More than just wings...

So an Austrian went to Thailand and felt sick. He bought a local drink and it gave him wings. Now he wants the world to fly with him!



The story of how Red Bull went from a local energy drink to become one of the most well known and well marketed brand is remarkable. You can call this a positive turn out from a clash of cultures, between Asian and European. Asian provides the substance, European provides the kick. Now, every event that carries the name “Red Bull” name literally means energy, energy that goes beyond caffeine, but culture.



So naturally when I heard about the “Red Bull Soap Box Derby” race, I knew it was going to be extreme, and extreme it was!

I didn’t really know what to expect. Was it just going to be crazy people doing crazy stuffs, or bored people watching bored people doing crazy stuffs? Well, it was more than crazy. It was crazy with meaning, just like wings with substance. It turned out to be humor on what people care about, especially with the economic status, it was a channel of positive vent and most evident with “Team Stimulus”. The locals also took stage with topics that Atlanta residents are familiar with, like the homeless veteran in the MARTA team and Varsity team. There was also Mr.Hanky in the mix and a couple of dudes in drag. A lot of WTF moments.



















It was crowded, as expected, and it was really hard to get a spot to see the craziness roll down the ramp. I eventually found a spot by the fence for photo opportunities, but it was about ¾ ways down the long stretch of runway and the truth was, most of the crazy-on-wheels don’t even make it that far. It was mostly the drivers completing the final stretch on foot, in the most heroic style they can manage and the most memorial way the spectators can absorb. For it, it was just a hot day of madness. I didn’t know why I did it, but the free Red Bulls actually tasted alright, and the Red Bull girls provided enough motivation to stay on till the last derby run.

























A LOT MORE Photos HERE

Try say the word “Passion” with all the passion you’ve got!

And that’s what Latino culture seem to be all about.
Actually I don’t really know much about Latin American culture. I just know that they are very friendly, passionate, embrace food and alcohol, love to dance, play soccer and every lady on the Spanish TV channel has serious curves. So yeah, I went to check out the curv… I mean Latino Culture Festival.



So upon arrival, another thing caught my attention, which is color. Bold colors filled the entire festival, on the banners, on the stands and on people’s clothes. There were food and games as well as Spanish DVDs and CDs, but what’s more are the rows of stalls that sold national flags of various Central and South American countries, and almost everyone had one on as fashion to represent their origins. Still, it was something that you don’t experience in Asia for that matter. People simply don’t wear bold symbols on themselves. In fact, most people feel embarrassed to do so, unless it’s on some political protest or march. It was also interesting that with everyone wearing their national flags, it still felt very much like one culture. Maybe it’s the Americanization of cultures, such as Panda Express, Taco Bell, Beni Hana. It’s going to be hard to know unless I experience the real thing myself.











Going away from the event a bit, I’ve been a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations”. I get goose bumps when he goes to Mexico to visit his friend chef at his house for a family dinner, and the endless seafood fest in Chile. It reminds me very much of the Chinese culture, or what it should be, a family oriented culture where everyone participates. Maybe it’s the identity erosion where everyone in Taiwan’s getting a meaningless English name. Maybe it’s the surge of trend that everything Jap is kawaii and everything kawaii is desirable. Or maybe it’s the kimchi flavored TV shows and pop music that has left every Taiwanese teen’s taste buds numb to what’s original… their very own culture! A family sitting around the table wrapping dumplings the entire afternoon for dinner, or grandpa teaching grand kids how to stack earth piles to cook sweet potatoes and chicken with hot earth on their own farm land, or helping grandma prepare ingredients for rice dumplings…. You just don’t see these very often nowadays. Thinking about where I want to raise my kids, yes, South America may not be the most technologically advanced place, it may not be the wealthiest place in the world, or one with the best option for education, but it has rich culture, and it is culture that shapes a person which in turn shapes a world. South America definitely seems like a desirable place, especially with all that curves…













More Festival photos HERE

The Elevator that takes you to the same floor.

Seeing hot air balloons is as rare and exciting of an opportunity as visiting the African Safari, which I have not yet have the chance to do. Somehow I have always related the hot air balloon to the African Safari, probably because I dream to ride a balloon floating above the herds of elephants and giraffes while gazing at the sunset.



Anyway, when I was told about the hot air balloon event about 30min drive from Atlanta, there wasn’t a second thought.

With lots of anticipation for grand shots of hundreds of hot air balloons taking off at the same time on a endless plain(which made me wonder because there is no such thing as endless plain in Georgia), it was a little confusing when I pulled into a parking lot of a local sports field without any balloon in sight. It was hot, the sun was blazing and people were all sitting in the shade. The big question was, where are the balloons???

Then I found the schedule, which said that the balloons were off to a competition. It didn’t mention what kind of competition it was. Was it about speed? Was it about technical skills? I don’t know. All I know was it was definitely not a spectator sport. After about an hour of wait and watching less than exciting dances by the local community and dog training demonstrations, my friend arrived and we decided to leave for a while to get something to eat before the balloons came back.

It was getting late and close to the evening and I started to wonder if I was going to be able to get any good photo at all, however I kept thinking photos of balloons I’ve seen shot in the late afternoon glowing in the flames, which kept my hopes up. It was until when we returned to the parking lot when we realized that the balloons have already arrived. However, there was a huge suspicion that they weren’t flown in, but “trucked-in” to the fair ground. Well, that was a little disappointing considering that they should make a grand entrance by landing gracefully onto the bare and boring tarmac.



It was time for the ride demos and the crowd were gathering fast, signing the waiver forms and getting in the line to ride the balloon. So I was wondering how are 9 balloons going to give hundreds of people a ride in a night? Well, it wasn’t really a “ride”. A ride refers transportation from point A to point B. In this case, it was from point A to point A… Basically, the balloons were tied to the ground with ropes. The balloons will take its passengers up for about 90 ft and then come right down to the ground, like an elevator, except that it takes you to the same floor. Oh well, another part of the dream chipped away. So what’s next for me?







Photos of course!!! Photos of balloon glowing lively from the powerful after burners that shoot flames. As the night got darker, the balloon glow became more visible. It was time to reveal the ultimate photography weapon--- the Tripod! Well, this is the poor man’s alternative to expensive fast glasses. However, I soon realize that those beautiful glowing sharp images of hot air balloons are impossible with what I have. With the balloons swinging in the air left and right, all I will be able to capture are moving balloons due to the long exposure.




So was it a series of disappointment? Well, it’s like going to the zoo as opposed to going to the real African Safari, but the elephants and giraffes are still real. At least I can tell people that I have seen real hot air balloons with photos to show for. I just hope that the real African Safari trip on a hot air balloon won’t be too far off in the future.









More balloon photos HERE