Day 38
Location 8: Amsterdam
Dec. 8, 2022
Have you ever woken up to the phone alarm of a 45-year old man in a youth hostel making loud jungle noises? Oh, you haven't? Well then, allow me to showcase for you the wonders of such an experience (turn your sound on, of course):
Oh yea, I forgot I added that clip of those girls filming a TikTok. By the way, sleepy safari Joe never woke up and after four long minutes of incessant monkey screeches I shook him awake to turn off the alarm.
As the effects of the jungle sounds wore off, I visited the Moco Museum, perfect for someone tripping on shrooms and pretty okay for someone not tripping on shrooms. My visit was the latter scenario. Featured were the works of Banksy and Andy Warhol. The Banksy pieces were certainly cool to see, but I couldn't stop thinking about how unbearably pretentious this guy must be in real life. Also, I always thought Banksy sounded like an off-brand version of a famous teddy bear. Like a charmless Paddington.
When I was in 7th grade (2009), FX aired select movies on repeat, all of which I watched religiously. Those movies included Mr. & Mrs. Smith, National Treasure, Hitch, and I, Robot. Watching any of these movies with me is a horrible experience because I can and will quote entire scenes as they play out. One of the movies, I, Robot, is based on an Isaac Asimov book of the same name, and the screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar. You likely don't know him, but he's the guy who wrote it.
On July 21, 2016 I was sitting in my uncle's Colorado living room watching I, Robot for the first time in at least six years. Being a bit older, I appreciated the film for more than just exciting action and Shia LaBeouf (yes that's right. A lot of people forget that he's in I, Robot, but I haven't). On this rewatch, I not only had a deeper appreciation for the questions about humanity that the movie posed, but I also had questions of my own.
I wanted my questions answered and the Wikipedia plot summary wasn't cutting it. So in a mere exercise of verbalizing my questions, I Facebook messaged Jeff Vintar, the screenwriter of I, Robot. There was no real expectation of a response, of course.
Here is our subsequent conversation:
I couldn't believe Jeff had taken the time to write back and thoroughly answer my questions. To this day it's one of the coolest things that's ever happened to me.
Anyway, all of that is to say I took Jeff's advice and today I finished the second book of my trip, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. Like the film, it was exceptionally challenging, exciting, and did a superb job at arousing–and then satisfyingly satiating–my curiosity.
Now, that I've finished the book, my next rewatch of the film will provide yet again a new experience. It's for that reason that as I type out these very words, I'm simultaneously illegally downloading I, Robot to rewatch.
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