Cinnamon, Robots and Kanto Lanterns All Over the Place

Are you ready for an amazing adventure?

Then join Ed Petrie.

-I'm a pirate.

-..and his CBBC mates...

-Smack me, bruv.

-Yes.

..on a bonkers and brilliant journey around...

Asia! Asia! Asia!

It's going to be epic!

Oh!

-Timber!

-So there.

-Let's do this.

-We've got loads of brain-boggling facts

to tell you about.

Welcome to All Over The Place!

-Can I watch it?

-You're in it.

We'll take part in some of Asia's most spectacular

and craziest events.

HE LAUGHS

Oh, no!

So, are you ready to go...

# All over the place

# All over the place

# North, south, east, west On a bizarre quest

# Me and my mates, all over the place!

# It's true what you've heard, everything is absurd

# Whatever we do is strange but true!

# All over the place

# All over the place

# There's stuff to do in Asia that is totally ace

-# And it turns up

-# All over the place! #

Where the blazes has me ship got to?

Could have sworn I laid anchor here last night.

24 hour free parking, it said.

There you are, Ed. Everything cool?

Ahoy there, young cabin boy.

I'm looking for me ship. A big black galleon

with sails as tall as palm trees.

Big black flag. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, yeah, of course.

Yeah, um... Arrgh! Arrgh! Arrgh!

There be hundreds of islands and waterways around these parts, sir.

Easy for one to get lost.

Arrgh!

Marooned in a strange land.

Perfect opportunity... for plunder and piracy.

Actually, I thought it was quite peaceful and tranquil around here,

-to be fair, but... Arrgh! Yes, arrgh!

-Aye, aye!

Why doesn't one join me on a tourist cruise around the backwaters

of Kerala. Perfect for lovers of...

Gold?

No, sightseeing and bird-watching.

Come, let's just go and get a cup of tea or something, yeah?

Suppose I like a bit of bird-watching.

Got a massive telescope...

Ed must have confused this tropical paradise with the Caribbean.

This amazing watery world in Kerala

is known as the backwaters.

Over centuries, heavy monsoon rainfall formed over 900km

of lakes, canals and rivers.

That's almost the same distance from Inverness to London.

And the only way to get around here is on a boat made of coconut fibres.

Why are they made of coconuts?

Well...they just arrgh!

Actually, this chap will probably tell us the real reason.

Are you the captain of this fine vessel, me lad?

-TRANSLATION:

-I'm Captain Chitra,

and I'm taking you to the other shore

to show you around the backwaters.

This boat is called a kettuvallam.

Kettuvallam simply means "boat tied with ropes".

This boat is cool. How has it been made?

The roof is made of coconut fibres,

and other parts are made from the coconut tree. Pretty, isn't it?

It's made out of coconuts, you know. That's wicked!

So how long have these boats been built in Kerala?

Well, they've been used here for over 100 years to carry goods around

the backwaters and beyond.

Like gold, riches, booty of the backwaters!

Ed, Ed, how long is this going to go on for, man?

All aboard, me hearties!

-Arrgh!

-OK, chaps, this way.

How do I get on a boat?

Oh!

Hoist the sail!

Ed, there ain't no sail, man. Just come inside, you're embarrassing me.

Silence, I'll have you keelhauled!

Look, just get inside and give me the telescope.

-Get off! Stop touching my telescope!

-You don't need it!

-Stop it!

Ed's galley certainly isn't the biggest in the backwaters.

Some kettuvallam houseboats can sleep up to 14 people.

But unfortunately for Ed,

you're more likely to spot a parrot than a pirate in these waters.

-What are you doing now, Ed?

-I'm hoisting the pirate flag.

It's somewhat of a tradition for us pirates.

Now all I need is...

-A talking parrot, yeah?

-Yes.

Well, I think you might be in luck, actually.

Because the backwaters is actually a great place

for spotting exotic birds. Like parrots, parakeets...

You ain't got a second telescope I could borrow, could you?

Don't worry...

You can borrow me binoculars.

It's beautiful around here, eh?

See that, Ed? Local communities lining the backwaters, yeah?

Let's go explore. Just don't scare the kids.

Course I'm not going to scare them. I'm a pirate.

Ahoy there! What's your names?

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

I'm Captain Ed.

