TAR 3/13 This is the most stupid day ever

[Bev Johnston]

to the Globes stopping the bus for R&C. Have the feeling it wouldn't have been reciprocated by crabby and hungry though. Ron seems determined to eat his way through China.

I didn't think that Flight Time looked too happy about the stop. I get the idea that it was more Big Easy's idea.

And Ron... I wonder how often he gets to go back to China? He seemed like he was wanting to have some of the food from his childhood. Maybe he doesn't get tiny fish too often in America. I don't know... They kind of crack me up, especially when the shoe is on the other foot and Christina is the one telling Ron what to do.

I picked the Goths a couple of weeks ago, so even though I like them, I will be fine with them leaving.

[Garden Kitty]

Allow me to repeat my dislike for U-turns - at least ones that are given out by other teams. One of the things I love about TAR is that it's mainly the show and the tasks that are the deciding factors. This isn't like Survivor where a lot of time is spent on alliances and backstabbing. I like the idea that the best racers are rewarded, and these artificial hindrances just seem out of place.

[Bev Johnston]

Allow me to repeat my dislike for U-turns - at least ones that are given out by other teams. One of the things I love about TAR is that it's mainly the show and the tasks that are the deciding factors. This isn't like Survivor where a lot of time is spent on alliances and backstabbing. I like the idea that the best racers are rewarded, and these artificial hindrances just seem out of place.

Agreed - which is why I don't get all of the alliances that we've seen early on in the race this season. Duh, Mallory, you couldn've totally won another leg!! Have we learned nothing from the Cho brothers??

[Beefcake]

Another season, another terrible natural disaster at a nation in which TAR just visited and filmed. Countries with coasts and/or volcanic tendencies are gonna stop allowing Amazing Race to stop by.

TAR's hit list (from Data Lounge forum):

The Amazing Race Curse has struck again!
Here is a list where TAR visited then a few months later, disaster struck:
Season 1 (2001) New York City (Starting Line) - 9/11 Bombing
Season 6 (2004) Sri Lanka (Leg 9) - Indian Ocean Tsunami
Season 8 (2005) New Orleans (Leg 4) - Hurricane
Season 16 (2010) Chile (Legs 1 and 2) - Earthquake
Season 17 (2010) South Korea (Leg 11) - North and South Korean Military tension
Season 18 (2011) Australia - Flooding; Japan - Earthquake days after filming; India (specifically Varanasi) - Bombing days after filming; Brazil (specifically Rio de Janeiro) - Flooding and Landslide; Japan (Leg 3) - Earthquake; Yunnan, China - Earthquake

[Fridge_Break]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I am completely over the ways in which Ron annoys Christina. Every week it's as though he can see what new and inventive nuisances will steam her broccoli... I'm left just sitting in front of my TV in massive fits of hysterics as a result.

Kisha & Jen are my favorites "Last time I was in China, I called the deaf guy a bitch....... I do apologize for that."

Poor Kent & Vyxsin, they're basically on a bike downhill with no brakes. Hope there's a soft patch of bushes for them to crash into... because I don't see this ending well.

[rfisher]

Note to self: Check TAR's itinerary prior to scheduling trips.

[Skittl1321]

Kisha & Jen are my favorites "Last time I was in China, I called the deaf guy a bitch....... I do apologize for that."

I'm not sure if it cracked me up, or offended me, that she called him "the deaf guy" rather than his name.

I'm sure "the deaf guy" is the easiest thing to call him in the first leg or two of the first race, when you don't know all the names yet- but at this point, it seems like using his name would have been way more appropriate.

[The Village Idiot]

I've been thinking the same things about my last few vacations:

2008 - Machu Picchu, Peru - 15 mos later Machu Picchu was flooded
2009 - Sydney, Oz - a week later that sandstorm covered the city
2010 - Halong Bay, Vietnam - 4 months later the tourist boat, exactly like one I was on, sank

Not to mention 1999, Interlaken, Switzerland - 1 month after I went canyoning, 21 died in a flash flood while canyoning.

'Tis scary.

I love the Goths, but in no way do they "deserve" to stay in this race! Only 1 major error per leg please.

Ron is annoying, but it is hilarious - No daddy, you can't stop for fish. Get your clothes daddy. What is all this mess?

