every city in Brazil is like what you watched. It’s not.

If you consider yourself worldly traveler, do see this before going to Brazil and watch it again with locals so they can share their perspectives. If you are not a travel junky and have no clue about the outside world then the films will leave you scared, speechless, and ignorant. Watch it after your return. Don’t share these movie titles with your family members prior to departure, especially those people whom you call “Mom” and “Dad”.

Perhaps one day it’ll work up your curiosity that you’ll want to see the favela yourself. Here are two excellent films that are amazing and yet terrifying for the intelligent and ignorant audience - Cidade De Deus (Portuguese title)/City of God (English title) and Tropa De Elite (Portuguese title)/Elite Squad (English title). The latter movie came out with a sequel a few months ago – Tropa De Elite 2. Can’t wait!

Double click on the movie to go to the Youtube page to see all the other parts.

How To Use Rio De Janeiro's Main Bus Terminal, Rodoviario Novo Rio

2011-02-17T01:37:00.001-05:00

For backpackers in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil you have two options on transportation: airplane and bus. The airplane route is quick and fast. If you book it months in advance it will be cheaper than the bus. That requires diligent planning and knowing which websites to use. I do not possess this art form of talent. Just kidding, I do. I was lazy. The other option is the bus - a little slower, a little longer, always the same price with no last minute spike in fare prices, and many more destinations.

Buses outside of USA are awesome. One reason I do not visit friends in other states of USA is because buses are not awesome unless it is run like a well oiled machine by the Chinese. Taking the Brazilian bus is a fantastic way to see the country by land. The buses are enormous. Two things you will notice right away are the leg and elbow room. You do not need the high-end sleeper bus. The mid-level is ample for reclining and sleeping. The bus companies and their drivers are not shady at all. In fact they are very professional and punctual.

So how do you use the city to city and interstate buses when you are leaving from Rio De Janeiro? First go to the “Rodoviario”. Ask any local bus driver which buses go there. You may find it a little ghetto as there are a lot of hustlers outside. Fear not. You are a few steps away from the information booth and the security guard. Actually it is not that bad. Proceed upstairs and you will see tons of ticket both with city names above them. From there you can pick which one you want to go to. There are buses that go to Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina as well. My trip to Curitiba was about twelve hours long. During that time I had a wonderful sleep.

Rodoviario Novo Rio is big. It can suck for people who don’t speak a lick of Brazilian Portuguese. The good news is that they have a website. For those who are still scared shitless to think this could happen to them, fear not. Watch this video tour of Rodoviario Novo Rio to calm your nerves.

Place To See In Rio De Janeiro: Lagoa Rodrigo De Freitas / Rodrigo De Freitas Lagoon

2011-02-17T00:35:00.000-05:00

As you know lagoa stands for lagoon. From Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, or Jardim Botanico, provides easy access to the lagoon. It is next to the Jockey Club and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo who recently signed Ronaldinho from A.C. Milan.

The lagoon is about 7 kilometers or 5 miles in distance. They have a bike and walking lane. These leisure activities aren’t too popular so you have to watch where you are going. There are plenty of amenities surrounding the park such as restaurants by the water, a movie theater, kid’s playground, helicopter tour, and beautiful mulheres. As for the view itself, I’ll just let the video do the talking.

Free Lockers To Store Your Belongings While Working Out In Central Park

2011-02-16T01:03:00.002-05:00

Central Park in New York City is an absolute insane urban jungle gem. It’s very large. Covering over 6 miles on the inside park road loop. For those who do not live near the park it can be tough to find a place to work out. There are places to stash your valuables in a locker and go out to the park. They’ve been there for years. And it’s totally FREE!

The first place is the New York Road Runners’ Club located on 89^th Street between 5^th Avenue. and Madison Avenue. Weekdays are 10 A.M to 8 P.M. Saturday is 10 A.M to 5 P.M and Sunday is 10 A.M or 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. You want to phone in as they change the schedule sometimes. They have lockers and storage area if you hook a right once you walk in. It’s not big however it is sufficient. The location of the club is right by the Engineer’s Gate and the reservoir. No worries if you do not have a lock. I’ve been going there for more than 10 years. I just leave it there without locking it. It is very safe.

The second place is Hunter College on 68^th Street and Lexington Avenue. The school hours are much longer than New York Road Runners’ Club even on Saturday and Sunday. All you need is an identification to obtain a visitors pass at the front desk of the West Building. Tell them you are going to the athletics department or the gym. The locker rooms are downstairs. One for men and one for women. There are showers too. This is a college so you need a locker unless you want a five-finger discount happen while you are out for a nice jog. Make sure you carry your visitor’s pass and identification when you leave the building because you will need it when you return. Exit the building the same way you came in, the park is a few blocks down the road.

The third place is NikeTown. Located on 57th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of each week they offer free group runs. It starts at 6:30 P.M for the weekdays and 9 A.M. for the weekend. During the group run there is a baggage area to store your belongings. The reviews ain't too shabby.

If you know other establishments to store your belongings with easy access to Central Park, please leave a comment with your email.

