This is where I share the [mis]adventures of traveling in the Taichung City Public Transit System.This is no ordinary edition of Adventures in the Back of the Bus; nay, this is famed column and my first vlog. Yes, this Adventure was so grand, it deserved a vlog.
Adventures in the Back of the Bus from Chase on Vimeo.
I apologize for the constant close-ups of my chin. The thought was the closer I kept my mouth to the built in mic, the more likely you would be able to hear my play-by-play narration above the noise. Don't worry, I know I'm no Colin Cabalka (just like I'm no Jered Scott Photographer) (shameless plugs for my friends). This was my first attempt at this nifty little toy.
I shot some footage of driving through the city. If I have time to clean it up (and if it proves worth anything), I'll post it in the next few days. It'll likely include a couple minute conversation in mandarin with the bus driver?
Thanks for riding along.
17 comments:
Thats awesome, it makes me want to go back to china. It reminds me of a taxi driver we had in beijing, who was too blind to read our hotel location on the bussiness card, and wouldn't let us get out of his taxi or wear seat belts. we survived. Does it make it easier when you can pick up some of what they're saying?
chase, that was a great first vlog! the more i watched it the more it reminded me of blair witch project. ngah ha ha. the funny/not scary version. i wonder what i'll do if i'm to take a bus ride with you. surely lots of fun!
btw, so you're going to thailand for vacation? have fun! :) eat much!
haha I laughed out loud! A little Blair Witchy, I love it :)
Glad it was only a fender bender and you're home safe!
Sorry friend I couldn't drop by of late.I saw floreta's vlog n loved it!Sure this is great as well.But I couldn't c it as the video is not getting played.Tried a few times....must b some connection error.Don't worry....I'll come back n try again later.
Sexy.
What? That's not an appropriate comment? I think your glasses take my focus haha. Anyway, we have lots of buses here but I never really ride one. Maybe the experience will be similar. Asian buses are crazy.
Ugh that sucks! What a night for you ;)
this really was as exciting as Ashton Kutcher making a mil friends on Twitter!!
@Codi, yeah, that's about what driving is like here, too. I know a smattering of what they say, but I get by with a lot of hand motions.
@Stiletto and @Floreta, yeah, I think subconsciously "Blair Witch" was what I was going for. Cheap Drama.
@Deeptesh, sorry it didn't work! Give it a shot again if you get a chance.
@Lolita, Asia Buses ARE crazy. I couldn't believe the irony of the night. Ahwell, I got home :P
@Steph, I'm glad someone picked up on that reference :P But really, it was a big deal.
I'm not sure what would happen if a bus driver here in Japan got into an accident. I don't think anyone knows really because I don't think it's ever happened in the history of the public transit system. J/K...well sort of anyway. The bus drivers drive so slowly here..and very, very carefully.
What did the people on the bus think of you talking to the camera? Did they think you were nuts?
@Reannon, haha, I wondered if someone would call me out on that. There wasn't many people on the bus, and only a couple kids behind me (but one reason I held the mic so close to my chin)
I have some footage I didn't post of the ride home (ended up taping the whole thing.. at that point, why not) and everyone that got off the bus waved to the camera.
We had bonded. We were in this thing together.
Plus, how often does a Taiwanese get to wave to a foreigner with a camera? Ah, instant celebrity.
hey chase!!
first off..welcome to my world!!!
Second... so proud to hear you say hello and thank you in mandarin...forever the gentleman
Third... now that truly was an adventure my friend!!
also... i sit in about the same spot on my bus every day on my way to work. ANOTHEr thing we have in common!!
only adventure I've had recently was last monday when my knee slammed into the metal railing and I limped all night at work. I now have a huge bump to commemorate the moment. Good times.
Sorry about the late comment, i haven't been on an actual computer n a while and i couldn't see the vlog on my phone. :-(
Hey stranger =] Long-overdue hello from me to you
Great Vlog. Makes me want to travel there too! Definitely similar stories with the traffic and traveling here. I love every second of the insanity lol. I love how immune I've become to accidents... it'll be weird going back to the states and if I got in an accident (knock on wood) remembering that I can't just shake my fist at the guy, check the damage and drive off. No need for an exchange of information here! =]
It's a very good chin at least... strong... manly!
At least you're not in India, where something like 1 in 10 vehicles have been involved in a fatal accident!
More vlogs... MORE!
@JCS, No apology needed! Thanks for making it by! :) So you heard my Mandarin? haha.. I'm afraid I'm going to speak Mandarin to people in the States. Those two phrases come out w/o thinking! (OUCH! Your poor knee!!)
@Geeta, Always lovely having you by, Friend :) Gosh be safe on those roads! I'm becoming more and more immune, but Taiwanese Drivers still tend to blow my mind every day!
@Sebastian, I'm glad you can appreciate a good chin. And alright, fine, I'll do another blog... but ONLY because you requested one.
Oh, and by the way, I'm not in India, but Geeta (comment above you) is!
Awh you poor child! That seems like such a bummer!
But I liked the video, thanks for sharing it :)
It's so awesome that you view something like that as an adventure--I'm pretty sure I'd find it quite tragic!
...I aspire to cultivate your sense of adventure~!!
Hey there,
I liked your V-Log. You had fun with it. "This is like Ashton Kutcher getting a million hits on twitter" I couldn't agree more : )
Haha so good. Love it, as always.
I wasn't actually able to watch this until today for some reason, but I absolutely loved it. Now that I take buses everywhere, I can imagine how crazy/exciting/sad it would be if mine stopped in the middle of the road. I was definitely laughing out loud (loling?) when I saw the damage. I want more vlogs! I love your glasses!
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