Do you want to be a pirate? Join me crew

and live a life on the high seas, with scurvy?

Actually, you don't have to, it's voluntary.

It's...sort of not voluntary.

You were told not to scare the kids, Ed.

Have you found any treasure yet?

Here we are, Ed. This is where you can find some of the most precious

resources in the backwaters.

Emeralds? Diamonds? Silver?

No. Rice.

-Rice?

-Yeah, rice, yeah.

-I can buy that in a supermarket.

No. These are the paddy fields where the rice is grown,

and was transported down the backwaters on the kettuvallam boats

that you saw earlier.

Rice?!

Rice?!

Who am I kidding? This is no place for a pirate.

The beautiful palm trees, water lapping against the pleasure boats,

and the friendliest locals from here to Timbuktu.

Well, Ed, there was actually a rogue naval chief

who was famous in Kerala.

Oh, yeah. His name was Kanhoji Angre,

and he was reported to have stolen a vessel,

in Kerala, in 1702.

The most feared man in the whole Arabian Sea.

Pirates?

Real pirates on these waters?

-Oh, yeah.

-I'm getting out of here.

-Where are you going? Hey, Ed, come back. Ed!

-Whoa!

ED SCREAMS

WATER SPLASHES

You're going to need a towel, mate.

Now, where's Rudolph, the sniffer dog?

He's supposed to be sniffing out the smell of Christmas,

but...what does Christmas actually smell like?

It smells warm and sweet, like freshly baked biscuits.

-Oh, look, he's found something.

-Here, boy. Here, boy.

What have you got for me?

A stick.

What is it with dogs and sticks?

Why have you brought me a stick?!

No sticks.

Oh, you two couldn't spot the smell of Christmas

if it was right under your nose!

That is the sweet and spicy cinnamon stick,

and it's used for all sorts of festive food.

Cinnamon originates from right here in Sri Lanka.

So make sure and sniff out the best stuff in the supermarket.

'Ed and Michelle,

'you have 45 seconds to find out as much as you can about cinnamon.

'Ed, you have Sampath, who knows all about the cinnamon plantation.

'Michelle, you have Manoj, who knows all about the history of cinnamon

'in Sri Lanka.

'The one who finds out the most facts is the winner.'

HE COUNTS DOWN IN LOCAL LANGUAGE

What is cinnamon?

-TRANSLATION:

-It's a tree.

Is cinnamon expensive to buy?

-TRANSLATION:

-Oh, aye, it's quite expensive.

Hm.

What kind of a plant is it?

It's a bush. Yeah, it's a bush.

Oh, it's a bush?

What's it used for?

It's used for food and flavouring, and even for medicinal purposes.

-Which is medicine.

-Loads of things.

How tall can cinnamon grow?

Three metres. Three metres, yes.

So would you recommend that I

sprinkle it on my coffee in the morning?

-Oh, aye, it's tasty and delicious.

-I'm going to try that.

If the plant is three metres tall,

do the elves have a hard time harvesting it?

Elves like you don't really work here, do you know what I'm saying?

KLAXON

Out of time.

'And the winner is...

'Ed!'

Oh! Christmas has come early for me.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, can we take these silly costumes off now?

We've found the smell of Christmas after all.

'Well, OK.

'But don't get too comfortable.

'You've still got to sniff out more cinnamon info.'

So how does cinnamon get from this...

to this? Well, cinnamon comes from the bark of these trees and bushes.

The first step is to harvest some branches.

-Watch your head.

-Oh, you don't hang about, do you?

Nice work, Sampath.

Wow. That came down quick.

Yeah. Wasn't expecting that...

Oh, my gosh, can you smell that cinnamon?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-I'm just getting a real waft of it now.

Hold on, guys. That's not cinnamon...yet.

You still need to peel it.

I knew I'd be good at this. It's one of the only jobs I'm allowed to do

in the Petrie family at Christmas

before Christmas dinner - peeling the spuds.

And there we go.

Lots of lovely cinnamon...

that will really make someone's Christmas.

-It's not cinnamon.

-Still not cinnamon?

When is it cinnamon?

Get back to work, Ed.

When do we get the cinnamon? I just want the cinnamon!

You'll be peeling till next Christmas at this rate, Ed.

You need to get to the inner bark,

because next it's time to wrap the presents.

