Wrong Again!
By Anthony Bourdain
It sounded like a truly terrible idea from the get-go -- Solicit
video submissions from absolute strangers, pick one of them, and then put
myself into said stranger's hands for a week, someplace I've never
been. I hadn't been paying attention when the network suggested it, and
I looked at the prospect as a far away, slow moving train that would
hopefully never arrive and figured that in any case, it could be finessed.
If I actually had to go somewhere with a fan, I'd pick someplace close and
easy.
But the train was here, now. A decision had to be
made. And Buffalo was looking like a mighty strong contender. Out of thousands of often
terrifying submissions, dark figures muttering at the camera from
blood-freckled cellar rumpus rooms, there were actually a few really good ones.
Nelson Starr's admirably deranged ode to Buffalo was a snowy masterpiece -- if limited in its culinary offerings. It had the advantage of being close. And that it kind of "rawked".
Augusto Elefanio's enthusiastic plea to take him along to the Philippines, so that he could reconnect with his roots, was also excellent and heartfelt and might get the masses of Filipinos who've been (understandably) hectoring me ("Why haven't you been to my country yet?") finally, off my back.
Eric Rivera suggested Thailand -- from a kick-boxer's perspective, in an articulate, compassionate video presenting a place that was already familiar to me and well known for its outrageously varied and delicious cuisine.
And then there was Danya Alhamrani's earnest, professional looking tape urging me to join her in Saudi Arabia -- just about the last place I would ever have considered going.Unfortunately, for my plans to basically rig this whole, shameful project, to pick some marginally comprehensible, and relatively unthreatening fan and spend a few days shooting footage of me comically avoiding the contest winner -- in like, Bermuda, or Montauk, Danya's video was just so damn good. And Saudi Arabia seemed like such a difficult, even foolish option.
I mean, let's face it, how much fun could it be? Most of the hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. They're mostly pretty fundamentalist Muslims! Women cover themselves head-to-toe in black. The men wear head dress and white floor length, skirty things! It's hot --really hot. There's NO BEER!! If any destination was predestined to suck, this was it.
But Danya Alhamrani is an extraordinary woman. And the fact that during finalist interviews, she pretty much challenged me to visit her country and still think ill of it, was well, pretty persuasive. She touched that obstinate streak of contrariness in me that little voice that's always telling me that if I'm sure of a thing -- and everybody agrees with me -- then I'm probably wrong.
And it's nice being wrong. One of the delights of travel is finding, again and again that all your preconceptions, all the conventional wisdom, everything you thought for sure was right -- is, in fact – wrong -- or at least, far from a complete picture. Saudi Arabia, it turned out, was fun. Really!
I urge you to take a look at producer Amy Teuteberg's excellent and provocative crew blog. There's not much I can add to that (and what you see in the show) -- except to lavish even more praise on the remarkable Danya, her friends and family. It's only right, I think, that a tough, independent Western woman's perspective should be most useful and relevant when talking about what the experience was like. It is women, after all, who are denied the right to drive, who must cover themselves in public. So, wheel over to the Crew Blog as soon as you can.
I can only tell you that standard male dress in the Kingdom, the "thobe", felt surprisingly ... liberating. Walking through my hotel lobby, there was a strange relief, a comfort in looking exactly like everybody else. And superb testicular ventilation.
And if there was one really big surprise, it's that so many Saudis we met had a sense of humor. This is not what you'd expect after watching “60 Minutes” or “Dateline” or various hard news descriptions of life in the Kingdom. Fact is we met a lot of funny, good natured, very, very generous people over there. They actually had the capacity to laugh at themselves. They were all too aware of how they look to outsiders. They watch “Friends” and "Oprah" and "American Idol".
Many, many of them were educated abroad. They were scrupulously devout in their faith without being humorless. It was a flawlessly organized and executed shoot -- thanks to newcomer producer Amy, the magnificent Danya, and Dania and many friends -- and in fact, a rollicking good -- if alcohol free -- time. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by the show.
As a final note, we will, on some snowy winter day, shoot at least part of a show in Buffalo. And Nelson Starr shall surely be our guide. Bangkok is on the horizon for the coming season. And we would be remiss if we did not have Eric Rivera, with his unique perspective and unusual access along for the ride. Plus, my wife wants to take a week or two in mui tai camp there. And just as the Phillipines are long overdue for a show, Augusto Elefanio deserves to have his dreams come true.
So with luck, everybody, as they say, is a winner.
Augusto Elefanio's enthusiastic plea to take him along to the Philippines, so that he could reconnect with his roots, was also excellent and heartfelt and might get the masses of Filipinos who've been (understandably) hectoring me ("Why haven't you been to my country yet?") finally, off my back.
Eric Rivera suggested Thailand -- from a kick-boxer's perspective, in an articulate, compassionate video presenting a place that was already familiar to me and well known for its outrageously varied and delicious cuisine.
And then there was Danya Alhamrani's earnest, professional looking tape urging me to join her in Saudi Arabia -- just about the last place I would ever have considered going.Unfortunately, for my plans to basically rig this whole, shameful project, to pick some marginally comprehensible, and relatively unthreatening fan and spend a few days shooting footage of me comically avoiding the contest winner -- in like, Bermuda, or Montauk, Danya's video was just so damn good. And Saudi Arabia seemed like such a difficult, even foolish option.
I mean, let's face it, how much fun could it be? Most of the hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. They're mostly pretty fundamentalist Muslims! Women cover themselves head-to-toe in black. The men wear head dress and white floor length, skirty things! It's hot --really hot. There's NO BEER!! If any destination was predestined to suck, this was it.
But Danya Alhamrani is an extraordinary woman. And the fact that during finalist interviews, she pretty much challenged me to visit her country and still think ill of it, was well, pretty persuasive. She touched that obstinate streak of contrariness in me that little voice that's always telling me that if I'm sure of a thing -- and everybody agrees with me -- then I'm probably wrong.
And it's nice being wrong. One of the delights of travel is finding, again and again that all your preconceptions, all the conventional wisdom, everything you thought for sure was right -- is, in fact – wrong -- or at least, far from a complete picture. Saudi Arabia, it turned out, was fun. Really!
I urge you to take a look at producer Amy Teuteberg's excellent and provocative crew blog. There's not much I can add to that (and what you see in the show) -- except to lavish even more praise on the remarkable Danya, her friends and family. It's only right, I think, that a tough, independent Western woman's perspective should be most useful and relevant when talking about what the experience was like. It is women, after all, who are denied the right to drive, who must cover themselves in public. So, wheel over to the Crew Blog as soon as you can.
I can only tell you that standard male dress in the Kingdom, the "thobe", felt surprisingly ... liberating. Walking through my hotel lobby, there was a strange relief, a comfort in looking exactly like everybody else. And superb testicular ventilation.
And if there was one really big surprise, it's that so many Saudis we met had a sense of humor. This is not what you'd expect after watching “60 Minutes” or “Dateline” or various hard news descriptions of life in the Kingdom. Fact is we met a lot of funny, good natured, very, very generous people over there. They actually had the capacity to laugh at themselves. They were all too aware of how they look to outsiders. They watch “Friends” and "Oprah" and "American Idol".