Thanks to Ben Zhang for the tip.

Happy Belated Chinese New Year! 新年快乐

2011-02-15T22:39:00.000-05:00

It’s the year of the bunny. Isn’t that nice? I had an evening to partake in delicious Chinese food madness at Congee Bowery in Chinatown. The video below will shed some light of the ludicrous evening. If you watch it carefully there is a secret video inside. 新年快乐

Why I liked the Amazon Kindle 3 with 3G Internet but returned this $200 Junk

2011-02-14T02:58:00.004-05:00

The Kindle 3 with 3G is a great reading device. It’s slim, light weight, long battery life, soft on the eyes, and holds boat loads of books, will catch a lot of buyers. Those of you who own a Kindle 3 with 3G continue to use it. Keep in mind the value will be dropping soon. Very soon. Better technologies are arriving faster than we anticipated.

A friend bought one. I had the chance to test it out. It’s neat to have a library inside a slim device with free internet. I decided to buy an Amazon Kindle 3 with 3G also. My intention was to sell off my current books and find free PDF versions. Weeks go by. Dust collected on my Kindle. Normal readers can afford to buy e-books. I am not a normal reader. Trying to find free PDF books was a pain in the butt. Hours went by without any success. Classic books are easy to find. Current best sellers are extremely hard to find. I would always be directed to sites requiring a sign-up. Perhaps I was searching with the wrong key words.

My Kindle was the 6” version. When I did find a PDF file it was challenging to read. The purchase and/or free e-books display natural font sizes. The PDF files resulted in a very challenging task as far as reading goes. On the Kindle the downside to PDF is that it acts as a picture. This requires a lot of panning across left to right, up and down if the words are too small to read. There will never be that normal e-book feel with PDF files. The Kindle 10” would be better suited for PDF files but not at $400.

The free 3G internet caught my attention. No monthly fees. Free for life. I had to try that. Amazon says it worldwide. What better place to try that than in Brazil. I had service in the cities. On a moving vehicle in the countries it was hard to find signal. As for the speed, it was worse than dial-up AOL. A lot of time it froze. I couldn’t log on to Gmail or Twitter properly. When I did, I’d get kicked off. It took way too long to get on a site. The buttons were not friendly either. To send a quick announcement telling everyone back home including your pet hamster you are okay, alive, breathing, and all body parts still attached, it’s a good thing to have. Just don’t check and reply to everything because it will waste a lot of time. Chances are it will freeze as well. At the end you were better doing something else.

The size, weight, and battery life of the Kindle 6” is very good. Amazon could make it smaller like this without keypad. Typing on it is uncomfortable. I like how light it is. For travelers who are doing around the world trips, this is one of the best things invented. It eliminates all those 10 pound books. Save a lot of trees along the process. No more waiting for someone to ship it to you or search all over the city for a guide in the version of your language. One can obtain the book in a few quick seconds. This is also great for academics. No more slugging giant textbooks in the backpack. Those who are buried under so many books this is a dream come true. Whether the textbooks are sold in e-book format or not, one can scan the pages in PDF file. Transfer them on to the Kindle and you are textbook-free.

Which one do you want to buy? That depends on you. If you are aiming for the Kindle 6” screen, go with the Wi-Fi version. Until there are drastic improvements on the speed and such do not even bother with the free for life 3G version. I said it before, it is SLOW. It does not make you want to use it more. The 10” version comes out to $400. $100 more and you have an Ipad.

E-ink technology has been around for a long time. It is not expensive. Amazon is certainly making their shareholders very happy in the meantime. Sooner or later the Kindle, Nook, and all those other e-ink devices are going to drop in price well south of $100. Looking at the Kindle I owned, it had only a 3 gig flash drive. That’s it. I paid $200 for it. I use my GPS watch more than this. Their return policy is honest. It says within one month but I had it for over one and a half months. Amazon was very nice to give me my full refund with free return shipping.

There are a lot of other things I did not cover. This gave you a rough idea as to what I needed out of it. Finding those pirated books is labor some. Hopefully in a year or two things will take a drastic turn for the better. Perhaps there will be touch screen, color e-ink with a faster free for life 3G internet device. Looks like it is already here.

Caipirinha Appreciation Society – The Best Brazilian Music Podcast For Your Ears

2011-01-31T20:07:00.001-05:00

If you have a deep appreciation for Brazilian music look no further than to checkout Caipirinha Appreciation Society (CAS). Trying to find some good music to listen to while working in the ~~dungeon~~ mailroom of University of Connecticut, I stumbled upon their Podcast after my first voyage to Rio De Janeiro, 2007.

Over the years they have given their site a beautiful facelift along with keep the music consistent. I had a chance to meet one of the producers, Mickey, during a Mombojo concert in Ipanema. He gave me a rundown of what’s to come in the future for CAS (shhh! top secret) to what type of Brazilian music they play as more and more ears are tuning in to their podcast. Most of the artists they play are non-commercial artist. The idea is being grass-root and providing the unknown musicians outside of Brazil a platform to shine internationally.

