Announcement
- Season Three of The Amazing Race Asia has begun!
Don't miss the next episode each Thursday night on AXN throughout Asia!!
My blog
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The Longest Pit Stop...Ever
Friday, Oct 10, 2008 11:36AM / Standard Entry / Members only
Just when I thought this season's The Amazing Race Asia couldn't get any more difficult for everyone, I was wrong again. All the remaining teams really had a difficult time driving around the streets of Taipei--and I totally felt for them, especially since I had to wait at the pit stop the entire time they were struggling to complete this leg. As if driving around town wasn't enough, the teams also had to find a correct Blu-Ray disc and also a "souvenir coin" in a coal mine in the outskirts of town. To top it all off, because this leg also had a Fast Forward, our host team had to "set up shop" early at the pit stop a potential early arrival. Even though we were all happy to see the first team of Sam and Vince stroll into the pit stop with their new tattoos, none of us would come close to seeing any of the other teams until late until the night...and even the following morning.
Now, before we to prepare for the arrival of the teams, we still need to complete other shots in different parts of Taipei such as Yang Ming San...
We then drove over to Xi Men Ding to do another link...
With time running out, we found a nearby street to pop off the the final shot before we headed off to the pit stop location at the Taipei Astronomical (NOT Astrological
) Museum...
On this same street, there's a special Chinese massage where they literally light you on fire. Don't try this at home!!
I sometimes forget how rushed everything is during the race to get from one point to another. Of course, when we do finally set up for each pit stop, then it's time to once again play the "waiting game." During the initial portion, we shoot some more PTC's (Piece to Camera) in close vicinity of the pit stop just in case a team "surprises" us...
The first several hours waiting at the pit stop usually aren't too bad. But when the sun has set and everyone is still waiting for teams to arrive, it sometimes seems like an eternity, especially this particular leg. Personally, I'd rather be doing a task or anything for that matter so all this waiting around is pretty tough for me. While some of the crew can take a quick nap...
I'm usually too amped so I have to resort to jumping around to release that extra energy!
People have always asked me what do I do while I'm waiting for teams to reach the pit stop. I wish I could say I'm more productive with reading a book, playing a game on PSP, or even medidating. But me? After the crew is sick and tired of hearing me talk, I usually end up trying to pass the time by attempting to lay down and rest somewhere. Sadly, it fails everytime no matter how tired I am. So in this leg, by the time I go out to perform my first "mobile elimination" this season with Mai and Oliver, over fifteen hours have passed since Sam and Vince checked in the day before.
It's always tough see a team get eliminated, especially after how much they have put in mentally, physically, and emotionally. But at the very least, our production crew can pack it up and get set to fly off to the next location!
Hmmm...I wonder where we go next?
Find Out Next Week!!
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Back to Taiwan
Saturday, Oct 4, 2008 8:24PM / Standard Entry / Members only
When we raced over to Taiwan this leg, it was a little more special for me because this is where I pretty much started my life working in Asia. Before that, I was all set to become a starving actor in Hollywood. However, almost exactly ten years ago, I was offered the opportunity to move to Taiwan to learn Mandarin and become a VJ (video jockey) for MTV. Of course, I took the offer and it's been one helluva ride since getting bitten by the Asia bug...or lion!
Now, this leg of the race was really challenging for everyone, especially the teams because they had to drive themselves in Taipei. It's tough enough driving in Taiwan already, but it's even more difficult if you don't speak Chinese cuz not too many people there speak English. Even though the teams found themselves driving aimlessly in all parts of Taipei city, our host team still worked quickly to pop off the shots we needed.
Along the way, we even found a small pocket of time to hit up Xi Men Ding for some grubbin Ay-Chung Mian Xian...
...and also one of my old favorites, bubble tea with "pearls" (but you can still find these outlets anywhere in Taiwan)...
After that, it was off to the pit stop to prepare for the teams' arrival. By now, some of the teams were working on the stinky tofu, which really is some nasty stuff. However, the task wouldn't be so difficult if the bowl wasn't so humongous. I think the amount that the team member had to put down was enough to put anyone down...even if it did taste good!
People always ask me how long we have to wait for the teams to arrive. If we're all lucky, the teams all come in within several hours so it isn't too bad. In this leg, I later found out we'd all be waiting until daybreak for the final team to check in. Our cameraman Yves was feeling the fatigue...
...I even started doing some meditation in an attempt to make the night "race" by faster.
Of course, waiting for the final team is the worst, especially when you start seeing the sun making its move up the skyline from the east...
