:: The Amazing Race - Week One ::

I'm not a huge fan of reality shows but the month of September brings with it the only one we watch in our house: The Amazing Race.

Last year we started a tradition with two other couples and every Sunday night they come over and we watch it together. We like to pick our favourites and not so favourites and near the end we each choose our pick for the winner.....it's become a really great night of spending time with good friends.

So, just for fun, each Monday I'm going to do a recap/reviews of Sunday's episode and update on our favourite teams!

This season started with a bang......all twelve teams were lined up waiting to for Phil to say "Go!" and leave Los Angeles for the race of their lives. Then Phil drops a bomb that there are only 11 tickets to Tokyo (their first destination) and that one team will be eliminated right away. The teams had to search through 1000 license plates and find one of the 11 that had Japanese symbols for their first city. It took the teams a while to realize the symbol was printed right on the clue!

Eric and Lisa (married yoga instructors) were the team left without a ticket. We didn't like them from right from the start so were glad they didn't even get out of LA.The teams flew to Tokyo where they participated in a Japanese game show then had to guide 20 tourists across the busiest intersection in Tokyo to a nearby temple.

Poker players Maria and Tiffany were the last to arrive and were missing two tourists. They incurred a two-hour penalty for checking in without their whole group but found out it was a non-elimination round!The next day the teams were off to Vietnam. After landing they took cabs to a bus station where the were split onto two buses. The second bus bribed their driver to leave an hour early only to get to the boat dock to find it doesn't open until morning. So the teams waited it out on patio chairs all night for the gate to open. While all the teams boarded boats for a nearby fruit farm, Maria and Tiffany had special task to complete for being the last team to arrive. The managed to catch up quickly and met the others teams who were busy covering fruit tree roots with fertilizing mud. The teams took their boat back and then needed to find a field were they had to herd ducks through a course in ten minutes. Many of the teams struggled while a few had no problem.

In the end Garrett and Jessica (on and off couple) were the last to check in and were eliminated. Which, again, was fine with us as we didn't get a good vibe from them.

Our favourite teams so far are.......

Mika and Canaan - a newly dating couple from Nashville. He is a songwriter (with a hit on the Billboard right now) and she is an aspiring singer, both are Christians. They are just so cute but did have a few disappointing moments with how they spoke to each other and about some other teams.

Zev and Justin - best friend from California. Zev doesn't work and Justin in a VP of Productions. Zev has Aspergers Syndrome and their relationship is so real and wonderful, and hilarious! I'm really rooting for these two!

Meghan and Cheyne - a dating couple from California. She an Account Executive and he is a Brand Manager. They have known each other since elementary school and are finally seeing if they can be more.

Marcy and Ron - newly dating couple that met on the Internet. She is in Advertising Photography and he is a Stock Trader and Math tutor. They are just fun and sweet and we like them.

Brian and Erick - married couple and we're not big fans. Not sure why really but they just don't seem to treat each other well and that doesn't go over with us.

Lance and Keri - engaged couple and we don't love them either. They are cocky and rude and Lance even called Maria and Tiffany "bastards". Not cool. Wouldn't be sad to see them go.

The other teams include gay brothers who were raised Christian; two Harlem Globetrotter players (so funny); and a father son team trying to make up for lost time (great team as well).
So far the teams are getting along.

Check back next week to find out what happened. I think it's going to be a great season!