Those who have been to Brazil and have nostalgic moments to those who want Brazilian music to drum up the heat level on your Latin music collection, check them out. They even have facebook fan page!

Help Wanted: Black Men for Brazilian Women

2011-01-31T11:48:00.001-05:00

At the CouchSurfing party in Rio De Janeiro I had a chance to meet a lot of wonderful people. One girl I met was, V. She is awesome. With a little liquid courage and festive mood, we filmed an amazing video. The is one example why American black men need to come to Rio De Janeiro. Black girls you best be worried. I predict a migration occurring in the next few years. Good luck on securing a homegrown brotha’ while you can.

A Look At One of First Touchscreen E-Reader – Positivo Alfa From Brazil

2011-01-29T11:46:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I spotted an e-reader called Alfa made by Positivo at a mall in Curitiba, Brazil. This 6-inch e-reader looks like the Kindle 3. A look closer, I realized this is a freakin’ touchscreen e-reader! Finally a touchscreen without the pain in the ass keypads like the Kindle 3. It’s smaller in length because there are no keypads. It is a little thicker in width. As for the touchscreen, it is a smoother and slightly glossier than a normal e-reader. The response time is awesome. I had a chance to play around with it a little bit. Video after the jump.

Where to find the best exchange rates for the America Dollar and the Brazilian Real with Video Update

2011-01-29T08:59:00.000-05:00

There is something evil about banking system in the USA – it is here to ~~take~~ “borrow” your money and turn themselves into wealthy institutions. Anytime I leave for a foreign country, I try and find out the rate at my local bank – Citibank. The rate is not great. Go to XE.com and see the live rates. Compare this with the Citibank. My rate is plain ugly. I understand. That is why they are in this business: to make the Benjamins.

I tried the currency traders’ at JFK airport. Maybe I could find a slightly better deal for USD to REAL, I thought. Better than Citibank. Still not great. I decided to change my money at the airport when I arrived in Rio De Janeiro. Live rate was $1 USD to $R1.68 and I got a $R1.55 or so with a $R10 transaction fee. The rate was fair and it was better than changing the money in an USA bank.

A few weeks later I found a place in in downtown, Centro as they call it, in Niteroi where I was staying that offered an amazing rate. The live rate was $ 1 USD to $R1.69/70 around the second week of January, 2011. What I got back at this place was higher than the live rate. For $1 USD, I received $R1.75! Without transaction fee either. I didn't need to show any identifications or ask why it was such an amazing deal. I went with the flow.

I highly recommend this place if you are staying around Niteroi. Rio De Janeiro to Niteroi Ferry will drop you off across the street. The office is not sketchy. Video below will show you how to get there.

Out Of The Oven And Into The Icebox

2011-01-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

I hate to say it but I am back. It was only 24 hours ago I was in the jungle-heat of Brazil. There are a lot of stories and photos to come in the upcoming weeks. I am slow as a snail in publishing everything. It is an one-man wrecking crew. To all my friends in Brazil, New York City looks like the Dark Ages right now. Pray that the outside of your window will never look like this.

People to Meet in Rio De Janeiro

2011-01-26T16:35:00.000-05:00

Going to Rio De Janeiro can be eye opening and jaw dropping. The language, the city, and the people can leave you jaded and dazed. You may have friends here already. You may have met them in the hostel, on the beach, or any other random fashion. Or none of the above.

One awesome event I suggest you attend is the Couch Surfing weekly meet-up on Copacabana Beach while you are there. I had a chance to be part of the fun last Thursday night. I was surprised by the turnout. Keep in mind that I am from New York City. We have our own CS meeting but the Rio De Janeiro event beats us without a question. In a busy city like New York City, getting 50 people is a great turn out because everyone does their own things. On a slow night in Rio De Janeiro the crowd was well over 100 people. I was number 85 by 9:00 PM. The tropical weather and the view of Copacabana Beach certainly enhances the meet-up a few notches.

In terms of networking and meeting great people this is the place to congregate. I am honored to have met many wonderful people from that night. It was their 81^st meet up. If you haven’t done so, sign up for CouchSurfing. When you come down to Cidade Maravilhosa be sure to sign up to the community board. Be sure to check out their calendar events under the community board at the bottom of the page.

Sending You a Warm Greeting from Brazil!

2011-01-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

There are few hours left in this tropical concrete jungle in the mighty land of Brazil. The weather has been cold on my friends in the ~~Arctic~~ New York City. I am sending my warmest regards to you all via Youtube. Hope you can feel the heat because Daddy’s about to jump back in the icebox with yah!

Walking Alone Through the Favela and Live to Tell About It

2011-01-07T12:24:00.009-05:00

Before anyone catch any inspiration from this post and/or video, let me defuse your hope, fire and, dream... A little. Unless your name falls under Wu or Anderson Cooper, DO NOT TRY THIS.

I am currently staying in Inga, Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro. Morro Do Palasio is a favela across the street from where I am living. I’ve always been curious to see what is there. I brought up the idea on my last trip in 2007. My hosts were afraid for my safety. It was squashed. This year, 2011, I was bored one day chilling in the house and I decided to see the favela. Without them knowing!

