Monday, November 26, 2012

#FOB Taiwan EP 1, Part 3



 It goes without saying, this episode was special. I remember when I got my show with Cooking Channel and I told myself, "Gotta get Mom on." I don't know if it's a Chinese thing, a Taiwanese thing, a NY thing, or just a human thing, but when things are good I think of family first. You watch the show and it probably seems like I talk to my parents every day, but it's more like once a month. Once I moved to NY in 2005, I told my parents I'd only call when I had good news cause I was a grown ass man.

I wasn't a kid that needed my parents' opinion, support, or hand holding. I just wanted to make them proud, so, on both shows whether it was Cooking Channel or Vice, I always got my family with me. That's who I do it for. So thanks to every one who watches this episode because this family story wouldn't be possible without your support. It's a special moment for the kid and it's really because of yall.

 Lastly, one moment in the show I want to bring attention to. When my Dad says "Japs" we thought long time about taking it out and actually did, then put it back in on Friday during edit (YES, we work overtime yall... shouts to Jarad Jeter and David Laven). My Father's family and Mother's family both were in China up until '49 or '50. My parents are the youngest of 5 and 6 in both their respective families and the only ones of their brothers and sisters born in Taiwan after fleeing China. My father's family lost their home and numerous family members from the war. My Grandfather on my mother's side sold mantou on the street in Taiwan. There's literally one generation between me and that man sitting on a blanket selling bread.

 I don't think I'm allowed to hold a grudge nor do I think it's prudent, but he's allowed to. We could have protected ourselves, the show, my father, etc. by pulling it out, but we want to represent the real. You can't go to Taiwan and do an episode without encountering the Japan or China issue. I think any group of people who have had families torn apart by war understands how my father feels. We literally wouldn't have ties to Taiwan were it not for the war. Just like Scorcese left the ill n-word drops in Goodfellas, we kept the Jap joke. "Sorry boys" - Velona

 Smack your favorite Chinaman and cop the book

40 comments:

  1. poser hipster garbage... ur geting used like brittany spears....

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  2. ay yo good looks on all the taiwan episodes I really enjoyed it

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  3. Well done videos, props to you and your crew.

    To anonymous (aka no balls) hater: Nothing hipster about going to another country and learning about another culture...So shut the fuck up.

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  4. good video! f*ck that hating ass anonymous person lol! do you! real talk vice needs needs tv shows with you keep up the good work

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    1. showing love from the 401 ocean state! keep it up bro

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  5. Thanks eddie for reminding me that I should always hold my swag down. Had a dilemma of getting all proper to make others happy and because a lot of the people around me couldn't comprehend my broad level of dopeness. You saved a life today bro

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  6. What's up man? Just turned 43 an hour ago spent that hour watching your FOB show...dig it B. Was surprised to see my boy Trevor from East Bay Rats. He worked the door when I was bartending back in the day...good folks.

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  7. Yacht Rental in Dubai amazing place. what a fantastic place to visit.

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  8. bought the book can't wait to get it next month!

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  9. above everything, i appreciate you putting on for your culture and being proud of who you are. from a taiwanese-american college kid looking to find himself right now, you're really an inspiration.

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  10. Much Respect! Coolest nigga I've stumbled across on youtube...inspiring. Peace to the Gods!

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  11. Like the TW trip videos, wished I would have seen more of it. While in TW i ate dark tofu, didnt know why everyone was laughing until they told me what I was eat. You are right the food is so damm good!! Good luck and more success.

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  12. my korean 'rents just RECENTLY started to consider buying japanese cars (i.e. toyota). that shit is SO real. glad u kept it in.

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  13. Watching your video was a trip down memory lane as I recall my last trip back to Taiwan a few years back. I had a great time visiting some great restaurants, ate a ton of great food none which I knew what was what, down some illin drinks, and just brought me back home as I visited my old childhood elementary school before I came to the states. I also made it a point to pay my respects to my grandparents that are no longer with us, burned that money, burned that incense, said a few things, and heard my other grandmother rant about the japs the same way your dad did. Yeah, my grandmother's family also fled during the cultural revolution and despite her beef with the Japanese, she still love her Japanese made washing machine.

    Great episode and speaking as a made-in-Taiwan Chinese-American, this episode was the truth and if you don't like it, no one is forcing you to watch it.

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  14. Awesome episode Eddie! I'm so impressed you left law, way to escape! I'm am Asian in medicine going through some bumps in my career, I'm inspired by your ballsy choices!

    Karen.

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  15. Just found your videos and wow this is the most real thing I've seen for a while. Taiwanese American starting my own business like you, almost went to law school myself but decided to go out and take a risk (and increase my parents' blood pressure). I want to be able to go back to Taiwan so I can visit my grandparents' graves too, and tell them how I've managed to really make it here in the US. It's a really weird sense of family respect, isn't it? My Chinese name has the word for "familial obedience" in it too, which doesn't help.

    Did you see the Anthony Bourdain video on Taiwan? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhmGf55ELRQ) He got some random people who could speak English and had them be his guides. I dunno. I don't think that one girl knows what she's talking about. Yours felt so much more genuine because of the family aspect. I was trying to explain Taiwan to some white friends here in North Carolina and showed them Bourdain's video but now I gotta go back and show them all of yours. THAT'S the Taiwan I know.

    Keep it up Eddie!

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  16. Wasn't it the communists that forced your family to flee to TW? I know it's Chinese Communist propaganda that dictates that every societal ill is somehow caused by Japan that hasn't been there for 69 years, but can we for once rely on historical reality in this case? Also, can we mention that Japs laid the foundation for TW's modernization and CKS and the corrupt ass KMT thugz-n-disharmony came in and fucked everything up? Ask any real Taiwanese, not the 11 percent waishendix that still suck the country dry for kids harvard eds and swiss ski vacays. White terror, 228, get your facts straight.

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  17. I love your show and especially loved this episode, 'cause you brought TW to the world (of hipsters). Just want you to be honest and not some Jiang Zemin in Jordan Vs.

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  18. Impact of Japan in Taiwan is complicated. There's the typical colonial respect/resentment aspect. But for people from the mainland whose families lived through the Japanese occupation Japanese hatred is well-earned and pretty solidly ingrained. You can hate the KMT, many of the mainland transplants did as well, but hard to say what Taiwan would be like without the exodus from mainland.

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