Many, many of them were educated abroad. They were scrupulously devout in their faith without being humorless. It was a flawlessly organized and executed shoot -- thanks to newcomer producer Amy, the magnificent Danya, and Dania and many friends -- and in fact, a rollicking good -- if alcohol free -- time. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by the show.
As a final note, we will, on some snowy winter day, shoot at least part of a show in Buffalo. And Nelson Starr shall surely be our guide. Bangkok is on the horizon for the coming season. And we would be remiss if we did not have Eric Rivera, with his unique perspective and unusual access along for the ride. Plus, my wife wants to take a week or two in mui tai camp there. And just as the Phillipines are long overdue for a show, Augusto Elefanio deserves to have his dreams come true.
So with luck, everybody, as they say, is a winner.
Hrmmmm.... Sand, desert, heat, and no beer. (I mean really? ouch)
Well, I'll watch from the air conditioned confort of my living room with an ice cold one on your behalf.
Keep up the good work. Great show!
Cheers!
Tony when are we getting loaded and listening to fun house like you promised? I have "dirt" all queued up on the hi fi!
Best,
EA
Can't wait.
When I heard about this contest I had to laugh in horrified sympathy - you don't really seem the type to agree to arranged, potentially deathly terrifying groupie encounters.
That said, I'm . . . well, surprised, and also pleased, that you found someone to surp***your expectations (and mine).
Can't wait to see the show!
Hey! I cant wait to watch the saudi arabia show, it trully doesnt sound like a good destination, its amazing how perspective changes. Emmm my name is Francisco, from santiago de chile, you should come here some day. I have traveled since very little, and in a couple of monts im going to NY for the first time. NY is a city that really scares me, i think i'll feel overwhelmed by noise and lights. But well after watching you show in NY i felt a little more calm. I dont actually know why im going to NY, im just going. I dont know what im gonna do there, but, the thing is just to be in a place where you dont know anybody. My email is here if anybody wants to recomend me places to go and things to see, also im looking for music schools to continue my education, so if anybody know about this please help me. Tony, your show is amazing, really sincere. and you look like an amazing person also, well... chef, traveler, dead boys and richard hell fan, writer, i dont know haha, i hope i get to meet you some day. take care
Again with the wife? Tony, we get it. You're married. Will she be picking locations now like Michael Caine picks his movies? (wink wink nudge nudge)
That being said, I cannot wait to see you in a caftan.........and when you do get to Buffalo, a few suggestions:
1. Duffs - the best wings, period.
2. John and Marys - order the sausage sub with oil (be sure to indicate that, "with oil"). You won't be disappointed.
I've no desire to go somewhere with that much sand unless there's a beach nearby. You can't even get me out to Arizona, much less Saudi Arabia. And I'm no America-loving Republican. That being said, I'm more than happy to watch you deal with a groupie and dry up like toast while I eat my beach-side dinner in AC.
Veeerrrryyyyy Innnnteerrreessstiinngggg...I'll have to watch!
See Anthony, you and I both have bambinas.That has changed my notions about travel! Hasn't it yours? I used to think I'd like to go to Saudi Arabia,India, Africa, Korea. Because of my kid, I try to avoid death, disease, danger and accidents. Of course, traveling isn't my career...
I traveled to Saudi back in 2000 for business and thought it was a great trip. The people were generally terrific, but I think that's because most people are pretty terrific. Religious radicals and government fear-mongers are still in the minority as far as I know.
Looking forward to seeing the show.
Looking forward to tonights show. I'm sure its going to be especial! Won't missed it for the world!
Excellent, Tony - I am really looking forward to seeing this one. I often use your videos once or twice a semester for culture training for my Business Communication students (they especially loved the show on Sweden) and this one will surely be one they would be interested in.
But - here is my public service announcement - you do need to give Texas another try. I agree with you that the border area can be a depressing commentary on America's obsession with fast food, as well as a stark illustration of our ethnocentrism, but we have some excellent food, like Texas BBQ, and.. Texas sushi. That's right - the Japanese community in Texas has adapted in some odd ways, including using hot peppers native to TX in their sushi. And that is just the beginning! We have a lot more to offer than just Chili's.
There's my plug :)
Love the show, and I look forward to tonight's airing!
Of course I'll be watching. Cold beverage et al. Tessticular ventilation....LOL!
Of course I'll be watching. Cold beverage et al. Testicular ventilation....LOL!
We were just laughing about this watching the Columbia show: you said something to the effect of, "Everywhere you go in the world, there's fried pork products and beer" and then the commercial break that followed says "Next week, Saudi Arabia". Second funniest thing we saw that week (first is Dr. Horrible)
Lovely, Tony. I enjoy it when you are surprised by a culture or experience. An open mind brings enlightenment, no? As for Buffalo, yeah, a vid submission like that deserves a shot. Just give me a ring when you are ready to do Pittsburgh. You know I'll take care of you and the crew. ;-) As always, be safe, Bonnie a.k.a. artnlit
Sorry for your luck Tony. But having said that - can't wait....is that wrong?
I truly enjoy the show; my favorite trips were Cleveland & Vegas (Ruhlman's cool) - and Korea with Nari.
I read you blog for pure pleasure. No reason. No pressure. In the hope, of course, that you do say something on food but I thoroughly enjoy it.
You go sir! :)
Tony,
My eyes, most definitely, popped when I first viewed the "Saudi" promo. I'm really looking forward to tonight's show.
So...ummmm...when are you coming to Philly? We've got a lot more than greasy cheese-steaks, although I could show you where to get some great ones. Pat's, Geno's, & Jim's all suck...there's a reason why you don't see stray dogs running around in Philly, and they're it. Unless you're stumbling drunk or stoned to the bejeezus and have some serious muchies you never, EVER want to go to either of them!
Tony,
After speaking with Danya, the first time I met her in New York, I knew she was "the one". For all of you devout blog readers on here, Danya, is as Tony says an extraordinary woman. I only spent 3 days with her, but honestly, the girl is charismatic, sweet, intelligent, and well she knows the politics of winning over ZPZ, which is, pitch an exotic destination and bring treats for the crew. Right Danya? I should of brought boxes of candied dates too, ha ha.
But really, the girl knows her stuff, and is cool as hell. I don't really know what she pitched to you Tony, because none of the finalists could discuss our ideas with one another, but Im sure it was fantastic. It had to be, you've been alot of places and I doubt anyone can pull one over on you when it comes to good food and exotic places.
I knew this whole fan thing wasn't really your cup of tea, because well, judging from some of the videos I saw that were submitted, you attract some crazed people. So my idea with the whole Thailand video, was to show you a side of Thailand I know well, but that most westerners do not. I guess it was an added bonus that I found out your wife likes to kick people's a@#es.
In the end I just appreciated the "realness" of you and everyone at ZPZ. You guys aren't trying to be anything, you just are who you are, take it or leave it. It's that attitude and feel, that hooks people to the show. And learning that it wasn't just "all for TV" was a great experience. I remember Augusto and I, discussing the NYC experience, and well he was right when he said that just being there with ZPZ and Bourdain himself was a prize in itself, winning the whole shebang would just be an amazing bonus.
