What We Loved This Week: ‘The Zen of Bobby V,’ ‘When the Levees Broke’ and Arriving With Our Baggage

Travel Blog  •  World Hum  •  05.16.08 | 6:53 PM ET

imageWorld Hum contributors share a favorite travel-related experience from the past seven days.

Eva Holland
I’m headed to New Orleans for the summer, so I set aside several hours this week to watch When the Levees Broke, Spike Lee’s fantastic HBO documentary about Hurricane Katrina and its tragic aftermath. It was pretty tough to watch at points, but one uplifting theme that came through strongly—even more strongly than all the anger and frustration, the grief and feelings of betrayal—was the love that New Orleans residents have for their city, their sense of connection to the place and their pride in its unique cultural traditions. Here’s Lee setting the scene at the film’s premiere:

Michael Yessis
I caught “The Zen of Bobby V,” a documentary about the life of Bobby Valentine, the American manager of Japanese baseball’s Chiba Lotte Marines. Valentine adores baseball and Japanese culture, and the Japanese fans can’t get enough of him. He even has a beer dedicated to him, BoBeer by Sapporo. Three NYC film students followed him around for a season, chronicling his moves on and off the field. New York magazine has a good clip, and here’s an interview with the filmmakers:

Joanna Kakissis
Earlier this week, I went to Tsirigo, a restaurant devoted to the food of Kythera, an Ionian island. But what most piqued my interest on the menu was a dish from mainland Messolonghi: “gavros xidatos”—or marinated anchovies. Most people write off small fish as bait that tastes “too fishy” (and skip the health benefits) but I’ve always been a fan. I so loved the marinated anchovies at Tsirigo that I decided to make my own this week. Thanks to Diane Kochilas’s excellent recipe, my gavros xidatos turned out just divine.

Jim Benning
I love that I flew into Heathrow’s now infamous new Terminal 5 (pictured below with surprisingly bright, shiny floors) and my luggage didn’t arrive late. It probably didn’t hurt that, fearing the worst, I carried it all on board.

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Heathrow photo by Jim Benning.

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7 Comments for What We Loved This Week: ‘The Zen of Bobby V,’ ‘When the Levees Broke’ and Arriving With Our Baggage

John M. Edwards 05.16.08 | 10:51 PM ET

Hi World Hum contributors:

Nice experiences.

I’m just wondering where to move next, if I can’t convince the coop board, whom I don’t know, not to vote me out of my own apartment, which I paid 1.4 million for.

So what, I smoke.

I don’t think it’s legal for total strangers to kick us out of our own abodes because we were protecting ourselves or acting up. But I have good lawyers. So we’ll see.

If you’re in New York, you can watch me leave my building every day and visit fashionable restaurants to forget. My address is 514 Broadway Apt. 6G (between Spring and Broome). I can’t help but think of Heath Ledger, who died a couple blocks away from me.

Not sure what to do if they succeed in railroading me. Should I just put everything in storage and go to Easter Island or something? Check out the stone heads (moai) and storm about how I was wronged in my native country: America.

It’s almost funny, but not what I went through. I will try to include something about it in fictional form in my upcoming book series MOVE.

This is a situational tragedy. I see nervous exhaustion in my future. . . . or complete victory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shane 05.17.08 | 5:41 AM ET

I had the good fortune of screening The Zen of Bobby V here in Japan and I thought it was really good.  The documentary not only focuses on Bobby but how intensely the fans follow their teams here.  It really is amazing and well worth watching.

Mark Archambault 05.18.08 | 12:58 AM ET

I drove into Las Vegas for a trade show that turned out to be the most relaxing, fun vacation I have had in 20 years. My friends convinced me to put on the wedding dress and have my picture taken in the wedding chapel with George Clooney at Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. I gave him a big kiss and my best adoring look. All in all, well worth the week.

Vancouver Wedding 06.08.08 | 1:36 AM ET

Thanks for sharing.  I really like Las Vegas!

Marriage Family Counseling 07.31.08 | 10:36 AM ET

I have also seen that documentary about Hurricane Katrina. Very interesting .. I believe it’s the best documentary I’ve seen on HBO.

Fatner Loose 08.04.08 | 7:15 PM ET

This documentary is great focusing on Bobby but how intensely the fans follow their teams here.

TravellingLaura 09.21.08 | 9:10 PM ET

Thanks very much for sharing. Good video, good team, I love them. Hope next time they play in Japan, I can go watching on the spot.

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