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ROB: Deep in the heart of the Ohio country side,
miles from the nearest shopping mall,
is the largest Amish settlement in the US.
It's a highly secretive, God-fearing community
known the world over for their
handcrafted masterpieces and attention to detail.
But they shun the modern world and live a simple life
filled with hard work and worship.
I'm here to bring our cultures together
by sharing a common passion: building.
I will live, work, and play here in Holmes County, Ohio.
Can our two worlds coexist?
Well, you're about to find out.
I'm Vanilla Ice and I'm going Amish, baby.
ROB: I've been traveling around the world
since I was 16 years old.
But this is one place I've never been.
Look at this barn, man. It looks like it's 250 years old.
And these are folks I've never seen.
Look at that lady plowing a field.
To my fans, I'm known as Vanilla Ice, but out here,
I doubt anyone even knows who I am.
The Amish people
have been master builders for centuries.
I love construction and I love design.
So I left Florida to come to Holmes County, Ohio,
to work with the best.
I will learn some age-old building techniques
and hopefully bring some cutting edge design
to the Amish community.
An Amish gentleman by the name of John Schlabach
has offered to take me in.
I will work on his construction crew
and live on his farm.
I'm super-excited for these projects, but in the end,
I hope I can just make some good friends
and some great memories.
All right.
We're going Amish.
Wow.
Come in, bro.
Hey, you must be John.
When I met John, it was great.
I'm all yours now.
He is as polite and nice as anybody you've ever met.
Good to see you.
Thanks for having us here in your home.
My name is John Schlabach.
My forefathers moved here in 1865,
so we've been here awhile.
I usually get up at 6 o'clock in the morning
and go to do morning chores.
While Rob's here, I really want to show him
what has to be done on the farm.
It's not all a bed of roses.
I'm looking forward to show Rob
what this community is all about.
Do you really who know I am at all?
I had no idea what Rob looked like.
I'd never seen a picture of him.
Just looks like an ordinary Yankee.
I've heard that you used to be Vanilla Ice
but I never listened to you.
I sing solo, too. Did you know that?
Really?
Yeah, so low, you can't hear it.
ROB: John and his family live on a 60-acre horse farm
outside of Berlin, Ohio.
Berlin is a small town that feels stuck in time.
There's a whole mystery about the Amish.
It's so cool for me to come into this world
and step into this environment.
JOHN: Ah, this is our guest cottage here on the farm.
The house is 180 years old.
ROB: The Amish are a deeply religious Christian community.
They were part of a larger group that broke off
from the Catholics in the 1500s
because they believe that members of their church
should choose to be baptized as adults.
They live free of modern conveniences
like electricity, TVs, or even cars.
This is your bed over here.
Got the dresser over here for you.
And we don't have any electric,
so there's an oil lamp over there for you.
Oil lamp?
ROB: Well, I knew coming into this
that the Amish didn't use electricity,
but now it's really starting to sink in.
Where am I gonna charge my phone?
Rob, here's some Amish clothes.
All right.
Now those pants don't have a zipper, just buttons.
It's tradition among the Amish not to use zippers.
ROB: The Amish wear these clothes because they're uniform
so that no one person stands out.
And zippers, they're considered a modern convenience.
You'll figure it out.
I'll wear the Amish gear once I feel comfortable,
but right now, there's work to be done
and we got to get to it.
Hey, hey, wonderful.
John sent over his foreman Albert today
and we're gonna go over
and meet some people about a new kitchen.
I've never ridden to work in a buggy before.
All right, Albert, we're rolling now.
My name is Albert Miller.
I'm John's foreman for Winesburg Builders,
and today, John asked me to bring his new friend Rob
down to Baltic to meet the Hershbergers
and to get started on this kitchen renovation.
Whoa.
ROB: John told me that the Hershbergers
are going through a really hard time.
Eli was hurt on the job and he can't work.
Clara is working around the clock to make the ends meet
and is really in need of a new kitchen.
But she only has a small budget,
so Winesburg Builders, myself,
and the entire Amish community
are pitching in to help them out.
ROB: How are you guys doing?