I can't wait to see the show, I made a good friend in Danya, and I can't wait to see what she shows you. From what we talked about over some good ol' Gray's Papaya hot dogs in NYC, Saudi is really alot different than what the media tells us it's like. So I agree with you when you say that sometimes when a place seems to conjure up so may preconceptions, negative emotions, and stereotypes; finding out that they we were all wrong is well,...liberating.
Keep up the awesome work, Tony!
FAN-tic,
ERIC "ThaiBoxer" Rivera
Tony,
If and when you make it to the Phillipines hopefully your guide(s) will help you portray the billiard world. I hope it's not like your Rio Grande episode where you didn't make to the my home The Rio Grande Valley. Billiards is the perfect counter colutre the show can capture.
Tony, can't wait for this episode! I leave it to you to help me feel safe while I watch this one from the comfort of my couch sans the dirt and grit, while I drink a that beer, and have the A/C cranked down so low that it's shooting out freon. Call it a controlled state of schizophrenia. Cheers, Aaron K
Tony,
Like everything else everywhere else there is a Saudi Arabia so full of debauchery that you would revel in it's genius it's feasts and yes even in the considerable satisfaction of lust that "The exclusive ones", Saudi Arabia's finest enjoy on a daily basis without you.
Don't forget that Tony ! That's not your girl by the volleyball net and plebes eat with plebes and often eat testicles, a forbidden fruit for the Holy ones.
I've been seeing the promos for a few days and I've been pretty excited about the Saudi Arabia show. I'm actually interested to see where a female Saudi thought you should visit. To see her country through her eyes. Can't wait.
Alright, the picture with this blog entry is PRICELESS! The "I'm wrong, huh?" look is great!
As far as Saudi goes - if you have satellite t.v., both Dish and Direct both have Link T.V. Link runs a daily program called "Mosaic" which is major news stories from middle eastern news programs (including Saudi's nightly news) translated into English. I've learned a lot I didn't know about Saudi and the middle east from watching their nightly news. They include news from Qatar, U.A.E., Lebanon, Jordan, Dubai, Iran, Iraq and Israel. Very interesting stuff. Requires a lot of reading between the lines but - better to hear it straight from the source, in m opinion.
Tony, thank you for making a TV show that's worth watching. And I'm looking forward to watching this episode. I'm curious, what did you think of the reference to you as a "culinary &%$&%$in" on Top Chef's reunion show?
I think it's about time someone did a show like this in Saudi Arabia. The one thing I've learned is that it is harder to look down on a country when you see what the people there are really like. If more people traveled it would be a happier place!!
No Reservations is not just the best travel cooking show on television, it is the best show period. Along with Bazaar Foods (a close second) the show introduces us to a huge variety of cultures, and what better way to do that than through the stomach? Thank you, Travel Channel. Atta boy, Bourdain.
Please have your crew write more blogs - they're great, and the one from Saudi Arabia was particularly enlightening. Nothing is simple, huh?
Alos, I'm glad you had a good experience with a "fan". Some of us out here are sane, literate, well-traveled (okay, not as well as you...), and genuine food people. THAT'S WHY WE WATCH!
This is the first "on-line community" I've participated in (now I'm hooked on Ruhlman's blog too) - and those two are still pretty much the only ones I bother to comment on. I'll cop to using them to hone writing skills and/or procrastinate, but mostly, it's great to find like-minded folks.*
I know you probably want/need to protect your family's privacy, but I'd love to see you venture into talking about kids as they relate to food, travel, and culture. Maybe in general terms, without involving your own family. Those issues are favorite topics of mine, as a mom/traveler/cook.
Good stuff, and thanks to you and ZPZ again.
* (We do not have a rec room or a chest freezer. Or even a chain saw.)
Sawubona Tony,
I am a new fan who really enjoys your refreshing tv style!
Keeping it short 'cause I know you've got a LOT of fans:
I'm a travelling South African who, having been to a few of the places you have, thinks you would do really well in our country!!! (where as far as i can find you havent been)
I mean, a country with 11 OFFICIAL languages (yes you read right) you can only imagine the various cultural cuisines... Yip everything from Smilies (boiled sheep heads) and Walky Talkies (chicken heads and feet) to koeksisters(deepfried dough soaked in a sugar ginger and cinnomon syrup) you dont have to try it all...
ok, tried to keep it short but hey
look forward to watching you explore places i hope to visit (and taste)
I was a great idea too bad i noticed it too late u need to come to chicago for a show and our cities in the chicago land area would please you. you can bet ill be watching your show.
your teenage fan,
Rob
Tony, I am watching the show right now. Although the idea is great, I feel this is not your show today. I know that she is your tour guide, but you are WAY MORE reserved for this show.
My husband was just deployed to IRaq and will get to see the middle east, but not the same way you did.
BTW I am addicted to your show!
Thank you for choosing Saudia Arabia. I am glad I saw it through your eyes and it makes me want to visit even more.
Of course I would have to be covered head to toe, so I may be miserable but I would endure it for the experience.
Thanks,
XO
PS you should give POLAND a shot. They will DRINK you under the table. The food is great and the culture is amazing. GIVE POLAND A CHANCE.
Saudi Arabia...? I'm suprised you even agreed to visit. I am a food fanatic - wine (and tequila) lover - culture enthusiast - self made chef (and financial advisor during the day) and I was dissapointed after I saw your last show, interviewing four very pathetic nobodies. Are you kidding ? Buffalo with a wierdo ? Thailand with someone who's been there once ? No wonder you don't want to travel with a fan ever again.
I'm a fan a food...period. And, you happen to be a pretty cool dude that knows his stuff.
How about some "tacos de escamoles" with a side of mezcal in the main plaza of downtown Oaxaca, or some "huauzontles en salsa roja" with some pulque in Mexico City's Zocalo ? how about a "mixiote de carnero en hoja de platano" at the beach in Merida or maybe a "cabrito a las brasas" and a cold beer in Monterrey's macro plaza ? Or, you might even like some "sopes de tuetano" or maybe even some "huaraches de cabeza"...
Mexico, I think, has some of the best food in the world, at least some of the most interesting, as long as you know where to find it.
I was born in Mexico and have traveled all over the world. Now I live in New York with my wife and a four month baby, but if you ever want to have a culinary tour of Mexico let me know and I'll show you around...
Cheers,
Juan
Awesome show! Danya was an EXCELLENT choice! I'm glad I decided not to enter...I'd have been one of those you quickly tossed after 5 seconds.
Anyone know what that white shirt that Tony wears all the time is? I want one!
Tony thanks for showing off the Kingdom. I lived there during Desert Storm till around 1998 and it had to be one of the best times of my life. I lived on the opposite side of the country in the Dharan/Dammam area. I miss eating naan bread for breakfast and then having a few shawarmas for lunch and then a some broasted chicken for dinner. I had to laugh at the chicken place since its a local restaurant because I can remember when Taco Bell/KFC opened in Khobar and everyone went nuts that we had "American" food. You could have gone to Dharan area so you could go across the King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain and got some "tasty beverages"
Wow. Could Tony be anymore condescending to his most ardent fans? Everyone who sent in a contest taped was deemed, "crazy, murderous, or dangerous" by Tony. He seems to think that there is NYC and then there is everywhere else in America.
