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Last night....
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 3:16PM / Members only
on location...
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yes sir..step right up, you there..step right up
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008 12:46PM / Members only
On my recent trip to NYC, I went to the huge Barnes and Noble bookstore in Union Square to pick up as many novels and goodies I can cram in a suitcase without paying an arm and a leg to bring back with me to Hong Kong.
I picked up this fantastic novel called " Geek Love" which a few circus friends of mine recommended. It's a great read about a family of side show performers that bred their own acts with the help of drugs, arsenic and radioisotopes.
Usually I try to stay away from anything circus related outside of work since I'm usually inundated with clown and circus crap when I tour with a show.
For example, my first two years with the North American show, Ringling Bros, my family and friends were able to come see me on the road.
They'll bring the assortment of food and snacks to feed the clowns (Fresh Chicken Soup if they happen to be my family) and then someone, just that one person, would bring me some cheesy
clown memorabilia. They mean well and it would come out like, "heh, heh, I saw this and thought of you."
And they would then hand it to me and expect me treasure it forever.
Okay....
uhm...
no..
I have a huge trunk full of clown toys, clown dolls, circus books, circus magazines....
and on and on and on
So when someone suggested this book to me ,"Geek Love" by Katherine Dunn, about a side show family.
It really wasn't on top of my list..
But I am so glad I picked it up!
What a fun read! Perfect for a 15 hour plane ride around the world.
The issues it dealt with about what's normal and what's freakish was pretty compelling.
And there was this little paragraph that rung true for me:
"The truth is always an insult or joke. Lies are generally tastier. We love them. The nature of lies is to please. Truth has no concern for anyone's comfort."
Being in the entertainment business, it seems to me that sometimes we need to put on a facade over a facade until we're not sure who we are anymore.
Maybe people do want to hear a lie or two just to be satiated with their brief meeting with you.
Maybe people do want to hear a lie or two just to be satisfied that they didn't wast their time by reading about you, writing about you, watching you.
I recall years ago when I used to help out a NYC based show called Bindlestiff Family Cirkus by barking a la PT Barnum outside their shows to fill the seats.
I would lie, bite and steal just to get those people through the door.
And they loved it.
I hope as I continue down this path that I don't lose sight of the truth.
Oh, and I did end up paying an arm and a leg to get those books to HK.
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Showtime: HK Dragon Boat Festival: NYC
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 7:51AM / Members only
Coming back to NYC made me realize how much I love that city!
But there was no love when I arrived in Corona Park in Flushing last Saturday to a mild monsoon that drenched the stage and dispersed the crowds at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival.
Unfortunately that bit of bad weather canceled the music set of fellow AnD artist, Kevin So.
It was good to catch up with him in New York and it looks like he's doing some awesome stuff opening for the likes of Keb' Mo this month. I sincerely hope to see this talented artist in Hong Kong rocking the audiences out here!
The rain let up after a few hours so I was ready to do my shows. The crowd was a little sparse after the downpour but the air was sparkling with their need for some entertainment!
And I am definitely the guy to give it to them!!
I love a live audience!
The following are some photos from Sunday's performance after eating all those dumplings.
Yup, I held it all in!
Hanging with a kid volunteer
A woman getting all touchy feely on me!
Ready?
PUSH!!!
No need for applause..
Just throw money and food, please
I was in the Chinese newspapers that weekend and the caption under the photo read.
blah blah blah...Old man with young heart....blah blah blah...highlight of festival...blah blah
"FROM HONG KONG" blah blah
hahahahhaha......I have NO idea where that came from but I guess, yes, I'm now somewhat from Hong Kong, ain't I?
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Dumpling Eating: HK Dragon Boat Festival: NYC
Sunday, Aug 10, 2008 9:13PM / Members only
So I have an itch.
A little one mind you
not a big one
but an itch no less
I have an itch to become a competitive eater.
It started three years ago when I spontaneously joined a Hamburger Eating contest in Brooklyn for the free meal. 8 minutes, Two Bottles of Water, Hamburgers galore
The winner ate about 25. He was a pro. 2nd and 3rd place were pros as well, being in the competitive eating circuit for a few years.
I finished 4th with 12 burgers in 8 minutes.
That was encouraging...
Then last summer in Japan?
Being bored off my mind between shows, I threw down the gauntlet to the biggest clown (no joke) in the dressing room and told him I can out eat him in hotdogs any day!
Which set off the Battle Royale in Southern Japan. 10 minutes, Hot Dog and Buns
Unfortunately we couldn't find any hot dog buns so we had to settle for wonder bread..
eww..
In Japan: Check out the fear in the clown's eyes as I donned my Skeletor Make Up and went
Hot Dog Samurai on his ass!
And you know what? I didn't do too bad...
Now what?
Well, I flew back to New York last weekend to perform in a few shows upstate as well as take part in the Hong Kong Dragon Boat festival main stage performances with my variety act.
Turns out that my shows that day coincided with the 5th Annual Dumpling Eating Contest.
WOOO HOOO! Boy oh Boy! How can a guy turn down an opportunity like that?
So I signed up, keeping in mind that I'll have to perform a pretty high impact show a few hours after.
Jeez, I knew things were bad when I received a number that means "Will Die" in Cantonese
My spirits were high though until I saw the massive crew of Pro Competitive Eaters signing up as well..
I mean, these were the guys that can swallow you whole and ask for seconds and thirds..
These guys had technique
These guys had a system
These guys had a stomach...4 of them! Like Cows!
But I like to think I had style..
Trying to jam 3 dumplings up my mouth.
Wouldn't go down, wouldn't go up
I was STUCK!
Hey, a little water may help!
Screw it! Let's double fist it!
Go down Damn you GO DOWN!
Well, I ended up losing.
I didn't even place.
24 in 2 minutes
Argh! I eat 24 as a regular meal!!
The winner ate 66.
He swallowed them down like goldfish.
Pretty Impressive!
Is this the end of a promising career?
Probably
I couldn't get over the fact that there's a dozen of us onstage cramming food in our mouths in such a forceful display of gluttony while a good portion of the world barely have anything to eat.
I'm not one to judge and I love the fact that we're able to do this but I think I'm going to hang up
my battle apron on this one.
You know what's funny though?
I was still hungry afterwards
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Whaddya think?
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008 2:11AM / Members only
Okay
I've been doing a bit of traveling lately on the MTR from Kowloon to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Kowloon.
It's a long trek so I decided to whip out the old digital camera and take a few snapshots to amuse myself.
Got this one today between Tseung Kwan O and Admiralty.
It would have been perfect if there was a chubby faced kid with a red balloon staring in space sitting right between them. Don't ask....
What do you think? Any ideas?
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- .....recently discovered in an old antique cook book: ...
- Occupation: Theater , Actor , Film/TV Producer
- Gender: Male
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