The Galloping Ghost: Say "Game Over" to Boredom

Outside on the street

Everyone has a favorite classic arcade game.  Some people love Pac-Man or Frogger or maybe even that foulmouthed, orange ball Q*bert.  My personal favorite is Robotron 2084.  Not only was the use of two joysticks innovative, the sound effects still hold up through my rose tinted glasses.  Whatever arcade game you loved in your youth, the Galloping Ghost probably has it.

You used to find arcade games everywhere.  From the ice cream parlor to the video store, you couldn't go anywhere without finding a cabinet ready to eat your unwanted quarters.  And what mall didn't have the ubiquitous arcade, dimly lit and filled with brightly colored screens.  Wow!  How times have changed.  Some of my fondest childhood memories include my father and I playing Tokyo Wars at the local mall and trying to beat the legendary, Konomi classic Turtles in Time.  Thank God someone is preserving these outdated relics of the past.  Remember that overweight, unemployed guy in his late 20's who always hung around the arcade pumping quarters into Mortal Kombat II so that he could get the high score and enter his name as ASS.  Well, for one day I got to be that guy.  And it was awesome

A Smash TV cabinet is on the
corner.  The game is loosely
based on the film Running Man

Way out in the badlands of the Chicago suburbs, the Galloping Ghost has managed to collect many of the greatest arcade games under one roof.  Unlike the "barcade's" that have become popular with the millennials, the Galloping Ghost charges a $20 flat rate per person.  For just $20 you can play until 2am.  Also, the fact that they don't serve booze keeps the atmosphere family friendly.  This place has made Brookfield, IL a pilgrimage for novice and hardcore gamers alike.  Overtime the Galloping Ghost's legend has continued to grow.  After gaining fame as the Mecca for vintage arcade games, it appeared on several notable Youtube channels, including Cinemassacre.

With so many great games in one place, it can be overwhelming.  The first game I played was Street Fighter.  That's right.  I didn't say Street Fighter II or Alpha...just Street Fighter.  I'd never actually seen a Street Fighter cabinet before.  The game is borderline terrible.  It's still a tournament fighter, but you don't have the ability to pick your character in the game.  You're stuck playing with Ryu.  A prime example of the sequels being superior to the original.  The game's terrible quality is certainly surprise considering it comes from video game juggernaut Capcom.  

I have fond memories of
playing Afterburner at
River Falls Mall

Don't be surprised if the unlimited continues result in the urge to settle some old scores.  I fulfilled a childhood dream of beating Sega's arcade classic Afterburner II.  As a child, I always played the motion simulator version at River Falls Mall.  I also had the Tengen version for the NES.  I've always wanted to beat the game but never seemed to have enough quarters.  Let's just say that around level 15 the game gets cheap...incredibly cheap.  Dodging missiles basically becomes luck until you beat the game at level 23.  I probably got my $20 worth on just this machine.

The Galloping Ghost also has a ton of movie and TV tie-in games.  Some great and some not so great.  I personally love the beat-em-up classics of the early 90's that dominated my trips to the pizza places of southern Indiana.  Of course they have the Konomi classics TMNT: Turtles and Time, X-MEN, and The Simpsons.  Only one of which ever got a home console port.  Shame!  

GREAT

Alien vs. Predator 
Finally got a chance to play the legendary, arcade-only Alien v. Predator.  Considering its reputation, it's crazy that this was my first time ever even seeing the machine.  It more than lived up to the hype.  Few things are as satisfying as taking a flamethrower to a xenomorph.

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs 

Even Capcom's lesser known games from the 90's are classics!

It's as awesome as it sounds.  A classic beat-em-up that you've probably never heard of.  And to top it off, it shares a cabinet with Aliens vs. Predator.


Sunset Riders 
Love beat-em-ups and the old west?  Then this is the game for you.  It's great to experience a 90's wild west property that doesn't have a giant mechanical spider.

Capcom vs. SNK
I love Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel Superheroes games, mainly because of the Marvel heroes.  However, this underrated tournament fighter actually plays smoother and is more fun.  I imagine it's because they didn't have  to shoe-horn in the Marvel Heroes' moves.  Even if you are like me and don't know any of the SNK characters, check this one out.     

NOT SO GREAT

A relatively rare Real Ghostbusters cabinet.  

