So our intrepid travelers start out by traveling to a river. Once at this river, they use local transportation to get to the clue box. In this case, local transportation consisted of a large Asian elephant. It was fun to watch, but not very fast which frustrated most racers.
Once they reached the clue box, it was time for a Road Block. In this Road Block, the team members had to dive for a clue in a pool of water. Most teams were done with this task before Liz and Marie, who had finished last on the previous leg, arrived at the river. They had to wash the elephants or some such thing for their speed bump.
Their clues took them to a temple area where they had to dissemble a spirit house and take it to the true temple. This was a Road Block, where they had to remake the spirit house. In this Road Block, the team member who did not dive for the clue had to assemble the spirit house. Most teams had to return to the original staging area as they just took the house down without caring about where things went. In particular, Cindy and Laurence were irritated at their partners for not being able to remember the original set-up.
The teams then took their strange taxi-buses to the bus station, where they had to take a bus to Bangkok. Four teams were all on the earliest bus: Snowboarders, Brother-Sister, Weird dating Couple, and Laurence and Zac. Laurence and Zac got tickets for a different bus, which was a first class bus. They realized this and abandoned it. However, it seemed like the same thing to me. Thus, they had to walk back to the station.
NFL Guy and His Wife and Ernie and Cindy, and the older Couple left at the same time, which left when Laurence and Zac arrived back at the terminal.
The Twins arrived at the station, but did not have enough money to buy tickets for the bus and to pay their taxi driver. This was a common problem, as the taxi from the temple to the bus station was expensive and the racers all have limited funds.
The buses all arrived in Bangkok at various times, not related to when they left, or so it appeared. The teams then traveled to Bangkok Noi where they fed koi. However, the twins were out of cash and had to walk. The first team to feed the fish were Ernie and Cindy, followed by Amani and Marcus and Bill and Cathi. Ernie and Cindy abandoned their cab, which allowed Amani and Marcus to arrive first at the Pit Stop, with Cathi and Bill close behind and then Ernie and Cindy.
The Twins found a taxi driver who would take them for free to the Bangkok Noi and then another that would take them to Pit Stop. At around the same time, the Snowboarders asked this school for help, but the lady who was going to find the place disappeared for a while with their clue.
The Snowboarders and Laurence and Zac arrived at the Pit Stop at the same time and Phil told Laurence and Zac that the original bus they were on would have been fine. They looked upset, but were still in the race.
Jeremy and Sandy arrived 7th place, which leaves the Twins in last place, once again. It's hard on a leg like this with no equalizers to catch up, especially when you have an extra task.
A strange thing happened on this leg: the Snowboarders kept talking about their devotion to God. It's just weird to me, as they never mentioned anything like this before. Also, when they were at the temple, they kept saying how a temple couldn't defeat the one true God.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Parenthood
Two short thoughts:
First, more people need to watch Parenthood. It is the best ensemble cast on T.V. Bar none. Each actor can give great emotion with no words, with just a look. All the way through to the youngest cast members. No other show can consistently deliver this well. They just can't.
Second, I seemed to have missed fall.
First, more people need to watch Parenthood. It is the best ensemble cast on T.V. Bar none. Each actor can give great emotion with no words, with just a look. All the way through to the youngest cast members. No other show can consistently deliver this well. They just can't.
Second, I seemed to have missed fall.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Amazing Race-Onto Thailand
The leg started out with the Snowboarders and the Father-Son team teaming up once again. As soon as the Snowboarders got to the airport on their way to Thailand, they found out that there were no direct flights, but that they could get flights to Jakarta and find flights from there. This is what they chose to do and advised Lawrence and Zac do to the same. All the rest of the teams booked flights for both legs at that first airport. These teams got into Phuket at 5:40 pm, while the other two teams got in at 7:40 pm. This seemed like it could be a game-changer, except when they reached the beach, it turned out that they had to all wait for morning anyway. All teams were now equal.
In the morning, they had to move across this floating buoy dock thing. Suffice it to say that it was weird. The Snowboarders moved across it like it was standing still, while everyone else was a little more cautious. It was now time for a detour. In this Detour, they had to choose between a coral reconstruction task or a beach furniture set-up. Most teams chose coral, but only two successfully completed it. The task consisted of building a structure out of pipes, placing it by a buoy in the ocean and then placing coral into the structure. The Snowboarders were the first team done, followed close behind by Brother-Sister team. The Brother-Sister team looked like they were actually working together and civil and more importantly, having fun, for the whole leg of the race.
