Cologne, Germany...the conclusion

I was mistaken. Its the largest gothic cathedral in the world. It sure damn looked like it from up close.

We got about two hours of free time and bobby and I ventured over there. It was pretty awesome. At first we didn't know how to get in so we snapped away on our cameras. Finally we saw the the grand entrance and we walked it. Pretty amazing. Word on the street is that saint nick aka santa claus is buried there. I can neither confirm nor deny but I believe it.

After seeing the badass cathedral. We just walked around the square and notice a good number of asian tourist. Not only asian tourist but most of the souvenior shops were owned by asians. Then I prob stumbled onto at least five chinese restaurants, in bfe germany. What a trip.

Then onward to the cologne premiere which was amazing. The town was known for their love for tuner cars and it translated to hundreds of fans. It was way bigger and way crazier than the LA premiere. It was true fans trying to peep out a hollywood movie.

The feeling was surreal. Girls screaming for vin and paul. Guys jocking jordana and michelle. And justin was just taking it all in with a good amount of his own fans. Funny thing was germany knows him very well from his blt days and questions from the press always included something with it.

It was a great way to start off this europe premiere. And just amazing on my end cuz I got to be in the middle of it all. This is by far once in a life time opportunity and I felt so blessed to experience it.

After, we jammed to a nearby airport where our private jets awaited. Off to lille, france for premiere number two. More to follow.
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Pics from the plane and Cologne, Germany

Cologne, Germany

Cologne, germany...the home of the largest gothic church in Europe. No shit. It sits very high and very majestic. My view from my hotel room is of the river which I have no knowledge of the name, one of dozens of bridges, and the veiw of this gothic church on the other side of the river. Its a view we prob wouldn't get much but one that needs only open eyes to enjoy.
The channels on tv suck due to the lack of German I know. But whose suppose to be watching tv anyways on a trip like this. But let me tell u, I am one of few who like and sometimes needs a tv to fall asleep. But after a long plane ride, good sleep is in order.

Last night we grubbed down on some local cusine. Brauhauswurst w potatoes and cabbage salad. And the love for mustard came in very handy. Extremely tasty and satisfying. Prob not something I would eat everyday but def did enjoy with my one full evening in germany. And to wash it all down, some local beer, kolsch. Pretty tasty but for some reason it didn't come in a pint form. Only in this wimpy skinny glass form. None the less still a great first meal.

Tonight is the first red carpet premiere. It should be interesting since fans have already found out where the stars are staying and wait seemlessly outside our hotel waiting for an autograph. And quickly after the red carpet, off to france on a private jet. Yup I said private jet. Crazy right! One of many "crazy right!"that will be said on this trip. I was sorta looking forward to catching a few lines in the movie dubbed in German but gotta stay on this tight schedule.

Pics to come once I pick up an outlet converter. I did come prepared but had to sacrifice it for the team.
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Eurotrip 2009

------Original Message------
From: ansonlho@gmail.com
To: Travel blog
ReplyTo: ansonlho@gmail.com
Subject: Eurotrip 2009
Sent: Mar 17, 2009 12:18 PM

Off to the land of euros. I've been blessed with an amazing opportunity to tour europe with the new fast and furios movie. I was the assistant to the director on the movie and it premieres april 3rd. But all the red carpet events happen earlier which brings me to why I'm at the airport. I'm off to europe for nine days and get to just chill and experience that high life only a few of us get to experience.
I consider myself the luckiest person this week cuz I get to hang with my homie and mentor on someone elses dime...first class literally. Of course I don't know what to expect but chances are we'll get the VIP treatment.
I'm sitting in the united first class loung with sushi and crown and coke in hand, surfing on free internet, and about to hop on a plane to germany in 1st class. Its times like these I wonder why I deserve this. What makes me so different from everyone else? I still don't know the answer but ill def soak up the enjoyment of luxury to the fullest.

