Off the Charts: Karl’s Travel Diary for Idiot Abroad Series 1

On September 19, 2012September 19, 2012 By James CastroIn Opinions, Projects, Random Fun, ReviewsLeave a comment

In the last post I discussed Idiot Abroad Series 1 where Karl visits the seven wonders of the world. In addition to the documentary that was made, Karl also kept a travel diary, logging his thoughts and experiences. I found a UK edition on Amazon and picked it up after watching the show. It’s a great addition to what’s seen during the series..

Karl started keeping a diary when he visited Gran Canaria years ago. Passages of it were read on The Ricky Gervais XFM radio show and were absolutely some of my favorite moments from the podcasts. This diary is different as it is more observations of a trip rather than observations of everyday life.

Much of what is said in the diary is said in voice over or interview on the show, but there were some real surprises.

The first surprise was the episodes weren’t shown in the order they were filmed. The diary starts with Karl getting his shots before travel and heading…to Egypt. Those of us who watched the show on TV or on DVD were probably expecting China to be first as it’s the first episode shown. He then goes to Brazil, India, Mexico, China, Jordan, and finally ending with Peru, just about the only episode shown in the order it was produced. I’m not sure why they were shown out of order, but seeing the journey from beginning to in from Karl’s personal perspective provides a better view of his travels.

There were also sections Karl mentions in his diary that do not appear in the show or in the deleted scenes. One was Karl learning to drive a rickshaw in India. Anyone who knows how much Karl likes bikes would have known how well he’d do that but he was told he drove too fast by the instructor. Another memorable incident is the dog farm he visited in China. Dogs are raised for food and sold for that purpose. Karl raises the concept that cows and chickens are raised for food and it doesn’t seem so different. He found it more strange that the owner of the farm had a dog as a pet that he would never cook and eat.

Other items were expansions on things we did see in the show, but provided a better glimpse at Karl and his personality. One moment, that was actually rather touching, was Karl’s interactions with Ashek, the rickshaw driver and restauranteur in India. In the show it appeared as Karl didn’t want to stay with Ashek in the back of his shop and jumped at the chance to stay at a nicer place owned by Ashek’s friend when it was offered. In the book (which contains a number of transcriptions of recorded conversations Karl had, including interactions with locals and phone calls from Steve and Ricky) you see Karl’s compassion for Ashek. Ashek was ill, barely showed up to meet the Idiot Abroad team, and yet still worked both his jobs. Instead of Karl immediately leaving Ashek’s crowded one-room home as shown in the program, Karl initially offers Ashek the nicer house. He tells him, “How about this: I leave you to have a nice night’s sleep? You’ve been working hard all day. Why don’t you stay at your friend’s house, and we’ll stay here…I want you to have a bit of goodness in your life.” Ashek, true to his customary hospitality and courtesy, refuses repeatedly and they eventually go to the nicer residence.

The diary, to me, only works as a companion to the show. It might make sense and be a fun read for those who haven’t seen the show, but in my perspective some of the fun is left out if you can’t picture where Karl is and what he’s doing. It does provide a much better view of the entire show, and is a terrific addition for fans, not only for what it adds to what’s on screen, but to what it adds to what fans may know of Karl’s personality. It’s also a VERY quick read and well laid out. The beginning of each “wonder’s” chapter has a famous quote from a philosopher, historian, or explorer about the wonder juxtaposed with one of Karl’s making for a great intro to each locale.

I’ve seen and enjoyed the second season of Idiot Abroad and Karl kept a diary for that trip too. I know, having enjoyed this one, I’ll definitely get that one too.

If you were unfamiliar with the weird world of Karl Pilkington I hope this was a decent introduction. It’s a consistently funny, sometimes enlightening, frequently confusing, and always entertaining place to visit!