All the other teams worked on the Beach Set-up. In this Detour, the teams had to set up 20 chairs and 10 umbrellas. This was a struggle for most teams because of the wind. Also, the arrangement for the chairs and umbrellas was really specific. The Blonde Twins, despite being one of the few teams who chose this detour first, were the last team to finish.
The Road Block for this leg was rock climbing. It didn't look particularly hard and it seemed like most teams enjoyed themselves.
The first place team was the Snowboarders. This is their third first place finish in a row. They are definitely looking like a serious team to beat. Second place went to the Brother-Sister team and the rest of the teams fell in place, with the Blondes finishing last. However, this was a non-elimination leg. So nobody went home this time.
In the morning, they had to move across this floating buoy dock thing. Suffice it to say that it was weird. The Snowboarders moved across it like it was standing still, while everyone else was a little more cautious. It was now time for a detour. In this Detour, they had to choose between a coral reconstruction task or a beach furniture set-up. Most teams chose coral, but only two successfully completed it. The task consisted of building a structure out of pipes, placing it by a buoy in the ocean and then placing coral into the structure. The Snowboarders were the first team done, followed close behind by Brother-Sister team. The Brother-Sister team looked like they were actually working together and civil and more importantly, having fun, for the whole leg of the race.
All the other teams worked on the Beach Set-up. In this Detour, the teams had to set up 20 chairs and 10 umbrellas. This was a struggle for most teams because of the wind. Also, the arrangement for the chairs and umbrellas was really specific. The Blonde Twins, despite being one of the few teams who chose this detour first, were the last team to finish.
The Road Block for this leg was rock climbing. It didn't look particularly hard and it seemed like most teams enjoyed themselves.
The first place team was the Snowboarders. This is their third first place finish in a row. They are definitely looking like a serious team to beat. Second place went to the Brother-Sister team and the rest of the teams fell in place, with the Blondes finishing last. However, this was a non-elimination leg. So nobody went home this time.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Amazing Race-Indonesia Redux
For the entire third leg of the race, the Amazing Racers were in Indonesia again.
The third leg is probably about when the individual teams start having personality on TV. Until now, there are just too many of them to keep track. So, a few thoughts: I really like the Snowboarders. They seem happy and kind and like they genuinely enjoy each other's company. I also like the Father-Son duo and the older couple. The dating couples seem a little snippy and the NFL husband-wife team seem whiny.
The Detour was first: it was a choice between Grass Fed or Rice Field. In Grass Fed, they had to collect two bags of grass, two sheep, and fill a trough with six buckets of water. In Rice Field, they had to deliver food to the field and then plant 300 rice seedlings. Most teams thought that Grass Fed would take less time. I don't think it did, unless the magic of editing was really misleading. The Father-Son team and the Snowboarders were the first two teams to leave the Pit Stop and maintained that lead the entire time. Only one team switched to the other detour and that was Amani and Marcus. They were solidly in last place.
However, on this leg, the Road Block was a great equalizer. In this Road Block, they had to count the number of Buddha statues at this amazing temple and keep track of how many of each hand position were represented. When they told the answer, they also had to make the hand positions. Laurence and one of the Snowboarders worked together and finished in next to no time. Father Son team, Laurence and Zac, were the first to arrive at the Pit Stop, but had used too many buckets in the Detour. Thus, the Snowboarders were first, once again.
The other teams were not so lucky. Many counted the wrong things, such as Buddha carvings, or neglected the hand positions at all and just counted Buddha statues. Finally, they figured it out. All teams were fairly close in leaving the Road Block. However, some had left a cabbie waiting and had to go pay them. This is what killed the Vegas Showgirls. They just couldn't arrive before others because of finding their cab and then searching for the Pit Stop.
The third leg is probably about when the individual teams start having personality on TV. Until now, there are just too many of them to keep track. So, a few thoughts: I really like the Snowboarders. They seem happy and kind and like they genuinely enjoy each other's company. I also like the Father-Son duo and the older couple. The dating couples seem a little snippy and the NFL husband-wife team seem whiny.