There are alternative ways of seeing a favela aside from what I am about to show you. You can do a tour or have a well-regarded person from the favela lead you. Depending where the money trail goes, both of these will contribute toward the ~~drug lord~~ community handsomely. The downside is commercialism. Unauthentic feelings as you walk through the favela while everyone is on their good behavior. No danger. No threat. No fear. What is the fun of that?

I’ve seen shanty towns in other countries but Rio De Janeiro’s favela is notoriously well known with a negative image of their favelas. Is it really true? I really like to find out. No way can every single person in a favela be a drug dealer, carry a loaded gun, ready to rob the flashiest person walking down the street. There has to be some nice people there that don’t have money with a warm heart. Of course paranoia goes up a notch when you are living with a houseful of Brazilian. It’s like one of those stories passed down to the young kids by the adults about people with certain skin color are dangerous or smarter than people with different skin color or the monster in the abandon house story. These are wonderful exhibits of ignorance, delusion, and, stupidity which the adults passed down to the kids. The kids don’t know much better, they eat up the story and believe in it. Thus the stupid-cycle continues on to present day.

My confidence was crippled by my friends once I brought up the idea of going there. I’ve never been robbed… so far. Why should I be afraid of something when I never even seen it out in the wild yet? Besides I don’t need to be parented by anyone who hasn’t traveled as much as me. My past trip to Rio De Janeiro I pushed the envelope by going out alone. In the end all was fine. This time I hoped for the same thing. ‘Fuck it! If they’re going to jack me at least I know it will be coming. The only thing they could take is my video camera. What would be a better story to tell that it was stolen in a favela than losing it on the beach with hot babes?’ My friends all stepped out of the house. I didn’t need to hear their pessimistic point of view anymore. With the help of google map and five minutes of diligent study, I left the house with conviction. If you have fear in your eyes don’t even try this. A pack of hungry wolves can see and smell it from miles away.

Google map didn’t even drive through the entire place. There is a reason. I’ll get to that part later. I walked through the long street toward the dead end. Instead of walking on the main path going up I went through narrow steps. Strategically speaking, not the brightest idea. I didn’t sense danger so I kept going. I reached up to the top pretty fast, quicker than I realized. I asked two young girls sitting down where the soccer field was. They pointed me toward the direction only a few steps away. I saw a crowded and old soccer field with tons of kids and adults. Over the other side of the field is perhaps the highest point of Morro Do Palasio, a giant mound with grass on top and two boys shirt-less sitting on the edge of the cliff watching the game unfold. I didn’t want to bring attention as they all saw me. I walked away and they continue watching the game. I turned around heading down and I saw the most spectacular vista looking over Rio De Janeiro. From there one can see why Rio De Janeiro is Cidade Maravilhosa. I saw just about everything, from the Sugar Loaf to Cristo Rentor on Corcovado and the sky was as golden as ever. It was an orgasm for the eyes, all from a favela. Free too! I can imagine what new years would have been like on top of there and filming away the fireworks.

The main purpose of this life-threatening-heart-pounding-adventure was so that I can show people what I saw. That you can’t prejudge. I was NOT bringing the DSLR but I was bringing the Kodak PlaySport Zx3. Walking up I didn’t take it out. Going down I took it out. Held it close to my chest and pressed record. The ladies I passed didn’t give me any doubt to worry about them. They seemed kind. Once the sky lessened, the building became taller, the street more narrow, the heart started to beat a little more than the usual pace. Blocking as much fear of the unknown as possible I felt like I was a human swimming in a tank filled with fishes, a few sharks, and no cage to fend off the surprise. I didn’t turn around, for he who does will show fear. I saw the same guy with the motorcycle riding back and forth. Never knowing if he or someone is gathering people to come down behind me or ride in front of me and block me off with a bunch of people. One point I was nearing one black dude without shirt on my right side and two men in a motorcycle riding up stopping exactly aligned where the black dude is on my left side. Fuck, this is it! Once I passed them it didn’t happen. Thought he did say something to me and I replied with a "Nao." and quickly turned away. I think it was about why I was recording or something. Within thirty meters the two men in the motorcycle head back down in the same direction as I am walking. Rode past me and stopped a few meters ahead. I was like, Fuck, now this is it! Nothing happened as I passed them. I walked through the winding road, saw a bar with a pool table. Saw two old men and asked them if what I was pointing will lead me down to the street. They said "Sim." and I went through a narrow stairs. I made it out. There were some young men outside and it was too early to celebrate. Keep in mind I had the video camera in my hand. Whenever I heard a motorcycle passing me, I hoped no one was coming from behind or in front to snatch it away. I heard a final sound of a motorcycle behind me but it was only my imagination shooting up my heart rate. I reached the corner of the street and I was back to civilization.