Karl, Steve, and Ricky

Off the Charts: An Idiot Abroad Series 1

On September 13, 2012September 12, 2012 By James CastroIn Opinions, Projects, Reviews1 Comment

As I mentioned in my last post, a friend at work suggested this show to me after finding out I enjoyed the show River Monsters. I resisted it at first base solely on the title. I couldn’t imagine a worse program, but I was picturing “idiots” on the level of the reality TV celebrities that appear on the covers of magazines at the grocery store. I also don’t watch too much TV so to start a new show was one of those, “how will I work this into the schedule” prospects. I saw part of a marathon on a Sunday several weeks ago and found it to be one of the funniest TV shows I’ve seen in ages.

The premise is simple, Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant send Karl Pilkington around the world to see the seven wonders of the world. Karl, as I mentioned in my last post is an individual with a simple and unique perspective on things. He’s never cruel or judgmental, he just often expresses his naive or simplistic opinions in as blunt a manner possible. Ricky wanted to torture Karl for fun, as he claims it’s the most expensive practical joke he’s ever played; Steven wanted to broaden Karl’s perspective. Karl was just kind of along for the ride.

There are only eight episodes, and each one is full of terrific moments of Karl exploring foreign countries and cultures. The best aspect of each show are Karl’s opinions and his narration where he breaks down complex social customs in the most simplistic way possible. Often lost, hungry, obsessed with finding familiarity (especially in toilets), and out-of-his-depth, Karl is sent on various expeditions and takes part in numerous surprise activities assigned to him by Ricky and Steven via phone or text. Here are my favorite moments in Series 1:

Episode 1: The Great Wall of China (China)

Karl experiences the street food vendors in China and witnesses scorpions, geckos, and toads for food. Possibly my favorite moment is when he realizes his driver is eating an egg with a fetus in it!
Karl does some Kung Fu training with the Shaolin Monks, including watching his instructor throw a needle through a pane of glass (Karl hits the cameraman on his go…)
Karl’s description of the Great Wall as “the Alright Wall of China.”

Episode 2: The Taj Mahal (India)

Karl goes to the Kumbh Mela festival to see the various babas present. He describes one as looking like Jim Morrison. And is shocked at the somewhat horrifying abilities of Elephant Baba’s friend…and his walking stick…
In one of the most endearing moments of the series, Karl spends time with a swamiji. He actually enjoys the experience and just describes him as a “good bloke” rather than any kind of mystical power. And he seemed to be.
Karl thinks the Taj Mahal was built by a guilty husband. He claims if he built his girlfriend, Suzanne, something like that she’d say, “What’s been going on?!”

Episode 3: Petra (Jordan)

Karl goes through military training to learn what to do if he’s kidnapped.
Karl visits Christ’s birthplace but finds the nearby border wall between Palestine and Israel more impactful as it effects the people living on either side every day.
Karl proves his belief that “it is better to live in a hole and look at a palace than to live in a palace and look at the hole” by spending the night in a cave across from the treasury at Petra; an experience he truly enjoyed!

Episode 4: Chichen Itza (Mexico)

Karl does some Mexican wrestling with “The Shocker!”
Eating wasp larvae with Mayans and trading some Monster Munch “crisps” with some of the villagers (which they seemed to enjoy)
Dancing to British New Wave music and feeding a large lizard hobnobs at Chichen Itza.

Episode 5: The Great Pyramids (Egypt)

Belly dancing on his Nile Cruise!
Karl’s comment on a nice apartment near a call to prayer speaker was that the real estate agent only takes people to see the property when the call to prayer isn’t blaring. Another moment where his simple opinion is likely 100% correct!
Karl description of the great pyramid as a “game of Jenga that’s got out of hand.”

Episode 6: Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)

Karl dances in a samba line during Rio Carnival!
Karl’s tour of Rio with local man, Celso.
Karl sees the Christ the Redeemer statue by helicopter. He is more excited about having ridden in a helicopter than seeing the “wonder.” In his words he “enjoyed riding in the helicopter…and the Jesus thing was alright as well.”