The Real Ghostbusters
Poor graphics and weak game play hold back this arcade game from achieving the greatness that the franchise deserves.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 
This Atari made game isn't as well known as its vectrex fore bearer.  And there are several reasons why.  Going with an isometric perspective is almost always a bad decision.  In hindsight, Atari should have stuck with Vectrex graphics for this sequel.  No matter how advanced technology gets, I will always think that Vectrex graphics are the future.

Donkey Kong 3
Some people consider this a hidden gem, but I have little love for this overblown collector's item.  While the terraced playing field was innovative for the time, spraying bug spray up a giant monkey's butt isn't my idea of a fun game.  Also, the game play is as unforgiving as my critique.  A rare miss for the Big N.

NEXT TIME

Original Star Wars cabinet
featuring vectrex graphics

Metal Slug 
A good portion of the back wall is taken up by Neo Geo machines that contain about 5-6 games each.  The downside of this is that all the Metal Slug games are on one machine.  There also seemed to be a line to play these arcade classics.  Next time I make it to the Galloping Ghost I will make sure to beeline for this machine and play a couple rounds of SNK's immortal franchise before the crowds really start pouring in.  Everyone knows that the Neo Geo versions are the best and that no home port can truly do the franchise justice

If you are going to the Galloping Ghost, I recommend that you get there early.  Word on this place has gotten out.  It was packed just a few hours after opening and many of the best machines had developed lines by the time that I left.

This place is basically an interactive museum.  The next time you're in the Windy City, skip the bean and take the train to the Galloping Ghost.  You won't be disappointed.  




   

Golgo 13: Master Assassin

Golgo 13 is Japan's second longest running manga series.  It follows an assassin for hire named Duke Togo who often goes by the code name Golgo 13.  Often compared to James Bond, Golgo 13 travels the world carrying out "contracts" as a hitman.  Unlike James Bond, Duke Togo is not a charmer.  Stoic nearly to the point of absurdity, Golgo 13 is much more like the Bond of Fleming's novels than the one-liner-spouting, Tuxedo wearing Hollywood Bond.  He never shows emotion and only cares about his work.  Golgo 13 has a dedication to his job that mirrors Japanese salaryman culture.  It's the duty and dedication to his craft that makes Golgo 13 so interesting.  

I just finished the last volume of Viz Publishing's English translations.  Viz, who publishes many great English translations of Japanese manga series, has translated 13 volumes of Golgo 13.  The various plot lines cover everything from postwar Japan to the Bush/Gore presidential race.  The first story I read involved the docking of the US Apollo and Soviet Soyuz space capsules.  Though the translated volumes aren't published in chronological order, its safe to say that Golgo 13's stories have always been firmly rooted in current events.

What keeps the series so fresh is that often the stories don't focus on Golgo 13.  Sometimes he's more of a supporting character.  The series certainly use this to its advantage.  The writers do a great job of grounding each story's narrative in story's setting.  It's wonderful to see how each new story will incorporate elements of the setting's culture or history.  The artwork usually features great images of the cityscapes include memorable renderings of Chicago, New Orleans, and of course Tokyo.

If you're interested in a great manga experience ,make sure to checkout Golgo 13.  It's thrilling, has amazing art, and certainly isn't for kids.

  

Charlie's Steakhouse: One-of-a-Kind Fine Dining

The neon sign lights the way to
deliciousness

Charlie's Steakhouse doesn't have a menu.  That's the first thing separating this place from the rest of the crowded steakhouse market.  Walking into the bar is like taking a step back in time to a time before every strip mall in America had a Longhorn steakhouse.  And this place has class to spare.  The first thing you'll notice is the neon sign on the building.  Charlie's is on a mostly residential street just off Napoleon Avenue.  Put simply, this place is an institution. 

The bar has that "classic" look

You enter in the bar.  It's got that classic old-school wood paneling, letting you know you've come to the right place.  It even has the old style pre-digital cash register.  The bar looks like it hasn't changed since the 1960's, but if it ain't broke don't fix it.  I recommend the old fashioned.  You'll certainly get your moneys worth out of it, because it is strong and well worth the price tag.  Even if you're not in the mood for a steak, stop by the bar for a great cocktail.  The only downside is that they don't have a beer on tap.  However, the does a TV.  They showed the MLB playoffs the night I went.  Starting a steak dinner off with a cocktail is always a good choice.        