This is only a theory, Google maps could have drove through the entire Morro Do Palasio but I am positive certain people in that community don’t want their favela to be fully exposed. It can provide advantages for the police though not much as you’re still down the hill and they are up the hill. Usually the latter wins the battle in the cat and mouse chase game. Along with narrow streets and crazy alleyways and narrow stairs, it is an endless game of catch-me-if-you-can. Besides the up and downhills, and the fear factor involved, these narrow alleyways weren't unfamiliar because I was born in a hutong in Beijing.

The location of the favela is here.

Testing the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 Underwater

2011-01-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

I bought the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 in April of 2010. Looking for an upgrade, something solid, and able to handle water, I decided on this. Almost everything on my Youtube page since April, 2010 was filmed with this little pocket camera. The pocket video camera war has been ongoing. Many companies are upgrading rapidly trying not to be left behind. The newest Kodak PlayTouch, which hasn’t been great compared to its predecessor Zi8, yet exceed the color contrast compared to the Zx3. This shows how fast the industry is evolving. The two most popular companies are FLIP and Kodak. Personally I’ll take the Kodak models over the FLIP due to the hardware.

In the past I didn’t dunk this baby in water because I did not see anyone testing it out. Call me a wimp. Someone bought the camera based on my recommendation and completely got screwed or screwed it up. A story of he said she said. Bottom line – water got in his camera. Well now I am in Rio De Janeiro and I shot enough footage on this to say ‘The hell with it and let’s give this bad boy a bath’. Make sure the setting is on H2O mode. The color is a little yellow than normal during this mode. I dropped it in water twice and it was not bad. Pretty sweet result as I did this at the MAC de Niteroi.

Happy New Year from Rio De Janeiro!

2011-01-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The blizzard of 2010 is over. The winter is still in effect. One thing has changed - my location. I am far away from the cold. To be exact, I am surrounded by thong-clad Carioca beach babes. Yes, God created women but let’s not forget God also created Brazil women. Ladies and gentlemen without further ado, enjoy the video of the fireworks from Niteroi. (I was beat like a dead horse when I arrived on new year’s eve and I wasn’t able to make it to Ipanema or Copacabana beach.)

Happy new year from Rio De Janeiro, 2011!

Cheap ticket from New York City to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2010-12-29T18:07:00.002-05:00

This is my nutshell on how to find cheap flights to South America.

Flying to Brazil from the northeast of USA, particularly JFK airport will save you a bit of money unless you are near Miami, Florida. This will be my second trip to the land of hot babes and legendary footballers. I would not have been able to do it without discovering cheap tickets. When you search most American flight websites such as Orbtiz, Kayak, Priceline, Airfarewatchdog, and etc… you will see American prices. They are expensive if you ask me.

I used a travel agency which specialize flights to Brazil located in Little Brazil of New York City called BACC TRAVEL. I heard about them after my first trip years ago. Over the years they have expanded their office locations to more cities. When you book online, it sends you to ClickandFly.com or you can go directly to this site. My round trip ticket from December, 30^th, 2010 to January, 27^th, 2011 via Delta Airlines to Rio De Janeiro was $707.58. CHEAP! I am working with a lot of time and a tighter budget. Had I made the duration of the trip shorter it would have cost a few more bills. Regardless it was still cheaper than most major American flight websites.

There is also an agency based out in the rocky mountains of Colorado called ExitoTravel. They specialize in Latin America flights. Found them through the Green Tortoise years ago.

Good luck on finding that dirt cheap flight. Prices change all the time. It is always good to look at a lot of places and compare before buying.

Review of Accelerade and Eudurox R4

2010-12-28T14:34:00.000-05:00

I wished they had these sports drinks ten years ago.Both of these are better than Gatorade. I do not feel fatigued after my runs. Accelerade cost a little less than Eudurox R4. Their sizings are not the same either. Look carefully, they are both made by the same company. Keep in mind they contain whey. Both have 5 grams of protein - one scope for Accelerade and two scopes for Endurox R4. Endurox R4 contains a few more vitamins than Accelerade. As for flavor and body, I like Accelerade better. It is suggested that it’s to be mixed with 12 oz. of water but I use 32 oz. water bottle and add in a scope of Gatorade. It taste sweet and has more definition. Endurox R4 has a lot less flavor and it’s easier to drink down during workouts.

It’s snowstorms like this in New York City that makes me want to go to Brazil even sooner!

2010-12-26T22:27:00.000-05:00

Filmed this snowstorm tonight as I walked home in Jackson Heights, Queens. The snow is fine. The wind with the snow...NOT FINE. Four days till Brazil.

How to become a Google Chrome CR-48 Notebook Tester

2010-12-15T16:40:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine told me about this sweet testing program by Google to try out their latest and greatest device – The Chrome CR-48 Notebook. The application is time sensitive and you only have six more days. Plead your case. Show them you drink the Google-juice. Maybe they will send you one of these bad boys for free like engadget did.

Link to apply.

A look back at Hunter College student's fashion trends - circa 2003 or 2004 ?