Yes - to make cinnamon,

you must wrap the short inner bark, called quills,

in longer shavings, and then, ta-da, Christmassy cinnamon!

Oh! That is the smell of Christmas.

-We did it.

-We found it, Michelle.

-Mmm.

-Aaah.

-Very familiar.

-People have been sniffing out cinnamon for hundreds

of years. Back in the 16th century,

this gift was worth more than gold.

Spices! Get your lovely spices.

Yo! Ginger's fiery.

Cardamom's good.

How about some cinnamon to spice up your pud?

Out of my way, trader -

I've not travelled halfway across the world

to pay your ridiculous prices.

It does cost a bob or two,

but - think about when you get home, yeah?

Walking around with a big bag of cinnamon under your arm, everyone

going, "Ooh - that Portuguese explorer's posh".

Yeah? I'm talking proper respect, mate.

It is true that it's one of the highest status symbols in Portugal

right now, but you're charging an arm and a leg for it.

I need to sail home with a big boat full of the stuff,

if I'm going to get any of that respect.

Great, isn't it?

Right. How much cinnamon can I put you down for?

None from you. Although seeing as though you're a man in the know,

I wondered if you could point me in the right direction so I can

find some of my own at a much cheaper price.

Find some of your own?!

You explorers are always wanting something you can't have.

It's great, innit?

Now, come on, I know it's on the island here somewhere.

No. This is my livelihood we're talking about.

A secret, kept for centuries.

If I tell YOU, how am I expected to make a killing?

I mean - living. No, no, wait, you can't go there,

because...it comes from the nests of giant birds,

perched on top of a mountain, unclimbable by any man.

Or woman.

And then the nests fall off,

into a deep ravine full of...deadly snakes.

And that's where the cinnamon sticks come from.

Codswallop! That's just a tale to keep us off the cinnamon scent.

This is the European Age of Discovery,

and I've discovered a terrible liar.

Now, get out of my way!

I know I'm close.

You can't go there, you'll ruin my business.

-Get off my map!

-No! Oh...!

Get off my cinnamon!

Oh, no. This stuff's more expensive than gold!

They'll cash us in at the bank.

-Or put us on toast. Run!

-CROWD SHOUTS

DANCE BEAT

# Yes

# Ready to go shopping, have you got the list?

# There's quite a lot on it, hope there's nothing you've missed

# I thought that we were going to shop in Bangkok

# Instead it seems we're stood by a canal-side dock

# Well spotted, Ed, I've brought you to Damnoen Saduak

# We're going shoppin' here, OK, there's no turnin' back

# A traditional market, but one thing worth noting

-# Can you spot what it is?

-# Hang on, it's floating!

# This is such an amazing place

# To do your shopping

# Shop till you're dropping

# There's so much to get There's so much to get

# This is such an amazing place

# To do some haggling

# Come on, get paddling

# There's so much to get, there's so much to get

# Vendors travel in their boats from miles around

# Whatever you're after, I'm sure it can be found

# Boats jammed full of produce are lining the banks

# I'll have a bunch of coconuts, please. Thanks!

# Oranges, grapefruit, mango and cabbage

# That's quite a lot of stuff, Ed You sure you can manage?

# Onions, grapes, bananas and beans

# Got to make sure you get your five a day greens

# This is such an amazing place

# To do your shopping

# Shop till you're dropping

# There's so much to get, there's so much to get

# This is such an amazing place

# To do some haggling

# Come on, get paddling

# There's so much to get, there's so much to get

# This canal has history Built in the 19th century

# To connect to rivers so

# Goods could be transported to and fro

# The water network was important for trade

# That's why so many canals were made

# They also provide farmers with water for their land

# One drawback, though is boat traffic jams

# There's a lot of food to buy along the docks

# From noodles to pancakes to rich, meaty broths

# T-shirts, bags, it's a tourist's treat

# Not sure that suits you, Ed Keep the receipt

# I think I've got everything I don't like to gloat

# But there's too much stuff, Ed We're barely afloat

# I think we're going under

# Oh, well

# Only one solution Better start to sell

# This is such an amazing place

# To do your shopping

# Shop till you're dropping

# There's so much to get There's so much to get

# This is such an amazing place

# It's got me thinking

# Hang on, are we sinking?!

# Think we're getting wet! Think we're getting wet! #

Hello. I am Naomi Bot.

