I’ve come to believe that there are few people in the world who love to travel more than my wife Cindy. If she had her druthers (and believe me it’s at the top of her druthers’ list), our home would just be a place to do laundry between global jaunts. We’ve gotten to indulge her passion some over the years. And, though it’s always been her idea, I wouldn’t trade our adventures in France, Japan, Italy, Norway et al for anything.
So, it should come as no surprise that one of our favorite television shows is The Amazing Race. Though reality competition programs hold little interest for us, we’ve been faithfully going along on this show’s trips for eight seasons now. The scenery never fails to amaze us, and, thanks to the road blocks and detours, we’ve learned quite a few things about the cultures of the world. So, that’s what a whirling dervish is!
Season 14 of The Race ends this Sunday and the journey’s been especially memorable this time around. Who would have guessed when it all started that as we neared the finish line the final three would be Tammy & Victor, Margie & Luke and Cara & Jaime? But all the racers were great. How about a shout out for Mel & Mike, Christie & Jodi, Mark & Michael, Lakisha & Jennifer? We were rooting for them all at some point along the way. And we came to expect anything and everything from killer cheese wheels to Phil showing up in his underwear! And, it is only fitting that the “sinister deaf kid” is among those still in the running for the grand prize.
This also seems like a good opportunity to reveal my secret envy of Phil. I want his job! What lover of travel wouldn’t? He gets to go to every race destination (i.e. the four corners of the world). I’m assuming his accommodations aren’t too shabby (thank you Travelocity gnome) and while the contestants are running around silly, Phil’s duties consist of recapping last week’s episode, describing the road blocks and detours, and checking everyone in at the pit stop. I’m pretty sure I can handle that. Not that I want to take anything away from the 41-year-old New Zealander. He is great at what he does, adding the right blend of calm and excitement to the proceedings. The show wouldn’t be half as much fun without him. We’re always rewinding the DVR to catch his reactions to the competitors. Nobody arches an eyebrow like Phil.
But if Mr. Keoghan ever decides to move on, I’m there. I’ve been practicing “You’re team number one,” and if you close your eyes, you’d swear you’re hearing Phil. I’m also close to perfecting the way he says “spa,” adding just the right amount of “r” inflection so it comes out “spar.” My passport is at the ready, and though I would strongly recommend against it, I’ll even do an underwear shot. And, best of all, there’s no need to find me a traveling companion. Her bags are already packed.
Another of our favorite shows is House Hunters International on HGTV. It’s a lot of fun to play lookie loo in other parts of the world. A little insight into other countries’ real estate markets doesn’t hurt either. The half hour also offers its fair share of exotic location shots -- certainly a plus. Though, if my suspicions are right, its host, Suzanne Whang, doesn’t know too much about that.
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Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Whang, who also hosts the popular show HGTV show House Hunters, has duties not too different from Keoghan. She introduces each episode’s hunters, describes the location where they will be searching for their new foreign domicile, and then recaps the three houses under consideration. But, unlike Phil, Suzanne appears to be doing all this from a driveway somewhere in the San Fernando valley. While Phil is logging thousands of frequent flyer miles a year, if Suzanne travels ten feet each episode, it’s a big trek for her! Talk about getting the short end of the travel stick!
As you may have guessed, I’m not lusting after Suzanne’s job. Instead, whenever we tune in, I keep hoping that maybe this will be the episode she’ll show up in the locale she’s describing. Suzanne also is great at what she does and the show just wouldn’t be the same without her. I think she deserves a vacation. Come on, House Hunter International producers! Let our Suzanne Whang go!