ELI: Hello. Come on in.
Clara, this is Rob.
Hi.
You, too.
ALBERT: When the Hershbergers saw Rob,
I think they were kind of overtaken by the earrings
and some of the attractions
that he's got all over his body.
I didn't think it'd be easy to fit in,
but the look on Clara's face made me realize
that this is gonna be tougher than I thought.
We have 10 grandchildren.
10 grandchildren?
Wow.
I cook often times for like 22, 23 people.
Oh, my goodness.
The kitchen right now is pretty much dated and hated.
It's old school, you know? Like, real old school.
You want to open it up, make it bigger, huh?
Right, take out the wall here.
I like that, I love knocking down walls, too.
Sounds great.
ROB: So I saw a little smile. That tells me
that the Vanilla Ice charm
even works here in Amish country.
This kitchen makeover will make my life a lot, lot easier.
ALBERT: We're gonna extend the kitchen,
make it about twice as big.
Carrying the cabinetry all the way through.
Brand new kitchen, brand new look, brand new everything.
There's not gonna be electricity in the house here.
So we need to save as much lighting as we can.
You know, I've never had to do a kitchen renovation
where there is no electricity.
Oh, wow, look at that.
Eli turned on some kind of a weird-looking thing
coming out of the wall. I was like, "What is that?"
So he's got gas line coming straight out of the wall.
Yeah.
But it works pretty good.
And this is our daughter Cathy here.
Hi, Cathy.
I'm good. How are you?
Nice to meet you.
How do you envision the cabinetry?
I would suggest maybe a birch wood
with a cherry stain or something like that,
and go with good-quality cabinets.
The reason I'm so excited
is because of the local lumber craftsmanship,
the wood that'll be used to make the cabinets.
I doubt that he's ever seen this kind of quality.
Yep.
so that it's here to last for generations to come.
Are you guys excited about this?
Oh, we are, it's like a dream.
Well, let's get to it, Albert.
Before you can fix it up, you got to tear it up.
Besides Albert, there's John's son Robert
and an Amish youngster by the name of Little John.
We put together an "A team"-- that's "Amish team"--of ninjas.
Everything goes but the kitchen sink.
This crew is here to work.
Theses guys aren't afraid to get dirty.
I'm honored to be here with them.
Hey, I think you need a bigger hammer there.
Get out of there.
The big thing was taking that wall out.
This is a bearing beam going down in.
Potential problem: we're not quite sure
if this beam we found is okay to take out.
This is 150-year-old house.
We're gonna put in a prop to hold that ceiling up.
So what's the worst thing that could happen
if we don't put the supports in?
The second story bathroom would drop down on us.
Well, if Clara got home and the tub was in her kitchen,
we'd all be in big trouble.
All righty.
Wall's down, ceiling stayed up.
ROB: Notice anything different around here?
Handsome?
They don't look very handsome. They're all dirty.
( laughing )
Day 1 is done and it's time to head home.
What?
Oh, you got to be kidding me.
Boy.
No mirror.
Almost impossible.
It'll be the worst shave job ever.
Good night, dead cell phone.
I don't shovel poop at home.
Hoo, good smell in here.
We got to do this every morning.
Hmm.
( rooster crowing )
ROB: Oh, shut up, rooster.
( knocking on door )
They don't have zippers.
And this whole flap comes down like that.
You know, if you're not used to it, it's a pain in the butt.
I guess you get the hang of it after a while.
I'm feeling little Amish gangster right now, you know.
Good morning, bud. How are you?
What do we got planned for today?
Well, we're gonna haul some manure.
Yep.
I don't shovel poop at home, okay?
But out here on the farm, I understand
I'm in a different environment and I'm gonna fit in right.
Hey, we'll clean yours next.
Hoo.
It doesn't smell good, actually.
Yeah.
It's not too--
You're doing pretty good for a greenhorn.
Hoo, good smell in here.
Nice and moist.
Seems like the moist it is there, the heavier it is.
We got to do this every morning.
Every morning?
Hmm.
JOHN: About once a week, we pick stalls and haul manure,
we don't like to spread it on our pastures
until they go through a heat process.