Old Fashioned with a side
of class

Steaks ready to eat

As I said earlier Charlie's doesn't have a printed menu.  The night we were there, they had four different cuts of steak.  The waiter should be able to recite the list of sides and steaks by memory for you.  However, if you don't know what you'll be eating when you go, you might have come to the wrong place.  Everyone knows that steak is the main attraction.  The salads are huge and the dressings have that homemade taste, so you know you aren't eating anything too healthy.  I recommend the au gratin potatoes.  They are smothered in cheese.  Everything on the "potatoes end" of the steak and potatoes is awesome.  

Make sure to put your
napkin up

Steaks come out of the kitchen still sizzling.  Make sure to put your napkin over your shirt so you don't get delicious grease on your shirt.    

The "spread"

The steaks are amazing just as you'd expect.  Do yourself a favor and order yours medium-rare the way God intended.  If you order it well done or medium-well you'll likely receive a puzzled look from the waiter.  I ordered the second smallest steak at 14 oz.  It was almost too much food for me.  I almost can't believe anyone could finish one of the larger steaks. 

Next time you're in the Crescent City and looking for a steak, take the streetcar uptown to Charlie's          

Mardi Gras: Made in China

Mardi Gras: Made in China is a documentary about the manufacturing of the celebration's ubiquitous, plastic beads.  The crew journeys to China's Fuzhou city in Fujian Provience and documents the manufacturing of the beads in a massive, walled factory.  The crew then travels to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, recording the beads at the end of their life cycle.  

Movie Cover

At the factory, the crew interviews many of the labors who work 12 hours a day making the necklaces, doubloons, and even plastic penises that get thrown to the crowds every year.  Unsurprisingly the conditions at the factory aren't good.  But what really makes life so terrible is the restrictions the factory puts on its employees personal lives.  Employees can be fined an entire day's wages for talking during working hours.  Also, employees can only leave the prison-like factory on Sundays.  The other six days of the week they must spend all their non-working time in the compound.

On the other hand, the owner of the factory lives large on $2 million a year, producing items for the Krewe of Tucks.  He was born in Mainland China but went to Hong Kong as a child.  He returned to China to open the factory after the initiation of economic reforms.  This isn't surprising considering the communist party opened China to Chinese from Taiwan and Hong Kong as a way to bind them closer to the mainland and use the experience and expertise of other "Chinese" to rebuild the country following communism.  Think FoxConn but on a much smaller level.

The Factory Owner

Back in New Orleans, the beads are tossed off the sides of floats.  Some make it to the spectators while others simply fall on the ground, staying exactly where they land.  At the end of the partying, most are just thrown away.  During and after Mardi Gras signs advertising bead recycling centers are posted in public places.  Apparently the beads have a high content of lead which seeps into the groundwater.  The documentary shows the bulldozers that roll down St. Charles Ave. cleaning up the beads after each parade.

I am no sandle wearing hippie, but it's an enormous amount of waste.  The documentary really doesn't do it justice.  Each night bulldozers and workmen travel down the Avenue scooping up the beads.  It's troubling to see how many of the beads don't even make it to the spectators, simply falling onto the ground.  They become trash the instant they get thrown over the sides of the floats.  I am not an innocent party in this either.  Last year I rode on float.  By the end of the parade I had tossed bags of beads without the slightest thought about where they came from or where they would end up.

Beads Everywhere!

Don't get me wrong, I love Mardi Gras, but the waste resulting from the cheap trinkets really troubles me.  That's why I snatched this documentary off the library shelves the second I laid eyes on it.  I hope that one of the Mardi Gras krewes "goes green" in the future and realizes the economic and environmental problems this worthless crap causes.  But with krewes that have mottos like "throw until it hurts," its likely that this tradition won't die easily.  

James Rolfe Revolutionized Entertainment

Does Anyone Else Remember the Power Glove?

Early this summer at the height of the Ghostbusters (2016) fiasco, a memory of the terrible Ghostbusters NES game that I had as a kid popped into my head.  The game was unplayable.  It ended up in my video game collection for the same reason it probably ended up in millions of other kid's collections...It had the word Ghostbusters printed on the front.  The first thing that came up after googling the video game was a video by the "Angry Video Game Nerd."  The video was a hilarious.  I felt like it had vindicated me and every other kid who got ripped off by crap merchandise.  In the video the Nerd plays the game and does a review while he is.....well....angry.  His character is basically that 30 year old guy that we all know who still lives in his mom and dad's basement.  He makes fun of all the crap video games that ripped us off as children.