2010-12-15T14:14:00.000-05:00

An Unusual Day at Work: A Dyslexic, A man who can’t tie his shoes, and 3 Danish Freaks

2010-10-15T12:27:00.000-04:00

It has been slow at RUN. Feel more like WALK. Corporate came down hard with the hour cutting. All the modern day part-time surfs went under a rock for hiding. With the New York City Marathon and holiday season coming up I know I will be needed. After it we’ll be tossed out on to the street like used whores. It’s a tale for another day. With no other work insight I set my focus elsewhere. When there is, it’s unusually good stories to share. Like the few that happened last night.

Some people have amazing awareness. When they see you talking to a person they jump right in like other person did not exist. Can’t they wait one minute? The first lady with spider-man senses wasn’t bad. The second one thirty-minutes later was.

I was finishing up a transaction at the register with customer X and lady walks up to the register faster than usual. She interrupted customer X and I asking for something she couldn’t describe so she motioned it with her hands. “Jock strap”, I told her. She being Asian and high strung, the two go hand in hand. I told her to wait, fell on deaf ears. “Can you write it down, please?” I gave her the diplomatic look of I-am-with-customer-X-and-you’ll-have-to-wait and kindly told her to wait again. It took four times of telling her to wait that she got the point. If I’d listened to her, my skull would be shaking like the San Andreas Fault Line because she was a speedball. Not quite sure if I gave off the vibe of a push-over. I am sure not having a lot of work and being out of sync had a lot to do with it. Customer X was finished but she stayed around to listen to me and the “Jock Strap” lady. X was already laughing because she knew “Jock Strap” lady was slow in the head when I told her to wait. The jock strap was information she wanted. She asked me to write it down. Woman, please! I’ll point you to the light at the end of the tunnel but I won’t carry you on my back. I didn’t say anything. I pulled out a slip of paper and grabbed the pen and handed it to her cordially. I said the words “Jock strap” and she wrote, “J-A-C-K…” My eye browse just went up and my eyes grew larger. This woman can’t fucking spell “Jock” I kindly spelled it “J-O-C-K” I’d figure the word: strap, would be easy to spell. Wrong. She gave me this confused look as she scribbled the second word. Holy Shit! This woman can’t fucking spell “Jock” and “strap” How the fuck did she slip through the fortress of USA immigration officers? Take her green card away. Put her back in ESL class. Make her spell “Jock strap” then let her back in to the country. By far it was an embarrassment to be associated with an Asian who can’t spell and live in this wonderful country. My eyes were the size of grapes and I spelled, “S-T-R-A-P” Customer X is laughing like a lunatic, making it worse for me to deal with “Jock Strap” lady. I sent her over to Paragon Sports and let them deal with her. When the lady walked away customer X blew up laughing even harder. Gave me a high-five and said, “We connected and this is going on my Facebook post!”

An old tall man comes in with a short young man who was in his twenties. The old man asked me to get the proper shoes for the young man. We go through the fitting stages. I asked him to roll up the pant sleeves. He pulls it up. I ask him to roll it up. He said, “How?” In my head I was thinking - Is this guy fucking with me? I demonstrated how and he rolled it up. I brought up a few sneakers. The old man told me the young man might not be able to tie his shoes. Kiss the baby. I was not going to tie anybody’s shoes. Don’t try to degrade me. The old man tied his shoes. I am not here to judge but no one said anything about him being mentally slow. Based on my encounter he was high functioning. I dealt with enough low and high functioning people to know the difference. All his motors were working properly. I asked him, “You don’t tie your shoes?” Again not pissing off the customer I said, “You can try to learn it.” There I was discovering a grown-up who can’t tie his shoes or will not try to tie his shoes due to his lack of “hand-eye coordination” I know he can do it. His mind is lazy. I was not going to spoon feed him to a dumber standard. If anyone knows me well enough I will challenge you and make you crack if you are acting stupid or lazy. When they left, my co-worker told me I was being “such an asshole” I refused to agree about the young man being mentally slow. No one said a word about it therefore I expect you to be a normal person who can tie your own shoe laces.

Our largest clients are women. No pun intended. Three lovely Danish women waltzed in to the store and checked out the duffel bags. We told them the prices and they asked for one. One guy went down to fetch it for them. They stroked up a conversation with me. “I’ll pay you $25 for it”, the blonde said. The bag’s $30. Who’d she think she is? She said, “Why don’t your friend go downstairs get it and I’ll meet you in the bathroom” for a quickie. Her friends cracked up. She laughed too. I asked, “All three of you at the same time?” That’s a handful for a Danish sandwich. These women get quicker by the day. Scandinavian women put American women to shame.

Explain why I went to Kiss and Fly on Tuesday night?

2010-10-14T19:35:00.001-04:00

For some outrageous unexplainable reason, Fuckstin, Chop Siuy, and I decided to go to Kiss and Fly Tuesday night. Fuckstin, the ring-leader of this plan suggested we do it because he knew a promoter. His entire mantra was making me feel guilty if I didn’t go. Real feel good friend.