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Resurrection

alright, i'm doing it. i've ignored this blog for far too long. got me a bb coming soon and just a crazy year so far. i write arowanalife blog for the general public. this will be my uncensored rant and good times of life. if you stumble upon this blog, only open minds please. thanks. ans

Brazil Pics Online

In case you haven't seen the pics of Brasil that Josh posted online, here is the link.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jrb6yax.3qlqnamt&x=0&y=r9je7x&localeid=en_US
Might I suggest some itunes music for complete serenity. ENJOY!!!

Interested in Buying a Castle?

Seriously! While we were in Natal, we spotted a hostel that was for sale. A hostel that was a...CASTLE!!! Draw bridge, stone everything, even a dungeon. Ok, I dunno about the dungeon but I'm sure you can designate the basement as one. So if you ever thought about buying one, it's totally possible now.

Fortaleza, Brasil...Kite Surfing Mecca

It was tough leaving Natal, seriously. But the saga continues. There's more land to be discovered. Our most northern stop in Brasil was Fortaleza. I really wish I knew the state each city was in but I don't. Brasil has 26 states i think. don't quote me. Anyways, we were really fortunate to meet with Josh's co-worker's friend Carol, who graciously gave us a tour of the city. Honestly, it was a bit weird riding around in a car. So nice and convenient. The layout of Fortaleza was sooooo interesting. The city sorta had a right angle look to it, surrounded by much different types of waters. I say this because on one side, kite surfing is God there. World's championship kite surfing and there was def alotta people practicing for it. But kicker is, all the tall buildings that were built on that side have all, i mean ALL been deteriorated and crumbled down because of the wind that carries the salt. Empty lots everywhere with old building parts. So the other side is the normal side. Hotels, buildings, blah blah. The worst part is that they have this bridge half built (because the new mayor or wherever stopped it) that was suppose to connect everyone to their fatty tourist attraction, the BEACH PARK. They have this like 12 story water slide. Its called SUPER WEDGIE. naw, i don't know what its called but it should be. or RAPE ME.

Fortaleza was actually a cool city. The square of the city was sorta a cool embarcadero amphitheater with bars and restaurants feel. i guess. a perfect spot for the young people to hang out. But back to kite surfing, I actually thought about trying kite surfing before I had visited Brasil. It was just something I've always felt like doing. But Fortaleza was no place for a beginner. Trust me, I saw some guy getting dragged through the water from the wind and there wasn't a way to let go of the kite. If Chicago is the Windy City(even though it aint), Fortaleza is Chicago's drunk uncle. Long story short, I chickened out. ha!

HIGHLIGHT - All trip we've been talking about seeing a soccer game in Rio. But we found out there was a game happening here. THAT NIGHT. WHA! CEARA was playing ABC NATAL. Carol's brother's friend Ruggero is a die hard fan and agreed to take us. From what they described, it was kinda like the Panthers against the Lions. An average team vs a weakass one that would never sell out the stadium. But it was guaranteed to have scores. So GOOOOLLLLL for us! Home team CEARA won, 3-1. It was sick! Why? Because even though it was a normal game, these die hard fans treat it like its the World Series. Pitch for pitch, in this case, pass for pass, they were into it 100%. old guys were cussing like crazy over a simple bad pass. People would start ripping out hair when a player misses an opening. i loved it and at the same time i feared for my life. if i were to cheer for the wrong team only because i might have witnessed a great shot, will people give me the crazy eye? naw, they'll just say konnichiwai! honest! (squint eye look and all, its nuts,but thats another topic for next time) it was a very successful and rememorable game for me and i'm glad we saw it.


Here's some clips of the game.

Fortaleza, Brasil - Soccer Match: CEARA vs ABC NATAL from Anson Ho on Vimeo.

Doing Laps

Exercise is always so hard to do while you are traveling. Luckily, this 1 star place we stayed had a sweet swimming pool. A perfect chance to get my workout on.


Swimming Some Laps from Anson Ho on Vimeo.

Short Buggy Sand Dune Video

Doesn't really give it justice but imagine it crazier with dips, dives, and more screaming. I probably would have lost the camera had I tried to film the good stuff. I guess you'll just have to come here to Brasil yourself to try it out. Enjoy!


Natal, Brasil....Sand Dune Paradise from Anson Ho on Vimeo.