The Angry Video Game Nerd, or AVGN as he is known, had hundreds of videos on Youtube.  He was one of the website's first real celebrities.  For the next week, I did nothing except watch James Rolfe's AVGN videos.  When I finished I started watching all of the other videos that his website, Cinemassacre, made over the last 10 years.  He did it all on a shoestring budget.  I kept watching these shows because they were great and incredibly entertaining.  It got to the point where I preferred watching Rolfe's videos to actual Hollywood produced shows.  Before this I had never gotten into the whole Youtube thing.  After watching the AVGN there was no going back.

James Rolfe and his partner in crime Mike
Matei during their amazing Batman episode.

You can find a Youtuber making their own videos about almost every subject.  I started subscribing to a few whose videos I liked.  I found a guy calling himself SerpentZA who does videos about his life in China.  Youtube completed changed the content that I consumed.  Gone were flashy Hollywood shows with laugh tracks, and in were low budget, do-it-yourself videos about subjects that I actually cared about.  I find Rolfe and others like him inspiring.  Rolfe genuinely loves what he does and comes through in all of his videos.  Just try not to laugh when he takes you back to the past to remember something as stupid as the Virtual Boy or all those crappy Tiger handheld games you got for your birthday.

Times have changed and we're no longer stuck with what the networks give us.  Now people have the ability to create and publish their own material.  It's Rolfe and people like him that are the future of entertainment.  So get out there and start your own Youtube channel or a blog.  Yes, I know that I was late to the game on this subject, but no time like the present.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVGmvmNitg  

Aldrich-Genella House: A New Orleans Haunted Treasure

Every town in America has a haunted house or two, but New Orleans has far more than its fair share.  Few are as prominent as the Aldrich-Genella House.  Situated at the corner of St. Charles Avenue and Bordeaux Street, this massive mansion commands respect.  The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Its architecture style sets it apart from other mansions on "the Avenue".  Built in the Second Empire architecture style (think of Paris and its mansard roofed buildings), this house is certainly a one-of-a-kind building in America's most unique city.

I decided to highlight the property as a haunted house because it has fallen into disrepair.  I often wonder what tourist think as they role down St. Charles on the streetcar and see a mansion vaguely resembling Norman Bate's house.  Many of the windows are missing glass and the banister on the front staircase has disintegrated.  A Christmas decoration spookily spelling out "Believe" hangs in the window year round.  I'll admit, the first time I saw this place I was taken aback.  After passing by it a few times, I started to notice the cars parked in the driveway.  At least two of the three have flat tires.  The Corvette looks like it hasn't been driven in a decade or more.

Though the architecture style originated in France, you're far more likely to see a mansion like this in the Midwest or on the plains than in the Big Easy.  So how did this mystic manor land on the city's most prominent residential street?  Apparently it was part of a military academy.  I couldn't find much on the subject, but below is a link to someone else's blog that carried a piece about it.  As time goes by, I have started to worry about the house.  It's so unique compared to the other buildings in the city.  I hope it doesn't fall into disrepair and have to be torn down.  However, it'd also be weird to see it completely restored.  After all, every place needs "the house" that you cross the street to avoid.

http://neworleans.danellis.net/rugby_academy.htm

The house viewed from the neutral ground
in St. Charles Avenue

From the side.  Notice the broken window at
the top of the tower.

Broken window on the right.

At least someone is still cutting the lawn.

Flat tires on the one of the cars in the
driveway.

The stoop leading the front door.

I hope that isn't a load bearing column.

Project A: Martial Arts Movie Saturday III

Considering his currently close ties
to the Communist Party, Jackie
Chan probably regrets wearing this
Royal Navy uniform

Outside of Asia, Project A isn't well known.  Funny considering it was a favorite movie of Japanese Emperor Hirohito.  This Jackie Chan masterpiece chronicles the misadventures of the Hong Kong Police Force and Royal Navy in the early period of colonial rule.  It's notable for starring three of the "7 little fortunes" of Hong Kong cinema; Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao.  Some of my older readers might remember Sammo Hung as the star of TV's Marshal Law.  As a kid I remember ads for this show but haven't seen any the episodes.  Sammo Hung is also notable for being an overweight marshal arts expert.  That's right....overweight marshal arts expert.  His character is affectionately called "Fats" in the film.  You can see some of his moves in the film, and they are genuinely impressive.  These three actors would later go on to star together in other classic films, such as Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars and Wheels on Meals.  