His casual cruelty and off the cuff put downs of America food, outside of NYC is getting a little played. His comments about Saudi Arabia and American's understanding of the country where "15 of the 19" 911 boys was ridiculously simplistic and laughable. For such a cosmopolitain he can be a real dolt. The show made me vomit - just a little bit. Yummo.
As a feminist and an evangelical Christian, I get into the religious/feminism quagmire, well, every day. As I'm watching the episode right now, and chatting with my best friend (who is gay by the way) I'm absolutely filled with joy. I have been advocating both in my church and with my gay friends (I've got one foot in both communities) that opening your eyes to different perspectives makes you realize that the person you think you hate has more in common with you than you would ever imagine (and is an amazing, fascinating person to boot). You have managed to say what usually takes me years to communicate in one hour. My hat's off to you. Thank you for this episode.
I just finished watching the new show, and I have to say it felt very different than your other episodes. It was great though -- I feel like there is just so much more that didn't make it on the air. Maybe someday we'll see a behind the scenes dvd or something. Thanks for making t.v. that I actually want and make time to watch. Well worth my time.
I think..it was fast...it was clean,..it was unimpressive... But, i love the show generally
This show was a huge disappointment. This girl was raised in Nebraska and all her friends and family were obviously western educated (one dude had on a Syracuse t-shirt) and westernized to a degree. Where were the locals that had never been abroad?
She took Tony to a restaurant to eat offel, snorkeling, to pick out a camel to eat, lizard hunting, and 4-wheeling in the desert. AND she had never done any of it before herself! The only thing she had ever done before that she took him to do was shop in a western style mall and to eat in the Saudi version of KFC...
It was so inauthentic that it was almost laughable. I didn’t learn anything, see anything cool or interesting and walked away from the show pretty much just shaking my head at the whole thing.
The Saudi episode was incredible! Tony, your humorous conveyance of the principle of tolerance is something that is greatly needed by our society. I thought the show was well balanced between explaining stereotypes and showing differences people may not realize. If only everyone in the world would connect in such a personal way, then there would be no war. Anthony Bourdain for President!
Bravo, Tony! Just finished watching this episode and for being a pseudo-host to your own show I have to say this one was a hundred folds better than that Korean shenanigan.
PS- I know this sounds totally inappropriate stalker-ish, but when I caught wind that you were in DC this past weekend, I went out of my way for a visit to Ben's hoping to finally meet you in person.
OH TONY !
What were you thinking when you aired that tonight ? You were working them through a thorough background check ? How blasphemous and insulting to the legitimate people of Earth !
From wikipedia on YOU :
Adding to his untamed image, Bourdain is a former user of cocaine, heroin, and LSD. In Kitchen Confidential he writes of his experience in a trendy SoHo restaurant in 1981: "We were high all the time, sneaking off to the walk-in [refrigerator] at every opportunity to 'conceptualize.' Hardly a decision was made without drugs. Pot, quaaludes, cocaine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms soaked in honey and used to sweeten tea, Seconal, Tuinal, speed, codeine and, increasingly, heroin, which we'd send a Spanish-speaking busboy over to Alphabet City to get."[14]
OH, that's funny to you ?! It would appear as though you could be refused reentry to the U.S.A., having folklored and fostered more drug culture than the beatles ever did when they were refused !
Anthony, Shame on you, Heroin ?! So You're s chick stalking pin cushion with a life you never did deserve.... What has come of the world ? I guess you belong in the kitchen at General Motors , next to "Rick whom twinned them too" at the NEW, lower wage bracket established after I "washed all of me and they out of what they claimed they were" in gross worth.
You're an eater in the world of chef's, a square peg, an insult to them whom you confront, I'm disappointed in you,you failed your global background check to your birth, period the end.
Tony - I love your show - you make me laugh.
Janice
Wow! I was really looking forward to this show, and I was not disappointed. I knew you'd would give Saudi Arabia a very good profile; that's part of why I love your show.
I now know that I would really go for a visit to Jeddah, but I'd want to go with Danya. It's a given that I would love to spend a week with you, but she is the main event. Her friends and family, too ... and I welcome, oh I so welcome, someone to offer me camel toe soup! LOL
Nicely done - and I hope that in the future you welcome submissions from fans again. I have ideas of my own. I'm not a psycho or a vegetarian ... and if anyone asked me Beatles or Stones I'd honestly have to say Kinks!
Camel humps and no beer aside, I liked the show but there's just one thing I'm still in therapy over: Tony, did you really say "yum-o" or did someone put that brain sucking creature from Wrath of Khan inside my ear?
While I appreciate your ability to walk in the shoes of a Saudi woman, I can't escpae the feeling that Danya did not show you the way real Saudis live. She and her family and friends are clearly western educated, sophisticated people who are aware of the outside world and have made free choices. I highly doubt that your average Joe in SA lives like that--especially the women. I am sorry to say that you guys missed the boat on this one. Where were the snarky comments--the cutting observations? You succeeded in demonstrating that the SA elite live in a separte world. By the way, how could you fail to discuss Danya's ability to travel on her own with no male relative in sight?
AB-you are one of my favorite Gods--however,
Saudi Arabia? It was the worst, host sucked, food sucked, etc...
Your producers should do some research.
PW
While it won’t compare in theme to the illumination of an unfamiliar culture such as Saudi Arabia (great show), I must implore you, with already positive inclinations, towards a Buffalo visit. I’m glad to see Nelson did my hometown justice. There is never a shortage of local musical talent that thrives off the late night bar scene, sure to be revealed.
Re-iterating the obvious, a trip to Duffs is a must and while not the original, serves the best wing in town. Beef on weck is another splendid choice, and while I’m partial to Charlie the Butcher’s, any downtown mom and pop will suit your needs.
If you want to experience the more rowdy, p&%$ionate Western New Yorker, visit a Bill’s game tailgate in December. Crowds lined to take shots of Jack Daniels out of a bowling ball, wings cooked on the hood of a Ford Pinto that somehow survives the weekly trip to the stadium, and dozens of deep fryers operated by the dangerously inebriated? All standard fare, and if one’s lucky, a lake effect snowstorm will bind it all together.
I found it very disapointing that the Saudi Arabia you show is not the true representation of the country. Abuse of imported workers treated as slaves, lack of basic civil & human rights for women and radical islam to name a few are the sides of this terrorist harboring country you should have shown. I found no people and country in the world as offensive as this country. Before I am called a close minded american cowboy, i will let you know i was not born here, but have resided in the US for over 30 years. As they keep all western ideas and principles out of their country we should keep them out of the western civilized world.
When is the next contest?????????
This was an AWESOME show. If not one to start the 'healing' process...I don't know of another.
