Once it dawned on victims that the promised project didn't exist, Aaron or Leslie and the female boss would disappear, never to be heard from again. Most had spent long days being driven around the Indonesian capital Jakarta, or to remote towns, in the belief they would meet key people to film or photograph. Like Henry and Zory, they too had paid thousands of dollars to the same driver, on the instructions of an assistant who was often called Aaron, occasionally Leslie, and sometimes Albert. The friend sent Henry a link to an old story showing that victims before him had also agreed to travel to Indonesia to work on a film or project that never materialised.
#GOBAN CON QUEEN MOVIE#
The same scam had been operating for years, luring creative artists to Indonesia from all over the world - actors, movie producers, make-up artists, photographers, and countless more - most of whom were eager to get a foot in the entertainment industry, especially Hollywood. He remembered an old friend of his was living in Jakarta, and called to see if he could help, only for the friend to drop a bombshell. "It started to dawn on us that this might be an elaborate scam," Henry said. She threatened to cancel the project altogether.Īs they promised to fix any misunderstanding, she told them they would have to fork out for another photography permit, again payable to the driver. Again, they were promised it would be reimbursed.īut a day later, Wendi rang in a fury, accusing the pair of racism for taking unauthorised photos of the driver.
#GOBAN CON QUEEN DRIVER#
On landing, Aaron called and told them they would have to cover more costs, payable to the driver who'd picked them up at the airport, including $1,500 for a photography permit. "All I could think of was the grandeur and high-profile connections that 'Wendi' would be able to open up for us if the project was successful," Henry wrote.īut nagging doubts turned to suspicion when the pair arrived in Jakarta. There were a couple of "red flags", as Henry put it, including his discovery that Wendi Murdoch's listed lawyer appeared not to exist.īut Henry and Zory duly signed the contract sent to them and booked flights to Indonesia, where they were to photograph people and sites in several cities, including Jakarta. "If any of you have seen Crazy Rich Asians, she sounded very similar to the character that Michelle Yeoh played." "When she got on the line, she introduced herself with an interesting accent that was a mix of Asian, British, and East Coast drawl. "He had a thick New Yorker accent and connected us to Wendi after a momentary pause," he said. Soon after, Henry answered a call from Aaron, who introduced himself as Wendi Murdoch's assistant and wanted to talk about the details of the project. "She complimented us on our photography and went on to talk about how our style was exactly what she wanted," Henry Wu wrote on his blog. ( Instagram: were completely taken in by Wendi Murdoch's invitation to "capture the essence of China" among Chinese immigrant communities in South-East Asia. I could be wrong though and YMMV.Henry Wu and Zory Shahanska thought Wendi Murdoch was giving them the opportunity of a lifetime. Lastly, while there is not certification (or reputation like kurokigoishi) for this goban, i believe it to be hon kaya based on the photos, date of crafting, and reputation of seller. So if you do your homework, you may be able to find a great deal. Word of warning: whule I had a pleasant experience with Buyee, others have not. Also the seller was selling other go equipment that were labeled as non kaya and had over 80 sales and 100% feedback.Īnyways, here are some photos of the board along with my already owned stones and keyaki bowls.
Seller claimed the board was crafted 30 years ago and left in storage. What attracted me to the board I got was that it is described as hon kaya, crafted in Japan with tachimori (sword and lacquer drawn lines) and in like new condition.
After the cost of 3 day shipping via fedex at $130, and Buyee fees which only amounted to $10, i was able to save a few hundred dollars going through Buyee.
#GOBAN CON QUEEN PLUS#
One seller located in japan was selling their board in ebay for $1000 (with free shipping from Japan) and the same board in Mercari (via Buyee) for 60,000 yen or about $590 plus s+h. After browsing eBay and Buyee for about a week, i narrowed down my choice to a few gobans on both websites. It did not have to be new but at least in good condition.Īs much as I wanted to buy new from a site like Kuroki (I bought the stones and bowls from there in the photos below over a decade ago) their selection seemed limited and what was available in hon kaya was prohibitively expensive.Īs part of that thread, /u/goperson and /u/Soromon suggested a website called Buyee which is like an ebay exclusive to Japanese citizens that allows foreigners to buy through Buyee as an intermediary. I created The post below a few weeks back about a way to obtain a hon-kaya (real kaya) goban for a reasonable rate.
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