Watch out for the small things...

Can you say, “WOW!?”

The table sign actually determined the teams’ fate!! I actually loved it! 

First of all, I do not feel bad for Ethan & Jenna and Ron & Bill. Nobody can fault them expect for themselves. They had their chance to stay in the Race. The table sign was pretty visual. It is RIGHT there on the table. How can it be hard to not miss it? I am surprised that several teams did not take one minute to check the sign out. 

There were a lot of outcry fouls about how the table sign’s unfair because the table sign weren’t in the Race colors. Remember when my Mom and I had to do the tea tasting in China last season? We were not informed in advance that the tea tasting would be a challenge in India. The cups weren’t even colored yellow and red! I assumed it’s a Chinese culture somewhat. Hence, I had my tea tasting back in Season 14 and it was in China as well!! So, it did not even occurred to me that the tea tasting were going to be a Roadblock challenge when we hit India. 

I never knew about the tea task. If there were a hint or something like that, I probably would have took my time to actually taste the tea tasting then I probably wouldn’t be last in the tea tasting challenge. So, do you think this is unfair? The table sign is pretty fair, I think. The teams cannot blame themselves, it’s not like the table sign were hidden. It’s in plain view. Crystal clear. I guess, the children probably distracted them from reading the sign. Who can blame the kids?! 

For the teams from last night, they actually had a chance to save themselves!!! Like Kaylani and Lisa. They actually took their time to see what the table sign says. They saved themselves from being a victim of Double Elimination! It is VERY important to be aware of your surroundings. It could be a HUGE factor like..

The Surfboard Challenge? 

Ok, enough about the table sign. 

About time for the Amazing Race to visit Indonesia. That’s the first for Amazing Race. Wayyy overdue! I thought we might get to get to visit Indonesia last season since it’s pretty close to Australia. Instead of we had to travel pretty far to Japan... 

I bet it’s culture shock for the teams when they saw the people sitting on the top of trains! It looked pretty unsafe, I don’t know how can they manage to stay on it and not fall off! 

Bill & Cathi were the first one to reach the Cave and encountered the Speed Bump. 

Now, their Speed Bump task had me cringe. Seriously, untie the rope knots!? A bunch of fifth graders could have done that! The task were not very interesting and not very time-consumed... Honestly, I think the Speed Bump tasks should have been time-consumed given with the team being saved from being eliminated should be not reward with so simple task. From what I remember: there were three time-consumed Speed Bumps. 

Season 12: Xysin and Kynt performed Indian Yoga in Mumbai. I heard their entire story of how they had to do yoga. It’s pretty tough. At least, the task looked pretty cool from what I saw on t.v. but pretty time-consumed. 

Season 14: Jodi and Christie had to paint colors on an elephant in Jaipur. A real elephant! Now, that’s pretty awesome task. There’s a chance that the elephant could have been out of control and not cooperating with J & C. Pretty risky Speed Bump. 

Season 18: Gary & Mallory actually used their brains to figure the measurements for the gas. They had to take their time and make sure that the numbers were accurate so that way they would not have to screw it up and have to do it over again. I liked that task as well. 

That’s what the Speed Bumps should be all about. Tough & Interesting & Time Consumed Tasks. 

All I can say that Bill & Cathi got lucked out with easy Speed Bump task. 

Off to spelunking in the Cave! Now, that’s pretty awesome! Big kudos to Cindy - she’s only one female from coed teams that got to do the physical task. But again, there’s a rule that every racer only could do 6 roadblocks maximum. I assume all teams are trying to rotate their Roadblock numbers. I’m glad no one got hurt in the Cave. The safety is pretty important on the Race. 

The detour tasks reminded me of the dance task where my Mom and I had to dance front of the crowd in India and collect money. It made me feel really uncomfortable that we had to beg people for money especially that we were in the third world country. I felt bad for begging for money when we were racing for one million dollars. I probably would have felt better if we have gone to the orphanage and donate the money we made on the streets. Now, I’m wondering what happened to the money we made in India.. Hopefully the producers donated the money to the orphanage in Jaipur.  

There were a Fast Forward in Phuket on Season 14 but no one took it because the task required the team to spend all of their money on buying toys AND donate toys to the orphanage. It’s pretty big risk of going in next leg with so little money and not knowing where we would be going next. I’d love to take that Fast Forward but we had SO much money at that point where we were trying to save it up since the cabs can be pretty pricey. We did not want to go broke like Michael & Mark did. 

