Amazing Race... Asia Style

Every January during Chinese New Year you would think that either a plague, a coup, or a financial crisis was hitting most of China. Because almost every waiguoren (foreigner) in the country is trying to get out at the same time. I don't know why this is - perhaps tradition and perhaps just because everybody else is doing it. But it's amazing to see the flights leaving the country in those preceding days - they are full of expats like us. It is not uncommon to see other expats from Xining in Thailand, Cambodia, or Singapore or another SE Asia country - everybody enjoying some vacation and sun and western food at the same time. This year we will be heading to Thailand for a conference and then to a few other cities in Thailand for vacation. Maybe next year we will go back to Singapore because it was one of Laurel's favorite places. We met up with Singaporean friends a couple of weeks ago that said they could maybe find us a place to say. That would be great.

And if you didn't know... there really is an Amazing Race Asia. We watched the 2nd episode just tonight on the may/may not be illegal (but don't tell us) over the internet TV. Amazing Race is one of our favorite shows and this version is just like the US one, but all of the contestants are from a SE Asian country. And the budget is a little smaller so it's not quite a worldwide contest. They must be required to have a homosexual couple on the show, but it's interesting that at least in the Asia version they are being labeled as "best friends". We're pulling for the Indonesian brothers that every time they show on screen are eating.

Today's pic is of the KC cousins in a pumpkin patch. I wish we had big pumpkins around here. Carving jack-o-lanterns is one part of Halloween that I miss.