First runners-up

First runners-up

They came close to winning but fell short towards the end. What do Geoff and Tish have to say for themselves now that the dust has finally settled?

OneShift Editorial Team

01 Dec 2008

Q: Testing relationships on shows like this have often had disastrous consequences. How has your relationship been affected by the race? Has it made you stronger?

Geoffrey: We are stronger than before, we just finished the toughest race ever!

Tisha: I truly believe that when couples race it’s a totally different dynamic then those of friends and family. It is more often than not more volatile when put under stressful situations. There were a lot of trying times for us as a couple during the race. However, ALL couples go through difficult times where they argue or say hurtful things to each other in the heat of the moment. The only difference is ours just happened to have been broadcasted on regional television in front of millions of viewers. However, just like other couples we try to learn from our mistakes and use those lessons to help make our relationship stronger.

Q: You don’t seem to have had much luck with travel. How’d you make sure you got from point A to B to C during the race?

Geoffrey: I really don’t know, we just didn’t take no as answer. Tisha and I just kept on pushing each other until we got the results we wanted.

Tisha: When in doubt, ASK and never give up! There are times when you think that you are totally out of it, only to find out there is another team who is more lost than you are. You just have to keep on pushing on no matter what.

Q: What have you learnt about Tisha that you never knew Geoff, and Geoff, you of Tisha?

Geoffrey: I know that Tisha is just as determined as me. And is undoubtedly my soul partner.

Tisha: I think we both knew each other pretty well before the race even began. I think it would be unfair to change your opinions of each other because of the race, since we don’t run the Amazing Race Asia everyday of our lives. I wouldn’t let the race define who we are. What defines our opinions of each other is how we’ve seen each other in the 4 years we have been together, and the race is only but 1 month in those 4 years. I’ve learnt that Geoff is very resourceful and has a lot of street smarts, which was very helpful at times during the race. He will MAKE a way to get to his end goal.

Q: What’s the one thing that you didn’t expect having to do during the race and which you would never do again?

Geoffrey: The eating challenges! Oh my! I never thought I would eat bugs!

Tisha: I never would have expected to eat maggots, cockroaches, and scorpions during the 1st task. When I saw read that 1st task I remember thinking to myself, “Am I on the right show???” However, I’d have to say that I’d rather eat the bugs again rather than the Stinky Tofu! The amount of Stinky Tofu we were given was insane, I was puking all the way to the Pit Stop.

Q: What kept you going when the going got tough?

Geoffrey: Tisha, friends and Family

Tisha: My parents. I really was racing for them, I felt that they have given me so much in life and I wanted to help them to pad their retirement cushion a little more. Whenever I thought of giving up I would think of them.

Q: What were some of the high points/low points?

Geoffrey: Our High point was the Macau leg; Tisha really flipped the script on that one. Our lowest point was not coming first on the final leg, it hurts when there are some things are totally out of our control.

Tisha: The high point was definitely the Hong Kong to Macau leg. We knew that we had to make our move at that point, because we could feel the teams stacking against us. Fortunately, we were able to take advantage of that 5 min window of opportunity in making the switch for the earlier ferry and it really made a world of a difference in helping us move up the ranks.

The lowest point of course was the last leg. “Live and Die by Your Taxi Driver!” Need I say more? That really hurt a lot.

Q: What are some things that you have learnt from the other teams participating?

Geoffrey: I learnt that all the racers, were impressed with my competitive spirit ;-)

Tisha: That each person has individual strengths, which comes in many forms

Q: If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?

Geoffrey: I would have been ruthless halfway through the show; mind you I didn’t think that we would make it halfway either! ;-) Tisha and I are full of surprises.

Tisha: Hmmmm, let me think?…. Can we get a different cab driver from when we landed in Phuket airport?

Q: How do you feel about faring better than Marc and Rovilson in Season 2 (they placed third)?

Geoffrey: “Beating” Marc and Rovilson, does make me sleep much better at night…. And until season 4, we are the best placing Philippine team so far. And the 2nd best couple in The Amazing Race Asia! Marc and Rovi still are overall record holders! And no team can take that away from them, for a very long time.

Tisha: Marc and Rovilson raised the bar so high for us coming into this race. We really felt pressure to do well after their showing last season, but tried not to let that get to us to much. Having fared better than Marc and Rovi of course gives us a great sense of accomplishment. We never would have thought that we could have placed higher than they did, and I’m sure neither did they! LOL!

Q: What’s the first thing you’re going to do now that this is over?

Geoffrey: Sit down and plug in my Sony play station into the 40” flatscreen!

Tisha: Watch it all over again starting from Episode 1! I’m already going through race withdrawals :-)

Q: What motivates you and drives you to keep going on in life?

Tisha: Faith. I think it’s important for each person to have a trust, a belief or hope to help you push forward through life’s many obstacles.

Credits: Text by Jeremy R. Chua, pictures courtesy of AXN Asia