The hallmark of any Chan film is the stunts, and get ready because Project A has some awesome ones.  In one seen Chan has to hang on to the hands of a clock, a la Charlie Chaplin, before falling three stories to the ground.  The final scene of the film features more grenade explosions than you can shake a German potato masher at.  It's like something out of a low budget Michael Bay film, except that here it's meant to be a little funny and outlandish.

The three main characters

The time period  and setting of the film are refreshing.  There's no "tournament fighting" motif or "shaolin masters" in this film, making it something of an anomaly for kung fu films with English dubbing.  Overall it's great to see an action film with an original premise, particularly one so funny and entertaining.  In terms of tone, the film is way ahead of its time.  It's more like some of Chan's later American movies than other early 80's films.  It fits comfortably in the action/comedy genre alongside Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon.  It certainly contrasts with American action films of the 80's, where if it moves, the lead actor just shoots it to death.    

If you're in the mood for something original and retro, checkout this little known classic.

Eat your heart out Doc Brown and Marty McFly

Rumble in the Bronx: Martial Arts Movie Saturday 2

Even the tagline highlights
the fact that Jackie Chan
does his own stunts

Rumble in the Bronx has Jackie Chan rumbling in the Bronx.  That's really all you need to know about the plot.  If you need a little more detail, Jackie Chan comes to the Bronx for his uncle's wedding and suddenly keeps running into trouble.  Jackie Chan manages to witness more robberies during his first two days in America than I have witnessed in my whole life.  Jackie's uncle then goes on his honeymoon and leaves his nephew in charge of sewing up the loose ends as he transfers ownership of his store to one of Jackie's two love interests in the film.

The action in the movie is amazing.  Even twenty years later, I don't feel like it has an equal.  One of my favorite things about watching this film was knowing that Jackie Chan did all his own stunts.  It's flat-out amazing.  Jackie Chan jumps off buildings, kicks people in the face, water skis behind a hovercraft, and so much more.  I could go on for a few more pages, but you really have to see the action in this film to believe it.  Despite all this awesome kung fu action, Jackie Chan is still incredibly down-to-earth.  He's a kung fu champion version of an everyman.  Amazing considering he spends a good portion of the movie disarming the bad guys and throwing them through windows.

Team Glasses/Mullet

Team reformed criminal

The two love interests were one of my favorite parts of the movie.  I found myself thinking, who will Jackie choose.  Will he choose the smart, entrepreneurial Chinese woman or the wild, criminal, racially ambiguous Chinese woman?  I seriously wanted to know....well guess what.  You'll never really find out.  This movie just sort of ends......too early.  I honestly think they just ran out of money.  

Anytime you see pinball machines in a kung fu
film....assume someone will be thrown into them

The last 15 minutes of this film's plot makes absolutely no sense.  But by that point in the film doesn't matter.  You've already bought into the film so much that you don't care what happens.  It's sort of like blowing up the shark in the end of Jaws.  It's completely stupid, but the movie is so good that you really, really don't care.

Make sure to checkout this classic from the 90's and enjoy memories of a time when New York was dangerous but affordable.

P.S. Chan is the man

Paulson on China

None of us could ever love Henry Paulson as much as he loves himself.  I came to this conclusion early while reading his book Dealing with China.  That being said it's a really good read, and I recommend it for anyone interested in either Chinese or US politics.  For me, the most interesting thing about the book was Paulson dancing around the subsequent histories of some of the people he dealt with in China.  Gao Yan, Bo Xilai, and Zhou Yongkank all feature in the book.

Where in the world is Gao Yan?

Gao Yan - One of the PRC's most famous and wanted fugitives.  He fled the country with millions of dollars earmarked for power projects in 2002.  His location is still a mystery.  Paulson met with him shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and says that he was not apologetic and showed no sympathy for America's loss.  He took time in his book to highlight his personal dislike of Gao.

I found this very short section of the book fascinating.  Gao Yan worked for the State Grid Corporation of China, the mysterious and very politically powerful state power company.  Little is known about the inner working of this State Owned Enterprise (SOE).  Many of the nation's most important princelings spend part of their careers there, including the daughter of Li Peng who was implicated in the Panama Papers earlier this year.

