Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Leg 1 Recap
Previously on the Amazing Race, 11 teams of 2 set out from the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and raced 8200 km to Shannon, Ireland. Teams formed alliance on the ferry to Inis Mor. At the roadblock, Jezabel's weight slowed their teams while Valerie's strength brought their team forward. Many teams were daunted by the donkeys but it was Han Wei and Kelvin who persevered to complete the task first, checking in 1st, seconds before good friends Celest and Felicia. Jack and Ken and Yilin and Hong Guo broke their alliance on the race to avoid elimination. And in the end, Yilin and Hong Guo lost in a mere footrace and were eliminated from the race. 10 teams remain, who will be eliminated next.
Leg 2
Departing the pitstop first at 12.00 am, Han Wei and Kelvin opened their clue.
hanwei: You read. I have insufficient sleep.
kelvin: Wonder who was snatching with me to read last leg?
hanwei: You want a fight now?
*starts fighting as usual -.-*
Departing 1 min later, Celest and Felicia opened their clue.
celest: Fly 970 miles to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Once there, travel by train to Centraal Station and search the city's canals for Melkmeisjesburg bridge to find the next clue.
felicia: Alright let's go and leave them fighting there.
hanwei: OMG THE GIRLS ARE LEAVING! *reads clue*
kelvin: *dragging hanwei into the car* WE HAVE TO GO NOW!
All 10 teams soon made their way to the airport.
*on the road*
kelvin: Why are we slowing down?
hanwei: Shit flat tyre.
kelvin: WTH ARE YOU DOING!! NOW WE ARE LAST!!
john: erm where are we heading towards?
kelvin: i dunno. you are the one driving. dont ask me.
*at the Shannon airport*
celest: Can i book 2 tickets for the earliest flight to Amsterdam?
ticket-lady: The flight departs at 7am and it connects through Dublin. Then the flight departs Dublin at 12.15 pm. But you have to get your connecting flight tickets there.
felicia: Whatever la. Just give it to us.
Celest and Felicia, Jian Hong and Siang Yong, Priscilla and See Lek, Zhen Yang and Jezabel, Timothy and Valerie, Si Aun and Xinfang, Poh Choon and Yan Zhi and Jack and Ken managed to book the 7am flight.
hanwei: We are finally here. *goes to ticket counter* WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE NO MORE TICKETS?!?!
kelvin: Just our luck, same as last leg.
hanwei: Shut up.
Han Wei and Kelvin and John and Kelvin settled for the 8.30 am flight.
jianhong: Hmm, we need to snatch our tickets once we get there.
siangyong: Yup we have to dash once we land.
*at the Dublin airport*
*teams from 1st flight making wild dash to ticket counter*
zhenyang: Can i have 2 tickets to Amsterdam?
ticket-lady: *type on computer* Here you go.
jezabel: good job darling. *kisses*
zhenyang: how many tickets you have left?
ticket-lady: We have 10 left.
jezabel: So that makes.. um.. 10/2 *fiddles with fingers* 5 teams left!
Zhen Yang and Jezabel, Timothy and Valerie, Jian Hong and Siang Yong, Jack and Ken, Priscilla and See Lek and Poh Choon and Yan Zhi are on the 12.15pm flight.
*meanwhile..*
siaun: 2 tickets to amsterdam on the 12.15pm flight please.
ticket-lady: Sorry we are out of tickets. i will put you on the 1.30pm flight
xinfang: If only we never go to the wrong counter.
celest: 2 tickets please.
ticket-lady: Sorry we are fully booked.
felicia: *rolls eyes at celest* This wont happen is someone didn't tumble down the escalator...
celest: Are you saying it's my fault?
felicia: I totally dont want to argue with you.
celest: FINE! Let's quit the race.
felicia: FINE! *walks away*
Si Aun and Xinfang, Celest and Felicia, Han Wei and Kelvin and John and Kelvin are on the 1.30pm flight.
*at Amsterdam*
Timothy and Valerie burst out of the airport and gained a short lead by taking the first train. The other 5 teams settled for the second train. Arriving at Melkmeisjesburg bridge in first place, Timothy and Valerie found a Detour.
timothy: Detour. Hoist it or Hunt it
In Hoist It, teams have to use a traditional rope and pulley system to hoist five pieces of furniture up a typical Amsterdam residence. One team member will hoist it while the other receive it at the top. The task requires brains and brawn, but the buildings were just a few feet away so teams did not need to travel far. In Hunt It, teams have to make their way on foot several blocks to a parking lot to search through thousands of bicycles, the most common form of transportation in Amsterdam, and find the two bikes tagged with a specific color designated in their clue. After finding their bikes, teams have to ride them five miles to an attendant who would give them their next clue. The task was not terribly physical, but required tremendous attention to detail.
valerie: Since i have muscles, let's do the hoist it. You go on top.