Programmed to protect the amazing All Over The Place: Asia.

-That's amazing.

-Hello, inferior human presenter, Ed.

Er, watch it, Naomi Bot.

I happen to know that Asimov's first law of robotics

states that you're not allowed to hurt humans.

And that includes insults.

Everyone knows robots will eventually rule the Earth.

Well, in that case, what the world needs is a robot Ed.

Take me to your creator.

I was created by my master, the amazing Robot Man,

He...

SPEECH FALTERS AND STOPS

Hang on, that's a stick-on mask.

Naomi? Naomi...!

Ah! Nice try with that robot.

-Ah, it was worth a shot.

-Now, where's this inventor bloke?

Well, this is his workshop,

so I guess he must be around here somewhere.

-Ah, ni hao, Mr Wu!

-Ni hao, hi.

Who's the guy with the long face?

-TRANSLATION:

-It's a dinosaur that I made recently.

How does it work? What is it made of?

Let me tell you, it's made of steel and metal and electric motors,

and is driven by a battery.

Mr Wu's loved robots ever since he was a kid,

and he learned to build them to help with household tasks.

Right, what's this one?

Well, this is the massage robot, which you can try.

I'll give it a whirl.

Ah! Oh, that's lovely!

-Ow!

-Come on, Naomi. No rest for the wicked.

Because it's time for Robot Chores!

You must battle a house robot, and at the same time,

answer fiendishly difficult questions on robotics.

Play chess, and answer this question.

Where does the word "robot" come from?

Is it A, the Czech for "drudgery" - "robota"?

Or B, from Mr Robottom,

my great-grandfather and inventor of the game show?

-Oh - hang on, I think I've got it.

-KLAXON

Oh, you've run out of time! Let me check the answer.

It was A - from the Czech, "robota".

Oh, dear. And you've lost at chess as well.

You're a double loser.

Challenge the cat-drawing robot.

Right - I am ready for this one, I'm pretty handy with a pen.

We'll see about that. Mr Wu - activate!

Here's your question.

Who drew up designs for the first humanoid robot in 1495?

Was it A, Dr Frankenstein?

Or B, Leonardo da Vinci?

It's got to be Leonardo da Vinci. He could do anything, that guy.

Correct! Yes, he drew up plans for a mechanised knight.

Reveal your drawing.

Yeah... I'm going to have to take off two points.

That cat looks like it's got a disease.

This cat...is beautiful.

Final question.

Erm...

How do you turn this off?

-Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Game Show Man, I have absolutely no idea.

-Erm...

-No, I don't like it.

-Bye!

It's not natural.

Oh, it's walking into a tree.

Ed, Ed, right, check out my amazing balancing skills.

-Look at that.

-Yeah, very good, Johny.

Look, Ed - a banana. I'm balancing a banana.

Oh, yeah. Great skills.

I'm going to show him this time. Watch this.

Ed, check out my amazing balancing skills, look at this.

What?!

See? I told you you'd be impressed.

-That's incredible.

-I've been practising for hours.

-Look at that!

-I know!

And look at these!

There are hundreds of amazing balancing acts to see here, at the

Kanto Matsuri, or Pole Lantern Festival.

It takes place in Akita every year, at the start of August.

At night-time, you can watch expert performers balance the kanto.

That's those big bamboo poles with 46 paper lanterns attached,

and lit up by candles.

The festival is thought to have started off in 1751,

and the amazing night-time parade is watched by thousands of people.

But the crowds also gather for the daytime kanto balancing competition

that has been held here since 1931.

-Oh, here we go.

-Look at this!

-On one hand. Balancing all that on one arm.

-That's amazing.

Wow! Look how tall he's got it. They keep on adding bits to the bottom.

-Oh!

-No, it's coming for us!

You wondered what would happen if he dropped it.

-Think you're about to find out.

-Yeah.

-Oh, no...!

-Timber!

No!

Well, I don't think he's going to get many points for that,

considering he crashed into the judges' table!

Well, I've done a lot of All Over The Place events,

and this looks difficult.

We don't like difficult.

Worry not. Help is at hand.

Meet Kotaro, from the Muromachi Kanto Club.

The club has been taking part in this festival for around 200 years.

And although Kotaro hasn't been doing it that long,

he is a former kanto champion.

