Sorry to put a bee in everyone’s bonnet, but headlines from Buzzfeed and NY Daily News saying that an American college student – Jake Gaba from Dartmouth – danced across China to Bruno Mars’s “Treasure” are simply false.
He didn’t dance across China. Using what I presume to be a standard form of transportation like a train, he traveled from point A to point B, found a suitable area, put on those dashing rainbow-chequered shorts, set up a camera and demonstrated some epic dancing skill. Are we clear?
But, yeah, he can dance. You should watch the video.
Filmed over three months, young Jake shimmies to Bruno Mars “Treasure” at heaps of different locations - from major tourist sites to a hauntingly desolate highway in what could be Tibet, and… the inside of an elevator.
I’ve been to the Great Wall four times – three of those times sucked – but this kid has made me want to go back… and perform some karaoke there.
He’s shown that shlepping across China on hard sleepers and those interminable layovers at the train station public waiting hall - perched on top of your smelly luggage – doesn’t need to be grim. Instead of glumly listening to your iPod, rock out!
The footage also captures the reactions of bemused onlookers that, whilst bemused, are all happy. Get this kid on the American delegation next time Obama pays a visit – he’ll smooth things over in “the relationship.”
Follow Lincoln Daw @linkydaw.
meh.
Weird. Leave before you actually learn a bit of Chinese and are massively “disappointed” at the people talking shit about you on the street. Enjoy the dumplings, etc.