Episode 7: Machu Picchu (Peru)

Karl camps in the woods with his own home-made toilet (a camping chair with a hole cut into it).
Karl stays with a tribe that used to be cannibals and attempts to teach them Connect 4 (he thinks they don’t understand it because they never count higher than three in primitive tribes)
Karl describes Machu Picchu as “magnificent”…in an effort to not have to walk any further around it and just end the show with a long shot from the point they had reached. When he saw the first buildings of the complex he remarks in a desire to stop before reaching the top, “It’s not like I’m looking for a house here. I’m not saying ‘just like this but with more outside space…'”

Episode 8: Karl Comes Home

Karl reveals his secret word in case he got kidnapped in Israel was “Congress tart.”
Karl’s scenario where he gets a free night of chicken from NOT having plans and just “going with it.”
In one of the funniest moments of the series the clip is played (from when Karl was in Peru) where Ricky reveals they changed the name of the program from Karl Pilkington’s Seven Wonders to An Idiot Abroad. Karl’s reaction is priceless.

Next time I’ll take a look at Karl’s travel diary. I read it in only a couple days and it shed extra light on some of the events shown in the show, and and extra insight into the inner-workings of Karl’s mind.

This whole video is good as he talks about tribal customs and invisible fish but the discussion of the name change starts at 4:18 and as always beware the language.

Off the Top of My Head #4: The Unconventional Wit and Wisdom of Karl Pilkington

On September 5, 2012September 5, 2012 By James CastroIn Art, Opinions, Projects, Random Fun, ReviewsLeave a comment

Genius is an objective concept. What might seem like genius to one person may seem absolutely ridiculous to another. What might seem simplistic may be brilliant. What is absurd and what is genius can be blurred by perspective and not all of us agree on what is profound and what is nonsense.

Enter Karl Pilkington.

A friend at work told me about the show Idiot Abroad and frankly due to the title and my lack of interest in the concept I resisted watching it. I since have seen the show, The Ricky Gervais Show HBO episodes, and read two of Karl’s books. Despite what Ricky Gervais believes, I think Karl is a kind of genius (which according to Ricky makes me an idiot too…), but like Ricky…I can’t get enough of his peculiar form of brilliant insanity. I’ve included several of videos featuring Karl in this post. All are hilarious, but be aware there is some typical Ricky Gervais-language in them.

For those who don’t know him, Karl Pilkington was a radio producer on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s radio show. They found his unique outlook and simplistic views on things to be so entertaining they have since put him in their podcasts and twice sent him around the world.

Ricky refers to Karl as a “moron, he is a round, empty-headed chimp-like, mank moron. Buffoon. Idiot…but absolutely lovable.” Stephen Merchant states Karl is, “Some kind of real-life Homer Simpson…small minded, petty, but at his core a good person.”

I find Karl to be rather more intellectual and philosophical than idiotic; albeit in quite an unconventional way. Karl can ponder the functions of the human mind, the future, and discuss the nature of virtual life vs. real life. At the same time he believes dolphins with rifles escaped during Hurricane Katrina; that longer days on Mars are the cause for Martian technological advancement; and that monkeys can steal cars, serve as doctors, and fly spaceships via training with a banana chute.

Hearing Karl’s unconventional and sometimes seemingly mad ideas (like population control could be accomplished by having old women give birth to the next generation right before they die) it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that he is an idiot as Ricky describes. To me, despite his sometimes pessimistic tendencies, he seems to think with a positive attitude, meaning when he finds a story that interests him he doesn’t come at it from a perspective of, “this can’t be true.” Instead he comes at it from the angle, “why can’t this be true?” He approaches the stories he reads with a certain level of naivety, accepting what is presented simply because he “read it.” This can lead him to very unusual conclusions, and it doesn’t help that even legitimate stories he reads get, as Karl would say, “bungled in” with other stories and facts (like Mt. Everest growing and a piano being found on top of it.) I find his willingness to accept unrealistic concepts as refreshing and creative (even if he doesn’t always see it as creativity). Also, as he says when he selects a dictionary as the book he’d most want to bring to a desert island, he isn’t always able to express his thoughts in the clearest way. I know I’ve been there, so I identify with him when he struggles to put his thoughts into words.