Just like an episode of House of Cards

Bo Xilai - Paulson mentions Bo's larger than life persona.  The book also contains an aside about Bo's downfall and the earthshaking scandal that shook the Communist Party of China to its core.  The scandal surrounding his downfall contains many larger-than-life details, including his wife murdering a British businessman by poisoning him.  Supposedly the British businessman, Neil Heywood, served as the Bo family's "white glove", helping the family move illicit money out of China.  Some also speculate that he had a relationship with Bo's wife, dubbed the Chinese lady Macbeth.

Zhou Yongkang was famously
denied hair dye in prison

Zhou Yongkang - Zhou remains the largest "tiger" snared in President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown.  He was arrested a little less than a year before the book's release and convicted a few month's after its release.  Paulson doesn't have much to say about Zhou's character.  Interesting considering that the two probably had a ton of interaction and a relationship going back over two decades.  Paulson even arranged a meeting between Zhou and then-President George H. W. Bush.  It's likely that Paulson doesn't touch on Zhou's character or their personal friendship because Paulson knew he wouldn't be doing the disgraced CPC politician any favors.  Paulson also probably didn't want to link himself too tightly to someone who is rumored to have arranged the murder of his first wife and who has become the scapegoat for China's forced organ harvesting of prisoners of consciousness.

What Paulson doesn't say about these three rouges tells us just as much as what he does say.  His book is good and no one would dispute the fact that "Hank" is one of the smartest and greatest businessman of his generation.  Just be prepared to be constantly reminded of his environmentalism and altruism.  Basically, the only problem this book had is the same problem most autobiographies suffer from which can be summed up in one phrase: "I was right"

Martial Arts Movie Saturday 1: Enter the Dragon

The Film Poster

Enter the Dragon is the definitive Bruce Lee film.  The last film he completed before his death, Enter the Dragon cemented his place as a Hong Kong film legend and a global iconic.  Since its release in the 70's, the film has become a must-see for generations of action film fans.  For many it represents Hong Kong action films at their best.  It's tragic that Lee died before the release of the film, because they managed to put lightning in a bottle with this one.

Very much a product of its time, the film is also worth noting because of the global events occurring during its production and release.  As the Mainland was deep in the grips of the Cultural Revolution and the British economy tanked after decades of nationalizations and socialism, Hong Kong continued to boom.  Caught in the middle of two global powers with uncertain futures, Hong Kong culture began to blossom and the films made by its production companies showcase this.  This attracted foreign audiences to action films and launched a genre of films still popular today all over the globe.  The result is a true blend of east and west.    

The man, the myth, the legend

The plot of the Enter the Dragon resembles a mashup of early James Bond films and Mortal Kombat.  A bad guy has an island, and Bruce Lee must go to his island and compete in the his diabolical kung fu tournament.  The result is awesome kung fu action.  I don't think I need to say much more about it than that.  The action is awesome, the stunts amazing, and Bruce Lee makes us all wish that we'd taken karate classes as children.

A few characters of note are the extremely British government official who approaches Lee with the mission.  His OxBridge accent and dress make the character border on the edge of parody.  Bruce Lee is joined at the tournament by two Americans, one white and the other black.  Between the British guy and the Americans from two different races, it was likely that the production company was trying to appeal to the widest range of demographics possible.  Not surprising considering that this movie was the first Hong Kong action film financed by a major American studio (Warner Brothers) and the increasing popularity of kung fu films outside Hong Kong and China.    

Bruce Lee and a young Jackie Chan

According to the extras on the DVD, Jackie Chan worked as a stunt double on the film and appears in a few scenes.  I didn't notice him during my initial screening of the film.  Likely because the scale of the production is epic.  Yeah...in case you didn't know it, Jackie Chan is way older than he looks.

If you only see one 43 year old, dubbed, kung fu film this year, make it this one.

Keep a lookout for future Martial Arts Movie Saturday reviews. 

Blue Girl Beer: Hong Kong's Iconic Brew

No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without heading to Club 7-11 for a can of Blue Girl beer.  The stuff is ubiquitous in Hong Kong.  It's sold in every convenience

 store and some restaurants even feature the logo on their signs.  For me, the beer has become a sort of representation of Hong Kong, especially considering that I have never seen it anywhere else.  According to the always reliable source of Wikipedia, the beer is brewed by a South Korean company.  However, the story of how it became such an ingrained part of Hong Kong culture is beyond me.