What a great view into 'normal' Saudi Arabia families and traditions. And I LOVED seeing how 'normal', funny, animated, etc. they are!! They seemed to act just like my family at family dinner parties!!! Wow
Thank you for bringing this particular show to American television...
I am of course a fan of the show but the Saudi Arabian show was different. I do have to admit I have never entertained the idea of going to the middle east, actually I think I would rather avoid it. But a tribute to Mr Bourdain and his Hostess I now think I would love to visit Saudi Arabia. I love it when I suddenly see the world in a different light. Thank you Anthony Bourdain and Danya Alhamrani for shattering a position born of ignorance.
Anthony,
Did you ever consider Tunisia as a future destination? I have been twice and they have plenty of exotic, straight from the ocean, fruit of the sea. (as they call it) The beaches, the souks, the history, and the people are all inspiring! Nice work on the Saudi episode. It would be interesting to reveal what that country actually allowed you to visit. Good show!
AWESOME Saudi Arabia episode. We just finished watching it on Tivo - my two kids (3,5) could not take their eyes off the whole thing. My daughter (5) thanks you for not killing the baby camel. And we were all a bit grossed-out by the lizard, that frankly tasted like a "lizard" (hilarious!)
Kudos for presenting Saudi Arabia in such a wonderful and open-minded way.
Awesome show. I just love the way you describe the food locales and their culture. I particularly liked you show to Asia. I'm hooked
I'm presently a middle-eastern studies major (with a major interest in food) so as soon as I heard there was going to be a Saudi Arabia I just about lost it. The Middle East has so much amazing food and culture that goes completely unmentioned, almost moreso than any region on earth. The episode definitely did the region justice.
Hi Tony!
Great video on Arab! Superb presentation of Arab and great food too except for Dhob the Lizard scene. Well, we watched you ate even "grossier" than that and uncooked too! Well, I read somewhere that the Dhob's oil is great for many things though.
Danya certainly had done a wonderful job on revealing the truth about Arabs that most of the western had misconception about. I mean, I'm from Malaysia and also a Muslim and covered my hair too but our style of wearing the head scarves is different because cultures will define the way you dress yourself. Anyway, people did asked me certain things on why we covered ourselves and how are womens treated. Well, honestly, womens are treated very fine in Muslims world but of course you may read once a while of the abusive men which happens to all women all over the world.
I mean, we're pretty much the same with all others despite our differences in faith, cultures and what not but the basic that every human being shares are loves in family and food. This is a very unique video you've ever had and it's fun too.
What do you have against Denver?
What, is it the crisp air? The skyline-by-god? The wonderously friendly people? What? Tell me what is it and why you would never go there.
I know, you probably prefer the gritty New York/New Jersey scene where I will concur that the food is a few steps above from the mountain west, but what do you do to get away from it all? Oh, I saw the NJ show, you go "skiing". No, you strap two pieces of fibergl***to your feet and go down a hill that has been created and added to by the disposal of various "made" men gone bad. Is that the ticket? The idea of outdoors is a few acres surrounded by sidewalks. I know of no one from my home state -hell, area- who goes anywhere east of the CO/KS border and looks out the window and says "oh, pretty field." Yeah, never happens.
Is it our lack of extremely tall buildings? Hey, for one thing, God built the Denver skyline, OK? And large buildings only compensate for other areas where individuals are lacking, so, you see where I am going here.
But then, maybe I don't want you to come. Maybe its best you do stay away and far away. See, where you go follow the despoilers. From 1995 until your Cooks Tour book came out, I had a little hidaway that I could remove myself as far from western civilisation as I could in Vietnam. After 2002, it was all a wash. My own personal shang ri la gone. I blame you and you solely. No other travel/food show put so much into showing how beautiful that country is (was, too many westerners now its become "trendy" Thanks.) Since you went to Cambodia and Laos now, there serenity will not last. (OK, "serenity" is used loosely in Cambodia) Now you should go to Myanmar given your track record.
I digress, back to the problem at hand.
Its bad enough I have to deal with day-in, day-out with flat-landers whining and complaining about the altitude, thin dry air, the expense of doing anything there, the traffic, the smog. If its not one thing its another. So, stay away. Its too much for you and too much for us to have to deal with the onslaught that will surely follow.
Great show though.
James
Chef
Excellant show. I too was amazed on how i guess you could say laid back. I have always thought it was a very serious culture, and in ways it is. I never would of thought that the single men would be seperated from the families at the chicken stand. i also must say i thought the doors on the booths was something else.
The one thing that i was so happy to say was you and her both tried new foods together for the first time, now that i think about it you did have something similar to the lizard, the igauna right? Anyways looking forward to your show next week, till then have a great week.
You know, I first started watching your shows about 2 months ago. At first I was like "who the hell is this geeky know it all guy?",but now I'm totally addicted to your shows. I used to watch Samantha Brown, and I love her...I mean she's just sugar and spice and everything nice. But YOU, you're just down & dirty, just the way I like it. You take me to places I'd never thought I'd go. Sometimes I cringe at the things you're willing to try, especially alot of that nasty, disgusting food. But you really seem to enjoy it, so more power to you. What I can't understand is how the f--- do you stay so skinny! But seriously, I want to thank you, mostly for opening my mind to so many things that without your show, I would never experience. You've found your gift to the world, please keep doing it as long as you can. One question... if you could choose ONE place to live, out of anywhere in the world, where would it be???
Thanks again,
YOU ROCK!!!
Betsy L.(Windermere, Fla.)
Tony, your show is the greatest series on tv since the first generation power rangers. I'm so happy you wen to Laos and saw the reality of the final unexplored frontier of southeast Asia. It is disappointing to hear so many people say "where's that" when you tell them where you're from. I think you should go back because it seemed like you only explored that of the north and mid sections of Laos but none of the south even though it has some of the most amazing natural sites to see especially Pakse and the southern region where my family origins come from since my great grandfather ruled south Laos a while back and my grandpa was governor of pakse before the communist take over. Any who i love your show, and everywhere you've been. I just wanted people to see more of this land lock country for it's natural beauty.
Hi Tony!
I love love LOVE your show. I'm really glad that you picked Saudi Arabia. I'm Muslim, and I was excited and a bit nervous. I could picture it all going wrong like it had in Lebanon. I wasn't sure what would go wrong or what impression it would leave you, but I'm glad you got to see the 'human' side of a place that most people forget 'humans' live in.
There are just so many ignorant people in the world, who only see things one way, and would rather not bother to see the humanity in a people they've already p&%$ed judgment on for the deeds of others.
I'm glad you enjoyed the trip. Sorry there was no beer or pig.
Thank you again for visiting Saudi, and for giving some people a look into a world they never understood. Maybe nothing new was learned, but at least North Americans saw Saudi Arabians, not terrorists.
Thank you! :D
PS: I would love to see you visit Fiji!!
Tony,
Thank you for the show on Saudi Arabia. As an Arab, I really appreciated your honest depiction of daily life without shying away from the social change that does need to occur. One of the above posters stated that you should have focused on radical Islam and the abuse of foreign workers. While I agree these are important issues, the facts are that you're trying to show the people, not the politics. Just as you didn't examine human rights abuses when you were in China, or the plight of immigrants while in France, you handled Saudi life with your requisite style.