His views are also completely void of vitriol or malice. When he talks about unusual people (he calls them all “freaks”), other cultures, poetry, and vacationing in other countries he doesn’t express a hateful opinion just his honest one. I actually prefer his honest, yet sometimes ignorant, perspective far more than the crowd-pleasing, phony, politically correct beliefs we see from most pundits.

It’s like Karl lives in his own world, and that would be a fascinating place to be…

If you are unfamiliar with Karl, look him up on the internet and/or get a copy of The Ricky Gervais Show on podcast or video. Even if you don’t think he’s a modern day philosopher (as I do!) you’re bound to laugh at his antics.

My next post will be a review of the first season of Karl’s travel program, An Idiot Abroad. A terrific show that puts an unconventional man in unfamiliar surroundings and hilarity ensues. For now, enjoy this, one of my favorite videos!

And check out Karl’s official site here!

Off the Edge #1: Theft and Insurance

On July 18, 2012July 18, 2012 By James CastroIn Opinions2 Comments

It’s the week of my birthday! I had an interesting weekend with a great group participating in 48-Hour Films (we had a good time shooting our first film in the rain, post about that coming soon), I was ready for a vacation coming up in a couple weeks, I’m wrapping up principle artwork on my first graphic novel, and I’m looking forward to producing my first publication!
Then I woke up Monday morning to find that this happened:

Sadie Minus Tires — What the… I thought this kind of thing was reserved for cartoons, *Evening at the Improv* jokes, and movies from the 80s…

Yeah this is in my driveway. In the suburbs. With a motion-sensing security light over it.

This begs a few questions. First directed toward the criminals who stole both my tires and wheel covers:

Who the hell steals three year old 17″ touring tires, one that’s been plugged twice from a nail?
Why would you steal the factory wheels off a VOLVO? Yeah they’re nice-looking wheel covers, but they’ll only fit another Volvo S80…
Out of all the houses to target why would you choose the one that required you to get out a ladder, shift the motion sensor, and unscrew the bulbs on the security lights?

and…

4. REALLY? USED Clay bricks? Not even worth four cinder blocks?

Of course this whole fiasco led to dealing with insurance companies and garages in order to get the car moved and repaired. Overall I have to say it’s been a decent experience. The insurance company was relatively responsive and the garage I’ve been working with has been taking extra care to move the car without damaging it further. But there are some general questions for them as well:

Why do I have an agent I never talk to and never does anything for me? When you have a problem you report it to claims…who then deals with you directly. So what’s that guy for?
I’m not sure I understand the deductible concept. I pay thousands of dollars every year to insure my car. I, like most people, rarely require their services. When I do…I have to pay them…again? To quote Strong Bad…”What the Sense-Make?”
And finally timing. I’m not self-important enough to think my problem would be first on the list but it took seven hours to hear back from them, then nearly 24 hours for them to transmit the information to the garage. By then I’d contacted the garage myself and set everything up.

I’ve come to a few realizations here, I already knew them but I thought I’d share them.

Insurance is reverse gambling…you pay into it hoping you NEVER cash in…then when you do you have to pay more so you don’t have to pay as much to repair or replace whatever is being claimed. Everyone but the insurance companies is in the wrong business.
Apparently when you call someone and tell them your car has no wheels or tires they are astounded and no one has any idea what should be done about this.
Criminals should spend their time, effort, and ingenuity doing something worthwhile. The jackasses that stole my tires and wheels probably couldn’t have gotten more than 100 dollars for them all. Unless they found a remarkable amount of financial incentive in decade-old aftermarket Volvo parts. All the scouting, work to remove them, making sure the lights didn’t come on…was it worth it? If you have that skill set, you can make more than that actually working in a garage…

It sure wasn’t worth it to me. 20 minutes of their time for a small amount of money has cost me 2.5 days of work, a $500 dollar deductible, and left my rather nice car on bricks for more than 48 hours. I’m feeling a little Vincent Vega right now, that it would’ve been worth them doing it if I could’ve caught them doing it…but that probably really wouldn’t have been worth it either.