And just as everyone is about to run out of steam, father and son team Niroo and Kapil finally arrive after a seemingly endless night and are eliminated. Even though it's always tough to see another team go, I could still put on a smile cuz we could all now get some much-needed rest...
And with this next pit stop lasting over fifteen hours, I was definitely going to need every single minute of our short rest before our call time.
Tell you all about that next time!
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Hoops and F1
Monday, Sep 29, 2008 4:38PM / Standard Entry / Members only
I had the chance to play some regulation basketball last week on our celebrity team in the Geylang Serai Basketball Tournament. And since I haven't really balled in a long time, it was nice to get out there and hoop it up a bit. Some of the actors who showed up for action included Christopher Lee Ming Shun, Zhang Yao Dong, Tay Ping Hui, and Brandon Wong Zhong Yao...
The last few years in this tournament, we always ended up in second place. But this time around, we were able to capture the title in extra time. We all got a medal to show for it...
and even actress Felicia Chin was entertained with our antics on that court that night...
And on the nights where we didn't have a game, it was time to attend the events leading up to the first Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore including the Tag Heuer exhibition held at Paragon with Kimi Raikkonen...
Kimi really didn't seem enthused about doing all this media-related stuff, and I guess that's why he's known as "The Iceman." Nevertheless, he was chill enough to take a picture with Eunice Olsen, Li Lin, and me before hitting testing out the street circuit with Ferrari...
...but after last night's results, Kimi, Massa, and Ferrari will probably need to "cool" down after their disappointment display in Formula One's firstever night race.
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Bye Bye, Beauty Babes...
Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 9:41AM / Standard Entry / Members only
The race just doesn't seem to let up on the teams, and I think Natalie from Team Thailand was more than ready to just give up. Fortunately for her, this third leg was the end of the road for her, but Pai Lin seemed like she still had a lot more "race" in her. I wonder if Pai Lin really started to wonder if she had picked the right partner for this. But then again, no one really knows until after they start the race when each team member's "true colors" come out under all the pressure, stress, and duress. And the heat is on...
Even when the teams aren't required to do anything, it can be extremely stressful. The twenty-five hour bus ride down to Hue was a harrowing and exhausting experience for all. If you've ever been to Vietnam, then you'll know what I'm talking about in terms of the traffic. No one in Ho Chi Minh really seems to care about traffic rules and regulations--you just basically have to pretend you're playing the old arcade game "Frogger" to dodge traffic as you make your way to the other side of the street. On my first trip to Vietnam about five years ago, our cab even got sandwiched and "crushed" between two big trucks as the driver tried to pass against oncoming traffic on a two-lane road. After that experience, I can't imagine what it would be like to deal with the constant horn-honking from vehicles trying to pass against oncoming traffic on bumpy roads in shoddy buses for twenty-five hours!!
Luckily for me, I got to catch a plane down to Hue to do my shots before the teams arrived...
...and I still know how to keep moving and have fun along the way!
Our team then heads off to Khai Dinh Tomb to pop off the links for the Roadblock...
Despite all the setbacks for the teams, they always move a lot faster than we think so it's time for me to put my shoes back on and "drop" into the Pit Stop for this leg.
We all had a helluva time waiting for the teams to arrive under the sweltering heat that day. You could easily how physically, emotionally, and psychologically beaten up the teams were that day. I really don't think any of them had been pushed that hard (or far) in their entire lives. On the other hand, I also believe that these teams can look back one day on this entire experience and really get a sense of achievement and accomplishment for undertaking and completing all the tough tasks tossed their way...well, almost all the teams!
...and just as the teams are still licking their wounds and trying to get some much-needed rest, another beautiful morning in Hue is upon race so we'll be off racing again soon!
Catch ya then!!
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Breakin Away to Bali
Monday, Sep 22, 2008 6:48PM / Standard Entry / Members only
After over a month on the road working and with the race off and running, it was time to go for a short holiday to Bali last week with family and friends. And it was great to get away and not have to worry about anything while enjoying the beautiful sunsets there...
I stayed at my friend's secluded villa near Echo Beach to just chill out and keep my head relaxed and "in place"...
To change it up a bit, there's even a really decent waterpark called Waterbom for people of all ages to have fun. Along with the usual waterslides, you've also got rock walls and water balloon wars...
And when you wanna see the sights, you've got the idyllic rice fields and historic temples to take in too...
This temple above is in Ubud right next to the Lotus Cafe, where you can dine and walk a few feet over to do some exploring. Although Bali has really changed and become more developed over the years, it still is one of my favorite local destinations to get away from the hectic "big city" life.
Stats
- After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, ALLAN WU soon realized that his career would veer far away from his Pre-Med major and biotechnology background. Little did he know that...
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