I'm really looking forward to the Egypt episode, and glad to see the Middle East being better represented in this season. I'd love to see you able to return to Lebanon, and Tehran (which you had mentioned in an interview at Google), and I'd love to see you visit Israel. The Middle east has some of the oldest cultural traditions in the world and it is reflected in the food. Thank you for expanding your horizons, and allowing us to expand our own through you.
I was so happy to see you traveling to the Middle East man!
Next stop Iran! Go! you'll find array exotic foods such as cow tongues and liver marinated in sweet saffron sauce to basic filleted beef with hints of traditional Persian spices.
(Government permitting) You should definitely give it a shot!
Peace
Thank you, thank you, thank you for not fearing the middle east. While Arab and Persian cultures are two different entities, the similarities between the two are what unify us as "middle eastern". What you see, the welcoming, warm, happy people are what the PEOPLE of this region are like when you take away their oppressive governments. I hope that one day you'll be able to go through Iran to show America that it too is more than just a desert with camels.
And my hats off to Danya, as a woman who wants to make her way into the film industry, i see how i (as an american woman) am treated here in america and couldnt begin to fathom the difficulties of being a woman in saudi.
Tony,
Tonight's episode reminded me why your show is the best thing on television -- better than anything commercial or PBS. Your travels take the viewer into places they never imagined going to and giving us such amazing insights. This season, you've taken us to three "pariah" countries so far, each one such a revelation.
I hope Travel Channel realizes how much we treasure shows like yours (and hope this dissuades them from producing more dreck like Andrew Anthony's "Life's a Trip").
I hope you win an Emmy this year!
P.S. Thank you also for visiting us in Hawaii. You went to my fave places -- like Ono Hawaiian Foods -- that I never thought would see the light of network TV. Next time can you make a public appearance? You've got many fans here.
Aloha,
Ken
Saudi Arabia episode Loved it. Danya and the girls of ZPZ did a great job (heres to girl power). Yes Tony I did read Amy's blog on the crew blog and I loved her blog I even put a comment over there too.
I would have liked to see Tony ride a camel...wait a minute he did ride a camel in the India episode, LOL.
Even though I'am not Muslim the call to prayer is a beautiful sound to hear.
It was an interesting look into a culture that us westerners do not understand. Thanks again Tony for picking Danya to show off her country.
Tony we all know you let Danya win at air hockey (LOL).
Anthony
First off let me say I love your show it is my absolute favorite. I do not miss an episode and religously watch your reruns everyday. Your show on Saudi Arabia was an eye opener for me. I consider it one of your best shows. I was absolutely shocked and surprised to find out that it is really a remarkable and beautiful place. I don't think I would visit since I am female (and I like to drink), but I do find it refreshing to know that my misconceptions have been shattered. You have really given new light to a place that many Americans would consider unstable and dangerous.
Keep up the good work!!
love ur show,because of your show we get to see how other countries live,eat and culture's are.
FANatic (Now “Saudi Arabia”) Postmortem:
Truth… A Thousand Shades of Gray
~ An Open Letter to Tony ~
Tony,
OK, so maybe I’m a bit jealous over losing out to Danya…congratulations by the way to her (a great, great job!!!) …but was Buffalo really the easy way out??? I have a differing opinion there but first some gracious pleasantries and some earnest praise.
As always, thank you Mr. Bourdain, Zero Point Zero, Amy and Nari, and the cast and crew for a great, and I’m sure very difficult, show. In all honesty, the Saudi show was FANtastic and I can only hope, perhaps naively, that it might really do some good by exposing our (all too often) xenophobic reflexes to some reality-checking, through the magic of Tony TV. Anderson Cooper couldn’t have done it any better! So, I say bravo to you, Tony (et al), for showing us those thousand shades of gray that really do make up the honest answer to the tough question.
As for the first segment of the show (the contest), I can also only thank you for not making us (the FANatics) out to be - as most “reality show” productions seek to do at every turn - idiots, psychos, stalkers, and narcissists. Hey, people can find that out on their own – they don’t need you to spoon-feed that notion to them! All kidding aside, you took the high ground and …well, I expected you would do that because you are a cl***A, cl***act!
There are, of course, some comments and observations from the critic-at-large in me (after all, this is the COMMENTS page) …I loved the music, I loved the cinematography (if that word still applies to digital?), and I was proud of (and frankly astonished by) your resolute temperance. Maybe you aren’t an alcoholic after all, Tony!? Forgive me for that past proclamation, for I was just following AA guidelines when I let slip my real, if unjustified, opinion (if this makes it any better…I would also label myself, using the same guidelines, as alcohol dependent). I hope you will eventually absolve me for my rash judgmentalism.
But before you do… although I love her and think she is the coolest person ever, it frankly annoyed me that Danya was, well, made so squeamish dining within her very own culinary milieu – all the more considering the choices she made for you to wolf down. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, I say. But alas, her bravery in each and every other area of her existence (which evidently is also a happy and rich existence) completely transcends her lack of courage for eating pluck, awful, and roasted then stewed lizard. Yes, at the end of the day, we should surely look the other way on that only deficit. This ain’t a “Bizarre Foods” contest after all.
OK, my only real dispute – although it all depends on how you look at it (relativist I proudly am) – has to do with the oft repeated thesis that the Saudi show was the “tough choice” and that the Buffalo show would’ve been “the easy way out”. I agree that spending a week without booze of any kind while surreptitiously glancing as quickly as humanly possible at women dressed up in beekeeper outfits (to quote the always politically-incorrect Bill Maher) was a huge stretch for you. I also imagine that you, no matter how rational, made welcome, and comfortable you felt in Saudi Arabia (and blue state liberal you are), must’ve had a bad dream or two about some AK47 toting terror cell coming out of hibernation to seek misplaced vengeance on your mistakenly George Bush loving American &%$. So, yes, you were a brave soul indeed. (And, again, this was a brave show and choice… because you nobly risked upsetting some people’s reflexive prejudices about the Kingdom - for the sake and true value of honesty and education about our sometimes friend and, arguably, sometimes foe, Saudi Arabia.)
Yet, where I have a single bone to pick with you is over the contention that a Buffalo show is “easy”. You have to admit that going to strange lands and eating even stranger food is, in a sense, old hat for you. You are the best at it and we all love it to death! But, what just may be even harder than that is doing a show (very much like your incredible Cleveland show) that has none of those oriental fireworks – that does not make or write itself based on exotic content but, instead, relies heavily on your very dangerous and apt writing (and improvisatory) chops to pull it off …i.e. - artistic form LEADING compelling content. An “Americana” show is something that you ALSO do better than anyone else and that we, your FANs, don’t get to see enough of. Your talent for beautifully twisted and original observations is often all the more keen on your native soil. A Buffalo show would’ve tested your mettle as an artist and conceptualist… while simultaneously testing your liver for proper enzymatic function. So I urge you to please keep an open-mind regarding Buffalo …and stay liver-fit for our 4 AM call here!