Knowing nothing this place I googled it up. Looked at their menu and saw their prices. I proceeded to hide my tail between my legs in the corner of a room. $16,000 for a bottle of H2O with a funny French name on the label. How much would oxygen cost in this place? I’ll go listen to some music then peace out. Those mobsters have enough money. Would my $20 make them any richer? Fuckstin mentioned something about Kim Kardashian being there. Oh please. We are far from the handsome football players she hooks up with. My employer is not the New Orleans Saints nor the Dallas Cowboys.

We entered the club with the promoter. Currently not having much work hours at RUN has kept me very cheap. Having an ex-girlfriend name, Sallie Mae, isn’t financially suitable either. I cringed when I found out it was not free. “Hey! Fucktard, why didn’t you tell me we had to pay?” His response, “Opps.” We went in and had complimentary champagne. Nice. Who’s my kisser at the stroke of midnight?

The place filled up to the max that evening. Who on earth with a ~~job~~ career would go out on a Tuesday night? Question applies to everyone except the tourist and the three idiots. Warp me to a dive bar asap because with the money I carried I’ll only be able to afford three cubes of ice and a red stirring straw. I look over my shoulder and all of a sudden I see an almost naked woman dancing in front of my horny vision. Then another, and another, and another. All popping up like groundhogs out of a hole. There they were, dancing on top of tables with 1% clothing on and looking down at men with their vain looks – You’ll never have this. Ever.

The party wasn’t for Kim Kardashian. It was for Jonathan Cheban of the television show: The SPIN Crowd. I was looking forward to seeing a Kim or a her but not a him. Later Big Head came to the crunk fest. What better way to welcome him to the YouTube world than a handshake with Jonathan Cheban. Well, this was my Tuesday night. How was your Tuesday night experience?

Brooklyn Techie creates DriverGrid

2010-10-12T14:03:00.000-04:00

Like the previous Techie post, the creator here would like to keep his/her name anonymous. This person is a graduate from the class of 2000 of Brooklyn Technical High School, a good friend of mine, and would like to keep their normal 9-5 job so they can continue putting food on the table for their ten kids.

DriverGrid is a site that allows customers to book concierge service. It ranges from personal travel needs, airport and work pick-ups and drop-offs, bodyguards, and VIP services. It recently went live and it's a secure site.

The site is DriverGrid.com. Their Facebook page is here ,and Twitter page is here.

Free Roaming Texting in Canada via ROGERS

2010-10-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

The final week of September I was texting left and right with my USA phone while I was in Toronto, Canada. Knowing the bill will be ballooned every text I sent and received made me cringe. I received my T-Mobile monthly invoice this past weekend. I didn’t get charged for roaming text made in Canada. I double checked with customer service at T-Mobile and they verified the invoice had no errors.

I have the unlimited text messaging plan for USA. In this plan, texting to Canada from USA there is a $.20 charge per text. However while in Canada using ROGERS tower signal, it’s free to text but not to call. The text made out to Canadian and American numbers while roaming with a T-Mobile service under ROGERS tower signal is free of use. The only charge is if you make calls. No charge if you don’t pick up a phone call. Every country is different. I remember roaming in South Korea and every text or call I received without opening or answering was $2.00. Pretty sweet deal to have when heading up north of the boarder.

Price difference for Korean food in New York City vs. Toronto

2010-10-07T20:10:00.000-04:00

I think I like eating Korean food. I want to love eating Korean food. It’s not the world’s most amazing food but there are some great dishes besides the Korean BBQ that will set you back a day of your life. It’s not for everybody and it’s not for nobody either. What I don’t understand is why are these Korean restaurants in New York City charging such a high price for a dish that cost less than $7.00?

For a person who eats anything. Yes anything! There’s barely any meat in their dishes. I can’t believe the prices I see on the menu. I remember a friend order cold noodles one time and it was over $10.00. Holy Shit. Who comes up with these numbers? Let’s get in line with the price range of other Asian cuisines. Korean food, you’re not that special. It’s a huge reason why I have only eaten outside of South Korea once not counting the time I went to a Korean BBQ restaurant.

In Toronto it’s much different. These ajumas know their role. The prices were ~~expensive~~ affordable. It made sense. I didn’t have a chance to try out the food. Next time I will. I am sure the food quality tasted the same if not better over there. Why is it cheaper in Toronto? No clue.

Ajumas in New York City start paying attention to the ajumas in Toronto. When you make it affordable I will start eating at your spots.

Photos from Toronto

2010-10-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

A man can learn a lot from this picture.

A woman can learn a lot more from this picture.

Nathalie Nahas – my hostess not only an amazing cook, she also has some great design skills. Hire her.

I look crazy. The meal look delicious.

Having an Ethiopian dinner with my other hostess.

Ontario College of Art and Design

Art Gallery of Ontario

CN Tower: Statue of liberty of Canada

They made a mural for me.

Another friend from the Green Tortoise Baja, Mexico whale watching trip whom I haven’t seen in over 5 years, Stu Silverman. Witty writer for hire.

ROM: Royal Ontario Museum

One of many beautiful gothic buildings on the campus of University of Toronto.

I like pink. I really do.