Blue Girl stacked in a
restaurant window

Most Chinese restaurants in the city carry the beer.  In the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island you can see boxes of Blue Girl stacked to the ceiling in some places.  I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the beer is more prevalent than bottled water in some parts of the city.  Blue Girl has that wonderful, easy-to-drink flavor that makes these kind of beers perfect for drinking with food.  No trip for dim sum in Hong Kong would be complete without having at least 1 (or a few) Blue Girl beers.  

Advertisements abound

It's interesting to think about how a brand can represent a specific place and/or time.  As I wonder around New Orleans, I constantly find old Dixie Beer advertisements plastered on the sides of buildings or on bar signs.  For those unfamiliar with Dixie Beer, it used to be the New Orleans equivalent of Budweiser or Miller Lite before the brewery was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.  Following the closure of the Jax and Falstaff breweries, Dixie had a large portion of the local beer market until 2005.  The beer is still available, but it is now contract-brewed in Wisconsin.  Also, the price now places it in the "craft beer" category.  No longer the cheap, local option, Dixie has slipped from its place in the psyche of the city.  However, it's brand identity still remains strong.  Even today, despite its relatively hefty price tag, you'll still see people at restaurants chowing down on crawfish with a Dixie Beer in hand.  

So the next time you're in Hong Kong, head over to Club 7-11 and pick yourself up a Blue Girl beer.  Your trip isn't complete without one!  

Please post in the comments section if you have any information on this Blue Girl beer's history.  

Banned Books and International Intrigue

That's the signpost, up ahead

I checked out People's Coffee and Books in Causeway Bay Hong Kong.  The bookstore specializes in books that are banned in Mainland China.  Many detail the personal lives of government officials or taboo topics such as the Cultural Revolution.    

In recent months, bookstores like this have become famous because of the kidnappings of store owners and employees.  The disappearance of employees at Causeway Bay Books, a establishment very similar to People's Coffee and Books, made international news.  The ongoing saga continues to unfold, highlighting tensions between Hong Kong and Mainland China.  Some of those involved even had to do televised confessions after resurfacing in Mainland China.  

Mall across the street from the
bookstore.  Notice the Finding Dory
characters.

Many in the former British Colony consider this a important example of China's increasing willingness to violate the "one country, two systems" agreement that guarantees Hong Kong a large degree of autonomy.  Though Hong Kong became part of China again in 1997, the territory enjoys personal and political freedoms only dreamt of in the rest of China.

Please checkout the links below for more information on bookstores selling banned books in Hong Kong and the ongoing disappearances.

Sign at street level

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-booksellers-disappearance-stokes-fears-over-freedoms-1452112200

http://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/04/in-hong-kong-a-sanctuary-for-banned-books/274831/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/online-in-china-the-communist-party-and-military-are-at-war-with-ideas-a7130681.html

 






    

Dining on a Budget: World's Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant

Outside Facade

On my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I made a stop at the world famous Tim Ho Wan.  The restaurant currently holds the wonderful title as the world's cheapest restaurant with a Michelin Star.  This oxymoron instantly got the restaurant put on my list of "must see" attractions in a city know for its amazing restaurants.  Since I have little to no money to my name, I try to never miss anything with the words "cheapest" in the title.  Believe me the restaurant did not disappoint and delivered on its promise of being both cheap and amazing.

The location of the restaurant I ate at has the unfortunate address of 9 Fuk Wing Street.  That's right.  That is seriously the address.  Even if the food wasn't good, the address alone might have gotten me to go.  The restaurant sits on the northern edge of the Mong Kok neighborhood in Kowloon, just a short walk from Prince Edward Station.  It's fantastically easy to get to, so you have no excuse for not going.    

Menu

The outside of the restaurant is completely unassuming.  In fact, I nearly walked past the place.  Had I not seen the restaurant on an Anthony Bourdain special, I most certainly would have walked right past it without a second thought.  Luckily, I didn't have to wait in line to get a seat, which might be a problem on weekends.  I recommend going at an off-peak time, just in case of a rush.  