So instead I’m hoping for karma to swing back around on them. So I send a vindictive sutra into the cosmos targeted at the dumbasses that stole my tires:

“May you put that tire with the plug in it on your suburban-theft mobile and have it burst into rubber and steel belts while you transport your latest brilliant score of dairy products and frozen juice concentrate.”

It probably won’t make the news so I’ll never know if it worked…but I’ll keep an eye out just in case…

Life Lessons Learned from Video Games 1: Found Food is Good For You!

On May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 By James CastroIn Games, Opinions, Random FunLeave a comment

Like most of the American generation born between 1975-1985, I grew up in the golden age of video games. Starting with an Atari 400, moving to an Atari 800XL, an NES, and finally settling with Sega consoles throughout much of the 90s, I became a “gamer” at an early age and remain one to this day. Recently elitists and exclusionists have hijacked that term, but to me a “gamer” is still just someone who enjoys playing games. Any games from the board variety, to the cellphone kind, to the newest console release. Whether they play once a month or 24/7, whether they’re hardcore MMORPGrs with hundreds of hours logged or they just play the Sims on their PC, it’s the pure enjoyment of playing a game that makes one a gamer. Not how high they’re ranked, how many accessories you own, or how many noobs you’ve pwned. At it’s heart, gaming is just entertainment; it’s not life or death. So to all my generation who live and breathe by their gear, their rankings, or their e-reputations … seriously … it’s just a game. Kick back and have some fun.

During my long gaming history I have learned a lot of lessons, lessons that apply to both the real world and the virtual world. Real world lessons aren’t always apparent, and the games that teach them can sometimes be surprising. Virtual lessons are more about the peculiarities of the gaming world, ways you learn to interact with a world of invisible walls and filled with store clerks who never leave their desks and repeat the same two lines over and over for all eternity.

Since this is the first post of this type, I thought I’d keep it light and start with a virtual world lesson:

If You Are Ever Injured, Seek Out Turkeys, Apples, Pizzas, Pork Chops, and Sodas Hidden in your Environment … and EAT Them Instantly!

I know what everyone’s thinking … eating found food doesn’t sound like a good idea but, trust me, I spent a lot of time playing Castlevania, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Streets of Rage 2 & 3, and Final Fight. Found food will help you immeasurably. A turkey found in a garbage can you’ve just smashed into a fading, dented version of itself after breaking heads all over Metro City or a roast uncovered after you’ve whipped some brick walls of a Transylvania castle into rubble will save your life! This is one of those lessons I’ve always questioned as I’ve played games, but it shows up again and again. I can’t imagine grabbing food out of the trash or a crumbling castle being good for one’s constitution, but don’t take my word for it; ask Simon, Donatello, or Axel…it’ll bring you back from near death.

Castlevania Meat — There’s the delicious, life-saving food item…found by smashing open the walls of a musty evil castle…

TMNT Food — Ever been near-death beating up weird spider-things and guys with chainsaws in a warehouse? Look around and see if there’s a pizza floating in the air on a blue square! A WHOLE pizza too. Those are the best ones….

Streets of Rage 2 Apple — Taken some hits pummeling street trash through blue back alleys and baseball fields? Luckily there’s an apple hidden in a roadside sign. That’ll give you the boost you need! Eat the apple, Axel…EAT IT!

Streets of Rage 2 Turkey — And if you’re in REAL trouble knock over the random trashcan and you may discover a fully-cooked turkey dinner complete with platter!

Now, obviously, game programmers and designers probably got a little sick of using medical kits and vague red crosses as health power ups. It still seems strange that food as a medical restorative was and still is so popular. In the amazing fantasy world of video games it’s one of those things we just take for granted. But who says it can’t be applied to real life? I say we all give it a try.

So lesson learned. Next time you feel life slipping away and the world (or a gang of thugs) is beating you down, break open a nearby sign, rock, garbage can, or potted plant and eat the tasty contents revealed. Instantly. And watch the profound impact on your health!

Revenant Publications

Category: Opinions