Excuse me.

I was just wondering, why do these look like this?

-TRANSLATION:

-This is based on how the rice looks in the field.

It looks a bit like grains of rice, doesn't it?

Oh, because this is a big rice-growing area?

-Yeah.

-That's interesting and they look brilliant,

but how heavy can these things possibly be?

This one is a kanto for children,

and weighs 15kg.

15kg is around 16 and a bit average pineapples.

Try balancing those!

The big one here is for adults,

and it weighs 50kg.

50kg! I can't even bench-press that.

I've seen people with these on their heads!

So how long does it take somebody to train to do this?

Oh, it takes about five years of practice.

Five years. OK, well,

you'll be able to watch this on All Over The Place 2022.

Seriously, how long have WE got to learn this?

You guys have got about 30 minutes.

-Right.

-Oh, dear.

-OK. I'm a quick learner.

Not that quick!

The first skill any kanto carrier learns is nagashi,

adding bamboo poles and then handing the kanto over.

Now, time for the basic kanto-carrying skill,

hirate, or "carrying on the palm".

Looks like a handy move!

Next, get ahead in the kanto game

with hitai - balancing on the forehead.

Don't give carrying a kanto the cold shoulder,

try out the kata technique - the easiest carrying style to learn.

If that doesn't work, why not give the koshi style a go?

It's the hippest move of them all.

Go on, put your bottom into it.

But don't forget - you actually need to be balancing a kanto to practise.

So I've got to keep two hands on it and eye on the pole at all times...

-Is it quite heavy?

-Yes.

-Uh-oh.

-Oh!

Oh, no! Oh! I thought I had it.

-Oh, dear.

-THEY LAUGH

I don't even think I want to try.

-Oh!

-ED LAUGHS

I think standing next to you is the safest place to be.

It's really hard.

I've got, like, no control over it...

Don't forget, these kanto are the ones CHILDREN practise on!

-Oh!

-Oh, no, the end's fallen off,

-the end's fallen off!

-THEY LAUGH

I don't know, who did better?

We were both absolutely useless.

You two, useless? What a shocker(!)

Kanto carriers are judged on their carrying style,

how steady they can keep the kanto, and on how good they make it look.

And some of these people make it look easy!

Apart from balancing the kanto on the palm,

carriers must not use their hands to support the pole,

and you must stay within the six-metre circle when balancing.

Remember, it takes at least five years to learn how to do this.

Ed and Johny have had less than 30 minutes to practise.

The odds are against them. As they take on the...

OK. Johny's up.

His time starts when he balances the kanto,

and takes his hand away from the pole.

-CHANTING:

-Dokkoisho, dokkoisho! Dokkoisho, dokkoisho!

There he goes...

Oh, he's doing well.

He's holding it steady. The judges...

What do they think?

This is good...

Oh!

Timber!

ED LAUGHS

In my head, that looked amazing.

For someone who had never done this till half an hour ago,

that wasn't bad!

That chant from the crowd is "Dokkoisho, dokkoisho",

and it's to encourage the kanto carriers, and roughly means

"Keep trying". Or "You can do it".

So, Ed - you can do it, you can do it, you can do it!

(I don't think he can, but we're about to find out.)

Dokkoisho, dokkoisho!

He's off. Oh...! HE LAUGHS

Oh, that wasn't great, Ed, was it?

What did the judges think?

Yeah. They're not impressed.

-Wait, wait...

-Oh, what's this?

Oh, he's going to have another go. It's the comeback kid.

Dokkoisho, dokkoisho!

Well, the first effort didn't really count, I suppose.

He's going now... He's balancing it,

he's got it. He's there. He's in the zone.

No, hang on, he's walking out of the zone.

He's up in the air, but he's over the line.

Out of the six-metre circle.

Oh, no!

CLAPPING

I couldn't look at the floor! I couldn't see where the circle was.

Yeah, that excuse won't wash with the judges.

But remember - they also give points for how steady you are,

and how good you look when holding the kanto.

So, on balance, who was in pole position?

-TRANSLATION:

-And the winner is...

..Johny.

Oh, yes! Thank you!

They've got the drums and everything.

-Look at this!

-On balance I think the best man won.

Whoa...!

-CRASH!

-Or maybe not.

You've been watching All Over The Place: Asia!

HORN BEEPS