Lastly, I hope and pray (to dearest TV Satan) that you will ultimately and bravely do “something” with Buffalo/Niagara in your No Reservations future. After all, the whole damn City is following this thing now. Unfortunately, I am still under the impression, both from our “interrogation” and from your blog, that you may feel Buffalo – on its own – is lacking the quantitative content needed for an hour of frolicking good times (a notion which, at the time of our meeting, I was ill prepared to fully rebut). So your concerns are understandable. Yet, since then, I have spent many a sleepless night pondering the right answers to your very reasonable and probative questions. I have substantiated these ruminations into a Word document that I’d be happy to lay on you at any time (and have revised continually since March). I’ve added a compelling fine dining option, revised and retracted the 10,000 Maniacs segment (now more up your punk-influenced musical alley), and enlarged the geography to encapsulate and better express the region’s essential nature – it’s much more a Buffalo/NIAGARA thang now…more US-Canada, NY-Ontario, post-911, post-industrial hologramerica. Try crossing that border without papers! Can you make it over THAT in a barrel?? You may have different, surely better ideas but the document exists if you are at all curious.
Whatever transpires in the future, it’s been a great ride and I will always be a FANatic! Your show continues to inspire all of us to see ourselves as the great unity of humanity - in colorful diversity (and stupid t-shirts) - that we are. Keep the flame alive…just don’t use it to light up a cancer stick, OK!??
Stay clean,
Nelson “I am an alcoholic too” Starr
Oh my gosh,
I LOVE this whole food storys and i have to watch them all the time before i go sleeping!
as an german, i definilty love your outspoken language...
please smoke an cigaret and drink something!
sonja
I suppose it would come off as whining if I was to write that it's a damned shame you don't blog more frequently, only when there's a new episode of the show or someone cooks marshmallow meatballs on Top Chef. Yeah, I know, something is better than nothing. But still....
And you've been to Thailand enough (okay, maybe that's not possible) but DO go to the Philippines. The way you love pork and the way they barbecue it there, you'll never want to leave. And every other mango in the world runs a poor second to Philippines mangoes.
Aloha Tony.....kudos on another fantastic show! Muslims and Islamic countries are complex, like everything else in this world. It is impossible to put a label on any one group. Thanks again for taking us with you on your journey of enlightenment. That camel did look tasty....
You failed to show the real Saudi Arabia. Did you hide all artifacts that are non-Islamic? Did you not have to ride in the back of segregated buses? Did the stores not close when they saw you approach? What you experienced was well planned propaganda. As an American woman who has lived in Saudi, I know the difference and you failed to show your viewers it.
thaks for a good show on saudia arabia, did not know how the culture was, got to see how the live, they seem to be friendly people. i thought women was second cl***citizens, but was able to socialize with both men and women.
******************************************
Tony and NR Crew,
C-. As an avid fan, I think this episode fell short, but I also understand Laos and Colombia set a really high bar for this new season. I have three hypotheses: 1. You had an obligation to the contest winner and wanted to put your best foot forward 2. You had to temper your trademark cynicism/snark due to the sensitive nature of the country 3. Maybe it was in the editing?
Didn't really seem like you were in your stride. I know in the depths of your soul you were not pleased about eating fast-food chicken for a segment. I applaud you and your crew a good effort but it felt somewhat forced, sterilized, and lacked the emotion the prior two episodes had.
You can't have all knock-outs I suppose. Nonetheless, I am still excited for each new episode.
Best,
Peter
Lincoln, NE
(the "camel toe" soup thing was good but not good enough to save this episode)
******************************************
i watched your saudi arabia show, this is my first time i saw a host go to saudi arabia , it was an excellent show. thumbs up to u and the crew! u r one of the person i wanted to meet so much..good luck to u on your next journey..
I am a Muslim, so when I heard that you were travelling to Saudi Arabia to do one of your shows naturally I had to watch it.
I thing the most important lesson that came out of the show was that Muslims are not strange people who live, eat, talk, and behave like aliens. Muslims are regular people who have their own religion and culture like so many other countries in the world.
All we Muslims want is to be left alone not forced to adopt someone else’s way of life or pressured into living like someone else, and we in turn will do the same.
Great show, loved it, next time you need to go to the far away villages, in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.
Anthony,
I am an American man married to a Saudi lady. We live here in the Metro DC area.
My wife's family is actually from Jeddah/Mecca and Medina. We watched your show last night and were really impressed.
You showed tolerance and openess and did a great job.
After years of being involved in a large Saudi family I can tell you Saudis are just like anyone else.
Spot on, keep up the good work!
Tony, I saw your show on saudi arabia it was great and danya seemed to be genuinely a nice person along with her friends and family. thanks for taking me to a place and culture i would never get to see and experience. we in western society may not agree with their customs and laws but it seems pretty crime free and family oriented which is a good thing. tony i hope you visit panama 1 day when people think of panama the canal comes to mind and when most people visit panama it is a panama canal cruise they take and the only town most of them see is colon. panama is more than a canal. in portobelo there is the statue of the black christ more than 600 yrs old, darien jungle, panama city and various provinces, islands and indigenous tribes as well as afro caribbean descendents. i hope you visit 1 day one of your fans Yul Gomez
Tony, I saw your show on saudi arabia it was great and danya seemed to be genuinely a nice person along with her friends and family. thanks for taking me to a place and culture i would never get to see and experience. we in western society may not agree with their customs and laws but it seems pretty crime free and family oriented which is a good thing. tony i hope you visit panama 1 day when people think of panama the canal comes to mind and when most people visit panama it is a panama canal cruise they take and the only town most of them see is colon. panama is more than a canal. in portobelo there is the statue of the black christ more than 600 yrs old, darien jungle, panama city and various provinces, islands and indigenous tribes as well as afro caribbean descendents. Ruben blades minister of tourism can show you around. i hope you visit 1 day one of your fans Yul Gomez
Next time talk to a Muslim woman who is not so privileged to see how they like living as a third cl***citizen in their own country, but they wouldn't be allowed to speak to you.
The good people whom you’ve met in Saudi where most probably part of the liberated elites, who also happen to be a minority in the kingdom. Even your hostess comes from a well-renowned dynasty. My point is, Saudi has an expediential growing population of 27 mio so far and naturally you’re bound to find the good, bad and ugly as in any other nation. The ratios are just different. Allot different! haha.
The media always has credibility flaws that sometimes fuel the ignorance of its audience.
Right, not wrong. Tony, my man, you hit a home run last night. You and Danya deserve the Nobel Peace Price, or a Golden Globe, or an Emmy nomination; at the very least a plate full of fried organ meats (chicken for Danya). Kudos
Tony, thank you for this episode. In today's world, when everything Muslim seems to equate to "evil" in the minds of so many, your intimate glimpse into the life of Saudi Arabia is refreshing. I've been fortunate enough to have traveled to Egypt twice in my lifetime - once in 2001, albeit before the 9/11 attacks, and the second time in 2005, after the world had changed. And from the people I met there I saw nothing but extreme warmth, hospitality, pride in their country and culture, and sincere, endearing interest in the US - not the politics, but what the people in the US think, dream, aspire... I felt welcome and safe, and would love to go back to that part of the world if an opportunity presents itself.