However, they soon faced difficulty lifting the television set as it would not stay on the rope. The other teams soon caught up with them. Zhen Yang and Jezabel, Poh Choon and Yan Zhi and Jian Hong and Siang Yong chose to do Hoist it. While Jack and Ken and Priscilla and See Lek chose to Hunt it.
*at Hoist It detour*
valerie: Omg this is super heavy. I wonder if i can do it.
timothy (from above): You can do it dear! GOGOGO!
zhenyang: Good thing i have experience in tying knots.
jezabel (from above): JIAYOU DARLING!
siangyong: Those NPCC training should be of use now.
jianhong (from above): This is going to be long.
pohchoon: This is hard. i dont think i can do it.
yanzhi (from above): Keep it up! We can do it!
*at Hunt It detour*
jack: LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF BIKES!
ken: this is hopeless..
priscilla: Let's beat the boys!
seelek: YEAH MAN!
*after 1 hour...*
hanwei: Detour. Let's do Hoist it.
kelvin: Anything. I am not getting into an argument here to get eliminated.
celest: Let's do Hunt it. I doubt we have enough strength.
*at Hoist It detour*
jezabel: 5 items! Let's go!
zhenyang: Travel by bus to the rural village of Ransdorp.jezabel: How did you manage to do it so quickly? The rest haven't lifted even 1 item.
zhenyang: I used to tie my sisters up using rope i can find.
jezabel: *shocked*
*1st bus to Ransdorp*
jezabel: Good thing we made it to catch the first bus.
zhenyang: Let's hope no one catches this bus.
*bus departs with Zhen Yang and Jezabel*
*at Hoist IT detour*
Timothy and Valerie soon finished after the first bus departed.
timothy: Let's wait here for the bus. You deserved a good rest.
valerie: Thanks hubby.
yanzhi: Let's swap places! You look worn out.
pohchoon: Good idea.
*at Hunt It detour*
jack: OK! found both bikes.
ken: Let's cycle there now.
*seconds later*
priscilla: *shrieks loudly* FOUND IT!!
seelek: Let's go!
celest: ARGH! Where are the darn bicycles?!?!
*2nd bus to Ransdorp*
timothy: Wonder anyone else will catch up.
jack: WAIT FOR US!!
seelek: OH NO! THE BUS IS DEPARTING!
*bus departs with Timothy and Valerie, Jack and Ken and Priscilla and See Lek*
*1 hour later*
*at Hoist It detour*
xinfang: Good job! We are done before the teams from the first flight!
siaun: *sweating profusely* My joints are going to disintegrate soon.
jianhong: Ok got the clue. Quick we are slightly behind them!
siangyong: Let me catch my breath first.
*3rd bus to Ransdorp*
xinfang: I wonder who will be taking the same bus as us.
jianhong: Us.
*at the Hoist It detour*
yanzhi: Ok done. Let's get our ass out of here.
pohchoon: A bus ride? Let's hope we can catch up.
*bus departs with Si Aun and Xinfang, Jian Hong and Siang Yong and Poh Choon and Yan Zhi*
*at Ransdorp*
zhenyang: ROADBLOCK! Your turn.
jezabel: POLE VAULT?? I CAN'T DO IT FOR SURE!
In this Roadblock, one team member have to complete a single vault over a watery, muddy ditch and successfully touch both feet to the marshy grass on the opposite side in a regional sport known as ditch vaulting. Once across, they can retrieve their next clue, then return to their partner in any muddy way they like.
*jezabel rubs hand and prepare and vaults*
zhenyang: Ooh that is nasty.
jezabel: Shut up. I know i failed.
*jezabel 2nd attempt*
zhenyang: YES YOU DID IT!
jezabel: *takes clue and SWIMS back through the mud*
zhenyang: Ride a Dutch cargo bike, known as a bakfiets, through the countryside while searching for the marked drop-off point at the pitstop, Durgerdam Yacht Club. This picturesque waterfront at the edge of the second largest lake in Europe is the 2nd Pit Stop in the race around the world. The last team to check in may be eliminated.
jezabel: Let's go!
*at the Hoist It detour*
hanwei: I am dying! But we are finally done.
kelvin: Let's go!
hanwei: YOU DIDN'T EVEN SWEAT! LET ME REST LA!
john: Ok finish.
kelvin: We are so dead last.
*4th bus to Ransdorp*
*bus departs with Han Wei and Kelvin and John and Kelvin*
*at Hunt It detour*
felicia: There you are! I can't believe we missed you so many times!
celest: You missed it not me.
felicia: It's not the time to argue now. Ok.. *falls off bike* I can't cycle.
