Well, I’m actually up at 5:30 a.m. on a day that we were supposed to sleep in . . . this whole thing is eating my head ;-)
The first question I had was – what can you bring with you on The Amazing Race?
The second thing knocking around my head is the 3 minute video.
I actually think that the way the video should go is 1 minute R, 1 minute me, 1 minute “us.” I think the minute that’s for us as singles should be “how we got where we are.” James’ comment about “lawyer, pole dancer, Ironman” sort of got me to this thought.
My story line pretty much goes like this: I was super shy as a kid. My mom will even tell you that I wouldn’t go into the sandbox, without her getting in and showing me it was OK. In college, I really got sick of this person, so I copied a girl that everyone liked – her mannerisms, what she ate, how she laughed, how she talked. (The interesting part about that is that she was super bad in school and a decade later we happened to get together and I told her this and she got teary-eyed, telling me that I was always the “one who did well in school,” etc. and she had either not gotten her degree or barely did – she left UC our junior year – and she couldn’t believe I would “pick her.”) Anyway – as my story is going past, there are photos – they have to be pretty quick, 30-60 photos as there is a minute. Maybe a video clip from ABC-TV when I was on for my book. Maybe a clip of Tim and my vodcast (maybe from the blooper reel?)
Then when it gets to “our” 1 minute, I think that we show what I mentioned before – typing, then the Facebook message comes up – I wonder if R has any photos of the two of us from back then? (I can’t imagine – I don’t. Maybe a photo of the group – ??) I think that the only photo that I have of the 2 of us “doing” something that isn’t posed – which isn’t really “us” per se – is one where you can see R shooting the video for our wedding – it’s either in the film or it’s one of my wedding photos.
Then we do perhaps a Skype clip where we’re talking to the video about why to pick us. But we can maybe “reveal things” that we wouldn’t know, because we don’t know each other “in person” all that well (e.g. me saying “R – I snore. Bad.”)
I can’t think of any couple in all the Amazing Races (though I haven’t seen all of them) that have a “backstory” like this and I think it could be compelling. We have to figure out how to “style” this – because the first page of your video needs to basically say what you are (a la what they would put on the front reel of Amazing Race – “Joe and Moe, brothers,” “Cindy and Sally, FBI Agents.”) I think it has to be something like “20 year cyber-pals.” We’ve stayed friends – via the Internet – longer than many of the contestants have been adults. (Most, likely.)
Back to the first question – this is the website I found:
http://www.aboutjatyler.com/amazing-race-rules.html
People put a LOT of effort into these things – dang! This one doesn’t really say “what you can have in your backpack” (just what you can’t have). OK one more try:
Nope, not so much….
http://amazingrace.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_and_Penalties – ok this answers one question – if you go somewhere cold, they will provide you with the clothes, etc. you don’t have to pack them. (ONE BIG QUESTION ANSWERED! – That could take a lot of room!)
This one looks promising, but it’s old: http://www.tarflies.com/article.php?_f=detail&id=29 – yup, pretty good. Although we know that you can’t bring PDAs, maps, etc., it looks like basically it’s a 35 lb weight limit, and you want to only bring things you can bring on a plane so that you don’t have to check your bag. So that would leave out some things you might “want” to bring (though I think you can bring a Swiss Army Knife now on a plane…)
Yup, this is the best link by far – as it says, “Keep checking the CBS website vigilantly because after it’s announced, you only have 4 weeks to get the full application in.” As I said though the above is old, but it has a LOT of good information.
This is a good paragraph point (also from the above):
“…Nor can they bring written notes of that sort. (Although according to TAR1’s Brennan, nothing stops you from memorizing that sort of stuff right before you leave, and then writing it all down in a blank notebook as soon as possible after the Race starts.)”