Photos from Tokyo, Japan ( May, 2010)

2010-10-05T20:46:00.003-04:00

You know how the situation went down and why I left Japan. Before all this I had a chance to see an old friend, Tsubasa Kato and his lady. We met during a 2005 Green Tortoise Baja, Mexico whale watching trip along with other friends I still keep in touch with. If you don’t know about the Green Tortoise then you have been hiding under a rock all this time. You can check out some of my homeboy’s work here and here.

Thoughts on Toronto, Ontario, Canada by a New Yorker

2010-10-05T18:53:00.000-04:00

It’s amazing how upstate feels like a ghost town. Yet across the US/Canada boarder is the vibrant city call Toronto. The Buffalo Bills want to leave Orchard Park and head to a bigger market. I don’t blame them. Toronto is a great. Not great enough for Chris Bosh though.

It’s not a tiny compact island like Manhattan. Things are more spread out. It is very clean and environmental friendly. There are many new condos developed in the heart of downtown and they look great. It is not over crowded like New York City which is perfect. I didn’t feel the fast pace life style in Toronto.

The people are reserved and not loud. They seem less snobby than New Yorkers. Not saying all New Yorkers are snobby and all Toronto folks are not snobby. It’s very diverse over there. In New York City every place feels like sections but in Toronto I did get that too much. It’s there just much less. The big surprise was the Asian community. Hot damn, it’s big. The Asian women look good. Better than the ones in New York. Don’t kill me. As for the white ladies there are plenty of lookers. Canadians get a bad rap for being boring and bland. If one looks closer they will find snow bunnies in the white snow.

Tourism certainly can be increased. There’s not much to dislike. It feels and seems far. It’s not. Perhaps the Canadians could invest in a little advertisement for their city and snow bunnies.

No. 1 socialist city – Good ganja; better women.

Toronto

I can picture this billboard in my mind. Canada, what are you waiting for eh? Hurry up.

Final thoughts – progressive city, good food, great people, excellent ice wine, and don’t shop there when you can purchase the same goods in the USA for a lower price. Tax of course is a bit heavier up there.

How to go from New York City to Toronto on the cheap

2010-10-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Toronto, Canada. I didn’t fly. I didn’t train it. I took the bus. I normally dread the bus due to discomfort, delays, and more delays. This time I had a change of heart. I was curious about this bus called Megabus which offered some interesting routes and prices. Thanks to the Chinese folks in Chinatown, the American slow-pokes really had to step up their game. A lot of cheap bus routes have expanded over the past years due to the demand of the customers.

I booked a pair of tickets (roundtrip) from Megabus.com about a month in advance. Their advertisement is all about the “$1.00” tickets but I didn’t see a single one on their site. Eventually I found the lowest ticket was $23.00 one way. The other dates I’d looked were priced at $44.00 and $77.00 one way. It said bring one piece of luggage.

The bus was 45 minutes late the morning of the departure to Toronto. The bus was empty going up north. Being on a double-decker bus is sweet. Sitting on top level reduces the fatigue. The ride was comfortable. The Canadian customs was quick. 10 hours or so of riding we arrived. It was an hour late to our destination. For me that was $23.00 well spent.

Coming back from Toronto was a bit different. I left at noon and didn’t arrive in New York City till about midnight. This time there were more passengers heading to New York City. Our ride was an hour late due to the USA customs line. The pit stop was at Syracuse in both directions. There were many passengers impatiently waiting to board the bus. Suffering through ghetto yapping like ear rape over the final half of the ride from fellow riders behind my seat, we finally reached New York City. It doesn’t happen that often but we had three old ghetto folks from the hicks of Syracuse talking loudly. Nobody’s ears were safe. Everyone got raped in their ears. The return trip was slower. For $23.00 I still can’t complain.

Megasbus is pretty good. Two levels, one clean john, and they don’t play cheesy videos. There is wi-fi on the bus. I didn’t use the electric outlet going to Toronto. The ride to New York City there was power outlets on the bus but didn’t have electricity that was the downer. For the price paid I am pretty satisfied and I’ll do it again. Even with the ear rape.

Brooklyn Techie makes an Apple App.

2010-09-09T15:19:00.001-04:00

I’d love to tell you who made this however at the moment the person wants to keep their name undisclosed due to the nature of their job. This person graduated from the class of 2000 at Brooklyn Technical High School, and is a good friend of mine. S/He shared some of his/her side projects s/he has been working on.

If you have an Apple Iphone 4 and/or Ipad then you should download some of the free application or apps at the Surrealpath. One app is a LED light that functions as a strobe and a SOS. Another is a battery charger alarm for the Iphone 4, Ipod Touch, and Ipad. The other ones which are not free but cheap are creating your webpage and measure for the Ipad and Iphone 4.

The site is surrealpath.com. Twitter is here. Check out the youtube video below.

N****, please!

2010-09-09T14:40:00.001-04:00

If you love hearing the 5 letter N word then you’ll love hearing it from an Asian man’s mouth. It never gets old. Those ninjas are crazy!