Dinner Conversations: Yuan Tengfei 袁腾飞

And so... another dinner conversation, another topic. And somehow, due to the location of a monitor on the dining table (I can only assume it doubles up as a work table during non-meal times)... we started talking about movies, etc. and my buddy shows me this particular guy's videos on movies and his take - Yuan Teng Fei. He is what you get when you mix a history teacher with great story telling skills.

And it was just so cool! This is a guy, who takes a movie, typically a historical one (yes, he really was a history teacher before) and he starts analysing the movie. Comparing it to what actually happened historically, events and persons. He even goes into details on the costume and props, what is valid and what is not.

I mean, how many times have you watched movie / tv drama, historical one, and there is some vague thought at the back of your head about... hmm... I wonder if this really happened historically or they are just taking artistic license... or ... last time they wear clothes like this? For real? Or... this era got metal already? or this era got this kind of gun meh? So advanced ah?...

This guy.. answers ALL these questions. So for example the snippet that I watched was on Last Samurai. And we all know how Hollywood has absolutely no idea about what happened in Japan or China right? Script writer in Hollywood does not a good historian make.

So.. right from the start, he starts to relate about the movie, the context, the setting, then he moves on to talk about what's right, what's not, what stands out. He also makes relation to what was happening in other parts of the world, which affected whatever it was (plot, props, costumes, speech, etc) that is happening in movie.

So... I am going to have to find more time to watch more but for now, I think this is sheer awesomeness. I mean, if you watch this, you can start understanding history and it just makes for such a fun learning journey. Isn't this better than just nodding off in class, wondering what is so great about history and why we have to actually take it as a subject?

And in case you are wondering, the link is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/tengfeiofficial

Now, there are alot of political undertones in his story telling, and also, he goes hardcore historian in some videos (not all are based on the "movie approach" and he also goes on tours where he talks about the history of the place, oh how I wish I can go with him on a trip like this...

Go watch it! If you have the time. This guy is sheer awesomeness... if he was better looking, I would be in love (Yes, I know, I am shallow! hahahahaha)