You look so much better since you stopped smoking.
I liked the Jeddah Saudia Arabia show. You won't see too many other shows going over there film. Two thumbs up! My only qualm is that Danya seemed new to most the of food that was showcased. I think it would have been a bit better if the host had more insight into the food. Non-the-less the show and Danya's hospitality really shined through
Tony, if you do make it up to Buffalo, maybe you could swing by nearby Rochester and get yourself a garbage plate. that's a Rochester culinary artery-clogging specialty.
Uh oh. Ottavia's really serious about her kick-boxing p&%$ion, isn't she? She already laid Ruhlman low at SOBE last February, and now with her enhaced muay tai training, she should be lethal (!) Watch your back, Tony!
Another wonderful episode! Tony's comp&%$ion and honesty brings tears to my eyes. Bourdain Rules!
Another entertaining NR episode!I welcome the insights into the Saudi culture.It'll be great to watch an episode on the culture and food of the Philippines.The balut (duck embryo) and dinuguan (blood stew) are actually good.
Looking forward to the Uruguay episode...
Great episode! Thank you for the trip to Saudi Arabia!
Tony,
So how did Camel Toe taste?
I love your show, but this Saudi Episode lacked your cl&%$ic wit -- in fact you looked a little scared at times. Maybe because you've had a kid and you are going a little soft...that's understandable and it probably makes you a better Dad. But if it weren't for Danya and her enterage, how would you really describe Saudi Arabia? Danya and her friends looked like very liberal Saudis (and I think the chubby giggling guy had a crush on you). But what was the general populus like? Because outside of the controlled environment that you always seemed to in during the many scenes, Saudi Arabia looked as interesting and fun a place as Hackensack on a Tuesday morning. How about this....be soft at home and be Tony Bourdain in your travels. Don't let the Travel Channel censor you.
I have traveled quite a bit and I grade each place as such --- 1. Excellent = I would go again in a heart beat. 2. It was a beautiful place = I might go again under the right circumstances 3. It was an alright place = I won't go again 4. It sucked.
So really, where is Saudi Arabia in this grade system? I like watching your show because you tell it like it is from a New Yorker point of view.... and i'm from New York. We have Samantha Brown to give us neutral guides to foreign lands...that's not your game. Now if you did really like Saudi Arabia, you certainly didn't sell it like that. You know that you would be saying the same thing to me if I did that show.
Beatles or Stones?
The Grateful Dead! (they pretty much cover all music)
Happy travels and I look forward to your next adventure!
Unreal, saw Saudi Arabia and it sucked. Buffalo would have been much better. I mean, this show is about food, travel and Bourdain getting loaded. Instead it has turned into a social commentary show, and a bad one at that. Hmmm, producer is a female and the one video they picked out of four finalists is a female film maker.... Can you say rigged? Go figure. Hey, this chick from North Dakoda never even tried most of the cuisine of her own culture. I bet AB would have had a load of fun at the Anchor Bar, a Bills game tailgating, JJ's House of Breakfast, crawling down Pearl St at 2 am, etc...
One more episode like this and I'm buying a Cook's Tour on DVD to watch instead...
Tony, you made the right choice. Danya was the perfect co-host, and Saudi Arabia was a destination perfect for your show. No beer, though - man that's rough. It's 100 degrees 24/7. Doesn't that scream for beer?
Some of those submissions from your "fans" were scary as hell. I suggest you hire a bodyguard the next time you do a book signing, just in case these nuts come out to see you in person. Holy crap.
Tony, the whole fan-natic concept seemed like a "jump the shark" kind of gimmick to me, much like the Les Halles show. But, like Les Halles, you dodged that bullet, mostly by picking a destination that most travel hosts fear to tread, and one laden with political and cultural land mines (as noted by some of the more ignorant posts on this blog). The show overall was very good. Cl&%$ic NR, showing us a place from ground level. I was stunned to see that they had malls that resemble the Beverly Center, fast food places, not to mention something resembling chicken mcnuggets. I know it's only a snapshot of a place, but it was an educational and entertaining snapshot.
I do notice, however, that you've become more and more open about your political views this season. Anyone who has read your "cook's tour" book knows where you stand, but I am intrigued you've become more vocal about it, especially in the first 3 episodes. Since I share your views, I have no problem with them, though I wonder what your motivation is. It's often said that when you have children, you begin to see beyond yourself. It's also said when you travel, you see beyond yourself. So maybe that has something to do with it.
In any case, I look forward to Uruguay. Though, I do hope you'll be going somewhere soon where the climate is, shall we say, cooler?
Tony,
I saw this episode last night, and I thought it was hilarious and a really interesting introduction to Saudi Arabia. Like you, I had some expectations about what you would run into and was pleasantly surprised to see them shattered. To hell with the other commentors who don't like a show unless you get totally plastered. I've always liked your way of diving head-first into a culture and its traditions and food, in addition to its alcohol.
Rich Saudi kids and you just did not do it for me at all. Oh, maybe I should say how much I would love to go there. Not! I was all ready there before and I always felt like an unwelcome outsider. Do they love there God, country and family? Sure they do but most them with a far different perspective then us. Sorry Tony but please try again.
I watched the saudia-Arabia show...I loved it, I saw the people,food,country as I have never seen it before. Danya was such a wonderful host! The food looked so good!!
oh! and the fast food chicken placed the chicken looked so yUMMY
LOVED IT ALL!!
From Fort Worth Texas
All my life I have wanted to travel the world to meet, greet and understand the cultures that live beyond my little slice of life. But never having the guts or fortitude it takes, I say thanks to Tony. Thanks for bringing the societies, food, song and beautiful pictures to my home and heart.
Rock On!
Tony,
If ever you want to go to the Philippines, it would be an honor to be your guide. I was born and raised there so I know all the wonderful places that you might like and the not so wonderful one.
I can bring you to Boracay, Cebu, Iloilo, Manila and of course my province, the home of the wonderful cooks, Pampanga.
My grandma is a very good cook, too so she can cook for the two of us (and your crew).
I can also introduce you to our street foods, especially balot.
I really just love your show and how you deliver it.
Oh and we have Filipino beers, too that you might like... and GIN.
Hi Tony,
I would love to be your guide if you ever decided to go to the Philippines.
I was born and raised there so I know all the places you might want to visit.
I can also introduce you to our street foods, bring you to different places such as Manila, Cebu, Palawan, Aklan (BORACAY) and of course the home of the good cooks and my home, Pampanga.
My grandma and some of my relatives will entertain your palette with delicious foods so get ready.
Just don't forget to email me :) and it will be an honor.
Oh and by the way, we have Filipino beers (yes, ice cold) and gins you might want to try.
tony - i know you're in dc at the moment! but where? hope u didnt go to ben's chili bowl...so overrated.
Dear Tony:
Good show, but I agree with some viewers who said that "it was not you". You were so different to the Tony we are used to. We missed the wit and the jokes ("could have been the lack of a cold beer"?) Maybe for respect to Danya and the culture so