*5th bus to Ransdorp*
celest: Looks like we are alone. Wonder who fell off the bicycle.
felicia: We are even alright? Gosh..
*at the Roadblock*
Timothy, Jack and See Lek attempted the Roadblock.
*Timothy, Jack, See Lek 1st attempt*
valerie: Ha! Now you look like a crocodile in mud.
ken: Ooh! Don't come near me later.
priscilla: OMG! QUICK GO GET THE CLUE!!
seelek: *after wading back across the mud* WE BEAT THE BOYS! *shrieks again*
*at Durgerdam Yacht Club*
Yi Xuan: Zhen Yang and Jezabel, you are team number 1! As the winners of this leg of the race, you have each won a sports bike!
jezabel: Huh, what's that? Will it help me to reduce weight?
zhenyang: Oh silly you. *hugs and kisses*
Yi Xuan: How do you think you fared this leg?
jezabel: Great! We cooperated well and went through the leg smoothly!
*at the Roadblock*
*Timothy, Jack 2nd attempt*
ken: Great, you did it! Let's go now!
*Timothy 3rd attempt*
*after some time...*
xinfang: Roadblock. It's a track event! I will do it!
siangyong: Let me do this one.
yanzhi: Let me jump!!
*Timothy 9th attempt, Xinfang, Siang Yong, Yan Zhi 1st attempt*
valerie: It's about time you get done.
pohchoon: OMG! YOU WERE LIKE A MONKEY!
yanzhi: Is it a compliment? *glares at Poh Choon*
*at Durgerdam Yacht Club*
Yi Xuan: Priscilla and See Lek, you are team number 2! Improved and you beat the boys at the Roadblock.
seelek: It just shows that i have innate talents. Haha.
priscilla: Haha.
*2 minutes later*
Yi Xuan: Jack and Ken, you are team number 3! Very great improvement!
jack: We didn't want to get those close to elimination shaves anymore.
ken: Yup! Just stay at the top all the way!
*at the Roadblock*
*Xinfang 5th attempt, Siang Yong 4th attempt, Kelvin and Kelvin 1st attempt*
siaun: Yes!
xinfang: Ok. I am good at jumps not vaulting.
jianhong: You did it! *sounds impressed*
siangyong: What is that supposed to mean?
*at Durgerdam Yacht Club*
Yi Xuan: Timothy and Valerie, Poh Choon and Yan Zhi, you are teams number 4 and 5 respectively.
timothy: Nice! We improved!
pohchoon: We improved too!
*at the Roadblock*
*1 hour later*
celest: OMG THE BOYS ARE STILL HERE!
felicia: Let me do the Roadblock!
*Kelvin and Kelvin 16th attempt, Felicia 1st attempt*
celest: *shocked* YOU TOTALLY PAWNED THEM!
felicia: I don't want to go home! Let's win this!
*at the Durgerdam Yacht Club*
*one team misses the drop-off point, dropping in 1 position*
Yi Xuan: Jian Hong and Siang Yong, you are team number 6.
jianhong: Not bad considering how badly we did in the Detour and Roadblock.
siangyong: Stop shooting me *glares at Jian Hong*
Yi Xuan: Si Aun and Xinfang, you are team number 7.
siaun: 7 again?
xinfang: lucky 7 i presume.
*at the roadblock*
Both Kelvins completed the Roadblock.
hanwei: This is bad! We better rush!
kelvin: I will argue with you after we check in.
john: This is not going to be the end.
kelvin: FULL SPEED AHEAD!
*at Durgerdam Yacht Club*
*1 hour later*
Yi Xuan: Celest and Felicia, you are team number 8! Close shave huh.
celest: Sometimes i hope we can work better together. I am really disappointed.
felicia: I think that she don't understand me at times. i really hope we will do better next time.
*10 min later*
*2 teams abandon bakfiets and make a wild dash*
*hanwei reaches 1st, john reaches 2nd......*
Yi Xuan: Han Wei and Kelvin, you are team number 9. John and Kelvin, you are the last team to arrive. I am sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race.
john: It had been a wonderful journey.
kelvin: I have learnt many things and got to know
john better. john: We will stay as friends forever.
kelvin: Friends forever.
Leaderboard:
1st - Zhen Yang and Jezabel
2nd - Priscilla and See Lek
3rd - Jack and Ken
4th - Timothy and Valerie
5th - Poh Choon and Yan Zhi
6th - Jian Hong and Siang Yong
7th - Si Aun and Xinfang
8th - Celest and Felicia
9th - Han Wei and Kelvin
X - John and Kelvin
click to enlarge
Yixuan
22:14