8 teams had to be turned back to the orphanage to give all of their money back.. I’d like to point something out. From what I heard, the teams had to run 1 and 1/2 mile to the orphanage then they had to run extra 1 1/2 mile back to the pit stop. 8 teams had to run 3 miles total. In pretty hot weather. Not easy when they had to lunge their backpacks around. That’s why it is so important to pack very few clothes as possible. It is easier to run around with light backpack, right? That’s why my Mom and I brought much smaller backpacks for our second season. It was SO much easier to run second time! 

Sure, they could drop their backpacks and run. They could gamble on losing their backpacks. I mean, they’re in third world country. I am sure people on the streets would love to steal teams’ backpacks just to have something to wear nice.

Pit Stop Order: 

1. Andy & Tommy: They got the keen eyes for sure! They kept their cool heads under the pressure. They get along really well and wins the first place - they def. will go pretty far for sure now. Although, I’m little jealous when they won the trip to Ireland! Maybe I should trade one of our travelocity trips with them! I’d love to visit Ireland one day.
2. Laurence & Zac: They got a great attitude of keep going and stayed positive when they were in the back of pack. As well, it paid off for them catching the table sign!
3. Kaylani & Lisa: I liked it how Phil scared them for a minute then surprised them with good news. It is pretty much safe to say that the table sign saved their lives. If everybody else did not missed the table sign. Kaylani & Lisa would have been goners!!! They are just like cats with nine lives! Passport. Hazard. Table Sign. What’s next for Kaylani and Lisa?! 
4. Ernie & Cindy: Cindy..... This girl is pretty hardcore! She actually tried her hardest! She actually ran while inhaled her asthma inhaler! That’s a truly Amazing Racer! It showed how much badly she want to stay on the Race! I admire her for her efforts. By the way, did anybody caught their high-five to each other? That was pretty hilarious. 
5. Liz & Marie: The twins def. improved their racing performance this leg. They only one small mistake for not reading table sign. Good thing they were pretty far ahead of several teams where they weren’t in danger of Double Elimination. 
6. Jeremy & Sandy: They weren’t shown much this leg but overall, they did allright this leg. They got lucked out with few teams behind them at that point. 
7. Bill & Cathi: The Speed Bump task should have been little harder but they had a great attitude through the leg though! Def. a BIG improvement for them this leg! It paid off that they ran several marathons so running back and forth between orphanage and the pit stop were just a piece of cake for them. 
8. Justin & Jennifer: Man, they kept fighting. The fight at the train station were just pretty much pointless and energy-suckered. Not even worth to fight over absolutely nothing. Finishing from 3rd place to 8th place, they’re falling down the totem pole pretty fast. They need to PULL THEMSELVES together asap! That is why I do not want to do the Amazing Race with my sister!!! We would totally be like them, just bickering for over small things. Again, they got 12 hours at the pit stop to sort their problems out. Hopefully they will buckle it down and work together next leg or they’re next to go! 
9. Amani & Marcus: They got really lucky. They barely scrapped through and avoided the Double Elimination. I’m sure from this point onward, they will keep their eyes what’s front of them! 
10. Ethan & Jenna: Karma came back and bite Jenna’s butt when she commented how she’s excited to see Bill & Cathi’s still around which it stood a better chance for Ethan & Jenna to survive the Double Elimination. That’s pretty ironic. Correct me wrong but it seems like when their lives were actually at the stake for Double Elimination, Jenna did not really tried her hardest when it came down to running. If they knew they were being in danger, they just should have sacrifice their backpacks and RUN like there’s no tomorrow. I mean for God’s sake, Cindy actually ran while she inhaled her asthma inhaler! Believe me, running could make a BIG difference! One minute do a big difference so move faster. Hence, Jenna should try her hardest then she can just collapse on the mat and fall into Phil’s arms! Once again, the reality couple curse lives on. So, NO more crossover reality couples to Amazing Race please!!!! However; Ethan & Jenna could have avoided the Double Elimination as only if they read the table sign in the first place! Not to be pretty harsh but Ethan & Jenna are holding a record of being the first reality couple team out on Amazing Race ever. 
11. Ron & Bill: Again, they had their chance to stay on the Race only if they read the table sign! They missed one small thing and it took them out in the second leg. Being Flight Attendants does not necessarily mean that they will rock at The Amazing Race. Traveling around the world and racing around the world are not the same thing! Waaaay different!! 

Hopefully Ethan & Jenna and Ron & Bill had a lots of fun at the “Elimination Station”. I certainly had a lot of fun at my “Elimination Station” last season! They probably went somewhere warm and tropical.

Now, I’m really looking forward to watch next episode! I’d love to see the teams to start the leg with no money and figure it out on their own. That def. will be a whole new ball game! It seems like the teams have to count something at the temple. It seems so difficult. My bet on Cindy & Ernie to use their Express Pass to bypass the counting task. 

We will see about that pretty soon!