In a day or so, you'll see steam coming out of this pile.
Sometimes just on the pile for 2 to 3 months if it's too wet to haul.
Got you.
Thanks for the coaching.
But you could have lent me a hand.
Well, I'm an old man.
Well, it's day 2 of the Hershberger kitchen install.
I'm super-excited.
While I was out shoveling manure,
the crew was rocking the walls, the paint,
the doors, and the floor.
What's going on?
I'm excited to work with Ervin today.
Easy.
He's known throughout the Amish community
for his superior craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Now I got some pre-made marks on the wall,
shim it up a little bit.
And...good to go.
This is Amish handmade quality, and you can tell.
The face frames are made of real wood.
There's no melamine,
no particle board here to fall apart.
This stuff is really built to last.
( laughing )
The Amish detail is second to none.
Looks good right there.
They go out of their way to hide the drawer sliders
and the screws...
( laughs )
Even the hinges, all to make it nano.
Where are we gonna put the disposal?
No disposal.
Oh, that's right. No electricity.
If there's a little bit of food or slop leftover,
they take it out, dump it over the fence
for the neighbor's pigs.
( laughing )
If you want to use electricity out here,
you need to get permission from your church's bishop.
If it's necessary to run your business, it's usually granted.
And the same goes for your power tools.
That's like a turntable.
Everybody really pulled together.
We had to hustle, but by the end of the day,
all the cabinets were in and everything was in place.
Good job, guys. I got to give to you, man.
That's awesome.
Get the dirt off.
That's it, it's a day.
When the workday's done,
there's no TV to turn on.
The Amish really enjoy their quiet time
so they can marinate with family and friends.
JOHN: I like your hood.
This is your hood.
This is a hoot?
Pennsylvania Dutch, you'd say "cop."
Cap.
For a hat it's hood.
Close to "hat." How would just say something simple
like, "Hello. How are ya?"
( speaking Pennsylvania Dutch )
Arbeit means "work."
Avot.
Avot.
Arbeit. Arbeit.
Arbeit. Arbeit means "work."
How do you say, "Get to work"?
( speaking Pennsylvania Dutch )
( speaking Pennsylvania Dutch )
Really?
Wait till I tell the guys on the scene.
I'm gonna walk and go--( speaks Pennsylvania Dutch )
( speaks Pennsylvania Dutch )
How do you say, "Die, rooster"?
( laughs )
CLARA: Today is chore day.
Ah!
I thought it was very nice of Rob to offer to help.
Oh, man.
You do your own laundry?
Sure...no.
( rooster crowing )
ROB: I've been thinking over the past few days
how difficult things are here for Clara.
So I decided this morning
I'm gonna go help her out with some chores.
Hi.
Today is chore day.
I thought it was very nice of Rob to offer to help.
I thought it was very gentleman of him.
Every piece.
But I was afraid he was gonna get his fingers in the wringer.
You might--
Oh, that's-- I mean...
Whoa, did I do something wrong?
No, but it was kind of close.
Where's the dryer?
This gets the water out,
and then we hang it out on the line.
Oh, okay, so we let Mother Nature dry it out.
CLARA: Rob's attitude was great.
Oh, man.
He just did whatever we said.
You do your own laundry?
Yeah.
Sure...no.
Not.
Celebrities never do their own laundry or anything like that.
I wouldn't have expected him to be 100% a pro at it.
ROB: So we're doing some mending here, mending.
Which I am-- I'm lost.
Yeah.
It was a surprise to me that he couldn't even know
how to sew on a button on his pants.
There's a lot of--Ah!
Oh.
What?
Oh, that's okay. You'll live.
Ow.
We plant a lot of our own food,
like potatoes, onions, corn.
Is that it?
No, we got this whole garden to do yet. It's pretty big.
The whole thing?
Rob did a really good job with the chores today.
He did very good following instructions.
I was very impressed.
ROB: After all that, it's still only 9 a.m.
So it's time to get over with the crew
and help them do some heavy lifting.
Today is my favorite day of the project so far.