The restaurant has many specialties including BBQ pork buns.  These pork buns are amazing and should not be missed under any circumstances. Because of the sweetness of the buns, they could be eaten as a main dish or a dessert.  These buns more than lived up to the hype.  Our waitress didn't speak very much English.  However when I asked about the restaurant's specialties, she didn't point me to the most expensive items on the menu.  This is always a really good sign at any restaurant.  She also suggested a  rice dish pictured below which I really enjoyed.  Be warned though, the rice dish had cilantro.  I avoid cilantro at all costs because I think it tastes terrible and overpowers anything it's in.  However, I didn't mind it that much in the rice.  But it still packs a punch.  

Our Meal

Tim Ho Wan also does dumplings with a mixture of shrimp and pork.  These also come deep fried.  Like everything else on the menu, these are amazing.  Overall, shrimp and pork are the main staples of this place, and the restaurant does them extremely well.  So well in fact that I will definitely stop by the next time I am in Hong Kong.

The bill came out surprisingly cheap, even considering its title as the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant.  Three of us ate for around $20 USD.  Not bad in one of the world's most expensive cities.  Plus, the ability to tell your friends you ate at the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant is priceless.  

Pascal Manale's: Local Institution

It's not often that I write a post that has nothing to do with the Middle Kingdom.  However, I felt the need to highlight one of the places that make my new home of New Orleans such a special city.  On the upriver side of Napoleon Avenue sits a true local institution.  Pascal Manale's restaurant is the kind of place with wood paneled walls and a well worn bar.  One of the few establishments that is equally as welcoming to someone wearing gym shorts as someone in a three piece suit.

New Orleans memorabilia decorates the walls.  Several of the posters are from the Super Bowls held at the old Tulane Stadium just a few blocks upriver.  Pictures of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant also adorn the walls.  Let's just say it's an eclectic group of patrons.  Walking around the barroom and seeing on the photos and memorabilia is certainly part of the experience.  

Photo courtesy of the restaurant's website

The bar does an insane happy hour.  Drinks are half price and a dozen oysters will run you around $8.  The oyster bar is one of the main attractions of this place.  Opposite the real bar is the standing only oyster bar where a shucker stands shucking oysters for the customers.  The oyster bar will accommodate about five people, and even that is a squeeze.  Make sure the ask the person working the oyster bar where the oysters came from.  The bar tender will tell you a number that corresponds to a section on a map of south Louisiana.  It's cool to know exactly where the oysters come from, and this adds a cool novelty to the experience.

I would like to recommend something from the menu but I can't.  I've never eaten off the menu.  According to the internet they have great barbecue shrimp.  However, every time I go to this place, the happy hour deal calls my name like a siren, and I end up eating a dozen oysters.  If you're ever in New Orleans and looking to eat at a local institution, avoid the hipsters on Magazine Street checkout Pascal Manale's.            

Remembering the Cultural Revolution

Frank Dikotter's (umlaut omitted) new book The Cultural Revolution: A People's History dropped a few months ago.  Usually the Chinese government considers the Cultural Revolution a taboo subject and glosses over it or omits it entirely from history.  This makes books like Dikotter's newest release all the more important, especially considering his place as one of the world's foremost sinologists.

Many of China's top party leaders faced persecution during the Cultural Revolution, including future paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and the father of the CPC's currently leader, Xi Jinping.  Despite this, China occasionally roles out the nostalgia for the period in the form of song and dance numbers during large public events.  I will admit, I often find this nostalgia for a period market by human suffering distasteful.

During the period between 1966 and Mao's death in 1976, Chinese citizens labeled class enemies faced persecution as the CPC attempted to erase the vestiges of China's past.  Priceless artifacts and buildings were destroyed as the communists attempted to eliminate anything relating to the country's past and "foreign influences" (except communism).  Douzheng (loosely translated as "struggle") between Maoist fervor and the "Four Olds" tore the country apart.

In China today, many claim there seems to exist a sort of collective amnesia about the Cultural Revolution.  I for one would classify it more as collective silence.  "Amnesia" implies that everyone has forgotten it.  Speaking with anyone who lived through those turbulent years will make it clear that no one has forgotten them.  People choose not to talk about the horrors and excesses of the period because the pain and suffering of the time remain a part of everyday life.  You still see its effects from the highest level of the government to the peeling paint from Maoist slogans fading on the sides of buildings.  

Though I haven't got a chance to read Dikotter's most recent work, I would definitely recommend his other books The Tragedy of Liberation and Mao's Great Famine.  Only by understanding the country's past, and examining how it is portrayed in the present, can foreigners ever hope to understand this complex country.