The Detour was first: it was a choice between Grass Fed or Rice Field. In Grass Fed, they had to collect two bags of grass, two sheep, and fill a trough with six buckets of water. In Rice Field, they had to deliver food to the field and then plant 300 rice seedlings. Most teams thought that Grass Fed would take less time. I don't think it did, unless the magic of editing was really misleading. The Father-Son team and the Snowboarders were the first two teams to leave the Pit Stop and maintained that lead the entire time. Only one team switched to the other detour and that was Amani and Marcus. They were solidly in last place.
However, on this leg, the Road Block was a great equalizer. In this Road Block, they had to count the number of Buddha statues at this amazing temple and keep track of how many of each hand position were represented. When they told the answer, they also had to make the hand positions. Laurence and one of the Snowboarders worked together and finished in next to no time. Father Son team, Laurence and Zac, were the first to arrive at the Pit Stop, but had used too many buckets in the Detour. Thus, the Snowboarders were first, once again.
The other teams were not so lucky. Many counted the wrong things, such as Buddha carvings, or neglected the hand positions at all and just counted Buddha statues. Finally, they figured it out. All teams were fairly close in leaving the Road Block. However, some had left a cabbie waiting and had to go pay them. This is what killed the Vegas Showgirls. They just couldn't arrive before others because of finding their cab and then searching for the Pit Stop.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Amazing Race-Indonesia
Leg 2 of the Amazing Race started off with a video montage of every team reading their clue and discovering that it was a double elimination leg, which means that the last two teams to arrive at the pit stop would be eliminated.
All teams arrived at the airport in Taipei and got on the same flight to Jakarta. They then had to take a train from Jakarta to Jojakarta. Justin and Jennifer, the siblings, had a breakdown while waiting for the train. I just can't see them making it if they can't get beyond their distrust of each other.
All teams then made their way to this giant cave. The first team to arrive were Ma and Pa(Bill and Cathi). They had a huge head start on the other teams, but they had to do their speed bump. Which was unknotting a bundle of rope. I appreciated the Christmas Vacation references from Bill.
Then one person from each team spelunked into the cave. No one was afraid of heights and no one was claustrophobic. I think that this was a first in Race history where on a potentially frightening detour, no one was frightened.
Then they had to choose their Road Block. It was either parking mopeds or dancing in the streets for tips. About half chose each. Neither were particularly hard but there was also little advantage other than simply arriving first.
After completing the detour, they proceeded to an orphanage and gave their earnings from the detour. However, there was an additional caveat, written on a sign at the orphanage, that said that each team must give all their money to the orphanage. Only three teams read this clue correctly and those three teams became the first three checked in teams, although they were really teams 4, team something, and team 10. These were the snowboarders, the showgirls, and the father-son team. All the other teams arrived at the pit stop and were forced to return to the orphanage.
The last two teams to arrive were the flight attendants and the Survivor winners. They were eliminated, but the flight attendants were brave and cool, even in the face of defeat.
All teams arrived at the airport in Taipei and got on the same flight to Jakarta. They then had to take a train from Jakarta to Jojakarta. Justin and Jennifer, the siblings, had a breakdown while waiting for the train. I just can't see them making it if they can't get beyond their distrust of each other.
All teams then made their way to this giant cave. The first team to arrive were Ma and Pa(Bill and Cathi). They had a huge head start on the other teams, but they had to do their speed bump. Which was unknotting a bundle of rope. I appreciated the Christmas Vacation references from Bill.
Then one person from each team spelunked into the cave. No one was afraid of heights and no one was claustrophobic. I think that this was a first in Race history where on a potentially frightening detour, no one was frightened.
Then they had to choose their Road Block. It was either parking mopeds or dancing in the streets for tips. About half chose each. Neither were particularly hard but there was also little advantage other than simply arriving first.
After completing the detour, they proceeded to an orphanage and gave their earnings from the detour. However, there was an additional caveat, written on a sign at the orphanage, that said that each team must give all their money to the orphanage. Only three teams read this clue correctly and those three teams became the first three checked in teams, although they were really teams 4, team something, and team 10. These were the snowboarders, the showgirls, and the father-son team. All the other teams arrived at the pit stop and were forced to return to the orphanage.
The last two teams to arrive were the flight attendants and the Survivor winners. They were eliminated, but the flight attendants were brave and cool, even in the face of defeat.
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