It's the day we put on those countertops,
which really brings this kitchen to life.
This marble's called dark emperador.
This is not granite? This is actual real marble?
ROB: Those aren't crystals.
Those right there are quartz.
That's what really makes it stand out.
This edge right here is called an ogee.
It's spelled "O-G-E-E."
And then they have to hand-do all the polishing here.
So somebody sat here and just did this right here for hours.
Normally countertops around here
are just your basic countertop from Michael
or something like that, but nothing like this.
This is special.
ROB: If you look at the contrast also,
once you see that flooring,
you see there-- how it goes light
to a different shade and then a darker brown
but they're all in the same family.
That's class.
Yeah, you know, we might get this thing done
yet before my wife's birthday.
It's Clara's birthday. I had no idea.
I found out today Eli has been married to Clara for 35 years.
I think she'll probably be at a loss for words.
Yeah.
This is gonna be the best birthday present ever.
Oh, my... I can't believe this.
It was an amazing moment.
Thank you, Rob.
You're very welcome.
ROB: Well, guys, the moment has come.
We got to put the jewelry on this thing.
Dress it up a little bit, huh?
As Albert would say...
The chrome.
ALBERT: Knowing Clara's heart,
this is just gonna enable her
to be more of a grandmother.
Light a couple of candles there.
She's gonna be able to better share
what her and Eli have
with the next generation and with the family.
I think the whole process
is gonna make life a little easier for Clara.
ROB: Look at that.
It looks like everything is done and ready to run.
I think--be about ready to have my wife come in
and take a look at it.
ROB: Let's not keep her waiting.
Hey, Clara.
Come on down.
Oh, my...
Oh, my gosh.
I can't believe this.
Oh, my goodness.
ROB: Well, once we finished
putting the final touches on it,
she was speechless.
She came in-- and so emotional,
she didn't even know how to contain herself.
Oh, my goodness.
CLARA: Wow.
CLARA: The kitchen is awesome.
I can't express words how I feel.
It's great.
Look at the drawer.
Never seen anything like that.
Automatic. No slamming.
It was an amazing moment.
I even started to get emotional.
I looked at Eli. He was getting emotional
'cause he knew he was doing something great
for his wife and his family.
That is just what it's all about.
We made it look like there's electric
but everything is all natural gas.
Refrigerator's natural gas,
even your chandelier is natural gas.
JOHN: When I first saw Eli and Clara's kitchen,
it was only 9'6" long,
a very tight space.
Now, looks like a brand-new kitchen.
Touch, on, off. Touch and go.
Thank you, Rob.
Aw, you're very welcome.
My pleasure.
I cannot believe it.
I'm not gonna cry.
You can cry. It's natural.
I'm so glad that John sent me out to do this project.
It's magical, purely magical.
I'm honored to come in here and build this awesome kitchen
but also to bond with this family
and see how it's supposed to be.
That's the meaning of life: family and friends.
ELI: We've went through some hard times and stuff,
and to be able to do something like this for my wife,
especially on her birthday yet--
this is just unbelievable.
See?
( laughs )
I love that he's so emotional
because I know he cares about me.
And I know he wants to do everything that he can for me.
Eli here is my Amish ninja.
Okay, whatever you want to call me.
Guys, here's to your new kitchen.
Mm-hmm.
...baby!
ROB: We got a whole season of Amish adventures
coming your way.
ROB: There she is.
Baby Ice.
Yeah, baby!
Whoa!
What can I get for ya?
Taste for yourself.
Some Vanilla ice cream.
120, 130, 140.
We got 300 going and 300 coming--
Sold to the lady in the long, black dress.
Ice, man, to fill my wish, you go swim with the fish.
Oh!
I think I'm the only rapper in the world
to actually *** out an Amish buggy.
Oh, my gosh.
ROB: What do you think of that, huh?
Wow.
ROB: I'd like to donate a brand new barn.
Are you serious?
I'm gonna bring in my ninjas from Florida.
Come on around, baby.
It looks like me with a beard.
Now that's how you build a barn.
♪ Vanilla Ice, Ice, baby ♪
ROB: Hey, I like that!