Culturally Preconditioned

It seems like we’ve been stuck in Ougadougou for years now, haven’t we? The teams are finally getting out of Burkina Faso, and they were to fly to Lithuania! I was quite surprised that they’re turning back to Europe, but it’s not like it hasn’t been done before. Lots of ticketing drama, where teams were divided into three different flights from Ougadougou to Paris (the via either Amsterdam or Frankfurt or Prague). Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter much since all the teams arrived in Lithuania with 45 minutes of each other.

Once in Vilnius, Lithuania, teams need to find a marked car (I think they were given Mercedes Benzs.. lucky bastards) and drive themselves to St Anne’s Church to find their next clue. I still find it amazing that some racers still refuse to (1) get a good map (2) ask for directions (3) pay a taxi driver to lead the way, to get to their destinations. Yes, yes, I know everytime they stop to do all those stuff, they’d have to spend extra time getting the other people to sign release forms and what nots, but in the end, I personally think it would be worth it.

The clue points them to a roadblock (Who’s a Better Listener), where one of them has to listen for clues given by some ladies, deliver a basket of fruits and bread, then listen to their second clue, to deliver a book (?). A pretty meh roadblock, but it was interesting to note that Nicholas is proven to be useless yet again. He was the first to start the roadblock, and the last to complete it. Why the hell am I not surprised? And I thought the grandpa would be doing stuff at a snail’s pace. How wrong was I?

The next is a routemarker, where they had to find a Travelocity gnome hidden amongst hundreds of other regular gnomes near a farm house. Now this is a product placement that I can get behind to, because of the amazing extra bonus prize that they give away… (unlike the shitty ones on TARA). Once they find the gnome, they had to follow a marked parth to a church to find their next clue. The next clue is a detour between (1) Countdown - where they had to count the numbers of picket fences, or (2) Step Up - walk on stilts. Personally, I could NEVER do one of these ‘counting’ challenges. I just won’t be able to concentrate with all the pressure and shit. If I were to get on the actual race, a similar counting challenge would definitely be my downfall. Aaaaanyway, once the detour was over, they were to go to the Windmill to get to their pitstop for this leg of the race.

In the order of arrival at the pitstop :

1. TK & Rachel - This team met the ultimate fern in the earlier roadblock. It helped boost their team to 2nd place at the roadblock, and they went all out after that, landing them the 1st place, and the Travelocity bonus prize (a 10 fucking daytrip to Japan!). What a comeback.. from last place to first place. It shows that anything can happen in this race. Oh, and ferns fucking rule TAR!
2. Kynt & Vykxin - <3 <3 <3 Goth love! I don't know. You'd think this team would be the odd team out, but compared to the rest, they seem to be the more 'normal' and nicer teams out of the bunch. I was a little crushed that they didn't make it to first place.. but there's always next time. And Kynt's "Where's my costumes?" comment, umm... like he really needed one.
3. Ron & Chris - The Ron HATE still lives. I can’t believe he shouted “Don’t give me pressure! SILENCE S’IL VOUS PLAIT” to Christina during the roadblock. What a class A asshole this guy is. It’s unfortunate that his hernia didn’t pop out. That said, this team’s performance was rather impressive this week. So kudos to Christina.
4. Hank Azaria - <3 Not much to be said of this team, although we're starting to see friction between the two. Maybe it's the first time that they're not leading the pack? I'm just amazed they've been pretty cool with each other lately.. I'm pretty sure if I were to race under such pressure with my brother or sisters, I'd probably say "putus sedara" a gazillion times. And mean it.
5. Nate & Jennifer aka Cheater & Self Entitled Whore - < / 3 < / 3 < / 3 I'm glad this team didn't make it anywhere near the top spot. Their bickering while counting the picket fences was just crazy (and even though I hate both equally, I'd have to side with the Cheater). And I'm so fucking tired of them going IHATEYOU iloveyuo IHATEYOU iloveyou (reminds me of Monica mocking Rachel and Ross). In other words, nobody gives a flying fuck. And the next week's preview - Nate & Jenn reaches a breaking point - mmm yeah right. Oh and that's right. Nobody gives a flying fuck.
6. Nicolas & Donald - I like Donald, especially after he confessed to liking Mirna.. but his grandson is a total tool. He’s proven to be useless in no less than four times this particular episode alone (a) letting the Goths steal their taxi (b) not being a pushover with the ticketing person in Ougadougou (c) paltry performance at the roadblock (d) ditto on the detour (e) the suckiness of his general couldntgiveafuckimsolaidback attitude. It’s a shame cause I like grandpa a lot, but I can’t back this team.
7. Shana & Jennifer (philiminated) - Man, that Shana sure is a cunt, isn’t she. “Oh I’m good at counting”.. and then “You count.. if it’s wrong.. everything is on you”.. and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of her general cuntiness throughout this show. I’m glad the bitch is philiminated so that she can go back to her precious manicures and shit. Also, I’m enraged that the bus driver hit on the brakes just in time. Wouldn’t it be nice, if something like this woulda happened?

Also, can I just say that the previews for HOUSE is so fucking annoying?? I mean, I love Hugh Laurie in his BBC roles (especially Blackadder the Third), but I just HATE shows with eccentric characters like this (Becker and Monk comes to mind).