Ah-HA, here is a good one regarding “what you can bring” – again, this is ages old (seems like a LOT of these were written in 2006 – interesting!) – but this has got to be at least “mainly” still right I imagine:
http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php?topic=8121.0
I think that one of the things that would be very important would be a GOOD ALARM CLOCK that is VERY VERY LOUD (laugh) – since no one can wake you up if you oversleep. You get 12 hours from when you check in before you have to go again – man, make it on the show, START TESTING ALARMS (laugh)!
This site stresses that overpacking is the BIGGEST issue. One of the (male) racers said he was prepared for anything including a suit and tie in his clothes – I think that as a girl you are luckier as you can pack a “packs down to nothing” black dress and some black dead-flat sandals and you’re good. My supposition would be that the best shoes would be sneaker-type shoes – or one pair like that one pair of Keen’s. Question would be whether they should be more “hiker/sneaker” combo shoes (like I recently purchased) or “all-around” sneaker shoes? Still searching on that one. The site also stresses that the “most important thing” is the right backpack with lots of straps (makes sense) – light, etc. I can see that.
Aha here is another one, though obliquely related to TAR:
http://adopttaiwan.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/packing-in-amazing-race-style/
Here is Phil K’s “12 Travel Tips” that it refers to, from 2006 (what IS it about 2006?):
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0511/whats_new/amazing_race.html#travel_tips
I LOVE THIS (from the above article):
“Perhaps the most exceptional thing about The Amazing Race is its inviting worldview. “It seems like all we ever see of the rest of the world is the aftermath of a natural disaster, war, or someone who hates us, burning an American flag,” says the expat New Zealander Keoghan, who resides with his wife and daughter in Santa Monica, California. He adds, “Our President is constantly warning people about all the ‘evildoers’ out there. It’s no wonder some Americans think they’ll be safer staying home.”
TRUE TRUE TRUE. I think that is HUGELY important, and maybe it’s one thing we mention in our video. I think especially now, this would “Play well.” Also they talk again and again and AGAIN about “this is a relationship show” or “the thinking person’s reality show.” That’s gotta be what is stressed – not the $$ or the travel.
This is also a GREAT QUOTE: “…or what the show really delivers is a spot-on satire of the breakneck speed at which Americans travel.” Ha!
In reading that link, GET A LOAD of #7! Holy cats!
#11 is a great idea (regarding panhandling if you lose your money). If you can panhandle from other travelers they are more likely to commiserate. Interestingly, I would think (I mean, think about it) if you are there panhandling with a camera and a sound person at your side, you’re going to be considered differently than a “usual” panhandler :-) “The departures terminal is your best bet” – clever. And better than arrivals, because if someone is departing they are “going home” so they are more likely to be more loose with their money than someone who has more money, but “wants it to last” for their holiday in that foreign land.
Okay, well here is a link to the backpacks recently used: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_model_arc_teryx_backpacks_are_Katy_and_max_using_on_amazing_race_2013
Now I’m searching on Bing instead of Google, here is another website (this one didn’t show on Google at all but was first on Bing – interesting):
http://www.amazingracefanwiki.com/page/The+%22Real%22+Rules
This one’s a pretty good packing list! (Huffington Post travel writer): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/la-carmina/amazing-race-style_b_2207344.html
Also Huffington Post – packing tricks from the Goth Team: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/la-carmina/watch-5-packing-tips-from_b_1217565.html – wow I don’t remember these 2 but they had ONE backpack between them? Now THAT is a GREAT idea! (How did I miss them? Maybe I have “mental pause”)
World Race Packing List and Video: http://hannataylor.theworldrace.org/?filename=wr-packing-list-video Wow this was just posted a couple days ago. It’s obviously not TAR because they’re bringing electronics, etc., but it has makes and models of things, which I think is muy bueno (especially as this is from 2013!) This is “big pack plus day pack” but it has a lot of electronics. Video at the bottom. Interesting regarding bringing a Bible, I actually like the idea. Good reading there – I once told someone if I was allowed ONE book on a desert island, that’d be it – you could be entertained for years with one. (Meant with no disrespect!)