[Skittl1321]

I think all these "curses" are because more attention is drawn to the area.

I know as soon as I move to a new state my mother starts hearing all sorts of horrible things that happen in the news in that state. I think it's more a cause of her not paying attention to Iowa/Ohio news before I lived there.

Sure, we would have all heard about this Earthquake, and most of the other things, but our brain would have passed them on, since there was no connection to be made. I mean- think of all the disasters that have happened in countries that TAR hadn't just gone to. Basically the connection is 1) disasters happen in lots of place and 2) TAR goes to lots of places.


I did have an Aunt who I think was a harbinger of natural disasters, five years in a row she went on vacations that major disasters occured DURING. Hurricanes, earthquakes, fires- she was there for them all. She has since stopped planning "destination" vacations.

[Beefcake]

Okay, thanks. I won't force you to find it uncanny that -- at least with Sri Lanka, Chile, Katrina, and now Japan -- the TAR season with a visit to that country (to wit, the actual episode featuring that country) aired during or mere days after that nation's subject disaster.

[Bev Johnston]

TAR's hit list (from Data Lounge forum):

Season 17 (2010) South Korea (Leg 11) - North and South Korean Military tension

Season 18 (2011) Australia - Flooding; Japan - Earthquake days after filming; India (specifically Varanasi) - Bombing days after filming; Brazil (specifically Rio de Janeiro) - Flooding and Landslide; Japan (Leg 3) - Earthquake; Yunnan, China - Earthquake

Just nits here, because that list really is uncanny, but:

Isn't North and South Korean military tension always a given? I feel like they were stretching for a disaster here.

The earthquake wasn't days after filming. Didn't they film season 18 last fall?

[Jenna]

The Amazing Race Curse has struck again!
Here is a list where TAR visited then a few months later, disaster struck:
Season 1 (2001) New York City (Starting Line) - 9/11 Bombing
Season 6 (2004) Sri Lanka (Leg 9) - Indian Ocean Tsunami
Season 8 (2005) New Orleans (Leg 4) - Hurricane
Season 16 (2010) Chile (Legs 1 and 2) - Earthquake
Season 17 (2010) South Korea (Leg 11) - North and South Korean Military tension
Season 18 (2011) Australia - Flooding; Japan - Earthquake days after filming; India (specifically Varanasi) - Bombing days after filming; Brazil (specifically Rio de Janeiro) - Flooding and Landslide; Japan (Leg 3) - Earthquake; Yunnan, China - Earthquake

Hm..

[allezfred]

Fanny pack. Kynt/Kent. Teehee.

[shan]

Allow me to repeat my dislike for U-turns - at least ones that are given out by other teams. One of the things I love about TAR is that it's mainly the show and the tasks that are the deciding factors. This isn't like Survivor where a lot of time is spent on alliances and backstabbing. I like the idea that the best racers are rewarded, and these artificial hindrances just seem out of place.

They do stress me out, but the main reason I don't like them is all of the offended moaning and groaning that follows when they're used.


Christina and Ron both annoyed me last night with Ron having the slight edge. I can understand if she'd like to toss him off the side of that mtn. I was when she tried to get off the trolley thing while it was still moving. Insane! And were those little fish still moving when they were being cooked?

[tchaikovsky_177]

I love grumpy Ron, but hungry Ron is probably my favorite Ron so far

And honestly, the food was probably exquisite. Don't blame him at all. Sorry for Christina though. Poor girl.

[Garden Kitty]

Kent and Vixsyn (sp) could well be saved by the double U turn since nobody is likely to U turn them given how far behind they are.

I definitely thought Ron and Christina deserved each other this week.

[Fridge_Break]

Kent and Vixsyn (sp) could well be saved by the double U turn since nobody is likely to U turn them given how far behind they are.

Or the teams could look at it the other way and U'turn them just to push them out of things for good...

[FiveRinger]

I would think that whoever uses the U-turn would us it for a team who is a threat, not someone who would is on the cusp of being eliminated. I can't imagine that it's not going to get used.

[BaileyCatts]

From the previews it looks like Mom/Luke get there first. I got a thousand (fake) dollars that says they U-Turn Keisha/Jen out of spite, regardless of where they are in the pack.