Give up and you're out

AD: I think we performed way better than anyone, including ourselves, had expected. I would give us a 7 out of 10, plus 1 bonus point for bringing that element of surprise to the show. Everyone must have been surprised at how long we have hung on!

Fuzzie: I'm quite proud of how we did - when it all began, I never expected us to get as far as we did. And through it all, we stayed true to ourselves. Aside from being proud of how far we went, I'm also proud of how we conducted ourselves. We played with integrity and never allowed the race to be an excuse for behaving badly! Also, we remembered to stay calm and have fun throughout!

AD: Would you believe that the BIG CRUDDY BUS actually scared us? We could not conceive how we could possibly finish the task, let alone clean it till it sparkled! We pressed on slowly and steadily, then resorted to begging and pleading with the Caltex man for sympathy and leniency towards the end! Whatever works, I say!

Fuzzie: For me, because of my lack of physical fitness, there were quite a few moments that were strenuous ... Loading the fruit into the sampan in leg 2, trying to find the pit stop in leg 3, climbing the tower in leg 6, the tyrolean in leg 8 all pushed me to my physical limit! But remembering the people back home, my inner circle, who would eventually be watching, kept me going. My family and friends have always been my strength and will always keep me going!

AD: I will NEVER AGAIN travel on a crummy bus packed to the brim with people and produce, while having to endure cigarette smoke in an enclosed, air-conditioned space, FOR 25 HOURS!!!

Fuzzie: Ha ha ha - where do I start??? As fun as everything was, there are quite a few things that will not get a repeat performance...

AD: I have come to know her very well over the 15 years we've known each other, and because we've decided and managed to stay true to ourselves throughout The Amazinr Race Asia, there's nothing new I've learnt about Fuzzie!

Fuzzie: Nothing really - she has been a close friend for 15 years and we've worked together in many situations so I think we really knew each other very well before we even began.

Fuzzie: I don't think those situations occurred too much in the race - there wasn't really much time for that. A.D. and I made decisions together and quickly!

AD: Favourite parts: The food challenges and the friendships and closeness we have developed with some fellow racers. Least favourite parts: Everything to do with BUSES, DRESSES and STILETTOES!

Fuzzie: My favourite part of the race was meeting some of the other racers (especially the 2 Malaysian teams - Henry & Bernie and Ida & Tania) and developing a fantastic bond with them that will last a lifetime.
My least favourite part of the race was the Tyrolean and not being able to complete it and ultimately being eliminated because of it!

AD: EVERY TEAM has what it takes to win because really, I now believe that although it depends on a combination of factors, with intelligence being quite a paramount factor; it does boil down in the end to luck.

Fuzzie: I don't know if there is such a thing as a winning strategy - a lot of luck comes into play as well and other factors that are outside our control. But I like how Ida & Tania remembered to always have fun in everything that they did race-wise and that is a fantastic game plan!

Fuzzie: Ida & Tania surprised me in a good way because looking at them at first, I never expected them to be as strong and fast as they were...They did everything with passion and had fun through it all...Some teams surprised me in a bad way in the way they were sneaky and duplicitous. I don't think being in a race can be an excuse to be an unpleasant or dishonest person!

AD: I've learnt that I have become a lot less competitive, by choice, because I've observed how that manic scramble to the top at all costs brings out very ugly, undesirable behaviour in most people. I no longer have that obsessive need to win at everything every single time like I did before!

Fuzzie: This is a difficult question to answer ... I guess I've learnt that there are things I can do that I thought I couldn't ... And things I can't do that I thought I could ...

AD: The first thing I am going to do is SLEEP! Followed by a full week of doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at home.

Fuzzie: Catch up on some sleep!!! And eat some good food!!!

AD: I have distilled all the lessons I've learnt on The Amazing Race Asia to this one conclusion, which will now help me deal with life's ebbs and flows: Neither be too disheartened nor too complacent, because there will always be an ‘HOURS OF OPERATION’ to either save you from the pits or screw up your lead!

Fuzzie: As I mentioned above, my primary motivation in life is the people whom I love. My family and friends have always been important to me and will always be my motivation to keep going whenever I feel like giving up. Their support and encouragement drives me forward always!

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