Friday, August 14, 2015

A 'behind the scenes' journey in the making of 'Jojo's Diary of Asia'


If you're a fan of TLC, you would definitely might have stumbled upon the trailer of Jojo's Diary of Asia. Managed to meet her in person at one of the Ftalent classes, and she really did brighten up the entire room the moment she shared a speech on her journey to built her own business. And with an amazing variety of talent that Jojo Struys has benefited along the years, its no wonder that she's can be so inspiring! Frankly I'm a TLC fan myself, and i've seen her trailer for at least more than 5 times when I'm at home.

Jojo's meditating on an elephant.
A brief description would be that its about, would be you'd be following the dynamic, and not to forget down to earth host in action as she embarks on a fascinating journey across Asia showcasing breathtaking natural wonders, travel and de-strees escapes, and relaxation techniques to help viewers become more physically fit and mentally positive.


Also, since i managed to get a chat with her, she also did mention that the moments were really honest opinions through her journey around Asia. The theme was to represent a rustic image and music choices were carefully taken into consideration to really emphasise the moment. Did you know that the script itself was writhed by the amazing Jojo Struys herself? She believed that words should be coming from her heart to get a more intimate connection with readers to understand what her journey was all about. (Very deep indeed)



There are 3 countries in total that Jojo has been travelling around Asia, which includes, Hong Kong, Nepal and Japan. And through our conversations, she said that each country has its own beauty to it as when it comes to culture, the people, the traditions and also the environment. This 13 episode x 30 minute travel series features Jojo's travels from rustic beauty of the Himalayas to the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, covering a diverse array of uniquely cultural experiences.

The Wine Spa Onsen in Japan.
Jojo enjoying the weather around Japan during winter.
The Samurai class in Japan.
The photos above shows some of her behind the scene (BTS) shots which we taken during her journey. And can you just imagine the scenery?! Its just too heavenly! From enjoying a relaxing redwine onsen, to learning how to be a samurai, Jojo definitely knows how to explore real Asia. Can you believe that Jojo was trained by Wing Chun who was also the training of kungfu for Bruce Lee?


She even had the opportunity to step into the shoes of an apprentice Geisha for a day, which she explained to me that Geisha's are very white only because in the older centuries, light has not exist thus needing a brighter complexion to make sure that they can be seen under low lighting. The shows are definitely not to be missed!

Jojo with really adorable kids from Nepal.
Isn't this photo adorable? This was taken when Jojo was in Nepal and with those adorable smiles ever ready for the camera, I'm pretty sure this should be a moment to forget. In Nepal, they started the journey from Kathmandu and went to the valley, where she discovered that the buddha was actually born in Lumbini. Jojo said that the people they were really friendly and truly amazed with the culture and food available in Nepal. A definite change of scenery i presume? Here are some BTS photos of what happened in Nepal.




Jojo said that' It was such an incredible, soul-enriching journey for me, from bathing elephants in Nepal and flying past Mount everest, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking'. There was one moment she shared where she experienced a traditional culture in Nepal of treating sickness by listening to music to heal. Since i asked her what that felt like, she gladly explained that meditating could help cure chronic insomnia. The pose of silence while meditating with a Zen Buddhist monk was absolutely relaxing, because of the vibrations of music, where sound controls your body to relax and just take a breather, where her insomnia issues went down by half.

Jojo learning Kung Fu with Wing Chun.
Jojo trying out Dragon dancing drums.
And not to forget some sneak peaks in Hong Kong. Can you believe that Jojo was trained by Wing Chun who was also the training of Kung Fu for Bruce Lee? THAT IS INSANE JOJO! You're one lucky girl for getting that opportunity.  Wing Chun is the master CEO of Kung Fu who assisted Bruce Lee in the movie Kill Bill volume 1. Could Jojo be the next Kung Fu master? Find out by watching Jojo's Diary of Asia on TLC!

Not to mention that she even managed to get rights into the kitchen of a Michelin starred restaurant in Hong Kong. During the journey, Jojo learned about the healing benefits of ancient power ingredients and how to make traditional dishes from scratch from a wide variety of chefs, which I can't wait to find out!

Jojo on work mode for the first season for "Jejak Jepun bersama Zizan"
And from all of this, its unbelievable to know that Jojo was also a part of the core team at cutting edge production house, called Kyanite TV, where she helped conceptualise the show from ideas, to final executions. With hands on work to hosting the entire show, it can be said that Jojo has put a lot of handwork and effort to get the audience to connect to her show. With such an amazing team, Jojo also mentioned that respect was also given to her team members who managed to get all these to happen.


This is the first time Jojo has hosted a travel show on TLC, Discovery Channel Asia, which she quote " This has been a dream come true for me to bring my passion for wells and travel to an international audience." Watch Jojo spontaneous reaction from her experience riding the worlds steepest roller coaster where she was screaming her lungs out to observing the pose of silence while meditating with  a Zen Buddhist monk.

Did you know: Jojo has also directed "Yuna inspired".
Tempted to find out more? Well, head on over to TLC Discovery Channel Asia, every Monday at 8pm. The perfect way to push away those monday blues after coming home from work. Managed to catch her show last monday, and i have no regrets watching it. Being a jet-setter myself, if you love travelling too, you would absolutely love Jojo's Diary of Asia. Do tune in when you get the chance to.


Jojo hopes that her show would inspire viewers to travel and feeling life to the fullest.

Hope you enjoyed reading the behind the scenes details and shots. Do leave a comment below and let me know what you personally think of it. :) Cant wait to get your responses. Please note that photo credits are thanks to Jojo herself for sharing some of the BTS shots.

Regards,
Aliza Sara xx

8 comments:

  1. Its been a long time since I see her appear in TV! It was great to see her back! She always been a great inspiration to me <3

    xoxo,
    Sharon
    www.snowman1314.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. She's still looking good as always! Admire her talent and her dedication to her career and keeping a healthy lifestyle! It is inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow I always watch her travel shows, I didn't know she also directs she's definitely multi talented

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you so much everyone. 'Jojo's Diary of Asia' took months and months of filming so I'm excited it's finally out! :) I was immersed in research because I was also the scriptwriter for the series but on other shows my production house has produced, sometimes I direct...ie Yuna Inspired in New York and I also directed the first season of 'Jejak Jepun Bersama Zizan'. He is a funny fella that's for sure ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for sharing this my dear. Definitely gotta watch 'Jojo's Diary of Asia' coz my fav country -> Japan is there ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. That was interesting! Great to see Jojo's back, she is an inspiration for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's so awesome to be able to travel the world on screen like Jojo! Ah, that's part of my dream too. I'm glad to see that the show focuses on looking for the cultures of the country instead of just explaining tourist traps. I have high hopes! :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Absolutely amazing... I love the series and am watching it.....

    ReplyDelete